AnyBody have One or a few ?
Im going to get my first tank since i moved out,
and was looking for some idea's. I'm Not sure if I Plan on going Salt, Freshwater or ReefLife? have alot to think about!

So if you guys want to post pics of your tanks and your Fish, feel free! I would also like some discussion on set-up's and Do's and Donts of taking care of the tank, I would appreciate it alot!

thanx...J$

http://www.jaddell.com/AnimatedFish.gif

get a frog:mrgreen

I would like a frog!

I Have 2 turtles, But i gave them to my Friend
because he has a 125 gallon tank, with 2 other turtles...
I'll post pix when i can!

So theres now 4 turtles and a bunch of goldfish (20+ large feeder fish)
and i have a few japanese red crabs in there as well!
(I bought all the cool stuff and its not even MY tank)

I used to have a salt water tank before the Ice Storm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Ice_Storm) hit Canada... :cry

My advise to you is, salt water fish tank can be a money pit, if you don't plan on spending a lot of money, then don't go for salt water tank, just buying those live rocks to fill the tank will cost you a bunch. Plus a salt water tank cannot be too small, 25 gal is like the bare minimum, and at this size it isn't that great to maintain, the bigger the better.

I love salt water species though, one day I want to have another tank.

:)

gay!

get little lap dogs...much better :)


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g184/kneedragger77/Dogs/IMG_2054.jpg

gay!

get little lap dogs...much better :)

Don't understand estimate the ocean, have you seen a good salt water aquarium before? :r1lover

i actually used to build them learned alot kept my own for quite a while, i have had reefs, mini reefs, fish only, and fresh.... IT IS A MONEY PIT!!! and if you dont do it right it will be a wasted money pit...get a good book!! go to barns and nobles and get a good book... you can have a saltwater tank of any size i kept a 3 gallon tank on my counter with 2 clownfish and some anenomeis...the hardest part is keeping the water perfect...that is why its easier to have a much larger tank, a good size to start is about 65 gallons that gives you some wiggle room with the ph, and the amonia levels... i could go on for hours though lol.. basically you want eveything to be quality...cycle your water for about a week....get the ph, and the boyancy perfect and maintain it...get a sick tank or separate tank, and lots of water...go to a pet store and you can buy the precycled water from them about 5-6 dollars per gallon....also you want about 1 lb of LIVE ROCK per gallon that will also keep amonia levels from spiking and plumeting...you need a good filter, sock filters do the job very nicely along with a good protien skimmer and calcium reactor...hope it helps a little...ther is much involved in setting up a tank, and getting it right...good luck

gay!

get little lap dogs...much better :)


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g184/kneedragger77/Dogs/IMG_2054.jpgi hope that you dont walk those yourself...... :rofl:queer stick with the tank idea J$

i actually used to build them learned alot kept my own for quite a while, i have had reefs, mini reefs, fish only, and fresh.... IT IS A MONEY PIT!!! and if you dont do it right it will be a wasted money pit...get a good book!! go to barns and nobles and get a good book... you can have a saltwater tank of any size i kept a 3 gallon tank on my counter with 2 clownfish and some anenomeis...the hardest part is keeping the water perfect...that is why its easier to have a much larger tank, a good size to start is about 65 gallons that gives you some wiggle room with the ph, and the amonia levels... i could go on for hours though lol.. basically you want eveything to be quality...cycle your water for about a week....get the ph, and the boyancy perfect and maintain it...get a sick tank or separate tank, and lots of water...go to a pet store and you can buy the precycled water from them about 5-6 dollars per gallon....also you want about 1 lb of LIVE ROCK per gallon that will also keep amonia levels from spiking and plumeting...you need a good filter, sock filters do the job very nicely along with a good protien skimmer and calcium reactor...hope it helps a little...ther is much involved in setting up a tank, and getting it right...good luck

Ah nice to see another member into the same interest... :mrgreen

3 gallon tank? Damn that must be pretty hard, but I think you can do it is because you have multiple tanks and you can just get the water from your other tanks? Cause I cannot see how anyone can keep a 3 gallon tank going good if that's his/her only tank... :dunno

Good advice, get a good book if you want to start. There are actually a few different methods to create/keep the "ocean environment". I remembered the shop I used to go all the time, they were trying this method on couple of tanks that doesn't need all those gadgets and stuff, it's a more natural method, but it wasn't easy to start.

J$, if you do start one, I recommend not to put any fish in it before a month. Make sure the water is stable.

