How big was your first tank?

[AnnaEA]

My first tank is a ten gallon tank, since I am not counting all the fishbowls I had as a kid.

 

[Marc]

55! Started pretty big ;D

Don't worry, I'm getting my friend's dad interested in a tank, probably a large MalawI tank, something near 120 gallons That'd be a pretty big first tank!

 

[Isabella]

My first tank was only 10 gallons. Now it's transformed into a breeder tank (currently have a batch of cuttest wigglers in the world in there! ;D )

 

[chickadee]

I learned the hard way. My first tank was 3/4 gallon. My cousin give me the tank and the money for my first betta for my birthday. I didn't know any better at the time and he spent almost a month in the itty - bittly tank before I got him the 5 gallon. He was so happy he made a bubblenest the first day. Since then I have studied bettas and listened to people here at Fishlore and other experts all over the place and I wouldn't think of making that mistake again.

Rose

 

[Isabella]

I cannot believe how bettas survive in stores in literally only 2 cups of water (that's how small the bowls are in my cruel LFS). They must feel so restricted - no space, no fresh water, nowhere to swim, a real PRISON.

 

[newbie101]

Its so SAAAADDDD!!! :'( :'( :'( At most stores they are in about 1 cup of water, in the little teeny tiny cups   and never cleaned.  It's like putting a large dog in a Pet TaxI thing whatever you call it >  or a large macaw in a budgie cage...or a horse in a tiny stall, never cleaned out > that's just animal cruelty! It's not fair how the ASPCA will confiscate horses, birds, dogs and cats, etc. being kept inhumanely but they don't do anything about fish >

 

[Isabella]

Very true Emmma. Someone should make ASPCA realize about fish cruelty. Maybe if they started getting complaints from people they'd do something about it. I think there should be a law, just like in Rome, that forbids keeping fish in anything too small for their size. For example, forbidding keeping bettas in anything smaller than 5 or 10 gallons. I personally don't think I would have the courage to keep even tiny fish in anything smaller than 10G. If I couldn't get at least a 10G tank, then I wouldn't get any tank at all - rather than keeping fish in a prison.

 

[atmmachine816]

I started with a 29 gallon that I got from my grandpa who unfortuanatly died so I wished I had started with something else so he would still be alive

 

[Isabella]

I am very sorry to hear your grandpa died. Yes, it's always sad. But such is life, we all die. All we can do is accept this reality. You sound as if you were thinking it was your fault that you grandpa died. Did you mean to say that if you didn't take the tank, he'd still be alive? If you think so, stop! It couldn't have possibly been your fault! It was simply his time to go - had nothing to do with the tank, believe me. He is now in a much better place, ATMmachine. Please, cheer up a bit.

 

[atmmachine816]

no I didnt mean to say that just that I wish he was still alive as I can live without this tank

 

[Isabella]

Yes, that's true. We'd all give anything to bring back our loved ones

 

[beckers4oranges]

started out with a 10 gallon...got another one a couple weeks later...then I got a 1 gallon for a betta...then I got a free 50 gallon tank....then I bought a 5 gallon...and I'm getting another one within the next week or so...

 

[gammerus]

I cannot believe how bettas survive in stores in literally only 2 cups of water

their lucky to get that, most bettas I find have less than 2 inches of water.

 

[Jon]

2 cups !!! WOW

at my lfs they are in these tiny dish things... they cannot move and it has about 1 cup of water... the reaches the top and bottom and they all look colorless and dying... so sad

 

[wolfman21]

Had a little 5 gallon tank that a friend gave me and I've never looked back since

 

[Neville]

i've started 6 months ago with a 10 gallon tank.....really like this hobby.

 

[gammerus]

My first tank was a 1gal hex with 2 painted glass fish, a pleco, and a couple tetras.... I have learned a lot about fish keeping since.

 

[COBettaCouple]

we started out with a 10 gallon kit.

 

[Sabi]

I cannot believe how bettas survive in stores in literally only 2 cups of water (that's how small the bowls are in my cruel LFS). They must feel so restricted - no space, no fresh water, nowhere to swim, a real PRISON.

That's so true! I can't understand why they don't survive by me. :'(
My very first was a 10gal which I kept goldfish in...

 

[BrianCB]

The tank wasn't mine actually it was a birthday present for my younger brother, it was sad cause my dad didnt know he had to put a chemical in the tank so all the fish slowly died. It was 20G with some goldfish and a pleco we did know something was wrong with the water until we saw all the fish slowly dying and so the next day we got some dechlorinator and some new fish and those fish lasted for years but we never cycled the tank.

 

[Allie]

We started with a 5 gallon and a 1.5g Betta bowl...then with in a month we upgrade to a 10 gallon then a 20 gallon and so on...

 

[sgould]

I started with a 20 gallon. That poor tank got terribly lonely and it seemed cruel and heartless to leave it sit frightened and alone like that. So I got a 55 and a 29 to keep it company!

 

[armadillo]

What a cool poll, Anna.

Mine was a 10G tall hex. I regret it to this day. I will never again buy a tall tank. It feels like such a waste of volume, and the fish always need to about-turn.

 

[purple_phoenix]

My first was a 5 gallon hexagonal tank with three much-loved goldfish
In the process of finding a new bigger tank for them, I bought a 35 gallon tank with some fish, and donated the goldfish to my uncle's pond.
My newest tank is a 55 gallon, which is cycling

I'm planning on keeping the 35 as a community tank, and have the 55 for bigger fish.


