Fyurae
Fish Fanatic
Hi everyone.
I just found this forum a couple of days ago, and have been browsing. I am no longer a newbie when it comes to fishkeeping, but I'm no expert either. I have been keeping aquariums off and on ever since my mom got me a betta when I was about 9. But, it wasn't until about two years ago that I learned how to do it properly (cycling, bacteria, etc).
It seems to me that most of the people on this forum are from the UK, is that true? I live in northwest Washington state, in the US. I'm 25, just finished a 2-year degree this spring, and I remain unemployed despite my efforts. I'm female. My other hobbies are gaming, design, and horsemanship. I still live at home, but do my best to contribute despite not being able to pay any bills. I have a very large golden retriever mix as of last summer, and a very large (25 lbs) Maine coon cat.
As far as fishkeeping, I like low-tech planted tanks, and doing as much DIY, bargain-shopping, and trading as possible. I am toying with the idea of making a riparium.
My main tank is a 29 gallon tropical community that I am constantly redecorating. It's been up for about 6 months now (after upgrading from a 20). It originally was a coldwater tank for natives, but then changed to a tropical after I adopted an abused dwarf gourami. I also have 10 rasbora heteromorpha, two adopted zebra danio, 3 adopted sterbai cories, and 5 otos. Everyone is doing splendidly, especially since I got a girl for the gourami about a month ago.
I currently have a 10 gallon to grow out cory babies. There is also a betta in the tank now, since I couldn't pass him up. (The fish in with him are half grown, and the hatching fry are in a breeder box). He is a beautiful double-tail, with a copper body and orange-red fins.
Finally, I have a 5 gallon for my first betta, a particularly lovely specimen of a veil tail. I know VT's aren't considered very special anymore, but I still like them the best of all tail types when they are truly healthy and colorful. Mine isn't as unique as he was when I got him. He was black-bodied with rose colored fins that had dark magenta spots in them. And his fins were all fringed with black. Now his fins are fringed with blue, and his body has gotten a little lighter. He has streaks of cerulean when the incandescent light is off and the tank is just getting reflected sunlight, and blue eyes. His tankmate is what I suspect is an endler/guppy hybrid male, a unique fish that I once again couldn't pass up. And two pygmy cories, which I find to be remarkably dull for cories. There may still be pygmy fry hiding in the java moss, but I won't know until they get bigger.
I am planning on setting up another 29 for a coldwater tank, upgrading the grow-out to a 20 long, and rehoming the rasboras and danios in my tropical tank to try my hand at guppies instead. I really liked the rasboras when I got them, but I've found that I just don't care to have a bunch of fish that all look the same. I already have a home lined up for them. I have the tanks and equipment, but unfortunately the tank rack I just built is a smidge too narrow (poorly constructed) so I'm going to have to take it apart and try again.
I'll put up pictures (I have lots) when I find the appropriate place, and will put that in my signature so it will be easy to find.
I just found this forum a couple of days ago, and have been browsing. I am no longer a newbie when it comes to fishkeeping, but I'm no expert either. I have been keeping aquariums off and on ever since my mom got me a betta when I was about 9. But, it wasn't until about two years ago that I learned how to do it properly (cycling, bacteria, etc).
It seems to me that most of the people on this forum are from the UK, is that true? I live in northwest Washington state, in the US. I'm 25, just finished a 2-year degree this spring, and I remain unemployed despite my efforts. I'm female. My other hobbies are gaming, design, and horsemanship. I still live at home, but do my best to contribute despite not being able to pay any bills. I have a very large golden retriever mix as of last summer, and a very large (25 lbs) Maine coon cat.
As far as fishkeeping, I like low-tech planted tanks, and doing as much DIY, bargain-shopping, and trading as possible. I am toying with the idea of making a riparium.
My main tank is a 29 gallon tropical community that I am constantly redecorating. It's been up for about 6 months now (after upgrading from a 20). It originally was a coldwater tank for natives, but then changed to a tropical after I adopted an abused dwarf gourami. I also have 10 rasbora heteromorpha, two adopted zebra danio, 3 adopted sterbai cories, and 5 otos. Everyone is doing splendidly, especially since I got a girl for the gourami about a month ago.
I currently have a 10 gallon to grow out cory babies. There is also a betta in the tank now, since I couldn't pass him up. (The fish in with him are half grown, and the hatching fry are in a breeder box). He is a beautiful double-tail, with a copper body and orange-red fins.
Finally, I have a 5 gallon for my first betta, a particularly lovely specimen of a veil tail. I know VT's aren't considered very special anymore, but I still like them the best of all tail types when they are truly healthy and colorful. Mine isn't as unique as he was when I got him. He was black-bodied with rose colored fins that had dark magenta spots in them. And his fins were all fringed with black. Now his fins are fringed with blue, and his body has gotten a little lighter. He has streaks of cerulean when the incandescent light is off and the tank is just getting reflected sunlight, and blue eyes. His tankmate is what I suspect is an endler/guppy hybrid male, a unique fish that I once again couldn't pass up. And two pygmy cories, which I find to be remarkably dull for cories. There may still be pygmy fry hiding in the java moss, but I won't know until they get bigger.
I am planning on setting up another 29 for a coldwater tank, upgrading the grow-out to a 20 long, and rehoming the rasboras and danios in my tropical tank to try my hand at guppies instead. I really liked the rasboras when I got them, but I've found that I just don't care to have a bunch of fish that all look the same. I already have a home lined up for them. I have the tanks and equipment, but unfortunately the tank rack I just built is a smidge too narrow (poorly constructed) so I'm going to have to take it apart and try again.
I'll put up pictures (I have lots) when I find the appropriate place, and will put that in my signature so it will be easy to find.
