Out of curiosity how did you muli-tank syndrome people get addicted?

I have to ask how it started for you all.... I got a 6 gallon tank for my oldest for a gift and ever since I have been the one to take care of it I have been hooked. Well I got guppies after the tank was down and empty for about 5-6 months and I had bought preggos.. I then had to have a fry tank...
Then I wanted to get more fish so I got a 10 gallon.
The Idea hit us that we needed a 55 in jan, so we got it and put african cichlids in it. Now we are planning to buy another tank to separate the peacocks from the rest.
My husband asks why I haven't took any of my tanks down when they get empty (a friend of mine is taking all of my guppies next week) I am then putting a bb puffer in the 6 gallon w/ a oto catfish, and I don't know what I want in the 10 gallon yet but I will put more fish in it, it won't be empty for longer than a day!


I just wondered if it was like an addiction for others too! I will fight tooth and nail against my hubby over these tanks and he has got to the point of saying **** lets get more if you are going to clean them....

 

well it all started one day a long time ago.....

My grandmother's friend's son was moving and couldn't take his tank with him, some how that ten gallon tank ended up with me. I figure well I might as well but something in it.

and my fish saga began.

I wanted a pretty tank so I got some guppies. I wanted a lively tank, so I added danios. I wanted a flash tank, so I got some white skirt tetras. I wanted a graceful tank, so I got a pair of gouramis. I then wanted a bigger tank!

Thus begins the next chapter in my epic.

I found a nice 30 gal tank for sale in the classifieds. I decided I would get it and put the guppies gouramis and danios in it, and leave the 10 in my room with the tetras. I poured myself over the internet finding the perfect fish for my tank. I saw discuses, angels, and rainbows. I saw puffers, leaf fish and elephant fish. I saw loaches, catfish, and plecos, and suddenly 30 gallons was no longer enough I needed more. more room to have exotic fish from far away places.

Now there is a 55 gallon tank behind me as I type. The raphael catfish is eating the fresh peas I set out every night with him in mind. The silver tipped tetras are excited that I will be getting them more buddies the next trip to the lfs. The man platies pace the glass waiting for their namesakes to be born while the girl platies hide in the grass in the back of the tank.

All of this came about because some guy moved to virgina and couldnt take his fish tank with him. To him I am eternaly greatful.

 

Our MTS started b/c I liked tropicals, betta, cichlids, fancy plecos and my bf liked piranhas...can't keep them together.
We kept liking species that couldn't be kept together. Now he is outta piranah so we've got lots of fishies in different tanks b/c my bf now like a lot more than pirnaha lol.

 

We started out with a 10 gallon for our first Betta, a week later we got some Platys and 2 days after that, our 2nd tank to make our Betta happy so it didn't take long for our MTS to start.

 

It started because my mom showed me a fake jellyfish tank that she saw in some fancy magazine. I was sick from school one day and bored so I decided to look up that tank she showed me to see how much it was because it was coo. I then went on youtube to see one and then I clicked on the side tab of related videos and there was a real fish tank. I thought it was really cool and Christmas was coming up so I got to thinking. Then I looked up fish aquarium or something on google and eventually ended up here at fishlore. CWC replied to my thread and I began PMing him. He was such a great help to get me jump started in my fishkeeping "career". I then ended up talking to Dino about buying some fish and a tank. We met with him and they helped me set up my first tank, a 55 Gallon. It was my christmas present and I loved it. I then got a 10G QT and fry tank and put it on my counter( was also from Dino and CWC). Then I began to look on craigslist because I read about it on here. And sure nuff there was a 30G with all the equipment for sale so I bought that and there came my 3rd tank. Then someone at my mom's work had some old fish tanks that they didn't want so they gave them to us, a 20G and a 30G. Then I had 5 tanks. Then I decided, hey I want a betta. So I got another 10G. So now I have 6 tanks. And 7 if you count my whites tree frog terrarium.

 

It started with me and a 36 gallon. Then I had some platy fry and lots of them, then a 28 came along, then I moved them to a 10 gallon and then just spread it from there.
Tom

 

Mine started when I over stocked my 67gal. An 8gal followed and then another when I decided to try breeding angels. A hospital was needed, then the marine bug hit.

 

My MTS also started with the love of more fish! ;D BTW, I also have a 29 gallon cycled tank that I want to tear down... don't know what is stopping me either lol.... Other than, its a good cycled tank where I can keep new fish in QT if and when the time comes....
My goal.. strange as it is... is to have the 55 gallon tank stocked with the fish I love and tear down the two 29 gallon I have going. The betta tanks of course will always stay. ;D

~ kate

 

I always find myself shopping for fish to put in the hospital tank, then I have to buy another one, and the vicious cycle continues.

