Larry Here; Old-School Aquarist, New To The Forum

[Larry Little]

Hello -- My name is Larry Little; I'm a 65-year-old "Old-School" aquarium keeper.  My mom was in the hobby from her childhood and I don't remember a time without at least one tank going.  In 1980, I wrote my Master's Paper on maintenance and display techniques for both public and private aquariums.  Looking back at it, I think it's "antiquated" (ahem).  

I currently have three tanks in operation. 

My 60-gallon is my tetra tank decorated with Arkansas hard limestone and driftwood.  It contains 6 Colombian bue and red tetras plus small schools of orange flame tetras, serpae tetras, and Bloodfinsi.  I also have 2 different Plecostomus, 2 Otocinclus, and 2 Sterbae cories.  I have it planted with Vallisneria spiralis and several Crypt. species.  The tank has been operating for 2+ years.

My 40-gallon tank is somewhat similarly decorated except for replacing the limestone with large (potatoto butternut squash sized) river rocks.  I have one gorgeous (but lonely) blue ram, 4 small angelfish (just added), a school of glowlight tetras, 2 Otocinclus, and one clown plecostomus.  I redid this tank about 6 months ago after repairing a leak.  The same vallisneria and crypts are joined by Java ferns. 

My last tank is my desk tank decorated similarly to my 40.  It's my "odd" tank I built in College; its dimensions are 48"L x 6"W x 12"H., containing roughly 15 gallons.  It contains sparkling gouramis, pygmy cories, and two species of shrimp.  This tank is pretty much all vallisneria.

Two of my tanks have developed growths of filamentous algae which I control by manually removing every couple of weeks,  As long as I keep it controlled, I really don't mind it too much as it's a good oxygenator.

Oh, I almost forgot: I also have a pair of Amazon redfoot tortoises.  I've had my male for about 35 years since about a week after he hatched.  My female came to me as an adult about 10 years ago.  Rounding things out are 2 cats, two dogs, and best of all, one very patient wife.  

I'll wait until later to get on other forums to ask questions (just typing this has taken me about 45 minutes). 

Bye for now,

Larry    

 

 

       

[Streetwise]

Welcome to the forum!

[Ken Dyer]

Welcome Larry! Sounds like some great tanks and a long history of fish keeping. Glad to have you here.

[Larry Little]

Thanks Ken, I was away from the hobby for a while.  I'm not technologically savvy, mostly due to cost.  But, I do it for my own pleasure and to lower my blood pressure, so I'm good.