Made the right choice!

10 posts

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


dream2reef
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am

Made the right choice!

by dream2reef

Glad to have joined such a dedicated bunch to fish and their habitats! I've read through a few discussions and seen much passion in the hobby. I only came here to get ideas for my tank and maybe end up with some pretty savvy fish keepers. I have so many questions that can easily be researched but here I can chat personally with others who've done it. ( i know i know welcome to forums right?) Anyway I have huge plans for breeding into a business as well as selling coral. A dream I'm ready to culminate! I'm having my first son in November, so I thought what a great way for him to grow up. So I have one 30 cycled. One almost under control from a previous owner. And my pride and joy a 55 that is 3/4 cycled or better. I'm not sure where I'd like to start breeding or with what. I've thought about neons, gouramis, fancy guppies, harlequin rasboras, or black mollies. I think they'd be easier idk. There are so many ways to go, I just want to make the most for my time and money to break even and get into bigger things. I know I'm up for a long hard journey but I think it's one I'll take in stride, since, after all, it's my dream! So not sure what I'm looking for here from anyone just throwing that all out there. This is the shortest I could make this lol. This is my first forum EVER to be joined to that's how much I want this dream to work.
84203-0031.jpg
44e3c-0061.jpg
e081a-blah 001.jpg
4fc96-blah 003.jpg


mro2you2
 
Posts: 625
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:37 pm

by mro2you2

Im glad to meet you d2r.

congrats on the baby.

Something easy to breed would be guppies, platies, and mollies. I guess you could try gouramis but I've found it hard to get my hands on a female gourami. You could be a killie breeder.

and about making a business on coral I think it would be best to get your feet wet first with freshwater.


It sounds like there all still cycling right??

Your list of tanks is a bit confusing.

so you have a...
30 fresh still cycling
a 55 fresh still cycling
and a third aquarium you didnt name.
correct???


dream2reef
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am

by dream2reef

Tank #1 Black moore fancy-tail gold fish cycled
Tank #2 profile photo 3/4 cycled
Tank #3 Piranha Cycled just getting water quality back to normal treated for cloudy eyes
The three pics are just my progressive changes to the eco-system the more that I learn. I did things backwards and got all these fish and got sold on bs from the "local pet store commission-based" salesmen. I then learned and learned and forgot relearned and learned some more and separated accordingly. I've, in one month, lost 6 fish in the ignorance and gained experience the hard way lol. I just can't wait to see my first water bill lol.

I did, however, have a question about ionizers? Are they worth it? I'd buy one for every tank if I can keep a better constant for my breeders and fry. I tried pregnant guppies while cycling unknowingly signing their death warrants :( I've lost quite a bit from bad sales. (I'll be selling them my fish ;) ) went through 3 before they said no since they were replacing them every other day lol. Funny how that works. I know if I went in there to buy more they'd have sold them to me. Ionizers are on sale for 71 for what I need I'd buy one friday for sure!

Anyways I'm blabbing tanks for the welcomes. I look forward to stealing all your knowledge I can!


stingraysrule
 
Posts: 271
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:37 pm

by stingraysrule

Congrats on your baby.
I would definitely put aside the fish breeding for awhile and enjoy your new hobby and your baby, before you make it work for money.
You can indeed cycle a tank with a molly and keep it alive, so I am not sure what you did wrong to lose a few.
Did you just lose guppies? Or Mollys too?
In "the old days", people would use a molly in a 10G with a couple plants to start the fish cycle.
The Molly is a hearty fish. The live plants would eat some of the nitrates from the fish poop, the fish poop would fertilize the plants and the molly would eat any algae that would start up from a new cycle.
Your choice of a goldfish to cycle a tank was not a good one. Goldfish are known to produce a lot of ammonia quickly in the tank, and need a lot of room.
I am also puzzled as to your choice of a piranah for a brand new tank. First off, they are quite boring, uninteresting, blah colored fish. They are illegal here in CT because of all the people that do get bored with them and let em loose in ponds and such.
There are SO MANY great fish that are a lot easier to care for, especially in a tank that isn't even fully cycled. If I were you, I would rethink that piranah, and maybe start your tank off with some community fish that are peaceful before you try your hand in a aggressive tank. I think you will get much more out of your tank, and there are many many fish that can live together, as a piranah, you are very limited.
Once you get your tank established and your water parameters in check, maybe start another bigger tank for an aggressive bunch. BTW, one piranah needs a minimum of 50 gallons to thrive and do well.


jdak702
 
Posts: 382
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:26 am

by jdak702

Congrats on the baby. I have my first on the way as well. I'm sure your water bill won't really be affected. I bet on more water being wasted in the shower. Unless you are using an RO system where over half of the water is wastewater and goes straight down the drain. Then you start watching the bills. That is what you will have to look forward to if you plan on farming coral. So these are time lapsed pictures of the same tank? I assume so as everything is in the same place with more decor added. So why are you setting up more and more FW tanks when you dream to reef? Oh, BTW, my profile is empty but if you want to check out my tank, check out http://jdak.net. The LFS will push a sale every time so go in there informed or put livestock on hold until you can go home and learn more. I wouldn't rely on LFS for much info. Plus, their dry goods are usually double price from what you can find online.


stingraysrule
 
Posts: 271
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:37 pm

by stingraysrule

Sometimes I go to the store and see a fish that I think is so cool. I ask the salesman all the questions.... compatibility, how big will it get, schooling? Aggressive? I ask all the right questions and hope for the right answers. Sometimes I will buy the fish. But more times than not, I'll go home and research the fish and see if it will be suitable for my tanks. Then I will go back and tell the salesman what I have learned. And, he will learn something from me, as I have learned something from him. He does not know shit, or he knows his shit and I can trust his knowledge. In all my fish buying, I have NEVER had someone sell me a fish and give me the wrong information because they were greedy for their 10%. I have had people sell me fish because of their lack of knowledge tho. That can be forgiven, as long as the next time someone comes in to buy that same fish, the person has learned something, and has given the right information this time.


jdak702
 
Posts: 382
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:26 am

by jdak702

I have one experience where a LFS kind of pushed a purple reef lobster on me. They said it didn't get that big, it was a scavenger, and my wife liked it. I got home and learned right away it was a night predator and it got much bigger. Returned it the next day and they didn't even refund money. That's another thing to learn about SW. No guarantees and usually no refunds on anything livestock. Choose wisely and know the proper housing required. That was my learning experience. After all, this thread is about "Made the right choice!"


mro2you2
 
Posts: 625
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:37 pm

by mro2you2

yeah someone pushed a fire eel on me. I was smart enough to decline it though.


stingraysrule
 
Posts: 271
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:37 pm

by stingraysrule

I find as a girl, I get much better results going into the LFS for a return or credit.
My bf goes to the same store as me, and does not get any breaks from the people working there.
jdak, next time, send your wife in by herself. let her put on a sob story and she should at least get a bit of credit.


dream2reef
 
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:19 am

by dream2reef

Yea I believe that because it's that way no matter where you go, unfortunatly for us men :( Anyway I like the idea think I'll give it a whirl lol.

I've still not gotten anyone to respond about Ionizers? Anyone use or have success with them?

Made the right choice!

10 posts

Display posts from previous: Sort by: