Aquariums

I love aquariums. I started with just one fishbowl and two goldfish. One, a coment named Golden Gun, and a black moor, named BlackJack. I cleaned their bowl everyday and loved watching them swim. How relaxing of a thing to behold!

I quickly got a 10 gal tank and filled it with fish. I was hooked. All of my high school and college years I had aquariums. At least eight betta hexes (small hexagon shaped bowls for individual bettas), different size fish bowls for gold fish, guppies, tropical fish and cominations of such.

when I moved back from college in Fargo, I moved back in with my parents. I had only one tank at that time and it was a 10 gallon. When my parents built their new home, and I was full owner of this house I grew up in, I quickly added two more 20 gallon tanks and a 55 gallon tank. I got rid of all the bowls and hexes and just kept the larger tanks (also two 10 gallons yet).

Slowly they became something of a backburner during the summers due to my work and obligations outside, and I kept downsizing.

About a year ago I set up the 55 gal, both 20 gal and one 10 gal again. I let the tanks run with only water and plants for a week, then only added the little neon tetras and zebra danios. Followed by the algae eaters and corydoras (catfish) and finally the other more striking species. I was quite sentimental and purchased only those species that I had had when I live here growing up. They really are still my favorites.

A few weeks ago I transferred my tropical fish from my 20 gal in my bedroom ( i need it for the white noise) and put them in my 55 gal aquarium in the family room. I have literally spent hours each day watching these fish in their nearly tripled in size environment. Wow are they happy! I have added more of each species so they are now schooling and enjoying themselves immensely. With such tiny brains it amazes me they even seperate into different color variations i.e the albino tiger barbs will break away from the rest of the 'normal' tiger barbs and school about by themselves for a bit. The white skirt and black skirt tetras seperate also. It amazes me they can tell what THEY look like, and also know which of the other fish also look like them. Reminds me of High School cliques LOL.

They also fight amongst their own species but are very polite and courteous of the other species (except when feeding on tubifex worms, a tank favorite).

I can't even believe i'm blogging about this, but have wanted to for awhile. I think everyone needs a fish tank. You may think there is a lot of upkeep but I get to differ! Once its set up, the environment needs little attention besides a monthly filter change, water added and the fish fed. Everyone always comments on how clean my tanks are and I say i haven't cleaned them for 12-15 months and no one believes me! Its better to let them get a 'real' as can be environment as possible. I'll see if photos will work of them and will try and post them later.

In the mean time I'll relax to the waterfall sounds they all make in unison, and enjoy the stress free environment that these fish and aquariums provide for me.