Hello all,
My names Sarah and I'm new to this community! I also have a pet Russian tortoise named Frankln, who's going to celebrate his 2nd adoption anniversary (aka we call it his 7th birthday) at the end of june. Franklin and the research I had to do before getting him are the reason I started looking more into aquarium care recently. I'm not new to aquarium keeping and have actually had my 10 gal tank up and running for 3 years now, but I'm recently learning my aquarium keeping has been far under par and will be asking a lot of questions for a little while, while I get my aquarium to where it should be.
My interest in fish started when I got my first betta, we had had family bettas before but as a junior in high school I went out with a friend and we each went home with a betta fish. I knew betta care since we had some before, so I got a cracker jar to put him in (about 1/2 gal) and eventually ended up with another, then 2 more and at one time had 7 bettas around my room in jars. They lived usually around a year and they was short compared to ones the family kept, I knew i'd been less vigilant at cleaning when I started getting more, so as bettas passed I stopped getting new ones. to where I usually kept around 3-3.
That year I went to a local fair in the summer, and I won a goldfish there (yeah not smart I know) and on a whim I decided to get a cute little 1 1/2 gallon tank at our walmart. That choice pretty much saved his life, and after 6 months of keeping him in here (with various tank mates from time to time... yes also not smart!) I got a 10 gal. aquarium for a graduation present. Set it up plopped him in, happy fish. I kept him in there for another year before a fungus none of the treatments was curing. After him I had a few other goldfish but none lasted long and I gave up on them and got a divider and a heater for 2 of my bettas to live in there. But a few months in one betta passed and then another. now I have 1 betta in it undivided (I had him in a small 1 gal. tank before when the other 2 were in the big tank).
That tank is now in the process of being planted, all trial and error right now. And i'm planning to get 2 mystery snails and a few ghost shrimp. But in the process of discussing on the Tortoise Forum i'm a part of I learned I need to test the water, something i'd hardly ever done and previously used strips, I'd decided I really want to have a healthy flourishing aquarium and wanted to carefully look into the specific cares and needs of fish i'd add in. I was instructed to get the API master freshwater kit, and tested yesterday to the horrible realization my tank is not cycled at all, so I'll go to that forum and check out other answers and ask my own questions, but I need to get a greater understanding and management of the nitrogen cycle so that as of right now is the main reason i'm here.
Anyways I don't know if you all really want to hear the whole history but it is what it is.
I'll post pictures later since this computer doesn't have those files. My current Betta fish Svyatoslav (Borrs) is a beautiful crowntial male, and i'd like to keep him happy and healthy.
~Sarah
My names Sarah and I'm new to this community! I also have a pet Russian tortoise named Frankln, who's going to celebrate his 2nd adoption anniversary (aka we call it his 7th birthday) at the end of june. Franklin and the research I had to do before getting him are the reason I started looking more into aquarium care recently. I'm not new to aquarium keeping and have actually had my 10 gal tank up and running for 3 years now, but I'm recently learning my aquarium keeping has been far under par and will be asking a lot of questions for a little while, while I get my aquarium to where it should be.
My interest in fish started when I got my first betta, we had had family bettas before but as a junior in high school I went out with a friend and we each went home with a betta fish. I knew betta care since we had some before, so I got a cracker jar to put him in (about 1/2 gal) and eventually ended up with another, then 2 more and at one time had 7 bettas around my room in jars. They lived usually around a year and they was short compared to ones the family kept, I knew i'd been less vigilant at cleaning when I started getting more, so as bettas passed I stopped getting new ones. to where I usually kept around 3-3.
That year I went to a local fair in the summer, and I won a goldfish there (yeah not smart I know) and on a whim I decided to get a cute little 1 1/2 gallon tank at our walmart. That choice pretty much saved his life, and after 6 months of keeping him in here (with various tank mates from time to time... yes also not smart!) I got a 10 gal. aquarium for a graduation present. Set it up plopped him in, happy fish. I kept him in there for another year before a fungus none of the treatments was curing. After him I had a few other goldfish but none lasted long and I gave up on them and got a divider and a heater for 2 of my bettas to live in there. But a few months in one betta passed and then another. now I have 1 betta in it undivided (I had him in a small 1 gal. tank before when the other 2 were in the big tank).
That tank is now in the process of being planted, all trial and error right now. And i'm planning to get 2 mystery snails and a few ghost shrimp. But in the process of discussing on the Tortoise Forum i'm a part of I learned I need to test the water, something i'd hardly ever done and previously used strips, I'd decided I really want to have a healthy flourishing aquarium and wanted to carefully look into the specific cares and needs of fish i'd add in. I was instructed to get the API master freshwater kit, and tested yesterday to the horrible realization my tank is not cycled at all, so I'll go to that forum and check out other answers and ask my own questions, but I need to get a greater understanding and management of the nitrogen cycle so that as of right now is the main reason i'm here.
Anyways I don't know if you all really want to hear the whole history but it is what it is.
I'll post pictures later since this computer doesn't have those files. My current Betta fish Svyatoslav (Borrs) is a beautiful crowntial male, and i'd like to keep him happy and healthy.
~Sarah
to the forum, Sarah.
