Introduction: Bettababy

[Mermaid Menanna]

Hi everyone. I don't have a mer name yet, am just about to get started making my first tail. I have been fascinated with merpeople since I was a small child and when I realized one day that I could make all of my dreams come true I started saving and researching... and here I am. I finally had saved enough money to buy my first tail (lycra) for my birthday this year (10 more days...) but after practically living on this forum for the past few days I have decided my money is better spent making it myself. Once mine is made and tested this summer I will be making one for my teenage daughter, too.
I have seen so many amazing tails in the past few days that I just can't decide what colors I want to work with for my own tail. I like too much and can only afford one, lol. I wonder how everyone here came up with their inspirations for their first tails?

Anyways, I'm glad to be here and look forward to getting to know everyone. It's nice to have found a place I feel like I can fit in where people aren't looking at me like I'm nuts for saying I want to be a real mermaid. My whole life is focused around the animals, primarily fish.. from career to hobby, and the desire to share their world with them instead of always bringing them into mine is going to be a wonderful change of scenery.

In case anyone is wondering what I do for a living... I'm an aquatic specialist & nutritionist... basically I'm a teacher and I teach all things aquarium/fish related with a specialty in fish medicine. I'm hoping that once I learn to swim well in my tail that it will help me to make a bigger difference by drawing some attention to our natural waterways, ecosystem, and the need for conservation, especially in regards to the aquarium hobby. I have seen and read about many merpeople who are quite active in the conservation aspect of aquatic life, but I have yet to meet one who gives any focus to the aquarium hobby, which is a complete mess and in dire need of help and inspiration. I'm hoping I can make friends and find some help with this here on this forum.

Have a great day everyone! :-)

[Ashe]

Welcome, welcome! I am a major fish lover too! :)

[Mermaid Saphira]

Welcome to the forum! You wish to know our secret to how to dream up a design? Well, it can range anywhere from inspiration of a fish to mixing our favorite colors into our wn creation. If you would like any help with anything, I would be happy to assist you :) oOo Hugs and Fishes oOo Dreams and Wishes oOo

[Mermaid Menanna]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Saphira, any help you're willing to offer would be greatly appreciated. I've seen so many tails I like (and want) that I just can't decide what's right for my first one. I've seen at least a dozen different fluke shapes that I think are stunning, both in and out of water... and colors, omg, I am just so confused. I thought I knew what I wanted but my head is just swimming. :-P

What I can offer at this point is that I'm a bit bigger in the figure so I want something flattering (hopefully this will help me lose some weight and tone back up) and I like soft, flowing, seductive in appearance, but at the same time functional. I'm native American, so have the dark skin and black hair, so I can wear just about any color, but just don't get big into oranges, pinks, and neon colors. Most of my wardrobe is earth tones but I want to bring some color back into my life. I intend to wear a 1 piece bathing suit underneath my tail until I get into better shape again, and usually end up with whatever Walmart has on it's racks by early spring, lol. (tight budget) The monofin I've chosen is the FINIS rapid because that seemed to be the best option for a beginner.

Most of my swimming will likely be done at the local small lakes/beaches. (I live in Central Wisconsin) I'm still searching for an indoor pool anywhere close by.

I don't want to have to do a lot of detailed painting if I can get away with it for my first tail but I do want a scale pattern on it, and oh, yeah... it will be made of spandex... whatever I can find to work best from online fabric stores. No Joann fabric store near me.. no fabric store at all near me... just what Walmart stocks, which doesn't work for a tail, lol.

Lastly, I'm wondering, from those who have multiple different fluke shapes in their collections... is there a difference in performance based on shape and size of fluke? If so, what works best for you?
Sorry for so many questions but I'm excited and this past week I have allowed my life to be sucked away by everything mermaid. My family is starting to think I've gone off the deep end because all I talk about or do has to do with my new tail. If I'm lucky maybe eventually I'll get hubby into a tail with me. :-)

[Mermaid Saphira]

