Go Back   RCCrawler Forums > Miscellaneous > Chit Chat
Loading

Notices

Thread: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-24-2015, 09:26 PM   #1
Rock Stacker
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 53
Default Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

So, I have... Done some fairly off-the-wall aquariums. I've done 2.5g frog tanks (dwarf african frogs, so... Just one of those lil buggers is happy in that small of a tank), 5g freshwater, a dual tank 20g total capacity salt tank, and I helped set up and maintain a 355g freshwater tank for my old employer. Who after 4 months, decided to switch over to salt. Which was absolutely a blast.

I've been thinking about getting back into the aquarium scene. A new salt water specialty store just opened up, and they have some pretty fantastic stuff.

Then I look back at the crashes, expense, mixing, measuring, awesome stuff dieing, and the salt residue that never actually came off the wall.

Oh. Then there was the unmitigated disaster that... Well, I hate even thinking about. It was something new, something different, I wanted to try. Something everyone, not just a few people, but everyone on the Salt fish forum I was on, told me NOT to do.

I did it anyway.

It was awesome for a few months...

I got some crabs from the local pet store (not the kind that require special shampoo, and not the dry land type, either). The store had them in purely fresh water. I did research before getting them, and found they actually prefer... Brackish water.

You see, fresh water is pretty easy. You get good potable water, check the PH, salinity, ammonia, nitrates, etc., and if everything is good, you use the water.

Salt water is somewhat harder, but you can buy filtered ocean water, which takes most of the trickery out of keeping everything in balance (I still tested it, and I ran a siphon drip to add it, instead of dumping it in).

But brackish is neither. It's actually... Everywhere between fresh and salt. I opted for somewhere towards the exact center of that range. I had a salinity device that actually went from a little past ocean salt normal (brine?), to totally fresh. So, I could get pretty close to what I wanted.

As I said, it was fun at first. The crabs thrived, and were happy as hell. They like to actually venture out of the water, so I had some neat little fake ceramic logs for the to hang out on. I put a dish of fresh water up at the top (a re-purposed gecko water bowl, hah) and they would go in that from time to time.

And then, one day, it was 109 degrees F, the power went out, and I wasn't home. When I did get home, before getting out of the car, I could smell it. My neighbor had actually called the police, it smelled so bad.

I had a tank crash, due to an extreme surge in temperature... The house was 125 degrees inside when I got home, and the AC had popped the circuit breaker (I had to replace several fuses and a computer, as well).

I tried to clean the tank after... Disposing of the remnants of the tank. The crabs were dead, and there was a black algae in the water.

I threw the expensive ceramic branches out, because they were ruined.

The gecko water dish? Ruined.

The actual glass that the tank was made of?

Ruined.

How ruined?

I put pure bleach in it. 10 gallons of it. I let it sit until it actually ate the tank's sealer off and started leaking. That shit grew INTO the glass.

So... I lost about $900 worth of electronics, and about $250 worth of aquarium gear.

But the bug is back...

Or should I just get another gecko?

Or maybe... I could adopt a Pet Rock.

Hmmmmm...

PS: I never lost all of my salt stock. When I was 'done', I donated it to a guy who was doing conservation. Or something.
Sarra is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Old 04-26-2015, 02:15 AM   #2
Newbie
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: PRK
Posts: 22
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Do you have pics of the tank? Was it actual glass, or lexan or plexi?
buggynut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2015, 02:11 PM   #3
Rock Stacker
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 53
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Quote:
Originally Posted by buggynut View Post
Do you have pics of the tank? Was it actual glass, or lexan or plexi?
Sadly, I don't. Pics were on a drive that kicked the bucket a while back...

The dual 10g setup was glass. I made an almost perfect hole in the glass on one, and put a bulkhead fitting in it. Second tank was below it, with the bulkhead fitting draining into the top of it. There was an aquarium pump that pumped water from the bottom tank into the top tank. I've never run anything but glass aquariums. I have an Acrylic aquarium tank, but I've only run it as a terrarium.

The dual 10g setup was pretty awesome, considering how hard it was, and with one tank behind and above the other, it was effectively a 20 tall with a separator in the middle. I could put stuff in one tank that would eat the stuff in the bottom tank, and not have to worry about stuff actually getting eaten.

The only thing that actually bothered me about the dual 10g setup was the noise. As water drained into the bulkhead fitting, it made a gargling noise. Due to the hose and plastic fitting, it acted as a resonator, and made it a bit louder.

