Introduce yourself and tell us what do you keep?

Chris Noto

Lifetime Members
Lifetime Member
Feb 27, 2008
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8
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73
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Hello, I am Sergey from Ukraine, Kiev.
My tank 1500х600х700, clean water about 127 gallons, CO2, LED lighting. The aquarium is young, because the plants often have to be transplanted until I get the right quantity and quality. Sorry for my English, just starting to learn.
That's a great looking aquarium, Sergey! And, on the topic of language, you are doing much better, in English, than I would be doing in Ukrainian! I'd be relying on Google Translate, and some of the Google translations I have done from other languages into English have been pretty messy! Welcome. Glad you're here!

P.S. I love the variegated Hygrophila polysperma! I relied, a lot, on the vigor of the plain green H. polysperma, back in the 1980s, before I had CO2, and before the plant had been banned in many US states as a noxious and invasive weed. I get it about invasive plants, but I still miss the H. polysperma! I am given to understand, though, that the plain green variety is so vigorous a grower with CO2 that many aquarists won't use it!
 
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sovrappensiero

New Member
Nov 30, 2020
2
2
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39
Atlanta, GA, USA
Hello, everyone. I used to keep an aquarium 10+ years ago (and actually I used this forum a lot...but I never joined for some reason), and now I finally have started again. I don't have a tank to share yet, but I will try to post in the journal thread. I have a simple 60L tank, and my goal is a relatively low-maintenance tank (with CO2 but not crazy-high light). I have kept several types of tetras, danios, and corydoras in the past...I may go with dwarf rainbowfish this time! I'll wait until it's planted and well-established and then decide what will complement the environment best. I'm a bioinformatics scientist and statistician/epidemiologist (depending on who you ask) by trade. I love learning (pretty much anything), everything nature (of course), watercolor painting, and ballroom dance!
 
My name is Peter. A hobbyist from way back (like AquaticPlantsDigest-APD, theKrib, GeorgeBooth way back...) recently re-entering the hobby with vigor, having commenced the planning, purchasing, preparing and putting into play a mini fish room, The Sonoran Desert Fish Nook.

My wife and I reside in Green Valley Arizona, near the Mexican border. We spent the last 15 years in Mexico, which limited my fishkeeping as we maintained residences in both countries. Covid-19 forced us to re-evaluate, and we took the decision to remain permanently in Arizona (with only brief visits to our mountain pueblo of Alamos, Sonora, Mex). Hence, my circumstances now allow me to induldge my fancy for fishkeeping a bit.

I like simple nature aquariums with a community feel. Basic stem plants, non demanding corydoras, tetras, ottos, shrimps, dwarf plecos and dwarf cichlids.

The bulk of my participation will be learning from the many advanced hobbyist with a knack for the science of a thing and applying lessons to the flora/fauna/processes of my new Fish Nook (it's been online for 3 weeks now; I've attached a few pictures rather than describe it a length.) I'm certainly willing to share my trials and tribulations in fishkeeping as well.

I am an active member of the Desert Aquarist Society (Southern Arizona) and enjoy supporting good, privately owned fish stores and quality hobbyist/fishkeepers who make their flora and fauna available. I count Arizona Nature Aquarics in Tucson AZ and Aquarium Zen in Seattel WA as the gold standards, and have had the priviledge of visiting and purchasing from both recently. I'm not fond of social media, but I do participate on a few forums (i.e. simplydiscus and theplantedtank).

I like gardening, tinkering with tech (Raspberry Pis, PLCs), and cars. So there's the meaning of FischAutoTechGarten (yeah German, but I'm not).


FishNookInitialBasicBeginnerPlanting.jpg
FishNookInitialFloraFaunaLeftLower.jpg
FishNookInitialFloraFaunaLeftMiddle.jpg
FishNookInitialFloraFaunaRightLower.jpg
FishNookInitialFloraFaunaRightMiddle.jpg
ArizonaRoomDenOfficeFishNook.jpg
 
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Nat

New Member
Jan 3, 2021
1
3
3
48
UK
Hi there,

A little about my fish experience.

