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Fishkeepers Among Us?

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
Anyone else keep fish? As in pet fish, not food.

I've recently gotten back into fishkeeping again, and am 4 tanks in. However, I'm finding a lot of what I knew from before, I've forgotten. Also trying a lot more in the way of plants this time around as well. Its a never ending learning experience, and I find it stress relieving overall.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
Freshwater, marine, tropical?

They're all freshwater; the long term goal for each is to mimic different regions. Have a 75 gallon that's meant to imitate a southern Asian river(despite a pair of Agasziz Cichlids, who will eventually be housed in another tank), a 55 gallon semi aggressive Central American lake set up, a 30 gallon mostly livebearer, and a 20 gallon Amazon backwater(that took a major hit from an illness).
 

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
E67D0D14-05B8-4296-8B43-B368BB72D4D2.jpeg
They're all freshwater; the long term goal for each is to mimic different regions. Have a 75 gallon that's meant to imitate a southern Asian river(despite a pair of Agasziz Cichlids, who will eventually be housed in another tank), a 55 gallon semi aggressive Central American lake set up, a 30 gallon mostly livebearer, and a 20 gallon Amazon backwater(that took a major hit from an illness).
Them's some seriously big tanks. We had a 20 gallon when I was a nipper. We got it to have marine but eventually changed to freshwater tropical. The marines were fabulous; we had a lion fish I absolutely loved. What a dude.
 
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Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Yeah... But try putting a lionfish in a tank with anything smaller than it...
:(
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
View attachment 49966
Them's some seriously big tanks. We had a 20 gallon when I was a nipper. We got it to have marine but eventually changed to freshwater tropical. The marines were fabulous; we had a lion fish I absolutely loved. What a dude.

Big? We're hoping to one day house some bigger ones, but we have to add onto the house first.

That is so awesome you had a lionfish! My husband would love one of those. We're a little shy to start a marine. Did you find them any more difficult than freshwater? Why did you make the switch?

Did you ever give plants a shot?
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
Anyone else keep fish? As in pet fish, not food.

I've recently gotten back into fishkeeping again, and am 4 tanks in. However, I'm finding a lot of what I knew from before, I've forgotten. Also trying a lot more in the way of plants this time around as well. Its a never ending learning experience, and I find it stress relieving overall.
I always kept fish when my kids were younger but eventually found them too much work. You're right though...they were a great stress reliever. I would rather watch them than the trash on TV.

I had a variety of fresh water fish and the neons were a favorite. I used to call them the Houdini brothers because they were always disappearing without a trace.....perhaps lunch for the bigger fish??? I loved guppies too with their colorful tails.

I have been thinking about getting back into it again myself.....:)
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I always kept fish when my kids were younger but eventually found them too much work. You're right though...they were a great stress reliever. I would rather watch them than the trash on TV.

I had a variety of fresh water fish and the neons were a favorite. I used to call them the Houdini brothers because they were always disappearing without a trace.....perhaps lunch for the bigger fish??? I loved guppies too with their colorful tails.

I have been thinking about getting back into it again myself.....:)

I would just love to get some neons! We bought 5 awhile back, but we made the dire mistake of shopping at a 'discount' store, and they were all diseased. They died quickly, took some of our flock with, and had us treating tank water for the next month or so...

I love guppies, too. We've a whole flock of them right now, most of them descendants of our original fish.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
You're right though...they were a great stress reliever. I would rather watch them than the trash on TV.
I loved going to my sisters when I was a little kid and watching her saltwater aquarium. And even still today there's something very soothing about watching them go about.
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I like fish, but have reservations about imprisoning living beings in a tank, probably to live short, unhappy lives.
:(
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Anyone else keep fish? As in pet fish, not food.

I've recently gotten back into fishkeeping again, and am 4 tanks in. However, I'm finding a lot of what I knew from before, I've forgotten. Also trying a lot more in the way of plants this time around as well. Its a never ending learning experience, and I find it stress relieving overall.

I had a tank with some goldfish when I was a kid.