Oh, also... I found out the hard way not to fill both tanks up to the top with the pump running. Power went out, and the bottom tank overflowed... I learned to shut the pump off, fill the top tank and bottom tank to 'full', then start the pump. Lower tank level would drop a little, but when the power went out, the bottom tank wouldn't overflow.
Sarra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2015, 11:23 AM   #4
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: oxford
Posts: 274
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Been keeping tanks for over 30 years. Down to three in the house and an above ground pond outside.
The salt creeping has gotten me away from marine . So I started african's on a whim. A year later I had seven tanks and was breeding them to sell to local fish stores.
One 135 tank full of frontosa's . Have to make myself do water changes on it.
alabamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2015, 11:43 AM   #5
I wanna be Dave
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Tri-cities, WA
Posts: 4,831
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

We have a 75 gallon freshwater tank on a stand with an African cichlid, a catfish and a Bala shark in it. If someone were local I'd give it to them, I'm over having fish.
WHITE-TRASH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2015, 12:43 PM   #6
Rock Crawler
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Casper
Posts: 620
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

I've had a few tanks over the years. Now that I own my own home, I'm thinking about another one. WT, if I was local, I'd take that off your hands, give the fish away, and set it up for Discus. Very cool fish but, require a LOT of maintenance.
KJ10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2015, 01:42 PM   #7
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: oxford
Posts: 274
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KJ10 View Post
I've had a few tanks over the years. Now that I own my own home, I'm thinking about another one. WT, if I was local, I'd take that off your hands, give the fish away, and set it up for Discus. Very cool fish but, require a LOT of maintenance.
I went through the discus phase a long time ago . The same 135 I have left up and running. Filtered with peat moss , and added black water extract.

I would get a pair to breed and could never save the eggs before they would eat them off the filter tube.

The prices have still not dropped on discus . The bottom fell out of chiclids . All but the rare ones.
Even pets mart has the brundi frontosa's for sale now. They are the ones that fade out as they get older.
When I started you could not even get them.

I allways wanted to do a large tank with one male dovi in it .
started breading , could not spare a tank. now only have one large , took to long to fill it with good fronts , so unless it crashes hard , guess I will never own a dovi .
alabamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2015, 01:57 PM   #8
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: oxford
Posts: 274
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

SO the experts say the more preadatory a fish is , the smarter it is .
Even go as far to say that some fish have an I.Q. as high as 16 . This would put them in range with some dogs.
Having said that has any one had weird fish ? I have had three.
1 . was a large female red oscar. IT hated my wife (then girl friend) When ever she came in the room it would get mad.
When she got close to the tank it would ram the side . I got her to feed it one time , to make friends. It bit her . Not like a little it swallowed two of her fingers and had to be gotten off her hand.

2. was a tomato clown . When I come home and turned on the room lights , it would like wag its body. Likea very happy dog does . Then when I walked close to the tank it would swin in a circle. It would go all the way over several times.

3. I still have this one. A very large alpha male cryp cross front . It spits water on my wife. HE can hit her from over six feet away.
She got on to him first time he did it. so now it is a game for him. He does it , she comes over to the tank hollering at him and pointing. I still do not think she knows he is now playing with her. It is funny to watch . I will get a text at work about one time a week , she tells me she is going to flush him. Since he would not go down the toilet I guess I am safe .

No she is not blonde , she is a red head , so I am glad she has not stabbed him yet.
alabamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2015, 12:21 AM   #9
Rock Stacker
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 53
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Quote:
Originally Posted by alabamaman View Post
SO the experts say the more preadatory a fish is , the smarter it is .
Even go as far to say that some fish have an I.Q. as high as 16 . This would put them in range with some dogs.
Having said that has any one had weird fish ? I have had three.
1 . was a large female red oscar. IT hated my wife (then girl friend) When ever she came in the room it would get mad.
When she got close to the tank it would ram the side . I got her to feed it one time , to make friends. It bit her . Not like a little it swallowed two of her fingers and had to be gotten off her hand.

2. was a tomato clown . When I come home and turned on the room lights , it would like wag its body. Likea very happy dog does . Then when I walked close to the tank it would swin in a circle. It would go all the way over several times.

3. I still have this one. A very large alpha male cryp cross front . It spits water on my wife. HE can hit her from over six feet away.
She got on to him first time he did it. so now it is a game for him. He does it , she comes over to the tank hollering at him and pointing. I still do not think she knows he is now playing with her. It is funny to watch . I will get a text at work about one time a week , she tells me she is going to flush him. Since he would not go down the toilet I guess I am safe .

No she is not blonde , she is a red head , so I am glad she has not stabbed him yet.
rofl My ex and I had snakes like that. One snake bonded with my ex, the other with me.

