So, how did your addiction start?

[Ami]

Sorry for not reading through the new posts for a couple of days - we had my mother in law staying and it's all been a bit hectic. Esp the cleaning before she arrived!

Vixen - WildWoods sounds like they know what they're talking about when it comes to fish! Except, it's WildWoods.co.uk (.com takes you to a link for the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce!)

Snailguy, I think I'm getting bitten by the betta bug too. My little quarantine tank is looking mighty empty now the Amano Shrimp has gone back in the cycled main tank. I'm thinking a betta, an apple snail and a couple of amano shrimp would be right at home there.

Debiasir, I don't think you're the only one that got into fishkeeping because of finding nemo! At least you didn't go marine, I think there was quite a lot of concern in some circles about the number of people getting clown fish and not having a clue how to care for them. 100g will be a big tank, good luck with it!

Weaver, it's a shame about your goldfish but don't feel guilty forever. Hardly anyone realises how much space they need or mess they make and shops really should be making a point of explaining this to people. Although I'm not sure we could persuade funfairs to do the same! Not sure why you're family think you're made because of the fish rather than the pigeons though...

'germanshepherdiver' is a bit of a mouthful - hope you don't mind if I shorten it to GSIver? I can't believe your only 13 and have 6 tanks including a 200g! That is a massive tank and I'm not jealous at all....honest....well, maybe a little Though I'm probably not the only one, seeing as there are a lot of posts on the forum from people living at home who's folks complain about the tiniest tanks!

Boom-Sage - Space Monkey??

 

[Briarmoor]

Briarmoor, why was the Betta in a vase? Did it come like that?! And how on earth do you have space for all those cats and dogs?? Are Australian Cattle Dogs large or are the more collie sized?

Ami, sorry I'm late answering, I just saw your question. I don't track these topics and have to wander back onto them.

My mom's betta came in a big vase with a plant in it with marbles on the bottom. That was all the rage a few years ago. I hate animals as fashion accessories/trends, but now at least this guy has a tank.

My husband and I bought an old house (read fixer upper) on 6 acres 10 years ago. Nevermind that most of it is billy goat hills (that is much of Tennessee). I show the dogs, so there are always lots of them here. Australian Cattle Dogs (ACDs) are medium sized, about 35-50 pounds, come in "red" or "blue" and can have brown (if red) or black (if blue) markings on their heads. If you ever saw Mad Max with Mel Gibson, the dog with the bandana that gets shot with the arrow is an ACD. I read that the dog came out of a shelter in California.

Anyway I've been immersed in the breed since 1989 and judged Sweepstakes at the National Specialty in 2001. The dogs are my first passion (read obsession). Fish are becoming my second. I don't see myself ever showing or breeding fish (never say never), but I take a long time to acclimate myself to new things and right now I just want to familiarize myself with different fish and enjoy watching them.

The cats are "just" pets (all rescues), demanding ones that think they are sub-human. My oldest is a white half-Persian with blue eyes and pink ears. She is 17.

A caveat to new fish keepers would be: Maintaining water quality is its own hobby! Not to mention, you can never have just one tank. My husband is getting worried.

P.

 

[Opcn]

My story is a strange one, My addiction started with a spare computer monitor. Thats right a spair monitor. You see I used to watch a sitcome everyonce in a while when I was really bored, caroline in the city or something to that effect, and in that sitcom instead of a TV she had a fishtank within a TV, apon the freeing up of the monitor I desided that I would like to turn it into a fishtank so I obtained some plexyglass and got working on dismantling it, I ripped out all the guts but I couldnout deside how to recreat the bowed front, unfortunately I never finnished that project, but when looking for what fish to stock it with I discovered all the magic of reeftanks, and I was instantly hooked, now I dont have the money for a reef, so I went with freshwater, but I'm still crazy about SW and will some day make it there, all because of a spare computer moniter and a bad sitcom.

 

[Dwarfs]

I can't remember when my addiction started, probably when I was a toddler My dad's had fishsince before I was born so when I was a baby his cichlids and other fish were always around for me to see

 

[ScoutCarcer]

One day I was bored playing my gameboy and watching TV and I wanted a pet. So I got a black moor named Squirmy. He lived in a one gallon for a month and them was upgraded to a ten gallon. I also got 2 common goldfish. At first there names where Golden Sunset and Silver Sunrise but I changed there names to Rainbow and Spike. A few years later Squirmy and Spike had died and Rainbow was in the one gallon with a goldie half her size named Mini Me since he looked almost exactly like Rainbow. Anyway I cleaned out the ten and got some kind of fish that I cant remember what they where and after my goldies and mystery fish where gone I couldnt live with out fish agian. Most of my fish after that where goldies until I got my first bettas Carcer and Neffertiti .

