Saying goodbye to my aquarium

[GaryE]

If its in my blood, I hope I dont get a disease

Beware. The only disease any of us have to fear is reptilocitis. I have seen a few good young aquarists go to the dark side and give up fish for lizards and snakes. When you fall in love and your significant other meets godzilla beside the fridge at 3 AM, it can ruin your life.

I met a really bright young guy who was working on a biology degree and working in an aquarium store last week. He said his student life was too unsettled to have his tanks (or his reptiles) with him, so they were at his parents' house halfway across the country. He used the fish store job to keep his hand in, and he was one of the best fish knowledge kids I've met in ages. He was a bit like watching Grover from Sesame Street, but he was also the defacto manager of the large store, even working part time. There are ways and means.

 

[Rocky998]

Beware. The only disease any of us have to fear is reptilocitis. I have seen a few good young aquarists go to the dark side and give up fish for lizards and snakes. When you fall in love and your significant other meets godzilla beside the fridge at 3 AM, it can ruin your life.

I met a really bright young guy who was working on a biology degree and working in an aquarium store last week. He said his student life was too unsettled to have his tanks (or his reptiles) with him, so they were at his parents' house halfway across the country. He used the fish store job to keep his hand in, and he was one of the best fish knowledge kids I've met in ages. He was a bit like watching Grover from Sesame Street, but he was also the defacto manager of the large store, even working part time. There are ways and means.

Who says you can't do both?

 

[Ellie Potts]

Wow! Thank you so much for the love everyone. I know I'll always come back to keeping fish. I was brought up doing it and it's such a love of mine. I have a 5 gallon set up to bring to my dorm, for those who haven't read my other thread, and I'll make the best of it.

crystal / fire reds / zebra otos should be a simple setup and as long that you keep ph at 7 or just a bit under...the crystals should be fine
what are you taking in college anyway?

I'm currently on track to graduate with a biology degree, concentrated in marine biology and a minor in Spanish before grad school. But I'm 18, lol, so who knows what I'll do!

We don't have so much of that going away to study and living in a dorm thing here. [...] by the time I was 28, I was back up to 3 tanks, and enjoying aquariums as one of many good things going on.

I don't think you're memorializing the tank. You're reflecting a stage. It's like an annual killifish egg - temporarily still and buried in a dried up waterhole, but set to hatch and thrive when the rains come again. High School can be awful, and you don't seem to like where you live, so I guess part of moving on to what you want needs a temporary sacrifice.

That's a great tale demonstrating the true extent of the "fishcrazyitis" Back in the Fold mentioned.
North Carolina is a beautiful state with some incredible people. But it's one with many southern issues as well. It will be good to get some time away. You're right that this is a very reflective time for me.

I am turning 75 this year and am starting my second year on a two year path to giving up all my tanks because I can no longer keep up with them.

Trust me when I tell you giving it all up for good is a lot harder than knowing I could go back to it in a a few years, When I was in college I lived in dorms for the first 3 semesters (1.5 years). And from then on I lived off campus. So you may find in a year or two you do the same and then you can retank sooner than you thought.

One other idea you might try if possible. If there is local fish or pet store with a fish department that needs part time help and you are willing to work for poor pay, you can still spend time working with fish and talking fish to folks.

BTW, even after I am down to one or no tanks, I plan to continue posting on fish sites and attending my fish club meetings. I may have to give up keeping fish, but I do not have to quit talking and writing about them.

That's hard! Much luck to you on your rehoming and selling and giving away. There aren't many stores nearby, but I'm hoping to intern at some aquariums over the summer. I'll still be active on here as I get widdled down to one nano tank. I can't help but notice you started your account on this forum the year I was born, which is crazy to think about! Maybe someday I'll be speaking to someone who was born in 2020 about their fish... weird. Hopefully I'll be back into the depths of the hobby within the next 2 years

Nice video. Triple red apistogrammas! I know you will miss the tanks but when you set back up after you graduate and have time, you'll know what you want and how to do it!

I bred those apistos! They were great fish, named Bonnie and Clyde by the family. I am glad to have the knowledge I have now, and while I'm cooped up in my dorm I'm sure I'll come up with many future tank plans.

You have your priorities in the right place. Schooling is more important right now so that you can better afford the hobby and other things in life in the future. Sounds like you have a plan for your life and my bet is you will be very successful.

I know it's the right choice even though it's hard. And living in a dorm is honestly by far the healthiest I've ever lived. I'll figure it out

There have been times in the past when I had gotten rid of or lost all of my equipment and still I came back to the hobby. You will never cease to be an aquarist. It’s in your blood and there is nothing you can do about that.

