Any other Women fishkeepers here on Fishlore?

[MagnifcentBett]

Any other women fishkeepers here? Tell me your stories, here’s mine.

I'm 67, had a 20 gallon in my teens, and am coming back 50 years later to this whole new wonderful world of fish keeping and aqua scaping. I've spent a lot of time on YouTube learning, and LFS shopping and learning. I've spent a lot of time here on Fishlore, a wonderful place for a newbie! But I have seen very few women in any of those venues, and no older women at all, with the exception of Diana Walstad.
I started with a 1.9g Fluval LIV back in July, after attending the LA Pet expo with my fishkeeping son. Turns out, the smaller the tank, the harder to cycle. A good learning experience. I had to break it down when it developed a crack. The good people I got it from honored the warranty and I cleaned mine out and exchanged it. It's sitting there, taunting me, about trying Caridina shrimp. Tell me something is hard? I'll try it. Tell me something, like a fish or plant, is rare or hard to find? I'll find it.

Next I set up a 3 gallon, which has become a quarantine tank. Currently there are 4 rummynose tetras in there.

Then I went wild, got a 16 gallon long in early August and have been working on/obsessing over. Thanks to my son donating a canister with existing bacteria, it cycled fast and now has not only plants but fish! It's a high tech tank, and that's been a huge learning curve, too, including almost killing all my fish when the CO2 timer got unset. Lost 4 rummynoses, but saved the rest.

I'd like to hear your stories, see your creations!

 

[Lucy]

Here!
I've downsized over the years. I have a 29 gallon community tank that fits my lifestyle at this time

 

[Fishfur]

Me too. 71 and been back in the hobby now for about 20 years and originally started at the beginning of my teens.

I probably should downsize but instead have a if tank on my bucket list - 5’ long and likely 18” front to back & preferably not too tall. But I can’t afford one made to order so it’ll be what I can get that’s close enough.

I have had as many as 17 tanks running at one time but have a lot fewer of them now.

 

[TClare]

Well I am another one, I am 66, was very into fish as a child, teenager and beyond, by the time I left to go to university I had several tanks and a pond on the go and later set up a fish room at uni. I studied zoology, always focusing on fish for any project wherever possible, then did a PhD working with cichlids. My first work involved fish too, though later my life took other directions and for various reasons I didn't keep fish for many years, though I never lost interest. Started again at the beginning of the pandemic (no classes, time on my hands) and during the last 5 years have had up to 6 tanks on the go (depending if I was rearing fry or quarantining new fish). At the moment I have 4 - the biggest about 220 gallons, then 152, then about 90, the smallest about 63 gallons (actual measurements are in litres and cm). All except the smallest were homemade, luckily I got my husband and son to help. I am actually considering downsizing (maybe) - mainly because of the electricity bill...

 

[Noroomforshoe]

Im a woman, 45, Still kicking myself over the betta I kept in a rinky dinky contaner when I was 14. Even though it lived longer then the one I bought and added to cycled propper set up more recently.

I currently have one 55 gallon tank with a lot of loaches. red finned loaches that may out grow the tank some day, dwarf chain loaches that wont, a 17 year old yoyo loach and a 17 year old angelecus loach that are attached at the hip. I feel like im forgetting someone,..

Nice to meet you!

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Welcome all!!

Me too. 71 and been back in the hobby now for about 20 years and originally started at the beginning of my teens.

I probably should downsize but instead have a if tank on my bucket list - 5’ long and likely 18” front to back & preferably not too tall. But I can’t afford one made to order so it’ll be what I can get that’s close enough.

I have had as many as 17 tanks running at one time but have a lot fewer of them now.

Hey Fishfur! Nice to see you here!
Wow! I would love to see your tanks. 5', eh? Hmm. Where would I put one of those? My tank in planning is a ten gallon tall Gothic Betta tank. No skulls or skeletons, just moody mossy rock background and plants that have "black" in their names. And anything else spooky. Black substrate, And one flowy platinum halfmoon rosetail "ghost" Maybe some Bloody Mary Shrimp?
I hope people will post photos.

