Hello, I'm C'aira (pronounced Sierra). I'm from NE Arkansas. Where I live we have less and less quantity of fish stores as the years go by and the quality goes down with each one that continues. I've found some decent stores in here and there but they range from 45 mins to 3 1/2 hours away. So, finding Aquarium Co-op online has been amazing!
Growing up my family has had saltwater and freshwater at different times. So, I know enough about each to be dangerous. I was reintroduced to the hobby as an adult when I won a goldfish at an employee fair in October 2019. This little common goldfish has cost an arm and leg but I LOVE IT!
So the common goldfish was named Pumpkin by three year old in 2019. Pumpkin grew at an alarming rate. We started in 1 gallon tank in the bathroom, then moved to 10 gallon. Well....two 10 gallons. Where she proceeded to grow along with guppies, platys, a common pleco, and Ramshorn snails that kept having babies. At this point I knew I was going to need a larger tank. I got one from a friend that she said she thought it was 45 gallon but I'm pretty sure it's 55 gallon. After I got pregnant with my second child, I downsized to the one large 55 gallon and called it good.
Of course, in true fish hobbyist fashion...my common goldfish (seen in pictures) Pumpkin became over 5 1/2 inches long and it was just too much for my tank. So, I bought a 110 gallon stock tank and she has lived outside since September of 2021. She lived through very cold winters in the above ground stock tank and now is as big as a small bass and least 6-8inches. I can't really see her as much but she's huge. Also, I added a fancy tail goldfish (not seen in any pics) at the same time as Pumpkin, and when I was cleaning out the stock tank outside this past weekend, I accidently caught it and it's made it through the winter too.
I have found a new love in Oranda and expanded my love with rosy barbs that I can find. This tank now has two medium oranda, about 16 rosy barbs, 2 platys, and Summer the common pleco (who's about 6 inches long now).
As of right now, because I only quarantined for 5 days (limited tank space).....I've got fin rot or ich. I'm not worried and sometimes loosing fish is just a part of the hobby, but only my Orandas seem affected by anything? (See pics).
Also, since this is my first time with Oranda...when I bought my gold oranda....it was black and orange. Now, it's all orange and thank s to whatever
disease or parasite" it has it's loosing color in it's tail. My water parameters are pretty good. Nitrates are the only thing I struggle with at 10ppm when a water change is needed. I think my water qualities fine. So, before the new fish I got that had ich or parasites', what would've made her loose the black?
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