Sunday, March 17, 2013

Downsizing Fish Tanks

I haven't made up my mind about what I'll be doing with the big tank, but most of the tiny fish are staying. The bigger unfriendly fish are getting rehomed. I might pick up a few harlequin rasboras to keep the single one I have left company as well. While digging through the tank I've found 4 fish I haven't noticed in years, 3 different kuhli loaches, and an extra candystripe pleco in the tank. I thought I only had one left.

Taking down the big tank is going to be sad. When I first started keeping fish my goal was a 75 gallon tank. Sadly, it took years to get to that point, and in the intervening years my interest and finances have waned. It has taught me a bit about interests. Suck it up and after the initial attempt go for what you want rather then taking tons of little steps in between. I wanted a 75 gallon planted tank with lots of lights and little fish. If I'd pooled all the money I spent on smaller tanks and stuff in the intervening years I could have gotten the tank and other setup bits easily enough. I might not have ended up with as many tanks (24 at one point), but I might have gotten what I wanted more, and I might be less annoyed with the tank now.

It's sad but right now I look at the big tank and see something taking up space in my living room using electricity I could do something else with. I still like the fish enough to keep them, but the big tank is just a drain, and though I thought of repopulating it I haven't for several months.

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