Newbie from Western Ma.

Hello,

I am new to the forum, and fairly new to aquarium life. Since this is a fish forum I find it to be most appropritate to talk about my aquarium experience. Growing up I ALWAYS loved fish. Just the way they move through the water, and I found them to be so interesting. I started with bettas. Now days I feel bad as I was not the best owner. I was young and uneducated. When I moved out of my families home I started to build what is called my zoo, since I was not allowed to have more then a fish or a hamster when I was a child. As for my aquarium history... I started with a used hand me down 20 gal hex. It was a livebearer community tank.
I did my first fishless cycle with only information I learned for a forum and a few internet sites. The forum really offered alot of support and picked me up when I was feeling down and out about my hiccups along the way of having a successful tank. I took my time, and it ended up pretty successful. I told myself in the beginning I would rather know to much information, and be completely overwhelmed then not know enough information and put myself in a really big jam when something doesn't go right. So to get back on track...
About 8-10 months later I was at my local mom and pop pet store and they had a used 40 gal high. I fell in love with it and took it home that day. Once it got going it was a great tank, but with a few hicups along the way. I had a couple of blood parrots. They were so funny, and they were full of character. I know some do not agree with this man made fish but they were really the best. Then this past December I moved and was unable to successfully move the fish and unfortunately lost them. I was COMPLETELY devastated... I swore I never wanted to get fish again. I was emotionally attached to these fish and I felt I let the down and I was the worse fish keeper in the world. Well... I went to a pet store devoted to fish in April, and I cannot tell you why I did but I did. I was not looking for anything just looking at the fish. Then I looked at the aquariums. They were having a blow out sale. So I ended up making a purchase... after an hour of talking myself into it I purchased a 75 gallon all glass set up. I loved it so much I have a huge kitchen in my new place and that is where it is. It now houses corydoras (which I would like to try and breed), 2 juvie severums, 1 baby bubble gum parrot, rainbow shark, and 7 danios (which are going to be moving to a new home this weekend.)

Well I hope I can both add my knowledge to this forum and help out other beginners and also learn from those who are more educated then I am.
One thing I recently learned from experience that I would like to share and was unaware of at the time was that adding driftwood to your aquarium can cause the pH to decrease.

Well here is to the forum...

 

Hello and welcome