It was a dark and stormy night...or maybe it was like a dark and stormy day...Or maybe it wasnt even stormy, Im not sure. I only have vague recollections of what my first fish experience was, but I remember a large fish tank that my family had set up in our dining room. It held several goldfish, probably too big for the tank. My mother let us feed them every day, I enjoyed watching them swim to the surface of their tank and catch the food in their mouths. Another recollection of fish was during the several holidays we took to my grandparents home. My grandfather had a large pond that he had built and filled with several kinds of fish. He would go out during the day and throw a container full of catfish food off the dock, with the fish jumping up all at once. My father took us fishing during the holidays, I remember Easter in particular. I rarely caught fish, but I did catch several.
In sixth grade, I bought a tank and my first betta fish on my own. I believe I named him Doctor Who, after ...Doctor Who. I dont remember much about Doctor Who, but I remember his death very well. Since Bettas prefer warmer water, I decided to use a heater, and I believe the water was far too hot, killing the fish as soon as I put it in the tank. I remember crying as I buried the poor little guy.
In the freshman year of high school, I bought another betta and made sure to take particularly good care of this little guy. I set up a 10-gallon tank with lots of plants and a filter. I cleaned his tank every other week. I had him for about two years before he died.