Water keeping: A new hobby?
How do you figure out if a new interest that you have is something that you actually want to pursue as a hobby?
For instance, I spent the vast majority of my weekend deep-diving into aquascaping and nano aquariums. I also have a friend in the UK that keeps fish so I wouldn’t be without some support.
A lot of times, I just spend some money, give it a shot and either continue with it, or just let it fall into the ever-growing category of skills I have, but am unlikely to pursue as a hobby.
To me, aquariums are more complicated because they contain living creatures. Having spent the weekend investigating this hobby (which is something that I’m always doing) I’ve learned a ton so far:
The UK is far ahead of the US in regards to aquascaping as a hobby
Technology has changed significantly since I last looked into keeping fish
Shipping and logistics is no longer a barrier to getting high quality fish and plants
“You keep (tend to) the water, not the fish” - UK Friend
So I’m a water enthusiast now?
Most of your upkeep is going to be to balance the ecosystem
Doing water replacements to remove ammonia and nitrites
There are some very small fish that work great for small aquariums
You can superglue plants to rocks and decor
In general, stay away from using porous stone in water
You don’t need a CO2 system in order to have nice looking plants
Lights are for people and plants
Getting started does not have to be expensive, but it does take time
You can start in phases and ramp up before adding fauna to your tank
Here is the vision for what I’m building towards and these are the phases I’m going to go through to get started in a low risk way.
My Vision
Very high contrast between environment and fauna. Black sand, gray slate (maybe some red), some moss, maybe a fern or two… maybe.
Low maintenance - the purpose of having some live plants is to aid with ecosystem balance. The more balanced the system, the less frequent I’ll need water changes
Initial aquarium purchase and setup
Nano Aquarium - Amazon
I wanted something with a robust filtering system where I don’t have to use aqua soil to keep bacteria
It’s only 5 gallons, but because of the layout, feels bigger
Has everything equipment-wise except the heater
Fixed temp 25 watt heater - Amazon
This will fit in the filter compartment to keep everything hidden
Rock, Gravel and Sand
All black
Slate (from my yard)
Plants
Java Moss - https://www.aquariumcoop.com
Anubias nana "petite" - https://www.aquariumcoop.com
Cycle Tank
Let everything set for around a month
Keep an eye on water parameters (primary Nitrite)
Set alarms on my phone for feeding times just to bring my future responsibility to the foreground
Ask myself questions
Is this fun?
Do I enjoy watching the water?
Am I anticipating the next step?
Purchase Fish and Supplies- I’m still settling in on what fauna I want in the tank.
Betta
Apistogramma Cacatuoides
Cardinal Tetra
Espei Rasbora
Corydoras Pygmaeus
Blue Velvet Shrimp
