What is this hobby more about for you?

Hehehehaw

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Just curious on what everyone thinks about this hobby. Is it more about the fish, or the aquascape/plants. (or coral for saltwater people) Maybe I'll turn this into a survey later but for now just comment.
EDIT: If this thread is in the wrong place feel free to move it. I didn't know where to put it.
 

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The aqua scape is probably my favorite part, but I love watching my cichlids. Corals are my favorite SW thing but considering the fact that I’m still setting up my first saltwater tank, I doubt I’ll have corals any time soon.
 

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For me it’s more about just having something there I take care of. I love my babies, I love that I do everything for them to make them happy, and it makes me feel good to see happy and healthy fish. I feel the same way about my aquatic plants as well, and my house plants, and my potted garden (one day will be a real garden when I have a house!), and my brand new hamster, and my sugar glider. I just love that feeling.
 
Fish. I have tons of plants and flowers already. Now I have some underwater ones. But I'm in it for the fish. I really enjoy watching them explore their world. It is peaceful (at least when everything / everyone is behaving!)
 
The fish, 100%. I didnt have a choice, I was born into it. Grew up with large tanks all around the house. I also grew up on a farm and with relatives that had farms. Chicken farms, egg farms, cattle farms and horse farms. I always had cats and dogs and rabbits and hamsters and guinea pigs and chickens and pigs and horses, etc., at my houses. Like any kid who grows up in the country we were always hunting, fishing, playing in the yard looking for bugs, frogs, etc. I remember when I was 3 finding frog eggs and hatching them, then salamanders, etc. I remember when I was about 5 and I found a HUGE Spotted Salamander and I took an old 20 gallon fish tank in the barn and put leaves, moss, branches, etc., in it. Had him in there for a few days before he crawled out and back into the wild one night. I was devastated. Ive just always liked having animals around. I find the fish very relaxing to watch, and I only keep biotopes now, so its fun trying to make their tanks look like a place theyd actually live in the wild.
 
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The aqua scape is probably my favorite part, but I love watching my cichlids. Corals are my favorite SW thing but considering the fact that I’m still setting up my first saltwater tank, I doubt I’ll have corals any time soon.
Nice, I think I like fish a more but I would probably like aquascaping a lot more if I was good at it lol. I'm ok at it.
The fish, 100%. I didnt have a choice, I was born into it. Grew up with large tanks all around the house. I also grew up on a farm and with relatives that had farms. Chicken farms, egg farms, cattle farms and horse farms. I always had cats and dogs and rabbits and hamsters and guinea pigs and chickens and pigs and horses, etc., at my houses. Like any kid who grows up in the country we were always hunting, fishing, playing in the yard looking for bugs, frogs, etc. I remember when I was 3 finding frog eggs and hatching them, then salamanders, etc. I remember when I was about 5 and I found a HUGE Spotted Salamander and I took an old 20 gallon fish tank in the barn and put leaves, moss, branches, etc., in it. Had him in there for a few days before he crawled out and back into the wild one night. I was devastated. Ive just always liked having animals around. I find the fish very relaxing to watch, and I only keep biotopes now, so its fun trying to make their tanks look like a place theyd actually live in the wild.
Sounds like you grew up with a lot of animals! I wish I could grow up with a bunch of large tanks like you did.
 

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For me it’s about trying to be in tune with nature and replicating a tiny piece of a natural habitat for my selected fish.

It’s also about relaxation and enjoying aquatic life (fish).
 
I like watching the fish interact with each other and how they interact with the elements of the human world when presented.

I especially like watching the schooling fish and the interactions that take place when they sort out their places in the social order.
 
Plants. I’d rather have a tank with all plants and no fish than all fish and no plants.
 
For me, it’s having lots of diverse species and recreating natural habitats. I try to have very few fish and a ton of plants in all of my tanks. I’m in it for the plants mostly, but also the fish a whole lot too. I love being the sole caretaker of a little piece of nature. I mainly focus on tiny animals to live in my setups. Nano fish are my favorites. I love shrimp too. In my land setups, I have springtails, isopods, dart frogs, millipedes, worms, micro snails, slugs, tiny spiders, fungi, bacteria, and other things that I haven’t even seen yet. I let algae grow in my tanks, I keep springtails on the water’s surface, I have countless plant species in every tank. I try to let naturally occurring organisms do what they are meant to do.
 
Plants. I’d rather have a tank with all plants and no fish than all fish and no plants.
I think I like fish better, but I agree with you about the tank. I really dislike tanks that have no plants or substrate. They just seem like geowout tanks, or QT tanks to me...

Personally, I think fish are more interesting to me. I LOVE seeing them in a fairly close representation to their natural habitat (I have never done a biotope tank, but would love to some day) and I really love breeding fish and then watching the fry grow up.
 

