Anyone have a fish tank?

[WolfDawg]

Fish keeping is one of my hobbies, and I was wondering if there were any other fish keepers here.

[JOhn]

Well they wife has 2 of them, 150 or 60 gallon and a 50 gallon. They have a great calming effect on the wife & I after a rough day. :thumb:

[WolfDawg]

Yeah it's great to have a large tank and just sit and watch them especially if you drop in a treat like glass worms and watch them go to town.

My wife and I have a 125 gallon, 2 55 gallons, a 30 gallon hex, 3 20 gallons, and a 36 gallon breeder.

[wolfpack0735]

my wife and i have 125 gal, 55 gal, two 30`s and acouple of 10`s for feeder fish. they are all saltwater and have had them for about 6 years. the big tanks have triggers ,eels and lionfish, the smaller ones she keeps "wussie" fish in it(SEAHORSEs,tanks,shrimp,clowns,ect.).

[WolfDawg]

my wife and i have 125 gal, 55 gal, two 30`s and acouple of 10`s for feeder fish. they are all saltwater and have had them for about 6 years. the big tanks have triggers ,eels and lionfish, the smaller ones she keeps "wussie" fish in it(SEAHORSEs,tanks,shrimp,clowns,ect.).


I have always heard saltwater is alot harder to take care of. I had a friend who had a couple of triggers they were nasty bastards with big teeth.

have managed to breed any of your saltwater fish?

[wolfpack0735]

the triggers we have are clown,blueline,queen,undulated and bluejaw. the range from 4 to 6 inches and they have teeth. she gets the seahorse to breed and have young bout thats about it. the lionfish are my favorite,i have5 different types of them. all are bigger fish eat feeder fish and homemade fish food(frozen)

[WolfDawg]

the triggers we have are clown,blueline,queen,undulated and bluejaw. the range from 4 to 6 inches and they have teeth. she gets the seahorse to breed and have young bout thats about it. the lionfish are my favorite,i have5 different types of them. all are bigger fish eat feeder fish and homemade fish food(frozen)

Are the triggers and lionfish in the same tank? I thought with them both being aggressive that they would fight all the time.

[Marco Polo]

I just have a 55 gal freshwater tank, but it treats me well. One day I hope to get into saltwater but I heard it's a pretty expensive hobby (saltwater fish)

[WolfDawg]

I just have a 55 gal freshwater tank, but it treats me well. One day I hope to get into saltwater but I heard it's a pretty expensive hobby (saltwater fish)

No doubt, and if I had a saltwater genocide like I had in my african chiclid tank last week I think I would cry.

[wolfpack0735]

yes triggers and lions are in the same tank. triggers are more aggresive than the lion but the lions are bigger. and the triggers also know the lionfish have venom in the upper spines and know how to use it. my wife see our smallest lion (zebra lion) and she got stung by it. her whole hand went numb for two days. so the triggers know who to stay away from

[WolfDawg]

yes triggers and lions are in the same tank. triggers are more aggresive than the lion but the lions are bigger. and the triggers also know the lionfish have venom in the upper spines and know how to use it. my wife see our smallest lion (zebra lion) and she got stung by it. her whole hand went numb for two days. so the triggers know who to stay away from

Do you have coral and live rock in your tanks?

[wolfpack0735]

live rock is in all the tanks. but corals are only in her "wussie" tanks. triggers will destory corals. and snail and crabs and shrimp.

[WolfDawg]

live rock is in all the tanks. but corals are only in her "wussie" tanks. triggers will destory corals. and snail and crabs and shrimp.

Does the coral require expensive lighting? My wife has a lot of live plants in our 125 fresh water and we had to buy special lighting for it. That stuff is expensive.

[wolfpack0735]

they do need special lighting. it wasnt bad price wise,cant remember what it was. the corals are her department. i know she feeds them and adds chemicals to the water. i help her one the water changes on her tanks. the bigger tanks are mine.mainly because the dragonface eel bites, so do the triggers and after the numb hand thing the lionfish tank also. she helps with the water changes there. and helps make the food we make. the food saves us alot and is better for the fish.

