Poll: Did you get your start with Freshwater?

[dbl]

I've noticed recently that quite a few of our new members making the jump from fresh to salt. I'm curious how many got their start in freshwater. Also, if you did, do you still keep the freshwater tank running in addition to the saltwater tank?

 

[Young@Heart]

That is exactly what I did. About 10 years ago I started a 20 Gallon Freshwater (for my daughters goldfish that she won at the Church. The 20 Gallon became a 30 Gallon. Then I moved to a 20 Gallon Saltwater (I already had the Tank. Add an HOB Filter LR and Live Sand. Built a "Nemo" Tank for my daughter. That was retired - moved back to Phoenix - The 30 Gallon became a 55 Freshwater for my daughter. I started a 55 Saltwater for myself - No Sump no Protein Skimmer (2 Clowns and a Pygmy Angelfish + 7 Corals, 1 Cleaner Shrimp and 3 snails). I took the Plunge and now Have a 180 Gallon (with a 50 Gallon Sump) - it is cycling, but still needs a few things (Lighting, and need to finish the doors on the base. Of course it still needs cable management - YAY! But my daughters Freshwater tank (55 Gallon) is doing great - It is by far the easiest tank to maintain at the moment.

 

[Labridaedicted]

I had freshwater when I was younger through high school. Once I hit college, it's been all saltwater.

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Yep. About three years ago my wife talked me into taking a free 15 gallon tank from a friend. That turned into a 60, then the same friend sold us his 100, then I needed another setup to raise the baby guppies... After winning the battle against camallanus worms in my guppy/cherry shrimp tank I decided I wanted to try salt. Now I have a 75 gallon reef and the same 100 gallon freshwater. I actually recently tried to get rid of the 100, but when it came time to catch the fish I literally just couldn't. Lol, so yeah I think I'll keep freshwater until the fish finally die!

 

[Michael Cronmiller]

Had fresh for many years before getting salty

 

[keddre]

Pretty much, I had 5 freshwater nano planted tanks with one 55 gallon goldfish tank. After a five years, I sold the goldfish then converted into a planted freshwater. Later on I changed it to a brackish tank, then finally hiked up the salinity to make it saltwater.

 

[RobertP]

What would Other be?

 

[Crabs McJones]

I had freshwater tanks when I was a kid. And again when I was a teenager. Then about 4 years ago I got back into it again. Started out as just a 5 gallon planted betta tank. Then jumped up to a 36 gallon bowfront with dwarf gourami's and neon tetras. Sold that whole system and bought a 40 breeder during the dollar per gallon sale, and went salt. Haven't looked back. I'd like to do another freshwater tank, but with my schedule and my two small children and my current saltwater tank I'm sure I have the extra time, but I don't feel like I do lol.

 

[andrewkw]

I've never had a freshwater tank other than turtles. Occasionally I get it in my head I'd like to start one but there are way too many saltwater related projects I'd rather do. I watch a lot of king of diy videos and see some of the nice freshwater fish he keeps but then when I see / hear comments like "these guys look like they're from the ocean" referring to exceptionally colourful freshwater fish I remind myself I have fish from the ocean already.

Interesting side note I got into keeping marine aquariums after my sister wanted to get some fiddle crabs. I did some research for her, found out they are brackish water and she lost interest so I turned that 15 gallon aquarium into a nano reef and that was more than 12 years ago.

 

[paphater]

Had freshwater for the last couple of years. I was preparing to build an 8' 200g tank that was going to be an amazon biotope. My wife wanted to make it saltwater instead so I spent a month trying to talk her out of it because it would be too much. Ultimately I ended up talking myself in to it. Sold off all of my freshwater and just have the one now.

 

[Greybeard]

About 1978 or so, I talked Mom into a 5 gallon, slate bottom aquarium at a garage sale. Spent more on an undergravel filter, a bag of river pebbles, and an air pump than we did on the tank. Filled it full of swords, mollies, guppies... kept those for a very short time. Went through several tank upgrades, did cichlids for a while, eventually started a planted tank. By '84, I had a fairly nice looking planted tank with discus. Made the mistake of re purposing a 29 gallon tank that I had laying around, filling it with salt, and a pair of clowns. Within six months, the freshwater was gone, and I never looked back.

 

[Ruben's Reef]

I start on freshwater since I was a kid in Cuba with a few tanks of tetras, guppies, gourami's etc and make some $$ breeding. Then I move to this country in 1988 and didn't have any other tank until I meet my actual wife that had a 55 with Goldfish. My passion for fish came back and then I change the goldfish for neon tetras and Discus for over 2 years and make another tank a 29 gallons with Mbunas. About a 8 month back I meet a friend in Miami that has a beautiful 40 gallons saltwater tank with fish and corals and he got me hook on to saltwater. Now, I sold all my discus and moved my Mbunas to the 55g and will use the 29g to make my sump for my 40g saltwater tank. Probably keeping the Mbunas for a while cuz freshwater is really easy to maintain.

 

[revhtree]

Straight to saltwater for me! Fresh water never really did anything for me. Although it's there are some planted tanks I've seen that rival some of the best reef tanks! Sssshhhhh...

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

I started saltwater with jellyfish. However due to my ignorance on everything related to aquaria at the time I failed horribly. So then I choose to start with a 5g reef, then a 14 biocube where I successfully kept my first fish( bicolor dottyback). Now I have a 30 gallon jbj rimless with my dottyback, some softies, and lps under a nice kessil.

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Pretty much, I had 5 freshwater nano planted tanks with one 55 gallon goldfish tank. After a five years, I sold the goldfish then converted into a planted freshwater. Later on I changed it to a brackish tank, then finally hiked up the salinity to make it saltwater.

Glad you gave those goldfish some space. What kind did you keep? I have heard they get rather large

 

[keddre]

Glad you gave those goldfish some space. What kind did you keep? I have heard they get rather large

I had two common goldfish ("feeders") and I had to get rid of them because they ran out of swimming space. They could go back and fourth but barely turn around

I started saltwater with jellyfish

that's funny, I was just doing research on jellyfish a few minutes ago. Mainly the upside down ones

 

[DracoKat]

I did freshwater for the longest time before doing salt.

Now I have a small nano FW planted that I am itching to convert to salt. Freshwater isn't doing much for me anymore, but I like my colorful shrimps, lol

 

[keddre]

but I like my colorful shrimps

How about a fireshrimp with a few sexy?

 

[DracoKat]

How about a fireshrimp with a few sexy?

I got sexy's in my pico tank here at work love them!

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

I had two common goldfish ("feeders") and I had to get rid of them because they ran out of swimming space. They could go back and fourth but barely turn around


that's funny, I was just doing research on jellyfish a few minutes ago. Mainly the upside down ones

I tried upside down jellies but failed since I had no knowledge of the nitrogen cycle. Even with all of my new knowledge I am not keeping jellies again since reefing is easier and more fun.