I like that - "it's in your blood and there is nothing you can do about that"

Beware. The only disease any of us have to fear is reptilocitis. I have seen a few good young aquarists go to the dark side and give up fish for lizards and snakes. When you fall in love and your significant other meets godzilla beside the fridge at 3 AM, it can ruin your life.

Lol! I actually started in reptiles and switched to fish! Lol. My dad is a snake guy, has maybe 200 tanks of em now. He does the snakes, I do the fish, and then there are some random little critters in between the both of us.

Thank you everyone again! I didn't expect to get so many responses to my little goodbye post but you all have offered some really great perspective. I'm grateful to be able to go to college and I'm grateful that I know it won't be the end of my fish-keeping

 

[Yellow]

As some of you may have seen in other posts, my move to college has meant abandoning my eight aquariums. Which is heartbreaking, but an inevitable part of fish keeping for many teenagers. The worst part has been selling/giving out the fish and plants in my 55 gallon, the first tank my dad gave me and the one that has lasted me a solid 8 years. The tank got me through COVID and my parents moving away. It was something to play with when I had to move from home a few years ago, saved me from the isolation of southern homophobia and was a distraction from every cruddy thing that happens in high school. It was my absolute pride and joy when I didn't even understand quite how badly it was put together. So grateful for all this hobby has to offer and excited to see what my aquarist future has in store. Saying goodbye to it feels awful, and it's pretty obvious none of my peers can quite relate to that. So I figured the best place to memorialize it would be on a forum full of fish nerds such as myself. One advantage of being a high schooler in this hobby is my phone addiction prompts me to film everything! So here's a quick video (2 minutes) of major moments in this tanks evolution, and a short clip of it its final moments. Many of these 'milestones' feel silly now, but I was so excited about them then-do you remember your first time getting fish to breed? What a cool feeling.
P.S. viewers beware - I'm well aware it's wayyy overgrown in the end; I kept telling myself I would trim it but then couldn't bring myself to, just love the messy look. The stocking is a little weird in this video. All of the fish were of course safe and got along well, but towards the end fish amongst the tanks had been (safely) shuffled around as I found different homes for things.
History of a 55

TL;DR: Have to get rid of my 55 gallon, have had it forever, this video has pictures of the tank over the last few years

As some of you may have seen in other posts, my move to college has meant abandoning my eight aquariums. Which is heartbreaking, but an inevitable part of fish keeping for many teenagers. The worst part has been selling/giving out the fish and plants in my 55 gallon, the first tank my dad gave me and the one that has lasted me a solid 8 years. The tank got me through COVID and my parents moving away. It was something to play with when I had to move from home a few years ago, saved me from the isolation of southern homophobia and was a distraction from every cruddy thing that happens in high school. It was my absolute pride and joy when I didn't even understand quite how badly it was put together. So grateful for all this hobby has to offer and excited to see what my aquarist future has in store. Saying goodbye to it feels awful, and it's pretty obvious none of my peers can quite relate to that. So I figured the best place to memorialize it would be on a forum full of fish nerds such as myself. One advantage of being a high schooler in this hobby is my phone addiction prompts me to film everything! So here's a quick video (2 minutes) of major moments in this tanks evolution, and a short clip of it its final moments. Many of these 'milestones' feel silly now, but I was so excited about them then-do you remember your first time getting fish to breed? What a cool feeling.
P.S. viewers beware - I'm well aware it's wayyy overgrown in the end; I kept telling myself I would trim it but then couldn't bring myself to, just love the messy look. The stocking is a little weird in this video. All of the fish were of course safe and got along well, but towards the end fish amongst the tanks had been (safely) shuffled around as I found different homes for things.
History of a 55

TL;DR: Have to get rid of my 55 gallon, have had it forever, this video has pictures of the tank over the last few years

Ellie Potts,
Thank you for sharing your video.
I had many fish. Started at age 4 with my first batch.
Established tank at 18. Left home for 3 months to settle away from my parents. I asked my parents to care for my tank til I come & pack them cause I wanted them with me. As you reckon...forever.
All was gone, my fish friends were all gone, tank, everything.
It's amazing to hear other people's experiences with their tank growth, & heartbreak.
I subscribed to your video channel because something tells me you'll pick up again!
In my apartment, is a clown loach named "Happy Little Fin." Long story short, she was brought in to perk up an aging gourami.
On a youtube channel, I started uploading video clips of Happy Little Fin under the name title "I The Loach." An idea to help people perk up whether they know this hobby or not, we all want to be happy & many folks love to stare at fish, even for a minute.
Perhaps, catching up with this forum & video's of the people who love our tank(s), as when time allows, your heart will mend & carry on well!
Blessings,
Shirley

