Big geeky fishy survey! Take it!

[echoofformless]

name

age

sex

location

astrological sign

favorite dessert

how many years in the hobby

what first interested you in the hobby

describe your first tank

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug?


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief.

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one.

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping?

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping?

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results?

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names?

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts?

the most overrated?



do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks?

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against?

most under, and most over rated equipment?

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why?

most under, and most over rated fish foods?

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water?

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not?

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not?

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised?

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn?

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?

which plants have you been most successful in keeping?

which plants have not done well for you?

what sort of lighting do you use?

ferts? substrate?

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain.


and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek?

 

[Rbishop]

yes.

 

[softwatersofty]

Diane

20

female

US

Aquarius (no joke)

favorite dessert- gooey chocolate lava cake

how many years in the hobby- four

what first interested you in the hobby- an African clawed frog named Akiji

describe your first tank- I have a 30gal with one paradise gourami, a chinese algae eater, and an african clawed frog. (big mistake I know)

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug?- I gave my friend Cory an old tank that once had all the fish die of parasites and yes those worms never went away so I did give her a sort of mess to deal with.


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief.- none working at the moment

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one- clown loach, they act like dogs, gouramis, pretty, easy, and eat out of my hand.

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping?-plecos and algae eaters

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping?- goldfish

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results?- yes I bred my two betas together. He had a wonderful nest full of eggs, they even became hatchlings, but the next night I had a rad 4th of july party with my friends, came home late the next day and all of them were gone. just disappeared.

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names?- yes always. My last tank was Diamond, Akiji, Algenador, and Buggy!

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts?- mystery snails, they are so cool!

the most overrated?-oscars, so boring, bland, and tough to take care of.

do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks?- yes I love amano tanks!

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against? um... donno I don't pay attention

most under, and most over rated equipment?- under? magnetic scubbers Over? Special lighting Bulbs

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why?- I have none now but I used to have squares of jelly protein made of heart and blood worms for my frog and gouramis.

most under, and most over rated fish foods? donno

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water?- I use conditioned tap with a peat filter.

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not? Well, they are much easier to stock, make look attractive and are more chemically balanced. But if you have a disease or if it needs a good cleaning it sucks! plus theya re more expensive.

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not? nope, they each have special foods they eat, including their fellow fish, its important for our species to eat fish too, so why not?

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised? I always use tank raised, I've never bought caught because I don't like it one bit.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn?- I usually scrub the sides all the time and siphon the bottom every other week but I don't do a complete water change for months, probably twice a year.

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?- I love short ground cover plants and wispy grasses.

which plants have you been most successful in keeping? banana plants

which plants have not done well for you? the kind you get as little bulbs from the dry package, yeah never work for me.

what sort of lighting do you use? full spectrum daylight 40 watt bulbs.

ferts? substrate? just gravel and drift wood.

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain.- I'm moving in two months so I don't have a working tank at moment. But I'd like to set up my new 55 gal in the new house soon.


and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek?

resarch everything online and be nice to your fish. Also, don't listen to the PetsMart associates, they usually don't know what they're talking about. They'll tell you the Jack Demsey and the neons look great together just to get you to buy them.

 

[Radar]

yes.

:grinyes: A man of few words.

 

[0live]

Michaela

24

Female

Providence, RI

Scorpio

Ice mochi

how many years in the hobby -- 13

what first interested you in the hobby -- My dad used my fish tank to teach me about pH (and chemistry..) that way I'd be a super smart scientist like him... turns out I'm just a fish Dork.

describe your first tank -- red gravel.. 20 gal. sword tails.. thats all I can remember..

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug? -- 2 neighbors, and one regular customer at work


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief. --
55 gallon full of nothing but h2o.
55, planted, 7 hatchets, 2 farlowellas, 5 nickel sized angelfish.
29 gal. planted, 11 neons, 2 male guppies, asst. guppy fry, lots o shrimp
10 gal plant grow out tank, 2 guppy females
10 gal japonica breeding experiment
10 gal QT

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one. n/a

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping? shrimp?!

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping? n/a

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results? GUPPIES! haha

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names? nope.

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts?

the most overrated? n/a



do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks? natural

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against? in tank filters.. thats all.. just stay away from them.

most under, and most over rated equipment?

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why?
zucchini, spinach, and frozen peas for fish and inverts
flake
tetramin crisps
tetra freeze dried blood worms and microcrabs
hikari crab cuisine, algae wafers, brine shrimp and first bites
Kent Marine zooplex and micro vert
Wardly liquid fry food
frozen daphnia
live BBS
live black worms
top fin betta bites (for that betta I don't have)



most under, and most over rated fish foods?


do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water?
city water with prime

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not?
yes and no. I think that I spend more money and time on my larger tanks than I do on the smaller ones.. though less frequently.

