Aquarium Hobbyists, need some suggestions!

[Year of the Rooster]

Hello fellow fish-keepers. About every year for Christmas my dad takes me to the pet store to buy fish, invertebrates, supplies, etc. But I am having trouble deciding what kind of fish/invertebrates I want. I know that I want saltwater(maybe a few freshwater), but what are some of the stock that you have and how do they do in general? Do you also have pics? I'd like to get something in the "reef" genre, but anything will be fine. As long as it doesn't eat the other fish/inverts. then i'm good.

Right now in the saltwater department I have:

a 60 gallon octagon tank, with 2 blue damsels, 2 serpents starts, a few hermits, and some Nassarius snails. With liverock(not sure how many lbs.)

an Oceanic Biocube, with 1 clownfish, 1 yellowtail damsel, 1 brittle star, 1 hermit, and several Nassarius snails. Also more liverock.

Any suggestions?

 

[Mahonri]

Hey, I hear you can turn aquariums into incubators!

 

[Chirpy]

I only have freshwater tanks so I can't help in the saltwater department but here's a great site that you might be interested in:

http://www.aquahobby.com/

Have fun making your decisions.

 

[SterlingAcres]

I've never had saltwater. I've had just about anything under the sun that was freshwater though. I could talk until I was blue in the face about fish... but you'll get what you like when you get there.

All I can say is that if you don't want 2 adult fish to turn into 45 fish in 3 months, don't get guppies.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

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Too late for that

I have a 10 gallon freshwater that had 1 male and 2 females in it. I now have only their 20+ babies left.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

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Thanks Chirpy! That site was great!

 

[snowydiamonds]

You have to be careful with octagon/hexagon tanks, not to overload because there is not the surface space as in a rectangular tank. That would pertain to any type of life within that shape of tank.

I've never done saltwater and never will, too touchy of perameters for where I live, way too expensive! I've had freshwater and coldwater tanks since I was 12 and now am half a century In the freshwater and coldwater tanks, bigger is better, healthier

 

[FrChuckW]

Instead of getting more fish why not have your Dad get you subscriptions to Fresh Water and Marine Aquarium and Aquarium Fish Monthly magazines. Also Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. That is if you don't already subscribe to them.

I keep freshwater tanks, I gave up saltwater tanks years ago, back then we didn't have the equipment that we do today.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
LOL You know me so well!!! I already have a subscription to FAMA(Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine) I've had it for almost a year.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

[Livinzoo]

What type of lights do you have and how many watts? Without knowing that it will be hard to say. Low light get some softies. I love all the different color zoas and mushrooms are cool. If you have T-5, VHO or metal halide then you could do some LPS or SPS. But you also want to look at your water flow. How many water movement sources do you have?

Maybe you would want to get some equipment instead. Octagons are hard to light properly. I have a 92 bow front that I'm working on. It will have a 250 watt Metal halide in a good reflector. I will also be adding a calfo style closed loop for water circulation and hooking it into my 60 gallon basement sump that also feeds my 75 gallon with t-5s. My anemone and clownfish will move in to the 92 and probablly get some SPS and clams. They all need goo water movement and lots of light. My 75 will be a LPS and softy tank.

Do you have a good protein skimmer? How about test kits for alkalinity and calcium?

Hope I was of some help.