Get to know everyone - 10 questions

[nabokovfan87]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?
2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?
3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?
4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?
5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?
6.  What fish do you miss most?
7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?
8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?
9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?
10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

[MAC]

1. We had an aquarium in the family room growing up. But the first tank I had that I was responsible for was full of white cloud minnows. 

2. My 75 gallon 'hillstream' because it has turned out almost exactly as I envisioned it as the main display in the house. 

3. Been on the aquarium co-op train for a bit now.

4. Putting all my lights on timers. 

5. Identifying and treating fish disease. 

6. Breeding pair of Pelvicachromis taeniatus 

7. Once or twice a month, generally. Depends on the tank. Some tanks still get biweekly changes. 

8. Id probably go with the rack of 20g's because I could do different things

9. I spent at least 30 minutes looking at a tank in the bedroom right before answering these questions. 

10. Live Baby Brine Shrimp. No doubt. 

[FLFishChik]

On 2/2/2023 at 2:45 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?
2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?
3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?
4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?
5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?
6.  What fish do you miss most?
7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?
8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?
9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?
10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

1) A goldfish I won at the fair in 1977. We had it for a few years.

2) My 29g community tank. It’s the first tank I’ve ever used live plants in.

3) I had been browsing the online shop when I discovered the forums.

4) Nothing new, really. 

5) Breeding fish. 

6) all of them.

7) Every week on my 5g’s and 10g, every other week on my 29g.

8.  each have pros and cons, but bigger gives you more stocking options.

9) daily. My 29g is a feature in my living room , my 5gs and 10gs are all n bedroom and man cave.

10) Repashy. My fish love eating it, I love making it and it doesn’t make my tanks messy.

 

[reefhugger]

1.  I vaguely remember having a guppy tank as a kid, back when guppies looked...well plain.  Several years ago I wanted my husband to defocus on political unhappiness and onto something happier and fulfilling.  I heard him mention an aquarium he had years ago and thought this might help.  Didn't grab his interest but it surely did mine.  So our first tank was a 55 gallon community tank with Mollies and 2 Angel fish.  It's still going strong and has helped me learn a great deal.

2.  A recent 75 gallon "schooling fish" tank with Rainbow fish Tetras and Corydoras.  Lots of plants.  I had a time with staghorn algae which Easy Carbon has really helped.  It's the first tank I carefully planned.  Its lovely.

3. I can't fathom why it took me so long to find this forum!  I was looking for info on algae bloom.  I shop regularly form Co-op so how did I miss the forum?  This is now my go-to for information and friendly talk.

4. Agree with MAC 100%....timers are wonderful. Also I rigged up a hose hookup on a nearby shower to fill my tanks.  And added a long length of tubing to my gravel vac that runs outdoors.  Yes, its a bit slower than the ones attached to a faucet but works just fine.  These make tank changes sooo much easier than lugging buckets or garbage cans.

5. Just about everything....the more I learn the more I realize I don't know.  The hardest part is separating the facts from the pervasive"common knowledge" out there in fish world.

6.  I had a beautiful silver Molly named Catherine I loved with all my heart.  Came to find her dead one day.  Still haunted by "what did I miss".

7.  I do weekly changes on all four tanks.  Maybe don't need to on the first tank I set up but feel the 20 and 15 gallon need them.  So I've got the gear out ...might as well.

8.  Is there a better?  Both have advantages.  The larger tanks (I think) are more forgiving because of the larger volume....I think I'd advise a beginner to go larger than smaller until they are comfortable with water parameters.  The small tanks are fun as nano fish are a treat, and are fun to decorate with plants.

9. A few days ago my cat Buddy and I watched the Rainbows zipping around flashing colors and playing.  Sigh.  Beautiful.

10.  Copying MAC again....live baby brine shrimp.  Although the two Angels look at me like I've lost my mind..  "really?  where's the real food?"

[Guppysnail]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?
 

Some type of minnow and baby catfish I caught with moms kitchen strainer in the creek by my house. I was 7 years old. She had gotten me a little tank at a yard sale. 
 

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

None and all. Though all my tanks are fairly heavily planted. I’m a fish girl and tanks get altered based on fish behavior. Each tank’s inhabitants are my joy rather than the art look of the tank.  Different moods prompt different tanks to be my favorites at that moment. 
 

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

I was shopping on the coop site and seen the tab. I decided to check it out. 
 