By the way, I hate those bristle worms... :shoot :mrgreen

Ah nice to see another member into the same interest... :mrgreen

3 gallon tank? Damn that must be pretty hard, but I think you can do it is because you have multiple tanks and you can just get the water from your other tanks? Cause I cannot see how anyone can keep a 3 gallon tank going good if that's his/her only tank... :dunno

Good advice, get a good book if you want to start. There are actually a few different methods to create/keep the "ocean environment". I remembered the shop I used to go all the time, they were trying this method on couple of tanks that doesn't need all those gadgets and stuff, it's a more natural method, but it wasn't easy to start.

J$, if you do start one, I recommend not to put any fish in it before a month. Make sure the water is stable.

By the way, I hate those bristle worms... :shoot :mrgreen:mrgreen:mrgreen

lol...the 3 gallon tank had a tiny little wet dry hooked to the back of it, it also had a tiny skimmer on it as well, took some trying but i finally got it stable after about 2 months i had to change the water often though. lol....then i moved and kissed that fugger goodbye..:mad

yeah i know its hard to find people that are into keeping fish...its a hard thing to do, and its very time consuming as well, kinda why i havnet started another one yet...

as for the book to get here is what i considered the bible...
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Aquarium-Definitive-Identifying-Freshwater/dp/1859670814
a couple bucks that could save you hundreds or thousands...and what valerossi said was right let it cycle for about a month before adding any fish...it sucks ass but its worth it when it comes out right. if you want one or two fish...grab a damsel...they are very hardy and can withstand the spiking amonia levels in an uncycled tank.

there is a shop in lake oswego oregon, that has a tank taht is running "naturally" they dont have any biological filtration hooked up to it its just mechanical to catch the particulate, and they have such an array of animals that is truly like nature...to get that going is a feat...lol!!:old

by reading your questions, you're a first timer.

go freshwater to begin. just keeping fish alive is a bitch enough without dealing with the asspain of saltwater.

50 gal tank is a good size tank. get a good stand too.

best to use an external filter, not the type that hangs on the side of the aquarium. mine is Fluval brand.

fill the tank, start the filter, and run for a week with no fish. add bacteria stimulants. after a week, get a FEW fish, none that you feel any special attachment to. every two weeks, do a 25% water change. after a month, add more fish if things are going well.

once you start to see bacteria forming on the glass, but algae eaters. i've got 2 in there.

down the road, if you decide to go salt, just empty the tank, clean it out, and start over. 50 gal is a good size for salt.

:mrgreen:mrgreen

lol...the 3 gallon tank had a tiny little wet dry hooked to the back of it, it also had a tiny skimmer on it as well, took some trying but i finally got it stable after about 2 months i had to change the water often though. lol....then i moved and kissed that fugger goodbye..:mad

yeah i know its hard to find people that are into keeping fish...its a hard thing to do, and its very time consuming as well, kinda why i havnet started another one yet...

as for the book to get here is what i considered the bible...
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Aquarium-Definitive-Identifying-Freshwater/dp/1859670814
a couple bucks that could save you hundreds or thousands...and what valerossi said was right let it cycle for about a month before adding any fish...it sucks ass but its worth it when it comes out right. if you want one or two fish...grab a damsel...they are very hardy and can withstand the spiking amonia levels in an uncycled tank.

there is a shop in lake oswego oregon, that has a tank taht is running "naturally" they dont have any biological filtration hooked up to it its just mechanical to catch the particulate, and they have such an array of animals that is truly like nature...to get that going is a feat...lol!!:old

I must admit, you got a 3 gal tank running is pretty amazing... :yes

Yes it's very time consuming, and :dolla consuming, this is why I'm holding out on it also, but once everything is more stable in life, I definitely want to have another one... :yes

And J$, if you do choose the salt water route, just don't put any type of species in there because it looks cool, lol trust me, some species just don't get along with others, and some(i.e. Coral Shrimp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenopus_hispidus)) might come out to eat your other small species at night while they're sleeping... :fact :lol

By the way, try to get a Flame Scallop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_scallop), one of my favorites and definitely one of the coolest species I've ever owned... pictures won't do justice because you cannot see the "effects"... :yes

Thanx guys for all the cool tips and advice!
I Have a dog, but i love fish and underwater Life. I'm definetly getting a Tank,
And yes I already know that it will start to get a bit expensive over time!
*(those Live rocks and Coral are sooo Cool)

The size tank i plan on getting is either a Regular (Rectangled) tank.(55 gal)
or either a 46 or 72 Bow tank...(w/ the front glass arched out towards you.)


So anyone got pics of their set ups ???

