Fishoholic23
- #1
Hey y'all! First thing if this is in the wrong place I apologize, not sure where I could appropriately post this. Anyways.
I took a hiatus from fishkeeping, probably about 1/2 years. I'm sure many people I was familiar with on this forum might still be here though it looks like there are many newcomers . For context: I started in about 8th grade seriously, which is when I became a member of this forum (FIVE years ago!!). But once I got my first serious tank together, 20g planted with 8 harlequin rasboras, 3 platys, 2 german blue rams, and probably another I'm forgetting. I was hooked. This tank, which I still have run with some of the OG Anubias attached to the drift wood btw, was the love of my life at the time, and quickly was not alone. After a little bit, I got another tank, a 10 gallon that was lying around in my house. Throw together a filter, a lid, a light, some plants, and driftwood, and I had a dwarf puffer tank. So much happened here that it's a little blurry, but I got 2 more tanks, a betta and a shrimp tank. This was the peak of my aquarium keeping. After that, it started to crash. I didn't manage my shrimp colony well so that tank was down eventually. And then my puffers died after a year-ish, pretty sensitive fish. Overall, this killed my interest a little, but I still had my favorite 20g that had kept chugging along. The 10g tank sat empty for a while, I realized I didn't have the ability or capacity to keep so many fish at once. But by this time, I had quickly gained lots of experience and knowledge, especially as I was active in the forums. I eventually re-set the 10 gallons for shell dwellers (Neolamprologus similis), and I was back in full power. I had joined my local fish club, went to monthly meetings/speakers, fish moved in and out of my 20g, and my similis even bred a couple of times. But even just the two tanks were a lot, this was still just sophomore or beginning of the junior year if I remember correctly. The betta passed away, and I dismantled that tank, leaving me to the shelldwellers and the planted 20.
Sorry for the long story, but this is where I am today. Either from neglect or sickness, many of my fish passed away. Within the last year I have lost 8 pencilfish, a couple of pygmy corydoras, a starlight pleco, and 2/3 of my similis. All of which I regret because they deserved better, but I was burnt out. Now I have a sad 20 gallon with only 3-4 pygmy corydoras and a 10 gallon with a lone female similis.
The good news is I'm trying to get back in. I have experience of what I can handle, I'm gonna stay reserved and responsible. I was wondering if anybody had advice for coming back into the hobby, I can only assume much has changed in the 2 ish years that I wasn't paying attention. I'm thinking of downgrading to either only the 10g and getting 2 more adult shelldwellers, or keeping only the 20g planted tank. Either way, it feels great to be interested again!
I took a hiatus from fishkeeping, probably about 1/2 years. I'm sure many people I was familiar with on this forum might still be here though it looks like there are many newcomers . For context: I started in about 8th grade seriously, which is when I became a member of this forum (FIVE years ago!!). But once I got my first serious tank together, 20g planted with 8 harlequin rasboras, 3 platys, 2 german blue rams, and probably another I'm forgetting. I was hooked. This tank, which I still have run with some of the OG Anubias attached to the drift wood btw, was the love of my life at the time, and quickly was not alone. After a little bit, I got another tank, a 10 gallon that was lying around in my house. Throw together a filter, a lid, a light, some plants, and driftwood, and I had a dwarf puffer tank. So much happened here that it's a little blurry, but I got 2 more tanks, a betta and a shrimp tank. This was the peak of my aquarium keeping. After that, it started to crash. I didn't manage my shrimp colony well so that tank was down eventually. And then my puffers died after a year-ish, pretty sensitive fish. Overall, this killed my interest a little, but I still had my favorite 20g that had kept chugging along. The 10g tank sat empty for a while, I realized I didn't have the ability or capacity to keep so many fish at once. But by this time, I had quickly gained lots of experience and knowledge, especially as I was active in the forums. I eventually re-set the 10 gallons for shell dwellers (Neolamprologus similis), and I was back in full power. I had joined my local fish club, went to monthly meetings/speakers, fish moved in and out of my 20g, and my similis even bred a couple of times. But even just the two tanks were a lot, this was still just sophomore or beginning of the junior year if I remember correctly. The betta passed away, and I dismantled that tank, leaving me to the shelldwellers and the planted 20.
Sorry for the long story, but this is where I am today. Either from neglect or sickness, many of my fish passed away. Within the last year I have lost 8 pencilfish, a couple of pygmy corydoras, a starlight pleco, and 2/3 of my similis. All of which I regret because they deserved better, but I was burnt out. Now I have a sad 20 gallon with only 3-4 pygmy corydoras and a 10 gallon with a lone female similis.
The good news is I'm trying to get back in. I have experience of what I can handle, I'm gonna stay reserved and responsible. I was wondering if anybody had advice for coming back into the hobby, I can only assume much has changed in the 2 ish years that I wasn't paying attention. I'm thinking of downgrading to either only the 10g and getting 2 more adult shelldwellers, or keeping only the 20g planted tank. Either way, it feels great to be interested again!