I still remember bringing home my first fish tank in all of its 2 foot glory, setting it up and religiously waiting the 10 days for it to cycle so I could purchase its first inhabitants! I am sure many of you are having a nostalgic moment right now.
As time went on my collection of tanks grew bigger and I even caught the breeding bug after witnessing the miracle of birth amongst my Platty population. I can picture some of you now with that wry smile, shaking your head and remembering your first spawn. Most likely same as mine and completely accidental. I can look back with hindsight and realise a Platty could probably spawn in a mud puddle and this spawn had nothing to do with my newly acquired fishkeeping super powers.
Fortunately when I started out on my new adventure the internet was teeming with information so I could sort out most minor problems with the help of Google and some advice from my local fish store. What I couldn't do so well was figure out which information was useful and which was a load of old *carp*! It took a lot of trial and error to figure out which was which. What I lacked was contact with experienced fishkeepers, which brings me to my point.
Somewhere along the way I discovered that there were people in my city meeting every month to talk about...FISHKEEPING! In my case this happens to be the Derby and District Aquarist Society (Hello to Simon et al) which meets once a month at Mr Grundy's Tavern. What I found was a welcoming group of people interested in talking about the same thing as me; all the great stuff happening in my tanks. Many of the group had been meeting and sharing stories and experiences for a very long time. I can tell you that my knowledge of the hobby skyrocketed by being around people who had 'been there, done that and got the T-shirt'. Imagine my delight being able to discuss Ph levels, a new filtration system or the latest shipment of livestock at the local fish store with people who didn't just glaze over at the slightest mention of fish. You know the look I mean.
If you are in the Derby area the club meets on the 2nd Monday of the month at 8 PM at Mr Grundy's on Ashbourne Road Derby. The group has a Facebook page which you are welcome to join Derby and District Aquarists and their email address is Derbyaquarists@aol.com if you would like to get in touch for any reason.
Fortunately, again, the internet makes finding a club in your local area easy to to do. You can find clubs listed on both Aquarist Classified's Fishkeeping Clubs page or on Practical Fishkeeping Magazine Forum as an example but a good Google search will bring plenty of other results. You will also find a variety of online fishkeeping forums to join but it can be tricky deciding which one is right for you. I will cover the pros and cons of the online community in an upcoming post.
Over the years the number of fish tanks in my home has decreased but not the enthusiasm I first felt when I took up the hobby. I don't get to my local club meetings as often as I would like but please be assured there is no substitute for being in the company of like-minded individuals who are as passionate about their hobby as you are.
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