 

My parents had big tanks for as long as I can remember, with the pride and joy being a 120 gallon planted that my dad had a little bit of everything in....(20 years ago...so I gave him a break LOL) Anyways, for one reason or another they had to get rid of them, but I've always had fish. Started with (I"m ashamed to say) a 2.5 gallon hexagon tank I got for my 10th birthday. The people at the pet store said I didn't need to do anything because it was so small, and sold me 1M 1F BLUE PLATTY, 1 M BETTA and 2 OTTOS....omg that tank was overstocked. But I didn't know anybetter. Needless to say, in a few months I had a 2.5 gallon betta tank with some ghost shrimp. Then shortly after than I had a 10 gallon, then another, then a 25 and then the 55 that now sits in my parents house and is the happy home to some discus, tetras, corys, loaches and a pair of bn plecos (see Rbacchiega's 55 gallon planted discus). Then when I moved out I only took one 10 gallon because, frankly, I didn't have any room in my small little apartment to house anything else. Fast forward half a year and I'm working at a chain store (shakes head) and every interesting fish we got in I wanted, so the research began. Bought another 25 gallon. Moved into a basement suit and bought a 55 gallon. Now I live in my own home and have way too many tanks, but alas, a fish that is gonna need a bigger one. So this weekend I'm bringing home a 90 gallon and in a few months there's gonna be an amazing 225 gallon tank sitting in my basement

 

I always find myself shopping for fish to put in the hospital tank, then I have to buy another one, and the vicious cycle continues.

HI Narcicius.. I see in your aquarium info that you have a 29 gallon tank and a betta tank (OPPS NOT BETTAs.. shrimp, sorry)... any more laying around? btw what size hospital tank do you use?
~ kate

 

I'm in the beginning stages of MTS. I currently have a 10gal that got me through college (my poor guppies...they've endured something like 7 moves in 5 years...), but now I'm hitting the real world and I've spent the last several months looking for that *perfect* deal on a used tank. I had planned to rehome my guppies to my mom's spare tank and started researching what I wanted instead, when I realized I was going to need a *LOT* more room...I may be getting a 100+ gallon in the next week, lol, and of course my 10 gal I will still run as a hospital tank. My new tank will be a tropical community tank, but I'd like to try my hand at saltwater sometime waaaay down the road.

You know you need to start treating yourself for MTS when you start making plans to spread fishtanks around your future (and very hypothetical) house strategically, such that it doesn't look like you have severe MTS ("Hm, I could put on in the living room, of course, and I've always liked having one in the bedroom:the sound of water is so soothing. So of course any kids' rooms would need to have one as well, or it's just not fair. Oh, and we'll have to have a study-type room, which could really house a few tanks, and...")


This site is really an enabler for people with early MTS symptoms: so many beautiful tanks and great ideas out there!

 

My family's MTS hit after I bought a 10 gallon starter kit for a chain store.
Some how I found this place and I'm glad I did!
The ONLY person in the house that does not like fish is my middle brother. He HATES going into fish stores and when we all start talking about fish stuff.


Now we have 140+ gallons worth of tanks and it all stated with a little 10 gallon.

My mom has a 40 Gl community tank.
My brother has a 30 Gl to be cichlid tank.
I have a 10 Gl in my bedroom with 1 GBR,2shrimp and 1 otto.
We have a 10 Gl QT/fry tank. I am growing out some platiy fry in it now
Then there is the 35 Gl tote that has our pond fish in it. We are thinking of building a indoor pond for them.
Oh and then there is the 20 tall tank on our front porch that needs a good scrub down when the weather gets warmer.

Let me tell you this,if you have only one tank now your GOING to be getting more in the future. That is just the way MTS works.

 

I was losing interest in some of the mmorpgs I play and then remembered about my father's poor 10 gallon with just a single zebra danios, silver tip tetras and two panda cories. I took it over and within a week wanted to start a tank from scrach myself - by the time that tank was cycled I was cleaning up an old 10 gallon and looking for a new tank stand to hold both 10 gallon tanks. I see MTS as a realistic solution to my gaming addiction Its only been about seven months since the take over but I'm glad I enjoy fishkeeping as much as I do considering it started out of bordom.