My setup... :crash

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/7041/verticalaquariummainmb3.jpg http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/3064/15mainjr8.jpg

lol I wish... but check out this company, they sell crazy setups...

http://www.reynoldspolymer.com/saltwater-reef-aquariums.html
http://www.reynoldspolymer.com/go.cfm/portfolio_aquariums

:bow

Thanx guys for all the cool tips and advice!
I Have a dog, but i love fish and underwater Life. I'm definetly getting a Tank,
And yes I already know that it will start to get a bit expensive over time!
*(those Live rocks and Coral are sooo Cool)

The size tank i plan on getting is either a Regular (Rectangled) tank.(55 gal)
or either a 46 or 72 Bow tank...(w/ the front glass arched out towards you.)


So anyone got pics of their set ups ???
no pics on my laptop....:nowhine but it doesnt get expensive over time lol!! it get expensive at the start....its about 25 dollars per bag for "live white sand"probably about 3-4 bags, 8-20 for per lb for "live rock" with organisms 1lb per gallon, and then water i you get stores pre cycle water, i think for when i got my 65 started it was like closing in on 1000$ withought any fish.:yes have fun with it though ou can do alot of different things with a marine aquarium, but also the same with freshwater.

Thats Crazy Hornet! $1k just for water ??
why cant you just Make your own?

My friends dad, has salt tanks and he even made his own filters!
told me he'd teach me all i have to know! w/ all the chemical balancing,
and illnesses fish may have..

Really looking forward to this, I Found a 42 bow , with full stand
under cabinets and Lights for under $400..Black Oak..very nice!

Will post pic once complete!

Thats Crazy Hornet! $1k just for water ??
why cant you just Make your own?

My friends dad, has salt tanks and he even made his own filters!
told me he'd teach me all i have to know! w/ all the chemical balancing,
and illnesses fish may have..

Really looking forward to this, I Found a 42 bow , with full stand
under cabinets and Lights for under $400..Black Oak..very nice!

Will post pic once complete!

I think HornetR1 meant $1K for all the equipments/rocks/water/etc. except fishes...

Yes you can make your own, I didn't buy any water from the shop, I made my own water with special salt, live rocks, and a special filter... like I said, wait at least a month before putting any fish in the water, make sure the water is stable first... actually, if I'm going to do my next tank, I would even wait like 2 months...

:corn

Again great Tips guys....
hopefully i wont be the only one benifiting from them!

I didnt know to let the water settle for over a month!
Also the fact about not just throwing any fish in there w/o knowing
how they will react with other creatures in the tank!

the guy @ the fish place helped me alot w/ my old fresh water,
but it was Mostly all agressive w/ Chiclids of all kinds...he Told me
not to put North American's with the Africans and they got along just fine!

i did alot of shyt he told me not to, and it all worked out fine so, sometimes i just blow him off!

*He told me i can put Fresh water fish in a salt tank too? is this TRU ?

*He told me i can put Fresh water fish in a salt tank too? is this TRU ?

Yes, to feed the other big fishes in the tank... :lmao

Actually, there are fishes that can live in both fresh and salt water, I did a quick search and came up with these...

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00173.htm
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/biogeog/MYER1949.htm

But I'm not sure if it's a good idea to do that though... :dunno

Here ya go...

my uncle has a salt water tank... its badass! i love it

yeah the rocks were the most expensive, almost 700 bucks...water was a little less, i got a break becuase i built tanks for the guy though, so i got water for alot less and some sand as well, but yeah its expensive i also built the reactors, skimmers and filters as well.

Yes, to feed the other big fishes in the tank... :lmao

Actually, there are fishes that can live in both fresh and salt water, I did a quick search and came up with these...

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00173.htm
http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/biogeog/MYER1949.htm

But I'm not sure if it's a good idea to do that though... :dunno

Cool Vale , thats what i thought...
Not sure if it would be a waste in the end anyway though.
Probly will get eaten...

Here ya go...

THANX FOR THE CONTRIBUTION!!:mrgreen

Thats what i was going for from the start of this thread!
to see all your guys tanks that have one!

i got a break becuase i built tanks for the guy though, .

Sweet Custom Tank.........
I cant wait to Own a House, i want a Tank in the wall
from my Kitchen to my Living room...

and one From myMaster bedroom to my Master Bath!
so i can see both tanks from 2 rooms!:mrgreen SICK...

No problem ;)

i've grown up with fish tanks. for your first tank i would say fresh water. my dad has a 75 gallon salt water tank. he has it where you can see both sides of the tank through the wall (or look directly through). He has a seperate tank just for new water when he has to refill it.you have to get special lights, put lights on timers, keep the temperture of the water just right, etc. you really have to be into it. it's worth the hard work. also for salt water buy as many fish as possible when you introduce new fish they will most likely kill the new ones only a few survive. when i get my house i'll get one.