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?
 

Allow nature to do what it has done for millions of years. The most experienced aquarist is still a toddler compared to Mother Nature. Tanks will find their own balance. Let tanks evolve naturally. Embrace all the flora and fauna that will develop. Stop trying to muscle tanks into growing and killing organisms I did not intend and not freak out about algae. 
I let plants grow at their own pace and algae and such comes along but it is a growth phase and dissipates on its own unless I’m adding stuff and alter the natural evolution essentially messing up what needs to happen. I embrace all stages of growth including those that folks call ugly phases. Its natures way of growing a healthy stable ecosystem. 
Most fauna are totally harmless some can be predatory but most are not. 
Fun fact - many leeches consume micro algae and bacteria that comes from degrading organic matter and make a great cleanup crew and in tank live food source. 😁

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

Chemistry  I fear chemicals to the point of borderline phobia  My water company is forever adding new things or different treatments.  It exacerbates me  I seek help on how to adjust for critter safety.  Even then I know what to do with the help I’ve gotten but the fear of chemicals paralyzes me  

6.  What fish do you miss most?

Not certain how to answer this. I do not attach to the past.  I live and try to completely enjoy and experience each moment and living creature. When that time has past I accept it without mourning it as a loss beyond the temporary sadness. 
 

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

At least weekly. Different fry stages dictate a different schedule in many tanks. 
 

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

Both at different times in my life. When I did not have the time to dedicate one community display tank. When I do have time the 20s. Not all the fish I want to explore are compatible and if they are breeding them in the same tank is not always possible. 
 

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Everyday several times a day. It’s why I do the work involved. The reward is getting lost in the world going on inside the tank. This morning I spent almost 45 minutes watching my German blue ram fry hunt the tank. 
 

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

WORMS 🪱 
 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Guppysnail

[Andy's Fish Den]

1. A goldfish I won at school carnival when I was in 5th grade. 

2. My 93 gal cube I recently rescaped for Lake Tanganyika cichlids

3. I've been a member of the co-op YouTube channel since memberships were first available, then when @Coryput out a video saying he had started this forum, I joined it that same day. 

4. Run all tanks in fish room with air power and use one linear piston air pump.

5. Identifying fish disease and how to treat them. 

6.The zebra plecos that I had when they first came into the hobby back in the early mid 90s. I had about 8 of them and only paid $25-30 each for them. 

7. Most get changed every week to two weeks. Percentage ranges from 20-50% depending on how many and what kid of fish are in tank. 

8. I would want a rack of 20 gallons. Most fish I keep can be kept in 20 gallons, so then I could have multiple smaller scapes and species.

9. I spend at least 30 minutes watching tanks every day. And with a tank in my bedroom, I lay in bed every night and watch the fish, the timer will start dimming tank about same time I go to bed, so I can watch the tank as I go to sleep. 

10. Any type of frozen foods. 

[Theplatymaster]

On 2/2/2023 at 2:45 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?
2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?
3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?
4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?
5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?
6.  What fish do you miss most?
7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?
8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?
9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?
10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

1. I had a betta in a 2gallon tank, no filer, no heater, weekly water changed, betta was sick from the cool water, and commited suicide between the heater suction cups and the glass

2.My 20high community tank, its my only "display" tank, though i use it for small projects anyway

3.I think i saw the link on the aquariumcoop website and was curious

4.Good question...

5.Hatching Corydora Eggs (Well...technically im just lazy on this one)

6.The only fish ive had, that i dont have now is 4glowlight tetras, i dont miss those, they were just sick and hid in the corner of my tank

7. weekly

8.rack of 20s. With one big tank, you could do a huge community tank. But  with multiple 20s. ones a platy breeding tank, ones a pygmy cory breeding tank, ones a Apisto breeding tank,ones a kuhli loach breeding tank, and so on, if you get my point

9.easy, last saturday.  the tank is right next to my bed, when i dont need to get up quickly, i will lie there are just watch it as i wake up

10. either FD tubifex worms,Xtreme 1.5pellets

[Lennie]

1. This is gonna be a weird one but it was our huge piranha tank. Idk what my parents were thinking, I was a kid lol. They had to rehome them because I was keeping my hand in the tank they say. It became illegal to keep them after a couple years we have rehomed them, which makes sense.

2. My newest 50cm cube, because I have been trying my firsts combined. First aquascape attempt, first time new substrate, new rocks, all new plants, new driftwood and everything. Filling it with nothing I've given a chance before.

