When I moved up here almost 7 years ago, the hobby must not have moved up here with me. I have posted in the past my pursuit of a hobby, and I am happy to report that I didn't have to go very far once I simply opened my eyes and looked around.
Some of my friends have fish tanks. S (Wife's friend) has a 29 gallon tank she keeps an assortment of goldfish in. Dean recently upgraded his own 20 gallon tank to a 55 gallon. So Over the past couple of months I have become jealous of their particular ventures, and a little bug started nagging at the back of my mind.
I started with a 10 gallon tank, thank I quickly let go to almost nothing. It was in a horrible location and I admit I was a poor Aquariest. But over time I made a few changes and the result was as follows:
A new stand, a new location, and paying far more attention to the details.For anyone who doesn't have a aquarium, let me fill you in on a few of the benefits:
- It provides a rather attractive addition to any room assuming the setup is well maintained.
- With the only light being in the room being the aquarium light, it makes something to watch that is extremely relaxing and almost mesmerizing.
- It requires a fair amount of attention, which is something I was lacking: a hobby.
First, a new tank. I can thank Wife for that, for knowing me and seeing my needs without even having to ask about them. The new 29 gallon tank is wonderful, and fits in the living room very well. Now I needed something to put it on. I can thank my father-in-law for helping me with this project, as well as Iver, for the use of his table saw. The finished product is excellent.
After a little preparation, and a little hard work, we were putting the thing together. I am happy to report that right now I have 39 gallons with of water in living room and I'm just fine with it. Here are some photos from start to the present.
The cloudiness went away after a day or so, and cleared up nicely.
My assorted tetras are doing nicely. 3 Red and Blue Neons, and 3 Black Skirts. And of course, our long term residents are doing well in the 10 gallon down below.
So there it is, in a nut shell. However, I'm not done yet! I have decided that the plants I have in my new aquarium are simply not good enough,so I will be removing them. I went to the beach today, braving gusting winds, rain and 25 foot swells in order to find some driftwood. Right now I have the pieces cut and and soaking in water in the backyard in order to water log them. After they are in place I will be getting a new high output light source and planting live plants. Oh yeah, I have big plans. For some examples, if you are curious, check the follow link which will provide some examples of similar setups:
AquaiaCentral (my favorite new forum)
I'll be following up in the near future with my progress.
Wow, and wow! What a beautiful job! Big difference from the days when you had the little goldfish in the small bowl on the kitchen table and we went through goldfish on a regular basis as we were having a difficult time keeping them alive. Never know when a hobby will last a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see them next month!
Looks nice Adam! We have a 10 gallon that we love. The fish keep cycling through, we haven't bought any for a very long time but we have a female that has a couple babies every few months or so. It seems just before she gives birth that a couple here and there die. I think right now we have about 12-15 fish in there. I know...too many for that size tank, but like I said, we have no control. I have said we need to get rid of the males or the females and be good but Rob likes the every changing cycle of fish.
ReplyDeleteI love the table by the way, nicely done. I didn't know you were handy!
Everyone needs a diversion. Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteVERY cool, VOR! I've never been a fan of the plastic plants either -- I think the fish find them insulting. Can't wait to see and hear what you come up with for your environment. When we had a tank and I lived close to work, there was nothing like coming home at lunch and just vegging in front of the tank. Very meditative. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLove, J
Nice job! Is "Aquarist" a real word? It makes it all sound so professional!
ReplyDeleteWe had a tank for many years in Dublin, but I got sick of dealing with it, so we gave it to a family that wanted to try out fish...
I'm jealous. I love it. I can't wait until we get all of this house stuff done and our tile down. Duane won't let me ruin anymore carpet with fish tanks. :(
ReplyDeleteSomeday soon!!!!