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not?
Before my dad was a super smart scientist teaching me chemistry through my fish tank, he was a lobsterman. I don't eat seafood unless it's fished locally. I know what the industry has become, and I don't like it.

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised?
I try to make sure what I buy is tank raised. I know that there is a demand for wild caught. I try not to contribute to the demand.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn? weekly.. depends on the tank/need. 20%-30% usually.

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?
cambomba
ludwiga riepens
HC
glosso
Cryptocoryne spiralis
Rotalla Wallichii
Rotala Indica
micro sword
pygmy chain sword
anubias nana
and some small amazon sword

which plants have you been most successful in keeping? crypts, cabomba, Rotalla Wallichii, glosso, ludwiga

which plants have not done well for you? HC

what sort of lighting do you use? it varies tank to tank and is usually a combination of cfl's and fluorescents.

ferts? substrate? yep! eco-complete or eco-complete gravel mix

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain. thinking of getting rid of the empty 55.


and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek?
read up on cycling. join AC

 

[echoofformless]

name Mark with a K

age thirty three

sex male

location Phil A Del Fee Yah

astrological sign PISCES!!

favorite dessert: everything.

how many years in the hobby: since i was born, but for my own truly serious pursuits about ten years.

what first interested you in the hobby: a sudden desire to make living art and satisfy my inner science geek all at once.

describe your first tank: a bare bones, low-light ten gallon tank that contained a crazy mixed substrate that i cooked up myself with peat, aqua soil and pea gravel to support crypts. it housed one lone betta.

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug? Indeed - Shawn and Sue both got tanks because I talked them into it. I hope to do more.


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief.

20g long (soon to be 30g long) thai/malay peninsula blackwater pool region-tope. eheim 2213, 2215. 2x65w 6500k pc lighting, substrate is a mix of peat, aqua soil, flourite and pea gravel. red petrified wood, malaysian driftwood.

fauna: two female bettas, five harlequin rasboras, three SAEs and four amano shrimp.
flora: blyxa aubertii, hygrophila corymbosa "narrow leaf," barclaya longifolia

55g amazon blackwater creek region-tope. eheim 2215, fluval 105 (for peat filtration only) Rena XP3. 2x65w 6500k pc lighting, 2x28w NO T5 lighting (colormax and 6700k). substrate is play sand mixed with medium sand and tahitian moon sand. rootwood.

fauna: pair of snakeskin discus, pair of blue rams, school of cardinal tetras, school of spotted corydoras, a few otos, clown pleco, and three SAEs visiting from the far east because they heard there was good algae to be found down in south america.
flora: Vallisneria americana gigantea, echinodorus amazonicus, lilaeopsis brasiliensis.

40g breeder Yellow Lab hideaway. Two Rena XP2s, 2x21w T5 10000k/Actinic Blue. Substrate: cichlid sand. Rocks.

Fauna: six yellow labs.

10g ex girlfriend's tank that is still in my den. Penguin 125, pea gravel, lava rock, root wood. 1x15w NO T8 6500k.

Fauna: one SAE, one male betta, one otocinclus.
Flora: anubias barteri, cryptocoryne wendtii, java moss.

5.5g betta girl blue tank. whisper 10. 2x10w mini pc 6700k, play sand, river rocks, root wood.

fauna: one amazing blue female betta and some snails.
flora: limnophila aromatica, anubias nana.

5.5g betta girl red tank. same as betta girl blue except black sand and obsidian rock.

fauna: a sassy red betta
flora: anubias nana

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one.

bettas - they are the closest thing to real "pets" that one can keep. plus they are easily kept in smaller tanks and they're downright gorgeous. the females always have such vivacious personalities.

SAEs - beyond their usefulness as algae control, they're really cute to watch and they're hardy.

harlequin rasbora - always do well in my tanks, great appearance, and very peaceful.

corydoras - just fun and cute.

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping?

bettas, rasboras, SAEs, yellow labs, blue and pearl gouramis.

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping?

i've yet to keep a cory more than a few months. same with angels.

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results?

not unless you count livebearers when i was a kid.

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names?

only certain fish have gotten names. mostly bettas. they have been master betta, yellow gal, old blue, and sassy girl. not very creative i guess. i named a pearl gourami "pearl." yeah i suck.

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts?

the SAE as a fish beyond its supposed usefulness. i keep them because i like them as people, not so much just for algae control.

the most overrated?

oscars aren't my cup of tea yet people just love them.


do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks?

naturalistic by far. I've no interest in ever having a skank tank.

