How many people on here have fish tanks?

[jsfinn]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

18rabbit,<br /><br />I agree - putting fish where they don't belong is a dangerous thing. I think they arn't too worried around here because the Piranha need such a warm climate that even if they did make it to a local river or pond, they wouldn't live past summer because the water temp would drop and kill them.<br /><br />By the way - I would NEVER release an aquarium fish into the wild regardles of if it was native or not.<br /><br />We had a huge problem here last year with Chinese Snake Heads. They ended up draining several local ponds to stop them from migrating. They are nasty little guys.<br /><br />JB - I think we all want to go fishing in your tank!

 

[Raghauler]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

I've got a 29 gallon with FW tropicals. Happy and healthy, they as well as me.

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

I have been keeping aquariums since i was in 6th grade. hence the name FSHKPR. i think i have had just about everything. except discus. at one point i had over 20 tanks going at the same time. got to be to much of a job. pretty scaled back right now just have a 125 gallon tank that was set up with all natives for the last two years. in the process now of going back to africans. they are the most entertaining to me. been thinking of setting up another salt water tank, if i find a nice 40 gallon long tank. salt water is beautiful but alittle more work and alot more money. great hobby! if you dont let it get out hand.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Well when I moved in with my wife I had left over 600 gallons of tanks at my old house where they were snapped up by freinds and family. I told her of my great love for fish tanks and well she told me of her loathing of anything like that. She had no pets and really didn't want any. Well we got married in a moment of weakness she agreed to a 20 gallon high as long as it was pretty. HE HE well 2 years later we were up to 280 gallons and she was as hooked as I was.We moved and downsized to the 75 and the 55 but when we are a little more stable we are going to purchase a 125. Oh ya we now have a cat(doesnt really count as a pet) and dog as well. How things change.

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

yep mike i know how that goes. my wife was a little hesitant on the fish tank thing too. but one of the reasons we ended up with so many tanks was because of her. she would see a fish in the store that she just had to have. well it would not be compatible in any of the tanks we had so set up another one. for awhile i had two 125 gallons going one was salt water. had two 55 tanks one was just filled with plants and about 150 neon tetras. then had a beautiful 40 gallon long that was a reef tank. wish i would have never got rid of that tank. then of course had to have some 20 and 10's for breeding feeder fish. sure got to be a big job. was reading in a aquarium magazine once about an african shell dweller. well i had to have some that was another 20 gallon setup. then decided to get into breeding betas, homemade tank with about 20 different 1 gallon sections, plus another couple 10 gallon tanks for breeding. they just kept adding up till it was almost impossibe to keep up with the maintance. like i said i am down to just one 125 gallon tank now but i feel the itch for nice salt water tank again. just something about a nice Anemone and some clowns to go with it. Oh boy i better be careful i can feel myself sliding back into my old habits again.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

I feel ya. Got rid of 150 gallons worth 3 months ago when we moved from Wisconsin to missouri. Now Im sitting here going I need to buy more tanks. It seems this is a never ending cycle with me. ah well this is defenetly one of the better addictions I have delt with Im really interested in doing a tank with live plants and neons, any sugestions on gravel. They have some gravel in a store here thats for live plants but its pretty expensive and I have to wonder how much a difference it really will make. Also I know your really not suposed to use an undergravel filter with live plants but man I sure love powerheads on my tanks. I also know that the power heads and powerfilters really stir things up a bit to much for the plants. Any Ideas?

