I Was A Closet Scientist

Hello,
My post is about how happy I am that I began keeping fish in 2017, and how I have grown even happier from it since then. I belong to an aquarium club and have fun tending my 13 fish and their plants in my 30gallon tank (113L).  I keep white cloud mountain minnows, gold cloud minnows, and 2 oto cats.

WEIRD HOBBY- NOT!
The other day I heard on the radio an author/psychologist Neil Pasricha talking about weird hobbies. And, Pasricha's words specifically were "weird hobby" which caught my attention. He was describing a book about brain health and resilience, and how online culture has really worn people down.  He said that the way to be healthy and resilient against online fatigue is to take up something new, and keep options open; with a "weird hobby" it is good that the learning curve is steep for the brain.  He did not mention fish, but the idea clicked for me.  I do NOT find fishkeeping weird... but I think my family might! That radio broadcast resonated with me becuase that describes what I did, when I tried something very different, about 3 years ago in 2017. 

CLOSET SCIENTIST
Getting a fish tank was definitely a combo-breaker because the family had always seen me as a college librarian, online all day, every day. Ha! No one knew that I actually have a closet scientist waiting to burst out. My children are out of the house, I needed a hobby...  It was not a dog or a cat, it was a fish tank, and it has been a success!  My family thought it was unprecedented that I, in the humanities profession, would keep fish. (There is a precedent however, as a child, I admired freshwater fish every summer while swimming in ponds AND kept a fish tank for a while).

CLUBBING
So here in Boston began my journey as an adult aquarist, in January 2017. That is the month I bought a mature 10gallon tank (37L) from an area medical student.  I did this after reading and researching aquariums a lot. Though old, the tank was nicely decorated and had 4 pretty white cloud mountain minnows.  I was smitten.  That same month in 2017 I joined an aquarium club, the Boston aquarium society in Massachusetts https://www.bostonaquariumsociety.org/ It is a place which encourages and informs my scientist's head, one night a month. BAS "supports my habit" by giving me a place to talk with others who love fish: they are aquarium staff, fish geeks, environmentalists, nerds-who-probably-should-get-out-more, biologists, pharamcists, teachers, house painters, plus some colorful characters.  At BAS meetings we crack jokes and bring things and stories to swap.  At BAS meetings, there are many people I would never ordinarily have met, and I am happy that I have! 

BAR IS LOW
Getting back to the idea of weird hobbies and that lofty notion of resilience and life balance etc., unfortunately those 2017 fish from the med student are not longer among us -- my aquarist skills were/are still developing. But I'm improving a lot and learning all the time. I have learned that a) this is a hobby where the measure of success is that you did not kill anyone b) I take my victories where I can.

Though that bar may be set rather low, I pursue my aquarium hobby with joy and energy. And it's a good day when I get to spend time with my glittery, fishy pets. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, @Dominique, and can definitely relate to it. 

When you mention tanks #10 and #30, do you mean you've had 30 tanks?! If so, you might even be genetically pre-programmed to fishkeeping and thus related to another of our members  , @Littlefish, whose tank numbers must be close to that. .  I really love long, shallow tanks like yours - what brand is it?

It's also good to read about fishkeepers from different parts of the world (and about aquarium societies there) - it would be good to read others' fishkeeping stories from elsewhere too as well as UK-based fishkeepers'.

Oh, @Dominique I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post, and feel as if I could relate to your experiences.

I found the wonderful world of aquatics. I completely agree with you, fishkeeping is not weird, though the radio broadcast that you mention makes a valid point. I've had a great time learning about water chemistry, the environmental preferences of different fish, plants, and also stretched myself with some odd/unusual fish with different requirements. Several steep learning curves, and great fun. Totally addictive. 

I have a scientific background, and work in the diagnostics industry. However, I find it personally very satisfying to perform water tests and monitor the parameters. I also enjoy spending time online researching the requirements of different fish.

I haven't joined any clubs, but this forum has satisfied that aspect for me, along with getting to know the staff of the local aquatic shops, and attending aquascaping demonstrations. I agree that you tend to meet people that you wouldn't normally meet, and they are always happy to discuss fish. Only a few weeks ago I was on the phone to a letting agent to book a viewing for a property. I explained I was looking for somewhere with a lot of ground floor space for my tanks. It turns out that he has tanks at home, plus one in the office, and we spent more time talking about fish than houses. 

I only have 1 fish left from the very first 6 fish purchased. She (a zebra danio) is part of a larger group of leopard danios, white cloud mountain minnows, and rainbow shiners in the river tank, and is the first one I look for in that tank. I have found the information & support that I receive on this forum is fantastic, and has provided me with so much help over the years. I love hearing about the tanks & tank plans of others, experience the joy of the arrival of new fish, and the sorrow of the loss of any fish of the forum users here.

I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying your journey into the world of aquatics, and it's great to know that we all have similar experiences, however long we've been involved with fish, and wherever we are in the world.