Im a woman, 45, Still kicking myself over the betta I kept in a rinky dinky contaner when I was 14. Even though it lived longer then the one I bought and added to cycled propper set up more recently.

I currently have one 55 gallon tank with a lot of loaches. red finned loaches that may out grow the tank some day, dwarf chain loaches that wont, a 17 year old yoyo loach and a 17 year old angelecus loach that are attached at the hip. I feel like im forgetting someone,..

Nice to meet you!

That's a lotta loaches! 17 is a ripe old age.

I love the age span so far. We could be the Crones of Fishlore! (I belong to the Crones of Anarchy on FB)

Can we talk about overstocking? In my noobie enthusiams, I'm afraid I have.

 

[Fishfur]

Me too. 71 and been back in the hobby now for about 20 years and originally started at the beginning of my teens.

I probably should downsize but instead have a if tank on my bucket list - 5’ long and likely 18” front to back & preferably not too tall. But I can’t afford one made to order so it’ll be what I can get that’s close enough.

I have had as many as 17 tanks running at one time but have a lot fewer of them now.

That should say “big tank” on my bucket list. I was once nicknamed the nano tank queen because space constraints meant all my tanks were small, smaller & smallest - guess I want to buck that trend before it’s too late.

 

[Fishadict512]

That should say “big tank” on my bucket list. I was once nicknamed the nano tank queen because space constraints meant all my tanks were small, smaller & smallest - guess I want to buck that trend before it’s too late.

I would love to see you do a big tank! I know you would do great things with it!

 

[Fishfur]

I would love to see you do a big tank! I know you would do great things with it!

I intend to give it my best shot. Gotta’ build the stand first!

 

[Thunder_o_b]

AAAAh, well, I am not a woman but I am in tune with my feminine side... Does that count?

 

[MagnifcentBett]

AAAAh, well, I am not a woman but I am in tune with my feminine side... Does that count?

Nope.

Hmm. The moderator keeps merging my new comments that aren’t replies into my op. Makes it hard to have a conversation

 

[Coradee]

Nope.

Hmm. The moderator keeps merging my new comments that aren’t replies into my op. Makes it hard to have a conversation

Hi, the mods haven’t merged your posts, the system automatically merges posts that are made back to back.

 

[BlackOsprey]

There's me. I think there's plenty, but it's going to skew male for a number of reasons. Aquarium animals aren't traditionally "cute" like mammal pets or birds and they have this stigma of being "slimy and gross." My mom hated the idea of anything that touched my aquariums getting anywhere near the kitchen because she viewed it all as unclean- dad could not care less.

There's the stereotype that boys and men tend to like the slimy, weirder, dangerous animals more than women do, and it's a stereotype for a reason. Show a man a frog devouring a mouse and they'll think it's cool. Show that to women and they'll despair for the mouse.

 

[cherylanne]

I'm here. I just joined, and have returned to the hobby after decades without any fish.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

A new fishkeeper, my granddaughter. We made a shirmp garden in a Fluval LIV together yesterday. I wish I'd gotten pics of her at our LFS. Her dad is a fishkeeper, too, and my enabler.

 

[Caliban]

I wouldn’t necessarily say woman, since I can’t legally drive… but yes, another girl here. I have been keeping fish years. Since I was 8 to be a tad more specific. I have only been seriously keeping for 2 ish years now, but I have more experience than I probably should have… with disease and other issues similar. My sisters also keep fish, but they pay me to keep their tanks actually alive. So, they’re basically my tanks. I am considering starting a fish tank cleaning business to pay all the expenses, as monthly allowance doesn’t quite cut it. I have definitely had to pull a loan from the parents on many occasions. Also, at school I am known as the crazy fish lady, and I got voted in the yearbook as most likely to own a zoo… so I guess I have a reputation. Anyway, yes there is another among us, who would not necessarily count as a woman, but yes a girl.

