# Aquarium Enthusiasts -- Show Off Your Tanks!



## Jill (Feb 17, 2010)

I know a lot of us enjoy keeping aquariums. It's a fairly new hobby for me but most of you all know me pretty well... If I like something, I never like it "just a little". We got into fishkeeping last summer when I needed a distraction and got a 6g Eclipse System which "multiplied and grew" crazily. We have ten (10) tanks going now. H enjoys the fish a lot, as well, so that makes it even more fun. I love watching the fish and taking care of them -- even the water changes! Our favorite types of fish are the fancy goldfish and the blood parrot cichlids






Anyway, these are our aquariums:

75 gallon w/ mbuna cichlids:






75 gallon w/ fancy goldfish:






55 gallon w/ blood parrot cichlids and tiger barbs:






55 gallon w/ fancy goldfish:






38 gallon w/ small tropicals:






38 gallon w/ rainbow cichlids, serpae tetras and corys:






29 gallon w/ fancy goldfish (1 of 2 -- they are nearly identical):






10 gallon divided w/ male (1 of 2 -- they are nearly identical):






[SIZE=24pt]Let's see your aquariums!!![/SIZE]


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## LittleRibbie (Feb 17, 2010)

Beautiful tanks Jill !! It didnt take you long to dive right back into the aquarium hobby again....I especially love the modern art aquarium with the little pots all stacked up. i've never seen that done but its stunning to look at and Im sure the fish enjoy all there little condos!!

Cant wait to see the others tanks, thanks


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## Matt73 (Feb 17, 2010)

You have 10 aquariums



Wow! They're all beautiful, Jill. I love the Terra Cotta pots in them; nice touch.


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## Jill (Feb 17, 2010)

Thanks, guys!

I can't wait to see other people's aquariums









The terracotta pots, actually.... some hardcore tank people gave me a rough time over that idea (thought it was ugly), but I love it. Especially for the tank with the "pyramid" of them, those fish are fairly aggressive and need lots of hiding places. Most people use rock stacks, but I didn't like the looks of those. With the pots, they go in and out of them (we drilled out the bottoms), plus in-between them. So there are lots of places for the fish lower in the pecking order to hide.

Today, I'm home from the office and should be studying harder than I am... but I am changing the water in the tanks (we have a python thing that fills them and a different system that drains them into the yard (to save the drain field / septic tank)... Might as well fool with the fish since horses are not much fun with 18" of snow STILL on the ground!


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## Sterling (Feb 17, 2010)

Wow Jill!! TEN aquariums??!!



They are very beautiful and pristine. I used to keep my fancy goldfish inside but they would grow so big and we decided to put them outside and then we added a Koi pond. I love fancy goldfish. You all have probably already seen these pics of my aquariums and fish.....



I have a Oceanic Bio Cube, 14 gallons and a 4 gallon baby tank. I'm looking to add another bigger tank...but can't figure out where in the house I'd like to put it. I breed and raise Fancy Guppies and Platies, and have Cory Cats and Neon Tetras.


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## minie812 (Feb 17, 2010)

I will post a pic of my 55g as soon as my camera charges up. I have live plants and am slowly adding to it. Just 2 Gold gouramis and a fighting fih but I am going shopping this weekend. It is cycled and I added the substrate for live plants so we shall see what happens. It has been fun as I haven't had one since I was a kid


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## CKC (Feb 17, 2010)

Sterling said:


> Wow Jill!! TEN aquariums??!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very pretty! The top of the rock looks like a dogs head/face.....


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## CKC (Feb 17, 2010)

Very pretty tanks Jill! You know I like the Terra cotta pots. I think they are very cool. Very creative.


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## Matt73 (Feb 17, 2010)

Mary Lou - LB said:


> I will try to get picture of my tank and post it.. I have a bad snail problem and added 4 more clown fish to it.. Hope that takes care of the snails.. Also added some Angel fish..
> Nice pictures here.. I am thinking of going to fake plants in the future.. Your water in your tanks look so bright compared to mine with all real plants..



You have Clown Fish and Angel Fish together? Aren't Angel Fish fresh water and Clowns salt water?


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## minie812 (Feb 17, 2010)

This is a pic of our 55g aquarium. I still will be adding more to it of course. I am having fun with it. Besides Foster and Smith what other places do you order your fish from?