I am definitely all for seductive siren looks with a flowy attitude! What are your thoughts on a few flowing fins on your tail? They would most certainly lean towards that look. As for the color, I am not sure. Maybe burgundy, other shades of red or a really deep orange with hints of gold or bronze with the reds and black for the orange.rout color scheme? How about a rainbow t Personally, if done well, I think that any of them would look amazing. For the fluke, you could cut a flowy shape into the fabric and still use the RAPID monofin. Lots of us have done this on our tails. Oh, let's see.... Scale paint jobs can be done pretty easy. All you need to do is stuff the sewn tail with stuffing/pillows/blankets and pull one leg on a set of fishnet leggings over the tail then spray the paint. www.spandexworld.com (http://www.spandexworld.com) is a wonderful fabric store that many of us here use. I certainly do as I don't have access to a jo-anns my self. The size of the fluke can affect the propulsion or speed of a tail depending on the type. Competitor monofins tend to the fastest, while RAPIDS and WAVES tend to have less propulsion compared to a comp fin. I only own one monofin so I don't know much about the others, but I do plan on getting a whale shaped oceanika merfin when they are released. Why don't you swim on over to the monofins section of the forum to see what others thought about each one. No need to apologize, it is easy to become excited when you first enter the world of mermaiding. :D I do say, I must apologize for my cluttered writing, my tablet won't let me space out my paragraphs, I hope you can read this :$ Anymore questions? let me know ;)

[AniaR]

Welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy it here!

[Dacora]

Welcome! Its nice to meet another mer who is in the aquatic hobby! I agree there are a lot of people who need to be taught correct fish care. That is one of my goals to do after I finish my tail, focusing mainly on goldfish since my tail is themed after a calico goldfish and they are highly underestimated. Im glad another mer has decided to do that also for the hobby!
What kind of fish do you keep?

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[Mermaid Annariea]

welcome! i like to color things digitally, so if you decide on some ideas, let me know and ill try to get them drawn up for you! plus i just got a new drawing tablet. just more excuses to to a tad bit of doodling. :D

[Mermaid Menanna]

Thank you everyone for such a warm embrace. I was so afraid I would feel out of place here but I don't. Yay!

Let me see if I can get to all of the questions asked so far... sorry if I forget anyone/anything.
Saphira: I'm still playing with the ideas of a deep/dark red, blues, dark greens, and a hint of yellow. Too much in one tail? I have already read my way through the monofin threads and all I can say is that I'm more confused than ever, lol. I know what I want but have to work with what I can afford. I love my job/career but honestly, it doesn't pay very well. Having a house full of pets to support doesn't help with the $ issues. I think I am stuck with the rapid monofin to get me started and will have to start saving again to upgrade to something more functional and spectacular later on. Sadly I have found a few of the monofins that I really liked but they didn't make them big enough to fit my big feet. (8 1/2 - 9 shoe size) I also didn't mention my disabilities, and I'm a little worried about how my bad knee is going to react to swimming in a tail. I have a torn ligament in my right knee, has been this way for over 30 yrs now and still no money or ability to get it fixed. :-( I used to be a perfect size 3 yrs ago until my knee finally blew out for the last time... now... well, let's just say I need to lose about 50 lbs. Exercise has been quite difficult the past few yrs as my knee has gotten worse. I can no longer drive (that's killing me) because of it. My dr says swimming is the best exercise I could do, so I'm hoping this new tail will not only get me back into the water (I've always loved swimming) but will help as therapy for my leg and if I'm lucky, some weight loss to go with it. All I can do is try. I also have scoliosis so live with chronic pain, and mild asthma which will probably get better when I stop smoking completely. Yea... I know, smoking and swimming don't mix, lol. I've been struggling with quitting and am hoping this tail will help with that too. My desire to be a mermaid is beginning to outweigh my desire to smoke.

I was a little leery of spandexworld.com after some of the other threads I've read here today, lots of stuff about people getting ripped off? I don't have extra money to lose, so am still unsure where I'm going to get my fabric from. I don't know why I expected this would be easy to find, lol, but it's not turning out this way.

Dacora: I keep a lot of different fish species, both fresh and saltwater. I only have 8 tanks set up right now, but I can give you a general idea of what I've got going here... I have a 20 gallon cherry shrimp tank (breeding), nothing in it but breeding and young shrimp. I have a 30 gallon vivarium set up but no fish in it currently, targeted for annual killifish when I get time. I have four 65 gallon freshwater tanks ranging from angelfish to zebra danios, gold white cloud minnows, african cichlids, and some special catfish... then there's the 75 gallon reef with the pair of clownfish, blenny, coral banded shrimp, dottyback, corals, crabs, snails, starfish, etc. and the 29 gallon biocube reef I just set up last weekend, going to be for breeding pipefish... and my pair of 215 gallon tanks on one wall... the upper tank is angelfish (yes, I breed them, can you tell? lol) loaches, bristlenose plecos, and a very old gold barb (about 6 - 7 yrs old now), and underneath is my 5 geophagus iporangensis cichlids with a firemouth and pleco. There is one breeding pair of geos down there so I'm washing eggs out of their pot about every 10 days to keep population under control. They give me about 500+ fry each spawn.

