20 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Hi!
I've decided that I might as well post a journal for my Saltwater Aquarium. These are kept in a 25 gallon Saltwater Mud Flat set up, and the filter isn't a Protein Skimmer or anything. It's just a normal filter, and I think that simulates the Mud Flat environment better.

 

The only fish I have in there is a fish called an Aholehole, aka the Hawaiian Flagtail. They are quite common in reef areas, and I caught mine as a small fingerling at about an inch. She is now about 2 1/2 inches. Their full size is 7 inches or so.

 

I also have a Fan Worm, which a species of tube worm which sends out long, featherlike feelers to grab tiny food particles. Mine just shed his feathery crown (the feathers), an occasional occurrence similar to shedding skin. I don't think he has grown, because I found him as an adult.

 

Surprisingly, I also have a young Mantis Shrimp in my aquarium. He doesn't ever attempt to kill any of the aquarium inhabitants. He only comes out of his little burrow to grab fish flakes, most of the time you can only see his eyes peeking out of the crevice.

 

I have 2 hermit crabs, one of which I caught as a young crab and the other I caught in its planktonic stage (When I was getting water from the beach for my aquarium, I noticed it skimming the top). They are both pretty well sized now.

 

My aquarium has an infestation of sea squirts, which is pretty weird if you ask me.

 

I used to have a shrimp (I think it was one of the half-transparent native bait shrimps of hawaii). I released her a few weeks ago.

 

The first fish I had in my aquarium was a tiny pufferfish that I caught at the beach. Sadly, it died of a Marine Ich(cryptocaryon), which is a dangerous fish parasite. He lived for several months happily.

I have a bunch of sea snails (Pipipi (Nerita Picea), a Pipiwai hybrid (possibly a hybrid of Theodoxus Cariosus and Theodoxus Neglectus. T. Cariosus is rare, so it is pretty interesting to have a hybrid), and a pure Theodoxus Snail. They are all what is called Nerite Snails. There are also a few predatory snails that eat the leftover fish food.

 

Thanks for reading this!

 

[CrazyLegs]

Hey Hawaiiant, I had quite an extensive reef aquarium setup as well. They are the greatest things.

Had all sorts of creatures from octopus to frog fish.

Unfortunately I had to give it up. It was by far the most expensive hobby I've ever been involved in.

I will always have the precious memories though.  

[antgenius123]

Are you gonna leave it to grow out or you'll do maintenance?

[Connectimyrmex]

Hey Hawaiiant, I had quite an extensive reef aquarium setup as well. They are the greatest things.

Had all sorts of creatures from octopus to frog fish.

Unfortunately I had to give it up. It was by far the most expensive hobby I've ever been involved in.

I will always have the precious memories though.

Nice to find that someone else had an aquarium too. Mine doesn't cost too much, though, because I don't keep corals or any fragile organisms.

I definitely want to find a frogfish or octopus to keep someday.

 

Are you gonna leave it to grow out or you'll do maintenance?

 

I'm definitely going to do maintenance. I have to remove poop, nuisance algae, sea squirts, old sea fan crowns and mantis shrimp skins all the time.

Also, I found 2 pistol shrimps living in the sand. They seem to like each other, maybe I'll get eggs soon!

[CrazyLegs]

Watch out for those pistol shrimp I've heard they are able to crack glass of they fire off their shotgun pincers into it.

I caught my frog fish as a juvenile in my local river, he was on a stick in knee deep water. I was beside myself.

He started out all black and then changed to a squiggly pattern.

Here he is all grown up with his adult colors.

Definitely one of my favorite creatures.

 

The ocean truly is a wonder.

 

All the best with your tank Hawaiiant.

 

[noebl1]

I kept reef tanks for several years, and as CrazyLegs also mentioned, gets too expensive  I was building a lot of my old things back then took; custom 5' protein skimmer,  150g rubbermaid stock tank in the basement to increase water volume, 30g refugium, 30g deep sand bed...  Drilled out all my tanks myself (even the big one while it was full of water so I could run the plumbing to the basement...) Those were the days

 

Between heating it in winter, cooling in summer and halide lighting, it was pretty pricey.  I think the killer piece for me was we were living in a condo, and we lost power during the middle of summer.  Tank temp shot up while I was at work and cooked all the corals I had; lot's of money and time down gone.  I had an emergency backup pump that would circulate for awhile, but does nothing for keeping it cool.