And of course I needed to have a tank in my room but the largest I can have up there is a 5 gallon but I'm trying to see if I can get a few of my cousins to let me help them start up so I can have some tanks to work with when I visit

 

Mine started back when I was a kid and was trying to keep goldies in a 10gal...didn't work too well but later I started missing having a tank to watch. Set up the 10gal again, tropical this time...had livebearers and otos but the otos weren't getting enough food so I had to set up another tank for them....you all know how it goes from there. ;D

 

umm I started out by going over to my friends house to see his goldies in his 55 gal.. I couldnt help but buy fish constantly for his tank so finally he set up others and again with a short period of time he said enough was enough and we went to the store and he bought me a boy (Boyfish) and a girl (Girlfish) bettas..

of course we had no idea how to care for them and sadly Girlfish died after about a week but I took Boyfish home in a 1 gal..

went to the store saw another betta I thought was cute, bought another tank... etc etc have 8 random sized tanks running right now and a couple not..

most recently bought a 5 gal for the last 2 male bettas but the divider didnt hold up and they fought so I had to split them into 2 tanks again.... ugh!

I heart fishies!!!

 

I have always been fascinated with underwater life. I always dragged my husbands to aqariums, tidepools, etc. Finally I decided to buy myself a 10 gallon tank in October. Like most newbies, I got a bunch of fish that would get way to big for a 10 gallon, and that weren't compatible. I took them back to the store and got fish that would work better (a dwarf gourami and a few platies). I started reading books on aquariums and did a LOT of research. I realized how many possibilities there were and I was addicted! I live in a 1 bedroom apt. right now while we are saving to buy a house. I don't have any space for one huge tank, like I wanted, so....... I started adding one small tank here, and one small tank there. My biggest tank (40 gallon) was my Christmas present from my hubby. He made me promise no more tanks.....yeah right Right now we have four 29 gallons, two 10 gallons, one 40 gallon, one 3 gallon. I honestly don't know where I would put another one. Seriously though, I love the idea of creating different biotypes with different unique combinations of fish and decor. It amazes me and it truly is an art.

 

Hi!

It started when we went round tot our Grandma's once. She's recently bought a 7.5gal bowfront and stocked it with 3 goldfish. I had been staring into it for hours, drawing pics of the fish in there and all. Later in the stay, we agreed to get me a tank of the same model for my B'day coming up in a few days. We went around all Grandma's LFS's - bought the tank, and I loved all the fish. Grandma also bought 2 CAE's and 2 snails (I know...).

When I learned a bit more about fish - I learned that my tank was no longer big enough. We decided to get me my 47gal for christmas. And recently, my mum revealed the location of the old 3gal we had in the shed. Up it went - and now MalachaI is swimming happily in it.

 

I'm not an MTSer, but with so much time invested to get a tank cycled and established, it would just be a waste to break a tank down when you upgrade. That is going to be my reason when I finally join the MTS club.

 

I just kept seeing bettas I could not resist and Miami Aquariums knows what I like...so....my tanks just multiplied and got BIGGER.

Rose

 

I lost all but one fish in my 55 gallon so I a got my self a quaritine tank 30 gallon it came with 2 angles and 3 mollies. in another 2 weeks they will be moved into my 55 which has 9 mollies, 3 platties and 1 pleco.then I will have to put some thing into the 30.in just snowballs from there I guess.

 

me too

I just wanted a little fish tank and some cute fish.

I see the addiction is everywhere!! and I thought I was the only person with a actual on going saga of the fish In the tank. I can talk for hours about each fish and the oddest of things that they do.

oh, speaking of which. I have this molly that lays in wait for his mate, when she comes alone, he jumps off the rock and chases her...... oops sorry. lol

 

Well for me, It started when I took home a centerpiece from a party containing 2 feeder fish and a betta. The feeder fish did not make it through the night and the betta was looking rather sick. My brother reminded me that I had a 10 gallon in my closet that used to house a turtle. So a couple of days later, I moved "Betto" in the 10 gal and the rest is history.