So.. Yay

 

[neverendingninja]

I bought a 10 gal with 6 guppies, then before the next week, I had a 55 gal

 

[lilsoccakid]

I started with a 1 gallon with goldfish when I was little, but my first real tank was a 20 gal

 

[bhcaaron]

I guess I'll have to let you know when I get my first. Who know's? After all that planing and maybe I'll end up with a 3G bucket ahahahahahahaha (eeek hope not lol)

 

[purple_phoenix]

Aaron, which tank is it you're bidding on? Do you have a link or something? I'm just interested to know what it looks like etc.

However funny it would be to see you end up with a bucket, I hope you don't end up with one. I don't know what it is about them, but they somehow don't seem to look as nice as big tanks.

 

[bhcaaron]

Yeah, and its difficult to see the fish through the sides, ugh! lol

I'll get the link next time I'm on there.

 

[purple_phoenix]

You could always cut holes in the sides. Then you'll be able to see what's inside

Okies.

 

[bhcaaron]

Rotfl

 

[armadillo]

I started with a tall hex 10G. I regret it. Never buy a tall hex! >

 

[Jacko]

Started with a 10 gallon tank, then a week later a store had 10 gallons for1 buck a peice so I had 10's, then I got a 38 for a bigger tank and now I have a 10, a 38, a 20 and a 29.

With more to come hopefully...

 

[Amnagrla]

My parents bought a 10gal tank. From what they tell me, they had black mollies, zebra danios, and my mother SWEARS there was an angelfish (which I can only 50% remember). .... the obviously were victims of a bad pet store clerk if we had an angelfish.

 

[bhcaaron]

I started with a tall hex 10G. I regret it. Never buy a tall hex! >

Y?

 

[armadillo]

Basically there's no horizontal swimming space, so you feel you're giving your fish 10G to swim in, but really you're not. They have much less swimming distance than with a long tank.

Also, there's much less substrate surface, which is also less good/natural for the fish and your cycle.

And maintenance is a pain as you get really wet arms until your shoulder whenever you need to do something to the substrate.

 

[bhcaaron]

eeeek! me and extra work are not friends. thanks!

 

[purple_phoenix]

HELLO again everyone!

My computer decided to shut down around two weeks ago and we've only just got it fixed, so I haven't been able to come on in a while

Feels good to be back!

 

[bhcaaron]

Feels good to have ya back!

 

[purple_phoenix]

Look at all your posts!

I thought someone was going to try and find a life outside fishlore?

 

[bhcaaron]

Did I say that? Hmmm... Oh well. Have gone to a couple parties since then. Been with friends a few more times. I have two jobs, and still I love livin' on FishLore! lol

 

[purple_phoenix]

Cool...
Two jobs, and I can't find just one Been looking for like 2 years now lol

What's happened about your tanks, then? Do you have any yet? =P

 

[bhcaaron]

Well, I've had the small ones for a month now. I went to pick up the 145G last weekend and it turns out the bottom is cracked. I'm not sure I want it now :-\

I just keep running into all these things. I started calling around to local glass shops, maybe someone will make one for me.

 

[purple_phoenix]

How far did you go to pick it up?

I could never be bothered with the hassle of someone making one. Would it not be better to buy a brand one? Then you know it'll work, and it has the guarantee and whatnot with it.

 

[bhcaaron]

Yes, but with the brand name comes grand price too. As for picking it up, its about a couple of miles from home.

 

[purple_phoenix]

Oh well... it was better than going to Las Vegas or whereever the other one was from, and finding out that that one had a crack.

So you're definitely buying a new one? I find the ones you can get second hand are a lot cheaper, have everything you need, and are generally quite good condition. Especially if you're going salt water, you know it's been set up and it works (as in the fish, corals, rocks, whatever are all okay in there.) Branded, with no grand price.

 

[bhcaaron]

Oh, I definitely do NOT want that. I want to be able to have control of what I'm getting from the get go. I'm considering it My LITTLE Life Preservation Project. As for the cracked one, it was literally just about a mile or two away. Unfortunately, there are very FEW people who are doing any kind of tanks in the area and so it is difficult to come by and good sized used tanks, new or used. I'm thinking of visiting Vegas in a few weeks to go window shopping. However, I found this site from Long Beach, CA that is selling 180G tanks for $300 (bracing is additional :rolleyes. Still, its cheap. I know that there's it this BIG aquarium place there. We used to go to Long Beach every year. So I'm thinking of doing a weekend trip with my family and bringing back two tanks. Maybe next year.

 

[purple_phoenix]

Yeah, I suppose. So, two big tanks now, is it? And I like how you're making excuses to go there. Take your family on a weekend trip... yeah, that'll do. They won't mind sitting on the roof on the way home so the tanks'll fit in the car

Any ideas on what you do want yet?

 

[bhcaaron]

Actually, the excuse is to use my father's truck . Still going with my original thought, minI reef. Granted, I didn't know that's what it is called from the get-go, but, that's where I'm headed. As for specifics... all I know for now is that I want to end up with a dragonet.

 

[purple_phoenix]

Is it called a minI reef at all if it's 180 gallons?!

I love mandarinfish... are they the ones you're on about, or a different colour? Trouble is here, the only place I've ever seen that sells marine fish would be a 350+mile round trip from here, which isn't very helpful. The only way to get them is over the internet. And they're really expensive! Stocking two 180g would cost a fortune!

I would have an awful lot of fun choosing though.