From the time that I was a young one the world of fish keeping has always fascinated me.   The earliest fish that I remember my mother having were two beautiful kissing gouramis.  While not being sure at their age at the time they were seemingly huge and beyond beautiful.

Despite meaning well my mother was a novice but we made do with monthly water changes and no filter, imagine that, but it worked as they were capable of breathing air.

My love for fish later grew in the form of what we now call nano tanks which housed Bettas.

Details are foggy of course due to my current age, but I kept at least 3 of these beautiful creatures throughout high school.

The Dark Ages

Blame is on life, love or something else, perhaps college but for years I abandoned the habit to the point that I never thought I’d be a fish keeper again.  I can’t remember the how’s and the why’s but the hobby did nothing for me as a young adult.

My day-to-day job as a retail manager dominated my life via working on average 60-70 hours a week and using any free time I had to be a young adult.  Again sorry but I vaguely remember my 20’s but as with any maturing adult, life forces you to slow down.

I went nearly years being away from the hobby and in that time something great happened. Despite already having been a force at local club and a force on message board, the fish community rallied behind YouTube and exploded.

Yes I’ll admit it, I missed the YouTube explosion, as always I’m late to the party but here I am doing what I do best which is expressing my thoughts through text.

The ReBirth

It was a spark that happened completely by accident but it happened and it brought me new life. As I was in a pet store buying toys for my Lab/Chow mix Riley I saw the most beautiful fish tank that I’d ever seen.

Now before I get started I know what everyone is going to say, “Always begin big” but I couldn’t help it. I instantly fell in love and had to have it.

I quietly told myself that once I made the extra income I would purchase this tank and begin my fish keeping journey once more.

I hardly paid attention to what was going on YouTube but I found some channels that were useful in reintroducing me to the hobby. That along with my natural arrogance told me that I could do this and would be great at it but as you know, it’s never that easy.

I went all in and it was absolutely beautiful. Everything I read and saw on YouTube told me to be patient and let the tank properly cycle, well due to my arrogance I just couldn’t do that.

The 5 gallon Fluval Edge that I purchased housed a catfish, Betta, 2 panda Cory’s, and an Electric Blue Lobster within 5 days and needles to say the tank crashed. Everything was lost but the Betta and the catfish whom is still with me 5 years later. The catfish is a warrior.

I was crushed but not deterred and eventually I mastered the Edge and created this beauty.

And I was just getting started but for me fish keeping was lonely. My friends weren’t involved and I wasn’t a part of any fish clubs or online communities. After years of doing my own thing it was my wife that implored me to spread my wings, reach out to the community and share my voice and my experiences and you know, she was right.

I’m here now ready to bare it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly and one day there may even be a YouTube channel. I’m just shy/nervous about being in front of the camera but hey everyone begins some where. I welcome you all to join me on the continued journey that is fish keeping.