I got my first fish tank because.. well.. it was the only pet I could get! My parents wouldn't let me have a gecko, or snake, or gerblils, or anything else I wanted. so, I got fish, and fell in love with them ^^
how did your fishkeeping get started?
- Thread starter fishdude
- Start date
Back in 1979 I was working at a place called "Super 8 Drugs" - a big drugstore/department store - they had a pet department & my husband started working in there as a 2nd job. Very soon we had a 10 gallon setup with our first fish.....Pacu. Over the years we have had various sizes, freshwater & marine - at one time we had 11 tanks setup, with the smallest being 120 gallons. We now have only the one aquarium (which, BTW, is still the home of the original Pacu - 25 years later!) 
initially i wanted a tank because my mum had one but never got around to it
then my youngest now 22 month old became really interested in fish so he at about 18 months inspired me to get set up
then my youngest now 22 month old became really interested in fish so he at about 18 months inspired me to get set up
I started with feeders
One day in I went to a fish store and saw they were using fish to feed fish, I thought the feeder fishes were poor, so I bought 10 of them, and bought a fish bowl for them. I knew nothing about fish at that time. I put them into the fish bowl, and added water, then I fed them. The fishes died one by one because I overfed them. I knew because I saw their stomach was broken. >.< So, only 3 left, and those 3 lived for 4 years until february 2004.
I didn't know why they died at first. But later on in around october, my bf gave me his 10g with 10 feeders who had lived for 2-3 years also, so I changed water after a week. They all died. I thought the way I changed water was wrong. I still didn't know about fish at that time. Then, I started thinking to keep the tropical fish when I went to petsmart. The first fish I wanted was a neon tetra, but I didn't buy it. I talked to the person who worked there, and bought whatever he told me to get started. Then I knew I killed my bf's fishes and my 3 fishes because I didn't know the water is changed in my area in february. I had to put the water conditioner to remove the chloramine.
On Halloween, I bought 4 painted glass fishes and put it in. I didn't know their color was injected artificially >.< and they dun last long... Now my tank ends up with no painted glass fishes (all dided), 3 silver mollies, 3 swordtails and 2 gold gouramis now. People said my 10g is too small, and I start liking fishes, and want to get more species, so I bought a 25g. I'll start moving them in this weekend. So happy. Now I can buy a few more fishes
Anyways, fishes are not the only animals I love, I also have a shih tzu, a rabbit, and used to have a hamster. He died >.<
One day in I went to a fish store and saw they were using fish to feed fish, I thought the feeder fishes were poor, so I bought 10 of them, and bought a fish bowl for them. I knew nothing about fish at that time. I put them into the fish bowl, and added water, then I fed them. The fishes died one by one because I overfed them. I knew because I saw their stomach was broken. >.< So, only 3 left, and those 3 lived for 4 years until february 2004.
I didn't know why they died at first. But later on in around october, my bf gave me his 10g with 10 feeders who had lived for 2-3 years also, so I changed water after a week. They all died. I thought the way I changed water was wrong. I still didn't know about fish at that time. Then, I started thinking to keep the tropical fish when I went to petsmart. The first fish I wanted was a neon tetra, but I didn't buy it. I talked to the person who worked there, and bought whatever he told me to get started. Then I knew I killed my bf's fishes and my 3 fishes because I didn't know the water is changed in my area in february. I had to put the water conditioner to remove the chloramine.
On Halloween, I bought 4 painted glass fishes and put it in. I didn't know their color was injected artificially >.< and they dun last long... Now my tank ends up with no painted glass fishes (all dided), 3 silver mollies, 3 swordtails and 2 gold gouramis now. People said my 10g is too small, and I start liking fishes, and want to get more species, so I bought a 25g. I'll start moving them in this weekend. So happy. Now I can buy a few more fishes
Anyways, fishes are not the only animals I love, I also have a shih tzu, a rabbit, and used to have a hamster. He died >.<
Well, my kids and I killed 4 feeder goldfish in a week before we decided that fish weren't for us.
When my daughter was 12 she asked for a tank for christmas. I bought her a 10gallon "everything you need to get started" kit that had such useful information as..."chlorine in tapwater-BAD......water conditioner-GOOD" !! and a bit of info on cycling and stocking a tank.
We had fun picking out the fish for that tank and they did very well. But THEN....she wants a BETTA !!! After putting her off for a bit..."jeesh, you have a whole 10gallon with fish..why do you want one of THOSE ?!".....I relented and got her just ONE little betta (we still have him !)
Well, as Spartan commented back on page one....."it snowballed from there" ! One betta became two.."gee, he looks so lonesome, he needs a girlfriend". That's when we learned that you don't put bettas together, especially when the girl you thought you bought, turns out to be a plakett male..
Many more betta and one successful spawn of over 200 betta fry...at the very first try !
(I sure learned alot in the six months it took to get through THAT experience !)
I now have about 18 tanks of various sizes...largest is only a 29 (dang!!)....planted community, shelldwellers, vivariums with dart frogs, a river tank with red bellied newts and ADFs...and oh yeah....BETTAS...about 13 or 14 of them at last count !!
Besides the BETTA spawn...I've spawned and reared german blue rams and halfblack pastel guppies...so far....and now I have a 20long tank absolutely FULL of little neolamprologus multifasciatus shelldwellers of various ages and sizes...lol....
I have to say, that this little hobby has quite gotten away from me....I blame my daughter !!
Did I mention that I have betta fish ??
When my daughter was 12 she asked for a tank for christmas. I bought her a 10gallon "everything you need to get started" kit that had such useful information as..."chlorine in tapwater-BAD......water conditioner-GOOD" !! and a bit of info on cycling and stocking a tank.
