What would be a no-brainer tank if you had time, space &money

[smoq]

I was posting on one of my threads about a seahorses and an idea came to my mind (see title).Just curious what tank(s) you'd liketo set-up sometime in the close or distant future. And please don't simply say you would like an olympic pool sized reef

I have three dream setups:

1. A seahorse tank- those creatures always fascinated us (me and my gf), we would like to have an aquarium dedicated to them sometime in the future. I would setup a display for them in a heartbeat, but I don't think I have enough time and experience to jump into that kind of commitment yet.
2. An anemone tank with pair of clownfish and various anemone species
3. Believe it or not, but an african cichlid tank, be it Tanganyika or Malawi. I always wanted it, I love observing cichlids and their interesting behavior. I think if I've never had jumped into SW, I would have it by now. My dream fish for a Rift Valley tank is Eretmodus Cyanostictus

photo borrowed from photobucket

 

[NYreefNoob]

if you ever decide to do sh's lmk

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

cichlids are awesome I have pics in my album of tanks I have set up. I still have a cichlid tank as well as a few reefs they are very cool fish but require a good size tank unless you get some shell dwellers.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

I wouldn't call it a dream setup but currently I have been fixated on a cuttlefish tank with possible intentions of breeding. Something large enough for maybe 3 pairs to be able to cruise around in.

 

[ryangrieder]

i would love to give a shot with those new Red Sea S-Series. they look amazing. cannot wait to see one when it comes out.

also , those circle wall jellyquariums. always facinated me

 

[solo]

+1 would love a Cuttlefish tank!

I wouldn't call it a dream setup but currently I have been fixated on a cuttlefish tank with possible intentions of breeding. Something large enough for maybe 3 pairs to be able to cruise around in.

 

[Bryceandmandy]

10'x4'x4' 1200 gallon south american biotope tank. Stingrays, peacock bass, monster catfish, live plants and all. Crayfish hatchery nearby as well lol

 

[tosiek]

For me it would be a octo or cuttle dedicated tank with some soft coral/sea fans to color up the scene. I just don't have the few hours a day I would need to keep the octo busy and entertained along with the massive tank cleanings that goes with it. I miss my octo..../tear...

Smoq, Seahorses are amazing but the feeding requirements are a pain depending on what your getting. Its also a huge time sink when they start breeding like rabbits. Also, I had a cichlid tank before I went SW. Compared to the reef you would be very bored with them. Also, if you prefer the calmer scene they will frustrate you because they are so damn territorial.

 

[albano]

...those circle wall jellyquariums, always fascinated me

And shiny objects, too!



:kiss:



.

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

For me it would be a octo or cuttle dedicated tank with some soft coral/sea fans to color up the scene. I just don't have the few hours a day I would need to keep the octo busy and entertained along with the massive tank cleanings that goes with it. I miss my octo..../tear...

Smoq, Seahorses are amazing but the feeding requirements are a pain depending on what your getting. Its also a huge time sink when they start breeding like rabbits. Also, I had a cichlid tank before I went SW. Compared to the reef you would be very bored with them. Also, if you prefer the calmer scene they will frustrate you because they are so damn territorial.

Not really true I have had damn near every type of south american and african and I always mixed them it all depends on what species you have. Also individual fish have different personalities just like people. My Green Severum is the man he has a great personality I've had him for about 4 years. My Calvus and Tropheus are very interesting both looking and to watch. A bunch of my other africans are too. As far as the aggression thing there is ways to get around that. For one, you feed the current fish before adding a new one then shut the lights and release the newbie(s) into the tank. The others do not see the new fish enter therefore they do not attack it. Also, the feeding helps because let's face it do you want to fight somebody after you stuff your belly full of food? With cichlids they are meant to be overcrowded..if you only have a few they will get territorial if you have a bunch there really isn't anything to be territorial about. Switching up aqua scape is another technique. When you move the rocks the home they once had is now gone lol. Plus aesthetically we like to switch it up.

Yea we are not constantly adding new little pieces to the tank but they are definitely beautiful fish and very cool to watch. I guess having a reef does spoil us a bit. lol I will always love cichlids though. I know Kathy C and a few others on here keep cichlids as well. Maybe they can chime in but that's my personal experience. I have kept cichlids for about the last 10 years.

