How long?

[Intravenous]

After reading through lots of the posts, and having had questions answered on this forum its obvious that there are some very knowledgeable people here. What I'm wondering is how long have the people here been into the fish keeping hobby to have learnt everything they have? How old were you when you all started keeping fish and what was your first tank (not including disasters as children )?

I've just started this hobby and am on my first (proper) tank, a 70 litre freshwater with a couple of guppies and a Snowball pleco (or Snowball-like pleco). I'm only 18 now so hopefully in a couple of years I'll have caught up with some of you on fish keeping .

[pictus_man_77]

Im 15, and ive had my 60X30X30 cm tank for 2 years now

[racoll]

I've been keeping fish on and off for 20 years.

[Marc van Arc]

I've been keeping fish for about 35 years. My first tank was 30x20x20 cm; it's capacity was slightly more than a bucket (12 litres). Since then I've had quite a few tanks, mostly inhabited by all kinds of whiskered fishes.
Now I have a 200x60x60 (720 litres), my son has a 70x30x30 (63 litres) and my daughter has a 80x40x40 (128 litres).
Just like me, they're really fond of catfish (how come? )

[Birger]

As above I have 35 years as a hobbyist,first tank was a five gallon,then another.Always seemed to have a tank or two even through the unsettled years.My son had no interest really until he moved out now he has a tank of his own.I have learned to limit myself as to what I can handle for tanks(only seven) as they can easily become a chore instead of a joy.

Birger

[B-2]

I started out about 2 years ago with a 50 gallon tank.

[gemsonthebottom]

25 years as a hobbyist first tank was a 30 gallon.

[djw66]

Well, my late father bought his first tank - a metal-framed, slate-bottomed 29 gallon - in 1947, so there were always fish in the house since the day I was born. I was given my first aquarium - a 10 gallon, when I was six. That was in 1972 . . . I still like zebra danios.

Tanks have become a good deal larger, and most definately more numerous, since.

Dave

[snowball]

When I was a wee bairn twenty-odd years ago my mother was given a bowl with two goldfish to mind for someone who was going away for a week, foolishly she put it in my bedroom and it never left! Well actually it did, only to be replaced by a 9" steel framed tank, then another and another and so on!

[bronzefry]

About 4-5 years ago. A pain management specialist at a large teaching hospital recommended this hobby to me. It's gotten way out of hand since then! I have no idea where that doctor is now, but thanks, wherever you are.
Amanda

[Jackster]

Most of my life I thought aquariums were a big waste of time and money. When I was 27
I met my friend Todd and he turned me on to African cichlids. I started with a 10 gallon
tank filled with $100 worth of colorful Africans. On my 28th birthday my girlfriend
bought a 55 gallon aquarium for my iguanas which quickly became an African tank also.
The funny part is in about 1 years time I went from never having any fish to spawning
6 or 7 species and as my friend Todd said "I have created a monster". Now Todd buys
his fish from me and I'm 43 years old (OK I'll do the math 16 years).

[flash]

hi all
i started keeping fish in the late 70s but gave them up when the kids came along and didnt have the time (or energy).
but 4 years ago i found as they grew up i had my spare time back so i started up again the change has been incredable
the equipment the variety and the infomation still blow me away i used to spend all my time with my nose in a book.but now i just log on and find all the info i need.i love it

[Phathead6669]

I've been in the fish scene since I was about 10. Then I quite for like 5 years and started back up when I was 19 now I'm 23 and my main tank has been running the whole time with the loss of 1 fish and 1 frog.

When I was younger I lost more fish then I do now.

[thecichlidpleco]

Two years, I have 1 L024 Red fin catcus pleco, 1 L190 Royal Pleco, and 1 Rubbernose pleco. I know it isn't long, but working in a pet store, gets you wiser beyond your years.