Well hello my fellow fish keepers I thought this might be a fun way to get to know all the new and seasoned members of the club. I will list some get to know you questions please copy and past them to your post and fill them out. Please add your own questions with your answers if there is anything else you would like to know about your fellow members.
1. First name: Jacob
2. How many years in the hobby: 12 years on and off
3. What got you started: I started with saltwater because of the corals and bright colored fish but when I had my son had to give it up but started back with fresh water about 6 months ago.
4. How many tanks do you have: I have 1 tank running right now but I have a few empty ones just waiting to be setup someday.
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: My favorite has to be my cherry shrimp I find them so fun to watch.
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: My next tank will be setup for panda corydoras and some dumbo dragon guppies.
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: I am all for planted tanks my favorite has to be my metallic red crypt and my anubious nana.
8. What brought you to the club: I found this club online and have found everyone to be super friendly and helpful and it is great to spend time with other people who enjoy fish as much as I do.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: I would say do your research and take your time nothing good happens right away and never be afraid to ask questions.
Hi Matt, welcome to PVAS. I really believe you will love the folks in the club. We have so much experience within the community and it's great for beginners as well as experienced fish keepers. Can't wait to meet you at a meeting.
Susan
1. First name: Matt
2. How many years in the hobby: 3
3. What got you started: I have no idea, I have a poor memory, lol. However have always been fascinated with biology and wildlife. I went from reptiles to saltwater with a big hiatus during moves then found freshwater.
4. How many tanks do you have: 4 active tanks and currently setting up my empties, 7 more and planning to get at least 20 total over the next year as I get systems in place to make maintenance a bit easier.
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: Black Schultzei Cories from Frank. Cory antics and behavior is the best.
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: Dark Knight Rams
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: Planted, developing ecosystems is half the fun of the hobby for me. Functional ecosystem before aquascaping aesthetics! Its about the fish mostly for me but plants are integral imo but to each, his own.
8. What brought you to the club: I live fish all day long through social media but have been hard pressed to get any local breeders chatting or even basic communications going so sought out something a bit farther from my home in Stephens City/Winchester, Va area to scratch that itch.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: If not interesting in setting up an RO system, choose fish to fit your water (don't chase pH). Life will be just that much easier and your fish will be very appreciative with good health, spawns, etc.
Hi, just saw you online in the meeting, welcome glad you could join us virtually. I cant wait until we meet in person. Once we start having meetings you will go crazy over the awesome fish, plants and hardgoods available from other members. I rarely buy anything form a fish store as I consider PVAS to be the best shopping place around. Its also great to meet folks from beginner to expert and get advice on everything from fish to breeding to treatments to .....you name it. Again welcome.
Best
Susan
1. First name: Melanie
2. How many years in the hobby: 6
3. What got you started: My first pet was a goldfish but I really got into rebuilding an old 36 gallon tank in our basement and one after another I kept adding more.
4. How many tanks do you have: one 36 gallon community, 20 gallon long planted, and a 7 gallon cube. Although not a tank I like to include my koi pond.
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: I have a group of panda corys at the moment that are keeping me entertained.
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: One day I would like to keep a large discus tank but for my next project I am looking at red dragon guppies or killifish tank.
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: Planted all the way!
8. What brought you to the club: I found this club online after being in about 7 different FB groups dedicated to fish, but I was looking to meet more people closer to home in Northern VA.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: Save some money, this hobby can be a little pricey but don't be afraid to look online and used items you can get some good deals if your lucky.
1. First name: Christina
2. How many years in the hobby: I had a single guppy at age 4 but then did not seriously start keeping fish until high school.
3. What got you started:
with the exception of that first guppy, I went to high school in Hawaii and collected my own fish, I was an amazing hobby at The time without nearly as much information out there.
4. How many tanks do you have: 2, a 33 and a 75 gallon
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: I am
back in the Hobby after a very long hiatus, and now learning about fresh water. I know it is a very common species but I really love the personality of our pearl gourami. He swims around to the side of the tank so he can beg for food during dinner , and watches us cooking in the kitchen.
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: I enjoy the personality of Jurapari, and would love a Geophagus tank of we had more space.
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: Planted, although having come from the marine world it is all new to me. I enjoy though that lighting had come such a long way and the ease of LED’s on timers teally has made a difference.
8. What brought you to the club: I found the club online and was so impressed by the willingness of everyone to help.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: I guess just don’t be afraid to ask for advice. When was keeping salt water before we used undergravel fliters and very few had heard of Refugiums. I have been please to see the willingness of everyone to help me back into the hobby in a new medium of fresh water.
1. First name: Ben (12 yrs old)
2. How many years in the hobby: less than a year
3. What got you started: My dad got a 20 gal and a few goldfish, then made me a stand and bought a 10 gal for my room. I started getting into live plants, and got sucked in!
4. How many tanks do you have: 13 tanks, ranging form 3.5 gal to 55 gal.
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: Ugh. Toss up between my pea puffer pair, and the largest of my recent German Blue Rams I've raised after pulling the eggs . . . guess it's the GBR today!
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: Oh my . . . in a big tank someday, I'd like to try some paratilapia polleni with electric blue acara. Crazy . . . maybe wouldn't work . . . but the black and blue seems cool!
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: Planted!
8. What brought you to the club: This has become such an obsession. I started asking around about clubs, and learned that PVAS was the nearest club -- even though we live 3 hrs away! My dad got us memberships.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: Well, I am just starting out, so I've got no experienced advice! What I am learning is that this hobby is part Science and part Art . . . depending on what sort of person each fish keeper is, depends on the degree of each.
. First name: Susan
2. How many years in the hobby: 40 ys on and off
3. What got you started: I hate to say it but goldfish I won at our pool. They dropped them in the pool and we had to catch them. When I think of it now I cringe. I think I was about 8-10 years old.
4. How many tanks do you have: 5
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: Aspidoras I got from Don. Awesome little catfish, so quick and friendly. Just saw my first 2 fry the other day. Not breeding them, they just hatched and made it on their own. Also love my shrimp.
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: Love to have Discus again, just did not do well with them.
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: I am all for planted tanks, almost all plants from PVAS members, all easy going no CO2 etc. They either live or die in my house.
8. What brought you to the club: A friend found out about the club, we both went to a meeting. I was hooked, he was not. Oh well, still going every month for years now.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: come to a meeting, talk to people, find out info from talks, talk to people, talk to people, talk to people. I have been a member for years and I still hear names of fish I know nothing about. I occasionally look up something online as it is up for auction.
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1. First name: Raychel
2. How many years in the hobby: 17 years on and off, in reality I only kept fish around 7 years total
3. What got you started: I won a goldfish at the school fair, and then convinced my grandmother to get me a 55 gallon tank for my thirteenth birthday.
4. How many tanks do you have: I have a 20 gallon long that needs to be set up and a betta tank at work.
5. What is your favorite aquatic pet you have now: By default the betta at work. But I really do like bettas they are very personable fish.
6. What aquatic pet would you like to have: I would really like to keep a native species like a pygmy sunfish or shiners but I would like to have a little bit more experience in the hobby first. I am also very interested in live bearers.
7. Planted tank vs artificial decor: I prefer planted tanks.
8. What brought you to the club: I found the club online as well. It is great to get to interact with other hobbyists and learn new things through the lectures.
9. One piece of advice to give to someone just starting out: My advice would be to get a larger tank than you think you will need starting out. Larger tanks are easier to keep stable for the fish and a wider range of species can fit into a 20 gallon than say a 3 gallon.