Oh one last side note most cichlids are captive bred because they are very easy to breed unlike our sw fish which are mostly wild caught out of whatever ocean. You can mix cichlids from different places and lakes because it really does not matter they are all from water in someone's house or breeding facility vs in the wild. They are also very easy to adapt. So mix and match'em!

 

[smoq]

Not really true I have had damn near every type of south american and african and I always mixed them it all depends on what species you have. Also individual fish have different personalities just like people. My Green Severum is the man he has a great personality I've had him for about 4 years. My Calvus and Tropheus are very interesting both looking and to watch. A bunch of my other africans are too. As far as the aggression thing there is ways to get around that. For one, you feed the current fish before adding a new one then shut the lights and release the newbie(s) into the tank. The others do not see the new fish enter therefore they do not attack it. Also, the feeding helps because let's face it do you want to fight somebody after you stuff your belly full of food? With cichlids they are meant to be overcrowded..if you only have a few they will get territorial if you have a bunch there really isn't anything to be territorial about. Switching up aqua scape is another technique. When you move the rocks the home they once had is now gone lol. Plus aesthetically we like to switch it up.

Yea we are not constantly adding new little pieces to the tank but they are definitely beautiful fish and very cool to watch. I guess having a reef does spoil us a bit. lol I will always love cichlids though. I know Kathy C and a few others on here keep cichlids as well. Maybe they can chime in but that's my personal experience. I have kept cichlids for about the last 10 years.

Oh one last side note most cichlids are captive bred because they are very easy to breed unlike our sw fish which are mostly wild caught out of whatever ocean. You can mix cichlids from different places and lakes because it really does not matter they are all from water in someone's house or breeding facility vs in the wild. They are also very easy to adapt. So mix and match'em!

I agree. Reef does spoil us and there's no doubt about it. There's so much life in a reef tank nothing can compare to it. However, cichlids are my second best thing you can keep in an aquarium, I haven't yet found fish with so much personality (clown hosting my corals and doing their mating dance maybe). I currently keep discus and apistogramma cichlids, but I forgot to mention I used to have a shell dweller tank once. I liked how easy it was to breed them and it was funny to see new faces sticking out of shells everytime I checked the tank. I miss it sometimes, but what I would like to have is at least a 75g Malawi or Tanganyika biotope. Here's a couple of pics of the shell dwellers I kept:

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa194/smoq_asylum/15g multis tank/16 jaanuary 2010/DSC_0016.jpg

 

[ari5736]

I'm not sure how big a tank, but I'd love to keep black tips.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Requiem sharks are really cool but they get old after awhile. Most, including the blacktips just cruise around and don't do much else except during their feeding time which should be no more than 2 maybe 3 times a week depending on how much you feed and species. If you want a cool shark display I think some of the benthic species have really interesting personalities once they settle into a tank. Stingrays would also be cool and interesting since you can sort of interact with them more than you would be able to with sharks.

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

If you decide to go cichlid I have some good connects for fish and I would def help make you a kick ass set up! I gave a lot of advice to yah the submariner? I think his name was he set up the cichlid tank for the kids in his school. I havent seen him post in a while I wanna see how that tank is doing

 

[smoq]

I would love to set-up a cichlid tank but I have no space to do it at the moment. I have two tanks in the living room and my electricity bill is never under $100 so I have to slap myself in a face and don't think about another aquarium But guess what, I bought a harem of apistogramma cacatuoides and I will be trying to breed them

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

I have no idea wtf those fish are that you mentioned but if your electric bill is barely 100 consider yourself lucky and get another tank to make up for it LOL.

 

[Bryceandmandy]

I would love to set-up a cichlid tank but I have no space to do it at the moment. I have two tanks in the living room and my electricity bill is never under $100 so I have to slap myself in a face and don't think about another aquarium But guess what, I bought a harem of apistogramma cacatuoides and I will be trying to breed them

I dabbled in apistos for a while. The macmasteri are very very cool.

 

[yesjenks]

I'd setup a 220 with Motoro rays and a pair of blue arawana's. Had a Motoro tank a little while ago. Beutiful and fun to watch.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Apistogrammas are one of the very few freshwater genus that get the LFSMarineguy seal of approval.

 

[Bryceandmandy]

Apistogrammas are one of the very few freshwater genus that get the LFSMarineguy seal of approval.

+1 and dont forget the dipneurans!