We inherited our first tank, when we moved into a new house. It was built onto a dividing wall, was 6ft long and about 330lts and had community fish in it. Our introduction to fishkeeping was a baptism of fire and I have no idea how (most of) the fish survived. The tank had a dirt and gravel bottom, assorted rocks, slate and a dead piece of coral in it. It had a bog standard flourescent strip light above it, a hang on back filter with floss and a heater. It was planted it with Amazon swords, a grass of some description and we added fast growing stem pond plants (Elodea I think). It was effectively a dirtied tank.

Maintenance consisted of a 50% water change twice a year, with cold, untreated water straight out of a hose and changing the filter floss (all of it in one go) as it clogged up. It makes me cringe to think about that now!

Oh and we learnt fairly fast that putting 12 neon tetras in with an 8" Angelfish was a bad move...

As time went on we learnt and over time had three tanks up and running and a pond. Up until four years ago there hadn't been much time without a tank of some sort in my life.

My partner and I are currently in the middle of buying a house and I can't wait to set a tank up again.

I have come here for inspiration and further education.

Thank you Tom for a great site.

Nat.
 
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Jerome Howse

New Member
Jan 20, 2021
2
0
1
Portland, OR
Currently just have a 5.5 gallon. 90% plant 10%. The tank was originally for Preying Mantis nymphs. Didn't keep fish for a while but, had a 35 gallon Hex most of my young life
 

Jonathankeary

New Member
Feb 8, 2021
1
0
1
OHIO, USA!
Have kept fish for 26 years on and off. Reef, discus, planted. I bred angelfish way back in the day (in my bedroom in high school). I almost burned down the house with my first reef (anemone got caught in overflow and sump kept pumping and overflowed the tank which led to a small electrical fire!)
I currently just got back into the hobby after a 2 year hiatus. New tank is a UNS 90B with 2 kessil a80’s, co2, mix of rocks and mopani. I am Waiting on plants in the mail. Current inhabitants are Anubis’s, Christmas moss, and rose swords. Once I figure out pics I may start a thread.
 

McQ2

New Member
Feb 16, 2021
2
2
3
64
St Girons, France
Anyone new or wanting to post in the gallery, feel free to do so.

I will ask permission and use some of the tank images for the report pages here and there if you wish also.

But tell folks what you have and keep.

I have 16 tanks right now, this always subject to change. Most are smaller cube all are open top, PC lighting and 2 tanks with MH's HQI 150w/ 10K bulbs.

The largest is 40 gal, the smallest is a mere 3/4 of a gallon.
Client tanks range from a 300 gallon marine to a 350 gal FW.
1 cold water.

I add CO2 to 6 of my home tanks, the rest are non CO2.

I keep mainly small fish these days.

Regards,
Tom Barr
 

McQ2

New Member
Feb 16, 2021
2
2
3
64
St Girons, France
Hi Folks I'm an old timer in the aquarium hobby, getting my first tank when I was 9 years old, I played around with fish both as a hobby and a aspect of work over the years, I'm now 61. I have always kept plants in the tanks for ecological reasons, but had never considered real aquascaping until now. My dream over the years has been to have a fish room as fish behaviour has fascinated me. So here I am at last with a little room dedicate to my hobby. I have 24 tanks with various communities and dedicated species tanks. Plants have occupied most of my life but I never have had the time to indulge myself in plants as a hobby. So with your help I hope to be able to tap into this new found source of knowledge which this forum offers and be able to create some of the beautiful ecological aquascapes that I now see on the Internet.
 

bizovski

New Member
Feb 18, 2021
1
0
1
37
Croatia
Hi! I'm from Croatia and in this hobby for around 4 years. I have one 90 gal planted tank. I came here to read about EI dosing since my water parameters after dosing arent what they are suposed to be... Have to tweek that out. Also I strugle with GDA for 2 months now.
The tank is simmilar to dutch style.
 

