What got you into fishkeeping?

[The Imploding Voice]

Well, I used to have two betta fish given to me as a pet about 3 years ago. I was young, and I didn't really care about them, or give them the time/ attention they deserved. So, they died unfortunately. Last week, my family went to the pet store to add more fish to the aquarium we have, and I saw this really beautiful betta. So, I decided to buy it. I bought it a new tank, food and all of that. Now it's great. And a few days ago I bought another one and another tank for it. I'm slowly becoming addicted.

[durbkat]

For me it started 2 years ago as a science project with a 10g tank to see how many times a fish breathes in a minute. And now I have the 10g tank with the same fish 2 years ago, a long 20g with a opaline gourami and 2 long finned black tetras, a 2 1/2g with a betta, and a catshaped fish bowl with a betta in it.

[sillyca]

Hi!
Maybe it was watching Sesame Street's Elmo's World with Dorothy the fish.... I saw some half gallon (did not know they only held a half gallon at first - seemed like a gallon at least) bowls at the dollar store... Our toddler son seemed to like fish... so I thought $ bowl (bought 2 to wash one and store the water and house the other fish in the other and change every day) and one goldfish. (3 kinds of food and a green net that I did not know was bad, and water/scale conditioner the next day) Poor thing did not last. I am not sure what happened. THe sales lady at the other store told me to just put the conditioner in the water with the fish... I did not know I was supposed to add it to fishless water. I still feel badly about the goldfish. SO I cleaned the bowls really well... used some vinegar... and lots of water... I put conditioner in one bowl with some tap water and let it sit on the shelf empty for a week or more. Then yesterday I was driving by this other fish store where my friend has had luck with fish and went in and got a betta. Poor things were in little cups. I want to get a bigger tank... just so confused with all the options. I may get a free used one from the friend that is not fishkeeping anymore.
Thanks for reading! Oh and I did get different food for the betta, not trying to feed it goldfish flakes...
LJ

[armadilloal]

My brother set up a 20g in the kitchen while I was home over the summer, and I naturally thought "I could do it better than him." (Then again, that's not hard to do...I mean, he put a pair of cichlids in a community tank because they looked cool...this had the expected effect of every fish in the tank now living in the corners hiding in terror from the larger cichlid.)

Too bad I live in a dorm and a betta's the best I can do. Oh well, at least Felipe's nice and comfy here...and he's just adorable too.

[ahhthatsbetta]

When I was in grade 6, the teacher asked for a volunteer to take the class golfish at the end of the year ... long story shor, it lived a long time, my parents started keeping mollies, guppies, tetras and other tropicals. When I went to university, a boyfriend gave me a 5 gallon tank, and my room became the cool place to "relax with the fishies" . Got out of fish keeping for about 10 years, and saw a couple of fiddler crabs a few years ago ... and I got right back in it again -- now I have a 90 gallon cichlid tank, a 20 gallon german ram/tetra tank, a 5 gallon cichlid nursery tank (the one the old boyfriend gave me 15 years ago!), and a 1/2 gallon betta tank (soon upgrading to 2.5 gallon). It is a sickness -- but I love my fishies! ;D

edit: since this post, we added two more 20 gallons -- one with tiger and green barbs, rasboras and an ID shark, and one for baby cichlids, and a 10 gallon nursery tank (we "retired the 5 gallon, and only uise it for 'emergencies!"), a 3 gallon Betta tank, and 4 betta bowls/betta keepers (we now have 5 male bettas and a female). And I won a really cool 26 gallon bowfront a few weeks ago!

[michael]

I own a business and one of my managers got a Betta from his staff. When he left my employment he did not take the Betta so I inherited him.

[beta3chg]

i had a hamster and way too many mice before i got the fishies. One day i was in petco looking to try to raise a goldfish when i saw the bettas sitting in their little cups of water and thought "wow, they're gorgeous". when i learned that they were much less maintinence than the goldfish, that was the deciding factor. I bought jazz (pink) and blues (blue) right then. They were so cute! and it was really cool how they flared their fins at each other. Then about a year later i went into petco to boy fishfood and came out with Kingsley (black w/blue/red fins). I just had to rescue him! they are great pets.

[wheelyfeet]

My husband's grandmother got us into fish keeping.

After she passed away we inherited her little 3 gallon Eclipse and 2 platies and a snail. The 3 gallon's contents went into a new 10 gallon community tank and now houses my betta, and we also added a 75 gallon community tank. We are addicted and have plans for at least one more tank for discus.

Fishkeeping is a wonderful together hobby for my husband and me. It appeals to our geeky sides because of the technical aspects, gives us a feeling of satisfaction when we see how healthy and beautiful they are, is entertaining, and adds beauty and serenity to our home.

[sharksrock]

I love the ocean (yay for sharks) I've been reading and learning about sharks since I was able to read(I'm 14 now) and I used to watch animal planet or dicovery channel alot, and I wanted some fish. but my dad said we didn't have enough space/$ for a salt water tank and that its really hard to take care of. so I settled with a betta and fell in love after a few hours of watching him. I still want a salt water tank tough

[Thistle]

Cats, dogs, birds, fish, rodents .... anything with fins, fur or feathers has a place in my lil heart.

My daughter got her first betta a few years ago and since she wasn't home much he spent most of his time with me and I got hooked!

Now I've got 32 bettas. I try to stay out of the fish stores but the bettas call to me. (that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

[Katana]

I've always loved fish, and loved to fish. It first inspired me when i went over to a friends house for confirmation study. I was walking to the lving room and found his little brother feeding one. I thought it looked so pretty, and thought of getting one. Soon i forgot about it, until i came over to another friend's house, and saw he had one to. Again i thought about it for the next 3 weeks, but again i left the thought behind. Finally one day, my best friend's grandma was in the hospital, and we decided to get flowers at the Metropolitan plant exchange. My little brother wanted to get a carnivorous plant, and i was interested in looking for one to. As i walked down the aisles, i spotted a fish tank and spotted giant koi fish. Next the the tank, there was a sign the said "Bettas, now for 4.99" and all of a sudden, i wanted to get one. Seeing that they ran out of it, i took one of the how to take care of your betta form, and saw that the from was made by this site. I searched the internet for a beautiful betta, and came across Apollo. Lol this was only a few weeks ago though. Now i love them!

[sehkmaa]

My first fish as an adult, was a Betta that my fiancee bought for me as a birthday gift. That was this past Sept. Now I have 2 males and 3 females. 2 Angels and 2 Algae Eaters along with a Newt. LOL
I am planning on starting to breed Bettas but my first stop toward that will be to become a member of the IBC.
I love all of my babies.
Sehkmaa