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against?

i like eheim and rena filters. i've had luck with fluvals too. aquaclear and whisper filters have treated me well, as have penguins. rena heaters haven't failed me yet. when it comes to lighting, i've no complaints about coralife or current. i have found AGA/aqueon tanks to be sturdy.

i caution against marineland c series canisters since having heard so many stories of them becoming leaky. also caution against any cheapo heater as that is not a risk worth taking.

most under, and most over rated equipment?

underrated - NO T5 lighting. overrated - eheim filters; though i love them, i do find they're a bit too canonized. but the most overrated product i can think of is hikari foods. (see below)

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why?

omega one general community flakes - these get fed to everyone a few times a week except for mbunas.

omega one kelp flakes - fed to everyone a few times a week including mbunas.

new life spectrum discus - for discus a few times a week.

new life spectrum community - to everyone but mbuna a few times a week.

omega one shrimp pellets - for corys though other people eat them too.

omega one veggie rounds - for pleco, corys and SAEs.

wardley algae discs - for mbuna.

freeze dried plankton, daphnia, and tubifex. frozen bloodworms and mysis shrimp. each fed once per week as a supplement.

nutrafin max earthworm flakes - fed to all but mbunas as an alternative to the community flakes.

sera discus blue - fed to all but mbuna; though especially meant for discus, rams and blue bettas.

cyclop-eez wafers - fed to all fish but mbuna weekly.

hbh betta pellets, omega one betta pellets - staple for my bettas.

chopped nori - mbuna staple

most under, and most over rated fish foods?

Underrated are omega one and sera. They use some of the highest quality ingredients and yet no one really knows about them because they're too busy wasting their money on grossly overrated hikari. At that price point they shouldn't be adding so many pointless fillers and flavor enhancers. "hey waiter, there's MSG in my betta pellets!"

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water? Tap.

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not? I have found that larger tanks are actually a lot more difficult to keep. They require a lot more maintenance and cost, and are no more stable in parameters than well-established smaller tanks. I'm constantly doing work on my 55g whereas my 20, 10, and 5.5s practically take care of themselves.

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not? Just as hypocritical as eating poultry when keeping birds, or eating mammal meat while being a mammal.

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised? I prefer tank raised in almost all cases though I'm not as strict on this when it comes to freshwater as I am salt water. I am completely against non-tank bred or tank raised marine fish.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn? I don't change the water all that much in my smaller tanks. They simply don't need it and stay extremely stable without the added effort and bother. I can go sometimes as long as a month and then change out 60% or more. In my larger tanks I do weekly 30%.

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?

I love plants and would never have a tank without them unless the biotope called for it. Current stock already listed.

which plants have you been most successful in keeping?

blyxa aubertii, hygrophila corymbosa "narrow leaf," anubias sp, cryptocoryne sp, echinodorus amazonicus, water sprite

which plants have not done well for you?

cabomba, corkscrew val, hygrophila corymbosa, (all varieties except narrow leaf, which somehow is thriving for me) bacopa, ludwigia.

what sort of lighting do you use?

see tanks.

ferts? substrate?

substrate is listed with tanks. i use flourish. the whole line including root tabs.

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain.

planning on a molly biotope, a cave tetra biotope, and a small fowlr caribbean tank.


and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek?

Use aquaria central for all of your questions. books are often incorrect and outdated, plus they only represent one person's outlook. don't skimp on equipment. don't try to "acclimate" fish to water that is nothing like their native conditions, stay natural, ignore 90% of the products on the market, feed a great variety of foods, take everything with a grain of salt...except for freshwater aquariums - they never get salt. and most importantly - the person who bags fish for a living often only bags fish for a living - they don't necessarily know one darn thing about fish keeping.

 

[msjinkzd]

name Rachel

age 29

sex F

location SE PA

astrological sign Virgo

favorite dessert I don't eat sugar

how many years in the hobby many

what first interested you in the hobby ADF's

describe your first tank 16g bowfront for 3 adf's

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug? not really, but i try and help them fix their mistakes


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief. 15
120g-waiting to be stocked, will be heavily planted
75g- Maybe an oscar and a plec
36g-planted community with barbs, tetras, cories, gourami, shrimp, snail
30g-Crystal red heavily planted
30g-tiger and blue pearl, planted
29g-pomacea bridgesii growout, planted
29g-pomacea bridgesii growout, heavily planted
16g-asolene spixi, betta, swordtail tetras, lightly planted
10g-green caridina, planted
10g-snowball neocaridina planted
10g-chinese malayan blue caridina, planted
10g-yellow neocaridina, planted
10g-cherry neocaridina, planted
5g-betta
10g qt

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one.fish?