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after trying a few different things id have to say its about the fish for me. id rather set up a good looking scape with low maintenance plants and never touch it again rather than spend all my time trimming and rearranging stuff
 
My focus is changing all the time.
I started with an interest in aquascaping buying the fish and hiding the filter.
Now I see plants as a tool to help the fish reproduce for me and a filter as part of the life support system.
While I can still enjoy the shape of a nice piece of driftwood I can enthusiastically spend hours looking into a bucket catching newly hatched fry with a turkey baster only to feed them worms grown on dry cat food.
 
For me it’s having something that I can take care of. I love having something that’s fairly simple in terms of care like it doesn’t need to be let out or replacing the water bowl or something. But still interacts with me
 
It's more of the fish, but also just the view overall. I love staring at tanks, and just knowing that I kinda made it all happen. Tanks are so pretty, and before I started my real tanks I used to think that fishkeeping was just a goldfish in a bowl (I used to be one of those people).
Tropical fish were like the "impossible" fish, and the "pricey and hard-to-keep" fish. I'm pretty sure I mixed up certain saltwater fish with all tropical fish. Haha how much I actually know now. I love the wonderful colors of all my fish.
 
As a few people up above said, I like recreating little bits of nature. (I'm not very good at it yet though.) There's something wonderful about trying to make something that has everything all working together, and I always think it looks so beautiful.
 
I think that part of it is the accomplishment and feeling of pride that you feel. Like wow, we're all just normal human beings, yet we took time out of our lives to make an entire ecosystem of life, just because we can! We're busy, have much to do, yet we care enough about these flora and fauna that we want to see them thrive. And for some, to have offspring and to keep the generations going. And of course, the fish, the plants, the beauty of it all. And I think it's nice practice, for example, if you're wanting to have a child. Fishkeeping is a challenge, but a smaller one. I like that too, the challenge.
 
I do it in large part for the fish. I love to watch their behaviours when they forget that I’m there. Also the whole ecosystem is fascinating. I get pretty excited when a new crawly thing shows up from who knows where. Seeing pest snails made me cheer out loud And then I put those in the other two tanks to eat the algae, and watched the paradise fish hunt them into oblivion. So much for that idea!
 
First and foremost: I do it because I have attachments to my fish specifically--I love them so much for their individuality as well as the aesthetics and entertainment/calming value, with their little personalities and the ways they interact with each other. I want to make the best environment for them as a correlate to that
 
Just curious on what everyone thinks about this hobby. Is it more about the fish, or the aquascape/plants. (or coral for saltwater people) Maybe I'll turn this into a survey later but for now just comment.
EDIT: If this thread is in the wrong place feel free to move it. I didn't know where to put it.
For me personally, the hobby is about taking care of other creatures and giving them the greatest possible environment to healthily live in. I find immense pleasure in my fish and invertebrates living well. It gives me much joy!
 
I'm honestly not sure. I know I enjoy watching the fish and shrimp. In fact I rarely watch television because the time I spent doing that before I'm now watching the tanks instead.

Regarding fish without plants or plants with no fish, I'm glad I don't have to make that choice since I enjoy both, and have both in all my tanks (or shrimp if not fish).
 

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I only started using plants because I wanted happier & healthier fish. The first time my sun gold betta Apollo laid on top of a plant bed and curled around it, my heart melted. Then he started rooting the plants up by his behavior. I was upset for may 30 seconds, but realized - the plants are only there so he can mimic his natural habitat!

None of my tanks are epic scapes, lol. But my fish seem, happy & I enjoy the hobby.

I will say 1 thing - I never would have bought a mystery snail if I knew how much they chew on plant roots. I have 2 tanks heavily planted for the fish and those snails ravaged the plants. so they got booted faster the Adam & Eve out of the garden! LOL

That said, mystery snails remind me of elephant faces stuck on small bodies.

their behavior & faces also remind me of the alien in 'The 5th Element' movie, lol
 

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For me personally, the hobby is about taking care of other creatures and giving them the greatest possible environment to healthily live in. I find immense pleasure in my fish and invertebrates living well. It gives me much joy!
This!
 
I started up in the hobby because I was moving to college and I wanted a pet to care for. At home, I had my cats and dog, but I couldn't bring them to college and a ten gallon tank was all they'd allow in the dorms. I figured if that's all I could have then that's what I was getting! So, it started because of the fish.

After that beginning, I started getting more into it because I enjoyed being able to have a little slice of a different world indoors. Bringing a bit of the outdoors inside, especially because the area I'm in now is much more urban than where I grew up and I missed nature. Watching fish behavior and having a little underwater garden really soothes my biologist soul. In essence, I continued because of the entire little world that is captured in a tank, the balance of fish and plants inhabiting the same space so beautifully. I wouldn't have one without the other.

Last but not least, I love absorbing new information and thinking about ways I can apply that to my life. All of the fish and plant species and diseases and aquarium equipment etc etc give me absolutely endless opportunities to learn, which is how I lose myself researching for hours and being compelled to hunt down new species in LFSs. Kind of a sidestep from your question, but the last reason is my obsession with learning.
 
