Fish tank enthusiasts
- Thread starter Rabid Ram
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- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 17,668
- Name
- Haole
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
I've had a tank since I was 6. I used to net all my own fish and invertebrates when I lived in Hawaii. Since that time I have kept just about every type of fish both salt and fresh.
I currently have a 250 gallon. All of the coral in it (got a bunch of big bleached dead coral) was collected by my wife, boys and I while diving. Got 2 big brain corals. Some really big Helmet Conchs (Queen) and a huge Trident Conch that we found through the years as well. I keep the coral bleached white,,, pain in the ass, but looks killer. We all know the places that each piece was collected, so it reminds us of places we'd rather be.
What kind of fish are you gonna keep?
I've had a tank since I was 6. I used to net all my own fish and invertebrates when I lived in Hawaii. Since that time I have kept just about every type of fish both salt and fresh.
I currently have a 250 gallon. All of the coral in it (got a bunch of big bleached dead coral) was collected by my wife, boys and I while diving. Got 2 big brain corals. Some really big Helmet Conchs (Queen) and a huge Trident Conch that we found through the years as well. I keep the coral bleached white,,, pain in the ass, but looks killer. We all know the places that each piece was collected, so it reminds us of places we'd rather be.
What kind of fish are you gonna keep?
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 17,668
- Name
- Haole
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
I'll definitely post a few. One of my boys even has a video I believe.
Just got down to the Keys today... I'll post them when I get back home and have my computer instead of this phone.
I'll definitely post a few. One of my boys even has a video I believe.
Just got down to the Keys today... I'll post them when I get back home and have my computer instead of this phone.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 17,668
- Name
- Haole
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
To help speed up your bacteria colony ... you can add what I call a starter fish (maybe 4 - 5). They probably won't live through the cycle but they will speed up the process and give you something to look at in the mean time. Get a cheap type of fish for this obviously.
I don't know if they really work, but you can also buy bacteria starter stuff at your local fish store. You can also ask your local fish store if they will just give you a bacteria culture out of one of their established tanks.
No matter what, you gotta wait a number of weeks for your tank to cycle. I recommend the starter fish while you wait.
To help speed up your bacteria colony ... you can add what I call a starter fish (maybe 4 - 5). They probably won't live through the cycle but they will speed up the process and give you something to look at in the mean time. Get a cheap type of fish for this obviously.
I don't know if they really work, but you can also buy bacteria starter stuff at your local fish store. You can also ask your local fish store if they will just give you a bacteria culture out of one of their established tanks.
No matter what, you gotta wait a number of weeks for your tank to cycle. I recommend the starter fish while you wait.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2013
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- 7,360
- Name
- Dustin
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
If you have an alge issue you need to do a 20 percent water change each week and full tank change every month. Also make sure you are using decorations thay are fish tank friendly. Also make sure you are not overfeeding the fish left over food turns to alge issues as well
Also make sure when you do a full tank change to clean the gravel but leave a handful or 2 of dirty gravel aside it will help create the good bacteria again at a faster pace since it has something to feed on.
I made the change over to a penguin bio wheel filter
http://shopping.yahoo.com/810675439...0-gallon-tank-pf0200b-aquarium-power-filters/
Its a 3 stage filter that hits all 3 filter categorys mechanical chemical and bio all in one and has a good flow rate. Had crystal clear water since
If you have an alge issue you need to do a 20 percent water change each week and full tank change every month. Also make sure you are using decorations thay are fish tank friendly. Also make sure you are not overfeeding the fish left over food turns to alge issues as well
Also make sure when you do a full tank change to clean the gravel but leave a handful or 2 of dirty gravel aside it will help create the good bacteria again at a faster pace since it has something to feed on.
