View Full Version : Fish Tank Help
a catered life
10-28-2005, 03:55 PM
We Just Got A 90-100 Gallon Tank And Dont Know Crap About Fish Except How To Cook Them (of Course) :d Any Advise Would Be Helpful Or If Some Board Member Works, Owns, Does Service Anything Related To Fish Please Pm Me
Rev. Williams
10-28-2005, 03:57 PM
I had salt and freshwater for many many years !!
Tell me what you want, and I can guide you perfectly.....
Do F150's Float?
10-28-2005, 03:58 PM
PM Squeezing Spectra :D
a catered life
10-28-2005, 04:01 PM
fresh water? heard it was easier to take care of :confused: but i want some pretty fish.wait did i just type the word pretty i mean manly none aggresive :boxed:
Whatever you do, don't go down to the local petshop (often referred to as "LFS") and let a pimply faced kid talk you into a saltwater tank. Not only will you walk out of there with a bill in the low thousands, but your cute little Nemo will promptly die.
That's a pretty good sized tank, start with a nice freshwater tank, maybe some live plants. Tons of colorful little freshwater fishies out there at the LFS.
Keep in mind if you're gonna get the Rottie's of fish -Oscar's or Pacu's, they eat a lot and it becomes a chore to keep feeders alive.
Ahhh, more pets. :)
Any other reefers on here?
JetBoatRich
10-28-2005, 04:10 PM
We Just Got A 90-100 Gallon Tank And Dont Know Crap About Fish Except How To Cook Them (of Course) :d Any Advise Would Be Helpful Or If Some Board Member Works, Owns, Does Service Anything Related To Fish Please Pm Me
Willie I have had a few tanks :cool: the fish go inside the tank and not on the skillet :2purples:
Oh, forgot, there are tons of message boards out there where you can have every question answered.
a catered life
10-28-2005, 04:42 PM
cool info c-2 thanks
hey jbr if it was once moving i'll marinade it and cook it up :D
Desert Rat
10-28-2005, 04:50 PM
We Just Got A 90-100 Gallon Tank And Dont Know Crap About Fish Except How To Cook Them (of Course) :d Any Advise Would Be Helpful Or If Some Board Member Works, Owns, Does Service Anything Related To Fish Please Pm Me
Hell Willie just put Lizards in it and don't worry about it :D
a catered life
10-28-2005, 04:52 PM
Hell Willie just put Lizards in it and don't worry about it :D
sounds like a true AV pioneer :D whats up dude hows the fam?
Desert Rat
10-28-2005, 05:09 PM
Just fine. Getting ready to hunker down for the winter... I still have that stoggie for you :cool:
Itsahobby
10-28-2005, 05:17 PM
Lizards and frogs are the way to go. You'll see Saturday. ;)
We have 3 toads, 1 bearded dragon and a bull frog. Bearded dragons are cool, just be ready for the cricket bill :jawdrop: Ours eats, about, 12 a day.
sounds like a true AV pioneer :D whats up dude hows the fam?
mickeyfinn
10-28-2005, 05:30 PM
salt water tanks are much easier to take care of. Just more difficult to get started. Fish cost a lot more, but have a lot more color. There are more different types of salt water fish that will live together than there freshwater. You will carry a large bill home setting it up, but upkeep is easier and once you have it established the fish (at least in my experience) always seem to last longer.
Saltwater. Nuff said. Get non aggressive fish and they are relativly easy to take care of. 15% water change every month to six weeks once the water gets rite and you'll have alot of enjoyment.
riverbound
10-28-2005, 05:37 PM
we had a Saltwater tank,,,and ahd a ton of fish....but our favorite was when we had a shark and an ocotpuss in there. it was fun watching them. the only down side was our octopuss learned how to get out of the tank so we would find him on the outside of the tank occasionaly.
I would recommend Salt. much better selection and once you are set up much easier to keep up.