3. I've been watching coop yt channel for ages, but I was not expecting it to be this friendly here ngl. People often times try to lecture and try to give "I'm better than you"vibe. People are really friendly and welcoming here.

4. Plants and stocking very slowly. I've kept everything, cichlid tanks, guppies, parrot tank, goldfish tank, planted community tank, etc. And to me, planted community tanks are the easiest, considering you can easily find a part of ecosystem and have it in your tank. And it offers a lot of options it it is a peaceful one.

5. this:

On 2/2/2023 at 2:03 PM, MAC said:

Identifying and treating fish disease. 

6. Pygmy cories, all the time when I am not watching them. They are all *thankfully* still alive lol.

7.Once a week, with gravel vac, around %20.

8. I've kept from big to small as 29g. I would say 55 or 75s instead of very big or small ones. Gives a lot of opportunity to keep fish, except montsters ofc.

9. Yesterday evening, fell asleep on my bed watching them :')

10. Probably Sera O'nip tabs. Everyone, literally everyone goes nuts. Feeding frenzy is fun to watch. But it is a rare treat to feed, maybe once a week max for me.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Lennie

[lewk]

1.  My family had guppies in a tank when I was young, but the first fish I bought was a peacock gudgeon.
2. Probably my endler/shrimp tank. I recently was able to take endlers to the shop for store credit.
3.  Can't remember - i think it was Cory's livestreams
4.  I have a pump that makes water changes much easier
5.  I would love any information on breeding fish and selecting which fish to cull
6.  I am new enough not to have an answer to this question. I do wish I hadn't lost some CPDs.
7.  From daily in some breeder boxes to monthly in established tanks with water lettuce (though im having to remove that weekly)
8.  A rack - I want a diverse group of fish and I want to separate the fry so they survive
9.  Yesterday - I had my first somewhat large hatch of Corydoras eggs
10.  Live baby brine

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 2/2/2023 at 5:51 AM, Guppysnail said:

I was shopping on the coop site and seen the tab. I decided to check it out.

And I for one am so glad you did! 

[jwcarlson]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

My parents had aquariums when I was a kid, we used to have some native fish (bluegills, bass, warmouth, stuff like that).  The first ones I had for myself was a red oscar named Spike.

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

Currently my discus just because the amount of work doing all the water changes and how well they've grown out.

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

From Cory mentioning it in YouTube videos.

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

If you're changing water in one tank or one specific area frequently, I find it really nice to have a hose connection through the wall and to whatever drain you're using (I have mine drain to the sink in the basement).  Makes changing water really simple and not dragging python hose all over the place, it's already right there.

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

I think I agree with others, disease identification and treatment.  It's one of those things that you (hopefully) don't have to deal with often so you don't necessarily have a lot of opportunities.

6.  What fish do you miss most?

I miss my oscars and often think about getting one or two again, but I don't know if I want such tank terrorists again.  

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

90% in my 75 gallon discus tank every night. It's not the same for all, I was doing weekly changes then biweekly ones in everything else (planted tanks), but have scaled back on that and am trying to do a better job of monitoring when they need a change.  Plants are doing better this way.

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

20s, I think.  You can do a lot in a bunch of 20s.  

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Frequently with these new apistos I've got, last night for sure.  They're very entertaining to watch.  My discus I rarely get a half hour in a big chunk, but do watch them for a few minutes at a time as often as I can.  They're just not as interesting as the apistos in my opinion.  But they're also not breeding.  The discus do have a lot of shimmying and shaking and tail slapping, though.  And that is fun to watch.

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Probably baby brine shrimp for most tanks, but they're too small for the discus.  They seem to go nuts for beefheart or frozen blood worms the most.  

Edited February 2, 2023 by jwcarlson

[Sweet Fish O Mine]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

A full grown silver angelfish, given to me by a friend in the early 70's.

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

My 53 year old "Retro" stainless steel 50 gallon tank with matching hood. Because it's both beautiful, rare, and still running.

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

Co op videos.

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

Refrain from stuffing my tanks full with fish. Low stocked tanks are easier to care for, healthier, and look more natural.

 

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

More info on fish keeping and equipment from the early years of the hobby.

 

6.  What fish do you miss most?

My lohachata botia loach. Had him for 21 years.

