[hulahips]

Do we have a club for those who would love to have those pretty Fish as pets?? Would love to learn how to start this hobby?

[Jdmiata]

No club that I know of . I have had a couple of tanks with both marine and freshwater fish and marine are more difficult to keep. They require more filtration and general upkeep. Marine are also more expensive to buy.
That being said they are beautiful and interesting. A good fish / pet store is a good source of info. I bought all my supplies from the Leesburg Pet Center. The owner has a lot of knowledge . Good luck.

[rivaridger1]

Be afraid, be very afraid ! The first time I did tropicals and the second time fancy gold fish. Had multiple tanks both times. You will end up dealing quality of water issues, fish poop issues and worst of all, the ICK ! The hobby will suck you in and you will spend lots of money on the latest filtration systems, special fish foods and special pharmaceutical compounds just intended for fish. You will wake up one morning and be delighted with a tank full of baby fish only to be horrified when the mother fish starts eating them. There will be sick fish in " hospital tanks" located in the other rooms in your house. In addition, there are about three monthly " Fish " magazines and you will subscribe to them all providing the mailman with a good laugh once a month. Lastly, you will start thinking about salt water marine tanks and even ( clutch your heart ) cold water marine tanks. Don't go there.

[Jdmiata]

Rivaridger1......sorry about you fish problems. I have had fish for many years and haven't experienced the problems you have.
I think the hobby is a good one. And marine fish are exceptionally beautiful.
Hula hips......do some research about fish before you start and buy carefully . Enjoy !

[hulahips]

Wow. I would need a class for all there is to know. They definitely are beautiful

[luvmagic2]

Have had my small 20 gallon tank for 5 years and have not experienced any issues like described above. Cost is not too much and freshwater fish are not expensive..... only on going costs for me are... about $6 a month for water, buying new fish -fish die, and when I buy new accessories or plants. I've shopped at Petsmaft, Petco as well as the Leesburg Pet Center. All are patient but I would second the comment above and go to Leesburg....it's right after the 27/441 split

[Miguel 1952]

This is a wonderful hobby, I have done this for over 30 years. Do your research before you start and don't rush in buying fish until your water is right and depending on the fish the temperature is the correct setting. Also, not all fish get along and fish grow, so watch the size of your aquarium. Food is very important and don't feed the same thing all the time, variety is good and by no means don't over feed. Ask a lot of questions before the fish come home. Start slowly, no rush, we are retired!

Good luck and enjoy the hobby!

[Jdmiata]

Excellent advice , Miguel.

[Trayderjoe]

Originally Posted by Miguel 1952

This is a wonderful hobby, I have done this for over 30 years. Do your research before you start and don't rush in buying fish until your water is right and depending on the fish the temperature is the correct setting. Also, not all fish get along and fish grow, so watch the size of your aquarium. Food is very important and don't feed the same thing all the time, variety is good and by no means don't over feed. Ask a lot of questions before the fish come home. Start slowly, no rush, we are retired!

Good luck and enjoy the hobby!

Good advice by Miguel. Here is my "build":

If you have no experience with keeping an aquarium, I would highly recommend that you don't start with a marine aquarium-even if you have access to a lot of information. Water quality is extremely important with marine aquariums and if you add that nice looking anemone, or the banded coral shrimp, they could quickly die and foul your tank leading to your fish dying and you wasting a lot of money. I have kept aquariums for about 30 years, starting with a 10 gallon tank of "community tropicals" that my grandfather bought for me to introduce me to the hobby. When I was in my teens, I had maintained 8 tanks simultaneously, including breeding fish, "graduating" to African Cichlids, and ultimately I have kept marine aquariums. It is a fun hobby, but there is nothing like getting some experience and starting small before making a major investment.

Pros for the hobby: A nicely decorated aquarium (this is very subjective to your choice of decor in the tank) that you can sit back and enjoy, picking fish for your aquarium, learning to identify the sexes so that you can potentially breed fish (if you buy "livebearers" such as guppies, platies, or mollies, they breed easily regardless of your plans), learning about the many varieties of fish and growing with the hobby.

Cons of the hobby: As your experience and desire for a larger aquarium, or multiple aquariums grows, so do the costs. More sophisticated equipment will cost more money. The price of purchasing fish continues to rise, and keep in mind that some fish have short life spans. You have to clean your aquarium and filter and not let it go. An aquarium is an enclosed living environment which includes a buildup of waste materials that will stress out the fish and stress can lead to disease. Additionally, if you like to travel, you need to think about who will feed your fish and clean the tank in your absence. Staying with the basic community tropical fish, you can get away with an automatic fish feeder while away, but if you move into larger fish or a marine aquarium, fish flakes will not suffice. The size of your tank, the amount of fish, and the quality of your filter system will determine how often you will need to complete water changes and cleaning the gravel. A larger tank and less fish (not including large fish like an Oscar) with a good filter system will allow you a little more forgiveness and not have to clean/change water as frequently.

If your heart is set on a marine aquarium, you might think about hiring a service to set up and maintain your tank for you. I am not sure of what the current rates are for this service, but it won't be cheap.

[Polar Bear]

I agree with getting some experience...it's a good thing. But I still think some want to make it sound a bit more difficult than it has to be. I had a small (29 gallon) marihevtank for several years, before I had to move and could not longer keep it.

I had an anemone, a clown fish, a blue tang, and a snake fish. Not too large a population, but they were so entertaining and beautiful.

Especially with marine, don't overpopulate your tank. Have quality basic equipment and keep up with minimum water changes...which aren't that big of a deal...and you'll be fine.

Remember, with marine tanks, surface area is more important than volume. That's why most marine tanks are longer and not so tall.