Cockatoofreak
Member
- Messages
- 84
- Location
- Santa Rosa, Northern California
I started keeping fish in 1955...that's right, 70 years ago!
I was 7 at the time and my dad's friend gave me a 2.5g tank with a few guppies. That launched a hobby that came, went and came back. In the early days, I went from guppies to bettas, angelfish, mollies, platies and whatever else I could find while working at a LFS, cleaning filters on weekends.
I took a break at age 14 to pursue my interest in playing electric bass in soul groups which turned professional. Then came marriage, mortgages and kids. I came back to enjoy concentrating on guppy strains and discus. Then, another break with a relocation to Northern California where I was too busy with day-job product development but, still kept my desire for fishkeeping.
I was eventually able to restart my hobby in my spare time in 2000. I bred and sold discus and more guppy strains that I had developed. During this time, I added many aquariums to my garage operation, then, another delay...
I was able to start my own business in electronics, but had to travel extensively, so all fish were sold and tanks put in storage.
Finally, in 2019, I was able to retire and looked forward to getting back to the hobby. Then another turn of events...
COVID hit and, although I did not catch it, I came down with COPD from many years of smoking. Results are similar but, I came out of it with a need for O2, but, hey, I am back!!!
I may need an O2 tank to breathe from time to time but, I am restarting my old aquariums and breeding Longfin White Clouds, Killifish and Dwarf Cichlids...Cockatoo's are my favorites currently. Who knows what is next
...
I was 7 at the time and my dad's friend gave me a 2.5g tank with a few guppies. That launched a hobby that came, went and came back. In the early days, I went from guppies to bettas, angelfish, mollies, platies and whatever else I could find while working at a LFS, cleaning filters on weekends.
I took a break at age 14 to pursue my interest in playing electric bass in soul groups which turned professional. Then came marriage, mortgages and kids. I came back to enjoy concentrating on guppy strains and discus. Then, another break with a relocation to Northern California where I was too busy with day-job product development but, still kept my desire for fishkeeping.
I was eventually able to restart my hobby in my spare time in 2000. I bred and sold discus and more guppy strains that I had developed. During this time, I added many aquariums to my garage operation, then, another delay...
I was able to start my own business in electronics, but had to travel extensively, so all fish were sold and tanks put in storage.
Finally, in 2019, I was able to retire and looked forward to getting back to the hobby. Then another turn of events...
COVID hit and, although I did not catch it, I came down with COPD from many years of smoking. Results are similar but, I came out of it with a need for O2, but, hey, I am back!!!
I may need an O2 tank to breathe from time to time but, I am restarting my old aquariums and breeding Longfin White Clouds, Killifish and Dwarf Cichlids...Cockatoo's are my favorites currently. Who knows what is next
...
