Becoming a Hobbyist!

[Lisa]

Hello, I emailed this group a couple of months ago regarding water
quality (wondering whether to use untreated tap, softened tap, or RO
water in my kids' 10-gallon tanks). Thanks to all for the great
responses. I followed your testing advice, and I also decided to
purchase several books about freshwater aquariums. I had good luck in
Ohio with the 2 small tanks, but I wanted to see what I had missed (or
had just hit by luck!).

Well, it turns out that we have poor-quality, high-phosphate tap water
that is also hard enough to use for concrete construction (over 450 ppm
GH and KH). (We live in Mid/Central CA - about halfway between San
Francisco and LA.) Softened water was definitely out, so we decided to
go with RO water that has been altered to match the optimal buffering
and GH/KH/pH, etc., that we need to keep happy Gouramis and Danios.

Well, after observing me with my nose in aquarium books for several
weeks, my husband was inspired by my renewed interest. He splurged for
Christmas and bought me a new 55 Gal. all-glass bowfront tank, solid
oak stand, with high-grade under mount filter, high-grade heater,
deluxe testing kit, plant-grade lighting fixture hood - the works! I
was amazed.

So, I am now an official aquarium hobbyist. Me - who thought a
10-gallon tank was a large and mysterious undertaking. LOL My new
tank is just beautiful - will post some pictures soon. Maybe it's
nothing fancy, but it's MINE, if you know what I mean. We now have it
filled, with a nice background, natural-looking variegated gravel, and
also full-spectrum lighting and some real and artificial plants. We
are cycling it until the conditions are good to add in some actual
FISH. VBG

Thanks to all who answered my questions about water quality. I dunno -
some helpful information, a few good books...and now a monster has been
created. :-)

Thanks,

- Lisa in Central Coast CA

[Billy]

"Lisa" > wrote in message
oups.com...
| Hello, |
| Thanks to all who answered my questions about water quality. I
dunno -
| some helpful information, a few good books...and now a monster has
been
| created. :-)
|


Welcome to the obsession. Just wait until MTS kicks in......<g>

Do post pics...and stay in touch...the more the merrier.

billy

[Sarah Navarro]

Hi Lisa,

Just wanted to say hi. I live in Coalinga (Fresno County), but my Mom lives
in Atascadero so we go there a lot. We are almost neighbors. Where are you
at? Congrats on your new big tank. I would love to see pictures of it.

Sarah


"Lisa" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello, I emailed this group a couple of months ago regarding water
> quality (wondering whether to use untreated tap, softened tap, or RO
> water in my kids' 10-gallon tanks). Thanks to all for the great
> responses. I followed your testing advice, and I also decided to
> purchase several books about freshwater aquariums. I had good luck in
> Ohio with the 2 small tanks, but I wanted to see what I had missed (or
> had just hit by luck!).
>
> Well, it turns out that we have poor-quality, high-phosphate tap water
> that is also hard enough to use for concrete construction (over 450 ppm
> GH and KH). (We live in Mid/Central CA - about halfway between San
> Francisco and LA.) Softened water was definitely out, so we decided to
> go with RO water that has been altered to match the optimal buffering
> and GH/KH/pH, etc., that we need to keep happy Gouramis and Danios.
>
> Well, after observing me with my nose in aquarium books for several
> weeks, my husband was inspired by my renewed interest. He splurged for
> Christmas and bought me a new 55 Gal. all-glass bowfront tank, solid
> oak stand, with high-grade under mount filter, high-grade heater,
> deluxe testing kit, plant-grade lighting fixture hood - the works! I
> was amazed.
>
> So, I am now an official aquarium hobbyist. Me - who thought a
> 10-gallon tank was a large and mysterious undertaking. LOL My new
> tank is just beautiful - will post some pictures soon. Maybe it's
> nothing fancy, but it's MINE, if you know what I mean. We now have it
> filled, with a nice background, natural-looking variegated gravel, and
> also full-spectrum lighting and some real and artificial plants. We
> are cycling it until the conditions are good to add in some actual
> FISH. VBG
>
> Thanks to all who answered my questions about water quality. I dunno -
> some helpful information, a few good books...and now a monster has been
> created. :-)
>
> Thanks,
>
> - Lisa in Central Coast CA
>

[Lisa]

I think I have MTS already, with the 2 10-gall. tanks in the kids'
rooms. No fish in any of them yet, though, so it doesn't feel "real."
<g> But that's small-change compared to a lot of people on this list!

I must say that I HATE central CA housing values. (Love the climate,
though, as do many other people, apparantly!) We had to get a much
smaller house here than we had in Ohio. Much less room for aquariums.
(Hmmm ... but maybe we don't really NEED the kitchen ... LOL)

- Lisa


Billy wrote:
>
> Welcome to the obsession. Just wait until MTS kicks in......<g>
>
> Do post pics...and stay in touch...the more the merrier.
>
> billy

[Alpha]

> I must say that I HATE central CA housing values. (Love the climate,
> though, as do many other people, apparantly!) We had to get a much
> smaller house here than we had in Ohio. Much less room for aquariums.
> (Hmmm ... but maybe we don't really NEED the kitchen ... LOL)
>
> - Lisa

Hmmm....wait until you move from Kansas to Bel Air, California....yikes.
House, you say?