Former fish keeper, trying to return to it

Mulder

Small Fish
Aug 10, 2013
37
0
0
Yooperland
#1
When I was a kid, we did the fish thing. Unfortunately, this was pre-internet, and our local store was pretty useless. In spite of never cycling or knowing much of anything, I was able to keep tetras, platies, swordtails, mollies, and goldfish alive for years. I even had some success breeding the livebearers. At least until my lab somehow climbed a five foot tall bookshelf to drink out of the fry tank. I never did figure out how he got up there.

Anyway, I got out of fish keeping when I moved out on my own (got into rats and herps!), but I'm looking to get back into it. I've currently got an awful 3 gallon round "betta" tank housing a mystery snail and three triops. It's coarse gravel with a few straight vallisneria and some floating hornwort. I've got a pair of empty 10 gallon tanks, and I plan on setting at least one up for freshwater in the near future.
 

Thyra

Superstar Fish
Jun 2, 2010
1,891
0
0
Yelm, WA
#2
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you have/had a lab that was quite ingenious! I think you will soon find that a 10 gal tank makes a good quarantine tank, but you will soon find you want a larger tank - at least 20 - 30 gallons so you can have more choices in stocking. Try Craig's list - it will give you a good idea of what is available used and at the prices. Overstocking is one of the pitfalls when people first start out. Take a look around at whats available - both equipment and fish - and then start asking questions.
 

Mulder

Small Fish
Aug 10, 2013
37
0
0
Yooperland
#4
Thanks for the welcome! I'd love to go bigger, but I'm in a tiny apartment in an old building. I think I have one room that has more than two outlets. Any animal enclosures that need lighting, filtration, or heat have to fit on a shelving unit. I can fit a 29 gallon on it, but each shelf has a weight limit of 200 lbs. If I could figure out a way around that, I'd love to go larger.

I plan on starting with cycling. I've actually got a question about that. lol I'll go start a thread.