 

[Fishfur]

I wouldn’t necessarily say woman, since I can’t legally drive… but yes, another girl here. I have been keeping fish years. Since I was 8 to be a tad more specific. I have only been seriously keeping for 2 ish years now, but I have more experience than I probably should have… with disease and other issues similar. My sisters also keep fish, but they pay me to keep their tanks actually alive. So, they’re basically my tanks. I am considering starting a fish tank cleaning business to pay all the expenses, as monthly allowance doesn’t quite cut it. I have definitely had to pull a loan from the parents on many occasions. Also, at school I am known as the crazy fish lady, and I got voted in the yearbook as most likely to own a zoo… so I guess I have a reputation. Anyway, yes there is another among us, who would not necessarily count as a woman, but yes a girl.

Most likely to own a zoo, hmm? I can think of many far less rewarding careers!

You might not be one of us slightly older women but young women count too!

 

[Caliban]

Most likely to own a zoo, hmm? I can think of many far less rewarding careers!

You might not be one of us slightly older women but young women count too!

Haha! I know, I wouldn’t mind owning a zoo. Especially an underwater one. Aka, an aquarium. Yes I guess I do count as a woman, just not in my own eyes..

 

[Lakefish]

Hi! Late to the party, but I'm another woman (44). Got my first betta at age 10, and had fish ever since. Like many people, the first few years were pretty bad...I'm sorry, fishes! I've had a bunch of different fish over the years, up to four tanks, and finally settled at two 25 gallon tanks, a tub on the front porch, and a small pond. The tanks and tub have only barbs since they seem to like my well water, and I like their activity and interactivity. They are never shy. In the pond are four little koi and one shubunkin, named after people I know. Eventually they may give me an excuse to dig a bigger pond (if the heron does not return).
Ideally, I would like to return my 72 gallon to service rather than the two small tanks, but I'm a little hesitant to put 700+lbs in one place, given the house is a 1973 mobile...has anyone done this??
I don't have any pond pictures on this phone and my yard looks like this time of year, so I'll just show my 12 year old lady gold barb and her much smaller young companions in my not so pretty tank. Lol.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Hi! Late to the party, but I'm another woman (44). Got my first betta at age 10, and had fish ever since. Like many people, the first few years were pretty bad...I'm sorry, fishes! I've had a bunch of different fish over the years, up to four tanks, and finally settled at two 25 gallon tanks, a tub on the front porch, and a small pond. The tanks and tub have only barbs since they seem to like my well water, and I like their activity and interactivity. They are never shy. In the pond are four little koi and one shubunkin, named after people I know. Eventually they may give me an excuse to dig a bigger pond (if the heron does not return).
Ideally, I would like to return my 72 gallon to service rather than the two small tanks, but I'm a little hesitant to put 700+lbs in one place, given the house is a 1973 mobile...has anyone done this??
I don't have any pond pictures on this phone and my yard looks like this time of year, so I'll just show my 12 year old lady gold barb and her much smaller young companions in my not so pretty tank. Lol.

Hi and welcome! I have a small koi pond and I hear you on herons I don't know how many pounds of expensie sushi I've fed them over the years.

 

[StarGirl]

Im here. (A little late. ) 54, I had a few tanks younger and not knowing how to care for them. I have had my 55g for 20+ yrs. It was shelved for some of those, but dusted off when I joined the forum in 18. I have a 15, 9, and 5 running also. I.....unlike most..... want to downsize. . They are all planted and doing very well.

 

[paulinechartier]

Hi all,
Another female here. Got my 20 gallon aquarium about 2 years ago, when I was, um, 70. No room for a larger tank but am quite envious of all the huge tanks reported. Fish fascinate me. Always have. But I've only now been looking at it as a science and it's much more rewarding than a goldfish in a bowl.

Fishfur, for some reason I thought of you as a 35 year old guy. Sorry about that.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Welcome, and yeah, I did too.