 

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Every 2 weeks on tanks with fish. I often have a Q tank running with only snails that only gets WC every 2 months or so.

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

Can't answer, it really depends on many factors.

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Last night, and probably at least half of the days on average.

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Blood worms, everybody loves 'em.

Edited February 2, 2023 by Sweet Fish O Mine
spelling

[JJenna]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of aquarium?

I don't know if fishbowls count as aquariums, but I recall having about 6 mollies in a fishbowl when I was about 8. Vaguely recall a mermaid statue in the bowl. Surprisingly they lived for quite a while in that bowl and even had fry that I brought to my teacher to have. 

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

My 40 breeder planted tank. This is my first planted tank and the first tank in 45+ years. I'm learning the art of patience, which I normally have an abundance of. I'm proud that the tank parameters are good enough for the animals to have offspring. 

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

I was thinking about what kind of substrate to use and google led me to ACOs site.

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

Keeping a separate journal for my tank on my desk so I don't have to recall all of the data I collect about the tank from day to day. 

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance within the hobby?

I wish someone would teach me how much to feed my fish and how to know if everyone is getting enough, with the exception of you're not giving them enough because they are dying. 

6.  What fish do you miss most?

Haven't had my fish long enough to miss any. I do miss Tenzing, my gold mystery snail. Loved watching him parasail, carrying food around, and climbing everything in the tank. 

7.  How often do you change the water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Once a week, how much is dependent on parameters.

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, and why?

I would get a big tank for larger fish. While I do have a 125 gal tank it is for the family turtle along with barbs, shrimp, and danios. 

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Just 30 minutes ago 😁

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

The xtreme nano pellets, everyone goes crazy over them. 

[Comradovich]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

Mollies and platies from the lady who lived across the street. I kept them in my turtle tank and they did pretty well until the musk turtle learned to hunt them.

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

The 20 G next to the computer. It's been up and running for over 8 years continuously now. Fully planted. Looks a bit of a mess, but everything I put in there seems to do well.

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

I was watching one of Cory's videos to fix a specific problem I was having. This lead me eventually to the store, and from there to the forums. A retail trail of breadcrumbs to a place to answer all my questions in the hobby.

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

Storage tubs. Straight up clear plastic, big-box store, storage tubs. Great for quarantine, great for small breeding projects. Cycle up a sponge filter, fill with water, then you're off to the races. I'm also a leading proponent of re-using Costco nut jars to breed micro-fauna.

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

How to get started breeding otos and oto-like fish. T-pose, non-cave dwelling plecos and catfish. My school of pitbull plecos is about to start the final push to their max grow-out size. Which means it is finally time to start getting some eggs so I can supply my local area.

6.  What fish do you miss most?

I miss when the local mom & pop shops near me would get in miss-shipments. You don't see that with the big box stores that dominate now. See, the little shops would occasionally get in "mystery fish", which is how you get exposed to some really rare and wild stuff. They'd know it was some type of say Apistogramma, just had no idea what type. That allowed a curious kid with a library card to do a little research and maybe walk away with something rare and cool to keep.

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

I've been changing much more often lately. Main tank has had about 3 water changes in the last two weeks. Ghost shrimp and scuds have had mostly top-offs in that time. I tend to change very rarely because I plant very heavily and the parameters stay very constant. When you keep fish this way, but then have to do changes more often to get rid of say tannins in the water or meds, you end up accidentally promoting new behavior in your fish. Like breeding behavior from otos.

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

I'd say the rack of 20s. My favorite tank is a 20, but the more tanks you have the more options you have for stocking, and moving fish around who aren't doing well in a particular tank. If a fish is getting picked on suddenly, you always have a plan-B available.

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Within the last two weeks, when I was rethinking my 'scape. Around the time Cory started doing videos about what to do when you burn out of the hobby. I started having questions. I mean, I fed the fish every day, I monitored their lights and fertilized the tank. But was I really enjoying having the fish? My solution was to change up my hardscape and plantings so that now I see more of the fish. I find this re-invigorated my interest in the tank.

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Repashy Super-green. I do enjoy it when I pop a cube of Hikari frozen daphnia in the tank and they all go nuts hunting them down. Even my otos and plecos get into the act. Super-green is just more fun to make and place.

