favorite and least favorite things about fish keeping!

[Utar]

My favorite thing starts with thinking about it, to
building my own stands and canopy
setting up the tank
studying and learning about substrates, the fish and how to keep them healthy, plants, and filtration.
Getting the cycle started, finishing the cycle, getting the fish when they are little.
Taking care of my little fish and watch them grow into big healthy fish.
(And my final and most favorite thing to do is chat with you all on the forum........lol....)

Least favorite Thing
Not having enough money and a house big enough to setup my dream tank. A four hundred gallon in wall specially designed tank and setup.
(That I would only have one betta in it.......)

 

[hansgruber7]

Hi there, it is a 10 gallon tank and sits on the end of a table so it is very easy to clean and change the water so, any algae gets scrubbed off. I clean my tanks about every 10 - 14 days pretty religiously. I have a Fluval 107 canister filter that I turn off for as long as it takes for them to eat which is about 3 or 4 minutes.

Thanks! Great pictures. How many do you have in your 10G?

 

[HaveFishWillTravel]

Thanks! Great pictures. How many do you have in your 10G?

There are 7 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Glowlight Tetras and 2 Dwarf Cory Doras.
I think there are too many fishes for that little tank. I do clean it and change the water to ensure the Nitrates are kept very low. They say 1” per gallon, but you gotta take the type of fish (habits like schooling or top-, mid-tank, bottom feeders, territories, etc.), body type (width, fins) and other factors into consideration. The Glowlights are very peaceful and stay closer to the lower part of the tank and of course the Cory Doras are bottom feeders. The Harlequins are mid-tank schooling fish. They eat the same food, although the Glowlights love Veggies whereas the Harlequins can take them or leave them. Maybe I should upgrade to a 20 gallon? My Fiancé would not be particularly happy with me...he is already not so jazzed about the
4 aquariums. No one has perished or seems stressed. Let me know your thoughts ;-)

 

[WhistlingBadger]

There are 7 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Glowlight Tetras and 2 Dwarf Cory Doras.
I think there are too many fishes for that little tank. I do clean it and change the water to ensure the Nitrates are kept very low. They say 1” per gallon, but you gotta take the type of fish (habits like schooling or top-, mid-tank, bottom feeders, territories, etc.), body type (width, fins) and other factors into consideration. The Glowlights are very peaceful and stay closer to the lower part of the tank and of course the Cory Doras are bottom feeders. The Harlequins are mid-tank schooling fish. They eat the same food, although the Glowlights love Veggies whereas the Harlequins can take them or leave them. Maybe I should upgrade to a 20 gallon? My Fiancé would not be particularly happy with me...he is already not so jazzed about the
4 aquariums. No one has perished or seems stressed. Let me know your thoughts ;-)

I think your overall number of fish is OK, but the glowlights and cories would be happier in bigger schools. If it were mine, I'd either rehome the glowlights and get a couple more cories, or go with the 20g and get more of both. But you've got to keep peace with the Mr., too.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

Favorite things... feeding time and going shopping for fish related items.

Least favorite thing.... going broke from shopping for fish related items.

 

[hansgruber7]

If it's working well, go for it. I would love to have a species only Harlequin Rasbora tank someday. I was thinking 15 in a 20G or something like that.

There are 7 Harlequin Rasboras, 3 Glowlight Tetras and 2 Dwarf Cory Doras.
I think there are too many fishes for that little tank. I do clean it and change the water to ensure the Nitrates are kept very low. They say 1” per gallon, but you gotta take the type of fish (habits like schooling or top-, mid-tank, bottom feeders, territories, etc.), body type (width, fins) and other factors into consideration. The Glowlights are very peaceful and stay closer to the lower part of the tank and of course the Cory Doras are bottom feeders. The Harlequins are mid-tank schooling fish. They eat the same food, although the Glowlights love Veggies whereas the Harlequins can take them or leave them. Maybe I should upgrade to a 20 gallon? My Fiancé would not be particularly happy with me...he is already not so jazzed about the
4 aquariums. No one has perished or seems stressed. Let me know your thoughts ;-)

 

[eatyourpeas]

Favourite thing (triumph): Having a happy fish that I have learned, and continue to learn from and about.

Least favourite thing (disaster): When a critter dies because of my stupidity

 

[lighthouse]

my favourite thing is to learn their behaviour and think of dolphins when i play with my danios, think of dancing gypsys when i watch my guppies, think of military when my tetras patrol the pot or of ugly matrons when my female swordfish come into view.

i also love to watch my fry grow.

i get anxious when i see fish sick and days pass and it’s still alive but barely and i start thinking of euthanasia and i don’t know what’s the right thing to do.

and i love and hate the fact that my fish live in pots filled with rain water. i love it because it’s their natural habitat and they are happy and healthy but i hate to have to get up in the middle of the night in the rainy season to bale out water from my pots so that my fish don’t slip over the edge and now in the dry season the water is getting less and less and i don’t know what i’m gonna do.

 

[Akeath]

There are so many things about fish keeping I love. Number one would be researching animals and creating an ideal habitat for them. I also love watching them grow, thrive, and breed. Every time I do a weekly water change I love sitting down and watching them afterward and feeling that I'm taking good care of them and that they are doing well as a result. I also like when I find another way to make things more convenient, like pythons for water changes.

I hate that my animals are mortal. I've been keeping fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic amphibians for a long time. Sickness can happen, errors in the environment can happen, but I can also do everything right and my animals will eventually be lost to old age. They don't live forever, some are born and some die, and in the end they will pass away.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I hate that my animals are mortal. I've been keeping fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic amphibians for a long time. Sickness can happen, errors in the environment can happen, but I can also do everything right and my animals will eventually be lost to old age. They don't live forever, some are born and some die, and in the end they will pass away.

That is a very unpleasant reality. But I also think it's part of the value of keeping animals: Kids learn that death is an often sad but entirely normal part of life.

 

[HoldenOn]

Here's the full thread

New tank start up?

I have been out of this for a few years and even back then it was just a side hobby. I scored a basically brand new 20 gal tank off of CL this morning for free. Hood, lights, Aqueon filter, not sure if the filter is a 20 or 30, no markings anywhere. I have it running now and will let it run for...

www.fishforums.net

Wonder if he realizes how much of an idiot he sounds like
spoiler! he looks like a really big one lol

 

[HoldenOn]

Favorite - learning about fish anatomy and watching my tetras eat

Least favorite - Probably sickness

 

[Fishmanic]

least favorite... having a heater fail and then having to rush to get a replacement unless you have a backup heater available. Heater failing can lead to fish illness and possibly demise.

This happened to one of my tanks 3 days ago. the temperature dropped from 77 degrees to 64 degrees. I noticed it within about 12 hours. Luckily I have a backup heater to use till the warrantied replacement heater arrives. No fish got ill.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

least favorite... having a heater fail and then having to rush to get a replacement unless you have a backup heater available. Heater failing can lead to fish illness and possibly demise.

This happened to one of my tanks 3 days ago. the temperature dropped from 77 degrees to 64 degrees. I noticed it within about 12 hours. Luckily I have a backup heater to use till the warrantied replacement heater arrives. No fish got ill.

Yep, been there. No fun. Multi-day power outages rank pretty low on my list of favorite things, too.

 

[itiwhetu]

Have you ever had a thermostat fail and then you boil all the fish. That was terrifying.