I made the change over to a penguin bio wheel filter
http://shopping.yahoo.com/810675439...0-gallon-tank-pf0200b-aquarium-power-filters/
Its a 3 stage filter that hits all 3 filter categorys mechanical chemical and bio all in one and has a good flow rate. Had crystal clear water since
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2010
- Messages
- 33,891
- Name
- Stu
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
I used to have a 75 gallon tank with Tiger Oscars and Plecos. The Plecostomus did a pretty good job of keeping the tank clean. My suggestion though is that you leave enough room between rocks and the glass for example to allow your plecos to suck freely as they grow. I got little 1 1/2" oscars (3) and my plecos (2) were about 3" long. The oscars grew pretty fast and after two of them singled out the weaker third and killed it, ended up about 12" long. The plecos stretched about half way across the tank. Also keep in mind that Oscars will pick up plants and other decorations and move them around. They are kinda restless.
Plecos are tough fish so even though the oscars would attack them, they would just put up their spine and give the oscars a rude awakening. Even though some other fish are supposedly good tank mates for the oscars, ours killed everything else we put in with them.
If you do get oscars, they are fun fish and actually have a personality of sorts. They will come to the glass when you walk up and sit there looking like they are wagging their tails. We had an albino and a regular Tiger Oscar. We always fed our oscars feeder fish. You just need to make sure the feeders are clean and healthy. If you see any signs of disease, choose something else to feed them. They'll eat damn near anything.
Unfortunately, our fish died when we had a bad power outage about 8 years ago. We ended up using the tank for a Ball Python instead.
I used to have a 75 gallon tank with Tiger Oscars and Plecos. The Plecostomus did a pretty good job of keeping the tank clean. My suggestion though is that you leave enough room between rocks and the glass for example to allow your plecos to suck freely as they grow. I got little 1 1/2" oscars (3) and my plecos (2) were about 3" long. The oscars grew pretty fast and after two of them singled out the weaker third and killed it, ended up about 12" long. The plecos stretched about half way across the tank. Also keep in mind that Oscars will pick up plants and other decorations and move them around. They are kinda restless.
Plecos are tough fish so even though the oscars would attack them, they would just put up their spine and give the oscars a rude awakening. Even though some other fish are supposedly good tank mates for the oscars, ours killed everything else we put in with them.
If you do get oscars, they are fun fish and actually have a personality of sorts. They will come to the glass when you walk up and sit there looking like they are wagging their tails. We had an albino and a regular Tiger Oscar. We always fed our oscars feeder fish. You just need to make sure the feeders are clean and healthy. If you see any signs of disease, choose something else to feed them. They'll eat damn near anything.
Unfortunately, our fish died when we had a bad power outage about 8 years ago. We ended up using the tank for a Ball Python instead.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2010
- Messages
- 48,132
- Name
- Burger man
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
Thanks for the feedback. I was expecting a beefier filter, that's a good deal.
Yeah, water changes are important, eh? I was too lazy to keep up with the rates you suggest... that's probably a big part of my problem.
Rabid Ram said:
Thanks for the feedback. I was expecting a beefier filter, that's a good deal.
Yeah, water changes are important, eh? I was too lazy to keep up with the rates you suggest... that's probably a big part of my problem.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2013
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- 7,360
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- Dustin
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #13
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
The suggested rates are only when you have alge iasues or cloudy water. I do a 50 percent once a month sometimes every other month with this penguin setup and a bit of driftwoodCGI_Ram said:
bluecoconuts
Legend
- Joined
- May 28, 2011
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- 13,073
Re: Fish tank enthusiasts
I wish I had a tank to share... I've always wanted one... If I had the money I'd probably have an entire wall be a giant tank.... When I was little I used to want to have a few fish tanks... One with salt water fish, and one that was big enough to have fresh water fish, but a little land area and have turtles/lizards/frogs and such.
But I don't have the money or the space.... Whenever I move out of an apartment and into a house a large fish tank is on my list though. Looks awesome though.
I wish I had a tank to share... I've always wanted one... If I had the money I'd probably have an entire wall be a giant tank.... When I was little I used to want to have a few fish tanks... One with salt water fish, and one that was big enough to have fresh water fish, but a little land area and have turtles/lizards/frogs and such.
But I don't have the money or the space.... Whenever I move out of an apartment and into a house a large fish tank is on my list though. Looks awesome though.