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping? fish?

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping? cories, no clue why, they spawn and die on me

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results?Cories, eggs molded...all my inverts, lots of success

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names? No

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts? hard to say

the most overrated?



do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks?natural

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against?
I try to recommend things that people can afford, i offer my opinion based on my experience and realistic evaluation of their situation.
most under, and most over rated equipment?

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why?
Hikari crab cuisine-lots o inverts
Hikari algae wafers-filler
Hikari flake- community
Frozen bw's-community
Shirakura crs food-crs, tigers, and greens
Hikari micro pellets-fish, snails occasionally
LOTS of homemade jello, biscuits, etc

most under, and most over rated fish foods?

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water?Well water

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not?yes, if you have the proper set up. I think that smaller tanks have more potential for disaster with fluctuations due to overfeeding, lax maintenance due to less dilution (if properly stocked)

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not?No because i like seafood

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised?I prefer to only buy tank raised if possible, although I would be tempted to get wild caught if I sincerely thought that I could breed them in the home aquaria.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn? 20-50%, 1-3x weekly (depending on which tank)

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?yes, lots

which plants have you been most successful in keeping?most of them
which plants have not done well for you?not a huge fan of vals

what sort of lighting do you use? super low (less than 1wpg)- mid (2.8wpg)

ferts? substrate? no ferts on current tanks, i use eco-complete, flourite, or sms charcoal...sometimes gravel, sometimes peat under the substrate

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain.


and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek?
Research your choices first and do not be afraid to ask for advice or help.

 

[soonerfan121]

name: Sharlee

age: 34

sex : f

location: Spfd, Mo

astrological sign: scorpio

favorite dessert: pineapple upside down cake

how many years in the hobby: 15 with a 5 year break between tanks

what first interested you in the hobby: just thought they were cool and loved the sound of running water in the background

describe your first tank: 10 gal community with tetras, blue gourami, otto, black gravel with red speckles and various plastic plants.

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug? My mom had a tank that wasnt set up I got her back into it.


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief.
125 SA/CA currently with 1 oscar, 1 JD, 1 GT, 2 convicts, 1 jewel, 1 red terror, 1 nicaranguense, and 2 common plecos.
It has lots of rock and a tree stump in it.
55 gal with 1 rotkiel severum, 1 gold severum, 1 green severum, 2 gold algae eaters, 2 ottos.
45 hex with 4 quarter size Angels in it just got set up a couple of weeks ago
29 tall Qt

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one. I like all the SA/CA fish I cant choose just one.

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping? SA/CA

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping? Brackish

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results? Just Convicts and they breed like crazy

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names? No

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts? Don't know

the most overrated? Discus



do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks? Natural or as close as I can get

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against? I would recommend all glass tanks havent ever had a problem

most under, and most over rated equipment?

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why? Hikari cichlid gold pellets, Hikari cichlid pellets, Wardley fish flakes, frozen blood worms, frozen krill, frozen mysis shrimp, all of these get fed to all of my fish some as treats the main staple is wardley flake food and Hikari gold.

most under, and most over rated fish foods?

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water? conditioned Tap

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not? Absolutely It is a whole lot easier to keep a big tank I didnt realize how much of a difference until I went up to a 125

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not? I dont eat any fish or seafood, But I dont find it hypocritical either, We often Joke that my fish are almost big enough to fry.

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised? tank raised is better because of the way that they catch them wild.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn? depends on the tank usually 25-30 % when I do one.

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock? Just put plants in and I dont remember what I got.

which plants have you been most successful in keeping?

which plants have not done well for you?
hornwart the cichlids love to eat it.
what sort of lighting do you use? a shop light with 2 florescent bulbs

ferts? substrate? pea gravel and plant gro.

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain.
expanding will be setting up a 55 planted when I get ready to and may do another as we have plenty of empty 55 in storage right now.

and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek? Do your research on any type of fish you wish to keep, dont listen the pet store people most of the time they dont have a clue what they are talking about. Choose tank size not by what you can afford right now but by what you want to keep. Saving for a little while longer will give you a better tank to begin with than having to upgrade later. Most of all though have fun with it.

__________________

 

[J double R]

name: Jon

age:22

sex: M

location: Connecticut

astrological sign: Cancer

favorite dessert: not a big fan of sweets

how many years in the hobby: 18

what first interested you in the hobby: goldfish at age 5

describe your first tank: a bowl with a couple feeder goldfish

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug?: probably

how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief.
75g, two oscars, lots of driftwood
29g, tons of java moss, guppies, ramshorns, pond snails, and one nerite
20g, water

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one.
Oscars, by far. they have such awesome personalities.

