How I got into the Aquarium Hobby

[FrozenFins]

Hello everyone, my name is James. I wanted to share how I got into the aquarium hobby. 

When I was seven my sister won a betta fish at a competition. After she won the betta fish my parents decided to get Betta fish for everyone! So we went to the pet store picked a betta fish and a aquarium and left. none of us knew about cycling the aquarium or how you have to dechlorinate the water.  Anyway we got my betta fish and put in the aquarium (the aquarium was 0.5gallons, unfortauntley we didn't know the tank requirements for a bettafish) I named my blue betta, Swimmy. We were best friends, I even cut out pictures of fish and taped them on his aquarium to make him feel less lonely. Not to brag but my betta fish lived the longest out of all of my siblings (2 maybe 3 years). One day as I went to do a waterchange I found him floating. I remember crying and being too sad to eat dinner (I found him right before dinner). 

Fast forward intime and now I'm 13, I go to the pet store with my mom to go get stuff for my dog. As I browsed through the isles, I found betta fish! I then rememberd how fun it was to keep betta fish, and so I started thinking... I wanted a fish. I went home did some research and decided I wanted a betta, luckly I had a birthday in a little less then a month. I decided to ask for a betta fish for my birthday. Instead of a bettafish my parents gifted me my first 10 gallon aquarium! My dad and I set it up, let it cycled and went to the fish store!! I came back with a glofish, corydora, swordtail and an Angelfish. 

When I first went to the fish store I remember seeing all of these fish that I had no idea you could keep like starfish, seahorses, SHARKS!!

After that I was HOOKED! I started watching fishtube (I started with the king of diy) and started learning about all of these fish (Oscars, Flowerhorn, Pufferfish, Neon Tetras, Stingrays, Arowana) 

I was so amazed!!

And then came MTS and I maxed out my bedroom with aquariums upgraded the angelfish to a 36 Gallon!!

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by James Black

[Ken Dyer]

Welcome to the forums @James Black!