If I had more space I'd have more fish, lol. I had to take down my 120 gallon and 90 gallon tanks this past year when my macaw finally came home from my ex's house. He has a sad story with so far a good ending, but he takes up a lot of space and has a lot of special needs now. I also have a sun conure who lives upstairs and a dog (red tick coonhound).

Please don't get me started about the goldfish care in this hobby. I could rant all night, and often do on my facebook page. Working in this industry has made me hate people in general. I used to be a very social "people person" but now am very selective of who I give my time, attention, and energy to. I often find myself wanting to reach through my computer screen and popping someone in the head for being so ignorant. Fancy/fantail goldfish are one of my favorite species and the only reason I don't have one right now is because my last rescue died about 2 yrs ago and I just haven't had the space for another... or the heart to feel like I was replacing him. Freddy was the coolest fish! I took him in as a rescue not expecting him to live a few days and instead he surprised me and grew to adult size and was with me for over 6 yrs. I used to get into arguments daily with people about the needs of a goldfish, all the time looking at my Freddy and shaking my head. He died so young because of the horrible conditions he was kept in for his first 3 yrs. His organs had permanent damage and finally just gave out. But he wasn't my first, won't be my last. Most of my fish have always been rescues with similar or worse stories. Does 1 goldfish need over 100 gallons of water? Easily if it's going to be healthy, never mind happy. But people keep putting them in bowls, confining them little tanks and talking about how they are "just fish". I don't see it that way.

I have a wonderful connection with animals, especially fish. I interact with things, hands on, that others warn me not to for safety reasons... and yet, I have never found a situation where I've been in any danger. Along with my specialty in fish/aquatic medicine comes the job of behaviorist, which is always an ongoing study. They're not so hard to understand or communicate with if someone takes the time and has the desire. As a mermaid I am praying I can get these points across to the general public in a better way than I've been able to thus far. The abuse, neglect, and senseless loss of lives is running rampant in this industry and people continue to shrug it off as "just a fish". Gggrr. Soon I will be "just a fish" but they can't shrug me off. :-) Somehow, someone's going to learn something around here this summer.

Annariea: thank you so much for the offer of sketching for me. I used to have good sketching abilities, made my own pageant dresses yrs ago... but getting "old" takes some things away to make room for others I guess and my drawing skills are just not what they used to be. I do play around in my paint shop pro program from time to time, taking photos of myself and shaping tails out of my legs and dresses, etc. I will have to dig out a new photo and try that, maybe I can find something workable that way. Thanks for the idea. If I can't come up with anything from those I will let you have at them and see what you get.

Sorry for the long post but I'm really enjoying being here. Thanks again for making me feel so at home and comfy. :-)

[Dacora]

So many tanks! It sounds like so much fun!! I only have 3 tanks set up right now. My 110 gallon with my 3 fancy goldfish, my 10 gallon hospital tank with my 3 snails and my 5 gallon with my betta. I have a 40 hexagon and a 30 long in storage. Once I move out I'll put my snails and betta in the 40 and I'm not sure what I want to do with the 30.

I could rant along all day with you about goldfish and how mistreated they are. It breaks my heart how some people treat them. Fish in general get no respect bacuse you can't "pet" them but I find myself talking to my fish more than my family members. XD


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[Mermaid Menanna]

Ah, but Dacora, there are many of them you can pet... some that even beg to be pet... if a person is willing to treat and keep them properly and spend the time with them, learning their ways, their language, etc. Freddy died in my hand as I held him at the end, was like a softball with fins (9 inches) and I had the same experience with my oscar. 13+ yrs spent with my oscar and she would pout if I didn't pet her every day. If I walked past her tank without dipping my fingers in to give her a rub she would jump and splash water at me or spit water at me. When I sat at my computer and ignored her she would spit water clear across the room, knowing that water on the floor always brought me running. They are just so misunderstood. Most people never take the time or energy to get to really know them. Even my young angelfish come to me when I put my hands in the tank to work on anything, swimming in and out of my fingers, cherry shrimp sit on my hands and "clean" me while I maintain their tank. My bettas were always trained to come to the front of the tank for me so I could photograph them.

