To anyone brand new to the hobby

Blinky

Blinky

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Jun 22, 2004
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I saw a lot of 'newbies' at work today, and realized how hard fishkeeping can be when you're just starting up. This hobby can cost more than you expect at first, it can be hard to wrap your head around the chemistry of the nitrogen cycle and fertilizing your plants. It's difficult when you're faced with a wall full of tanks at the store to try and pick fish that are compatible, and the unbelievable amount of information online and in books can give you information overload. To anyone faced with the daunting task of setting up and maintaining a tank for the first time, I want to offer encouragement - keep reading, keep learning, it's the best hobby on earth :)
 
Interesting, that's for sure! There's lots of opportunity to help people just starting up, and prevent them from making some of the mistakes I had to learn the hard way. I think I explained lighting basics (no that fixture won't work with those bulbs, incandescent + plants = dead plants, 20 000K isn't really ideal for live plants and 0.33 WPG isn't enough despite what your friend told you...), required space for keeping goldfish properly, and the nitrogen cycle about a thousand times ;) The best advice I can offer anyone in the store is to READ, there's so much to know. After a day of saying that over and over, I thought it might be a good idea to post here and offer the same advice :D
 
You mean your not the guy who sold me the 25 gallon Hagen, (0.5 watt of light) and a bunch of plants and some plain gravel and said, you can set it up and come buy your fish on the weekend (2 days later) ?????


OMG!!!!! :hang:
 
just remember, those oscars like to school, so get at least 5 for your uncycled 25g.
 
Swimfins said:
You mean your not the guy who sold me the 25 gallon Hagen, (0.5 watt of light) and a bunch of plants and some plain gravel and said, you can set it up and come buy your fish on the weekend (2 days later) ?????


OMG!!!!! :hang:
Click to expand...
:eek:
Yikes! Absolutely not, and if I see that guy I'll poke him in the eye for you! :rant2:
 
Dave11 said:
as i have discovered.
glad i have disposable income.
Click to expand...


Yeah.... I seem to dispose of my income pretty quick too!!!!!! :eek:
 
A year and a half ago when I first got my 35g tank up and running after a break, I had no idea what I was doing ( I had not set up the tank originally, had no idea about cycling). I lost a lot less fish than I really should have, but I was so frustrated I was about a weekend away from selling my tank and never looking back :mad2: !! Then, the tank cycled, I found some forums, and learned all of the dumb things I had done, and am hopefully in the process of getting a 180g tank!! It really goes from a chore to a hobby once you get the hang of things! :idea2:
 
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