Member Spotlight on Aquarist48

Hello fellow aquarists! Welcome to a little piece of my world. My name is Ken (aka Aquarist48) and I live in the low country of South Carolina. I have been an aquarist for most of my 49 years; all the way back to aquariums with slate bottoms and chrome frames and the nitrogen cycle was unheard of. Everything aquarium related was trial and error. Other than chlorine remover I do not recall any other water conditioners. Wow! This hobby has come such a long way.

Currently I have one 155 gallon bow front and one 26 gallon bow front set up and stocked. I have Blood Red Parrots as the center piece for both tanks. I've kept many different species of fish throughout my life but none have brought me the joy like the Blood Red Parrots.

My 155 gallon has been full and running for 10 years now. It has a built in over flow with a wet/dry (or trickle down) filtration system powered by a 950 mag drive. I have it stocked with 9 Blood Red Parrots, 5 Silver Dollars, 1 Cory Cat, 1 Pleco and 1 Red Finned Shark. They age from 5 years old to a little over 8 years old. It has been at lest 5 years since I added any new fish to this tank. I use 3 water conditioners, Amquel +, Nova Aqua + and Immune Plus. My fish have been disease free (knock on wood) for all of these 8 years.

My 26 gallon, which I started in March 2009 houses 2 Blood Red Parrot juvies and 1 Cory Cat. Everyone is doing well. The filtration on the tank is an Aqua Clear 110 hang on back with an attached surface skimmer. (Stealth heaters and plastic plants in both tanks) For me terra cotta pots are a necessity for hiding spots in both tanks. Not only do they make great little homes, they are also porous and are great for the water biology and chemistry of the tank.

• Learn about the Nitrogen Cycle before making any purchases.
• Research the species of fish that you want to house in your aquarium
• Do frequent water changes
• Try and maintain a stable pH (via water changes)
• Avoid pH adjusters
• Limit the number of chemicals going into the tank
• Avoid temperature fluctuations
• Have emergency back up supplies (filters, filter media, heaters, air supply)
• Have a quarantine tank
• Learn acclimation procedures
• Do not over feed
• Become a member of FISH LORE

MTS! I'm purchasing a new 240 gallon aquarium (stand, hood, lights, tank and canopy), within the next two months. Currently I have construction going on in my kitchen (soon to be completed) and then I'm having my screened porch enclosed to be my aquarium room. This is where my new 240 gallon and the 26 gallon (for quarantine) will be set up. I'm so excited! I have a blog on Fish Lore for updates on the new aquarium room and the new aquarium if you care to view it. It's going to be my own little piece of Heaven here on Earth. I'll be posting pictures on the blog with before, during and after shots once it is all complete.

Thanks to Mike, the moderators and all the fun members for making this site so great. I always look forward to signing on!

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