aquarium and/or pond owners?

[doghouse]

I haven't seen a thread on this so far, if there is one, please move this to the appropriate thread.

Anywho, any Loungers with a backyard pond or indoor aquarium? I currently have a 65 gallon aquarium in my kitchen/dining room that houses a clown knife, an angelfish, and a pictus catfish. We also have a 10 gallon in our bedroom that houses a MUCH smaller clown knife and a smaller angelfish. I'd like to add more fish in both aquariums.

I also have a backyard pond that used to have goldfish, but our pump messed up and all the water drained out. Therefore, I'd like to get a new pump and possibly some Koi.

If anyone is interested I have some pictures of my fish.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Before I graduated high school and moved onto college, I had a fish tank in my bedroom growing up. It was a fifteen gallon freshwater tank. I grew pretty attached to that aquarium. I had a couple of little catfish, black neons tetras, and I can't remember what else.

I think when I finish college in the next year, and officially move into my own place, I'm going to put that tank back up. I sort of miss what it creates.

 

[dnjan]

Have had a 100-gal reef tank (saltwater) for 7 years. Four fish and a number of corals.

 

[doghouse]

I'm jealous. I want a saltwater tank badly, but the initial start up costis intimidating.

 

[carebear]

The start-up costs on a big saltwater tank can be managed if you do like I did and fold them into the construction finances for the secret underground volcano lair.

It's maintaining the shark tank that gets expensive. Those things have to be fed daily, and your enemies can never be relied upon to break-in and be captured regularly enough.

 

[dnjan]

I'm jealous. I want a saltwater tank badly, but the initial start up costis intimidating.

One-time costs like tank and equipment can be managed (tax refund, etc.).

What often gets overlooked (at least with reef tanks) is the cost of electricity and replacement lightbulbs. We have about 800 watts of lighting, and many hard-core reef-keepers consider that underlit. One set of replacement lightbulbs costs us about $250, and many people replace annually.

However, airfare to and from a tropical location for a family of four is prohibitive, and so having our own reef tank partially replaces visitting the real thing.

 

[doghouse]

One-time costs like tank and equipment can be managed (tax refund, etc.).

What often gets overlooked (at least with reef tanks) is the cost of electricity and replacement lightbulbs. We have about 800 watts of lighting, and many hard-core reef-keepers consider that underlit. One set of replacement lightbulbs costs us about $250, and many people replace annually.

However, airfare to and from a tropical location for a family of four is prohibitive, and so having our own reef tank partially replaces visitting the real thing.

Good grief, I had no idea the lightbulbs were so expensive.

Well I now no longer have fish in my 10 gallon. *sigh*. I bought a couple of fish from petsmart and they apparently infected my tank. Never again will I buy from there.

Has anyone ever ordered fish from an online source? I don't have many Mom and Pop fish dealers nearby.

 

[dnjan]

The big problem with ordering fish online is shipping. You are paying for next-day-air. And most of what you are shipping is the water that the fish is in. You can easily spend $30-$45+ on a $5-$10 fish.

For that kind of money, you can afford a considerable drive to the nearest city with a good aquarium store.

 

[Mojito]

I'm down to one display tank these days - a fairly straightforward community set up with clown loaches and rainbows (m trifasciata and m praecox) with some zebra danios to amuse my nephew and niece and a few bronze corys. Nothing flash, but the rainbows look lovely against the plants when they're in their breeding colours, the loaches are amusing and it's all very relaxing.

I'd like a reef set up .... one day...!

 

[hotrod_elf]

We have one tank that is 45 bow tank with a parahnia and 50 feeder fish swimming in it right now. Then we have an 90 gallon with 1 oscar, parrot fish, two breeding sevrums, 1 firemouth, one jack dempsey. Then we have a 30 gallon with two lepord frogs and two goldfish. We also have an pond in the backyard that the dog dug and we fill it occansionally for the ducks. We will be moving soon and want to build a bigger pond the right way for the ducks and have a waterfall flowing into it. The ducks love the pond and kiddy pool pond.:fing28: :fing28: I know I am.

 

[dnjan]

How big are the parrotfish, and what do you feed them?

We honeymooned in the carribean, and my wife loves parrotfish.

 

[hotrod_elf]

Mine is about 3 to 4 inches. They grow to the tank and tankmates. Big tank with only a few fish they can grow. I have seen them 6 inches maybe a little bigger. I don't know just how big they can get.

