In the saltwater hobby many of started out with a freshwater tank of some sort before making the jump. Even with this freshwater experience, there is a blasé attitude when it comes to the freshwater community. The technological trends in the reefkeeping hobby are just as huge in the freshwater side and there are a whole lot of aquarists out there who’s freshwater systems can make many a reef look boring.

This is the first in an ongoing series of articles of the hobby discovery many of us have gone through as a youth from my stepson Sebastian. About a year-and-a-half ago I went to San Francisco with my family, so my stepfather could go fish store shopping for his birthday. Near the end of the day as we were at our fourth store I realized how fascinating the fish hobby is, so I decided to spend all my money and buy the proper equipment that’s needed to start up a freshwater tank.