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## Matt73 (Feb 17, 2010)

Mary Lou - LB said:


> Sorry Matt.. I should of said Clown LOACH!!


Ooohhhh


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## miniwhinny (Feb 17, 2010)

Saltwater

Maxima and Crocea clams

Male and female jigsaw Picasso Clowns.

Fire shrimp

Crabs. hermit crabs, starfish, micro stars, sponges, soft corals, LPS corals.

150w 14,000k HQI Metal halide light. 12 LED moonlights. Aqua C Remora protein skimmer.


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## Sterling (Feb 18, 2010)

Mary Lou....you tank looks really nice. I think it looks nice and bright too.

CKC....You know I never noticed that about that rock!



I have it in a different location now so you can't really tell but yes, in those pics it DOES look like a dog!!

Very pretty tanks everyone!


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## Jill (Feb 18, 2010)

Everyone's tanks are so beautiful!!!









Mary Lou, I think your tank looks very pretty and bright! I found out recently, after trying several other bulbs, that the "All Glass" brand florescent tubes give the water a very different / bright / blue toned clarity. But, I don't know if they are acceptable for live plants. All of ours are plastic. And, of course, I love your "Barney" (blood parrot). Those and fancy goldfish are my favorites -- I get attached to these kind of fish



:yes





Mini812, I love shopping both Fosters & Smith's, Big Als Online and That Fish Place (all online) for aquarium supplies and equipment. For live fish, I like PetSmart and Aquabid (one bad experience by 5 very good ones to offset it)









HEADS UP to other fish keepers -- I heard that PetSmart is having a sale on ALL tetras -- $1/each!!! I heard conflicting reports. One person said it starts 2/22 and another said it starts 3/1. Either way, that's a pretty cool deal if anyones been thinking of adding fish. I know I'll be checking out what they've got


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## Jill (Feb 18, 2010)

Sterling said:


> CKC....You know I never noticed that about that rock!
> 
> 
> 
> I have it in a different location now so you can't really tell but yes, in those pics it DOES look like a dog!!


Cheyenne, we have a decoration that looks like it's made of similar material, but I think ours looks like Fred & Wilma Flinstone's house:


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## minie812 (Feb 18, 2010)

Our Petsmart has a 1.00 fish sale going on since lasr week with about five different species.



Thats where I got my Gouramis at for 1.00 and am going back this w/e. It is 60 miles away



Here is a website and OMG what beautiful fish http://www.somethingsphishy.com/product_in...products_id=864 The saltwater aquarium is beautiful and Mary Lou I too am working on a live freshwater aquarium it take stime but I want to try and do it right.


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## NoddalottaFarm (Feb 18, 2010)

Okay, for all of you who have salt water tanks.... are they hard to take care of? My husband has a (I think) 45 gallon tank and we have tried to keep snails and African Dwarf Frogs, but we can't seem to keep them alive. We do *VERY WELL* with guppies and gold fish.



My husband has always wanted a salt water tank, but I worry about how much the fish cost, only to have them die on me. Do you need to do a lot more to a salt water tank vs. a fresh water tank?


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## miniwhinny (Feb 18, 2010)

I've had saltwater tanks of all sizes for about 20 years. Right just now I have a 29 nano reef.

Saltwater compared to fresh is hard. The livestock you keep in salt isn't forgiving of any changes in water parameters...and yes it's very expensive compared to fresh. Just the daily evaporation will change our salinity, dramatically so the smaller the tank. You have to maintain calcium, iodine, trace elements, etc because most corals,shrimp and crabs need them to molt and grow.

That said - to me - the beauty, colors and perfect little ecosystems that you establish are worth every second of effort. Take my live rock...in one 2 inch piece there are gorgeous feather and tube worms, spaghetti worms, snails, sponges, tiny pods (small crustacians) coraline algaes etc. To watch a pair of clowns being hosted by an anemone is just so cool.

It's a fine line between larger systems being more stable and smaller systems being way easier to maintain...IMO between 30 and 50 gallons is about perfect without your electricity bill going through the roof. You can't maintain corals (well almost none) or clams with stock lighting. A good t-5 or halide system is a must.

If you want to know more or want help or suggestions on equipment please feel free to PM me...I've had salt for a long time and would be more than happy to help. You won't regret having one


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