 

[LoachLover]

It started for me because I kept hearing about how my parents had this awesome saltwater tank, so I kind of got started that way.

 

[mlee0332]

No one yell at me... I know this is a BAD set-up now.

Okay well I was 14 (2 years ago) and I just wanted a small 10g tank. SO I worked a whole summer and raised like 300 dollars and A 10 g with all the junk cost me 240$ give or take. I Jumped right in to it and I did research it but the places I went failed to mention a few "minor" details. Such as cycling, and that gold fish need 20gs for the first one and 10 for each additional.

So here is what I got: a ten gallon with 4 comment golds (of course the larger ones) b/c at the time the other gfish looked weird and were expensive. SO I had them for maybe a month and all died from ich. SO then I got 3 commets and a red cap oranda. They just died, no disease, prolly due to stunted growth. Then I got a red shark just one, he died like 3 days after I got him (he wouldn't eat). SO then I quit for a year or so. Then I pulled it all back out and found this site and got started (successfully might I add with a few fish ...) and have had a lot more luck with them. All but the guppies... They caused me to lose 70% of the fish in my tank!!!

I've not had any luck with betta males either, they all had or died from rot. The only one that didn't die from rot died of columnaris . I only had 2 females. 1 died of dropsy, and the other one I still have. I've not had her but maybe a month, so far so good.

 

[crazyelece]

I got started with ponds. I have been a landscaper for almost 10 years now and have built numerous ponds of various sizes for different customers. Most of them being watergarden styled. I always knew when I purchased a house that I wanted a pond. Last year we closed on the house but it was already fall and I didn't want to start that kind of project going into winter. In January my grandmother passed away. My mom and I had built her a pond back in the very beggining of my landscaping carreer and I helped her take care of it. So naturally everyone wanted me to take her fish and keep them going. So as soon as the weather broke and the ground thawed, I started my pond. Its a fairly good sized pond about 1000 gal. I got my grandmother's fish and caught the itch. By the time summer started I had 25 different goldfish and koi in the pond. I was having some issues with algae and decided a pleco or two would be good (I was already planning to do a big tropical tank so I figured I could winter them in it). Well then tradgedy struck. I am still not sure what it was but some predator came in and ate 20 of the 25 fish overnight. It also chased 3 fish into the skimmer where they died. I had 2 fish left - a black moor and a stressed out little comet. The next day the comet was the only one left. As it was the only one left and it was the last of my grandmother's fish, I decided to get an aquarium and try to save the little guy. My wife bought me a 29 gal aquarium and I set it up. I got 3 more comets from the lfs to keep him company. After a week the little guy died (probably from all the stress). I also had aquired a 55 gal which I setup as a tropical community tank.
I was going to release the other goldfish back into the pond and start over when I noticed something moving in the pond. I had fry. The fish must have spawned in the pond before they were attacked (probably what got the attention of the predator in the first place). So now I have a 1000 gal pond full of fry, a 29 gal aquarium with comets and fancy goldfish waiting to go into the pond when the fry get large enough, and a 55 gal tropical community tank. I am also fighting off a bad case of mts, and currently winning due to lack of funds. I am afraid I am only delaying the inevitable though because lack of room isnt there to help yet.

 

[Ami]

Pam, no worries, I do the same and can never remember where I've posted when I come back to look.

I don't think we have the betta in a vase fad here yet, thank goodness, but will be sure to look out for it so I can complain!

Sounds like a great life with the dogs n cats. I've two cats, just over a year old, and they love fishkeeping as much as I do!

 

[abstract]

one tank led to another, led to another

 

[Teelie]

Mine started because when I first moved here, I was basically living alone. I had my girlfriend but she didn't live with me, just stayed on the weekends and most of the day when she wasn't in classes or I wasn't at work.

Anyhow, long story short, I got fish so I would have something else living in the house.

 

[Ami]

Aw, poor Teelie! Bet you're not lonely now, huh?


Crazelece, I am so sorry the fish got eaten! What kind of predator do you have there that does that - some sort of big cat? I don't think we have much of a problem with that in the UK, although foxes and domestic cats might cause some probs.

At least there was a happy ending with all those fry!

Oh dear Mylee. It sounds like you're one of those people that has bad luck with fish. I went through a similar phase recently but things seem to be going okay now. Good luck with the new Betta!


Scoutcarcer - I like the names, esp Squirmy! Very inventive.

Opcn - that is an excellent idea! I'd much rather stare at a fish tank all day than my monitor screen. We're hoping to be able to persuade the directors to allow us a fishtank when we move office. Doubt they'll let us though - meanies!

Loachlover and Dwarfs, it seems you guys came to the hobby the traditional way, via your parents. Good way to come as you get to learn from their mistakes.