Favorite color?
Probably dark red. I like red clothes, accessories, cars, and fish of course
Favorite fish you own and favorite fish you don't own?
One I own -
panda garra. Such a cute interactive fishy. One I don't own -
Corydoras trilineatus (false julii), the pattern is just stunning.
Scariest memory(if you are willing to share)? A horse cart ran over my foot. I was maybe 10 years old. I grew up in a village and we had a horse. I'd usually get into the cart from behind, but that time we were in a hurry and my mom said get from the front. I was like ???, and while I was trying to figure out how to do that (I was very clumsy as a child), the horse moved and a wheel got on my foot. Nothing broke or was torn, but it was twisted or something I guess, as I had to wear a cast for a while.
Happiest memory(if you are willing to share)? Probably the day I got my cat Simba. I was looking at cat ads for a while, seeing some gorgeous cats being given away, but nothing quite clicked. And then I read an ad for a simply looking tabby, but the description said he's well behaved, playful, friendly, and unlike most of the other cats from shelters, it was being given away straight from his first home, so no abanment issues or traumas to deal with. He's just as advertised, such an awesome cat.
Favourite hobby apart from fish keeping?
Plants and
aquascaping. When I decided I want a tank, I knew I want it to look nice. It's actually the first thing I notice in other people's tanks too - the fish comes in second
.
EDIT: now I realized I misread the question - I thought it said "favourite part of THE hobby" as in aquariumistics. So the actual answer is - drawing, painting and similar visual arts. I've actually got a pixel art side gig this year, so that's nice.
Favourite tank size?
I think 200 L (53 gal) would be great. Bigger than what I have now, but not overwhelmingly big, easy to maintain, plant, etc.
Any non-fish pets?
As mentioned, I have a cat, Simba.
Why did you start keeping fish?
My friend got a fish tank as a gift from her parents. It was a ridiculous little thing, too small for the fish that she got, and not a nice looking one at all. While helping her out to figure out how to take care of it, I'd be like "if I had a tank, it would be like this and that" or "If I were you, I'd do this and that", and then one day it hit me - why all those "ifs"? Why don't I just actually get a tank? I'm a biologist by education, I like both animals, plants, and ecosystems as a whole, and also I'm a bit of an artist, interested in beauty and aesthetics, so this seemed like a perfect hobby.
What was your first fish? Do you regret it?
Rosy barbs. No, they're great, I don't regret them. I low-key regret the second fish, Sewellia lineolata, because something went wrong and they gradually died out.
How long have you been keeping fish?
1.5 years, I started October 2020.
What is your favorite and least favorite fish and why?
I think I've covered favourite fish in a previous question. To add some more, if I had a HUGE tank, I'd like to keep an
elephant nose fish, they're so weird and I read they're really smart. Also I think
glass catfish is stunning, but I read they're finicky. Least favourite must be
flowerhorn. I know it has a nice personality, but that lump on their head is just ugly to me. Additionally, as a
cichlid it's hard to keep with plants, which is a dealbreaker to me.
What is your favorite food?
Must be sushi.
If you were to meet one fictional character who would it be and why?
I hate to be predictable, but I must say Spock (Star Trek). I feel like he's a kindred spirit. The feeling of not belonging. Being bullied as a child. Having a parent that thinks they know better what's good for their child than the child themselves, and taking personal offense in decisions that don't take them into account. Interest in science and art. Certain level of self-inflicted loneliness. The search for balance between emotion and logic, and overall search for self-identity. I could go on for longer than anyone cares to read
.
What is your favorite sport?
I once attended Wing Tsun Kung Fu classes, and I loved it, despite being awfully bad at it
. Unfortunately they're not compatible with my current work schedule and I can't afford private lessons. Second favourite is yoga, I still do it sometimes.
How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?
Even if it could, I don't think it would, because would a woodchuck chuck wood?
What is your current biggest tank?
112 L (30 gal) - it's my only one.
What are your future tank plans?
I don't have much space in my apartment, but there's this spot in my kitchen near my fridge that is of perfect dimentions for a 75 L (20 gal) tank. Unlike in my current tank, I'd use either dark
sand or very smooth and small gravel, and leave some area unplanted, so that I can keep
Corydoras trilineatus. For a mid-level I'd get either hovering
zebra loaches, or threadfin rainbows. At some point I might re-scape my current tank. In even further future, I might switch my 112 L for a 200 L. All of these plans involve saving up some money, which might take a while considering I'm also saving up for a car.
