My 75g Saltwater Tank Debut *DUW*

I figured since Recycling Goddess was posting pictures of her saltwater tank, I should finally post some of mine...

By far my favorite fish: Psychedelic Mandarin
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...nPortrait1.jpg
RIP: Grump, taken by evil crab.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Watchman3.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...res/Frog01.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...res/RBTA01.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...res/clam01.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...s/100_1546.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../MarchPOTM.jpg

My fish include:
2 True Percula Clownfish
1 Regal Tang
1 Yellow Eye Kole Tang
1 Lamarck Angel
1 Psychedelic Mandarin

RIP: Following recently killed by predatory crab:mad: :(
1 Purple Firefish
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Rainfords Goby

Those are awesome pics!

I often wish I had the time for a reef tank... but I barely have enough time for freshwater. I have a really cool 95 gallon that would make an awesome reef tank, but I just don't know enough about reef tanks to build one. :(

Maybe I'll join an aquarium forum!!! That would make Kaye real happy! lol

I can see why that Mandarin is your fave!! :O That's like a peacock of the sea! Gorgeous!

EDIT: (also... LOVE the new icon, Ken! :love: )

Ken, If you want any great saltwater websites, or forums feel free to PM me.

Great shots. Someday, after I get a house, I"ll finally set up a saltwater tank.

Those are gorgeous pictures of an amazing set-up! Wow! "Someday" is becoming quite the mantra for me...... LOL

Mandarinfish rock. :) The two species of mandarins are some of my very favorite fish. And I like your maxima clam too. Those things are just gorgeous.

Thanks everyone! Keeping SW is very rewarding, but it is expensive...I've put more into my tank then what my car is worth. :oops:

Just a bit of info for those that may be interested. :)

The two species of Dragonets (Mandarins) are two of the hardest fish to keep in the captive marine environment because of their specialized feeding needs. In the wild they would eat many microscopic invertebrates, so in the captive system they need a large tank with an abundance of Live Rock. From the liverock comes organsims called copepods, and amphipods, these are going to be the main staple of the fish, and the live rock is essential to create a breeding ground for the pods to reproduce. However, in my experience so far in the hobby, it is possible to get the psychedelic mandarin to eat frozen brine and mysis shrimp quite frequently enough to keep them long term. The green mandarin in my experience is the pickier of the two dragonets and I've only ever seen one green eat frozen food...but he did not do it consistantly enough to sustain life long term.

Hope some of you may find that useful sometime!

By the way shelby, that is a squamosa clam, eventually it would be able to dwarf a maxima. :) But I do have a maxima as well.

Jason

That's beautiful. I wish I had the time and patience to setup and maintain something like that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBallPython

By the way shelby, that is a squamosa clam, eventually it would be able to dwarf a maxima. :) But I do have a maxima as well.

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Oh dear. I can't keep my giant clam species straight. Is the maxima the more blue colored one? And I think tridacna gigas is the largest of all, or am I totally confused? (wouldn't be the first time lol)

If I had a salt tank It'd have to be a big one since I tend to like larger fish species such as triggers (clown triggers are so pretty) and wrasses.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Oh dear. I can't keep my giant clam species straight. Is the maxima the more blue colored one? And I think tridacna gigas is the largest of all, or am I totally confused? (wouldn't be the first time lol)

If I had a salt tank It'd have to be a big one since I tend to like larger fish species such as triggers (clown triggers are so pretty) and wrasses.

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Most of the maxima clams you see for sale are going to contain more blues, however golds and greens are quite common too... You are correct about the gigas being the largest, followed by the derasa, squamosa, hippopus, maxima, and finally the crocea. The gigas can attain a length of approximately 36 in, and the crocea attains a meager 6 inches on average.

Ok that's cool. Those clams are so pretty.

