"younger" aquarists

[Lemon]

I'm curios how many fishkeepers there are under 18

also how it affects the hobby for you

how it affects the hobby for me is i share a room with my brother so i can't have a ton of tanks also being able to go to the fish store(it 40-60 minutes away) 

 

[FrozenFins]

18 minutes ago, quirkylemon103 said:

I'm curios how many fishkeepers there are under 18

also how it affects the hobby for you

how it affects the hobby for me is i share a room with my brother so i can't have a ton of tanks also being able to go to the fish store(it 40-60 minutes away) 

 

I'm 15. I don't have a fish room because I have to share a room with my twin. I also don't have a drivers licesnse so I can't go to the fish store whenever I want. In the summer I will bike, its about a 20minute bike ride but in the Winter it gets to -30C where I live so I go with my parents. I don't have a lot of room for all of the aquariums that I want. I also don't have a job yet so I'm on a strict budget with fish keeping. I'm considering breeding Angelfish to helo support my hobby.

Edited November 19, 2020 by James Black

[teenage fish]

I feel you guys. I’m under 18 and my only good fish stores are an hour away. I can’t have a fish room because my parents won’t let me. I have three tanks though. A 20, 10, and a 5

[Daniel]

And wouldn't you know it, even when your 60 and you have drivers license, that good fish store is still an hour away and your spouse won't let you have a fishroom.

[Lemon]

16 minutes ago, James Black said:

I'm 15. I don't have a fish room because I have to share a room with my twin. I also don't have a drivers licesnse so I can't go to the fish store whenever I want. In the summer I will bike, its about a 20minute bike ride but in the Winter it gets to -30C where I live so I go with my parents. I don't have a lot of room for all of the aquariums that I want. I also don't have a job yet so I'm on a strict budget with fish keeping. I'm considering breeding Angelfish to helo support my hobby.

I've thought of breeding cherry shrimp and rabbit snails to help fund my tanks

 

5 minutes ago, teenage fish said:

I feel you guys. I’m under 18 and my only good fish stores are an hour away. I can’t have a fish room because my parents won’t let me. I have three tanks though. A 20, 10, and a 5

 my parent will let me have a fish room but it is in a un heated garage also i have 2 10s, 1 2.5, 1 3, 1 20 long SW qt, 1 SW reef in the making

 

3 minutes ago, Daniel said:

And wouldn't you know it, even when your 60 and you have drivers license, that good fish store is still an hour away and your spouse won't let you have a fishroom.

lol

 

i guess I'm pretty lucky

[TheDukeAnumber1]

10 minutes ago, Daniel said:

And wouldn't you know it, even when your 60 and you have drivers license, that good fish store is still an hour away and your spouse won't let you have a FISHROOM.

Then what the heck do you call this...

Daniel's Fishroom

You poor thing 🙃

[Daniel]

@TheDukeAnumber1 When I saw you looking at the 'Power Outage' post on the online user list, I just knew what you would be posting next 🙂

Did I mention all the bargaining that takes place?

I am surprised you didn't mention the 500 gallon aquarium that divides the livingroom from the diningroom, which I guess makes those technically 2 more fishrooms.

But the core truth remains, my fish budget is too small, I can't put aquariums where I want them and the good fish store is still an hour away.🙂

[Lemon]

6 minutes ago, Daniel said:

@TheDukeAnumber1 When I saw you looking at the 'Power Outage' post on the online user list, I just knew what you would be posting next 🙂

Did I mention all the bargaining that takes place?

I am surprised you didn't mention the 500 gallon aquarium that divides the livingroom from the diningroom, which I guess makes those technically 2 more fishrooms.

But the core truth remains, my fish budget is too small, I can't put aquariums where I want them and the good fish store is still an hour away.🙂

Daniel you lied to us 😉

[Ken Dyer]

20 minutes ago, Daniel said:

and the good fish store is still an hour away

you forgot "and uphill both ways" 😉 

[Lemon]

12 minutes ago, Ken Dyer said:

you forgot "and uphill both ways" 😉 

???