 

[Mojito]

Might be a different parrotfish, though - that sounds like you've got a cichlid set up, Hotrod Elf? In which case I guess you're talking about these fellows?

They're an interesting hybrid, although no one seems to know where/by who they were first 'created'. The blood red form was most common, at least originally, and quite striking.

Marine parrotfish are absolutely amazing! I've seen humpheaded parrotfish, the largest species, grazing over tropical reefs like heards of buffalo. Once had a school of them follow me all the way from about 30 metres up to the surface. They even stayed with me while I did my deco stop, and were still circling around just below the water when the tender boat picked me up.

 

[hotrod_elf]

"AHHH I see" said the blind man. Yes mine is the orangy red kind. I have seen the ones you are talking about, however I know nothing of them.[huh]

 

[Mojito]

They look like they're a cool fish, HRE - and look like lovely balloons when they get big! They had a tank set up in one of my gym's branches with large red parrot cichlids and a huge plec, and it was near the leg press in the weightroom - I used to sit back and watch their antics while I was doing weights, and was quite enchanted by them!

 

[hotrod_elf]

Our big tank is fun to watch. The oscar will come up to the glass and watch you.

 

[brylcreem boy]

We have one tank that is 45 bow tank with a parahnia and 50 feeder fish swimming in it right now. Then we have an 90 gallon with 1 oscar, parrot fish, two breeding sevrums, 1 firemouth, one jack dempsey. Then we have a 30 gallon with two lepord frogs and two goldfish. We also have an pond in the backyard that the dog dug and we fill it occansionally for the ducks. We will be moving soon and want to build a bigger pond the right way for the ducks and have a waterfall flowing into it. The ducks love the pond and kiddy pool pond.:fing28: :fing28: I know I am.

Sounds like nice set up you got hotrod_elf. How do you like the bow front tank? I have a 37 gallon eclipse set up and considering a new 75 gallon bowfront, I have 3 lake malawi african cichlids(peacock males) right now and a synodontis catfish and my tanks is really to small for them, not enough room for their territories, my tank is almost taller than it is wide and not enough room front to back. I can't wait to get the new tank, I've always had good luck with these and I think they will grow bigger and do well with more room. I don't have any good pics at the moment, but I found one online that represents what peacocks look like (mine is bigger though than this pic).

I will post some pics once my new setup is in place....

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/3892/peacockre5.jpg

 

[MaryDeluxe]

We have a a pond that we built last spring in our garden. We have three hugh koi and two fat bubble goldfish and their itty bitty baby that they had last summer. Here's a pic of our pond from last summer.

 

[hotrod_elf]

Sounds like nice set up you got hotrod_elf. How do you like the bow front tank? I have a 37 gallon eclipse set up and considering a new 75 gallon bowfront, I have 3 lake malawi african cichlids(peacock males) right now and a synodontis catfish and my tanks is really to small for them, not enough room for their territories, my tank is almost taller than it is wide and not enough room front to back. I can't wait to get the new tank, I've always had good luck with these and I think they will grow bigger and do well with more room. I don't have any good pics at the moment, but I found one online that represents what peacocks look like (mine is bigger though than this pic).

I will post some pics once my new setup is in place....

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/3892/peacockre5.jpg

I love our bow front tank. We had our oscar pass this week. The 90 gallon seems really empty right now. The other fish love it, the chiclids have ready laid eggs. In the past they would lay eggs then they eat them because of the oscar, so we will see if the hatch. It was a sad day "Big Fishy" weighed at least 5-10 lbs.

 

[brylcreem boy]

Sorry to hear your Oscar passed, 5-10 pounds wow!! he must of been what, at least 5-7 years old?? they are so cool to watch. I've been planning to get this tank set up for a few months, I found a good deal on one, went to go get it today and the place where I get my cichlids had sold it, and now I hear the prices are going up quite a bit on the tanks... This hobby can get real expensive!!... Especially if you get into Saltwater...

Well gotta go.. just got back from the local "Root 66 Rockabilly Rumble" here in Tulsa and my drunk neighbor and his friends are out back trying to dunk each other in my hottub, I'm sure there will be a nice oil slick in it tomorrow morning from the pomade.... Cheers!- Mike