How did you get involved in fish??

I had an uncle in Cartonville, who bred fish in his garage and eventually (from these beginnings) he started a pet shop in Oberholzer, so, he could provide me with a setup at cost price..... and that is where it all started for me.... How did you get into the hobby???.... is there anyone here who remembers "George's Pet Shop" in Carletonville??.....

 

When I was about 10 years old, I used to catch guppies in a freshwater stream when I came home from school. After that, it just grew on me but only bought a tank last year in June.

 

Snyper564/Stephen! He went on and on about his fish so much that I thought there's got to be something to it. And here I am...

 

Well, I had a series of anxiety attacks from work related stress. So someone suggested I get a pet to keep me "company".

Seeing as the estate I live in is not dog or cat friendly, I was left with only pets I can contain in my home..... so it turned out to be fish...

I must say sitting at night after work watching my fish actuually helps a lot with the stress :bigsmile:

 

I work at a nursery that also sells fish. This is what got me into it but my dad had set up a small 1ft tank when I was about 3.

 

My dad had a 2ft Tank since I could remember and I continued the legacy once I moved into my own home about 5years ago.

 

Came home one day from a vacation when i was about 6/7, and my dad had bought a tank, only really caught on when i was in highschool

 

When I turned 9 my oldest brother offered to buy me any birthday present I wanted. Since he had an Oscar and Dollar tank, I decided I also wanted one. He bought me a Nice 3ft tank with about 10 Comet babies. Needless to say, the fish went into the tank the same day I got them. Funny enough, all of them survived and about 2 Years later we had to move them into a bigger tank. 16 Years later and I'm still hooked. Never kept Goldfish again though, they're like the Rats of the pet world to me.(no offence to anyone keeping them.)

 

My Husband got me involved in it when we first moved in together. unfortunately the first tank full of fish we bought died and I cried like a baby. I made him promise not to buy anymore till I had learnt more about keeping fish. 7YRS later I have 5 tanks at home.... Needless to say Hubby only helps with the occasional water change

 

I got my 1st 2ft tank when I was about 10 years old. It was a birthday present. I had some guppies and mollies in there. Lost interest when we moved to Durban in 1980's. I resumed the hoby after my son showed interest 2 years ago. I still have original 2ft stand and canopy as well as some rocks that I had from the beginning. Only researched water and filtration 2nd time around.

 

Cheetah - George's pet shop is still open in Carletonville Saw them on Sunday...

 

I remember when i was 5 my dad had a 2 ft tank with guppies mollies and all that stuff, so we went to a pet shop and bought me a catfish (still don't know what catfish it was) after that i was about 12 when i bought myself some goldfish and kept them in my dad's old 2 ft tank, and so the love of fish began... then i started to work at a pet shop and got discounted prices so hence all the fish i have today...

 

Since George died (almost - or maybe in excess of) 20 years ago, I have not seen much of them since... I believe his wife, Hettie and his daughter is now running the place.... They also had a branch in Fochville at the time..... It is also through him that I met "Shorty" of Rainbow Aquariums in (about) 1970.... in Fordsburg - anybody know if they're still running... (I later also opened 'n little pet shop & got most my supplies from Rainbows).

 

got my wife (malawi girl) a 1 foot tank for xmas last year, didnt take long for me to fall in love with the hobby.. we now have a 1,2m and 0,8m boyu.. and the fish are our babies! well, i should say her malawis are her babies and she regards my tinfoils as skollies! lol

 

When I was 6 I got my dad to buy me a 3ft tank (from Sams who are still around 20 years later). Inevitable MTS kicked in and did quite a bit of breeding etc. One of my classmates in junior school had a pretty cool 4ft tank. I used to hang out at this tiny pet shop quite a lot, it was on my way home from school and I walked home so made a good stop halfway

 

Got a goldfisbowl for my 5th birthday with a Black moor and an Oranda innit....Not long afterwards these two got a trio of Guppies as tank mates....Guppies doing what they do,very soon the bowl was way overcrowded which lead to my 1st tank - an oversized 2foot that held about 100 liters - thats when the real fassination began - the goldfish got moed to an outside pond and the guppies did what they did - very soon the profits from the babies got me a next tank(3 foot) - bred Pearl gouramies in this on (Not bad for a 6 year old hey?...lol) - By the time i was 14 or so there was in excess of 60 tanks in my room and moms car had to sleep outside as my tanks where now overflowing the corner of the garage....30 years later,i can honestly say that fishkeeping in all its aspects have been a wonderfull part of my life....

---------- Post added at 15:09 ---------- Previous post was at 15:09 ----------

PS: The 2 golsfish survived for 17 and 21 years respectively... So who says goldfish bowls murder?

 

I was 13 and one of my classmates had two 60L tanks. My fahter had fishtanks before het met my mom. I had one look at my classmates tank and ask my dad to buy me a tank. Today I have 8 tanks

 

When i was about 9 or 10 we had a 3ft tank in the kitchen. Had 2 Albino red tail sharks and other fish. Don't think im cruel or anything but i used to try catch them with a hook hahaha.....I was small okay!

2 years down the line we had to get our table tops redone. Gave away all the livestock.
When i was 15 my brother decided to get it up and running again....during the leakage test.....WATER (Front pane burst)!!!! Was funny in away
.
Begining of last year i got a snake with a 3ft tank(2nd hand). He got out....YAY! This is when i started searching the net and came across TASA, October last year i think. Went and set up this ugly beast! http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/attachment.php?attachmentid=2028&d=1269098007.

Anyways. Long story short took me a few months to find the forum again. And thanks to TASA im doing much better on my tanks than the start haha.
Oh and i still have the lighting unit and air pump from our 1st tank.

 

My dad has a massive Koi pond and I took it from there, also got my love for fish from fishing since I was 6 with my dad in all the major rivers and dam's.

 

My older brother kept marine tanks so i got the legacy from him, but i am still to scared to start a marine tank.