Edit: my original answer was waaaay too deep. What do I think this is, therapy?

New answer: pretty fish swim, nice to watch, very enjoy.
 
For me its mostly about having a little garden. With fish being the birds to top it all off. Im aiming for harmony and to have as little interference as I can. I want to set up a true walstad tank next. I also think it helps teach patience, letting things be, not freaking out about algae or snails but just letting it do its thing.
 
First it started out as fish and with covid it completely changed to a focus on aquascaping. I am now trying to create an underwater environment where both my fish, shrimp and plants thrive. I have noticed now that my aquascaping interest is extending to houseplants which I had no interest in before. I think it has something to do with bringing nature inside from the outdoors.
 
For me, it's the whole ecosystem that fascinates me. It's like a science project and piece of art in one. I love looking for a balance between the aesthetics and function, finding the way to provide the best environment to my fish and invertebrates which is also pleasing to my eye. I get almost equally excited about both plants and animals.
 
Definitely fish for me. The plants all came after the fish, just to make them happy. I love scaping too, but in the end, it's all for my little babies
 
I’ve been keeping fish for 46yrs. Seems like I’ve always had them. Like JettsPapa I will watch them for hours. I’ll change water for hours. Been doing this for so long and so many different ways that I know many ways work. But for just your best results water changing makes for the best looking healthiest fish. This goes for fish and plants. Nuisance things do have purpose. Pest snails are great in fish keeping. They eat stuff nothing else will and they tell you whats going on. To many your feeding too much. dying you got a water problem. When your tank is running right you have just enough.
Plants are great. Though I just keep it simple. No special anything. Mts snails are great with plants. Which tells me clean substrate works well for plants.
Just so many choices with fish. Amazing what can be kept and done.
All in all just a great hobby. Always keeps you busy .
 
Reviving this thread lol..
I'm in it for the fish! I'm experimenting with endler mutt colors right now for fun, but my goal is to breed chili rasboras and otocinclus in captivity and be a local source for hardy home bred fish
 

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Just curious on what everyone thinks about this hobby. Is it more about the fish, or the aquascape/plants. (or coral for saltwater people) Maybe I'll turn this into a survey later but for now just comment.
EDIT: If this thread is in the wrong place feel free to move it. I didn't know where to put it.
For me its giving the fish the best lives possible
 
I also like the challenge of a new project...whether it is trying a different filter type, different requirements of care, etc.

Already have a list of more fish to try in the future! Though this current tank will cross a few off.
 
Becoming enlightened with nature, learning to embrace it and increasing productivity.

I often go through “phases” where I’m particularly interested in a certain aspect of the hobby. I’m currently undergoing an interest for live plants since I got some the other day, and scaping.
 
im pretty limited in what I can do with the hobby right now, so my favorite part is daydreaming about what I want to do next.
 
im pretty limited in what I can do with the hobby right now, so my favorite part is daydreaming about what I want to do next.
I think we all spend plenty of time doing that! Always seems like space, time or money have a habit of getting in the way.
 
im pretty limited in what I can do with the hobby right now, so my favorite part is daydreaming about what I want to do next.
When you’re young like me your parents are your limit. It helps to have parents like mine who are interested in fish.

My current project is managing aggression in my 60 gallon. It’s overstocked with cichlids and I’m tending to the situation. It’s gratifying things like this that make me like the hobby. I can correct mistakes and learn from them.

The forum and being part of a worldwide community of hobbyists is also great. Whenever I panic I just make a thread about the issue and boom! I have a solution (and a ton of support). :happy:
 
When you’re young like me your parents are your limit. It helps to have parents like mine who are interested in fish.

My current project is managing aggression in my 60 gallon. It’s overstocked with cichlids and I’m tending to the situation. It’s gratifying things like this that make me like the hobby. I can correct mistakes and learn from them.

The forum and being part of a worldwide community of hobbyists is also great. Whenever I panic I just make a thread about the issue and boom! I have a solution (and a ton of support). :happy:
relatable, im your same age. the problem is my mom doesn't really understand what I do, and I have to talk her into things that I need for my fish.

I crave do grow out of my childhood and get a job lol.
 
for me its relaxation. i have anxiety and depression for the most part. it helps me. It also gives me a workout when I do water changes.
So true!! I have Asperger’s syndrome (which is what fuels my interest in the hobby) so it’s good to have something to do around the house and keep happy.

About the water changes, yeah... most exercise I get!
 
for me its relaxation. i have anxiety and depression for the most part. it helps me. It also gives me a workout when I do water changes.
Yeah, it’s nice to have my tanks. My dart frogs are the most relaxing for me. No need to worry about water changes for them. The water changes on the aquariums are probably the most heavy lifting I do lol.
 

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Edit: my original answer was waaaay too deep. What do I think this is, therapy?

New answer: pretty fish swim, nice to watch, very enjoy.
Very well said
im pretty limited in what I can do with the hobby right now, so my favorite part is daydreaming about what I want to do next.
Could not relate more
 

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