I have a good friend who has a pretty elaborate fish tank with some tropical fish. It's kind of cool to just sit and watch.

My brother and his wife have a turtle. I don't remember when they first got it, but our prediction is that the turtle will outlive all of us.

I've heard some people keep piranha. That would be kind of weird.

1cd7c70c028db5e7b54e2ce90d05ba4d.jpg
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I've heard some people keep piranha. That would be kind of weird.

1cd7c70c028db5e7b54e2ce90d05ba4d.jpg

A neighbor had some of those when I was a kid. I didn't see the attraction. I wouldn't mind the herbivorous version, sometimes called the fruit eating piranha or silver dollar. They've got the same look, but much more peaceful.
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
I loved going to my sisters when I was a little kid and watching her saltwater aquarium. And even still today there's something very soothing about watching them go about.
Watching fish and listening to your favorite music are the best de-stressors ever....

I always wanted a salt water tank but it was so much more involved that a fresh water one....and unless it was huge, it was not really worth the effort.
confused0072.gif
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
Watching fish and listening to your favorite music are the best de-stressors ever....

I always wanted a salt water tank but it was so much more involved that a fresh water one....and unless it was huge, it was not really worth the effort.
confused0072.gif

As a younger person, I had a friend who had, along with her family a couple very large saltwater tanks that I would care for when they were away.

They were absolutely breathtaking, but my favorite saltwater in the house was her sister's. It was just a simple 10 gallon, with a lone clown fish, a coral, and some kind of crustacean(my memory escapes me on exactly what it was). So simple, yet perfectly beautiful in its own right.
 

Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
As a younger person, I had a friend who had, along with her family a couple very large saltwater tanks that I would care for when they were away.

They were absolutely breathtaking, but my favorite saltwater in the house was her sister's. It was just a simple 10 gallon, with a lone clown fish, a coral, and some kind of crustacean(my memory escapes me on exactly what it was). So simple, yet perfectly beautiful in its own right.
I wonder if fish need other fish to know that they are fish.......? :confused: :shrug:
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
A neighbor had some of those when I was a kid. I didn't see the attraction. I wouldn't mind the herbivorous version, sometimes called the fruit eating piranha or silver dollar. They've got the same look, but much more peaceful.

My brother had some fish many years ago. They weren't piranha, but they did eat other fish. Apparently, they fed them goldfish, but one goldfish managed to survive for quite some time.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
My brother had some fish many years ago. They weren't piranha, but they did eat other fish. Apparently, they fed them goldfish, but one goldfish managed to survive for quite some time.

We had a fish like that years ago... an oscar. I will never get a fish like that again. I just hated the restriction on what you could keep with him, and having such a giant tank for one fish just looked...empty. We eventually housed him with a turtle that was about the same size as he. They sure were messy... They burned through a few filters, and tended to tear up substrate/tank decor. The Central American cichlids we have now is the most aggressive I'll go(firemouths, rainbows, and gold aureums). They nip at each other, but don't really do damage. There is a big firemouth we call Richard(inspired because his personality reminds one of what Richard is shortened to) that had a history of bullying, but if he bullies too bad, I come to the side of the tank and puff up and wiggle around like he's doing, and he doesn't like that.

I guess that means I'm the alpha male in the cichlid tank.

He's really quite intelligent that he's figured out that kind of cause/effect. We've noticed some of the other cichlids are starting to recognize their food containers. Cichlids are quite amazing fish, choosing a mate for life and raising their young together. I've never witnessed cichlid 'families' in my tank, but that sure would be fun.
 

Secret Chief

nirvana is samsara
We're a little shy to start a marine. Did you find them any more difficult than freshwater? Why did you make the switch?
Did you ever give plants a shot?

They were no more difficult. The swap was because marine are (or were) a lot more expensive - my father's decision : it was his money. Marine were much more interesting and colourful.
We had plants in the freshwater tropical. About as interesting as the fish...:rolleyes:
I lost interest after the swap. After you've hand-fed a lion fish, sprinkling a few flakes on the water isn't quite as engaging...
 
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