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Just a little story:

I used to frequent this site every day a while back. (read on and you will find out why I came back)

I have always kept a tank since I was a little tyke. It's almost kind of sad that I never really took the time to really understand what I was doing. One day I decided to start looking for information on the web and that landed me here. With the help of everyone on here. I set up four or five tanks. Lets just say I loved to "tinker" with different setups. Once I started I could not stop. My dream at that time was to set up a 55 gallon. To me this was the ultimate tank. My Wife came home from work one day and showed me an add for a used 55 tank stand, penguin 330, hood, light and other MISC fish realted items. I was PUMPED! I called them right away. Drove over and bought the whole nine yards for $25.00 (hell of a deal). Fast forward a few months and I got sick of waiting for a "sweet deal" on the tank itself. I went out and bought the tank. Set it up as a Convict tank.
Lo and behold a few months later I was offered a job in Ohio (I lived in Wisconsin).I sold off gave away all my tanks I aquired at Rummage/ yard sales. Some of the various fish went to new homes. The rest went to the LFS. I can't remember the numbers.. but I think I had about 20 tanks of various sizes. With only about five setup. (yes I had a fishtank collecting problem) I however could not sell off the 55 gallon. That was my "dream tank". I cleaned the tank, built a gravel wash station let everything dry. Packed it all away for the day I could set it back up. I took every precaution I could to make this trip as safe as possible for my tank. I wrapped it in blankets strapped it to the U-Haul with no less then 148 different straps, bungee cords, rope, ETC. This baby is not going to get cracked, broke, rubbed the wrong way.
When we arrived in Ohio. We moved into an apartment. I checked the tank for damage and all was well. But wait... I can't set this monster up in here... It will be a bear to move again once we find a house to buy. I started to have serious Fish keeping withdrawls! So, one day I told my wife "we are going for a little drive". Off to the LFS we went. I came home with a brand new 37 gallon cube! I told myself this will be much easier to move then a 55.


Fast forward a little while. We found a house to buy. We packed up all of our crap...I mean stuff. Moved into our new home. With work and Having a baby. It put a big damper getting the 55 back up and running. It sat in the basment for a few months. One day my buddy called me up. He said hey " I have a friend who wants me to take his oscars" I said the 55 is not big enough for oscars. He said it's either that or the fish are going to get thrown out the door. I said I will be over in a little bit. We went and picked up the Oscars right away. The 55 was didn't have a drop of water in it. I was apalled at the condition this jacka$$ kept these fish in. On the way back to my place my buddy said "what do you think about setting up the tank at my place" Wait, what did he just say???? This is my baby! I thought about it for a little bit and said sure. We talked about a bigger tank for the fish. A few months later he bought a 180 (?). One thing led to another he bought some more fish for the 55. I kind of put the idea that it was my tank way in the back of my mind.

A while later he bought a new house. We moved his tank and mine to his new house. I kind of let go of the fact that it was my tank at this time. I was happy with just the cube.

Before you know it the Job market brought me back to Wisconsin. Being back in WI for three years now. I decided it was good time to go visit my buddy in Ohio for a little Vacation. I walked into his home and there it was! My 55! I looked at and said wait, what is this... There are no fish in it. He said his kids put something into it and killed all the fish... He felt pretty bad. Also his wife was sick of fish tanks. The gears in my head started to churn... How in the hell am I going to get this back to WI????? My Aztek is too small for a tank that big. I can't leave any kids behind... The wife? She said nope. HMMMMM... He said if you clean it all up I can haul it back for you. I have to come up there anyway. The first thing out of my mouth was where do you want me to dump all the ugly gravel? I was stoked!!!!!!

Fast forward to last week. The tank arrived back in Wisconsin where it started! Safe and sound. I set it up in the basement which I just finished about two weeks before going to Ohio.

For some reason setting up this tank has revived the bug I once had. Now I have two kids 3 and 5 who enjoyed setting it up as much as me.

So thats the journey of a 55!




One thing I noticed about coming back here: this place is not as active as it once was. Where did everyone go?

How exciting! "where do you want me to dump all the ugly gravel?" indeed Good answer! Good story too. Glad to hear the tank finally made its way back to you. Looking forward to hearing how you set it up.

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Hi Rob,
Welcome back, and that was an interesting saga.
When I had my 55G I had a pair of oscars (for a while)
and the neighborhood kids would trap bugs and enjoy
watching the fish eat.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hehe R0b welcome back!

reminds me a bit of some of the adventures we've been having with moves these past few years. Granted each time the tanks have to be set up and torn down with us.

Still waiting to get the downstairs finished and painted before we can get Adam some oscars again.


^_^