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping?
oscars

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping?
neon tetras

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results?
currently attempting to breed a pair of oscars... have bred countless guppies.

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names?
no

do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks?
natural, by far

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against?
recommend Eheim
do not recommend penn plax

most under, and most over rated equipment?
underrated would be DIY c02. you can do a lot more with that than people think.

overrated would have to beroot tabs. they cause more problems than theyre worth.

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why? Tetra-min tropical mix for the guppies, Hikari Gold cichlid large pellets for the oscars, and frozen bloodworms for both

most under, and most over rated fish foods?
pellet foods.. they make some great ones.
live feeders are overrated. they can be a nice supplement, but not for a daily diet.

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water?tap

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not?
not necessarily, but changes in water condition happen more slowly in larger tanks.

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not?
not at all. i love seafood.

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised?
prefer tank raised.. leave the wild populations alone if we have the capability to breed and raise a species in a tank.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn? once a week for all tanks, around 35-50%

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?
yes. 2 anubias, a bunch of narrowleaf ludwigia, and a BUTTLOAD of java moss.

which plants have you been most successful in keeping?
jungle vals

which plants have not done well for you?
dwarf hairgrass

what sort of lighting do you use?
bright

ferts? substrate?
flourish line of macro and micro, substrate is normal gravel with flourite

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain.
expanding, as soon as i move into a house that allows room for the tanks i have.

and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek?
get a job. this crap is expensive!

 

[Hooked Newbie]

name: Len

age: 36 years young

sex: Male

location: Georgia

astrological sign: Virgo and hence forever innocent.

favorite dessert: Not a dessert guy

how many years in the hobby: Define "in the hobby"... I've kept animals including aquatics since I was 5, "knowledgeably" for a year plus.

what first interested you in the hobby: Used to catch and observe anything I could. Fish, crays, birds, snakes, etc.

describe your first tank: 55G that I hatched frog eggs in at age 8.

have you infected any friends or relatives with the aquarium bug? Yep.


how many tanks currently? describe each one in brief.: 15, see blog.

your favorite fish species and a brief reason why you like each one.: No way to choose only one. Loaches and Tetra of various types and some SW critters are growing on me.

what fishes do you seem to have the most success in keeping?: Gourami. The stocking I have them in (inherited) shouldn't work.

what fishes have you had the most trouble keeping?: Nothing yet, unless you count the koi that I mass murdered in a 20G before I knew better.

have you ever tried breeding? if so, which fish(es) and what were the results?: Yep. Many livebearers, Guppies, STs, Limias, etc. Working on getting Sterbai cories and Apistos.

do you name your fish? if so, what are some of the names?: Nope. Other than Goldie my big gold Gourami, Fiesty the festivum, and Ralph the raphael cat.

what do you consider the most underrated of all aquarium fish/inverts? Limias.

the most overrated? RTS



do you like naturalistic tanks, or more decorative tanks? Natural

what brands of equipment would you recommend to friends? what brands would you caution them against? Recommend AC and RENA. Caution against Topfin.

most under, and most over rated equipment? AC, Not sure.

list every type of fish food that you have on hand, which fishes you feed them to and why? OMG! Not enough time. I have at least 3 frozen and 12 dry. I feed according to natural diet and treat once a week or so.

most under, and most over rated fish foods? Under rated- HBH. Over-rated- Omega One.

do you use tap, r/o, distilled, spring and/or well water? Tap.

do you believe in the notion of larger tanks being easier to keep than smaller tanks? why or why not? Yes and no. More room for error, but more time for maintenance.

do you think it's hypocritical to eat seafood when you keep fish as pets? why or why not? No, but I don't eat seafood either.

what are your thoughts on wild caught specimens vs. tank raised? Wild caught should be avoided whenever possible.

how often do you do water changes? (and be honest!) how much water do you change at each turn? Weekly to biweekly (if I slack). 33% -75%.

do you keep plants? if so, what is your current stock?: Yes. Again not enough time.

which plants have you been most successful in keeping?: Umm Java Moss. Who can kill it?

which plants have not done well for you?: Unknown purple variety and dwarf hair grass (does not mix with loaches).

what sort of lighting do you use?: Varied.

ferts? substrate?: Varied.

do you plan on downsizing, or on expanding your hobby in the near future? explain. Expanding greatly. I plan on having my own LFS / Pet shop opening in early to mid 2010.


and finally, what is the most important advice that you would give to anyone looking to get started on being a fish geek? Keep reading. Research first and keep an open mind.