Rjl490

New Member
Feb 19, 2021
1
0
1
Canada
Hello all,

I have had fish for several years but new to planted tanks. I have 1 planted 10G tank, started off with the usual "easy" plants (Anubias, Java Fern, Hygrophila, ect). I have 5 platys in this tank, they have always been my favorite little fish and my 3 kids love them.

I have been creeping on the forums now for the past couple of months :D and decided it was time to join. I already have an appreciation for the vast wealth of experience and knowledge and look forward to taking in as much as I can. Cheers,
 
Hi Folks I'm an old timer in the aquarium hobby, getting my first tank when I was 9 years old, I played around with fish both as a hobby and a aspect of work over the years, I'm now 61. I have always kept plants in the tanks for ecological reasons, but had never considered real aquascaping until now. My dream over the years has been to have a fish room as fish behaviour has fascinated me. So here I am at last with a little room dedicate to my hobby. I have 24 tanks with various communities and dedicated species tanks. Plants have occupied most of my life but I never have had the time to indulge myself in plants as a hobby. So with your help I hope to be able to tap into this new found source of knowledge which this forum offers and be able to create some of the beautiful ecological aquascapes that I now see on the Internet.

Welcome McQ2. I too have a tiny fish room (Sonoran Desert Fish Nook :) ) so that I can explore keeping different types of fish and plants.
 

FlyingShawn

New Member
Jun 19, 2021
6
2
3
PA
Hello everyone!

Been in the hobby for most of my adult life and I've visited the forum many times over the years. Finally joined because I'm giving serious thought into to going more high-tech with my 52gal rebuild and I'm seriously considering pressurized CO2.
 

dwayla_sc_usa

New Member
Jul 9, 2021
3
4
1
South Carolina, USA
Hi! I’m Dwayla from Columbia, South Carolina, USA.

I have low and high tech tanks, from 2.5 gallons to 65. All freshwater planted.

My background is graphic design and nursery plants (terrestrial), and I went wild when I realized there was underwater gardening. I’m not a fish person; I’m a plant lady who keeps fish with her plants.

I am trying to refine my taste to that which exactly delights me. It’s evolving.

I build unusual furniture, and that’s part of my aquarium journey.

My current interest is fully portable aquariums independent of electrical outlets.

It bothers me I haven’t learned to weld.
 

mirza

New Member
Jul 13, 2021
1
2
3
Tanzania
My name is Mirza. I’m from Tanzania.

I have two tanks, a 490ltr (what you would call high tech) and 190ltr low tech tank.

I am here to learn all aspects of planted aquarium and making it a success.

Pearling plants is what is my definition of relaxation. I guess am currently on the journey of achieving that in my high tech tank.

I had a couple of challenges but slowly I’m getting there. One day I will share my tanks details in here.

Mirza
 

Anna-Sarah

New Member
Aug 5, 2021
1
1
3
Eindhoven, Netherlands
My name is Anna-Sarah from the Netherlands. I am a newbie where it comes to aquariums. I just started a small round 15 /20 liter tank. I also have some (clear) plastic buckets with taxiphylum alternans and a few emerged growing bog plants.
My interest in flora and fauna developed from a young age, but since I have my own garden, it has grown exponentially! I get greedy when it comes to plants...I always end up buying to many of them! Combine that 'greed' with having difficulties with throwing things away and you end up like I did: lots of plants still in their original containers waiting for a spot in the garden.
Indoors is a bit more organized because I share this with my partner who isn't at all interested in plants or animals. But he has been tolerating more and more lately.
I like to propagate new plants plus I need a challenge to keep me going. I made some planted jars and vases (very hip half a decade ago), wanted to build a paludarium and ultimately ended up in aquatic gardening. Still my ultimate dream tank would be a paludarium with a large enough area for small fish and or shrimps. Problem is lack of space..and before combining the two ( terrarium+aquarium) I need to learn much more about aquariums!

PS: Never start with a (small) ROUND aquarium as a first aquarium, especially for an aquascape. I didn't have a choice, I needed a tank to put limnophila in. And I thought let's try some scaping while I'm at it.. let's just say: I shouldn't have bothered. Looking at it, I begin to wander if I'm a fish...There's a huge fisheye effect!
 
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