[Ken Dyer]

Sorry @quirkylemon103 I was teasing @Daniel about the hardships we aquarists face and how our trips to the fish store are so much harder that the trip is up hill both ways, and often in the snow... 😉

[Maggie]

Happy to see some young aquarists respond! It's such a great hobby but it seems there will always be some limiting factor - budget, space, time, accessibility, roomates, parents, significant other...

If you don't own your home, nearly all apartments have weight limits/restrictions on aquariums, and some don't allow them at all, or require insurance on them.

I wish all young aquarists the best of success - take your time and let it be a lifelong journey. 

[Maggie]

12 minutes ago, quirkylemon103 said:

???

That originated from boomers' parents telling us to be happy we could take the bus to school, as they "had to walk 3 miles to school every day in the snow with no boots" which then morphed to include "...uphill both ways!"

[RovingGinger]

10 minutes ago, quirkylemon103 said:

???

It’s an old person trope. They used to have to walk to school five miles and up a hill both ways in the middle of winter. 😝 Kids these days just logging into Zoom have no clue what it was like when we each got one piece of slate and one piece of chalk and had to learn our 3 R’s before going home to milk the cows.

At least this is what my Nebraskan mother tells me. 

57 minutes ago, TheDukeAnumber1 said:

Then what the heck do you call this...

Daniel's Fishroom

You poor thing 🙃

That is clearly a computer room. Much like Dean and that sewing room. 

 

[Lemon]

oh lol

22 minutes ago, RovingGinger said:

It’s an old person trope. They used to have to walk to school five miles and up a hill both ways in the middle of winter. 😝 Kids these days just logging into Zoom have no clue what it was like when we each got one piece of slate and one piece of chalk and had to learn our 3 R’s before going home to milk the cows.

At least this is what my Nebraskan mother tells me. 

That is clearly a computer room. Much like Dean and that sewing room. 

 

 

23 minutes ago, Maggie said:

That originated from boomers' parents telling us to be happy we could take the bus to school, as they "had to walk 3 miles to school every day in the snow with no boots" which then morphed to include "...uphill both ways!"

 

26 minutes ago, Ken Dyer said:

Sorry @quirkylemon103 I was teasing @Daniel about the hardships we aquarists face and how our trips to the fish store are so much harder that the trip is up hill both ways, and often in the snow... 😉

 

[Sol]

Just about to cross the threshold of being a "young" aquarist, but alas, at least for the next few months I'm still required to be obedient to parental authority. Ha!

For me, it was pretty difficult at first to convince my parents to let me get my first personal fish tank...only after hours of research and promises of responsibility did that happen.

The biggest restrictions I encountered were budget and space. Since it's a personal hobby, family rule is that you pay for it yourself. When I was younger/didn't have a job, it meant doing chores or using birthdays/christmas to ask for fish things or money to spend on fish things.

With space, I always tried to negotiate with my parents to give me real estate for larger tanks that are in the communal/family areas of the house. I was that kid who said, "Mom, dad, this fish tank will take up 4.5 ft² of floorspace, can I rent it from you at the family rate?" HAHAHA! It definitely kept me responsible for my own pets.

But this type of negotiation is definitely not exclusive to young people in the hobby by any means 😛 Even as I get more independent, I have to agree with what @Maggie said.

30 minutes ago, Maggie said:

there will always be some limiting factor - budget, space, time, accessibility, roomates, parents, significant other...

If anything, I feel like having aquariums as a kid, though sometimes with quite a few challenges, set a better foundation and expectation for when I'm able to continue the hobby through adulthood!

[Lemon]

8 minutes ago, Sol said:

Just about to cross the threshold of being a "young" aquarist, but alas, at least for the next few months I'm still required to be obedient to parental authority. Ha!

For me, it was pretty difficult at first to convince my parents to let me get my first personal fish tank...only after hours of research and promises of responsibility did that happen.

The biggest restrictions I encountered were budget and space. Since it's a personal hobby, family rule is that you pay for it yourself. When I was younger/didn't have a job, it meant doing chores or using birthdays/christmas to ask for fish things or money to spend on fish things.