 

[targetfish]

Hey there! Also late. I'm actually only 16. No idea why there aren't more women in the hobby. I seem to be into hobbies that are more male-dominated, like this one and tech. I'm super big on bettas. I've cycled a new 17-gallon tank, which I'm pretty excited about. I also have three other tanks (3-gal, 5-gal, 10-gal) and one (16-gal) pond; every single one is planted with freshwater. I have 2 bettas, a mystery snail and 24 Swordtails... LOL. 12 of my Swordtails are fry, which are being grown in the 17-gal. Currently doing a breeding project with my bettas, who are being conditioned right now. Started the hobby in early 2024, so I still have lots of learning to do.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Welcome! I don't know, either, but I think there are getting to be more. There are some award winning female aquascapers, but they are not as well known.

 

[Sprite]

Hi! Late to the party, but I'm another woman (44). Got my first betta at age 10, and had fish ever since. Like many people, the first few years were pretty bad...I'm sorry, fishes! I've had a bunch of different fish over the years, up to four tanks, and finally settled at two 25 gallon tanks, a tub on the front porch, and a small pond. The tanks and tub have only barbs since they seem to like my well water, and I like their activity and interactivity. They are never shy. In the pond are four little koi and one shubunkin, named after people I know. Eventually they may give me an excuse to dig a bigger pond (if the heron does not return).
Ideally, I would like to return my 72 gallon to service rather than the two small tanks, but I'm a little hesitant to put 700+lbs in one place, given the house is a 1973 mobile...has anyone done this??
I don't have any pond pictures on this phone and my yard looks like this time of year, so I'll just show my 12 year old lady gold barb and her much smaller young companions in my not so pretty tank. Lol.

Hi, I just joined. I am 65. I had an aquarium as a kid.
My dad and I took care of it, small 10 gallon.
I now have a 20 gallon and a 55 gallon. I am on a quick learning curve, so help from this forum will be greatly appreciated.

I feel like I’ve had a crash course learning chemistry, and biology. Overwhelming to say the least.

 

[Fishfur]

Hi, I just joined. I am 65. I had an aquarium as a kid.
My dad and I took care of it, small 10 gallon.
I now have a 20 gallon and a 55 gallon. I am on a quick learning curve, so help from this forum will be greatly appreciated.

I feel like I’ve had a crash course learning chemistry, and biology. Overwhelming to say the least.

It can be a bit overwhelming but you’ll get there and we’ll help. It’s why we’re here.

 

[AuroraDawn]

Hey there! Female here. 51. Grew up around tropical freshwater fish as my Dad had them. Had a goldfish tank in the 80s, a betta in the 90s and a dwarf gourami, and then in the early 2000s I had another betta. Someone near me was leaving the country and looking to rehome 3 fish so that is how I got back into this hobby. lol

 

[Sprite]

Hi, I’m new here too. I have gotten caught reading threads that answered some of my questions. I love the calculator feature I found.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Welcome to all our new visitors! Let's show off our work.

This is my fourth tank. LIfegard 5 gallon elevated AIO. With Fritz Turbo, heavy planting, and UNS Controsoil, I got it completely cycleed in 22 days! My new (and first) betta, Long, is very happy there since arriving 4 days ago. He's a very calm, curious fish. I was working in his tank today, syphoning and moving some things around. He hung out with me, swimming close, like "Hey, watcha doing? You need any help?"

A question for those of us older ones; What brought you to, or back to, the hobby at this time in your life?

 

[Fishfur]

L

A question for those of us older ones; What brought you to, or back to, the hobby at this time in your life?

I was always planning to have fish again, once time and finances allowed. Once my Mom ended up in long term care so I was no longer spending as much as half of every year with her in weeks long chunks, I started again with used gear from a store that was closing its doors. One stop got me everything I needed to get the first tank set up and from there it just snowballed.

 

[CraftyNana]

Any other women fishkeepers here? Tell me your stories, here’s mine.

