On this forum we have a wide range of ages, both male and female. And an even wider range of knowledge, from complete newbies right up to our esteemed experts (no names because I don't want to embarrass, or more importantly, miss anyone out!)
However, it dosen't matter what level of expertise any of us are at, one simple fact remains. The fact that at one time each and every single one of us knew absolutely nothing about our hobby. Believe it or not, at one point way way back in history, even
RD.
and
duanes
knew diddly squat (although in their cases I think divine intervention took place, they were born with fish keeping knowledge, lol).
So, due to the miserable fact that we are stuck in unable to do much at all at the minute, I thought i'd create this thread where we can all have a light hearted trip down memory lane to try and recall our humble beginnings in our wonderful hobby. Some posts may be a bit long winded but hey, we've got plenty of time on our hands to read haven't we!
I'll start off. I'll try and keep mine short because i've waffled enough already. So here goes......
I was around 7 or 8 when my dad bought a small tank for myself, my brother and sister. I recall not being interested at that time though I do remember that every time the tank looked green my dad would rip it down and blitz everything in the sink. I also recall watching the 3 goldfish we had staying on the bottom motionless for hours and hours after each cleaning session. I shudder now thinking about what them fish had to go through.
When I was about 10 I started fishing at this small lodge at the bottom of our field. It was full of sticklebacks and minnows and occasionally we'd catch the odd bullhead. Then a few years later a guy put some bigger fish in. I'd never seen or heard of this fish before. They were perch. I'll never forget the first time I caught one. I was memorised by the red fins, its spiky dorsal fin and huge mouth. That day was the day I became hooked on angling and i've been angling ever since.
At some point I decided I wasn't happy just catching fish and returning them, I wanted to keep them so I could watch them at home too. And that's when I started keeping fish, about 3 small perch in a tiny tank. Of course there were disasters along the way due to my naivety but eventually I got the hang of it and had a few successes along the way. However, I was still quite young at this point, I was moving around a lot and moving tanks with me was a pain, so I got rid of the tanks and stopped keeping fish.
I stayed away from the hobby for 15-20 years and then in 2008 I met my wife. We married in 2014. I was, at last, settled and happy and so I made the decision to get back into fishkeeping. It was like starting from scratch again, i'd forgot everything, even basic stuff like the nitrogen cycle. I struggled at first but after a lot of reading on the web I began to find my feet again. And then on 31.12.15 I found MFK and made myself a member. I've come on in leaps and bounds over the past 5 years or so and I consider myself a half decent hobbyist, though i've still a lot to learn.
So, in a nutshell that's my story. Let's hear your tales of nostalgia.
However, it dosen't matter what level of expertise any of us are at, one simple fact remains. The fact that at one time each and every single one of us knew absolutely nothing about our hobby. Believe it or not, at one point way way back in history, even
RD.
and
duanes
knew diddly squat (although in their cases I think divine intervention took place, they were born with fish keeping knowledge, lol).So, due to the miserable fact that we are stuck in unable to do much at all at the minute, I thought i'd create this thread where we can all have a light hearted trip down memory lane to try and recall our humble beginnings in our wonderful hobby. Some posts may be a bit long winded but hey, we've got plenty of time on our hands to read haven't we!
I'll start off. I'll try and keep mine short because i've waffled enough already. So here goes......
I was around 7 or 8 when my dad bought a small tank for myself, my brother and sister. I recall not being interested at that time though I do remember that every time the tank looked green my dad would rip it down and blitz everything in the sink. I also recall watching the 3 goldfish we had staying on the bottom motionless for hours and hours after each cleaning session. I shudder now thinking about what them fish had to go through.
When I was about 10 I started fishing at this small lodge at the bottom of our field. It was full of sticklebacks and minnows and occasionally we'd catch the odd bullhead. Then a few years later a guy put some bigger fish in. I'd never seen or heard of this fish before. They were perch. I'll never forget the first time I caught one. I was memorised by the red fins, its spiky dorsal fin and huge mouth. That day was the day I became hooked on angling and i've been angling ever since.
At some point I decided I wasn't happy just catching fish and returning them, I wanted to keep them so I could watch them at home too. And that's when I started keeping fish, about 3 small perch in a tiny tank. Of course there were disasters along the way due to my naivety but eventually I got the hang of it and had a few successes along the way. However, I was still quite young at this point, I was moving around a lot and moving tanks with me was a pain, so I got rid of the tanks and stopped keeping fish.
I stayed away from the hobby for 15-20 years and then in 2008 I met my wife. We married in 2014. I was, at last, settled and happy and so I made the decision to get back into fishkeeping. It was like starting from scratch again, i'd forgot everything, even basic stuff like the nitrogen cycle. I struggled at first but after a lot of reading on the web I began to find my feet again. And then on 31.12.15 I found MFK and made myself a member. I've come on in leaps and bounds over the past 5 years or so and I consider myself a half decent hobbyist, though i've still a lot to learn.
So, in a nutshell that's my story. Let's hear your tales of nostalgia.
That led to a bigger pond and searching for forums on fish care. 