 

[Ellie Potts]

Ellie Potts,
Thank you for sharing your video.
I had many fish. Started at age 4 with my first batch.
Established tank at 18. Left home for 3 months to settle away from my parents. I asked my parents to care for my tank til I come & pack them cause I wanted them with me. As you reckon...forever.
All was gone, my fish friends were all gone, tank, everything.
It's amazing to hear other people's experiences with their tank growth, & heartbreak.
I subscribed to your video channel because something tells me you'll pick up again!
In my apartment, is a clown loach named "Happy Little Fin." Long story short, she was brought in to perk up an aging gourami.
On a youtube channel, I started uploading video clips of Happy Little Fin under the name title "I The Loach." An idea to help people perk up whether they know this hobby or not, we all want to be happy & many folks love to stare at fish, even for a minute.
Perhaps, catching up with this forum & video's of the people who love our tank(s), as when time allows, your heart will mend & carry on well!
Blessings,
Shirley

Thank you for your kind words! I know I'll get back into it, and hopefully I'll post more videos. That's an awful story, I don't know what I would have done in that scenario. I'll have to check out 'I The Loach' ! It's crazy how much joy these little guys bring us.

 

[Yellow]

A friend of mine had a large tank when young, married, first little kids running around. She said she loved her fish, loved caring for them!
Thanks for reading my post & thanks for checking out I The Loach.
Yea, miss those buddies I had at 18. They were my pick me up's cause high school was harsh.

 

[kiko]

It is in your blood grasshopper . The disease is called fishcrazyitis.

that's the aggressive one...1 table spoon of salt per gallon should do

 

[Kyshiara]

It's so sad to hear you are quitting! The video of your tank was amazing

 

[Kyshiara]

Yes you would

(Would I be expelled from the mod ranks if I made that my signature quote?)

 

[Ellie Potts]

It's so sad to hear you are quitting! The video of your tank was amazing

Thanks! And never quitting, only postponing the growth of my collection for a year or two

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Thanks! And never quitting, only postponing the growth of my collection for a year or two

You might even find that tiny tanks are a fun new challenge. In some ways, I am enjoying my nano tank more than I enjoyed my 55 gallon behemoth. Nanos will definitely up your aquascaping and water quality games. Look into Walstad-style tanks. Very doable with tiny tanks.

 

[Ellie Potts]

You might even find that tiny tanks are a fun new challenge. In some ways, I am enjoying my nano tank more than I enjoyed my 55 gallon behemoth. Nanos will definitely up your aquascaping and water quality games. Look into Walstad-style tanks. Very doable with tiny tanks.

I'll look into it! I've learned a lot about nano tanks over the past few months. I want to invest in a good rimless aquarium for a shrimp tank. It's a fascinating new world

 

[AtomicFish]

Never say goodbye to the hobby Ellie. Someway or some how you will be back.

 

[Ellie Potts]

Never say goodbye to the hobby Ellie. Someway or some how you will be back.

I sure do know it

 

[ChasingFish]

As some of you may have seen in other posts, my move to college has meant abandoning my eight aquariums. Which is heartbreaking, but an inevitable part of fish keeping for many teenagers. The worst part has been selling/giving out the fish and plants in my 55 gallon, the first tank my dad gave me and the one that has lasted me a solid 8 years. The tank got me through COVID and my parents moving away. It was something to play with when I had to move from home a few years ago, saved me from the isolation of southern homophobia and was a distraction from every cruddy thing that happens in high school. It was my absolute pride and joy when I didn't even understand quite how badly it was put together. So grateful for all this hobby has to offer and excited to see what my aquarist future has in store. Saying goodbye to it feels awful, and it's pretty obvious none of my peers can quite relate to that. So I figured the best place to memorialize it would be on a forum full of fish nerds such as myself. One advantage of being a high schooler in this hobby is my phone addiction prompts me to film everything! So here's a quick video (2 minutes) of major moments in this tanks evolution, and a short clip of it its final moments. Many of these 'milestones' feel silly now, but I was so excited about them then-do you remember your first time getting fish to breed? What a cool feeling.
P.S. viewers beware - I'm well aware it's wayyy overgrown in the end; I kept telling myself I would trim it but then couldn't bring myself to, just love the messy look. The stocking is a little weird in this video. All of the fish were of course safe and got along well, but towards the end fish amongst the tanks had been (safely) shuffled around as I found different homes for things.
History of a 55

TL;DR: Have to get rid of my 55 gallon, have had it forever, this video has pictures of the tank over the last few years

Ellie, that was a lovely tank you had! I especially loved the overgrown part at the end. I hope you come back to the hobby in the future, I'm sure you will