New specimen tank idea anyone?

[Anonymous]

Hi, guys!
I have 3 display tanks, all plumbed together. I have sorta divided them into an sps tank, a planted refugium and a softy type tank.

I want to change it up a bit.

If you could make a certain type of biotope, what would it be?

 

[Len]

What size tanks?

 

[fungia]

i guess you have a seahorse tank already how about a dwarf eel tank? or octopus would be cool

 

[Anonymous]

Shallow water clam tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Biotope or specimen tank? Your thread title and your post indicate two different questions. Also, what sized tanks?

 

[Anonymous]

They are all 75 AGA, with built in overflows. I do have a seahorse/planted type tank, and that one I want to keep. The SPS and softie tank could be combined, I'll just keep the best corals from both and combine them.


A shallow tide pool tank with clams? That sounds intriguing....

Can't do eels. They are too much like snakes and I wouldn't be able to sleep at night...

But, I have been considering an octopus tank. I did read Toonen's AA article. It appears some species have been raised in captivity? That sounds like a interesting endeavor....

Biotope or specimen tank. Either. Any more ideas?

 

[Demonic]

You say you wouldnt be able to sleep at night with an eel, but you would get an octopus. Hmmm.... I would be more afraid of one of the smartest creatures in the ocean...buts thats just my opinion

 

[pcardone]

If they are all plumbed together, the plant tank can act as a fuge? but don't the seahorses need to be fed a lot? that would add lots of nutrients.

 

[atzak]

Peacock mantis

 

[Anonymous]

How critical is noise? I think a nice shoreline biotope with native sea grasses might be neat powered by a surge... but then again it'll be noisy.. and sand will kick around..

 

[Anonymous]

IME seagrass tanks don't fair all that well when your doing a surge tank. Seagrass isn't like our local eel grass Mike, it usually grows in calm areas.

 

[Anonymous]

My dislike of eels is a purely irrational view, I know but I really can't stand snakes. I won't have an arrow crab, either because they are too spider like.

I feed my seahorses daily but I don't don't think they need food more than other fish. I've found when I try to feed them twice daily, they get finicky and turn their snouts up at mealtimes anyway. But, I do have quite a few. I am now raising our third generation. The bioload of the system has adapted at this point, I think.

A peacock mantis could be cool....

A tidepool surge tank? That could be very hot! The tanks are behind an insulated wall...I did have a surge tank on my SPS tank a while back.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah Gresham? I thought it was a shore grass that got constantly pounded... well hell then if it were me and it didn't need a surge I'd definitely go that route!

 

[Anonymous]

How about a very low light tank?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey, that might be cool! Maybe I could make the light more actinic ( like the black lights of the 60's?) and find low light corals that flourese (sp)?

 

[Anonymous]

For a lower light tank, you could do a lower reef wall biotope. Some fish actually live reasonably deep and could be pretty happy that way (actually maybe happier than in a bright tank). Use corals like the tubastrea and other non-light dependent corals could work really well.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd get a nice fat show specimen of the fish to the left over here...
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[Anonymous]

Chilli corals are cheap. Maybe a few of those flashlight fish.

 

[Anonymous]

Flashlight fish and sunpolyps. That could be cool.


But, a low light tank could house a pair of octopuses......

OK, I have been researching octopuses for a few months....Has anyone here kept them?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes.
I had a Blue Ring for some time.