Hello from an old-timer!

[Odd Duck]

It’s been pointed out to me that I’ve never introduced myself.  I go by Odd Duck on many forums so chances are if you’ve seen that name around, it could be me.  I’m an “old lady” now and have been keeping fish (not continuously) since 1975.  I’ve had fresh tanks for most of that time.  We had a fish only salt tank for a few weeks then switched it to a reef tank almost immediately.  That was back in 1983.  I kept one or more reef tanks going until about 2003-ish.  I can’t remember exactly when we sold the last one.  Still had a couple fresh tanks for another year or so before selling those, too.  I’ve had all kinds and sizes of set ups and bred a variety of fish, some purposeful, most more accidental “back in the day”.

I rescued a pair of Jack Dempsey cichlids in April of 2020 to help get my dear friend out of a difficult situation (not her fish, but ended up  her responsibility to find them a home).  They were fascinating and gorgeous and made a ridiculous number of babies for me within 5 weeks after I got them.  This rekindled my love of fish and fish keeping and away we went (dragging my poor hubby along for the ride).

I now have far too many tanks and have been planning to do a fishroom and making glacially slow progress in that direction over the last year or so.  The goal is getting all, or at least most, of my smaller tanks into one room with automatic overflows so I can just go around the room with my refill hose and do water changes. Much less time and labor involved, far happier fish.  Potentially, eventually go full auto on water changes in the fish room at least.  I have a pair of 100 G tanks on either side of my TV that I watch far more than the TV.

I now have the Jacks in a planted, 75 G with a pair of festivums, a group of tiger silver dollars, and a reverse trio of bristlenose plecos.  All of whom intermittently do their part to destroy the aquatic plants but they can’t access the emerse plants, so there fishies!

I now have 23 fish tanks plus a 10 G and 3 jars for live food culture.  Plus a 180 G waiting to be set up after the fishroom happens - it will go where the current rack now stands.

I have had decent success breeding plecos and cories, ridiculous success breeding the Jack Dempseys, and some random success with a few other species.  Links in my signature to lots of stuff, far from all my tanks.

I’m one of those people that knows a lot about some things, a little about a lot of things, but I’ll tell you straight up if I know nothing about other things.  I’m not afraid to admit if I’m wrong about something and I’ll be the first to apologize if I’ve told you something wrong or said something stupid.  I am a bit prone to being brusk or brutally honest because I’m very thick skinned myself.  I try hard to rein in the bruskness and brutal honesty into a more gentle honesty, especially online because it’s so easy to come across hard and harsh without expression or tone being available.

If I feel I can help, I will. I mostly avoid the “Disease” section if possible because I see far too much animal pain and suffering at work, but if you need me, tag me.  I’ll help where I can.  I work very long hours, but short weeks in a veterinary ER, so I’m not online every day and can’t always answer back quick depending on where I’m at in my work “week”.

Far too much for most people to read through.  If you’ve made it this far there’s a decent chance you may already know most of this about me already.  For those who didn’t, Howdy, from Texas.

Sharon

Pic of the troublemaker tank from about 3 weeks ago.  I put an SAE in there today to see if it can better control the BBA.

[Guppysnail]

Nice to finally meet you 😉 

You are a boon to the forum. You have helped and inspired me more times than I can count 🤗

[Odd Duck]

On 11/9/2023 at 6:54 PM, Guppysnail said:

You are a boon to the forum. You have helped and inspired me more times than I can count 🤗

I would say the exact same about you!

🤗 

[ScandiDefense]

Wow 23 tanks! Very very impressive!!! I wish to become like you some day. 😎

[Odd Duck]

On 11/10/2023 at 5:42 AM, ScandiDefense said:

Wow 23 tanks! Very very impressive!!! I wish to become like you some day. 😎

It’s really too many with my current arrangement but hopefully I’ll be able to make some progress on getting the fishroom “Offish” finally done and things will get easier. 😝