Year end wrap up, how was it?

[L number Banana]

...and is there anything left to get done before the calendar rolls over?

My year was filled with ups and downs in the extreme. All's good in the end. It's December and I'm still riding my little Ninja 250. The climate is whacked.

Lost two of my Glass Cats on the same day in Sept. No indication of why. Investigated all the usual suspects and perimeters but came up with nothing. That was pretty upsetting. I always heard they were hard to keep and the whole group was thriving and then that. Worried myself sick for a while after that expecting someone else to die. Thank goodness, all the rest are doing great.

No new cats since I ran out of space but the ones I have are doing great and so is Mr. Flip the Yo yo Loach, no matter what I do to the top of the tank he'll still find a way to flip out of the tank if I don't plug and net every millimetre, his aim is quite incredible. Kuhli loaches are still a ball of twisty fun but man! they get big!

Didn't manage to get out on even one catfishing trip but I got a big raise and worked many more hours so maybe next year. Have a little bit of pull finally, doubled the sales of perennials.

My Mom got cancer, my Super-Mom kicked cancer's butt.

What this year been like for you guys? I remember lots of unhappy things had gone on early in the year but it looks like you're all still here and doing well. Thank goodness for that, I may not be logging on much but I like (..need... ) to do a lot of reading here. Still trying to find more of those odd-ball Farlowella.

My to-do before the year ends? I have to move the big tank to paint the living room. Eeeew. It's so much work at this point that it's almost worth buying and setting up a new tank. I guess that's what I've been doing - getting lazy..

[Sweety]

For me it's a restart of the hobby as my 5ft tank was getting to much to look after due to health so have down sized to a 3ft tank & selling off the old tank & filters has raised funds for new fish, external filter etc & am going to build a tank just for my pygmy cory's which i'm hoping to breed once they get bigger

[L number Banana]

That sounds like a cheery way to finish the year. I'll have to follow your progress in the cory section. Maybe it will inspire me to redo my cory tank too, it's looking a little overgrown atm. Comfy for them but I really miss watching them.

Here's wishing any and all good health to you and your fish.

[Sweety]

I had thought about giving up fish keeping but my friends kept telling me I couldn't as i've done it for so long now & that they have started keeping fish to it was hard down sizing but it's working out so much easier for me now as a 30L water change is far easier than a 100L plus with the change i've seemed to have got my passion back for the hobby.
So yes it's a good end to the year

[Mike_Noren]

The year started very badly when I didn't get a job I wanted, and took a turn for the worse when I found out an old friend, the most knowledgeable and educated man I've ever known, had died. Thankfully, things have much improved towards the end of the year.

Fishkeeping has followed the same pattern, with heavy losses & defeats (e.g. I realized too late that my Opsariichthys were killing each other and my Zacco) at the start of the year, and some spectacular new finds towards the end. I am presently particularly pleased with my Homaloptera, Biotoecus and Sundadanio.

[Redtailrob]

Real Bad year for me with regards to fishkeeping!
Probably my most in 20 years of fishkeeping.
Well December of last year was terrible.

In the space of 2 days around Xmas December my Cabinet for my 96x30x32 collapsed causing my Tank to crack, luckily ALL the fish where rescued & placed in temporary Ponds in my Fish house.
Xmas Eve/ Xmas Day we suffered a 16hrs Power Cut during a spell of very cold weather - temperatures in my Ponds & Tanks dropped to under 65 degrees, lost the following,
x 2 Xingu Orange Pikes
x 1 Large Male Dovii
x 1 18" Clarias
x 1 24" L.Mammoratus
x 1 20" TSN
x 1 24" Caloyhosus M
x 1 12" B.Yarrelli
x 1 18-20" Sperator Acricularis.

Fortuantely the rest of the year (touch wood) has been much better.
Lost my 22" G.Gourami whilst i was away on holiday & the big thing jumped THROUGH the glass cover of his heated Pond.
Also lost a very large Royal Knifefish - unexplained death, went of the feed & started whirling around the pond, checked Parameters etc and couldnt quite figure out what was happening.

Fortunately apart from those disasters everything else has been great.
Managed to secure a baby 3" Paulicea Lutkeni after about 12 years of searching & also upgraded one of my Ponds too a 650 Gallon for the RTC & RTC/TSN cross.
My G.Platynemum contnues to grow & now readily accepts sinking & floating pellets & my other Cats also are doing very well.
More Importantly became a Dad for the 1st time this year so other interests such a Thai boxing, the weights Gym & fishing have taken a major back seat but needs must!
Will just concentrate on what I have for 2012 in prepartion for the planned house move later in the year.

[sidguppy]

to say this year has been intense is a grand understatement

it started out like a continuing of 2010 which was not the best time.
too depressing to think about.
frankly i was just slowly sinking into my private black hole, with omly a few very nice rockshows as tiny points of light in a huge sea of black.

then about april-may or so, things changed and god or whatever deity runs the show decided to poke me out of my stupor and poke he/she did!

after falling down and twitching on the floor a couple of times because my ticker went Librarian Poo, I had to choose: continue this wallowing nihilism and die too soon or choose life, act like a grown up and kick my own butt into transmission.

So after cleaning up my act, made the decision to de-stress my life, quitting with all the negative crap and a new food regime without all the soda drinks, cookies and OD's on chocolate; not just lost almost 7 kilo and 4 notches in my belt, also ran headlong into a very nice girl!

howeveer, my 2 misanthropic housemates were less than overjoyed with my new course (they thrive on negativity) and my love (she's got a baby which makes things worse for them), things came to a huge fight and as a result I not just added female & love in my life, but also the ddecision to move house;
it's going to be tough the next 2,5 week; cause I will move house before 31-12 and leave the shite behind. no more sinking intob depravation for this buster

it's been truly intense

[Sweety]

Good on you sidguppy & hope everthing go's to plan for your move & new de-stressed life