Contact www.pacificreef.com they helped my wife out with a "GRIP" of questione about her saltwater tank, a larger tank is much easier to handle (keep sh@t alive) than a small tank, but the nanocube tanks are pretty cool!
They are in orange county! hope this helps!
Todd
MagicMtnDan
10-28-2005, 05:46 PM
It's easy:
1. Put some water in the tank and then
2. Dump the fish in.
3. Throw out the ones that don't survive.
4. Sit back and enjoy your tank.
:)
cxr133
10-28-2005, 05:48 PM
check out reefcentral.com
its a forum for saltwater/reefkeeping!!!
very good kinda like this one
SoCal_fun
10-28-2005, 06:37 PM
Step 1. Buy Fish
Step 2. Cook Fish
Step 3. Call me over for dinner
Easy enough for ya! :eat:
check out reefcentral.com
its a forum for saltwater/reefkeeping!!!
very good kinda like this one
Yeah, huge boards, like 50K members.
50K geeks arguing about water chemistry = good times.
HammerDown
10-28-2005, 07:42 PM
30 years ago I had a 125 gal Salty Tank. All's I'll say is salt water tanks have come aloooooog way.
If you have the $$$$ go Salt.
If not fresh is cool also, Chiclids are a neet fish...pretty cool personalities.
76ANTHONY
10-28-2005, 08:03 PM
hey that octapuss crawling outta the tank thing sounds cool, yeah try that and if he gets out, sushi time :D
hack job
10-28-2005, 08:30 PM
check out reefcentral.com
its a forum for saltwater/reefkeeping!!!
very good kinda like this one
this is very true!
there is a section that is for socal people
my reef tank has been going for a year now and i steping up to a bigger one in the next couple of weeks.( going to a 75)
right now i have a 45 corner tank with coral and fish its a bit of work but the pay off is great@!!!
here are some pics
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/36Dscn8106.jpg
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/36Dscn8129.jpg
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/36Dscn8118.jpg
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/36DSCN8114.JPG
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/36Dscn8123.jpg :wink:
Jordy
10-28-2005, 08:41 PM
Freshwater sucks. ;)
I had a 55 gallon reef tank all through college and it was like the ones you'd walk in and see when you go to your favorite fish stores. Setup was a bitch, but if you do it right, it pretty much jumps on cruise control, granted it will be a couple hundred dollar a week habit to get it rolling. Live rock, live sand, filters, lights, anemones, poylps, and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
I keep thinking about getting back into it, but I have a couple boats now. ;)
Salt is the only way to go.
76ANTHONY
10-28-2005, 08:47 PM
Freshwater sucks. ;)
I had a 55 gallon reef tank all through college and it was like the ones you'd walk in and see when you go to your favorite fish stores. Setup was a bitch, but if you do it right, it pretty much jumps on cruise control, granted it will be a couple hundred dollar a week habit to get it rolling. Live rock, live sand, filters, lights, anemones, poylps, and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
I keep thinking about getting back into it, but I have a couple boats now. ;)
Salt is the only way to go.
I GOT AS FAR AS LIGHTS, WHAT THE HECK IS THE OTHER STUFF THAT I CANT EVEN SAY??? :D
Buster
10-28-2005, 08:55 PM
Salt is the way to go. This hobby lives up to the saying "Go Big". They say to get the biggest tank you can afford as it will make it much easier to take care of. I started 4 years ago with a 5 Gal Nano reef and now have a 135g reef tank. Here is my tank (For sale or trade by the way...)
Beware, this is very addictive.
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/506/2110Whole_tank-med.jpg
Here's some pics of my last 10gal Nano. Mated pair of clowns, hosting in a torch, look at the Coraline color....until it crashed about a year after these pics. Nano's are tough :cry: :cry:
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1132reef2.jpg
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1132reef3.jpg
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1132reef1.jpg
Buster
10-28-2005, 09:12 PM
I was going to setup that same 12G Nano C-2 but I was going to plumb it to a 150 sump so the water would be mor stable. I ended up buying my 135 instead.... Great job though, very clean setup..