Sweet, i love when they do that ...(Tanks built in walls)..

*This is not my first tank..
it is my first tank, after Moving out of my house,
Ihavent had a tank in over a year, and plan on remodeling the APT.
or i may just move again. but this will give me space for a new tank!

*My girl likes all that Pretty shyt so i will most likely go salt water!
the fish are amazing and i have my eye on a Blue Trigger that i'm dying to get!

Sweet, i love when they do that ...(Tanks built in walls)..

*This is not my first tank..
it is my first tank, after Moving out of my house,
Ihavent had a tank in over a year, and plan on remodeling the APT.
or i may just move again. but this will give me space for a new tank!

*My girl likes all that Pretty shyt so i will most likely go salt water!
the fish are amazing and i have my eye on a Blue Trigger that i'm dying to get!

cool,yeah salt water fish look awesome and you'll see stuff growing on rocks and anything else you have in there.

I gotta take my Camera to my friends houses and the Fish store
next time i go. My friend got Little red Japanese Crabs in his agressive tank!
and his fancy Guppie tank, has like 20 babies..(the birth was awesome we placed the PREGO fish in that little incubator thingy and watched the eggs drop!)

He also recently had his BLACK CONVICTS reproduce twice in one month..
just as the babies started to grow they layed some more eggs on the rocks!
all the babies are still in the agressive tank, but w/ a divider so it looks hot,
like 2 tanks in one!


And @ this Fish warehouse i go to, they got a huge Salt and REEF tank,
with the sand level(live sand) up about 6-8 inches from the bottom...w/ Friken SEA worms in it..(i think thats what their called) , you can actually see there tunnels like a ant farm. its the coolest things ever, i gotta get some pics on here...

yeah having lots of sand is really fun there are certains speices that adapt int he sand, for instance there is a shrimp that will be friends with a gobie, its a tunneling type fish it kinda lives in a hole, and the shrimp will ALWAYS have one feeler antena on the fish at all times, its rare to have one pair in captivitie but do-able!! you wil have to post some pics of your tank when you get it up!!

i've just got too many commitments in my life to spend time with a saltwater tank. way too labor-intensive for me. good luck bro!

yeah having lots of sand is really fun there are certains speices that adapt int he sand, for instance there is a shrimp that will be friends with a gobie, its a tunneling type fish it kinda lives in a hole, and the shrimp will ALWAYS have one feeler antena on the fish at all times, its rare to have one pair in captivitie but do-able!! you wil have to post some pics of your tank when you get it up!!

Sounds Cool..I'll have to research it!

and i'll definetly Take plenty of Pics!

good luck bro!

Thanx!:mrgreen

i want to post pics of myu Close firends too!
Just off the top of my head he has a 55 gallon tank,
and IMO i think he has too many fish in it. I read it should be
1 inch of fish per gallon, and he has over 20 with about 5 actually a few inches long! heres the list..

2-Jack Dempsey's (2-3 In Long)
2-Black Convicts (2-3 in long)
2-Green Terra's (4-5 in long)
2-Pink Rose Queens (2-3 in Long)
2-texas somethings(chilids) (2-3 in long)
2-Managuens (2-3 in long)
3 African Chilids (1-3 in Long)
2-Fire Mouths (1-2 in long)
2-little striped(4got the name) (1 inch)
2-Blue channel Catfish (4-6 inch long)
2-spotted Catfish (3-4 inch long)
1-Sunkist Catfish (2 in)
1 XL Plecko (algea eater) (6 + inches)
1 Spotted Plecko (3-4 in Long)
6-japanese Red Crabs (1 inch each)

I Tell him he needs a Bigger Tank!
But they all seem to fit fine and get along well,
for a Highly agressive tank... I want to record a feeding session of the Blood worms...they go nuts!:mrgreen



*POSTWHORE...:lol

HOLY SHIT that's a lot of fish!!!!!!!!

Yea, I'd say it's time to upgrade :rofl

i want to post pics of myu Close firends too!
Just off the top of my head he has a 55 gallon tank,
and IMO i think he has too many fish in it. I read it should be
1 inch of fish per gallon, and he has over 20 with about 5 actually a few inches long! heres the list..