[WolfDawg]

they do need special lighting. it wasnt bad price wise,cant remember what it was. the corals are her department. i know she feeds them and adds chemicals to the water. i help her one the water changes on her tanks. the bigger tanks are mine.mainly because the dragonface eel bites, so do the triggers and after the numb hand thing the lionfish tank also. she helps with the water changes there. and helps make the food we make. the food saves us alot and is better for the fish.


Live food? Or do you make your own flake food?

We grew our own micro worms for some fry we had.

[wolfpack0735]

the homemade food is frozen. baby shrimp,crab meat,claims (all from a can),unflavored geltin,3 multi vitiams,(crushed and human type),garlic extract,and 4 cap fulls of saltware zoe(another vitiam mimeral) blend together and pure in to old fish food trays. this makes about 7 trays for half the cost if you bought the same amount of trays. plus the protein level is higher and twice the vitiams and minerals. the garlic helps keep parasites away. sorry about the spelling.i type slower than my fingers can type and i`m to old to use spell check.

[WolfDawg]

the homemade food is frozen. baby shrimp,crab meat,claims (all from a can),unflavored geltin,3 multi vitiams,(crushed and human type),garlic extract,and 4 cap fulls of saltware zoe(another vitiam mimeral) blend together and pure in to old fish food trays. this makes about 7 trays for half the cost if you bought the same amount of trays. plus the protein level is higher and twice the vitiams and minerals. the garlic helps keep parasites away. sorry about the spelling.i type slower than my fingers can type and i`m to old to use spell check.


I am no spelling nazi.

Thats interesting, I have never heard that about garlic extract I'll have to look into it and see if it works for fresh water to.

[wolfpack0735]

the real cost to saltwater is the set up. once you get past that it isnt to bad except the fish are high. the cheapest place i`ve found them on yearly bases is on the net. as for adding salt to the water about the only time is during water changes.

[theultimatekcchiefsfan]

I got my Dad this pond kit for Fathers Day a couple of years ago.
Didnt know what we were starting back then.................

Before and after of my mom and dads pond they built in the backyard. They are totally hung up on goldfish now. They have about 9 or 10 of the orange gold fish. They have raised them since they were born. they are now about 6 inches long. They will continue to grow depending on the size of their surroundings. 2 small tanks in the house too.

Anyway they really are relaxing just to sit outside and watch them swim around.

http://www.planetuploads.com/uploaded/1120344498dirt%20work%20007.jpg


http://www.planetuploads.com/uploaded/1120344613pond.jpg

[WolfDawg]

Sweet pond. They have the kits on sale at Marcs right now and I have been thinking of getting one, the only problem is all the snow in the winter. You have to bring the fish in for the winter and I don't have a open tank big enough for Koy.

[booger]

I've dabbled in the hobby sinse I was a kid.

Right now I have a standard 55 gallon freshwater. I have 1 needle nose gar, 1 Albino Oscar, 1 Clown Knifefish, and 3 White Tip Shark Cats (aka bull shark cats).

They get a daily dose of Chiclid flakes and pellets and Shrimp pellets.
Once in a while a knight crawler or leach left over from fishing and about twice a month they get 3-4 dozen feeder goldfish for a good natural diet.

I have always liked saltwater, but right know it doesnt fit the budget.

Tanks while sometimes time consuming for maintenance, are very relaxing to watch after a hard days work.

Plus goldfish times are fun with some of them shredding them apart with scales flying everywhere and others swallowing them hole is very entertaining as well. :)

:thumb:

[WolfDawg]

I've dabbled in the hobby sinse I was a kid.

Right now I have a standard 55 gallon freshwater. I have 1 needle nose gar, 1 Albino Oscar, 1 Clown Knifefish, and 3 White Tip Shark Cats (aka bull shark cats).

They get a daily dose of Chiclid flakes and pellets and Shrimp pellets.
Once in a while a knight crawler or leach left over from fishing and about twice a month they get 3-4 dozen feeder goldfish for a good natural diet.

