Retirement Hobbies: Keeping Tropical Fish

Thirty-odd years ago, I kept tropical fish and belonged to the local aquarist society, thanks to a colleague of mine who was the then society secretary.

I had to dismantle & sell my tank due to a house move in 1983. Since taking early retirement at the end of December 2010, I looked for a hobby, and at my husband's suggestion I returned to the world of fish-keeping.

Watching the fish swim around the tank in our living room is both fascinating and relaxing; it's especially interesting when a fish you're a novice keeper of actually spawns in your tank.


Wendy I am thrilled to read that you re-found and old hobby and started it again in retirement - exactly the type of thing that works best in retirement!

Comments for Retirement Hobbies: Keeping Tropical Fish

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The continuing story of my fishtank!
by: Anonymous

Almost three years after retirement and two-and-a-half years after setting up my 4 ft tropical tank, my fishkeeping is still going strong!

I have some different fish to when I started up in early 2011, including two broods of catfish in the same tank from the same parents. In fact I've had to consider how to STOP them spawning!

Only today I missed out on buying another tank on E-bay....so you can see my retirement hobby is starting to expand!
fishkeeping
by: dothon

I also gave up keeping tropical fish when I moved house. I had 11 tanks so now I keep goldfish in my pond. I lost all my fish recently as a heron ate them but since i've advertised online a chap sold me 15 large goldfish so I keep the pond well covered now. also i have all my solar lights round the edge + two windmills.
Good hobby
by: Robert

I started keeping tropical fish about five or six years ago. I think it is a brilliant hobby and you get the good results from it. It can be a very straight forward hobby without any complications and lots of enjoyment if you look after your fish well.

I started with a community tank with discus in a 190 litre tank then later progressed to a 400 litre tank with two Oscars and a plec.

Unfortunately the plec killed the Oscars after about two years so I moved the plec on. It was 18 inches long and 4 inches wide.

I have now gone back to a community tank again with approx 30 fish and they are thriving. We keep the tank in the dinning room and enjoy watching them and get lots of admiring comments from friends when they come for dinner.

It takes me approx one hour per week to clean the tank but hey! it's worth it! What's one hours work!!

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