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  • New Member in Crystal Beach

    Howdy all!  I am new to the board.  It was recommended on another site to look for a local aquarist group for information on swaps and a good way to look for local advise and make some friends close to home.  So here I am.

    I got into this hobby via my 4 year old son.  We had bought him a couple of goldfish for his 3rd birthday in a little 5 gallon hex.  Suprisingly, they did quite well until we had to evacuate when Miss Rita came knocking.  We replaced them with two new goldfish (Bagwell & Biggio), they did okay for about 4 months, then Biggio died and Biggio 2 died.

    So, my son wanted new fish and I had enough of the goldfish.  We went into Wal-mart (feel free to slap me for buying fish at Wal-mart  :wink: ) and were looking around at all the fish they had and I looked at those pretty guppies and started reading about them being live-bearer.  So, as any good mother would do, I thought to myself - "hey, fish that replace themselves.  Can't go wrong with that."

    I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.  Anyhow, we went through all the newbie mistakes of New Tank Syndrome.  I learned a great deal in a short amount of time.  Bought the testing kits and all the accessories and managed to get the tank cycled with the one fish from Wal-mart who was still alive.  Two days after I finally got the tank cycled, he died.

    But now, we have 2 healthy females and 1 male in the five gallon, and a single mystery fry popped up about a week ago (although it looks older than that - must have been hiding really good) and he is settled into what was to be my hospital tank for the time being.

    My son really enjoys the guppies and is totally enthralled with the fry, which has made this a really fun hobby for us to have.  I, however, have become somewhat obsessed, addicted and preoccupied with the whole thing.  Maybe it's the maternal instinct - or maybe it is just the challenge after everything I did to begin with was wrong, I want to make our little guppy colony a success.

    My latest task in this is to find a 20 gallon tank and get it set up and cycled before one of these mama's gives birth to their fry, so I will have a place for our new family additions.  Being over here on Bolivar Peninsula, I am held to shopping in Galveston (which in the summer takes forever to get across the ferry) or driving to Beaumont.  So keep me in mind out here in no man's land  

    In the meantime, I am still learning so I will probably ask a few really stupid questions, but I have also done a lot of research after the new tank catastrophe, so I know more than a did when I started.   8O   Thanks!

  • #2
    Re: New Member in Crystal Beach



    Watch out!  Before you know it...you will have your own fish room!  Welcome!  Phishphreek lives out that direction I think.  The Guppy Kings here would be GuppyMax and Ken/Mark I believe.  Alot of us have Guppies and Mollies and of course some don't.  I'm more into Cichlids, but I do have a FancyTail Guppy colony going in a tall 30g.

    The wife and I both enjoy the hobby, but my three boys just don't seem to enjoy as much....at least when it comes to the work part of it...LOL.  

    You just missed the Swap N Sell event Scott Hosted.  There were some Mollies and Guppies as well others and supplies.  I recommed going to the next one.  Date to be determined.

    Raul
    Raul
    PokerFace

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    • #3
      Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

      Ken/Mark and I are elected and Raul is the safari chairman of the Houston Livebearers Association. Our membership ranges from Bryan to Texas City and we would love to extend it to Crystal Beach. You never know how many friends you have until you buy a house on the beach lol. Phish Phreek our treasurer lives in Texas City and our vice president Ken Steblein lives in Hitchcock. The HLA usually has an auction at every meeting and not very many chiclids show up. The next meeting is at Fish Ranch II Saturday.

      It sounds like you and your family are having fun and getting quite an education from the goldfish and the guppies. Maybe your son will become a doctor watching you take care of the guppies. I think we identify with the live birth process as humans and having fish that replace themselves is a good thing. Like rahne says "life is a journey ~ not a destination".

      max

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      • #4
        Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

        Welcome beachfishymama! We have a great group of fishkeeping hobbyists around the area. We're a new site and we're still trying to get the word out to all of the fishkeepers that we're here. I'm glad you found us! Enjoy, ken

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        • #5
          Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

          Welcome from this side of the Bay....
          'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
          He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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          • #6
            Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

            welcome to the hobby, it doesnt matter whether your new to fish keeping or been breeding for years, what matters is that you got the bug , we are all a little fish crazy here so welcome to the aquatic nut house
            Never fear I is here
            David Abeles
            Vice President
            Greater Houston Aquarium Club

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            • #7
              Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

              Welcome Beachfishymama & Son,

              Mark and I live in Hitchcock and I work at UTMB.  When you get your 20 gallon tank set up and cycled we will give you a pair of orange sailfin mollies.  Your son should love to watch the male molly display his dorsal fin while he is courting the female in the tank.  These mollies are really easy.  Yes, we are trying to get you hooked on the livebearers before the cychlid folks sway you in their direction...hahahaha!  

              I will be on vacation next week but you can email me kensteblein@aol.com or call 409-986-6795.  I would bring the mollies to Galveston and you could pick them up at UTMB.

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              • #8
                Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

                hey she can lean to like CICHLIDS as well as livebearers, lol, she will always have a soft spot for guppies right?
                Never fear I is here
                David Abeles
                Vice President
                Greater Houston Aquarium Club

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                • #9
                  Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

                  Well, I am totally hooked on the guppies.  My mystery fry seems to be doing quite well, and I couldn't wait to find a 20 gallon, so I set up a cheapo 10 gallon I picked up at Walmart yesterday.  I think my husband is starting to worry about my sanity....

                  I am still going to get the 20 gallon, but in order to keep him from having a cow, I am gonna have to pull it at a yard sale so I can honestly say I didn't spend anymore money on tanks that have no fish.

                  The 20 gallon is going to have to go in our bedroom, as there is no more room in my sons room.

                  My nephew lives with us and has a great add-on room with tons of natural light (and I have already started looking at it thinking - how many tanks could I get in here?)  I'll have to wait until he graduates next spring, and if he decides to go to college down here, I may have to wait a few more years - but if he goes to college the wait will be worth it!

                  One of my females has looked preggers since we got her, but no fry yet.  We are going out of town tomorrow afternoon, and I'll bet you she has them while I am gone just to make me crazy!  

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                  • #10
                    Re: New Member in Crystal Beach

                    I just wanted to say hello, and welcome you to this forum.  There are amazing number of people with a lot of good experiences with all types of fish here.  

                    If your desires ever change to move onto other fishes, or have aquarium maintenacne or water issues, please feel free to ask.

                    I know people will help you.

                    Welcome to the site!

                    Geoff
                    380G For Sale $3000 Acrylic tank & stand
                    300G Petrochromis Trewavasae and Tropheus mpimbwe Red Cheek & Duboisi
                    180G For Sale $1,100 Oceanic Cherry with Stand, T5HO Lights, (2) Eheim 2262
                    150G Tropheus Annectens Kekese & Ikola

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