How were you told how to start a fish tank?

This should be an interesting thread to reply to. Easy question - When you wanted to start your fish tank, how did you know what to do? Looking for some long ago information, like 30+ years for me. Here is my story and what I have done over the years.

Back in the late 70’s early 80’s my boss had me at his house. He had a huge tank! It was a custom job in an L shape in his living room. I would guess it was maybe 300 gallons, but I don’t really know. He had African Cichlids in it because he said they have the best colors short of salt water and easier to keep than salt water.

Fast forward a few months and I want to start a tank. So I ask him what I need to do. Here is what I remember and did.

1. Start with a 29 gallon for ease.

2. Get an under gravel filter with two powerheads no air pump.

3. Get a filter that goes on the back. I got a Supreme Aquaking.

3. Add Egg Crate at the bottom of under gravel filter before gravel because Cichlids like to dig and you don’t want them to disturb the under gravel filter.

5. Fill with water and add 2 feeder gold fish and wait 4 weeks for them to poop it up for bacteria.

6. Then you can add fish maybe at the rate of 2-3 every 2 weeks, but not too many, like 12-15 in that 29 gallon tank. African Cichlids of course.

OK I say and I do that! Fish tank is up and running with his instructions!

In 2 years I never changed any water because I was never told to change any water. I was on well water at the time and we all know that well water is perfect all the time.

The Aquaking HOB filter I added a small piece of Egg Crate at the bottom to keep it open. Added a bag of charcoal and filter floss. That was it. I cleaned the filter when it got dirty and of course using charcoal you can rejuvenate that by just putting it in the microwave for 1 min every 2 months or so as that was what I was told. In hind sight I’m pretty sure I killed whatever bacteria was on the charcoal every time.

So I did that and all was good with my fish and tank. I added water when it got low.

Never tested any water because, well there was nothing back then. Only time I had an issue was when my 2 year old son poured a glass of milk in the tank. It curdled and figured out how to clean it out and add water back. Still didn’t lose and fish ever.

I had this tank for about 2 years and then got transferred to the sunny south so I gave away the fish and tore down the tank!

Late 80’s now.

Set the tank back up using the same instructions above. This time I am on City Water and know about chlorine. I use that to condition the water. This was the only change and I just followed the same instructions above because, well, it worked so well.

Remember, the Internet was not around at this time. I followed the same stuff above and this now included rinsing my media in tap water. Yes did that for about 3 years this tank was up and no issues. Still used the carbon and floss.

Tore tank down and gave it away.

Now it’s about 2010 and I decide to start things up again. Got a tank and stand off Craigslist, 75 gallon.

Now the Internet is up and running and I start my research. Well low and behold the Internet said I was doing everything wrong! Imagine that.

The new 75 gallon tank gets a canister and HOB only. Cycled the same way with 2 feeder gold fish. Used the crappy media I was told and got an API test kit. Wow! Look at all the pretty colors I said! I still rinsed my media in tap water because I found out that this was never an issue. I did use Fosters and Smith de chlorinator when I did change the water. Water changes were about every 2 months or so and got longer in between.

The rest of this story starts here from a previous post:

Part 2- What I’ve Learned With Aquarium Filters

So how were you told to start your fish tank?

 

Basically I went to the fair and saw a goldfish game! So naturally I ran over and won a goldfish, I put it in a six gallon, and thought “well let’s see how long it will survive“ (we hadn't had good luck with fish) and then I fell in love with the fish and was advised by the fish store people to get a ten gallon and get him a buddy....we did that, fell in love with the new fish and got a 20 gallon Because they needed a upgrade
pic of 20 gallon

 

My sister in law gave me a 27g hex and I went to the big box store to get my info lol! I did fish-in cycles, didn't know about Prime or any fish diseases or anything!

I then bought my first tank because I wanted to keep bigger fish, so got a 120g. I was advised to get 9 platies to start my cycle. Lol, it took forever! My platies also got finrot that I treated with salt. I still believe in the power of salt for unplanted tanks btw! At least my first platies lasted 2 years. The stupid thing is my tap water is very soft and livebearers don't do so well, would have been a good question to ask me! But in hindsight, I didn't even have a test kit yet!

Oh, the things I have learned in 15 years! I didn't go to the internet when I started in the early 2000s, (can't remember when it became a thing) but i'm so thankful for all the things I've learned now! Now I have fully planted tanks and my fish are so healty, colorful and happy. Never thought I would be able to acheive that!

It's funny to look back to the way things were.

 

Like you I got into this hobby in the late 70's. Long before the internet was a thing. I had a simple leaflet for a guide. The one thing it stressed above all else was water changes. Maybe that is why I stress it so much still today.

I didn't get my first test kit until about 4 yeas ago and went all scientific with checking the water. I did have strips for PH and a liquid ammonia test way back then. I considered a tank cycled when I didn't see ammonia. I didn't understand exactly what was happening in the tank as far as nitrites and nitrates as the tank was cycling. I just kept doing those water changes. I started with 10 gallon tanks so changing out half the water every few days was an easy task.

Way back then when it came time to clean my cartridges I took them to the kitchen sink and cleaned them with hot water straight from my tap. My biggest fear when giving advice here on the forum is letting folks know how I actually do some of the things I do for fear of causing them a problem if they attempt to do what I do.

I have actually learned a lot in just the 4 years I have been here. Up until then I just kept on doing what I had been doing for years. I figured there was no reason to change what was working for so long.