 

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

1.What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

Combo not sure what was first of the group but my dad and I had a pretty massive glass tank with a red oscar, silver arrowanna, and longnose gar. Maintenece was a lot of work as you can imagine 

2. What tank are you most proud of and why?

Currently id go with the "43 puffer breeder tank" because I designed it and it has options that seem to work well for me. Photos work well and it divides to visually seperated sections

 

3. How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

Im pretty sure it was a youtube livestream suggestion by Cory

4. What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

I document everything successes and failures so I can reference. I try and post those here and in articles for others to build upon as they choose. 

5. What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

Its probably on the formum if its guidance related. For me the quarentine process and med trio have been awesome for me. I wish I knee how to get some rarer stuff from the congo puffer wise. 

6. What fish do you miss most?

The 4 hairys i messed up with and lost to a bacterial bloom from too much seasoned driftwood added to a 40 in november. They were perfect and ready to spawn. Im back to the colony of 3 now and should get fry there but those 4 were great peraonalities. 

7. How often do you change water? Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Based off water quality. Every 7 to 21 days 

8. What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

Both 😁. If i had to pick a big tank with dividers like above. Options are the preference for me always

9. When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

This morning repeating tonight for the next puffer meal distribution

10. What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Prepared is probably krill flake. Shelled foods to puffers is always enjoyable though.

[Gannon]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

-Panda cory catfish
2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

-Likely my 29 gallon tank, but specifically when it had a fully low tech carpet a year ago. 
3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

-From the aquarium coop youtube channel
4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

I never make this hobby easier for myself lol, don't recommend it
5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

How to balance fertilizers so my planted tanks don't hit a critical mass of plants and then have a mass die off. 
6.  What fish do you miss most?

My betta Kaji that died this year. He was such a character, always watching me. I wish I spent more time with him. 
7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

40% every 2-3 weeks. 
8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

One big tank. 20s don't have enough variety that works in them to make a rack work for me. 
9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Yesterday
10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

I love feeding my archers left over insects that my gecko doesnt finish. 

[knee]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

A school of tiger barbs, jewel cichlids and auratus cichlids in a 10g. I think I was 8 or 9 when I had this tank.

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

Proud of most tanks but I didn't start to fully appreciate them until I started doing planted. Basically anything after 2019 I'm proud of 😅

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

I've always enjoyed forums, and have been watching aquarium coop when the youtube channel barely had 10k subs. 

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

Get a PYTHON WATER CHANGER. Just get it 

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

Would want to get more information, on top of what we have available now, about algae and how to get rid of them

6.  What fish do you miss most?

My first Oscar. He was the best even when I only kept him in a 30g cause I didn't know better as a kid.

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Once a week and yes it's the same for all my tanks. Always 50% or more.

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

Depends on what you want to achieve. I like watching nano fish in a big tank cause their natural behavior comes out more. If I have a breeding project then the rack for sure.

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Earlier before I left for work.

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Omega One, Northfin and NLS.

[Lennie]

@nabokovfan87 hey! give us your answers, no cheating 😄!

 

 

[MattyM]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of aquarium?

When I was a teenager I kept Cichlids, and a couple community tanks with tetras and angelfish, etc. 

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

Either my 20L or 20H. My 20H is the "ooooh" tank everybody loves, it's my best scape and despite the occasional staghorn issue, I'm finally figuring out stem plants. My 20L was one of my 1st "new" tanks and it's really come together, there's so much life in it and is probably my most balanced tank - on it's way to being seasoned. 

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

Cory's YouTube vids. 

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

A bit of maintenance throughout the week is relaxing, and makes water change day go faster. 

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance within the hobby?

I'd love to learn more about scaping and getting on a fertilization schedule. What I do now works ok, but it's more reactionary that I'd like (that plant's not looking so good; oh dang, staghorn on a stem - must've missed a dose, etc.). 

6.  What fish do you miss most?

My first male platy and first of my re-entry-to-the-hobby fish. Was a beautiful fish - lots of personality, still don't know why he took a turn but I guess that just happens. 

7.  How often do you change the water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Once a week I just do 'em all. Used to go 2 weeks, but this seems better - the plants seem to do better and less algae. 

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, and why?

Tough question but I'm glad I started with 4 smaller tanks. I got to experiment with plants, substrates, fish, filtration, etc so if I decide to go big I'll have more confidence as to what I like. 

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

About every night - playing some guitar and watching the tanks is my "me" time. 

