wgoldfarb
Fish Fanatic
I used to be an avid fishkeeper and very active on a different forum, but in mid 2018 I disappeared quite suddenly from that forum. I logged back in today for the first time in three years, ony to find out that old forum is deserted. I was lucky to run into a friend at the other forum, Slaphppy7, and he pointed me to this website. So, thank you Slap for steering me in the right direction!
As a sort of (long) background: Before my "disappearance" I had a 29 gallon freshwater planted tank. I am originally from Venezuela so I had stocked it with fish from home: Black Bar Endlers (P. wingei), Venezuelan Pygmy Cories (C. habrosus), Red Phantom Tetra (H. sweglesi), Green Neons (P. simulans) and a handful of small Otos (O. vitattus). In terms of plants I had an Amazon sword, Brazilian pennywort, Hornwort, crypts, and one a. reineckii rosaefolia. I love research so I read intensively, asked LOTS of questions, and eventually started to feel I was no longer a newbie. I was already starting to get symptoms of that very common affliction among aquarists, MTS (multi-tank syndrome) and was making plans for my second tank.
Then, in mid 2018 I suddenly started getting very weak very rapidly. Within a month I was unable to move anything except my neck. I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma (a blood cancer) and was immediately admitted to the hospital. At the time they couldn't explain the loss of mobility, but it was later determined it was caused by a weird interaction between the lymphoma and my own immune system, causing an autoimmune reaction that attacked my own nerves. I was apparently the first documented case of that ever happening to anyone. Lucky me!
The story is long and fascinating from a medical point of view (they published an article in a medical journal about my case) but I'll spare you the lengthy gory details. Suffice it to say that the cancer proved very stubborn so I spent the next 2 years receiving increasingly aggressive and innovative treatments in 5 different hospitals. I finally came home cancer-free in 2020 (Yay!) but still hadn't fully recovered use of my arms and legs, so I started medication and physical therapy to try to reverse my loss of mobility. Since the treatments I received for the Lymphoma left me with a very weakened immune system I have been quarantined at home since I left the hospital. I only receive visitors who are carefully screened and only leave the house for therapy or doctor appointments.
While I thankfully survived my medical adventures, one very sad casualty of my lengthy hospital stay was my aquarium
. You can imagine what I found when I came back after 2 years of nobody even looking at my poor tank, let alone cleaning it. Obviously all my poor fish died (and most of my plants), and the whole thing was overrun with slimy growths of many different colors (I'm fervently hoping they are all different types of algae, but I fear I may have created some new life-forms ). Part of the water had evaporated, so a lot of those growths had become dried and encrusted all over the tank walls, hoses, etc (Amazingly, the light, heater and filter were still running!). When I got home I still did not have full use of my hands and legs, so trying to clean up the mess was impossible. I turned off the light, heater and filter, but had to leave the mess unattended until now. Needless to say I felt mortified about my poor fish.
I have finally recovered enough use of my hands and legs that I can attempt to clean the mess and restart my tank. Between the swamp that is currently sitting in the few inches of water left, the very gross and colorful encrusted growths all over the place, the many dead and decomposing fish and plants that must still be in there, and my still limited use of hands and feet, it's a very daunting task! Nonetheless, after 3 very difficult years, the tank represents a return to normality, so I'm eager to get started. I will definitely need to ask lots of questions about the best way to clean up the mess, and once I'm ready to restart I will definitely want lots of feedback... and a refresher or two
I'm very happy to be here, very eager to get back into the hobby, and looking forward to getting to know everyone. I see some of my old friends from the old forum are also here, so I'm looking forward to reconnecting!
Edited to correct my initial stocking list. I had Red Phantom tetras, not Rummy-nosed tetras as I originally said.
As a sort of (long) background: Before my "disappearance" I had a 29 gallon freshwater planted tank. I am originally from Venezuela so I had stocked it with fish from home: Black Bar Endlers (P. wingei), Venezuelan Pygmy Cories (C. habrosus), Red Phantom Tetra (H. sweglesi), Green Neons (P. simulans) and a handful of small Otos (O. vitattus). In terms of plants I had an Amazon sword, Brazilian pennywort, Hornwort, crypts, and one a. reineckii rosaefolia. I love research so I read intensively, asked LOTS of questions, and eventually started to feel I was no longer a newbie. I was already starting to get symptoms of that very common affliction among aquarists, MTS (multi-tank syndrome) and was making plans for my second tank.
Then, in mid 2018 I suddenly started getting very weak very rapidly. Within a month I was unable to move anything except my neck. I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma (a blood cancer) and was immediately admitted to the hospital. At the time they couldn't explain the loss of mobility, but it was later determined it was caused by a weird interaction between the lymphoma and my own immune system, causing an autoimmune reaction that attacked my own nerves. I was apparently the first documented case of that ever happening to anyone. Lucky me!
The story is long and fascinating from a medical point of view (they published an article in a medical journal about my case) but I'll spare you the lengthy gory details. Suffice it to say that the cancer proved very stubborn so I spent the next 2 years receiving increasingly aggressive and innovative treatments in 5 different hospitals. I finally came home cancer-free in 2020 (Yay!) but still hadn't fully recovered use of my arms and legs, so I started medication and physical therapy to try to reverse my loss of mobility. Since the treatments I received for the Lymphoma left me with a very weakened immune system I have been quarantined at home since I left the hospital. I only receive visitors who are carefully screened and only leave the house for therapy or doctor appointments.
While I thankfully survived my medical adventures, one very sad casualty of my lengthy hospital stay was my aquarium
. You can imagine what I found when I came back after 2 years of nobody even looking at my poor tank, let alone cleaning it. Obviously all my poor fish died (and most of my plants), and the whole thing was overrun with slimy growths of many different colors (I'm fervently hoping they are all different types of algae, but I fear I may have created some new life-forms ). Part of the water had evaporated, so a lot of those growths had become dried and encrusted all over the tank walls, hoses, etc (Amazingly, the light, heater and filter were still running!). When I got home I still did not have full use of my hands and legs, so trying to clean up the mess was impossible. I turned off the light, heater and filter, but had to leave the mess unattended until now. Needless to say I felt mortified about my poor fish.I have finally recovered enough use of my hands and legs that I can attempt to clean the mess and restart my tank. Between the swamp that is currently sitting in the few inches of water left, the very gross and colorful encrusted growths all over the place, the many dead and decomposing fish and plants that must still be in there, and my still limited use of hands and feet, it's a very daunting task! Nonetheless, after 3 very difficult years, the tank represents a return to normality, so I'm eager to get started. I will definitely need to ask lots of questions about the best way to clean up the mess, and once I'm ready to restart I will definitely want lots of feedback... and a refresher or two
I'm very happy to be here, very eager to get back into the hobby, and looking forward to getting to know everyone. I see some of my old friends from the old forum are also here, so I'm looking forward to reconnecting!
Edited to correct my initial stocking list. I had Red Phantom tetras, not Rummy-nosed tetras as I originally said.
Last edited:
Seriously, though...we all wondered what happened to you, and I'm so happy to hear that you're on the mend. 
welcome aboard...so sorry to hear you've been in the wars but so happy you're recovering and on the mend! Look forward to watching your journey back into fishkeeping 
.