I have always liked saltwater, but right know it doesnt fit the budget.

Tanks while sometimes time consuming for maintenance, are very relaxing to watch after a hard days work.

Plus goldfish times are fun with some of them shredding them apart with scales flying everywhere and others swallowing them hole is very entertaining as well. :)

:thumb:

damn isn't that a lot of fish for 1 55 gallon? I have a Tiger Oscar, 1 Pleco, and a Pictus cat in a 55 and that's all that can fit without making it a complete mess. Oscars are dirty bastards.

[booger]

damn isn't that a lot of fish for 1 55 gallon? I have a Tiger Oscar, 1 Pleco, and a Pictus cat in a 55 and that's all that can fit without making it a complete mess. Oscars are dirty bastards.


It's not overcrowded right now. Problem is they aren't full grown yet. the Shark Cats I've hade for a couple years. I had them with a red Devil and two pacus. I bought all when they were 1-2 " long. Went through a move and found homes for the Red Devil and Pacus. Pacus are pretty cool alternative for a pirahna fan, more active and a less spooked fish. They just get HUGE. not an aquarium fish even though they are sold as such. Most end up out growing tanks and dumped in streams, rivers by their owners.

Anyway, I kept the catfish and they are about six " apiece now. They oscar I got was very small but about 5" now. They good thing about the Gar ( about 7" but very slender) is he likes they top surface only and isn't very active except when feeding. Of course fake or potted plants with oscars is a no no as they will uproot the fakes and tear the real plants to shreds. I have a couple of flat slate rocks and 1 cave setting made up of two rocks and a flat rock. The only other thing is a hollowed out display that the Clown Knifefish likes to hang in ( except nighttime, they are nocturnal).

So while being a bit concerned with some eventually out growing the tank I have a Guy at a local petshop who has no problems taking 1 or more in for a larger display tank he has. Otherwise I wouldn't have as many fish in a 55.

And yes, Oscars are very messy. I've had quite a few since I was a kid. They get up to the 10-12 inch range and are very messy eaters. I have also read that they produce an extreme amount of urine that discolors the water.

I have always hated tank cleaning and water changes. I did buy an pretty cool product that makes that very simple though. It is a vaccuum that hooks up to the faucet. You turn the water on and pull a lever down to drain the water while vaccuuming the debri out of they gravel and then set the lever to fill and use a thermometer to set the tempature. It makes it very simple, I think. I only spent 30 bucks or so on it at wal mart. I think they sell them at pet stores to I'm sure.
Anyway, I think it's a must have with Oscars or other large agressive fish with their dirty habits.

[WolfDawg]

yeah it's called a python, we have one to, I couldn't imagine trying to clean all or tanks without it, it's a life saver..

[booger]

also, I personally have given up on plecs. They get so damn big for a cleanup fish. Plus if your tank stays clean and algae free you have to drop in algae tablets left and right to keep them alive. I keep my tank out of sunlight for the most part. It does have Algae growth on the glass but that is easily taken care of by the mag float I bought. Another good product IMO.

Its very small, about half the size of a chalk board eraser. It is a magnet with on piece that floats that goes inside the tank. the other piece is outside the tank and you can slide it along the glass to scrape up any algae or other buildup on the glass.

They also make them for Acrylic. about 15 bucks for glass and a bit more for acrylic.

[Shag]

I have a 55g African cichlid tank that I recently re-populated. Currently have 23 juvenile cichlids in there, consisting of 4 different species. Once they've grown, and I can sex them, I'll probably drop the population down to 12-15. They're Mbunas, so none will get too large. Wish I had a large enough tank not to have to get rid of any, but that'll come someday. Once I get the basement finished, I want to put a 125g down there...

