# Another New Hobby



## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

MrC's recent thread about fishkeeping got me thinking. I kept tropical (freshwater) fish for many years and always wanted to have a marine tank. Can be a bit on the expensive side - first purchase was Â£30 on a couple of books to learn enough about it. Next, throw the books away as there are no right and wrong things to do - everyone has different opinions. For example, the shop where I got the tank said to wait a week after the water quality tests are ok before putting fish in - another shop said at least 5 weeks !!

So Â£585 for the basic set-up and Â£41 for rock (!). The following weekend (I only waited a week







) was Â£58 for 4 fish and two crabs. Still learning how to get good photos but these will give an idea....




























The clownfish were not influenced by Finding Nemo but Disney has made them very popular and available everywhere so they are relatively cheap. Important to buy cheap fish to start with to make sure everything is well with the tank. One of the yellowtail damsels didn't survive 24 hours but the rest are looking good. The crabs have sort of disappeared but that doesn't matter as they are really there as a clean-up-crew (scavengers).

So far, the only downside is the diversion of watch funds to fish funds.

I hope to add photos as the tank develops - the idea is to make it as real an environment as possible. Fascinating hobby - I would recommend it to anyone


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

You've got me thinking mate......


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Great hobby Robert, I just wish I had the patience to take it up. Marine fish tanks really are beautiful.


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## Toshi (Aug 31, 2007)

Excellent hobby. I was tempted after walking around the aquarium at Syon Park in West London about a year ago. I've always loved scuba diving and had the idea of creating a Red Sea inspired salt water tank. That was before I started reading about the work involved compared with fresh water and the cost of equipment. I really wanted to get a couple of Frogfish, but my wife wasn't having any of it.









Any plans to introduce some corals at some point?

Rich


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

scottishcammy said:


> You've got me thinking mate......


Go for it, you've got plenty of spare time at the moment











Running_man said:


> Great hobby Robert, I just wish I had the patience to take it up. Marine fish tanks really are beautiful.


and so are the fish .... tropical fish seem quite bland now



Toshi said:


> Excellent hobby. I was tempted after walking around the aquarium at Syon Park in West London about a year ago. I've always loved scuba diving and had the idea of creating a Red Sea inspired salt water tank. That was before I started reading about the work involved compared with fresh water and the cost of equipment. I really wanted to get a couple of Frogfish, but my wife wasn't having any of it.
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> ...


I was thinking about a geographically inspired tank - such as the Maldives. Also thinking about corals, seahorses etc but as this is my first I'm planning to have a fish only tank till I learn a bit more.

Being just fish the equipment isn't too bad - fairly simple kit and maintenance but I can see it getting complicated as i get more confident.

Found a story about a guy with a tank which is 2 meters by 1m by 1m. He had a walk-in cupboard beside it to house all the kit. You'd need a scuba certificate just to look after it - it was huge.

Some of the fish in local shops are over Â£100 each. Neon tetras for a tropical tank can be as little as Â£2 for 8 of them


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## synchro (Sep 22, 2006)

It has been a long time since I kept marine fish but the reason clown fish have dropped in price is they have been bred in captivity, most others are caught wild and imported.

Should you decide on an anenome (never could spell that) make sure the water flow over it is from the top down, they will move about the tank untill they are happy with water direction, and top down is usually at the front of the tank, so all you see is the foot stuck to the front glass.

Best of luck with it, a great hobby but addictive, you have been warned !


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## Toshi (Aug 31, 2007)

Robert said:


> Found a story about a guy with a tank which is 2 meters by 1m by 1m. He had a walk-in cupboard beside it to house all the kit. You'd need a scuba certificate just to look after it - it was huge.


he probably had to have foundations dug out to house that. I had never realised how heavy water is until I tried lifting a mates freshwater tank with him a couple of years ago. My back's never been the same since.









Keep us updated here as you introduce more to the tank please, and if you want a really cool and easy to look after addition get some boxer shrimp. They eat all the s#*t and clean up the fish. You could have your own cleaning station!