I'd like to join this thread I'm 69 will be 70 in January and I've got a 75 gallon breeder tank. And my fish like to breed I've had Korey's breed and plecos. My angelfish like to lay eggs, but they also like a smorgasbord and usually end up eating them. I have different breeds of Gouramis, tetras, and they all seem pretty happy living together. I used to manage a pet store and when I had that I had about 6-55 gallon tanks but that was in my younger years. Nice to meet all of you and hope we can keep this thread going and keep talking with each other.

 

[Jkaliszew]

Any other women fishkeepers here? Tell me your stories, here’s mine.

Hi MagnificentBett, I'm a female fishkeeper! It's nice to read your post, I love that you have gone wild lol I have too. I have currently 2 tanks and a 3rd one is a 20 gallon long being delivered today, I'm super excited. Though yesterday I had some trouble with my rams and lost them, I read from one of the forum keepers that they can be very sensitive to water changes. Anyhow, I will have to show you some of my setups. Thank you for sharing with us!

 

[MagnifcentBett]

I'd like to join this thread I'm 69 will be 70 in January and I've got a 75 gallon breeder tank. And my fish like to breed I've had Korey's breed and plecos. My angelfish like to lay eggs, but they also like a smorgasbord and usually end up eating them. I have different breeds of Gouramis, tetras, and they all seem pretty happy living together. I used to manage a pet store and when I had that I had about 6-55 gallon tanks but that was in my younger years. Nice to meet all of you and hope we can keep this thread going and keep talking with each other.

Welcome! And thank you so much for sharing pictures of your beautiful tank! People seem a bit shy to do so. I LOVE plecos. I had one in a community tank in highschool. I don't know what it is that appeals to me so much. They just do. I just haven't had a tank large enough so far.

 

[Jkaliszew]

Good morning, everyone, I have some photos to share as I transferred them from my phone.

I didn't clean my small bookshelf tank before snapping the photo, so please excuse the mineral buildup. In the second photo, the sun is setting, and it is a snapshot of my 15-gallon Tall, where my Pleco and other bottom feeders are kept; they will soon be transferred into a 20-gallon Tall once I finish the setup. I really enjoy catfish species, Betta and Endler hybrids, but would like to branch out a bit; Cichlids have proven a little too advanced for me.

The bookshelf is filtered by a small HOB, and the 15-gallon-tall tank is filtered by an overkill Oase Biomaster 2 - again, it will be transferred over to the new setup.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Wow, those are amazing photos, especially the second! Thank you for sharing. I’m looking to branch out in my next tank and am looking at killifish, gobys and gudgeons.

 

[Jkaliszew]

I absolutely love Goby's. I have always wanted to keep them, but I have these lidless tanks, and I'm afraid they may jump out. Ooo, I may have to do some more research about Killifish!

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Hi MagnificentBett, I'm a female fishkeeper! It's nice to read your post, I love that you have gone wild lol I have too. I have currently 2 tanks and a 3rd one is a 20 gallon long being delivered today, I'm super excited. Though yesterday I had some trouble with my rams and lost them, I read from one of the forum keepers that they can be very sensitive to water changes. Anyhow, I will have to show you some of my setups. Thank you for sharing with us!

Welcome! And I look forward to seeing them! I added a gorgous German Blue Ram to my 16g community tank and he was great, until overnight he became aggressive and terrorized the other fish. I hated to lose him, but I took him back the LFS, who said I''d done a really great job with him and have me store credit.

________________________________________________
This was meant as a separate post, but it got merged with the last one.

This is NOT a woman good/men bad question at all and let's not let it go there. It's just about perception. I've always loved tropical fish and have enjoyed going to LFS with my son and his family, who have been fishkeeping for quite a while. I noticed then that by and large, the people running the stores were guys. Most of the customers seemed to be guys, sometimes with girlfriends/wives and kids in tow. But they were doing the buying. When I finally took the leap last summer, I found that I sometimes had to really work to get the salesmen's attention. They seemed to assume I was someone's tag along. (Honestly, I wasn't that surprised. It's not uncommon for older women to kind of disappear in the world's eyes. Not always, but sometimes. )

Then I noticed that the vast majority of people doing professional videos were also men, with some exceptions, of course.