[IA_Chiefs_fan]

I've got a 125g & a 30g. I raise African Cichlids. Right now I've got...
Jalo Reefs
OB Peacocks
Zebra Obliquedens
Yellow Blazes
Blue Ahlis
Yellow Labs
Taiwan Reefs
Red Empress
Johaniis
Mbambas
I also have a few bushynose Plecos and Upside Down Cats.
For some good info about fish check this site out...
http://www.iowaaquaria.com/
Here's a couple of my favorite fish...
http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/421559789/25.jpg
http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/421559789/11.jpg

[booger]

yeah it's called a python, we have one to, I couldn't imagine trying to clean all or tanks without it, it's a life saver..
yep, that's it.

awesome product for the hobby.

[WolfDawg]

Sweet.

My african tank got wiped out a week ago. It's in the living room and it got so much sunlight (its been in the upper 90's here).

Well anyway my tank got up to 92 degrees and I lost 5 albino eureka peacocks, 5 yellow labs, and 3 flavescent peacocks. :deevee:
I am going to have to move the tank, I'm not sure what I'm going to restock it with yet.

[WolfDawg]

Is the fish in the first pic a blue hap?

[Rausch]

I use to have a 30 gallon with 4 figure 8 puffers. Great fish. They'd eat the snails that would tend to start taking over a tank, really helping on food costs.

I was able to slowly ween them down to nearly freshwater without much problems and they even got along with the black mollies I put in there (they ate the babies but never attacked the adults.)

I think they all lived about 5 years until something killed them all in about a week.

[booger]

I use to have a 30 gallon with 4 figure 8 puffers. Great fish. They'd eat the snails that would tend to start taking over a tank, really helping on food costs.

I was able to slowly ween them down to nearly freshwater without much problems and they even got along with the black mollies I put in there (they ate the babies but never attacked the adults.)

I think they all lived about 5 years until something killed them all in about a week.
Never Had any but always thought those where pretty cool fish.

Did you have ick or some other fish disease that killed them?

[Rausch]

Never Had any but always thought those where pretty cool fish.

Did you have ick or some other fish disease that killed them?


No idea what it was. When the puffers would get stressed or pissed off their bellies would turn a little black (in seconds the skin color would change, then change back depending on the situation.)

Had one go kinda' black and stay that way for about 8 hours then die. I checked the salt levels, amonia, etc. but nothing was off. Within a few days they were all dead. Whatever it was didn't hurt the mollies at all.

I still think it might have been some type of parasite or something from the frozen shrimp I fed them because the mollies never ate it.

[booger]

No idea what it was. When the puffers would get stressed or pissed off their bellies would turn a little black (in seconds the skin color would change, then change back depending on the situation.)

Had one go kinda' black and stay that way for about 8 hours then die. I checked the salt levels, amonia, etc. but nothing was off. Within a few days they were all dead. Whatever it was didn't hurt the mollies at all.

I still think it might have been some type of parasite or something from the frozen shrimp I fed them because the mollies never ate it.


That sucks. I don't really get all bent out of shape when fish die. The worst part is the time, money put into the deal. Especially buying a youngster and seeing it grow up.

The fun part will be deciding and buying what ever you plan to restock with. Except the whole spending money part. ROFL

[Rausch]

That sucks. I don't really get all bent out of shape when fish die. The worst part is the time, money put into the deal. Especially buying a youngster and seeing it grow up.

The fun part will be deciding and buying what ever you plan to restock with. Except the whole spending money part. ROFL

A buddy of mine bought one of those 10 gallon everything-included saltwater tanks with the filter in the lid. I've been thinking about getting one of those.

He had some live rock mailed to him and after about 4 months his tank is doing amazing.

[booger]

A buddy of mine bought one of those 10 gallon everything-included saltwater tanks with the filter in the lid. I've been thinking about getting one of those.

He had some live rock mailed to him and after about 4 months his tank is doing amazing.


I really dont know much about the saltwater hobby. From everthing I've read though the live rock really helps out.

