Any Fishkeepers?
Is anyone else an avid aquarist? I'm thinking of making the move from freshwater fish to adding a saltwater tank, which I've never really kept before (Except for the failed seahorse attempt a few years back). i was wondering if anyone had any experiences/wisdom to share??? |
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| Saltwater tanks are beautiful, more colorful, a lot of interesting things you can put in and look at... they are also VERY expensive, difficult to care for and maintain, and very precise monitoring needs to be done.
You also have to be really careful of what you put in with what. It's not a case of the 25 cent goldfish ate the ten cent guppy... it's a case of the 40 dollar yellow tang just ate everything else and enjoyed a thousand dollar meal and then died of indigestion anyway. |
 Yeah, I've got the expense part down. I'm just mind boggled by all of the options and info out there! I'm toying with the idea of doing a 75 gallon reef setup with some low light requirement soft corals and a very few tank bred fish. But I'd have to buy the equipment piecemeal... There's no way I could afford to buy a setup like that with everything needed all at once! That's why I want to spend a lot of time researching and listening to other hobbyists before I start to invest in something that major!
Do you have a marine tank Stace? |
| Not set up anymore, but my parents always have, since before I was born. My Dad's a pro at that stuff... but even after more than 30 years experience with it, he'd get fed up when he'd have it looking just the way he wanted and then something would go wrong. For example, 2 grand worth of fish dying overnight because the power went out and the tank cooled by a couple degrees... |
Willowsprite wrote: For example, 2 grand worth of fish dying overnight because the power went out and the tank cooled by a couple degrees...
Yikes. That's hard.  Good luck with your decision!
Is Pip fazed by the fish you have now? I remember when I came home for summer break from college one year I brought a little 30 gallon freshwater tank home. My dogs STARED at that thing the whole summer and I think I'm lucky they didn't try to break in while we left the house! |
| Hi,
I became an avid saltwater fish tank person a few years ago. My son expressed interest in getting one and I overcame my fear of what I heard was very hard upkeep. Not so!!! Long as you do your homework first!! BIG MUST!! That way you find out what fish are best suited for your household and interest. (sounds familiar as with dogs doesn't it?) For example...sea horses..considered very slowmoving and shy with other fish so they are usually the last to eat in a tank. Very difficult for this type of fish to be put with for example, Damsels, which may be more aggressive and may eat all the food before a sea horse gets a chance. Same with Puffers...amazingly cute fish..they look like happy faces..but they tend to eat coral..so they are not the type to choose for a tank which has coral. Anyhow find a reputable store that is knowlegable about fish and see which is best suited. Remember some fish attack others so ask about compatiblility. You may also just want a tank full of coral, starfish, and sea anenome's they are gorgeous and perhaps you may only want to get a clown fish or no fish at all. Some pretty neat sea creatures exist..we had a wicked looking shrimp thingie for a couple years. Never felt the same about eating shrimp after that however.
Lastly, the best advice I can give is make sure you purchase a protein skimmer. They range in price but usually start at 200. This is a MUST! Protein skimmers skim the urine from the tank and seperate it so the fish aren't swimming in the stuff. Remember in the sea the fish are constantly moving and the water doesn't remain stagnent. Make a list of some fish you would like to purchase or are interested in and then check if they are compatible ..kinda like OES people liking a particular breed of dog compared to say yorkie owners. Some fish do well in groups but others are better to be the solitary fish, some groups attack other newcomers..like Damsels for example. Once you buy the group you can't add a new damsel. That kind of info..Tangs need lettuce - they are the beautiful yellow fish so plants of any kind will get eaten in your tank. Triggers, Puffers, Cow fish..may eat crustaceans in your tank so no sea snails, shrimp or crabs. Sorry getting wordy but homework is important! My son wanted a tank for his b-day a couple years ago and after reading all about them we found him a good size tank. The bigger the better. We also checked Buy and Sell newspapers for a used Protein skimmer and saved a huge amount. The young couple brought it over, installed it for us and gave us a lot of valuable advice. As novice we were very successful and never lost a fish as a result of the research and the skimmer. It's worth the effort! You can't get the vivid colors as you would in a freshwater tank. Oh don't forget the "live rocks" They too are expensive as you buy them by the pound..but maybe get one every couple weeks and build up the tank. That's they way we did it. Imagine spending 40 dollars on a rock..ha ha. Good Luck! Marianne and the boys |
| Thanks for the info folks! Marianne, I'd love to see a pic of your tank! Is it fish only? Or do you have some corals too? What are you keeping right now?
I'm gonna go very SLOWLY with this process. Still have to talk to Mike about it too... Lots and lots of research! The mroe I read, the more I feel overwhelmed, fresh water isn't nearly so complicated1 |
| BTW, thanks a lot Karen... now you're making me want to dig up a tank out of the basement and have fish again.
In my basement I have two 20 gallon tanks, a 35 gallon tank, and a 55 gallon tank. I still have all the equipment to run them too, heaters, filters, air pumps, lights etc I don't think I'd go for saltwater, but maybe freshwater... watching fish is so relaxing... |
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