Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 When I had tropical fish, I had one that actually would jump out of the tank. I can't recall what it was only that it was a carnivore (I had to buy feeder fish for it). One day I came home and it was lying on the counter next to the tank!!! I scooped it up and put it in the water and dragged it back and forth to get the water back in the gills. It survived and from that point on, I put something really heavy on the top of the tank. oscar maybe? orange and black or white and orange? @ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celtic Witch Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 oscar maybe? orange and black or white and orange? @ Nope, was a redline snakehead. Almost impossible to get them anymore because they are banned in US. Too many of them have been released into the wild and are causing problems in certain area. I would have loved to have an Oscar but they get too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messageburglar Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I had a Red tiger Oscar that lived 15 years. He would eat most anythnig even lettuce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I started with a 10 gallon saltwater with a cpl clowns and then lost my mind. Now I have a 75 gallon salt with 2 black & white clowns, firefish, coral beauty angel, blue chromis, royal gramma, dispar anthia, watchman goby, 18 different colored ricordia, numerous zoanthids, 2 toadstool leathers, purple gorgonian, pom pom xenia, sun coral, purple mushrooms, green frilly mushshroom and a bubble tip anemone. I have a emarald crab, sexy shrimp, fire shrimp, 2 serpant stars, brittle stars, numerous smails and hermit crabs. My 30 gallon has a orchid dotty back, a maroon clown and a watchman goby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 The initial start up on a saltwater tank can get quite expensive. You are going to pay a lot for good lights, a good canister filter, a protein skimmer, and the gravel at the very least. If your water has anything in it like chlorine or any sediment I would recommend using bottled water. We go to the Giant and get our water from the Culligan machine because it goes through an osmosis system to remove sediment and other contaminants. The best fish to use for an initial start up are damsels. Get two or three of them depending on tank size. We got three to set up our 55 gallon tank. Leave the tank alone for about six months to get the biological filter set up correctly. Your first impulse will be to overload it with fish, but in the long run, waiting will be more beneficial for your tank. If you are considering live rock or coral, do your research first. Live rock will throw off your biological filter for a while, and not all types of coral are the easiest to deal with. I would recommend button polyps or star polyps for the beginner. And don't forget the snails and shrimp. They are great cleaners. I have a few saltwater tanks. You're right about not over loading a tank with too many fish. That and over feeding will cause algae problems too. If you want to get rid of your hair algae, get rid of the canister filter. All you need is enough live rock. The live rock is your filter. For a 55 gallon tank, you need anywhere between 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of pounds of live rock per gallon. Your canister filter just dumps nitrates back into your tank, and that in turn causes the hair algae. Any mechanical filter in saltwater causes high nitrate problems. If you don't want to use damsels to cycle, you can dump a bit of ammonia in a newly set up tank. You get the same results, without having to remove the damsels later on. I definitely agree about waiting before putting fish and corals in your tank. Get a test kit, and within a month, the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate will be low enough to start slowly adding fish. Say one or two small ones, and a coral or two. Then wait a month before adding anything else. The polyps and buttons you mentioned are great starters - and any kind of mushrooms. In one of my tanks, I have green star polyps growing over half my live rock and up the back wall, but it took 12 years to get like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I've been thinking about setting up a freshwater tank for a while now. Now you guys have me psyched up! So, where's the best place to get healthy fish and good equipment in this area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I've been thinking about setting up a freshwater tank for a while now. Now you guys have me psyched up! So, where's the best place to get healthy fish and good equipment in this area? First decide how much space you have. This determines the tank size. Then shop around and/or wait for a sale. Usually J&J or the place in the Town Square Mall have the best deals on a complete setup, tank, hood, accessories. Set it up. Run the pump for a couple of days. Then buy 2 or 3 cheap fish that you like. If they make it a week, then go out and slowly add more fish that you like to the tank. Don't put too many fish in the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 The best place for selection and health of fish is Creature Comforts. I can't stand the management, but they are the best. There is also Nature's out on RT. 26 south outside of Vestal - if the guy is still open. He'll give you a great deal on saltwater stuff. J&J is good for freshwater fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Benni Booboo Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I would someday love to have a saltwater tank. I currently have a 12 gallon with about a dozen different freshwater fish (beta, mollies, guppies, irredescent shark, albino irredescent shark, etc.) I love watching them, they are very relaxing to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I would someday love to have a saltwater tank. I currently have a 12 gallon with about a dozen different freshwater fish (beta, mollies, guppies, irredescent shark, albino irredescent shark, etc.) I love watching them, they are very relaxing to me. What are you waiting for then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I started with a 10 gallon saltwater with a cpl clowns and then lost my mind. Now I have a 75 gallon salt with 2 black & white clowns, firefish, coral beauty angel, blue chromis, royal gramma, dispar