talk about what got you into this hobby, what was the first fish you seen that captivated you so much, you knew this would be your passion
first experience
- Thread starter Cichlidlove4all
- Start date
my first experience was with the oscar, my father had one a long time ago that ate EVERYTHING. my aunt had several. i was still learning about them,and when i felt ready i got myself one. little did i know, he was just the lightly scratched surface of more intresting fish. i was getting food at petsmart one day and saw a book of cichlids (which at the time i didnt know how to pronounce 
) and ipicked it up and immersed myself in it. the oscar was part of a huge group that shared the same family "Cichlidae" it was awesome, new fish to collect, ones that made the oscar tame in comparison! from the small and scrappy, such as the Amatitlania nigrofasciata, to the big and beautiful andemean like the Caquetaia Umbrifera!i read that book over and over, noticing in awe the beautiful patterns and reading about the amazing personality unique to every one of them. but one genus stood out from the rest, one that truly captivated me, and im sure a bunch of you, the "Parachromis" genus. Dovii, Managuensis, Friedrichsthalii, Motaguensis and Loisellei. BEST--GENUS--EVER!! sorry for rambling
) and ipicked it up and immersed myself in it. the oscar was part of a huge group that shared the same family "Cichlidae" it was awesome, new fish to collect, ones that made the oscar tame in comparison! from the small and scrappy, such as the Amatitlania nigrofasciata, to the big and beautiful andemean like the Caquetaia Umbrifera!i read that book over and over, noticing in awe the beautiful patterns and reading about the amazing personality unique to every one of them. but one genus stood out from the rest, one that truly captivated me, and im sure a bunch of you, the "Parachromis" genus. Dovii, Managuensis, Friedrichsthalii, Motaguensis and Loisellei. BEST--GENUS--EVER!! sorry for rambling It all started when my mom bought a 30g fish tank. We put some goldfish in and that was all. I wasnt too excited. Then she one day bought an oscar and that is when i started liking fish. I didnt know fish could have alot of personality like the oscar.
My folks used to have a 34 gal tank with a few neons and a few tiger barbs. They sold it and I didn't think about fish for several years. Then I went with my ex to the lfs and they had a deal on 10gal tanks. I picked up a full 10 gal set up for about $25. She promised to help pay for the tank and fish....and the money never materialized. In the end, I got what I wanted: a fish tank and an ex!
the first fish that gave me a passion for fishkeeping was when I first saw blind cave tetras, they were the first "exotic" fish that captured my interest. they remain probably my favorite species to this day
It all started 6 years ago, when we had to do a hydrponics preject in Shop class...a 10 gallon led to a 55, then picked up a 20, then 2 more 10s...later that year I had 7 tanks going, from Discus to guppies...I had it all. And now I have started with the bigger badder fish...fish keeping is my life.
Kevin
Kevin
When I was in elementary school I won $100 in on a lottery ticket my mom put in my christmas stocking. We had an old fish tank my mom used for tetras she gave me and let me setup my own tank. I hated tetras and said they were "the stupid fish" when I was a kid so I wanted anything that wasn't a tetra.
I ended up with juvie cichlids all about 2"... 2 green terrors, 2 cons, a jack dempsey, and......a red devil....in a 20 gallon. Needless to say, I ended up with just a red devil. And I became facinated because I hadn't expected such intellegence from a fish and began to keep fish ever since. I've been fishkeeping for over 14 years now.
I ended up with juvie cichlids all about 2"... 2 green terrors, 2 cons, a jack dempsey, and......a red devil....in a 20 gallon. Needless to say, I ended up with just a red devil. And I became facinated because I hadn't expected such intellegence from a fish and began to keep fish ever since. I've been fishkeeping for over 14 years now.