We'll I've always liked fish and always wanted a fish tank I tried several times with goldfish and a 10, never dechlorinated the water or anything lol. Then one day about 1year ago there was a road side stand with RES turtles 2 for 10, so I bought 2 and my dad bought 2, I started with a 10 gallon then moved to a 30, one of my turtles died of a respiratory infection when he was still quite small not even 2 inches, my favorite one too =/. I had some feeder goldfish and minnows and that's what really sparked my fish keeping they survived for a little bit but when I took em out to clean the tank thoroughly, like I always had before we got feeders, I put em back in the tank with new water all clean but still chlorinated well needless to say they all died, at this point I finally decided to research what I was doing wrong and boy I ended up being at the computer alot and I've learned so much since, Not long after that Bowser my turtle was getting bigger so we decided we might aswell make a ghetto kiddie pool pond for him to have a permanent home. So I went from a 30gallon to a 260gallon pond, Before we got the pond set up I bought another turtle from petco and named her Koopa.
After the pond was set up I bought 2 dozen minnows and 10 goldfish and put em In, Most of the goldfish are still alive a few were picked off by the turtles, and theres even 2 gold fish from the original 30gallon about 7 months old now maybe more. From there my I adopted my step dads turtles one is in the pond and one is in the 30 who's not doing very god and there isn't much I can do for it but hope it pulls through. And I also adopted another turtle from Craigslist, Dry Bones/Bones, And shes about 9 Inches.
Currently In the pond there's 4 turtles, Bowser, Koopa, Bones, and Herbie, About 7 goldfish, not sure how many minnows they get picked off here and there but they are breeding too, And one Koi.
Not long after the pond was set up I got two 55gallon tanks and a bunch of other stuff along with a 30gallon tank stand for free off craigslist, There 2 albino tiger oscars in one which I re-homed and a large striped raphel catfish who died of ich =(. From there I set up my 30gallon tank, and Restocked both 55s, and then I got a 10gallon saltwater tank set up and I'm still wanting more and more tanks which my girlfriend really hates lol.
As far as goals I would really like to get a large enough tank or pond for an RTC since I absolutly love them, and my girlfriend is actualy intrested in a large enough tank for some bamboo sharks and maybe a nurse shark or two, So we'll see what comes in the future when I get my own place.
Ps. Sorry for the wall of text.