anthia, watchman goby, 18 different colored ricordia, numerous zoanthids, 2 toadstool leathers, purple gorgonian, pom pom xenia, sun coral, purple mushrooms, green frilly mushshroom and a bubble tip anemone. I have a emarald crab, sexy shrimp, fire shrimp, 2 serpant stars, brittle stars, numerous smails and hermit crabs. My 30 gallon has a orchid dotty back, a maroon clown and a watchman goby. Trying to get a visual on your tank and can't seem to do it...all that stuff you listed....is the tank crowded? Is there room for your fish to swim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I have a few saltwater tanks. You're right about not over loading a tank with too many fish. That and over feeding will cause algae problems too. If you want to get rid of your hair algae, get rid of the canister filter. All you need is enough live rock. The live rock is your filter. For a 55 gallon tank, you need anywhere between 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of pounds of live rock per gallon. Your canister filter just dumps nitrates back into your tank, and that in turn causes the hair algae. Any mechanical filter in saltwater causes high nitrate problems. If you don't want to use damsels to cycle, you can dump a bit of ammonia in a newly set up tank. You get the same results, without having to remove the damsels later on. I definitely agree about waiting before putting fish and corals in your tank. Get a test kit, and within a month, the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate will be low enough to start slowly adding fish. Say one or two small ones, and a coral or two. Then wait a month before adding anything else. The polyps and buttons you mentioned are great starters - and any kind of mushrooms. In one of my tanks, I have green star polyps growing over half my live rock and up the back wall, but it took 12 years to get like that. snails and crabs will help I myself recomend sump system as filter ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Anyone looking to trade frag for frag? have lots of diffrent corals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 snails and crabs will help I myself recomend sump system as filter ! 2 I agree with snails and crabs. I also have a few urchins in some of my tanks. How is a sump a filter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I agree with snails and crabs. I also have a few urchins in some of my tanks. How is a sump a filter? a sump is a filter. it is something you make. works awsome! 1 piece of advice get rid of those urchins there eating all your coraline alage (purple stuff)! I just got rid of a long spine urchin about the size of a basket ball! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 81F2OB Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 a sump is a filter. it is something you make. works awsome! 1 piece of advice get rid of those urchins there eating all your coraline alage (purple stuff)! I just got rid of a long spine urchin about the size of a basket ball! I like the urchins. I like the white paths they make in the coral algae. It makes it grow back thicker. I know what a sump is - I've had a few in the past. I just wondered what you meant by it being a filter. What did you do with an urchin that size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 snails and crabs will help I myself recomend sump system as filter ! 2 Looks like admin forgot to hit the shift key. There's a 2 at the bottom of your post. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 I like the urchins. I like the white paths they make in the coral algae. It makes it grow back thicker. I know what a sump is - I've had a few in the past. I just wondered what you meant by it being a filter. What did you do with an urchin that size? took him to rick (natures) rt26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Looks like admin forgot to hit the shift key. There's a 2 at the bottom of your post. LOL. no i messed up the security code twice! 1 mess up gets you an @ 2 mess ups gets you a 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 took him to rick (natures) rt26 Oh, okay. I just mentioned Rick in a post. Is he still open? The last time I was there, he wasn't too happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Oh, okay. I just mentioned Rick in a post. Is he still open? The last time I was there, he wasn't too happy. yes rick is still there ! he is always crying about buisness! he has an awsome sale now instead of the 31st sale he has a sale everyday wensdays are 50% off all fish in the store! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 yes rick is still there ! he is always crying about buisness! he has an awsome sale now instead of the 31st sale he has a sale everyday wensdays are 50% off all fish in the store! Okay, that's good to hear. Rick's a good guy. I'm glad to hear he's still there. I'll have to stop by and see him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 Trying to get a visual on your tank and can't seem to do it...all that stuff you listed....is the tank crowded? Is there room for your fish to swim? With the selection of fish I have it is not crowded. The angel is the only fish that swims the whole tank. The blenny and goby stay on the rocks. The clowns stay around their anemone. Most of the corals are still small... I didn't start adding them until the tank was over a year old. If I knew how to post a picture I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 With the selection of fish I have it is not crowded. The angel is the only fish that swims the whole tank. The blenny and goby stay on the rocks. The clowns stay around their anemone. Most of the corals are still small... I didn't start adding them until the tank was over a year old. If I knew how to post a picture I would. I wish I knew how to post a pic too! I have a 125 saltwater tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted March 25, 2008 Report Share Posted March 25, 2008 The best place for selection and health of fish is Creature Comforts. I can't stand the management, but they are the best. There is also Nature's out on RT. 26 south outside of Vestal - if the guy is still open. He'll give you a great deal on saltwater stuff. J&J is good for freshwater fish. You really think Creature Comforts fish are healthy?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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