 

When I was very young my mom had a fish tank for a few years...Then for Years and years I had no fish in my life...then for my B-Day my husband got me a 10G I put in Platies...Well I had to have a Q-Tank so I got a 5.5G and it looked soooo lifeless so I put some danios and Cherry Red Shrimp...Well then the I wanted some bigger fish so I had to get 37G for the loaches and to the danios would have more room....I'm Still trying to talk the husband in to letting me have 90+G

 

Well, growing up, I always had fish in some way, shape or form. There was usually a 15 gallon running in the winter, while in the summer the fish lived out in a pond in the backyard. But, they were mostly matenence free, in the summer, they'd just eat bugs or whatever fell in, and in the winter, we'd just feed them when we went downstairs to get our hockey equipment 3 or 4 times a week. Water changes rarely happened *ducks for cover* Then, last September when I came to college I was browsing through Wal-Mart and saw that they were having a "Back-To-School-Betta-Sale". So for...$15? you could get a Betta and a "Betta Kit". I hadn't had a Betta since I was a kid (last one died when we let someone look after it), and I didn't really know anyone in Thunder Bay, so I decided, why not? Betta's are neat fish, colourfull and I could use some company. Then I started to know he was looking a bit on the unhappy side, so I went home one weekend and grabbed my parents old 15 gallon. Well, when he got in there, he brightenend up immediately, started swimming, just overall a happier fish. Then, I received two Zebra Danio's and two W.C.M.M.'s, and heard they couldn't go together, so stupidly, I put Zaboo back in his .5 gallon. He sulked for a week. Then, my friend who wanted to buy me a tank cleaning fish for Christmas, got convinced (by me) to buy me a tank instead. So we trooped off to PetSmart, and grabbed a 2.5 Gallon (it was the only one that would fit in my room). Then, by pure chance, I decided to see if they had any Swordtails in stock, and TADA!! A 10 gallon for CHEAPER (I could make room). So, I brought the 10 home, filled in with conditioned water, and then put Zaboo in. So now I have two empty .5 gallon tanks (not much good for anything), a 10 gallon with Zaboomafoo (male Betta) and a 15 gallon with Zebra Danio's, W.C.M.M.'s and one Dwarf Gourami

 

Mine started by watching Finding Nemo! My daughter loved anything to do with fish and so I got a little Explorer type aquarium (2.5 gal) while buying cat food one day. The next week I saw a 50 gallon for $35 @ at garage sale and was tempted but didn't buy it and I SO should have. I spent the next months asking for an aquarium for Xmas and now have my 2.5 gallon and a 25 gallon. Next year we are going for a 100. A tank a year and they keep getting bigger but w/e! I love keeping fish especially now that I have the hang of it. I used to think I would be the old lady with the cats but now I think I may just be the old lady with the whole wall of my living room as an aquarium plus multiple other tanks around the house. Ill have to build it myself to afford it, I'm sure but it would be SO cool!

 

It all started the day Hubby bought a goldfish for the cat to watch because the cat was home all day alone.
We now have a 75G, 2-55G, 2-30G, 1-29G, 2-10G, 1-20G and more empty tans to fill
Carol

 

I loved reading how all you all started your tankhoods! My tanks are spreadout throughout my kitchen trough my living room... The sad thing is in a money discussion with my husband last night we decided that no more tanks will be bought for a while. (I can fix that with my next 2 work sced I took a lot of extra time he he he!) If I work more than 40 hours (I only work part time) I make triple what he makes w/ his full time job) so I can afford to spend quite a bit on my hobby!

Anyways, to the person about planing to put tanks in the room being severe mts, well I am planing to get a small betta tank for my bedroom, my mothers betta babies are growing wonderfully and I am going to get one for my bedroom, and I am moving the kids into their own rooms, and of coarse they need tanks... and so on.. my husband enjoys the relaxation of the water so I am going to put one in his bedroom (he has sleep apnea and we cannot sleep in the same room) to help him sleep.

Guess what, my mts is spreading into my family members homes! Mom said to carry it to her home! I offered to help her w/ a huge tank if she got one, so she is getting at least a 150 gallon tank for angels! she has 5 tanks I think (like mother like daughter!), and I just set up a 5 gallon tank for my mother in law, her second tank to cycle so I could give her some guppy fry. I grined real big and said I gotcha now! You'll have at least a
30g in a couple months when I'm done with you!! My family comes to my house and its catching! They see how much I am into my tanks, and they want them too...
Then I say well, if you get one I will come and help you clean it (hey if they offer free babysitting while I work that's the least I could do for either of my kids grandparents!)...

I will infect all my family with MTS before its over! But Educated MTS even if I have to be the one to care for the tanks!