Rich


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

Ditto Mr C's thread - hope he's not getting mad at everyone pinching his idea, when he can't do it himself at the moment.

Started off with something more simple though - a Biorb, its just done it's 'cycling' (not that sort MarkF - though the thought of little fish on little bikes with little helmets pedaling around the tank... what have I been drinking?) and now have a few tetras, and a couple of platy. If I don't kill too many off, I might consider Marine in the future, but Robert's startup costs were a bit







- mine was just over a ton.

So now I watch the Tv, the cat watches the Biorb...


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Interesting stuff Robert, I like to look at the aquarium at my dad's home, apparantly it takes quite a lot of man hours to keep in good clean condition so may be not for me, not yet anyway. Good pics.









This is a good pic too.











langtoftlad said:


>


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

An update

Got 3 of these camel shrimps - fascinating but they hide a lot










And a foxface, which tries to hide in camouflage mode










Stunning fish though when its relaxed


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

Very impressive Robert - I'm green with envy, very nice indeed. You must have a great feeling of satisfaction.

I have neither the experience nor the finance (yet) for a marine tank but I'm well happy with my more modest tropical Biorb...



















and as I mentioned earlier in the thread, my cat spends hours watching the Biorb...


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Some gorgeous fish there. Glad i'm a trendsetter at last!

Dunno about marine fish, but my tank was empty 3 days before adding fish. I now have 28 in, with another 22 to go. Lots of live plants so can't see some at times. Currently have 20 Cardinal Tetras, 4 guppies and 4 Plattys.


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## Jonmurgie (Feb 11, 2007)

I also have a little Marine tank at the office... it pretty small though (40l) and just has a pair of Wild Percs living happily in an Anemone. Though don't think they were happy when I dumped my LM-1 in the tank for some pics last year!


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Some gorgeous fish there. Glad i'm a trendsetter at last!

Dunno about marine fish, but my tank was empty 3 days before adding fish. I now have 28 in, with another 22 to go. Lots of live plants so can't see some at times. Currently have 20 Cardinal Tetras, 4 guppies and 4 Plattys.

Couple of quick naff pics


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

That looks a lovely large tank - doing well. How big is it??

I'm glad you managed to get one - especially after saying you thought it might not be possible.

What other fish are you getting?


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Hi Steve

Tank is just over 3ft long, 2ft back to front, 170 litres of water, bout 4ft high.

I wouldnt have been able to have it if not for fact it's rented. Chap does everything. Comes & maintains it once a week.

Ones left to go in

2 Black Mollies

2 Angel Fish

2 Rainbow Fish

2 Kissing Gouramis

2 Rams

2 Bronze Corydorus

6 Tiger Barbs

2 Dwarg Gouramis

2 Bleeding Heart Tetras

50 in total when all in!


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## langtoftlad (Mar 31, 2007)

That'll be some collection - WOW!

err, will they all get along?

The more I read, the less I know









I've got my little Biorb next to my big screen telly - and I often find the antics of the Birob occupants distracting me from the programme.

Glad you got your tank.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

langtoftlad said:


> That'll be some collection - WOW!
> 
> err, will they all get along?
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> ...


Should get along. 2 i wanted the guy scrubbed from my list for that reason.

I have 37 inch tv on wall Tank in opposite corner. Think thats good idea-at moment.


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Looks good Paul, you won't regret it.



langtoftlad said:


> err, will they all get along?


The only ones I wouldn't have would be the tiger barbs. When I've had them they have been quite aggressive. But your tank is quite big and most of the fish will be bigger, other than the cardinals - but they have safety in numbers. Tigers might nip fins of the others

The guppies, platties and mollies are quite easy to breed so you may have more than 50 in a short space of time. Good chance the angels will feed on any babies they find though.

What did he scrub off the list out of interest?


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Robert said:


> Looks good Paul, you won't regret it.
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Siamese fighting fish-one

Discus


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