Let’s Start Small

Ok let's start at the beginning. In the beginning there was Adam & Eve Whoops that's not right. Ok let's start again.
One fine day I went to the dentist's office and there was this really beautiful tank with fish and plants and stuff and it was about 6 feet long and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
SO I Go home and think about it and decide gee wouldn't it be nice to have an aquarium. So truck On down to the nearest LFS and buy a 2.5 gallon tank complete with filter and light. Take it home and fill it with water - go back to the LFS and buy 4 Red Oscars and chuck them in because really like the look of them.
Within no time flat the fish are sick/dying. So the next step is to post something on every aquarium forum we can find asking for answers to things like " my Oscars are sick-dying" I don't know what the water parameters are, how do I know if my tank is cycled and how many Oscars kan I keep in 2.5 gallons.
This is a bit of an exaggeration but seriously it's much harder to establish and maintain a small tank than a big tank. Instead of just dipping your toe in the water, work out what fish you want to have then work out what size tank will be required and ask a lot of questions regarding setting up an environment for those fish so you don't kill them. You probably won't save money by buying a 2 gallon bucket because you will soon find out that you can only keep about 3 mountain fish which will look nothing like the aquarium at the dentist. The ultimate goal is to provide an environment for the fish to live in comfortably so you can get pleasure from their appearance and antics like the ones in the dentist's office.
So here it is!
Decide which fish you want to have.
Decide what size tank will support those fish. & Not sure ask!!!!¡!
Get informed - ask questions if you don't know the answer before you make bad decisions.
But most of all don't just dip your toe in the water. Get a bigger tank which is easier to establish and maintain right at the outset. See your doctor and get some patience pills. Then you might have a chance to have a nice tank like the one at the dentist's office.

 

Ok let's start at the beginning. In the beginning there was Adam & Eve Whoops that's not right. Ok let's start again.
One fine day I went to the dentist's office and there was this really beautiful tank with fish and plants and stuff and it was about 6 feet long and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
SO I Go home and think about it and decide gee wouldn't it be nice to have an aquarium. So truck On down to the nearest LFS and buy a 2.5 gallon tank complete with filter and light. Take it home and fill it with water - go back to the LFS and buy 4 Red Oscars and chuck them in because really like the look of them.
Within no time flat the fish are sick/dying. So the next step is to post something on every aquarium forum we can find asking for answers to things like " my Oscars are sick-dying" I don't know what the water parameters are, how do I know if my tank is cycled and how many Oscars kan I keep in 2.5 gallons.
This is a bit of an exaggeration but seriously it's much harder to establish and maintain a small tank than a big tank. Instead of just dipping your toe in the water, work out what fish you want to have then work out what size tank will be required and ask a lot of questions regarding setting up an environment for those fish so you don't kill them. You probably won't save money by buying a 2 gallon bucket because you will soon find out that you can only keep about 3 mountain fish which will look nothing like the aquarium at the dentist. The ultimate goal is to provide an environment for the fish to live in comfortably so you can get pleasure from their appearance and antics like the ones in the dentist's office.
So here it is!
Decide which fish you want to have.
Decide what size tank will support those fish. & Not sure ask!!!!¡!
Get informed - ask questions if you don't know the answer before you make bad decisions.
But most of all don't just dip your toe in the water. Get a bigger tank which is easier to establish and maintain right at the outset. See your doctor and get some patience pills. Then you might have a chance to have a nice tank like the one at the dentist's office.

This is true, I recommend 20+ gallons to start with for beginners. I started with a 36 gallon which I feel was good. It was a biocube so good filtration to, I learned through trial and error what the cycle was and what fish work with what. I had no idea how big of a community it was to be in and how fun and beautiful it is. I do have to ask though, did any of those Oscars live and what is your biggest tank? Thanks

 

This is true, I recommend 20+ gallons to start with for beginners. I started with a 36 gallon which I feel was good. It was a biocube so good filtration to, I learned through trial and error what the cycle was and what fish work with what. I hadno idea how big of a community it was to be in and how fun and beautiful it is. I do have to ask though, did any of those Oscars live and what is your biggest tank? Thanks

Actually the Oscars did live when they were rehomed into a 6 foot tall 450 litre tank.lol
Only have one tank now 4 foot tall 300 litre.

 

Actually the Oscars did live when they were rehomed into a 6 foot tall 450 litre tank.lol
Only have one tank now 4 foot tall 300 litre.

Nice, you must have gone for tall I have a 130 gallon aquarium and it is only 2-3 feet tall. I have my big Oscar (8-9in) and I have a smaller (4in) albino Oscar that’s growing. I also have a 8” BP and a 7” flowerhorn (flowerhorn is in his own 40G breeder). I also have two 29G’s, one 32G, a 55G, three 10G’s, a 5G, and a 20G, lol I certainly have MTS syndrome














The last photo my green phantom is poking his head out, lol

 

Nice, you must have gone for tall I have a 130 gallon aquarium and it is only 2-3 feet tall. I have my big Oscar (8-9in) and I have a smaller (4in) albino Oscar that’s growing. I also have a 8” BP and a 7” flowerhorn (flowerhorn is in his own 40G breeder). I also have two 29G’s, one 32G, a 55G, three 10G’s, a 5G, and a 20G, lol I certainly have MTS syndrome

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The last photo my green phantom is poking his head out, lol

Wow that's a pretty big collection. Nice to see such healthy looking fish in good environments.