Ami
Fishaholic
So guys, what was your first experience of keeping fish? When was it, how old were you, what was your first set up, why did you get into it, how much did it cost and what was your first time like? 
I got into keeping freshwater tropicals in the Spring of 1999, when my hubbie (then my bf), went to NYC to work. I was 22, living at home with my folks, missing my hubbie like crazy and poverty stricken!
I went to a LFS near my folks, bought a 10 gallon (UK!) tank and preceeded to stock it with 10 Black Widow Tetras, 10 Zebra Danios, 10 Silver Tip Tetras, and 10 Platys. No, they didn't point out I was over stocking or needing to cycle! Neither was there any suggestion that I needed a filter or heater - I just had one little airstone running on a very old, inefficient air pump.
I had my first (not so) UMFD, when the Platys all died within the first week. Not wanting to be put off, I promptly replaced them with 10 Red Eye Tetras!
The set up cost me about £50 and I loved the tank. I was told to clean them out completely (!) once a month (bearing in mind that this was seriously overstocked and had no filter!), so it's a surprise I didn't lose them all.
My hubbie came back to the UK that Winter and we moved into our own place, taking the fish with us. I think we lost a couple then. He bought me the out of use tank you can see in my sig to give our fish some more space and they lived happily in there.
We moved again, utilising large billy cans for camping, added a proper filter, heater, some decor, a few algae shrimps, a borneo sucker and a plec (that was him, not me!).
I normally lost a couple of my babies each time I moved, but the last of the original fish finally died of old age a couple of months back.
I love having fish because it's so entertaining to watch them going about their fishy business! They seem to have this whole political society going on. They're also wonderfully calming after yet another crap day in the office - I like nothing better in winter than sitting by the tank in the evening, real fire, good book and glass of wine (or 2) in hand.
And I can't wait to get the tank set up again!
Ami
I got into keeping freshwater tropicals in the Spring of 1999, when my hubbie (then my bf), went to NYC to work. I was 22, living at home with my folks, missing my hubbie like crazy and poverty stricken!
I went to a LFS near my folks, bought a 10 gallon (UK!) tank and preceeded to stock it with 10 Black Widow Tetras, 10 Zebra Danios, 10 Silver Tip Tetras, and 10 Platys. No, they didn't point out I was over stocking or needing to cycle! Neither was there any suggestion that I needed a filter or heater - I just had one little airstone running on a very old, inefficient air pump.
I had my first (not so) UMFD, when the Platys all died within the first week. Not wanting to be put off, I promptly replaced them with 10 Red Eye Tetras!
The set up cost me about £50 and I loved the tank. I was told to clean them out completely (!) once a month (bearing in mind that this was seriously overstocked and had no filter!), so it's a surprise I didn't lose them all.
My hubbie came back to the UK that Winter and we moved into our own place, taking the fish with us. I think we lost a couple then. He bought me the out of use tank you can see in my sig to give our fish some more space and they lived happily in there.
We moved again, utilising large billy cans for camping, added a proper filter, heater, some decor, a few algae shrimps, a borneo sucker and a plec (that was him, not me!).
I normally lost a couple of my babies each time I moved, but the last of the original fish finally died of old age a couple of months back.
I love having fish because it's so entertaining to watch them going about their fishy business! They seem to have this whole political society going on. They're also wonderfully calming after yet another crap day in the office - I like nothing better in winter than sitting by the tank in the evening, real fire, good book and glass of wine (or 2) in hand.
And I can't wait to get the tank set up again!
Ami
) ahem, then the 20 litre quaranteen tank which turned into a fry tank and the pentagon tank for my angel who's now outgrown it , so that led to the latest 30g.....and now I've run out of money and space. 
. I remember we got a video tape too to see how to set it up and everything, since it was both of ours first time. After we got it setup we put 4 small goldfish in there to cycle it. I didnt know much about it so I didnt really think that they were cycling fish, they were alive for a long time, I loved those little guys! Then once they died 
... well I forgot what we got after that I am pretty sure it was two pink kissing gouramis, but I am not really sure, and now that is all I remember from my first time keeping fish.