SoCalKev
10-28-2005, 09:36 PM
If you need help with setup ,or parts PM me, and I also have a 125 gallon tru vu tank with EVERYTHING for sale at 1000 bucks delivered and setup, its a very custom acrylic with low profile canopy and stand, in black!~
Jordy
10-28-2005, 09:38 PM
delivered and setup
Sounds good. When can you be here??? :idea: :D
I was going to setup that same 12G Nano C-2 but I was going to plumb it to a 150 sump so the water would be mor stable. I ended up buying my 135 instead.... Great job though, very clean setup..
Yup, had all these big plans to go with a big ole' Rubbermaid sump, but stuck with a CPR knockoff hang-on refugium. Worked great until the dreaded snail got stuck in the return (while I was at the river), grenaded the whole tank. It was cool, with a custom PC over the refugium, miracle mud, macro, worked like a charm.
I then switched to a 30 gal bowfront, barebottom, with a 40 gal sump, 250W MH Hamilton hood w/an IceCap 660 driving 2 VHO actinics, moonlight, Reverse osmosis, dosing Kalk thru one of those medical pumps......but the tank just never took. Drove me crazy, I just recenlty abandoned it since I'm sellig the house to build a custom. I think barebottom was the culprit.
So ya visit Jeff's?
And here's another piece of wisdom....
Just like a motor - build it right the first time, cuz the second time will cost you double.
Actually that's part of the fun of building a reeftank; all the planning, calculating and then turning it into reality.
:)
a catered life
10-29-2005, 06:20 AM
Lizards and frogs are the way to go. You'll see Saturday. ;)
We have 3 toads, 1 bearded dragon and a bull frog. Bearded dragons are cool, just be ready for the cricket bill :jawdrop: Ours eats, about, 12 a day.
i know my kids would love that but the wifey has put here feet down on that
a catered life
10-29-2005, 06:21 AM
It's easy:
1. Put some water in the tank and then
2. Dump the fish in.
3. Throw out the ones that don't survive.
4. Sit back and enjoy your tank.
:)
mmd i wish it was that easy
cxr133
10-29-2005, 06:21 AM
Yeah, huge boards, like 50K members.
50K geeks arguing about water chemistry = good times.
YEAH... but no ***boat DRAMA :p
a catered life
10-29-2005, 06:23 AM
Step 1. Buy Fish
Step 2. Cook Fish
Step 3. Call me over for dinner
Easy enough for ya! :eat:
buddy you may have the best advise yet :D
MsDrmr
10-29-2005, 07:13 AM
I have a 45Gal tank that has been fresh water for ever now. How would I go about changin it to a "beginners" saltwater? any help would be great. I would have to start out VERY basic as $$ is an issue
Flashover
10-29-2005, 07:48 AM
We Just Got A 90-100 Gallon Tank And Dont Know Crap About Fish Except How To Cook Them (of Course) :d Any Advise Would Be Helpful Or If Some Board Member Works, Owns, Does Service Anything Related To Fish Please Pm Me
here is some good advice............. SELL IT NOW!!!!
Huckleberry
11-02-2005, 08:33 AM
I have a 135 saltwater reef and a 12 gallon Nano reef. The saltwater system is the way to go. The key is GO SLOW!!! Too many folks have tried to rush setting up and stockling their tanks and lost thousands, yes THOUSANDS of $$$$ worth of fish and corals.
Trust me. I learned the hard way by allowing a son who wanted the tank set up real soon, so he rushed the chemical tests instead of letting them set for the 20 minutes required before reading the results. The end result was thousands of dollars of dead fish within a 2-3 day span. OUCH!!! Lesson learned...Do your own testing and BE PATIENT when waiting for your tank to cycle. Allow at least 3 months or longer before you start putting any significant stock in it. This is the hardest part because you have spent all this money and all you have to look at is a big tank full of rock, a few crabs & snails, and a few generic fish to help cycle the tank. No brightly colored fish or cool corals.
