EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 ok, so I know Anders has some, and recent postings has made me think others around here must have some as well. Who has fish out there? What type of tanks? What fish? pictures? I have 3 tanks now after downgrading, I used to have a 90 gallon, but that's in the process of getting sold. Now I just have a 6, 12, and a 24 gallon. The 6 is a shrimp tank, where I breed Red Cherry Shrimp which I trade to the local fish store for supplies The 12 is a dwarf puffer tank The 24 is just being set up (it's the replacement for the big one), but I will probably raise Crystal Red Shrimp in there, and have a school of threadfin rainbows once it's cycled. My 90 used to have a school of 9 BIG angelfish, which I loved, but just didn't have the time or space for it really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty1001 Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Unfortuantely we cant keep fish, as my dad has a phobia of them. If there is even dead freash fish in the fridge or freezer he won't open the dorr or attempt to get anything else out. So fish ain't never been a priority for me, and I don't think I would even want one now come to think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodnik Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 One 55 gallon freshwater....had a 29, as well, that I just gave away to my brother's kids. My 55 is empty at the moment...I just lost the tank (inside of three days) to some outside contaminant...not sure what happened, as all my testing was good... Ran well for three years...then bam...I killed 'em all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 ouch, thats tough, I had that happen once on a 12 gallon...well more my heater malfunctioned and cooked everything overnight, but cleaned out the tank. Are you thinking to redo it with something new? What type of fish did you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubbdog Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 My brother has a 80-100 gallon salt water tank. I think I remember him saying that hehas a webcam tied to it. I will ask himand if so, will post a link. Its all decked out, prety cool tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Man, that sounds pretty cool! I have thought about trying saltwater one of these days...we'll see though, not sure if I have the time or money to give to keeping those things alive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty1001 Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Is it expensive to keep fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 It can be expensive to get a proper setup, and saltwater is more expensive than freshwater. Although if you're really doing low tech, I bet you could get a 10 gallon tank set up for $30-50, even less if you find used stuff online. But you can easily spend 1000$ as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritual Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I have a 70-something litre (look it up, you Americans... ) fresh water tank. I have only about 10 fish in there as that seems to be the optimal number. If we have more they usually turn on each other until there are about 10 left... :dontknow: Don't know the names of the fish I have other than in Swedish. @matty Keeping a fish tank (at least a fresh water one) is not expensive. Fish food, while pretty expensive, lasts a long time unless you have a shit load of fish. What can be expensive is if you get diseases in your tank and need medication. And buying everything to begin with, of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r2-j1 Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I currently do not have a tank, and have been that way for a few years. I used to be a pretty hardcore fish head though, and I have run a lot of different tanks and types of tanks. I did a ton of reading on it too. I was, and still largely am I guess, pretty well versed in all things aquarium. I think I burnt myself out though, and just kinda of backed away from the hobby. I have been feeling a little of the old pull of late however. I still have some old set up stashed away. I kinda want to set up a community tank of small tanganyikan cichlids, but I'm not sure I want to get that back into it. Maybe I'll just get a beta to feed the need.:laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Yeah, I started with 1 beta...he's gone now but his legacy remains. I am pretty big into live plants and aquascaping (yes there is a artistic side to it! if you don't believe me google for images of Takashi Amano's tanks), which means a ton of reading also. Plants are a LOT harder than fish actually, and the whole tank becomes one big chemistry experiment to make sure all the nutrients are at proper levels and such. And takes more money of course, but I really think they look better than the plastic stuff. I sometimes think I keep fish because with all the time taken to make pretty tanks I should put some fish in there...hah. I also am getting more and more into inverts, different types of freshwater shrimp in particular, which are apparently huge in Germany and Asia, but just getting a foothold in the US. They're fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordfishbane Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I have in the past kept 60 gallon tanks, for some reason I have bad luck with smaller tanks, everything dies. My favs are African Cichlids, although I tend to stick to the cheaper Oscars. Feeding those things is expensive once you get them on live food they turn thier nose up at pellets. Little swimming pigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 haha, so is your forum name a reflection of what you did to the inhabitants of your smaller tanks? They are tough when they're smaller since if something goes wrong, it goes wrong FAST, where you can almost ignore larger tanks for a while and it'll be ok. I agree about the food though. I have dwarf puffers who can't be bothered to even take notice of flake or pellet food...so I now have worms in my freezer for them...I haven't gotten to the point of keeping worm cultures for them, I don't love my fish THAT much. I think Casey would dump me if I breed worms in the fridge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Fish aren't really my thing since I found out they don't really like it when I try to hold them in my lap and give them a nice brushing. Also, it's really hard to teach them to fetch... they have a lot of difficulty crossing the lawn. The most I've ever had is a little 2 gallon tank that I'd keep a Betta in, sometimes with a buddy catfish. I have a 70-something litre (look it up, you Americans... ) fresh water tank. 20 gallons = 75.686 L : I looked it up, me American! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodnik Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 ouch, thats tough, I had that happen once on a 12 gallon...well more my heater malfunctioned and cooked everything overnight, but cleaned out the tank. Are you thinking to redo it with something new? What type of fish did you have? Yea...I'm probably going to redo it at some point. I just haven't had time to deal with it lately. I'll probably do more of a "community" tank with a little more color. I had cichlids and a very large pleco...not so "community" friendly....as the cichlids would eat anything that'd fit in their mouths. The pleco dying kinda surprised me...he was always very change tolerant/resilient, but he kicked the bucket along with the rest of 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 You actually make a good point...I sort of never saw fish as pets, more like interactive decorations for the house. A few fish do actually have personalities, but most are just preprogrammed eating/pooping machines. Dwarf puffers though, are awesome, and have a ton of personality...still don't like sitting on my lap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonherald Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 After just moving house for the 4th time in 2 years I don't currently have any set up but rest assured I will be as soon as a settled period allows..... ran the gambit from large to small at one point I had over 30 various sized tanks mainly for breeding and rearing purposes as I owned a pet shop and I could control the quality of some of the More delicate cichlid species...... my main show tank was a monster ..7ft X 8 4 ft deep.....The tank was made of sealed concrete with an acrylic front and the top part planted out like a terrarium...It was home to my Red Tail cat as well as a few large Flag Tails a giant gourami and at one time an Arowana....The Arowana Bailed into the planted area one too many times though....Although generally I wouldn't recommend the large species I miss big red..He had the closest you could call character in a fish...used to hand feed him prawns trout fillets and all manner of goodies... the tanks filter system was immense and cost a fair whack but it was worth it as maintaining the tank was mainly a case of just topping it up.....The tank is still in the house and is looking quite good with tons of Malawi cichlids ..I became friends with the guy who bought it as I was helping him with the filter and tank maintenence..... I look forward to the day I can get my arms wet again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Yea...I'm probably going to redo it at some point. I just haven't had time to deal with it lately. I'll probably do more of a "community" tank with a little more color. I had cichlids and a very large pleco...not so "community" friendly....as the cichlids would eat anything that'd fit in their mouths. The pleco dying kinda surprised me...he was always very change tolerant/resilient, but he kicked the bucket along with the rest of 'em. Yeah, my pleco's have always survived nearly everything, and mine are all the dwarf types which don't get much larger than 5 inches full grown. I never had a cichlid tank, since they like to dig up plants, and I like plants, but I do like a lot of the fish, I've been tempted to do just a complex aquascape for them to make up for no plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Caroland Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 We used to have a 100 gallon saltwater tank - loved it as a kid but thankfully I didn't have to clean it. Also used to have a 60 gallon freshwater tank that had all sorts of guppies and neons in it. Used to. Story there was my father and I were out crappie fishing and had minnows we were using. I found a fish in there that didn't look like the rest and came to figure out that it was a tiny baby catfish! Just had to keep that little bugger and named him Oscar. In he went with the rest of the fish and over the course of a year, he ate all the other fish. I finally let him go back in the river when he was about 2lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritual Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 @Duende: Yeah, 20 gallons would be about right as it is 74 or 75 litres... I keep only live plants in my aquarium! Plastic stuff don't feel as an option really... I feed my fish with a frozen mix of shrimps and other stuff. It seems fairly all round as all fishes I've had have loved it and it contains everything a fish needs. And, I don't have to keep live food somewhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Wow, that sounds like an awesome tank Rob, I'd like to do a big tank one day, but since I couldn't handle a 75-90 gallon, at this point, I think I'll hold off on anything bigger until I have a good place for it. I'd like to do an Arowana one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrEvilmonki Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Takashi Amano was my inspiration into fish keeping and when I do have tanks they are more about the plants than the fish. My last tank was a 4' amazonian tank with CO2 injection and everything. Never really have issues with things going wrong (mainly because I am a miserable bastard when it comes to feeding) but pruning my plants some of which were growing an inch a day at optimal conditions just got to much. I did try to convert to salt water but after 11 weeks to cycle the system my then 2 year old son turned the filter off and I would have had to cycle it again - no f-ing way! @Ritual. If anyone wants artificial plants you really MUST have silk plants. The modern ones are really hard to tell from real plants plus they have the added bonus of being soft so fish will actually interact with them. Plus if you keep your tank dosed up with algae cure ALL the time they will look pristine all the time. Some Amano tanks (not sure if they are all his or if some are inspired by) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 good to hear you're a real plant man Anders, I think it's the only way to go. And since I am into shrimp, it's like a constant source of food for them and they clean up anything that dies, it's great! But yeah, Amano is a big inspiration for me as well, I keep redoing tanks, and I think I'm slowly improving my artistic eye for it...I hope. I know some of the silk stuff looks great nowdays, but it's still just not the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritual Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 I've never seen silk plants. Or if I have, I didn't realise they were fake! :laugh: Will have to look into that! Although I wouldn't abandon live plants... but could be nice to have a good looking plant that never dies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrEvilmonki Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 The problem with live plants for most people is they want the Amano look but have no idea how stupidly expensive it is to achieve. Sure you can get a nice looking aquarium with basic stuff as long as you have a descent light and fertilize regularly but to get an absolute shit load of plants to grow densely together in a small area you need a shit load of lights, a crap load of ferilizer a dollop of CO2 and preferably some heater cables under you gravel. My last tank had 8 light tubes over it - all specialized plant tubes, had a constant supply of CO2 being injected by my computer controlled probey-injecty system and I fertilized daily. My next tank is going to be 22 litres if one light (a good one I have to say) and if the plants want some more CO2 they can bloody well evolve legs and get it themselves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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