That's when I started this thread.

Since then I've made a point of establishing myself as a customer at my favorite LFS in W. Covina, CA. Now they know me by name, remember what fish I have, and generally are really welcoming. They weren't hostile before. They just didn't see me among the men. One of them in particular is always glad to see me. He slips me the occasional extra shrimp or free snail. I asked him about algae scrapers. He showed me the type he uses in the store. There was the short handled one, then a long handled version. "In case you're afraid to get your arms in the water." I gave him my best "seriously, dude?" look and said, "E, I'm not afraid of anything." Pretty sure I got a free snail that day.

 

[Jkaliszew]

That's a beautiful Ram, and yeah, you did the right thing. I currently have a female Betta in a community tank. This is her 3rd tank home because she is so aggressive; she even attacks my Ottos. The last tank she's in is an established community tank where she was the last inhabitant to be added, so she's the one feeling a bit intimidated and has slowed her chasing down.

I'm glad you have integrated well at LFS, and as a woman, I understand some of the challenges that come with navigating the world, especially as a single woman who is also into cars and fish; your words are seen here.


This forum is amazing, it's kinda nuts that when I have a fish emergency, I run to this forum instead of calling my local pet store lol

Included a picture below of my progress on the new tank I will add plants today.

 

[CraftyNana]

Welcome! And thank you so much for sharing pictures of your beautiful tank! People seem a bit shy to do so. I LOVE plecos. I had one in a community tank in highschool. I don't know what it is that appeals to me so much. They just do. I just haven't had a tank large enough so far.

As you can see in that one picture I had a breeding pair and they had litter after litter. They just totally inundated my tank in that picture. I think you can tell that there's like seven different ages. I ended up giving them to a local pet shop actually Petco And they gave them away to customers, but I had to take them in groups because there was so many of them Petco didn't have room to take them all at once. I think I ended up taking in about 250 Plecos. I had to give the mom and dad away to the breeding pair because I couldn't have them continue to have babies in that tank so I hope whoever got them has a good time with them because it was fun while it lasted.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

That's a beautiful Ram, and yeah, you did the right thing. I currently have a female Betta in a community tank. This is her 3rd tank home because she is so aggressive; she even attacks my Ottos. The last tank she's in is an established community tank where she was the last inhabitant to be added, so she's the one feeling a bit intimidated and has slowed her chasing down.

I'm glad you have integrated well at LFS, and as a woman, I understand some of the challenges that come with navigating the world, especially as a single woman who is also into cars and fish; your words are seen here.


This forum is amazing, it's kinda nuts that when I have a fish emergency, I run to this forum instead of calling my local pet store lol

Included a picture below of my progress on the new tank I will add plants today.

I can't wait to see your progress! It looks like it's going to be dramatic. What sorts of plants are you thinking of?
i

 

[RatRatCat]

Hi! I’m new, but another teenage girl here! When I was much younger, my mom took care of a ten gallon tank in my room with guppies. I loved the fish, but we were very uneducated and they all died quickly. Recently, I’ve remembered how much I loved having the soothing noise of the filter and the pop of color from the fish and plants. So, I recently set up the ten gallon again, this time with having done lots of research. It is still in the process of cycling, but the plants are doing very well. I just adore corydoras so I’m planning to get some Pygmy Cory as the first fish addition. I also have a twenty gallon I am planning to set that up as a second tank as I learn more. I am very interested in learning as much as I can! Fish fascinate me. I’ve started a list of fish I’d like to keep eventually, including many types of Corydoras as well as honey gourami and ricefish. It’s nice to meet all of you!

