What type of tank do we want?

[paul b]

When I started with salt tanks there was just one type of tank, fish only.

Now they even have manta rays in tanks, but not mine, I wish. We can have a Fish only, or invertabrates only, crustaceans only, corals only, carnivores only LPS, only, SPS only, leathers or any combination of each. Most of us have a combination of a little of everything from every ocean which may not be normal, but we like it.

I think many people start with things like triggerfish, eels, puffers, lionfish and then progress to smaller more interesting creatures, at least I did.

We can have a tank that is a thing of absolute beauty as many of the people's tanks on here are and I am jealous of some of them, or we can have a few rocks haphazardly thrown in there with some large fish.

I think the thing of absolute beauty is what most people go for and as I said, some people get it right. I don't know what to consider my own tank as it was never supposed to be the best looking tank there is (and it certainly is not) it is more of an experiment and has always evolved depending on my whims, or dreams, and if you look closely at things in my tank some of those dreams were nightmares but it is what I want it to be as I am sure everybody's tank is what they want.

I know most people like angelfish and tangs as they are colorful and active, but I tend to go for smaller more interesting fish. Just today I bought a possum wrasse which is a secretive creature but interestingly colored even though it is a fish that hides most of the time.

If you look quickly into my tank you may not see any fish even though there are about 25 fish in there. There are five threadfish cardinals, 4 of which are spawning. Spawning fish tend to stay out of sight so they can deposit their eggs away from predators and my camera. There is another pair of some type of striped cardinals that have the same problem as they are spawning also.

Bluestriped pipefish are active, but they are active under and behind the rocks so even though they are constantly on the move, (and spawning)I rarely see them.

Of course the pair of gobies living with the shrimp are under ground half the time and the pair of fireclowns spawn in a bottle but at least that bottle is in the front so I can see them. I think the clowngobies will spawn any time now but they stay in the branches of the acropora and stick their eggs underneith it.

Many times people seeing the tank for the first time will say, it is such a big tank but there are no fish in it. So I have to have them bend down and look between the rocks, then they may see the watchman gobies, one of which is about 4" and the numerous hermit crabs or arrow crab.

So what is the point of this thread, like many things I post, I have no idea.

[flooddc]

I want a tank that the others have! I'll never be happy with what I got.

I guessed "the grass is greener on the other side" !

[ToddR]

I "wanted" a soft coral tank and that is what I set up. I like movement in my tank and softies and gorgs fit the bill just right.

[paul b]

I "wanted" a soft coral tank and that is what I set up. I like movement in my tank and softies and gorgs fit the bill just right.

 

I like that type of tank also as this old picture of my tank shows. Now I have a bunch of SPS along with the soft corals and gorgonians but I like the look of soft corals better.

 

[Integral9]

Tank personality wars:

1) We want a tank that kicks ass.

2) Shut up. Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I want a tank that's conspecific.

3) (smack) Don't listen to him either. He doesn't what he's talking about. I want an fish only tank filled only with inhabitants from Palau.

4) (hits w/ a frying pan) Don't listen to him either. He's an idiot. That will limit our stock choices and make us have to spend huge money importing rare stuff. Just do a Fiji tank.

5) (thump) Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. I want an Atlantic only tank.

6) Hey look at that SPS, that's looks great. I want that. And that LPS, and that, and that, and then...

 

That's how I envision how most people's tanks, myself included, have evolved.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Integral9

[Shoelace]

I'm doing a new build right now. Sometimes, I argue with myself like Gollum does. We needs it. My precious.

Edited April 22, 2013 by Shoelace

[YHSublime]

I'm doing a new build right now. Sometimes, I argue with myself like Gollum does. We needs it. My precious.

 

Me toooo!

 

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[paul b]

Tank personality wars:

1) We want a tank that kicks ass.

2) Shut up. Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. I want a tank that's conspecific.

3) (smack) Don't listen to him either. He doesn't what he's talking about. I want an fish only tank filled only with inhabitants from Palau.

4) (hits w/ a frying pan) Don't listen to him either. He's an idiot. That will limit our stock choices and make us have to spend huge money importing rare stuff. Just do a Fiji tank.

5) (thump) Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. I want an Atlantic only tank.

6) Hey look at that SPS, that's looks great. I want that. And that LPS, and that, and that, and then...

 

That's how I envision how most people's tanks, myself included, have evolved.

I would imagine many tanks evolve like that. I had it much easier and I didn't have to choose anything because when I started the tank, I added the only thing available. blue devils, then Sgt. Majors and dominoe's came out so I got them, then arrow crabs, so I got them, then angelfish, tangs and oddly enough moorish Idols, so I got them. Years later anemones came out, and I got them, then corals. That is how my tank evolved not including all the rock I carried home on my lap on the planes from all over the place.

[YHSublime]

When I first started, I wanted a tank with anything I could grow (or keep alive.) I used to think SPS was boring, but I've found some really nice pieces. But now I think I want to stick to softies. I think my style is more lagoon, probably because it's easier, IMO.