We had fun picking out the fish for that tank and they did very well. But THEN....she wants a BETTA !!! After putting her off for a bit..."jeesh, you have a whole 10gallon with fish..why do you want one of THOSE ?!".....I relented and got her just ONE little betta (we still have him !)
Well, as Spartan commented back on page one....."it snowballed from there" ! One betta became two.."gee, he looks so lonesome, he needs a girlfriend". That's when we learned that you don't put bettas together, especially when the girl you thought you bought, turns out to be a plakett male..
Many more betta and one successful spawn of over 200 betta fry...at the very first try !
(I sure learned alot in the six months it took to get through THAT experience !)
I now have about 18 tanks of various sizes...largest is only a 29 (dang!!)....planted community, shelldwellers, vivariums with dart frogs, a river tank with red bellied newts and ADFs...and oh yeah....BETTAS...about 13 or 14 of them at last count !!
Besides the BETTA spawn...I've spawned and reared german blue rams and halfblack pastel guppies...so far....and now I have a 20long tank absolutely FULL of little neolamprologus multifasciatus shelldwellers of various ages and sizes...lol....
I have to say, that this little hobby has quite gotten away from me....I blame my daughter !!
Did I mention that I have betta fish ??
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It's an old thread, but a goodie
My son (age 4) has always liked fish and we decided to get him a 20 gallon for his room. We came home with Bio-Spira (thank GOD!), a 20 gallon tank, 3 silver dollars (uh oh) and 2 tiger barbs.
Then we bought a betta fish and a 2.5 gallon explorer.
Then I learned about this place and starting reading and researching.
Then I almost croaked when I realized just how big the dollars would get.
Then I bought a 10 gallon with platies.
Then I bought a Eclipse 6 and put the betta in there.
My best buddy, Kahless (sable-headed white merle rough coated collie) had to be put down, and my husband bought me a 36 gallon bowfront to cheer me up.
Then I bought a school of Boesemani rainbows for the 36g and fell in love with rainbowfish.
Then we bought a 2.5 gallon All-Glass and anther betta fish.
Then I bought 2 red cap red oranda's for my sons room and put them in QT.
The I bought another 10 gallon tank to use for yet another QT
Then we bought THREE 75 gallon tanks for rainbowfish and 1 65 gallon tank for the silver dollars that are too big for the 20 gallon.
AND we also bought, at the same time as the above, a 92 gallon corner tank for my husband's basement office so he can start a reef tank
Last, but not least (I'm sure), I bought a 5 gallon hex as a small grow-out tank
Does it EVER end?
Roan
My son (age 4) has always liked fish and we decided to get him a 20 gallon for his room. We came home with Bio-Spira (thank GOD!), a 20 gallon tank, 3 silver dollars (uh oh) and 2 tiger barbs.
Then we bought a betta fish and a 2.5 gallon explorer.
Then I learned about this place and starting reading and researching.
Then I almost croaked when I realized just how big the dollars would get.
Then I bought a 10 gallon with platies.
Then I bought a Eclipse 6 and put the betta in there.
My best buddy, Kahless (sable-headed white merle rough coated collie) had to be put down, and my husband bought me a 36 gallon bowfront to cheer me up.
Then I bought a school of Boesemani rainbows for the 36g and fell in love with rainbowfish.
Then we bought a 2.5 gallon All-Glass and anther betta fish.
Then I bought 2 red cap red oranda's for my sons room and put them in QT.
The I bought another 10 gallon tank to use for yet another QT
Then we bought THREE 75 gallon tanks for rainbowfish and 1 65 gallon tank for the silver dollars that are too big for the 20 gallon.
AND we also bought, at the same time as the above, a 92 gallon corner tank for my husband's basement office so he can start a reef tank
Last, but not least (I'm sure), I bought a 5 gallon hex as a small grow-out tank
Does it EVER end?
Roan
I started "collecting" fish from the creek that ran near my house when I was in the 5th grade. My parents saw how interested ( or obsessed ) in aquatics I was and buoght me a 10 gallon tank for my birthday. That was 33 years ago!
Abraham
) in aquatics I was and buoght me a 10 gallon tank for my birthday. That was 33 years ago!Abraham
My dad always had a fishtank when my parents lived out west. But i really got into the hobby when they moved back here to good ole vermont. My dad lived on the lake for a while and my sister and I would go fishing and bring home these little baby sunfish. We would put them in a big tupperware box for a couple days and then let them go, until my mom decided to get us a real fish tank. We had a 20 gal aquarium that had a big goldfish a catfish, and a pleco in it for the longest time. The goldfish was the last fish remaining in the tank and had jumped out one day while we were at school. After the tank had been taken down for a while I went into the garage, pulled it out, and put it in my room. I then got Fluffy my goldfish and had him in that until he got too big, upgraded him to a 29gal and somewhere between moving out of my parents house and into my own apartment I ended up with a 55gal that I ended up selling a 10gal FW, a 20gal SW and a 110 gal waiting to be set up.
I grew up with fish. My father used to enjoy building tanks and we had all sorts of special looking tanks. One tank in particular that was very interesting was a tank modeled after the pyramids in Giza. After that we moved, and the tanks were gone. We then got an old round tank at sharper image (much like the bi-orb just larger) and started it up again. Had this tank for a few years and moved again. This time fish were forgotten about. I grew up and one day woke up and thought about having a fishtank. I shelled out a few hundred dollars on my first goldie tank and got hooked yet again. The number of tanks I have balooned from that day on.
