Like Jane, I always loved getting dirty in ponds and catching animals and all that stuff. There were farm ponds everywhere so I got my fill. I loved traipsing creeks and catching minnows, waterdogs, bugs, etc. Also like Jane I had tadpoles periodically, and did my best to raise them to adults. So when I got a ten gallon setup for my 10th birthday, I was hooked. It was the classic doomed to fail setup, but I kept trying. A few years later, I tried again with goldfish, then failed. I had a betta for several years, and that maintained the interest. Then I learned about proper fishkeeping. I bought a 15 gallon eclipse setup, made it a single specimen cichlid tank, then converted it to a low light planted with java moss, driftwood, and cryptocoryne. Then I bought a 37 setup. After failing several times with high light, I finally got it right. Many hours and a lot of money later, here I am. |