Looks like your hippo tang is hiding in the pic. Those guys have such nice color and pattern.

oh wow, your tank is gorgeous. how long has it been set up?

i'd love to get a mandrin eventually but my tank needs to be set up alot longer before i can even think about it. maybe if i'm lucky i'll get one to eat some brine shrimp.

i really loved looking at your pics... thanks SOOOO much for sharing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

oh wow, your tank is gorgeous. how long has it been set up?

i'd love to get a mandrin eventually but my tank needs to be set up alot longer before i can even think about it. maybe if i'm lucky i'll get one to eat some brine shrimp.

i really loved looking at your pics... thanks SOOOO much for sharing!

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Thanks! This tank has been set up since May 05', some of the liverock was from a 2 year old tank, and half of my sand was from a 4 year old system so it helped to establish the tank quickly. It was helpful having local people tearing down older tanks. :)

Jason

Wow Jason that is quite simply a stunningly beautiful tank. I can't wait to show your pics to my 4 year old son, Mikey so he can see where Nemo and his daddy live when they aren't shooting movies LOL. A local pet store here has a saltwater tank and they set it up with a lot of the fish species from the Nemo movie and boy the little kids just love visiting Nemo and Dory and all their friends over at Tropic Cove.

I would love to have a SW setup someday (I'm with Judy on the someday mantra LOL). It's so cool that you name the fish though sorry to see Grump was RIP. I can see why you named him that though...what a face! Mr. Grumpy Gills didn't look like he enjoyed his photo shoot one bit LOL.


~~Jo~~

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Wow Jason that is quite simply a stunningly beautiful tank. I can't wait to show your pics to my 4 year old son, Mikey so he can see where Nemo and his daddy live when they aren't shooting movies LOL. A local pet store here has a saltwater tank and they set it up with a lot of the fish species from the Nemo movie and boy the little kids just love visiting Nemo and Dory and all their friends over at Tropic Cove.

I would love to have a SW setup someday (I'm with Judy on the someday mantra LOL). It's so cool that you name the fish though sorry to see Grump was RIP. I can see why you named him that though...what a face! Mr. Grumpy Gills didn't look like he enjoyed his photo shoot one bit LOL.


~~Jo~~

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Thank you Jo...comments like that are what makes keeping my tank worthwhile. I'll post some pictures of "Dory" (who I call Hog), and "Marlin and Nemo" (my parents gave them names but I can't remember)so you can show your kids.:D

"Nemo" looking onto the reef. :)
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...f/EndShot5.jpg

In their anemone home.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ef/Clowns1.jpg

"Dory"!
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/JKreef/Regal1.jpg

RIP: Winston the Rainsford Goby
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/JKreef/Rains2.jpg

ahhhhh aren't percs soooo cute. i love mine although they haven't discovered the anenomies yet... hopefully soon. once they do you can't get them out of it LOL

lost my blonde naso tang today... which saddened me greatly.

thanks for sharing all those photos!!!

Sorry to hear about your loss RG, but thanks for the compliment! Naso tangs are gorgeous, do you plan on getting another?

perhaps in a few months... they are $100 up here... and i figure it cost me about $20 a day since i only had it for week. :(

Cool fish and great pics.. I want to get 2 Clownfish but I don't know how big the the tank need to be and don't know how much salt to use in the water..

Mandarins are my favorite too!!! They are soo beautiful and cute too...they even look like a little chinese dragon..I used to have two in semi-reef tank, but after finding out they were both males...I lost one. LOL I didn't know these peaceful shy fish could be aggressive...they went at it like two male bettas!!! After separating them, the battered one passed away :(....so I just had the one in there..."Scribble" not a psychadelic but a green...equally beautiful.

The bigger the tank the easier it is to keep the animals alive. Google a search on saltwater tank basics. Clownfish aren't difficult marine fish, but keeping a marine tank is very different from a freshwater tank.

Thanks Shelby that's what I was gonna recommend. Do a search for saltwater reef forums...or PM me if you want a few good sites. :)

Awesome!! I could spend hours watching my friend's saltwater setup; there are so many little crabs/snails/etc. That Maidarin is awesome. In the next few years I want to start a setup; right now I am just breeding fancy goldfish :)