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Live: BBS 
Frozen: Leftover BBS, or Hikari bloodworms and daphnia.
Reg: Hikari Micro Pellets - everybody loves them and I like how they have garlic. 
Special: Raphashy blends 🧑‍🍳

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/2/2023 at 10:44 AM, Lennie said:

@nabokovfan87 hey! give us your answers, no cheating 😄!

😂

I'm building a file cabinet! Haven't had time to sit today and sip coffee and type.

Reading through everyone's #9 is fun. One of the more interesting questions I think. It says lot about the group of people we have here...

On 2/2/2023 at 10:56 AM, MattyM said:

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

About every night - playing some guitar and watching the tanks is my "me" time. 

Love it. That's awesome.

[nabokovfan87]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

Not really sure, I remember having a 20H/29g taller aquarium for about 2 years as a kid. We had gourami as the centerpiece with other fish in there. It was something my mom and I took care of and that's ultimately why I felt comfortable to get a tank when I was older.  When I was in high school I had a 5G hex that had 4-5 bala sharks for about a day, yep... Terrible idea and I had no clue what was going on, but was told by the big box store that I needed X amount so they didn't kill each other.

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

Honestly, not really sure yet. I would argue it is the tank I have now or the one I will have fleshed out shortly for another project. I am glad I had the tanks, but being proud of my tank simply means to me that I wouldn't change anything. Ultimately, even with my best tank(s) I have always been working through issues and trying to get a bit happier with the scape or plants. I think my favorite stocking was my 75G community before I had to tear it down.

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

I had my black cory back up in it's current form for a little while. Probably 6-9 months. I wanted to figure out plants a bit better and I needed some guidance with that. I was fighting issues and wasn't having success.

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

Put a small "hallway table" next to your tank or something like a plant stand. Have a spot for the stuff you use every day out and open so you don't have to use the cabinet every time. Just that reach for the door with wet hands causes so much work not to be done. I couldn't tell you how many times I've used the TV tray or bucket lid or whatever I had next to me as a table. Just cut the wasted time and get a nice table or even a nice fish cart!

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

Honestly, plants still. I have a lot of experience with species of fish, but I need a plant class. I need to learn so much more about them to be successful.

6.  What fish do you miss most?

My barbs and my ram. Both for specifically the same reason, I feel like their deaths were simply because of things I didn't know how to fix (tidal skimmer) or because I completely messed something basic up (temperature).  Those fish I had a wonderful connection with and cared for. Losing one every few weeks from the barbs or watching the ram just freeze until it was gone after I moved it to the community tank was intensely tragic for me.

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Weekly or biweekly, 50%.  The bigger the tank, the easier it is, more often I'll change water. I try to shoot for 50% and sometimes it's 40-60% but that's all good. I try to keep species that enjoy that sort of drastic influx of fresh water, like barbs, minnows, corydoras, shrimp, rasboras, etc.

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

One big tank. If you force yourself to experience a decent size tank instead of a lot of smaller ones you get to see a lot more natural behavior. Firstly, you can actually see things, but you're also giving the fish a much bigger area to explore and interact with. That leads to so much more interest for me.

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

It's been a busy week. The last time I sat and watched the tank in that way was probably 5-7 days ago. I was setting up QT and was just watching the fish do it's thing. This was a corydoras fry and it was the first time it ever got to interact with sand. Very fun, stressful (because sand on the sides of the fish looks like ich), and it's been nice to have that one on one time with this fish while it tries to recover and be diagnosed.

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Frozen brine probably. I wish I had smaller worms, the fish love them, but all the local stores only have very large bloodworms for sale.  I enjoy it when I feed and all the corydoras have tails in the air and just go crazy darting around the substrate, especially a group of them cruising around.

[Jurrian Hering]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:45 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?
2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?
3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?
4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?
5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?
6.  What fish do you miss most?
7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?
8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?
9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?
10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

1. Albino Corys with swordtails and mollies.

2. My newly scaped 40 breeder. My first real attempt and scaping and i think it looks pretty great!

3. Found the coop youtube when i was just starting out and have been a member of the forum since the early days. (Only recently started posting tho)

4. Try to set up all tanks to be low maintenance and full of natural plants with lower stocking so i dont have to change water as much. (Im lazy with that lol)

5. Tips to keep the cost down. Im currently in college so finding ways to lower costs are very important. 

6. My Schodenti Puffer. I just re homed him recently and regret the decision. 

7. Depends. Generally, tho once or twice a month. I do have a tank that i change weekly because the fish in it are in QT.