2-Jack Dempsey's (2-3 In Long)
2-Black Convicts (2-3 in long)
2-Green Terra's (4-5 in long)
2-Pink Rose Queens (2-3 in Long)
2-texas somethings(chilids) (2-3 in long)
2-Managuens (2-3 in long)
3 African Chilids (1-3 in Long)
2-Fire Mouths (1-2 in long)
2-little striped(4got the name) (1 inch)
2-Blue channel Catfish (4-6 inch long)
2-spotted Catfish (3-4 inch long)
1-Sunkist Catfish (2 in)
1 XL Plecko (algea eater) (6 + inches)
1 Spotted Plecko (3-4 in Long)
6-japanese Red Crabs (1 inch each)

I Tell him he needs a Bigger Tank!
But they all seem to fit fine and get along well,
for a Highly agressive tank... I want to record a feeding session of the Blood worms...they go nuts!:mrgreen



*POSTWHORE...:lol

Easy fix, just put a couple of Piranhas in it... over populated problem solved... :crash :lol

gay!

get little lap dogs...much better :)


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g184/kneedragger77/Dogs/IMG_2054.jpg


Gay? If fish tanks are gay then those tiny dogs are ultramegauberhiperGAY!!! :fact :r1lover

I bet Val has tens of those in his basement :mrgreen :lol:lol

that will be a big NO on lap dogs, there ghost rider.

nothing says GHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAY faster than a mini-dog...:lmao

:imwst

If you want a dog, get a dog.....not an overgrown rodent. :mrgreen



....and I agree with Val's Piranha solution. That should take care of it. :crash

I have owned many salt and reef tanks as well. Just sold off my tanks cause I am moving within six months and didnt' want the headache of moving them. Some guy at work wanted it for his kids Christmas gift. Salt are expensive to set up, but not that bad once they are running a few months. The bigger the tank, the less time spent on maintence in my experience.

Jay, I have been keeping Saltwater Aquariums for years now. Even got a 1200 gallon Reef setup in my office, well its my boss' office but its still sweet. If you really want to know how to get into SW, join a club, read, ask questions, read, talk to reef keepers, read, do your research and read some more. Saltwater tanks take 3 things: Patients, Knowledge, and MONEY! If you are really interested, call me, or send me a PM and ill hook you up with a reef club and a few sites to help you out. And remember one thing:

The ONLY thing that happens quickly in a reef tank is DISASTER!


Oh yeah, check out my site www.stresco.us and take a look at my reef pics.

gay!

get little lap dogs...much better :)


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g184/kneedragger77/Dogs/IMG_2054.jpg

SW tanks arent gay, those little fuckers are Hella Gay. I would feed them to my eel.

Easy fix, just put a couple of Piranhas in it... over populated problem solved... :crash :lol

:lol :lol :lol

Gay? If fish tanks are gay then those tiny dogs are ultramegauberhiperGAY!!! :fact :r1lover

:imwst

If you want a dog, get a dog.....not an overgrown rodent. :mrgreen

SW tanks arent gay, those little fuckers are Hella Gay. I would feed them to my eel.

Sorry kneepads, I have to agree here, those are only ankle bitters.. and the black one looks scary.

I'd like to get angelfishs now after reading all your comments :blush

http://www.seaburst.com/Angelfish_Gold_Black%20Background_001.jpg

So far i had Charles :) : (he died after 2 years)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/MissLandry/Personnal/Animals/Charles.jpg

I almost bought a tank setup with a Fresh Water Stingray!! :rock

That thing was awesome......you could feed it the frozen food by hand!!

Jay, I have been keeping Saltwater Aquariums for years now. Even got a 1200 gallon Reef setup in my office, well its my boss' office but its still sweet. If you really want to know how to get into SW, join a club, read, ask questions, read, talk to reef keepers, read, do your research and read some more. Saltwater tanks take 3 things: Patients, Knowledge, and MONEY! If you are really interested, call me, or send me a PM and ill hook you up with a reef club and a few sites to help you out. And remember one thing:

The ONLY thing that happens quickly in a reef tank is DISASTER!


Oh yeah, check out my site www.stresco.us (http://www.stresco.us) and take a look at my reef pics.

Really cool pix man........:mrgreen

I also Never got in touch w/ you about that tank!
I decided to hold off until i Move. i dont want to go through all that mess, and end up moving , and having to ship a tank and take my fish out! But i got something else I'll post pix as well!

BTW, "Bruce" is the Man, and once again your CAM is SICK....
I almost bought a tank setup with a Fresh Water Stingray!! :rock

That thing was awesome......you could feed it the frozen food by hand!!

Hellz Yeah! :rock
Sweet Bogie, Those are sooo cool.
the guy at the Fish place told me you have to use sand on the bottom and no gravel, if you get those. I Like watching them fly around its really amazing to have all these crazy little Creatures
inches from your face....;)