[WolfDawg]

OK you made me go take some pics so here we are.

here is our 125
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/125.jpg

In the 125 here are our 2 German Blue rams along with a red rainbow and 1 of the black skirts
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/rams.jpg

here is the red rainow
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/redrain.jpg

here is our bosemani rainbow
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/bosemi.jpg

assorted fish including 2 lavendar gouramis
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/gramis.jpg

Here is moe my tiger Oscar he is about 8 inches
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/moe.jpg

here is a shot of our 20 long catfish tank, you can't really see any of the catfish but there are 12 cory doras in the tank.
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/20long.jpg

and here are some of the rainbows in our 40 gallon it has 5 celebes, 5 millenium, and 4 precox.
http://www.ptatech.com/pics/rainbows.jpg

[Rausch]

I really dont know much about the saltwater hobby. From everthing I've read though the live rock really helps out.


I think he got everything for under $250, and that includes the fish. Small investment for a salt water tank and these smaller tanks pretty much take care of themselves. He said his did anyway.

I might try it come tax time. Something simple and small like that would be the perfect climbing on point for learning about salt water tanks (because I don't know squat about them either.)

[Rausch]

OK you made me go take some pics so here we are.


Nice.

You have any loaches? I don't know why but those are like a must own for any tank I've got.

Had some peacock eels too but they insisted on suicide in less than a month. Never could keep them in the tank...

[WolfDawg]

I think he got everything for under $250, and that includes the fish. Small investment for a salt water tank and these smaller tanks pretty much take care of themselves. He said his did anyway.

I might try it come tax time. Something simple and small like that would be the perfect climbing on point for learning about salt water tanks (because I don't know squat about them either.)


I tried a mini salt water FWLR (fish with live rock) I set up got a couple of damsels and they lasted about a week. Went and got another and it died 3 days later, so I turned it into a guppie tank. :shrug:

[onescrewleftuntwisted]

raise em and eat em

goldfish stir fry and beta soup

[Rausch]

I tried a mini salt water FWLR (fish with live rock) I set up got a couple of damsels and they lasted about a week. Went and got another and it died 3 days later, so I turned it into a guppie tank. :shrug:

He was saying you have to let the live rock sit in a bucket for a while so all the stuff that's going to die off already does before you put it into the tank. The process has a name I can't remember but I'm sure one of the salt water guys will know...

[booger]

I think he got everything for under $250, and that includes the fish. Small investment for a salt water tank and these smaller tanks pretty much take care of themselves. He said his did anyway.

I might try it come tax time. Something simple and small like that would be the perfect climbing on point for learning about salt water tanks (because I don't know squat about them either.)


Yep, tax time. That's when I got back into the hobby and bought my 55 2 years ago.

[WolfDawg]

Nice.

You have any loaches? I don't know why but those are like a must own for any tank I've got.

Had some peacock eels too but they insisted on suicide in less than a month. Never could keep them in the tank...


no loaches but lots of catfish

12 cory dora aneus
4 cory dora matei
8 peppered cory doras
9 cory dora melintias or something like that
1 pictus cat

[WolfDawg]

raise em and eat em

goldfish stir fry and beta soup

Down in the Florida keys they catch Oscars in the wild and yeah they do eat em. they are a lot like Bass.

[booger]

just a few pics. not my tank but some picts of the same fish I have.

Albino Oscar.

Clown Knifefish.

Shark Cat, Columian Shark, bull Shark, ( basically a channel Cat without Spots)

[booger]

needle nose gar.

[theultimatekcchiefsfan]

Sweet pond. They have the kits on sale at Marcs right now and I have been thinking of getting one, the only problem is all the snow in the winter. You have to bring the fish in for the winter and I don't have a open tank big enough for Koy.

Nope. You run a pond heater.The fish stay in the pond all year round, snow and all. I believe they actually can live there without one also.
They just live under the ice. My parents were just a little scared to risk this though, so they just bought the heater.
The only time they come out is for cleaning. The biggest headache is Algae.

[WolfDawg]

Nope. You run a pond heater.The fish stay in the pond all year round, snow and all. I believe they actually can live there without one also.
They just live under the ice. My parents were just a little scared to risk this though, so they just bought the heater.
The only time they come out is for cleaning. The biggest headache is Algae.


where are your folks at? Up here we get a hell of a lot of snow and it gets real cold. Everyone I know takes their fish out during the winter.