Greater Aquariuffi Established 1
by SUSAN PRIEST
ven before the first episode of Fishkeepers Anonymous made it to the copy shop, I harbored fears of "what if nobody likes this thing but me?" Well, this is the fifth consecutive month that this column is appearing. The interest and participation shown by so many of you gladdens my heart. As it has from the beginning, this column continues to create itself. I can clearly see an ongoing trend. I believe that this column serves as an educational tool for fishkeepers of all levels of experience. Each of our authors has taught us things which cannot be learned in other venues. This month's author is no exception.
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Anonymous Fishkeeper/July 2006 Please introduce yourself. Unlike most of the fishkeepers that are members of GCAS, I cannot say that my fish hobby started at the tender age of 7 or 8 years old. I do recall having goldfish for short periods of time that we had won at different carnivals and fairs, but I do not consider that to be the start of my love for fishkeeping. Compared to most people that attend GCAS, I am a beginner fishkeeper. I started my hobby in October 2002. I can describe it no other way than, like that song in South Pacific "Some Enchanted Evening." Only, instead of seeing a stranger, I saw a metal stand with two 10 gallon fish tanks on it. These were left behind by people who were moving out of my building. I saw potential there, and my heart and mind raced with all the art it entailed to get it started. I could not get my hopes up until I got permission from my mom to keep the tank set up. Permission was granted! Tell us about your education as a fishkeeper. My education in the fishkeeping hobby consisted of the following: reading fish magazines, going online and checking out fish forums, asking my veterinarian, and talking to employees of fish pet stores. I was overwhelmed by all the information I was learning along the way. I decided that the facts must be those bits of information that were repeated over and over again. So, I cycled my tanks for 4-6 weeks, as
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explained by my local fish store, using the bottled bacteria recommended to speed up the process. I tested my water for the ammonia and nitrate/nitrite levels. The day finally came when I could introduce fish into my two 10 gallon tanks. I had learned that it was best to keep few fish in each tank to prevent overcrowding, and keep the bioload down. I also learned that you should keep in mind the size the fish would grow to, so that he/she would not outgrow the tank being used. Knowing all this, I decided that I was going to keep about 6 community fish per tank. Armed with all this knowledge, I went to the fish store where I had seen the healthiest fish being kept. It was not until a year into fishkeeping that I learned of and joined GCAS. This, I will say is the best place to obtain the correct answers to any of your fishkeeping concerns as a beginner. The experienced members have only the best interest of the fish in mind, and have gone through the experience of the various scenarios that a new fishkeeper goes through. Some fish stores (not all) may just want to make a quick buck, and not care if your fish tank is the best home for that particular fish you inquire about. What was your very first fish? I requested to see the tanks that had community fish that would grow to no more than two inches when full grown, and that would eat flake food as a regular diet. I was told that one whole side of tanks was what I was looking for. Finally, I was free to choose my fish! I was going to get a dozen fish altogether where half would go into the top 10 gallon tank, and the other six fish into the bottom 10 gallon tank I had set up. I picked some nice black fish I later learned were Mollies, I got some attractive colored fish that looked to me like Flamenco dancers which I learned were Fancy Guppies, and a few beautiful red/orange fish with black tip fins that I learned were called Platys. My final three were different looking from my first chosen fish, but so cute and lively that I could not pass them by. They were a dark orange with some black markings throughout. Their bodies were not long & thin like the others. They
July 2006
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)