Hi everyone, my name is David and I hale from Newcastle Australia.
This time a month ago, I would have been very doubtful if anyone told me I would be shortly posting to a fish keepers group, but there you have it.
Four weeks ago a friend decided to give my partner a small thank you gift for minding his child; a Black Moore (I now know its name). It came in a tiny shoe box sized plastic tank. Well within half a day the poor thing was gasping for air at the surface and quickly clouding its water; several water changes later I realised something had to be done. My only experience of fish keeping was a family tank of goldfish when I was very young.
So off we go to the LFS; I figured we needed a small tank and a filter, you know one of those plastic things with cotton wool inside. Well haven't things changed? Trusting the advice of the guy in the shop we buy a 5G tank, with a built in bio and mechanical filter. Can I stock more than one fish in the tank I ask? Sure the guy says! I gave the same tank to my niece and it has 3 goldfish and 5 white clouds; so of course my partner chooses a couple more goldfish, 2 comets, and 5 white clouds. Home we go.
The fish seem happy enough, and I think to myself well that was easy, however a few days later I look at a web site about fish keeping and I read about cycling a tank. So it is off to another LFS to buy a kit. Shock horror the ammonia is through the roof, so I change the water. Next day the same, and so on and so on for a few days. Then I come across this forum and learn that these cute little fish are far too big for the tank we have. Also I learn never to trust your LFS guy.
So it was back to the LFS to buy a 55 gal tank to hold them until I build a pond out back. So in the end the well meaning friend who probably spent $5 on a small gift has ended up costing me near enough to $1000, to keep these fish alive and happy.
However in saying this I guess I have found a new interest and am enjoying the experience. I look forward to participating with you all here as my hobby develops.
This time a month ago, I would have been very doubtful if anyone told me I would be shortly posting to a fish keepers group, but there you have it.
Four weeks ago a friend decided to give my partner a small thank you gift for minding his child; a Black Moore (I now know its name). It came in a tiny shoe box sized plastic tank. Well within half a day the poor thing was gasping for air at the surface and quickly clouding its water; several water changes later I realised something had to be done. My only experience of fish keeping was a family tank of goldfish when I was very young.
So off we go to the LFS; I figured we needed a small tank and a filter, you know one of those plastic things with cotton wool inside. Well haven't things changed? Trusting the advice of the guy in the shop we buy a 5G tank, with a built in bio and mechanical filter. Can I stock more than one fish in the tank I ask? Sure the guy says! I gave the same tank to my niece and it has 3 goldfish and 5 white clouds; so of course my partner chooses a couple more goldfish, 2 comets, and 5 white clouds. Home we go.
The fish seem happy enough, and I think to myself well that was easy, however a few days later I look at a web site about fish keeping and I read about cycling a tank. So it is off to another LFS to buy a kit. Shock horror the ammonia is through the roof, so I change the water. Next day the same, and so on and so on for a few days. Then I come across this forum and learn that these cute little fish are far too big for the tank we have. Also I learn never to trust your LFS guy.
So it was back to the LFS to buy a 55 gal tank to hold them until I build a pond out back. So in the end the well meaning friend who probably spent $5 on a small gift has ended up costing me near enough to $1000, to keep these fish alive and happy.
However in saying this I guess I have found a new interest and am enjoying the experience. I look forward to participating with you all here as my hobby develops.