Both of our cats claimed me, though. >_> Was great waking up in the morning with two cats sleeping on top of me. Granted, both cats weighed 4 lbs or less.

As for weird fish... Can't say I really have. I had a Pistol Shrimp that would only snap it's claws at certain times, but I think that's normal.
Sarra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2015, 08:03 AM   #10
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: oxford
Posts: 274
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

we have a weird dog as well. she was saved as a puppy as she was going into the pound.
Mix blue healer and lab.
even looks weird.
when she does something wrong , you can get on to her for it , she turns her head and will not look at it ir you. Like a kid.
alabamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2015, 08:26 PM   #11
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: chicago
Posts: 262
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

I've had all kinds of tanks over the years. Fresh and salt. Big and small. Prefer salt. More color more personality more. Just more. I'll post some links.

My favorite fish I had was a clown trigger. Had him since he was in juvenile colors, very small. Watched him grow up. He knew when I got home and would make popping noises at the surface and squirt water out of the tank when it was feeding time.
He would eat right out of my hand too. Untill I brought home a school of blue chromis. Then those became his favorite food.
Had him for three years. Then sadly I "rescued" a powder brown tang from petco. They battled. Both lost. I was heartbroken.
Converted the tank to a reef afterwards. It was also great. I love the way everything is so alive and active in there. Feeding the corals. Watching the shrimp and crabs scramble at feeding time.
But that trigger was something else!
Really smart?
For a fish
2.slowduo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2015, 09:17 PM   #12
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: chicago
Posts: 262
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Here's some links to threads regarding my past tanks. Really want to start another, but have vowed not to til I have central ac again.

Older pics of the 20x tall and the 46 bowfront it grew into
my 10 and 46 bow - Members Aquariums - Nano-Reef.com Forums


Moved from the coast back up to the mountains and downsized back to the 20x tall.
That by the way I was told had been treated for ick and would not sustain invertabrates.
I suppose that was wrong. This was one of my favorite tanks ever.
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/21948.../?fromsearch=1


Some things outgrew the 20, and I love bowfront tanks. So the 20. Moved to a 28 bow
I still have everything to set this up again as far as equipment goes. One day
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/26293.../?fromsearch=1

Finally. I broke it all down and moved to Chicago not planning on starting another tank for a long while. As you always do the itch starts and the need for a tank grows. Not wanting the expense and stress of a larger tank I got a crazy idea. 2.5 gallon reef. It worked for a while, til we had 100 degree weather while I was out of town. Came home to a smelly house with a dead warm ex reef. I'll wait for central air
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/31610.../?fromsearch=1

Last edited by 2.slowduo; 05-06-2015 at 09:37 PM.
2.slowduo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2015, 11:30 PM   #13
Moderator
 
badhoopty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: chicago
Posts: 2,814
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

^thats pretty cool.
badhoopty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2015, 12:18 AM   #14
Rock Stacker
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 53
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Yeah, I've been getting the itch for a Salt aquarium again.

I want something bigger, though, than 20g. I also want to get a snake up and running first.

I think that I'll go slow, and eventually wind up with a 150-300 gallon setup. I figure I'll get the water levels stable, then start to slowly add in the marine life I'm most interested in.

Which may now be very difficult. That local reef shop I saw just went belly under, and the one I used before is long gone now. So, I'll have to drive 3~5 hours to get stuff... I may move first.
Sarra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-26-2015, 06:38 PM   #15
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: chicago
Posts: 262
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Just got keys to a new apt. It has ac.

Just sayin.

Itch itch scratch
2.slowduo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2015, 03:59 PM   #16
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: oxford
Posts: 274
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

I have a 135 full of adult fronts. Mostly males. All I can do is think about trying aquascaping it. Check out pimp my fish tank cnn.
If you have no idea what I am talking about.
alabamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-27-2015, 04:02 PM   #17
Quarry Creeper
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: oxford
Posts: 274
Default Re: Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt.

Pimp my fish tank: This is the eerie, beautiful world of aquascaping - CNN.com
alabamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Aquariums. Fresh, AND salt. - Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
using salt to make rust mjderstine Paint and Body 9 03-27-2013 07:17 PM
Just add salt Mayhem Eng. Chit Chat 12 09-30-2011 10:45 AM
SALT WATER Proofing? The Jackalope General Crawlers 6 03-12-2011 04:55 AM
salt lake losijay Utah 1 02-02-2009 11:01 AM
Hello from Salt Lake Axeman45 Utah 1 07-18-2008 10:59 AM
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO ©2011, Crawlability, Inc.
Copyright 2004-2014 RCCrawler.com