# First Tank's... We all started somewhere



## Lymric (Feb 27, 2011)

My first tank...
was a little PLASTIC 10 gal, I got it for my 10th birthday, and i LOVED it!!! it was home to a red ear slider (named speedy), about 10 neons, 3 goldfish, and a big golden apple snail. There was a tonn of plants, and lime green gravel, and of course the turtle platform (crowded to say the least) but that didnt last long... did you know that; A) turtles eat fish, B) snails and goldfish eat plants, C) snails MULTIPLY quickly, and D) turtles and plants do NOT thrive off the same light spectrum 
In the end there was still a turtle, a billion snails, and 1 very "healthy" goldfish, with the platform, lime green gravel, and a basking light  
k that's my story..... 
what's yours???


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

lol, a little over stocked. Good first attempt though.

I started with a 29 gallon biocube (my dad had a 33g when I was growing up and that inspired me to get started myself). I just had the typical community fish and a angel fish named Grumpy. I gassed them to death with my first co2 attempt, my bad. I've switched to a saltwater setup now in the same biocube and its thriving (Besides the red slime algae anyways).

Thanks for sharing your first experience!

Cheers,
Chris


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

lol and the memories come rushing back....I remember my first tank quite well , I must have been 11 or 12 . Ever since I can remember I loved frogs and turtles and was always trying to bring them home to keep , when we'd go fishing. As for the first tank, it was a cool retro one , 20 gal with the chrome frame ( that makes be feel old now that I think about it lol) Anyway , had some zebra danios, a couple bronze cories, some Tetra's and one of my favorite b-day presents were 2 pictus cats, they were so cool. Unfortunately due to my lack of fish keeping skills & responsibility , the tank acquired Ich and the Pictus cats died. I remember being so heartbroken about that. Wasn't long after that, I discovered cooties were not real & girlfriends were much more enjoyable than the fish anyway :bigsmile: The tank slowly faded away, wish I still had it tho, would have been nice to keep around to remember my dad by, since he was the one who started it up to begin with.


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## target (Apr 21, 2010)

My first was also a turtle tank. 2 red ear sliders in what I am guessing was a 33g. They were too big for the tank so my room would smell like a sewer by the end of each week. The turtles were eventually rehomed. 

After that I had nothing for a while until our neighbor gave me a 5g set up because her kids kept over feeding the fish. It only had a gold fish and a tetra (can't remember which kind) when I got it. I had that for about a year I think, then graduated to a 10g.

The 10g was up for about 4 years. I had tetras, platies, all the usual LFS offering at one time or another. I had to replace the tankonce since I shattered it with my snowboard, 10g is a lot of water to clean up.


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## Taiko (Jul 9, 2010)

My first tank wasn't even technically MY tank, but the youngest always gets stuck with the "dirty work" and "responsibility" in the family.

My sister worked at a pet store, and was quick to "save" any animal that she could from there. She soon brought home a 2.5 gallon plastic tank that was quickly filled with five 3 spot Gouramis. We slowly learned that these were territorial fish, especially in such a small tank together. Slowly, because 4 of the 5 were killed by the "winner" Gourami, as well as the 2 other honey Gouramis we replaced them with, as well as the 5 neon fish we replaced them with, then the black male molly, before we learned this Gourami was not going to tolerate living with a roomate in such small quarters. 

We eventually gave him away to our friend who informed us he was the tamest and nicest fish in his planted 50 gallon tank. I guess all he really wanted was some space.

Happily, after the some what traumatic experience, I found a serious love for fish/water plants/water critters and moved up to a glass 5 gallon tank. And from there, a custom 85 gallon! And I also took in a neglected 25 gallon tanks after that...and of course the custom 75 gallon turtle tank. I think a custom in-wall salt water tank will be next =D


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## Canadian_Aqua_Farm (Apr 21, 2010)

Great thread! I think I already had a few tanks going at the point that this photo was taken but this was the tank that it all started with. A 27 gallon community tank with sunken ship, skull, pink plastic plants, angels, guppies, zebra danios, cory cats, lemon tetras, neon tetras and probably a bunch of others that I don't remember. It wasn't long before my guppies had babies and my fascination with breeding fish was born!