With space, I always tried to negotiate with my parents to give me real estate for larger tanks that are in the communal/family areas of the house. I was that kid who said, "Mom, dad, this fish tank will take up 4.5 ft² of floorspace, can I rent it from you at the family rate?" HAHAHA! It definitely kept me responsible for my own pets.

But this type of negotiation is definitely not exclusive to young people in the hobby by any means 😛 Even as I get more independent, I have to agree with what @Maggie said.

If anything, I feel like having aquariums as a kid, though sometimes with quite a few challenges, set a better foundation and expectation for when I'm able to continue the hobby through adulthood!

i tried to rent space to get 180( lfs had one at a good deal) they said no 😞

[Sol]

Just now, quirkylemon103 said:

i tried to rent space to get 180( lfs had one at a good deal) they said no 😞

The struggle is real! Just something to look forward to in the future I suppose.

Or another tactic is presenting a way larger tank (but still slightly realistic) and then making the tank you want seem small in comparison. It's like asking for a horse when you really only want a dog. 😂

[Lemon]

10 minutes ago, Sol said:

The struggle is real! Just something to look forward to in the future I suppose.

Or another tactic is presenting a way larger tank (but still slightly realistic) and then making the tank you want seem small in comparison. It's like asking for a horse when you really only want a dog. 😂

not related but we actually have horses and dogs but I know what you mean

[Lemon]

okay so i thought of something else i wanted to know how do your parents feel about local clubs and buying used stuff

[Lemon]

Just now, James Black said:

My parents let me have a racking system in my basement

-36 Gal Community 

-20 gal SW Reef in the making

-50 gal angelfish tank

And then in my room I have a betta/ shrimp tank and a 10gal QT 

what are you doing in SW?

also are you on reef2reef?

Edited November 19, 2020 by quirkylemon103

[Bay Area Aquatics]

Not under 18, but 23 and still living (and paying rent) with my parents.

That being said, I cleared out my closet, and thinned out my items and got a dresser and put this in my closet. May or may not be an option, whether it be on this scale or even just a handful of 10 gallons for breading. 

 

[Lemon]

3 minutes ago, Bay Area Aquatics said:

Not under 18, but 23 and still living (and paying rent) with my parents.

That being said, I cleared out my closet, and thinned out my items and got a dresser and put this in my closet. May or may not be an option, whether it be on this scale or even just a handful of 10 gallons for breading. 

 

i could put tanks in my closet but it doesn't have any outlets so i would to pay someone to put one in or run a extension cord also I'm setting up a 75 gallon reef(I'm so close just waiting for the tank to cycle and for some hose clamps to get her) so i would be worried about the amount of electricity on the circuit for my room. 

[Bay Area Aquatics]

4 minutes ago, quirkylemon103 said:

i could put tanks in my closet but it doesn't have any outlets so i would to pay someone to put one in or run a extension cord also I'm setting up a 75 gallon reef(I'm so close just waiting for the tank to cycle and for some hose clamps to get her) so i would be worried about the amount of electricity on the circuit for my room. 

I personally ran an extension cord but I also swapped the socket out for a GFI Socket (very easy to do). 

That is something to take into account. I personally have 5 10 gallon tanks with each of their own 50 watt heater, light, and airpump, my 75 gallon with a Aquaclear 110, an air pump, a light, and a 300 watt heater. Non aquarium wise, I have a fridge, a couple hundred watts of Ham radios, a TV, and a dual monitor computer setup all in my room. Granted, I only share a breaker with the bathroom next to me in the hallway. 

There is a way to add up all of the wattage and amps and check what rating your breaker has... It is doable! haha. I'll show you my electrical setup in a minute. I know it scares some... but Its been setup for over 2 years and I've never had an issue haha. 

[Lemon]

the reason i nervous about having tanks in the closet is becuase pretty much the only outlet near it is being used by the 75 which   is running 2 hydra 26 reef lights, 1 jebao dcp 3500, 2 koraila evo 860, 2 150 watt heaters and i need stronger flow pumps because i want clams