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Mike when i had that tank i just used the regular bulk gravel that my local aquarium store sold. not sure the name of it but it was all pretty smooth little pebbles different shades of brown. also i kept most of the bigger plants in the pot and just covered that with gravel. i did add plant fertilizer on a regular basis. and also i bought a 2 bulb shop light and bought some lights specially for plants. no undergravel filter. i ran a big canister type filter, then for the output i took a piece of 1 inch pvc pipe about 3 foot long, i drilled 5/16th inch holes about every inch staggered and mounted a couple of inches below the top on the back. just make sure the holes either go down or out a side and not straight up. it still allowed full flow but it dispersed it pretty good, so you did not have one strong stream,rather alot of smaller ones.it still moved the tank water around pretty good tho. it was a beautiful tank. the biggest problem i had was finding bottom feeders that would not root up the plants. finally got some small cory cats and two small clown plecos. they stayed like under 3 inches in length. well i just got back from my favorite fish place went there to buy some african cichlids and ended up buying just one fish. a black belt cichlid. i am aclimating him right now and once i got him in he tank i will a post a picture. what a beautiful fish.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Please do post that pic Fshkpr. Your idea on how disperse the water sounds like a good one to me. I myself got a new fish yesterday. A rapheal cat, Like it alot(I love catfish) right now Im still learning bout the Africans....Wish they had names like the South Americans do......I could then tell you about the ones in my tank. By the way where in Wi. are you? Milwaukee had some great fish stores. For the last 3 years a lived in Lacrosse and there fish stores really sucked.There is a much better selection here in Springfield, Missouri though.

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

I am in ashwaubenon, a subburb of green bay. i have two favorite fish stores here both are run by friends of mine. so i usually get a good deal not to mention good advice. and if they dont have the fish i am looking for they can usually get it. heck when i had problems with my reef tank one of them even made a house call to help me fix the problem, course that put a pretty big dent in my beer supply but it was worth it. today when i walked in i saw this fish but it had a 50 dollar price tag on it. i asked adam is that price negotiable. he says yeah alittle bit i said well how about 30 bucks. he says i was thinking more like 40 so we split the differnce at 35. I am not the best picture taker so these are not the best. the first pic is not the true color but a clearer shot. the second the color is closer. the fish is 12 inches long and about 5 inches deep, nice deep turquoise color. not sure why the first pic came out that color. any hints on taking nice photos in the tank? i plan on adding a small oscar that my son needs to get rid of and another friend of mine has about an 8 inch black ghost knife fish. those three fish along with a big pleco will probably be all i put in there.<br />

<br /><br />

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Well as for taking pics i always get right up on the tank and for mine I actully put the camrea right up against the tank, stops the reflection from the flash.Makes it hard to get a pic a big one unless tank is pretty big.Try it from the side if you can and maybe that will give you a bit more depth for the big ones. Fine looking fish though, now that I see the pic I want one. But swore off S.A. cichlids until I try a few new species out. The stores we have here are of the warehouse varity but there is one that is a mom and pop run deal and they seem to have the best fish.

 

[Skiuseme]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

hey Mike i know what you mean about these stores around here suck

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Yes and not only that but they are expensive since there is not any compitition.

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

hey mike i tried the pictures like you said and they came out much better. i also turned off the flash and took these at night with the rest of the room dark turned out much nicer. thanks for the tip.<br />

<br />

 

[roscoe]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

18 rabbit, you @$@#@$@.<br /><br />Been playing that game link, and my arm is about to fall off.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Great pics fshkpr, I was just researched building my own tank and I was blown away by the possabilitys of this. It seems these guys use epoxy covered plywood and on piece of glass so they can go quite large for much cheaper as well as use cement to build the backgrounds, much like a zoo would in a very large one. my mind is spinning Has anybody ever done this or seen it done.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Build a cement wall to divide the basement, with porthole windows. Could double as a pool. Swim with the fishes.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Hey i tried to get my wife to let me set up one of those above ground pools in our basement( it is a finished basement) for breeding fish........she vetoed that idea real quick.......what the heck

 

[FSHKPR]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

haha mike i did alot of reading on that too. and i was real close to turning a good portion of my basement into a fish tank. it really did not look all that hard to do. and your right the savings was alot. i had visions of about a 500 gallon tank down stairs. i am telling you it's a horrible sickness. this hobby.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

^

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: How many people on here have fish tanks?

Ok guys here we go.........As with any addiction you have keep taking more and more to get the same effect you did in the begining.....Im in the planning stage of a pond in my backyard.....wooo hooo......oh wait Woooooo Hoooooo that was a different post about caves or something. Anyways Im not sure what fish to have in there......I told the wife piranah to keep critters and nieborhood kids out, but she doesnt see my logic in this. Im not excited bout' paying as much as they charge for koi, so any sugestions on types of fish would be appriecated.