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

mine was a goldfish bowl of guppies upon guppies upon guppies. i was about 5 and my much older sister was jealous and switched the bleach bottle i aged my water in for a real bottle of bleach so i got to watch them all perish in a matter of minutes. kinda turned me off for a long time until i had a child and i started her off with a oscar.


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## Smiladon (Apr 23, 2010)

My first tank:










I had around 20 Indian mackerel fish (They are around 0.5" in size).
Daily 100% water changes --> Breeding

I was 6 years old at that time.


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## gmachine19 (Apr 21, 2010)

Mine was a 15 Gallon that my aunt gave me when I was around 10. I had guppies and goldfish on it. Then I moved to cichlids around 14. That tank is STILL running to this day and my nephew has it!


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## Lymric (Feb 27, 2011)

Smiladon, that is an AWESOME first tank  I absolutely love old jars AND oddball fishhomes 

and everyone else, TYVM for sharing, I've really enjoyed reading these posts


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

Started with a 27 gallon hex, moved to a 33 gallon rectangle then to a 48 gallon rectangle all kept in my 12 X 12 bedroom at home, then when I bought my own house I had a 135 gallon rectangle and now in the process of setting up a 220 gallon tank in the basement of my third house after about a 11 year absence from the hobby! Things have changed a little!


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## discuspaul (Jul 2, 2010)

My first tank was a 10 gal in which I initially placed a male Betta (I was about 12 or 13 years old at the time - well over 50 years ago)- then, for lack of trying anything else, I got a female betta, separated the two in the tank with a pane of glass. Fed them both well, but by much more good luck than good management - lo & behold, he built a huge nest. I separated them, watched the mating process with wonderstruck awe !
Once the spawning was over, I neglected to take any action, and he promptly 'disposed' of her.
Nonetheless, I plugged on & eventually raised about 30 -1/2 inchers, which I sold to several LFS for a nickel apiece ! Wow- I thought I'd died, gone to heaven, and knew everything there was to know about fish-keeping & raising !
Well, over the next few years, and 10 more tanks later, I sure learned that I didn't know very much at all - but glad I went through the terrifying (at times) experience.
Much calmer person now.


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## Lymric (Feb 27, 2011)

what a great bunch of stories!! keep em coming everyone


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

A 20 gal when I was 19. Had my first apartment. Put it on a couple milk crates for a stand. Blue and navy blue gravel. 
Home to 4 gold barbs, 4 cherry barbs, 4 zebra danios, an apple snail, and an albino rainbow shark, and some silver tipped sharks. 

Did not know a thing about a cycle, so lost the sharks, and the cherry barbs. 
Long story short - I still have I think 2 of the original Zebra Danios, one of the gold barbs, and the albino rainbow shark (king of my 55g). Pretty amazing considering what I didnt know.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

This is a great threat, Lymric! I've loved reading these 'first tank' stories. Yours is particularly hilarious.



Lymric said:


> My first tank...
> was a little PLASTIC 10 gal, I got it for my 10th birthday, and i LOVED it!!! it was home to a red ear slider (named speedy), about 10 neons, 3 goldfish, and a big golden apple snail. There was a tonn of plants, and lime green gravel, and of course the turtle platform (crowded to say the least) but that didnt last long... did you know that; A) turtles eat fish, B) snails and goldfish eat plants, C) snails MULTIPLY quickly, and D) turtles and plants do NOT thrive off the same light spectrum
> In the end there was still a turtle, a billion snails, and 1 very "healthy" goldfish, with the platform, lime green gravel, and a basking light
> k that's my story.....
> what's yours???


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