 

mine started with my son getting a tank for is birthday and guess who got to set it up and take care of it. we had a lot of livebearers so you know what that means. so I got a tank for the little ones. then I got another small one for me to choose fish and then my sister gave me a 40 gallon tank that they had at their store that she wanted to downsize and then I had a tub with cory eggs and then fry.
then I moved and gave away one of the 10 gallon tanks but I inherited a goldfish bowl which I tried to keep a betta and it died so then I tried a goldfish and it died so then I got some feeder fish and they lived but I ended up getting a three gallon tank for the goldfish and broke the goldfish bowl by mistake so now I'm planing a 10 gallon for the goldfish once it gets bigger, another 10 gallon for a hospital tank and maybe another 10 gallon for a breeding tank once the basement is finished and a 30 gallon so I get to pick out my own fish for a change.

 

My parents got me a 29 gallon when I was 14 because I was into anything and everything about animals. I kept that tank running for 3 years and then went in the Marines. Nobody else wanted to deal with it so it went away.

When I got out I went about 15 years with no tank until we built a new house. Then I had room and bought the 37 gallon. I had it running for a few months and got an 80 gallon at an auction for $75 so I bought it along with 2 big Emperor filters that were still new in the box and over the next couple months got it going. I didn't have to go through as much of a pain cycling it because I seeded it with a sponge I kept in the other tank for a couple weeks so it was a week to cycle instead of the 27 days for the 37. Yes I know I could have spread any diseases between the 2 tanks but it worked and I didn't have any problems. Then I bought a 10 gallon that I keep for a quarantine tank with 3 white Clouds to keep the bio filter going.

I also have a 29 gallon with 2 Leopard geckos and a 75 gallon with my bearded dragon in it. When my dragon dies in a few years I'll probably set that 75 gallon up with African cichlids.

 

I started with a betta in a bowl, and after researching why he wasn't doing so hot I learned all about bettas' needs and the cycle blah blah. So I got a used 30 gallon, but he didn't do well in the community tank (some do, some don't) so we got a used 10 gal. But it needed a few parts (biowheel, filter cover, light, glass top), the total of which was more than a cheap small ready-to-go setup. So we picked up the 5 gal at Petsmart. So now we have the 10 gal, which still needs parts, and I'm not sure what we will do with that--maybe a quarantine tank or fry tank. And my fiance, who usually does NOT join me in my obsessions, decided he really likes fish and is already picking out a spot for a 75 gal to fill with cichlids.

 

Hi!

FireCracker - why not put 2 guppies and 15 shrimp (Any kind you like!) in the 10gal!?

 

Hi!

FireCracker - why not put 2 guppies and 15 shrimp (Any kind you like!) in the 10gal!?

We could do that. I like guppies. Or fancy goldfish, I like those and they aren't good with anything else. We haven't decided what to do yet--the filter is missing its wheel and cover, and it needs a light and glass top.

Kris likes the tiger barbs, too. They are pretty.

 

Hi!

Tiger barbs or goldfish are to big for a 10gal. A Betta? 6 Common hatchets?

 

Hmm, goldfish definitely get big. Didn't know the barbs did. He is kind of stuck on barbs. I will see what he thinks of hatchets. There are lots of others too ...

 

I think puffers are cute. if I ever wound up with a tank that size and nothin' to do with it... I think i'd get a puffer. they hardly even look like a fish, they're like a little... blob with eyeballs.

 

Hi!

Dwarf puffers are cool. A red cherry shrimp colony can make good profit from what I've heard - I'm starting on soon. Make sure you are really dealing in Common (AKA silver or river hatchet) hatchets - marbleds get to big for that size tank. 4 Platys or guppys would be cool, or even a betta. 6 Small tetras would be cool.

 

I think puffers are cute. if I ever wound up with a tank that size and nothin' to do with it... I think i'd get a puffer. they hardly even look like a fish, they're like a little... blob with eyeballs.

Oh, I've never even thought about those. How big do they get?

Hi!

Dwarf puffers are cool. A red cherry shrimp colony can make good profit from what I've heard - I'm starting on soon. Make sure you are really dealing in Common (AKA silver or river hatchet) hatchets - marbleds get to big for that size tank. 4 Platys or guppys would be cool, or even a betta. 6 Small tetras would be cool.

Hmmm, another good thought. Not sure I want to breed but if they're in demand enough to sell easily on CL or somewhere it might work out.

We thought about either dividing it and getting 2 more bettas, or doing the 6 tetras. There are so many kinds of tetras, but I also love bettas and (don't get me wrong, I love poor Arthur) the one I have now is a tiny bit drab.

 

Dwarf puffers are only about an inch or so, but need 3 gallon of water and don't really play well with others too much. They're really cool little fish.

 

Yeah I like those. We'll probably be getting those since they'll have that 3rd tank all to themselves.