Saltwater is not cheap by any standards. I've had both. If you do a quality saltwater reef system, *QUALITY being the improtant word, you are looking at an easy $10,000 investment by the time you have bought all the equipment, live rock, corals, fish, invertibrates, chemicals, cleaning equipment... Also plan on spending about 45 minutes a week on cleaning your tank, longer if you skip a week in between.
The Nano system is an easy system to take care of. 15 minutes a week and your done. The down side is you can only put 3-4 small, docile fish in them. Even with the Nano systems you can easily sink $1500 into one by the time you buy it, the equipment, and stock it.
I don't want to sound like I'm discouraging you from starting a saltwater system, cuz I'm not. If I had to do it all over again I'd definitely go salt. There's just a lot to learn in a saltwater system that your LFS will not tell you when you are signing on the dotted line. You are basically creating an entire ecosystem inside your tank. It must be balanced or you will have problems.
If you take your time and do it right, you will have a beautiful tank that will give you hours of enjoyment. I can't tell you how many times I've found myself zoning out on my tank while watching the tube. They are incredible and worth all the effort.
There's so much to tell a newbie, but not enough room here. If you have any questions, PM me with your number and I'll call ya.
*QUALITY - When you spend good money to buy quality equipment you'll only cry once. Buy cheap shiat and you'll cry soon, often, and when it is least convenient for you to do anything about it.
Huckleberry
11-02-2005, 08:48 AM
Here's an old pic of my 135 reef tank. This pic is about a year old, and taken when the tank was about a year and a half old. It has changed drastically since this picture. As the tank matures it gets better looking. Corals you bought because you were told they are hardy die, and ones you are told are difficult live on.
One more piece of advice. Never, and I stress NEVER put almost any fish from the damsel family in your tank. Most are very reasonable, hardy fish that some LFS will sell you to help cycle your tank. Nearly all of them grow up to be big mean bullies that are nearly impossible to catch once they're in your tank. I have one in my tank that started out less than an inch long. It was pretty purple then. Now it is one of the biggest fish in my reef, ugly solid black, and mean as a junk yard dog. This fish alone has killed over a thousand dollars worth of new fish added to the system. I've tried catching it in nets, traps, fish hooks, and now am trying to spear it with a frog giggin spear! Besides being mean, it is also very smart.
I'll try to take some new pics tonight and post them tomorrow.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/2550135__Closeup-med.jpg
a catered life
11-02-2005, 09:00 AM
i have to say thanks to all that have given a positive reply..after a long and careful thought process we decided to start off with freshwater with 4 kids in the house i think we need to start with anything thats the easiest.....i got a great local guy that will walk us through the entire process and help us but c-2 i may have to still call yo thanks again everyone :p
SoCalKev
11-03-2005, 10:27 PM
Sounds good. When can you be here??? :idea: :D
Just send me a PM when you are ready!
Lucky for me. Every fish tank I've ever jumped in was clean. :eek:
a catered life
11-04-2005, 06:36 AM
:( until you got out of it
jackpunx
11-04-2005, 09:59 AM
Whatever you do, don't go down to the local petshop (often referred to as "LFS") and let a pimply faced kid talk you into a saltwater tank. Not only will you walk out of there with a bill in the low thousands, but your cute little Nemo will promptly die.
That's a pretty good sized tank, start with a nice freshwater tank, maybe some live plants. Tons of colorful little freshwater fishies out there at the LFS.
Keep in mind if you're gonna get the Rottie's of fish -Oscar's or Pacu's, they eat a lot and it becomes a chore to keep feeders alive.
Ahhh, more pets. :)
Any other reefers on here?
yep.. I had 3 tanks for a while.. when I moved I consolidated the tanks and gave them a way..
I kept a 60gal and my Flower Horn.. She's to aggressive to put with other fish but I have had her for such a long time.. I just gave her the 60 and she's happy..
I have had her for about 4 years
H20 Toie
11-04-2005, 10:55 AM
Well is it setup yet?
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