[ToddR]

I like that type of tank also as this old picture of my tank shows. Now I have a bunch of SPS along with the soft corals and gorgonians but I like the look of soft corals better.

 

Very nice!!!

[ToddR]

Here's a section of my tank that I really like.

[smallreef]

I too started off with a predator tank...in fact I've had 4 predator tanks most with mushrooms or other easy softies...

Now I have this weird softy/lps mix with these tiny fish...which is good since this tank is only 50g... But not my favorite

But I truly miss my triggers and when I have a large tank again...it will be another predator mixed tank...

I have really decided I love euphyllias and will have branching lps in every tank from now on...

[Hilary]

Or you can be like me - rather than choose, I just set up yet another tank! There is the pico with mushrooms, gobies and tiny shrimp. The 90 gallon with gorgonia, leathers and cool fish. The mantis tank with orange-spotted mantis, euphillia and mushrooms. The small reef that grows everything and is chock-full of interesting nano fish. The seahorse softie tank. The temperate/cold tank. And now I'm planning the next one.....

 

I think that all of my tank personalities are happy (well, for the moment - I'd love a predator tank as well!)

 

Paul, I always love your tank - it looks like something that would be great fun to explore!

[smallreef]

Lol Hilary!

I wish I could do that, though I do have my tiny pico too, with my maxi-minis, sexy shrimp and clown goby in..

[paul b]

The most interesting tank I ever saw was before there were salt water tanks. It was I think a 300 gallon freshwater tank in the largest LFS in New York right near the Trade Center. Besides the fish that were (I think) silver dollars and similar fish, it was decorated like a flooded basement in Manhattan. The main theme was an old broken toilet bowl with all the associated plumbing pipes that looked like they were in a bombed out building. It was not tha nicest tank, but the most unusual.

If I ever started another salt tank (which is not likely to happen) I would like to put a real anchor in there from my boat which is a few feet long. The flukes of the anchor would be cut off so they appear to go deep in the substrait and the chain would rise out of the water. This would be an abandoned anchor like I see all over the sea bottom from my dives. Of course coral would be growing all over it so you would hardly see it.

Kind of like all the semi hidden bottles and chains I have in my tank now as this old picture shows.

I don't like things out of proportion like ship wrecks but I have no problem putting in a real boat propellor or even engine.

[Integral9]

I like your beer can. Next time I find one at the beach, I'm going to bring it home and put it in my tank. :-)

[paul b]

I like your beer can. Next time I find one at the beach, I'm going to bring it home and put it in my tank. :-)

You can but Icoated that can with fiberglass resins.

[Integral9]

Thanks, I was going to try and airbrush poly onto it with my hobby crafter airbrush. I figured it would require some kind of coating to protect the tank from aluminum poisoning. But good to know what you used.

[Hilary]

I think that so many of us really enjoy fiddling with our tanks. I'm trying to step back from the 24 to just see what happens if I just leave it be. I had a little frag rack with a montipora and zoas in it and started to freak out when I realized theat they were encrusting the rack, then decided to just step back and see what results - I'll bet that ultimately it will be another cool layer/dimension to the tank. I may not have room for a beer bottle, but want the same result.

[paul b]

I see those tanks that are full of colorful coral wall to wall and I truely do not want that type of tank, to "me" it is boreing, but I can appreciate the beauty and work that goes into it and understand why most people would want that.

I can buy as many corals as I like and I have had plenty of time to do that, but it is just not me. I go for interesting and creative. I feel that anyone can go out and buy equipment and corals just as anyone can go out and buy a Lamborgini. I don't want one. The guy who designed the thing was creative and inovative, but the person who buys one to impress someone didn't do anything. The hobby to me is two or three part. Of course I want everything healthy and long lived and I am proud of the lifespans of my animals and the fact that I don't have or need a hospital tank. But the other part, for me, is that I love to create and build things. I can go out and buy a great skimmer, but I don't want one from a store. I need to build it as part of my hobby. I collected all of the rock in my tank and over the years replaced much of it with rocks that I built just because I can. My lighting is not fancy or expensive but I am proud that I built it.

For myself, if I went out and bought everything and just set it up, I didn't really acomplish anything. But that is just me and I realize many people feel differently and would rather see a bright and shiny new skimmer, $1,000.00 LED lighting system, controllers, reactors etc. So even if I was not in this hobby, I would still build things as I do almost every day. If a part on my boat breaks I would much rather build a new part than buy one, even if it costs me more to build it. It must be a flaw in my personality, what can I say.

If I ever got something new, I would probably take it apart to try to make it work better.

Many things we buy are built to make them cheap and marketable, not necessarily better. This hobby allows me to exercize my creative side and still be able to enjoy other people's creations because there are plenty of beautiful, healthy, interesting and creative tanks on here.

From my years of diving I also try to emulate a scene I saw underwater which is where all the "junk" comes from in my tank.

Edited April 24, 2013 by paul b

[Rosco's Reefs]

Paul, I appreciate your comments. I frequently find myself enjoying the design and build aspects of my tanks more than the tanks themselves. Almost seems like therapy. Thx