When I was younger I raised tropical fish. It started with all of the basic “cheap” fish and grew into a full-fledged hobby. I was one of the readers of “Tropical Fish Hobbyist.” At that age, when most are discovering the opposite sex, I discovered fish. Luckily as you will find out later in this blog, I overcame this problem.
Probably the craziest thing I ever did, when it came to fish, happened when I took a trip to Florida with my parents. My brother and sister were in college and I was the lone kid at home. (A bonus I assure you that.) I knew there was a fish I wanted; it’s called a Discus fish. They are large, rare, and very expensive---except in Florida where they are indigenous to the region. In Florida they are cheap. It’s when they are shipped to the north they multiply in value---and fast.
So, how did I get this fish back to St. Louis you might be wondering? I took it on the airplane with me (it did not require a seat) and it made it back to the safety of my tank---it’s new home.
Now, you might be thinking that’s the end of the story, but sit back…someone else in the family took over the love of fish. My brother.
I believe in all of the years of having tropical fish I “maxxed” out at a 55-gallon aquarium. Compared with my brother that would be a shack in neighborhood filled with mansions. His aquarium holds 400 gallons of water. How large is a 400-gallon aquarium? You could actually swim in it. No, you could not do laps, and you would have to be very careful to not bump into the coral, but you could certainly fit inside.
Unlike my venture into your basic tropical fish, my brother has a saltwater aquarium. This baby not only requires all of the accessories to replicate a body of water like the fishes' homeland, but also uses the back room of the basement to do special things with the water. I have no idea what this equipment does, but when it leaks or the electricity goes out, it’s a mess.
It was the other day that made me wonder if it’s all worth it to have a mini ocean when “mama and papa ocean” are hundreds if not thousands of miles from St. Louis.
Turns out some of the fish that hide so well in the aquarium were doing more than hiding----they were dead. Because of their “passing” it raised the ammonia count. (If you understand this let me know?) This, in turn, caused some of the “deceased fishies” brothers and sisters to join them in that big aquarium in the sky. It also killed some of the coral and other “stuff” that ebb and flow in the aquarium. The photo above is an example of what these fish hide and play in all day and night.
The good news is, my brother has removed all of the dead fish, and coral, and is starting to rebuild his personal ocean; my kids love to go over and look at the fish swimming and darting back and forth so I am glad he did not give up.
The photo above was taken a while back; I think you are looking at a fish that is no longer with us ---but it really is a spectacle to see. The aquarium takes up a large part of the room and is like a moving piece of art/furniture. I am really happy my brother has taken over the family tradition---I am not sure how his wife feels about this, but since it remains and the aquariums have consistently increased in size, I assume she is fine with it as long the ocean stays down stairs.
There is a 100% chance fish will no longer be in my life as a hobby---although a great hobby, it’s better to visit than have in my home.
Thanks for stopping by.
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