WHY ARE YOU IN THE HOBBY?

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When I had my apartment down town I got a 10G to start with. Uneducated on the fish cycle my fish died of course. And I had to get right up to the tank to see them. It was so small. I was 22 years old

Next came the 29 high tank with 2 oscars. Ick appeared and the nasty blue medicine just about killed them. Again I was uneducated. But talked to whoever I could to learn. I was 23 years old.

Then I didn't realize Oscars grow big and fast so in came the 55G for the growing boys. Then a few months later someone gave me another 55G with stand. Had them side by side. I was about 24 years old.

Then I saw in the paper a 110G high tank for $1000 complete brand new set up for 6 months. Talked to the guy and I had the best offer of $300 and he had to get rid of it.
Stocked it with Oscars,JD,Jewel,10" street smart gold fish feeder,pleco, and a Giant Gaurami. Again uneducated on fish size. The Gaurami grew 15" and kicked the Oscars butts. So I downsized my fish stock until I had peace in the tank. I was 26.

Had to sell the 110G in 2002 because we tore down the house to build a new one. Bought a small house on 1 acre of land cheap and It needed help..So much help we tore it down. I was 34.

So out of the hobby for 8 years waiting for an Aquarium to spark my interest. I didn't want to get a small one. Been there done that. A friend of mine ran into an Aquarium he had bought and he said he was never going to set up this huge thing and asked if I wanted it. He got it for $150 with stand,lights, and glass hood. He was helping the guy out that needed money. It was a 220G tank 72"Lx24"Wx30"H. Sold it to me for same price he bought it $150. I was 43 years old.

And the rest is history... :)
 
It all started a very long time ago when i was about 10 i would take my allowance and walk to the local walmart and buy me some goldfish now i'm hooked
 
It started the day I took my 6 month old daughter to the aquarium the way she looked up at the tanks in aww made me want to have one at home the picture of her is my avatar I swear she stared like that for what seemed like forever she even got upset when we walked away I knew from then I. Had to Have some sort of tank at home I started with a 5 gallon didn't know much of about fish but I did my research and talked for ever to the guy at the fish store I let my daughter pic. Out two African cichlids fry it went from the 5 to a 20 to 40 to 60 and now I have a 110 gal

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I had fish when I was growing up, but did not know anything about it at all.... what size tanks, water changes, etc.... my mother and I were the ignorant fish keepers, however, our fish were taken care of as good as we knew how... and often lived long lives... I had my last childhood tank when I was around 10 or so, and never had another fish..... until...

My wife and I moved into a new house about 2 years ago... the owners had a little 3-4 gallon tank with a giant danio, and a plecco... she said she was hoping they would hurry and die because she did not want to move it with them.... I asked her if she would leave it for me, and she did...

well I knew at that point that the tank was too small for them, but we were strapped for cash.... so I went and got a 15 gallon and filter and put them in there for a while... well that was all it took to GRAB me.... i was addicted to watching the tank, aquascaping, learning more about fish etc... then I found cichlids....

Now I have had about 10 tanks on and off for the last 2 years and love every minute of it... I currently have a 15 gallon dwarf puffer tank, 10 gallon RCS shrimp tank, 55 gallon cichlid tank and 75 gallon cichlid tank... if I could I would have 20 tanks including one of 300 plus gallons..... maybe one day....
 
my mom always had lots of tanks and she always had oscars and i would help with feeding and all that and this was when i was a little kid in about 5th grade i got two of my own oscars lasted a few years and then i went dormant for a while and started fishing more and then i got back into it a while ago and now i have 2 40s a 150 and various tanks outside im going to be upgrading to a 250+ soon and selling the 150 but yeah thats why i guess i love fish keeping
 
My aunt brought over a five gallon tank when I was around 7 and I've been hooked on tanks ever since and that's been 40 years ago.


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It was my uncle's that got me into keeping fish. They both had fish rooms with multiple tanks the smallest tank if I remember correctly was a 75 saltwater tank. One uncle was into freshwater and the other into saltwater and they had in my opinion some awesome fish. The freshwater uncle kept Snakeheads and Oscars and managed to comm them pretty well despite the Snakehead being twice the size of the Oscars. Though the snakehead proved how dangerous he could be when he crushed my Grandfathers finger while trying to clean the tank for my uncle, required some stitches and a splint. Up until then I never imagined a fish could cause that much damage, definitely peaked my interest as to what else I didn't know about them. My saltwater uncle kept Triggers and Lionfish in a comm. I still can't believe the Trigger(undulating trigger) didn't terrorize the Lionfish. I marveled at watching the Trigger's constant re-decoration of the tank. My uncle was always cursing him out saying listen you %2&*@#%& fish this my tank stop moving $H#&!! Lol! Between those two experiences I was hooked, there was more to fish than I had thought and I wanted to know more.
Now I stay in the hobby as a challenge to myself a way to stay disciplined in some way. I like the challenge of trying to comm. unlikely fish and trying to keep alive other fish that people seem to have a problem keeping alive. Water changes, redecorating the tanks it's almost a zen experience keeps my mind at peace not being idle, plus I get a sense of accomplishment when I see my fish plump and colored up. Let's me know I'm doing something right because they're so healthy.
 
I have always enjoyed going to public aquariums. One day my wife and I were out and we decided to stop at a place to look at fish. She decided that she had to have a black moor because it was so "cute." That's where it all started for me. I have been addicted ever since.
 
When I grew up my parents always had a fish tank in the dinning room. They also kept a goldfish in a large bowl plus we had baby turtles in those container that have the Island in the middle. Not sure what got them into it. But when we moved into our new house I was 9 years old they decided to keep the fish tank in my room.
At our new house there was a creek behind our back fence and I found it a place I liked to always go and explore.
Also there was a fish store just 1 block away easy walking distance from our house. I can remember always going there to look around. Back then in the early 70's us kids didn't have electronic games we had to find things to do.
 
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