Jump to content

New to the hobby, just saying hello


Recommended Posts

Hello hello!

I started with the hobby at the end of February telling my boyfriend I was interested in maybe starting an aquarium since I loved my friend’s at work, but I told him not to worry because I was gonna take it slow a steady and do some research. 

Two days later I was buying a 13gallon off Craigslist from someone who had over 1000 gallons of aquariums in their home breeding cichlids that had only started fish keeping two years ago, I immediately knew my fate would be similar. I now have 4 aquariums in the apartment - 5ga Marineland Portrait my friend gave me with a murderous betta, 13ga with Panda corys, Ember tetras, and nerite snails currently doing the med trio together after I saw some worms dancing out of a snail, a 20L with my axolotl Soul Eater gifted to me from my aquarium loving work friends, and a 20ga high that I set up because I loved the Gold Barbs too much that the LFS said I could return once my 13ga was cycled. I have been fortunate enough to have had cycled filter media go into all the tanks except the 20high which got someone wood transplants instead. I feel like such a scientist using the master test kit to check on everyone. 
 

I have also gone quite plant crazy with mostly Anubias, Java fern, and Amazon sword (but there are a few stem plants I’m trying out) but the lotl got Pothos cuttings out the back instead. I ended up with black beard algae in the 13 gallon already, so everything is just a work in progress, but loving it so far 🤗

I have paused for now for more aquariums, the plan is if I’m still 100% invested in six months and not burned out, then I’ll add a 5 gallon shrimp haven in the bedroom.

Added some pictures that show off my aquariums, they’re not all exact of today because I’m a tinkerer, but you get the idea. 


Have a wonderful day,

Jennifer

6EDE2385-0F51-4DB0-AD84-9858CD6B3140.jpeg

4B26FC5A-9B92-4BCB-8333-4EE7E8EC6435.jpeg

D21302F2-239F-4C48-8998-B83C5E1419C3.jpeg

B5009CBB-559B-417F-A615-026BF622F03D.jpeg

C8B5DE28-E16D-4F7A-BE56-6FC771C04469.jpeg

  • Like 7
  • Love 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful! Very artful compositions. You’re cruising ahead. Great fun!

I’m somewhere around 3-4 years into the hobby. My son got me started, and it became my midlife crisis.

Have you found a fish club to join? That really helped us out.

We started with goldfish…

E9EE3ECE-B1EF-45AF-859B-1203BF59A966.jpeg.0ac0b8f270c8faf2763639edbcc6f24c.jpeg

Got to discus…

644763EE-0F37-4552-B56A-AE4FE309C3E4.jpeg.939139b83ea7fb680a4d348b6904fc15.jpeg

And most recently, I’m obsessed with cool-water U.S. Natives…

32D6229C-92F9-4CC6-BBD1-1F073F3E0FFF.jpeg.d2d3052833e8a6f9b7d9b277fbc35c6a.jpeg

BE1ED270-80DC-4407-99B4-A431EA4057CF.jpeg.0d91982135f1905ddfe973eb09f359d1.jpeg

  • Like 2
  • Love 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome! I started with a 10 gallon betta setup and at one point had 5 aquariums stuffed in a dorm room. Now I'm down to 2 tanks, which to me feels about the same maintenance as 1. Ride the waves of the hobby and I hope you continue to enjoy it. Don't be afraid to come back with questions if you start encountering illnesses (knock on wood!) as a lot of people in the hobby have had to do their own extensive research and basically become their pets' vet since they don't really exist for fish. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the nerms!!!!

I've been inthe hobby for ~5 decades now.... Realized during the Scapes From Scraps that I haven't been without some form of water feature in my life since 1972😲 whether a pond, a wet plant, a naturalized water feature for snakes/amphibians/turtles/ducks I have had aquatic plants / aquatic livestock non-stop since 1972.

This can easily become an addiction, if one isn't careful. So I recommend checking in with yourself regularly and having honest conversations with your partner regarding the enjoyment level, the amount of time required, and whether it's negatively impacting any relationships. As long as you and your partner are both enjoying, you are doing it right!

Over the decades, I have had everything from two entire fishrooms and a breeding operation, to a single small water feature on a plant table with no fish. The sound of water is soothing, and I explore different ways to pay with it. Love your axolotl, I went swimming with them in Mexico. I love the little aquatic dragons!

Currently I am all about the plants and fish that don't need heatrs, because heaters don't last like they did when I started in the hobby (or maybe my memory is bad, lol and I'm overly glamorizing the past). I currently have several tanks with endlers and am breeding cool acclimated endlers for specific tail features and color. I also supply my LFS with longfin zebra danios... and for the first time in my life am successfully growing pink and red leafed stem plants😅. I even have a plant only pico tank!

I have amphipods, and a wide variety of beautiful snails that tank dogma has labeled "pest snails". I'm more of a "I want to create a balanced environment that is healthy for inhabitants" stage of aquarist, and I work with a lot of unconventional materials fro tanks and hardscapes.

Great to have you join!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Fish Folk those are beautiful! I'm hoping my tanks grow in and lush like those - everything aquatic is an exercise in patience for me. I love your new cold water guys, I would be obsessed with them.

@Cbass They look super cool and the earth worm feeding is extra fun! I don't think I could ever have multiple tanks of them since they can't cohabitate and they have such specific requirements, but I do like having something different in each aquarium and he has such a personality that I'm glad to have him. 

Edited by Parakeett
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Torrey Thanks for having me! That is such a wonderful wealth of experience. It's nice to get to try all sorts of things and find what works for you in the moment. 

 

@hannah662parker I did not expect to learn so much about diagnosing and treating fish when I first started, but it definitely makes sense that they're not something you can usually bring into the vet for an exam!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...