# How long has everyone been fishkeeping?



## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

I was just thinking, how long has everyone here been in the fishkeeping business? It has been almost a year now for us. But 2 1/2 years ago we had a 5 1/2 gallon with 2 guppies, but that was before we got into this hobby like we are now. Back when I was younger my dad used to keep a 55 Gallon and 10 gallon. So yes, I still consider myself a newbie


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## j55 (Apr 25, 2005)

half a year


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## Arlene (May 20, 2005)

Well..Ive only kept fish for about 2 weeks now. Before that i hadnt even had a goldfish as a kiddie. I took over the care of an up and running tank but i must say im rather enjoying it!! I must admit i was a bit niave and didnt know what was involved with the up keep of them so i learn something new about it everyday.


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

I started in 95' and was deep into it for about 5 years, then I relocated into small apt.

Started back up a few weeks ago. Added water last week and started cycling my tank. I'm purchasing more equipment tommorrow, and I'll be shopping for some fish in a couple more weeks - a true test of patience.

I can't wait to get some pics to show off *ahem* show all of you my setup. Hopefully I'll have a digital camera by then. My girl has a really nice 35mm, but the photo processing chore is like getting teeth pulled - you don't want to do it but you know you have to.


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## flynngriff (Jan 19, 2005)

17 years...

My first job when I was 15 years old was in the fish store where I got my first tank. I didn't start getting really heavily into it until about 5 years ago, though.


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## cameraman_2 (Mar 28, 2005)

Well I have been at it since 94'.


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## maxpayne_lhp (Jan 19, 2005)

Wow, I have just started for about 1 year and a half...


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## Gracie6363 (Mar 13, 2005)

had a large tank as a small kid - kept angels, swords, and some other stuff. 

As an older child I got some goldfish. Then got a feeder guppy that I raised from birth in a school project in the 6th grade and died when i was in highschool.

About 2 years ago I got a 10 gallon for my son (then 2 yrs old). I really enjoyed the fish and even though that tank is still in his room, I really like it. I recently added a 40 gallon tank. I also have a small 2 gallon - need to clean it up and add another betta to it. 

I have 2 more 10 gallons that I was going to set up for breeding guppies, but I don't have them set up.


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## ijedic (Jan 18, 2005)

6 years of serious fishkeeping.


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## TANKER (Apr 28, 2005)

I've only been keeping fish since 1982, so I am a true newbie I guess, hehe. Started out with a 30gal corner tank and never looked back.


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Started with goldfish off and on while really young then went to a 20-40G with 3 Goldfish and a 10G breeding feeder guppies in Middle School. Stopped for a few years and then 2 yrs ago got back in, no I have whats listed below


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

I started in 1972, 33 years ago.


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## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

Ive only been into it for about 4 months now i think. My sister had a tank 3 or 4 years ago but the fish got sick and died and then she sold the tank. I have had a few bettas and goldfish over the years and when i was about 10 i kept some small Gudgens (dads trout bait) in a big jar for a while. I now have a 10 and 15 gallon but am gonna upgrade to a 55 or something bigger for my goldies. I love fish they are such a cool animal and so colorful.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

1982 was my first community tank. Guppies and platys.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

very nice guys! i had no idea i was surrounded by so many people that have been into fishkeeping for years and years!


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## JandaSeve (Jan 18, 2005)

Almost 6 years for me....


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

TheOldSalt said:


> I started in 1972, 33 years ago.


I was feeling a little too old to be on this forum for a moment.

You have my permission to call everyone "grasshopper"


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## Z Man (Jan 18, 2005)

A little over 25 years now mostly breeding Apistogramma and other dwarf SA cichlids.


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## Ownager2004 (Apr 4, 2005)

3 months or so now... Its kind of a drag getting into it when your in college though. Having to move your tanks around all the time, so im sticking with a 10 gallon till im done. On the plus side I convinced my parents to start a water garden at their house, so hopefully ill get to make that this summer. Should be fun


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## Imbrium (Feb 7, 2005)

My family always had tanks when I was growing up. I've just gotten my own about a year ago.