One tip for you about your fish. Don't put a betta in a 40 gallon hex. It's too deep. As bettas age they need to be able to reach the surface for air and it gets to be too difficult for them and they will literally drown. Bettas do best in very warm (80 - 82F) and shallow water.

[Ashe]

I pet my fish all the time and they love it! I even hold my 9 inch Pleco when he is awake, and he feels like a little shark!! :) But afterwards I aways give them a dose of this water clarifier that also helps restore slime coat just incase. :)

[MerAnthony]

Welcome to the forums. As Saph has said there are many different color styles to choose from. The posablities are endless.



Be Happy Swim Free

[Mermaid Menanna]

I have come up with 5 colors as base colors, but can't seem to narrow it down further. Thanks to the wonderful ideas given to me here I spent all night (literally, until 6am) working in my graphic's program. I didn't take the time to make it perfect because I knew I just needed to get a general idea of look... but I'll post it here and see what the rest of you think in way of color. Which color do you all like the most?
I don't expect it to stay one solid color, I will be painting in scales and other coordinated colors, but I need to figure out what to start with. 8642

[Dacora]

I didn't know that about the betta. Thank you.
My goldfish force me to "pet" them. I can't clean their tank or fix anything without my arm being attack. XD

I like the purple. I'm designing a betta tail for a friend and I have a few ideas to make the fluke look like a crown tail betta. I'll be more than happy to share with you how I plan to do if you would like.

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[Mermaid Menanna]

Crowntail is something I can say doesn't interest me, but thank you for the offer. I'm still undecided about fluke shape and still tossing around the color options and what I can do with each. I think I've narrowed the color options down to either red or teal now since I want it to be something that shows up from above water and the places I'll be swimming has somewhat murky water much of the time. I'm already looking for a pair of swim goggles that won't look too awful so I'm able to see without getting silt/sand in my eyes. A mer with glasses, lol. Maybe I can make the goggles look enough like glasses to make it somewhat believable. I'm not expecting an audience right away since our local beach is seldom busy, but ya never know. I think seeing a mermaid around here is going to seriously freak some people out. But until I lose some weight I don't want to be a spectacle if I can help it. I'm very uncomfortable in my own body these days and that is yet another thing I hope this tail is going to help me with.

Anytime you (or anyone else) wants or needs help or advice with your fish, please feel free to ask. There is very little I can't help with via online and there are very few fish in the aquarium hobby that me and/or my husband haven't kept, nursed, raised, bred, etc. I'd love to see pictures of your fish and tanks. I was thinking about you and your fish earlier and wanted to post a few pictures for you, too. Sorry I don't have any right now that are more recent. I tend to take down, revamp, and move tanks often/as needed. Will be trying to get more new pics in the coming months.
Enjoy!8643 This is/was Freddy.
8644
This is my reef before I upgraded to a bigger tank.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Mama Geo with one of her spawns...
8645

The 90 gallon before I took it down...
8646

And Bobby, my heart... and the reason I took a couple of tanks down...
8647

[Dacora]

Freddy is the same color as my lionhead, Shiro. <3 Very beautiful fish. I'll try and show you my guys later. I have some pictures of them I think in the "show me your fish tank" thread but they have grown quite a bit since those pictures.

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[Mermaid Saphira]

Lovely fish and such a friendly looking parrot.
I really like the red on you :D

[Mermaid Menanna]

Thanks Saphira! :-)
Bobby might look friendly but he's anything but... lol. Unfortunately I am the only person who can get near him without getting their face ripped off, and even then he throws tantrums sometimes with me, too. I have scars. He's a harlequin macaw and I'm hoping that eventually I'll be able to do a tail using his colorations/markings some day too.
I did my first sketch using the teal, am still working on the red. I have ideas with the red but am having a hard time getting them down on paper to look the way I see it in my head. After getting the fluke shape I wanted in this sketch and some basic fin rays, I'm stuck again. Not sure where to go with colors or pattern/markings except scales. As much as I dislike pink I am almost thinking some light pink shading through the center of the tail might be pretty? Ideas?
Ok, back to work on the red. I'll check back in later when I take another break.
Thanks everyone for the help. 8660