 

[Jkaliszew]

MagnifcentBett , I put in a few ferns, swords, and Anubias. I propagated a bushel of Scarlet Temple from one of my other tanks, I’m crossing my fingers it doesn’t melt; though I hear if we are patient after the melting happens the plant can recover. I also want to put in a Snow White Anubias for a pop of contrast.

RatRatCat Hi, welcome! I have Pygmy Cory’s in with a Bristlenose Pleco, chain loaches, and albino glowlight Tetras. I love Catfish species they are super active and playful. I really want to get some Ricefish as well though I need to do more research first. We would love to see photos of your setup or after your all cycled if you’re up for sharing.

 

[MagnifcentBett]

Hi! I’m new, but another teenage girl here! When I was much younger, my mom took care of a ten gallon tank in my room with guppies. I loved the fish, but we were very uneducated and they all died quickly. Recently, I’ve remembered how much I loved having the soothing noise of the filter and the pop of color from the fish and plants. So, I recently set up the ten gallon again, this time with having done lots of research. It is still in the process of cycling, but the plants are doing very well. I just adore corydoras so I’m planning to get some Pygmy Cory as the first fish addition. I also have a twenty gallon I am planning to set that up as a second tank as I learn more. I am very interested in learning as much as I can! Fish fascinate me. I’ve started a list of fish I’d like to keep eventually, including many types of Corydoras as well as honey gourami and ricefish. It’s nice to meet all of you!

Welcome! I love hearing from teens getting into the hobby. When I came back to it, I found I love the research and things like cyling and maintaining water quality as much fun as the fish themselves. And I am working on my aquascaping skills.

Pygmy cories are so adorable!

 

[RatRatCat]

I love the research too!!! Daily water testing has become a fun part of my routine. I love learning about the chemistry behind the nitrogen cycle and how to use water additives to keep the water exactly as you want it. I’m excited to work on my aquascaping as well! Watching aquascaping experts on YouTube is really fun. Nice to meet you!

 

[AuroraDawn]

I could really use some help with aquascaping. I'll admit, I am a bit of a perfectionist.... but I can't help but wonder... How the heck do folks start their tanks out full of gorgeous, busy or well grown plants?

What is a good way of achieving a better perception of where you are putting them through the glass? I think something is planted in a central spot, for example, and then I look at the center of tank and realize it's on the side!

Also, there has got to be a better way of getting tannin out of driftwood than trying to boil too large wood pieces in the largest pot I have on a gas stove... I almost blew myself up, omgosh! (Yes, I was affected by the gas already.) Can I use a super large animal "bowl" and put a heater in it or is that also a no no?

I am autistic, usually smart and adhd among other things, so please feel free to be very explanatory. lol

 

[MagnifcentBett]

I could really use some help with aquascaping. I'll admit, I am a bit of a perfectionist.... but I can't help but wonder... How the heck do folks start their tanks out full of gorgeous, busy or well grown plants?

What is a good way of achieving a better perception of where you are putting them through the glass? I think something is planted in a central spot, for example, and then I look at the center of tank and realize it's on the side!

Also, there has got to be a better way of getting tannin out of driftwood than trying to boil too large wood pieces in the largest pot I have on a gas stove... I almost blew myself up, omgosh! (Yes, I was affected by the gas already.) Can I use a super large animal "bowl" and put a heater in it or is that also a no no?

I am autistic, usually smart and adhd among other things, so please feel free to be very explanatory. lol

I like fish a lot. I LOVE aquascaping and plants. Can I ask a few questions to see where your knowledge base is at? I don't want to tell you things you already know.

Do you know the different aquascaping styles? If so, what are you aiming for? Do you know the difference between high tech and low tech tanks, and about CO2 and plants? What substrate are you using to grow the plants in? Are you using stem plants that need to root in nutricious substrate, and/or things like anubias and buce that can'?

That should get us started!

I love the research too!!! Daily water testing has become a fun part of my routine. I love learning about the chemistry behind the nitrogen cycle and how to use water additives to keep the water exactly as you want it. I’m excited to work on my aquascaping as well! Watching aquascaping experts on YouTube is really fun. Nice to meet you!

