Introduce Yourself!

Hi all,
     I'm new to keeping fish, so I just wanted to introduce myself, and warn everyone that I'll be asking questions.  I also wanted to let others know that the API Master Test Kit is currently selling on Amazon for £20 plus a few pence.

     Okay, now for the story behind me becoming a freshwater fish keeper.  My eldest daughter was given a very small tank and about 30-40 Albino Convict babies by her boyfriend, who is now thankfully her ex, or I would have drowned him by now.  He gave her lots of useless information, a filter way too small for the tiny tank, and left her to it.  Unfortunately  7ish months later, when she decided to move out, I went into her room to pack up her things and found the poor tank in a right state.  All but one of the fish were dead, the tank was green, and the water was so low the fish was trapped in one spot.

     My hubby cleaned out the tank, set it all back up in our living room, and popped Chuck back in.  We named the fish Chuck after Chuck Norris, as it was the only survivor of the fish apocalypse, and deserved a worthy name.  Knowing next to nothing about fish we figured poor Chuck would be lonely, so we went to get him some new equipment and a 'friend.'  We came home with a pair of Firemouths, popped them in, along with a new filter etc, and all was well.  Then the tank went mad, cloudy and green tinged, and though we had been reading up on fishkeeping, we hadn't come across a mention of this.  We had read that we needed a bigger tank for the fish we had, so we went out and got a 125ltr, with all the appropriate equipment.

     We popped the fish into it, and all went well for about 3 weeks, when we lost the smaller of the 2 firemouths.  She seemed very weak and timid from the start and stayed in one corner the whole time we had her.  We read that convicts are notoriously aggressive, but Chuck, who turned out to be a girl, wasn't at that time.  Anyway, a week later we discovered that Chuck was female, she started courting what turned out to be the 'male' firemouth.  We've so far taken two lots of eggs out of the tank while cleaning!  Then last week, the fourth week of the new tank set up, the water turned misty and we have a bacterial bloom.  We've been getting advice from an uncle on how to deal with this, but in desperation I decided to look online and found this site, and thankfully the advice we were given is correct. 

     We're checking our water daily, the fish don't seem to care and are fine (they are so fine Chuck laid her second lot of eggs last night!).  So now we're just waiting on the cycling to end, whilst reading everything we can.  What I needed was a place where I could find everything I wanted under one easy to navigate roof, I seem to have found it here.   

     P.S.  I hope you forgive me for cycling with the fish in the tank, I didn't realize the mistake I was making until about a week after I put the fish in the bigger tank, by then the old tank was long gone.   

     

Welcome to the forum Gaynor - you've found the right place here.

Thanks everyone,
     
     I must admit the convict would never have been a fish I would have chosen myself, I feel guilty stealing her eggs too, but she is one hell of a character and I wouldn't part with her now.

     To be honest I was very wary of posting, I posted on a US forum just after I got the bigger tank and got verbally slammed for just about everything I had done.  When all you're doing is trying to learn and save a fish I found that a bit upsetting.  Thanks for being so understanding, I feel at home already, and will definitely stick around.   

     As soon as the cycle clears I'll get some pics uploaded.   

Welcome back to fishkeeping 
I know the feeling about spouses that aren't keen on fish. I wish I could have a bedroom as a fishroom, but both ours are still full of beds in case either of our sons and their partners want to visit.

You'll find things have changed a lot since the 1980s, especially in our understanding of the cycling process. The best thing you can do is to read up on that. Once you get off to a good start, the rest is easier 

Hello every one,
we had fish when I was a child, 14 yrs old they were looked after by my father who seemed to know everything, lol

Anyway I have been looking for a new hobby and a friend said they had a tank they wanted to sell, the price seems good so I have picked it up to check it, see link to first post....http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,396.0.html

I am reading up and things have changed so much I may most quiet a few questions.

Thats all for now....

Welcome aboard! I only started my first tank back in April and the guys on here have been an invaluable resource throughout the process, I don't think I could have done it without them!

Hi All,

I joined this forum a few months ago so thought it was about time I actually introduced myself.

I have kept tropicals and coldwater fish over the years since I was in secondry school (10ish years ago), unfortunatly making all the classic newbie mistakes as I went along with books out of the libary that were older than time themselves. Near the end of last year after moving house I decided to re-kindle my interest in fish keeping and bought a 55L aqua nano tank; thats when I discovered this forum .Well im now on my new 200L tank so I can definatly say im "hooked" (pardon the pun) on the hobbie again!

Anyway thats enough about me for now

Daniel.

all the classic newbie mistakes as I went along with books out of the libary that were older than time themselves.

I know the feeling - that's how I started too 

Hello Etienne and welcome to the forum - you've found a good place here, but I think you know that already!

Any piccies are always much appreciated and admired.

Hi All,
          Ian here, just restarted the fishkeeping hobby after 20 years.  Have 72L juwel tank with internal filter. sand substrate, I have 2 pearl gourami's, 12 neon's, 6 black widows, 2 silver mollies, and a common pleco.  great site for information.