 

Regardless, I still miss it at times. Really enjoyed the look and the ecosystems you could set up; lot's of really amazing ocean life  At the high I think I had 3 or 4 separate sw and reef tanks going for different ecosystems.

Edited by noebl1, January 15 2017 - 2:54 PM.

[gcsnelling]

Cool, but that mantis shrimp is going to eventually cause trouble, also any animal that has been kept in captivity should never be released back into the wild.

[Roachant]

I currently have a 20 gallon nano reef, but I used to have a 40 gallon reef tank which I had to deconstruct... which I regretted doing but, I had no choice at the time. I love keeping aquariums and wish you the best of luck, not that you'll need it. I too would be careful of that mantis shrimp. I wouldn't get rid of him, but I would perhaps set up another tank just for him because they are so damn fun to keep!

[Mdrogun]

I love saltwater tanks! Can you post some pics?

Edited by Mdrogun, January 15 2017 - 8:19 PM.

[Loops117]

Oh man, i was huge into salt water reefs before i moved. I miss all my setups and am slowly getting back in to the hobby. Looking forward to seeing more of this, and we need more pictures.

 

 

This was my tank before i moved. The new house didn't have space for this tank so i sold it in hopes to get back into the hobby one day.

[FSTP]

I can't look at this thread otherwise my addiction may relapse....

[Loops117]

I can't look at this thread otherwise my addiction may relapse....

Tell me about it bud. I thought we were alone with this one.

[noebl1]

 

I can't look at this thread otherwise my addiction may relapse....

Tell me about it bud. I thought we were alone with this one.

 

 

Haha had the same thought... must resist... 

[CrazyLegs]

It truly is an uncontrollable addiction. I managed to break it and my bank balance thanked me for it.

I have a great deal of photos, but being an ant forum I thought it may be inappropriate.

At the risk of sending some of you and possibly myself into a downward spiral, here's one of my full tank in all its glory.

[Connectimyrmex]

Hi.

I think my mantis shrimp will be okay for the tank, because it actually seems to be a species with a weaker punch. When I was cleaning out the sea squirts the mantis popped out of the rock and went nuts flicking the rocks. It didn't have much power and seemed to have roughly the power of a pistol shrimp (aka not strong). I'm actually more worried about the shrimp because the fish sometimes tries to bite it. It also has been weaned onto fish flakes so it doesn't seem to have any predatory intentions. It's at about an inch, which is adult size for its species.

 

The sea fan is finally poking its new crown out! It looks so nice!

My dad used to be addicted to reef keeping. Unfortunately (or fortunately), coral keeping is illegal in HI, so I can only have fish and invertebrates.

 

Those are some nice reef pics/vids, by the way!

Also, I think that pistol shrimps can't break glass. You may be thinking of Mantis Shrimps.

 

Also, I'm planning on going to the beach again soon. I will tell you guys if I catch anything new! I'm probably going to try to catch another aholehole, a wrasse, or hopefully (HOPEFULLY!!!) a shrimp symbiosis goby. It would be awesome to see one of those with the new pistol shrimps.

[Connectimyrmex]

WE HAVE EGGS!

I saw the female Pistol Shrimp peeking out of the family burrow and I saw eggs on her swimmerets! I put her in a different container for breeding.

 

The fan worm's new fan is growing. I wonder when it will be full size again.

 

Close call with the Aholehole. It almost tore off one of the mantis shrimp's legs. I interfered and saved the shrimp. I fed it and I think its not thinking anymore predatory thoughts .

 

My mantis shrimp has been eating fish flakes, but I occasionally see it snatch an amphipod. 

The hermit crabs get along surprisingly well. The ones I've had in the past have fought like crazy.

[Leo]

nice my uncle kept a rainbow mantis shrimp once

[Connectimyrmex]

Cool! I think that mine is a Philippine Mantis Shrimp.

[Connectimyrmex]

Okay, here's a very late update.

I (sadly) had to release all of the inhabitants before I moved to Connecticut. All of the animals survived (I checked on them the next day). I even saw my Aholehole (then three 1/2 inches long) swim with a school of tiny baby aholeholes, possibly his younger siblings.

[gcsnelling]

As I mentioned before releasing animals which have been kept for any length of time in captivity is a very environmentally unsafe action. Shame on you.