Today, my partner had a quiet word with me about my tanks. Rightly, he pointed out that the big marine tank is taking up a lot of my time and as a result my freshwater tank is being a bit neglected.
Though everything in there is fed, healthy and clean, I don’t spend anywhere near the amount of time I used to looking at it and enjoying it. Which begs the question, why do I keep it?
Electric Blue Ram 
Male & female apistogramma 
Red Tailed Shark 
Female Red Cherry Shrimp 
Panda Garra 
Male & Female Guppy
I have thought long and hard about that question, and the answer is selfishness. I keep it because I like it, but with the monster tank consuming all my time and money, the tropical tank is not getting the attention that it deserves. I keep it because I don’t want someone else looking after (or not looking after as the case may be) my fish. I have spent hundreds of hours and pounds getting that tank to how it is, do I really want someone else to pick it up and enjoy it now that everything is running perfectly and I have done all the hard work?
When I picked that tank up second hand, it was a mess. The fish were miss-matched, it had hideous coloured gravel and false plants that were covered in hair algae and a false rock as the only shelter for the fish. It was no wonder everything was fighting with each other in there, they had no where to get away from each other.
After a massive re-scape, I added live plants. I spent hours placing them, trimming them, getting them to grow nicely! I upgraded the filter, the lights, everything in that tank changed with hard work and dedication.
The tank now looks perfect. I couldn’t be happier with it. But I’m not enjoying it in the same way I used to. Rather than sitting and looking at the freshwater, my eyes are scouring the saltwater for any signs of sickness, intruders, growth or simply just watching the fish enjoy their home.
So, I think you have probably guessed where this is going… I am selling my tropical tank. I’ve had a good run with the tropicals, I’ve kept all sorts of them over the years, but I have to admit the marines are more interesting to me now.
I hope to be able to find the tank and its inhabitants a good home, worthy of the time and effort I have put into it. I hope I find someone to take it on that enjoys it as much as I used to, and truly loves each of its inhabitants.
This is a sad day for me, I have outgrown a hobby that I have spent thousands of hours on. Realising that the tropical tank is not enough for me now, it breaks my heart. Tropical fish keeping is a hobby that my Dad introduced me to and we share a passion for. He doesn’t have his own tank now, so he gets his kicks by asking me about mine! I will have to build up the courage to telling him the tank is for sale.
I have some beautiful fish in the freshwater tank, I really will be very sad to see it go.