 

Oh I meant to add I didn't know about the nitrogen cycle either. My 120 gallon that took forever to cycle would get all cloudy every time I changed water. That's the only way I knew! Yikes!

I remember I had a pH and ammonia test, but didn't know how to use them!

 

I had information passed on from my grandmother and mother who bred small tetra's for resale. I remember wall to wall 10 gallon tanks, small gravel because I used to get to pick the snails out of it for something fun to do! I started simple in the early 70's with a 20 gallon and 3 fancy goldfish. No need for heater, used corner box filters with fiber that I changed when it got dirty, then ungraded to underground filter. Canopy's were bulbs and well made...stainless. There was no testing, no nitrogen cycle, and I'm thinking things survived because of water changes and sheer luck, perhaps having well water helped. Potassium Permanganate was the go to drug for everything then and I only ever fed flake. And I was lucky, I inherited a ton of equipment and books on fishkeeping, a good scoop because there was no internet for help!

 

Can agree with so many points brought up on this post. Starting out, like so many of us, was books and word of mouth. There was no internet being the early eighties. Started with 2 comet goldfish in a 10 gal and looking back am amazed I had any survival rate lol. Of all my newb fishkeeping sins, this one was the worst: the cleaning of the tank.

Was aware of water changes, but about once a month would remove my goldfish (bubbles and jaws, btw...best names ever....) to a separate large bowl, drain all water from tank, remove all substrate (straight gravel) and scrub the heck out of everything. When "cleaned" would refill the tank with untempered tap water, just dump a lot of conditioner in will fix that right? Then plop in two stunned goldfish. Poor bubbles and jaws. True survivors.

 

Can agree with so many points brought up on this post. Starting out, like so many of us, was books and word of mouth. There was no internet being the early eighties. Started with 2 comet goldfish in a 10 gal and looking back am amazed I had any survival rate lol. Of all my newb fishkeeping sins, this one was the worst: the cleaning of the tank.

Was aware of water changes, but about once a month would remove my goldfish (bubbles and jaws, btw...best names ever....) to a separate large bowl, drain all water from tank, remove all substrate (straight gravel) and scrub the heck out of everything. When "cleaned" would refill the tank with untempered tap water, just dump a lot of conditioner in will fix that right? Then plop in two stunned goldfish. Poor bubbles and jaws. True survivors.

I am not laughing at you. I am laughing with you. It truly is amazing that our fish lived through what we put them through during our early days in this hobby.

 

I was never told, just threw them in water. In all my horrid fish keeping I've never had fish die though....like no immediate death. They prob lived less than they would have had they been in the right conditions though. They never developed any diseases or ich either. I sometimes wonder if fish were just bred stronger back then.

In my early 20s I was still keeping bettas and they had those 1 gallon, no heater, no filter tanks. I was reading about them and came across a thread on some random forum talking about how they need all those things and just because they survive doesn't mean they're healthy or happy. Then the person compared leaving a child in a room and opening the door and throwing food at it. It would survive, but not thrive. I felt soooooo bad I went out and bought full aquariums for my bettas and from there learned about cycling and all that jazz. Then later about co2 and planted aquariums and yeah, now my fish are much better and I enjoy learning new things about the hobby and adjusting as I learn.

 

I am not laughing at you. I am laughing with you. It truly is amazing that our fish lived through what we put them through during our early days in this hobby.

Yeah, I have a good sense of humor, so I hope no one ever takes me laughing as an insult! I'm also laughing with you all, not at you all! I've made the same mistakes mostly!

 

Can agree with so many points brought up on this post. Starting out, like so many of us, was books and word of mouth. There was no internet being the early eighties. Started with 2 comet goldfish in a 10 gal and looking back am amazed I had any survival rate lol. Of all my newb fishkeeping sins, this one was the worst: the cleaning of the tank.

Was aware of water changes, but about once a month would remove my goldfish (bubbles and jaws, btw...best names ever....) to a separate large bowl, drain all water from tank, remove all substrate (straight gravel) and scrub the heck out of everything. When "cleaned" would refill the tank with untempered tap water, just dump a lot of conditioner in will fix that right? Then plop in two stunned goldfish. Poor bubbles and jaws. True survivors.

I did that exact same thing too, and I'd use dettol and comet. Everything got scrubbed clean enough to eat off, so they had a strip down of beneficial bacteria quite frequently. Poor fishies

 

I wasn't ever told anything either... When I was younger, I wanted a pet and so we got a goldfish. Now, my grandparents and mom knew a little about biology so we did acclimate them. We just floated the bag and poured the goldfish in the water. THey lived in a plastic bin and were fed floating pellets, we didn't even know the brand of those pellets. OVer the years, we never used dechlorinater, we just let the tap water sit for the chlorine to dissapate. And believe it or not, once, when I was doing a water change, I accidentally used tap water. The fish survived(I knew it was chlorinated since I could smell the chlorine). That goldfish is still alive and its fins became absolutely beautiful.
My second tank, the petco employee told me to just run the filter for a week and I was good to go. I didn't listen though since I had done research this time lol. I decided to do a fish in cycle and the cycle went really well, the fish never showed signs of stress. Sure, they may have experienced a nitrite spike, but it wasn't a lot if that makes sense.
To be honest though, I'm surprised the goldfish is still alive, especially after I put chlorniated water in its "tank".