8. Rack of 20s. So many different possibilities with multiple tanks. I also love smaller fish. 

9. today. I usually do everyday.

10. A mix of all the extreme foods. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I’ll play along!
1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

My mom had a tank when I was a kid, but I barely remember and definitely never had anything to do with it. The first fish I bought for my first tank was 5 or 6 Neon Tetras. 

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

My Pea Puffer tank is probably my favorite. I took all the knowledge I gained from my previous tanks and applied it to that tank. I wouldn’t call it a “scape” per se, but I definitely played with the hard scape and got it exactly as I wanted it before I flooded the tank.

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

From ACO videos. I was fortunate to find the Coop early on in my fish journey, but didn’t come to the forum until a few months ago. I got tired of the “perfect” tanks and elitism on IG, so when I took IG off my phone I came here to hang and chat with actual fish keepers, lol.

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

All the DIY things I built early on to make maintenance faster and easier, for sure. 

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

Live food cultures. I’ve tried infusoria a couple different time and haven’t been successful. I’d like to keep other worm cultures too, but don’t really have the time and I’m not sure I can convince my girlfriend to let me keep worms around our house, lol. 

6.  What fish do you miss most?

The female betta named Sushi that I accidentally sucked through a hose while doing a water change 😔. Lesson learned there, for sure. 

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

Once per week for all my tanks. All the same. My water is super soft, low pH, basically 0 buffer so I want to replenish minerals often. If I’m on vacation or life gets in the way I can definitely skip a week, but then I just feel behind. Maintenance is actually fun for me and I’ve got it down to a science at this point. 

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

Rack of 20’s so I can breed fish and raise fry. Even if I couldn’t breed fish I’d still keep fish, but breeding is the most fun part for me. 

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Daily. I have 3 tanks in my bedroom so those tanks get a lot of viewing time. I spend time with all my tanks, but the ones in the bedroom get the most time. 

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

If I had to pick just one: Baby Brine Shrimp. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/2/2023 at 3:07 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

I’m not sure I can convince my girlfriend to let me keep worms around our house, lol. 

😂

Reminds me of this video. Maybe some useful tips in there for you.

 

If you haven't seen it, be sure to check out all of modified lung's awesome journal on live cultures.

[Ninjoma]

1.  What was the first fish you ever kept in some sort of an aquarium?

My partner bought a few fancy goldfish, most of which died. Eventually I did some "research" and took over care of the last remaining one which is the first fish I've kept. She gets sick quite often, but always recovers with medication and seems to be doing well otherwise. 

2.  What tank are you most proud of and why?

My 75g tank. It's my most ambitious undertaking so far and I think it will look the best when it's fully developed. 

3.  How did you get here, specifically to these forums?

ACO was a source of information that came up fairly often in my searches. I like that the information is evidence based and/or based on first hand experience. I can't remember how I found the forum specifically, probably from a Google search or mentioned in an ACO video. 

4.  What is something you think you do to make the hobby easier for yourself that others can use?

For me, having interesting things to listen to while I work on tanks makes it more enjoyable. So finding podcasts, audio books and new music to listen to is something I do and others could too. 

5.  What is something you specifically wish for guidance with in the hobby?

Having a better idea of how to scale Fertilizer usage based on the number of plants/ how large my plants have grown. 

6.  What fish do you miss most?

Probably my first ever pond snail, Gary, that came with some plants I bought. Everytime I upgraded my tank size, I moved him along to the new tank. He also didn't reproduce in any of the tanks I kept him in. Eventually he passed away in my 40 breeder. 

7.  How often do you change water?  Is this the same for all of your tanks?

I change water once per week in all of my tanks. 

8.  What is better, one big tank or a rack of 20Gs, why?

One big tank. Having large, diverse communities of fish interests me. There are also certain species that require larger tanks, that you couldn't keep no matter how many 20Gs you have. I also enjoy having more room to aquascape and keep large plants like tiger lotuses. 

9.  When was the last time you spent 30 minutes staring at a tank?

Probably last week when my starlight pleco was out. He is so pretty, but I don't get to see him too often. 

10.  What is your favorite food to feed your tanks?

Probably xtreme community crave. I like that large flakes float, crushed bits sink and it has both protein based and algae based flakes so fish can choose which to eat. If I could only feed one food, it would be this.