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## ALFA WOLF (May 24, 2005)

ive been keping fish since i was about 9 so that makes it about 4 years.


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## Larry-T (Jan 18, 2005)

I've been keeping aquariums for 49 years.

My first aquarium was a five gallon metaframe tank which I initially stocked with stuff I collected from the Evanston beaches of Lake Michigan in 1956.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

2 1/2 yrs, lil over 1yr for SW, spend so much time on tanks and can't get enough info!


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

Well, I grew up with fish. but my parents did everything. then I realized how dumb my parents really were. and I started researching the fish. grew up with goldfish and plecos in a 10 gallon. so only a couple years of me being in the hobby.:?


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## fishboy (Feb 26, 2005)

6 months of hardcore fishkeeping including extensive daily research on mostly all freshwater fish exept cichlids and catfish. Already planning my 4th tank


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

ilovefish, yes u can when in sw u can get away with liverock and skimmer lol


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

We have "super 8" movies of me playing in the fishtank when I was 3year old so that was 40 years ago. I started really being serious in 1982 when I started raising angels. I joined the IBC in 1993 and have raised Bettas since then. 


RC


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## John (Apr 19, 2005)

Wow, 1982 was a good year for fishkeeping!

Shev, that's how I am right now. I got interested in fish about a decade ago, when I was just a lil' young whiner. My parents bought a used 55 gallon tank and had some koi in it and in our pond outside once they built that. In the last few years I have realized all the things my parents did wrong (although they weren't very bad, I must admit). Now I pretty much run the tanks, and I am setting up my first fish room in my basement. Probably like 30 tanks. I'm lucky, I think.

Grasshopper, lol.


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

16 years fresh, but really didn't know what I was doing until about 7-8 years ago. Almost 4 years salt now.


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## MiSo (May 3, 2005)

close to 9 months maybe.
right now, i have a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon.
looking for a bigger tank when i move into my new place, so for sure a 55 gallon in about 3 months.

i even got the gf interested in fish keeping also.
we got a couple tetra's that she picked out for the 10 gallon.
and everytime we go to the lfs, she has her eye on the salt water tank.
She really wants to get into salt water, but i dont know when i'll take the plunge. probably not anytime soon.


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

Let's see.... I've been keeping fish seriously since 1990-1. So that would make it 14 (almost 15) years now. My husband has been keeping fish for about 43 years.


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## bsmith (May 6, 2005)

i think i had goldfish when i was a youngin, but serious fishkeeping and learning about fish, for only a couple months now


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2005)

all my life...
my mom got me into it when i was a little kid so i started keeping my own tanks. I helped her out w/ her 40 gallon saltwater tank and when i was about 7 or 8 I got my first tank: a 2 gallon eclipsethat i kept a betta in and then, a few years later, i got a 6 gallon eclipse that i kept a banjo cat, dwarf gourami, and probably a mollie...that tank now has a small figure eight puffer. my 6 year old sister now has the 2 gallon while the old 40 gallon saltwater is in our basement, my year-old 30 gallon in my room with the 6, and a 46 gallon reef in our downstairs hallway. 
it's quite interesting how my mothers 40 gallon developed into my 6 and then 3 more tanks throughout the years.


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## Shaggy (Apr 29, 2005)

2 years for me. I'm not hardcore but I do like having fish.


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

OldSalt doesn't list his age but he's got to be the oldest and wisest. He's got to be given a proper title like The Guru, Papa Smurf, The Professor, Sidhartha, Odin, Big Chief.

I'm seriously you guys.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

euRasian32 said:


> OldSalt doesn't list his age but he's got to be the oldest and wisest. He's got to be given a proper title like The Guru, Papa Smurf, The Professor, Sidhartha, Odin, Big Chief.
> 
> I'm seriously you guys.


haha that sounds good!


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## Lydia (Feb 6, 2005)

TOS :shock:


i had a 5 gallon tank when i was 7 but i didnt do too well....the fish always died after one night (i didnt know about cycling and i overfed them) needless to say that didnt last long at all....ive been into it more seriously for about 3-4 years now


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## Valcryss (Jun 2, 2005)

Almost 5 years now, but my mom has kept fish as long as I can remember. Mostly freshwater, but there was a reef in there for a few years.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Uhm..did you guys miss Larry-T's post?
49 years he's been at it, which is longer than I've been alive.


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Thats excactly twice as long as I've been alive!
I've been keeping goldfish since I was five, community tropical when I was about 12 and from then on they just got bigger and bigger until now I keep a few medium sized cichlid tanks and one big 4" by 3" by 2" tank keeping predators for alligator gars to red-tail cats. And also I have set up a breeding program of melanochromis auratus, started off with two, now have around 80 adults with 8 dominant males in the same tank. Beautiful colours! Females all bright yellow and black stripes, adult dominant males bright black and white stripes with amazing contrast, and dull brown juvinille males, not in the main display tank as they are ugly as hell! Look like rusty brown mbunas.


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## Celeste (May 13, 2005)

i've been keeping bettas since i was 5 i think. i've had a koi pond for about 3 years.


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## euRasian32 (May 19, 2005)

TheOldSalt said:


> Uhm..did you guys miss Larry-T's post?
> 49 years he's been at it, which is longer than I've been alive.


Doh. Missed that one. I'm still calling you The Guru.


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

almost exactly 3 times as long as Ive been alive.


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

Well it's nice to see that everyone is very dedicated, especially for so many years!


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## fish_doc (Jan 31, 2005)

Larry-T said:


> I've been keeping aquariums for 49 years.
> 
> My first aquarium was a five gallon metaframe tank which I initially stocked with stuff I collected from the Evanston beaches of Lake Michigan in 1956.


Wow a metaframe. I have a small 1 gallon with a slate bottom, But growing up my parents had a 10gallon metaframe with the metal hood. Those tanks are still a site to behold.


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## Larry-T (Jan 18, 2005)

I was actually working in a pet shop when Metaframe was purchased by Mattel.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Ha!

I used to have a bunch of metaframes. hooboy.

Oooh! I saw a petshop down if south Florida somewhere... Ft Lauderdale area, I think, or maybe Naples, which had been around for a LONG time. This was only about 3 years ago, mind you. The place was small, but delightful, for it had several rows of Metaframe steel-framed tanks! They were all very well cycled, you can bet, and the fish looked fantastic. It was obvious that the store didn't get a lot of traffic, but the owner was easily in his 80's, so I'm guessing he's had the place paid for for many years.
Man, that place was like a Museum; you should have seen some of the stuff in it.
GRRRR!!! I wish I could remember where it is. One thing is for sure, though; if you've ever seen it you'd remember it. Bearing that in mind, have any of you south floridians come across this store?


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

When I was about 10 years old, I had a 10 gallon tank full (and I do mean _full_) of guppies that my mom's friend would give me when they were fry and she wanted to get rid of some. It got murky and icky, lasted only about a year or so.
Then in high school I had a couple bettas, also lasting only a year or so.

Now I'm really into it (especially that I know - more or less - what I'm doing!). Started my tank in January, using Christmas money... and I doubt I'll ever quit. It's hard work, but fun!


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## cheechee65 (Jun 13, 2005)

I've been fishkeeping for 1 year next month and boy have i learned alot in that year. I still love keeping fish and love watching the tanks. Very relaxing. All my fish are doing really great. My 80 gallon is my focal point in my living room and a real conversation piece.

80 gallon:

6 silver dollars
2 silver tip sharks (catfish type)
2 balloon mollies

10 gallon:

3 balloon molly fry

1 gallon:

1 red male VT betta


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## shev (Jan 18, 2005)

welcome to the board chechee65member.php?u=1482


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## cheechee65 (Jun 13, 2005)

Thank you.


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## malawi4me2 (Jan 18, 2005)

Well, when I was growing up, my parents always had a 55g that I would help with as much as possible. I only started keeping my own fish about 6 years ago.


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

i started with a 20g when I was 9, it went serious about 4 years ago when i purchased a 47gal tank.


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