Welcome to my blog about the fish keeping hobby! I am starting this as a documentary of sorts and hope to share my knowledge and experiences with you! I also encourage you to do the same.
This hobby of keeping fish is exciting and rewarding. There are a variety of colorful (and not so colorful) fish, invertebrates, crustaceans, and cephalopods. To house such beautiful creatures are also a (wide) variety of aquariums to choose from. Made from glass, acrylic, plastic, wood, and even garden ponds. Selecting what is right for you depends on what fish etc. you would like to care for, the amount of available space you have, time, and budget.
This hobby of keeping fish is exciting and rewarding. There are a variety of colorful (and not so colorful) fish, invertebrates, crustaceans, and cephalopods. To house such beautiful creatures are also a (wide) variety of aquariums to choose from. Made from glass, acrylic, plastic, wood, and even garden ponds. Selecting what is right for you depends on what fish etc. you would like to care for, the amount of available space you have, time, and budget.
For instance, if you live on the 5th floor of an apartment complex you most likely couldn't have a 125 gallon aquarium setup, for multiple reasons. One being that water weighs ~8lbs. per gallon (~1000lbs with just water!) and another, if it springs a leak while you're not home the poor person on the 4th floor is going to get wet, and the fish will most likely die.
Selecting the size and location of the fish's new home is step number one. Size will determine what you can house properly, and where you can put it. Some people go by the general "1-inch per gallon" rule, which may work for some smaller fish, but bigger fish may need 3 to 10 gallons per inch! The rule i use is 3 times the size in every direction for the fish to be comfortable. My example will be the Betta fish, or Siamese Fighting fish, that so many people enjoy in small little containers. It makes me sick to see, it would be like you living in a broom closet your whole life. Betta fish range in size from 1.5" up to 5". For the smallest no less than 4.5" x 4.5" x 4.5" i would recommend minimum, and the largest 15" x 15" x 15" minimum. This gives the fish plenty of room to swim and turn around in comfortably (and contrary to popular belief, they also REALLY enjoy some sort of filtration but that's for a different discussion.)
You want a good location where you can see and enjoy the tank, but one that is also "out of the way" so-to-speak. You don't want it near the front door, as it can be subject to drafts, and you don't want it next to a window where it can receive direct sunlight. This could cause an algae bloom and also heat the water to unsafe temperatures cooking the poor little fellows alive. You also wouldn't want it in a high traffic area where it can get bumped into or too large of a tank on a floor that wouldn't be able to support it. Keep in mind a fully decorated and stocked aquarium can weigh 10-15lbs per gallon!
Time. Something we all seem to have less and less of each day, is another factor in keeping fish. It doesn't seem like it takes a lot of time to care for fish, right? You just feed them, how long can that take? Wrong. I have 3 tanks totaling 70 gallons set up, 10gal, 20 gallon (tall style), and a 40gal (breeder style). I spend on average 1 - 1.5 hours a day on maintenance between the three. It involves feeding, watching, removing things that shouldn't be, checking filters for proper function, tanks for leaks, and testing water. Once a week i change the water in all three tanks (20 - 25%) which takes 1.5 hours alone (which brings my monday maintenance times to 2.5 - 3 hours per day.) Luckily i have mondays off from work and work 2nd shift, so i have the required time. It really makes things easier, except on the wallet! Which brings up the last subject for today.
Budget. Money, dollars, dinero, moola. Whatever you call it we all need it, we all use it, and it's a real drag when you don't have enough. Which rings especially true for fish keeping. Some people even use the hobby to supplement their income, for the hobby, by breeding fish, growing plants, or propagating corals to sell to other hobbyist or local fish shops. Your budget will be a larger factor than any other in my opinion on what you decide to do. My budget is tight right now, which allows for some guppies and ghost shrimp. Both cheap and easy to keep. Once my bills are paid, the empty 125gal Reef Ready tank in the basement can begin to be set up. For now it sits dry. Some fish cost around $1 USD, others upwards of $1,000 USD depending on where you are (and some very high quality koi fetching much more than that.) The larger the tank you choose, the more its going to cost, naturally. Decorations are also something to consider. You want it to look nice and it gives the fish places to hide and feel secure when scared.
These are key starting points for anyone who wants to enter (or already is a part of) the hobby when setting up a new tank. I am sure to have missed things i should have mentioned, but this IS only post #1. Thank you for reading, your support, time and comments. I hope this is somewhat helpful to you, and please comment and check back for the latest content!
Happy fish keeping!
Selecting the size and location of the fish's new home is step number one. Size will determine what you can house properly, and where you can put it. Some people go by the general "1-inch per gallon" rule, which may work for some smaller fish, but bigger fish may need 3 to 10 gallons per inch! The rule i use is 3 times the size in every direction for the fish to be comfortable. My example will be the Betta fish, or Siamese Fighting fish, that so many people enjoy in small little containers. It makes me sick to see, it would be like you living in a broom closet your whole life. Betta fish range in size from 1.5" up to 5". For the smallest no less than 4.5" x 4.5" x 4.5" i would recommend minimum, and the largest 15" x 15" x 15" minimum. This gives the fish plenty of room to swim and turn around in comfortably (and contrary to popular belief, they also REALLY enjoy some sort of filtration but that's for a different discussion.)
You want a good location where you can see and enjoy the tank, but one that is also "out of the way" so-to-speak. You don't want it near the front door, as it can be subject to drafts, and you don't want it next to a window where it can receive direct sunlight. This could cause an algae bloom and also heat the water to unsafe temperatures cooking the poor little fellows alive. You also wouldn't want it in a high traffic area where it can get bumped into or too large of a tank on a floor that wouldn't be able to support it. Keep in mind a fully decorated and stocked aquarium can weigh 10-15lbs per gallon!
Time. Something we all seem to have less and less of each day, is another factor in keeping fish. It doesn't seem like it takes a lot of time to care for fish, right? You just feed them, how long can that take? Wrong. I have 3 tanks totaling 70 gallons set up, 10gal, 20 gallon (tall style), and a 40gal (breeder style). I spend on average 1 - 1.5 hours a day on maintenance between the three. It involves feeding, watching, removing things that shouldn't be, checking filters for proper function, tanks for leaks, and testing water. Once a week i change the water in all three tanks (20 - 25%) which takes 1.5 hours alone (which brings my monday maintenance times to 2.5 - 3 hours per day.) Luckily i have mondays off from work and work 2nd shift, so i have the required time. It really makes things easier, except on the wallet! Which brings up the last subject for today.
Budget. Money, dollars, dinero, moola. Whatever you call it we all need it, we all use it, and it's a real drag when you don't have enough. Which rings especially true for fish keeping. Some people even use the hobby to supplement their income, for the hobby, by breeding fish, growing plants, or propagating corals to sell to other hobbyist or local fish shops. Your budget will be a larger factor than any other in my opinion on what you decide to do. My budget is tight right now, which allows for some guppies and ghost shrimp. Both cheap and easy to keep. Once my bills are paid, the empty 125gal Reef Ready tank in the basement can begin to be set up. For now it sits dry. Some fish cost around $1 USD, others upwards of $1,000 USD depending on where you are (and some very high quality koi fetching much more than that.) The larger the tank you choose, the more its going to cost, naturally. Decorations are also something to consider. You want it to look nice and it gives the fish places to hide and feel secure when scared.
These are key starting points for anyone who wants to enter (or already is a part of) the hobby when setting up a new tank. I am sure to have missed things i should have mentioned, but this IS only post #1. Thank you for reading, your support, time and comments. I hope this is somewhat helpful to you, and please comment and check back for the latest content!
Happy fish keeping!