What sort of water additives are you using?

I could really use some help with aquascaping. I'll admit, I am a bit of a perfectionist.... but I can't help but wonder... How the heck do folks start their tanks out full of gorgeous, busy or well grown plants?

What is a good way of achieving a better perception of where you are putting them through the glass? I think something is planted in a central spot, for example, and then I look at the center of tank and realize it's on the side!

Also, there has got to be a better way of getting tannin out of driftwood than trying to boil too large wood pieces in the largest pot I have on a gas stove... I almost blew myself up, omgosh! (Yes, I was affected by the gas already.) Can I use a super large animal "bowl" and put a heater in it or is that also a no no?

I am autistic, usually smart and adhd among other things, so please feel free to be very explanatory. lol

As for driftwood, so far I don't worry about the tannins. I don't even soak my wood, just weight it down with rocks that work into the overall design. Some kinds of wood might need it, but tannins can actually be good for the fish.

 

[Jkaliszew]

Hi Aurora, I love Aquascaping; however it’s been a huuuge learning curve for me and I still have a hard time being patient and a lot to learn lol. This hobby has really helped me get off my computer because I’m a gamer, it’s relaxing and brings me such satisfaction when I have completed a build.

I’ll share some of my process with you

I like using sandboxes to arrange structures and terra form. If I want to create height in the tank I use a gravel substrate and pour it into a zipper mesh bag.

After I figure out a design I’ll spray everything down with water and use string and sometimes glue to adhere the plants. For the background plants I use full grown plants because Im too impatient to wait for them to grow out. As for carpeting and grass I usually buy a cupful and separate them out spacing them a few inches apart around the tank.

I have written a book!

 

[MagnifcentBett]

If you want beautiful plants, i'd recommend using a nutrient-rich aquasoil such as UNS Contrasoil rather than a gravel.Jkaliszew's contouring bags of gravel are great, but you could also use some filter media like the rings to have an additional place for colonies of beneficial bacteria.

Some plants will need CO2 piped in. High tech tanks use CO2 and high power LED lighting that include red, blue and green lights to stimulate growth. In my larger high tech, I use a cannister filter with in line CO2.

A low tech tank doesn't use CO2, which limits what plants will thrive and don't need as strong light. If you go to plant sellers' websites like Buceplant, Aquarium Co-op, Aquarium Factory, or CK Fishworld (my LFS which I like very much) they include the needs of the various plants, and their best placement.. There are some red plants that don't need CO2, but most do, and many other interesting green plants. Two of my favorites are Madagascar Lace and Dwarf Red TIger Lotus. See photos below. I used aquasoil and capped it with gravel.

There are lots of very pretty low tech plants, like epiphytes such as buces and anubias. Personally, I don't use many of them. I have shakey hands. And I really love planting stems, and all their amazing variety. Having a quality pincette makes a world of difference, too.

As for design, I watch a lot of videos and read a lot of articles.
Aquascaping Styles: Nature Aquarium, Iwagumi & The Dutch Aquarium
Top 5 Aquascaping Styles

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[CWL7211]

A little late but, I'm also a younger girl fish keeper! I've been in the hobby for about a year and a half. My first fish that got me into the hobby (unless you count the goldfish I had when I was 5) was a goldfish I won at the fair. I regret how I kept him because for a while I had him in a 1 gallon, then when I realized that was completely inhumane I asked my parents for a bigger tank, they got me a 9 gallon. He outgrew the 9 gallon so I had to give him to a local fish store since I am not allowed to have a bigger tank. I then tried to keep guppies, which I also regret because, again, I did no research and threw them into my uncycled 9 gallon tank with a few plastic plants. When they sadly died I didn't get another fish until this summer when on my 2 day ride home from vacation all I did was research Bettas. Now I have my 9 gallon planted tank with a healthy Betta :,) I plan on getting more plants and a CO2 system this Christmas.