Salt Water tank

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 12:20 pm

It looks like I may be getting a 250 gallon tank for the store. I am curious. Have any of you...

1. Moved a salt water tank
2. Care and Maintence

One of the people my husband works with is donating it to us, but we don't know what kind of fish or coral is in it. I would eventually like to set it up as a cold water tank but I don't know much about care for one of those either.

Feedback, anyone?

Burntchef · Post by **Burntchef** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:46 pm

hey amy shoot me a call, i have had a reef tank for years although not so big! i can help you get it moved and set up. are you going to do a reef tank or species? plus i have a buddy who does tank maintenance for his job. oh a chiller for that size tank is about 1300 bucks!
206 498 0210

howard

Jeff Kruse · Post by **Jeff Kruse** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:12 am

I started a yahoo group and a web site on keeping fish from puget sound.

http://www.seanet.com/~katrinakruse/

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/coldwaterfish/

Keeping local coldwater saltwater fish is easier than tropical saltwater fish. $\:D/$

Penopolypants · Post by **Penopolypants** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:20 am

Matt S. on the board has saltwater tanks, you might want to PM him. I had a large freshwater tank for years and loved it, but I know nothing of saltwater tanks. Good luck!

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:34 am

Jeff Kruse wrote:I started a yahoo group and a web site on keeping fish from puget sound.

http://www.seanet.com/~katrinakruse/

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/coldwaterfish/

Keeping local coldwater saltwater fish is easier than tropical saltwater fish. $\:D/$

Hmmm... that's interesting! Post some pics here, pls!

Jeff Kruse · Post by **Jeff Kruse** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 12:19 pm

The pictures can be found on my website.

It's to difficult to post pictures here.

I don't have the tank any more because I am moving to Puerto Rico. I will however set up a local tank there.

Tangfish · Post by **Tangfish** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:44 pm

Not that hard. $\:D/$

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:54 pm

Jeff Kruse wrote:Keeping local coldwater saltwater fish is easier than tropical saltwater fish. $\:D/$

I realize that saltwater tanks are work and can be expensive, but I wonder why other shops have not done this (perhaps I just answered my own question...) I think it would be cool to be able to SHOW someone a grunt sculpin, etc. that is in a tank...

Burntchef · Post by **Burntchef** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:35 pm

yea tom it is a very expensive hobby, i have a 18 gallon reef and have probably dumped 1000 bucks into it!!! the corals can run easy 100 each and if you try to only get tank raised not wild caught they can be even more expensive. then in a reef tank you need lots and lots of " live rock " and that rock costs 8 bucks a pound and i have about 40 pounds in my tiny tank. then maintenance on big tanks isnt cheap and so on and so on. i love my tank though and cant wait for to buy a house so i can set up a 125 gallon fresh water, theres no way im moving that thing.

CaptnJack · Post by **CaptnJack** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:06 pm

Grunt sculpins don't live long at all. Once they are big enough to see/catch in the wild they have about 8 months left.

We have a few Puget Sound Rockfish, an urchin, some longfin sculpins, 2 sea stars, and a decorrated warbonnet at work. Its ok but alot of work even with a professional maintenance company scrubbing it every ~month. Ours is about 120 gallons. Cost on the chiller is not trival and it has broken a couple of times over the past 4 years I've been working there, leading to massive die offs. Obviously you need to be ethically comfortable keeping wild animals in captivity and if the tank is in a shop you may actually create a stir with it (from people who find it unacceptable).

Overall the Seattle and Tacoma aquariums are vastly better local educational resources. I say that as both someone partly responsible for my work tank and a Seattle Aquarium volunteer diver.

Richard

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:00 am

CaptnJack wrote: Obviously you need to be ethically comfortable keeping wild animals in captivity and if the tank is in a shop you may actually create a stir with it (from people who find it unacceptable).

I figured that this along with $$ would be the biggest issues.

coachrenz · Post by **coachrenz** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:45 am

Amy -

You may want to check on the legality of keeping and displaying native species in your store. I know that I have suggested that my local favorite family run pet store do just that. Their response was that it wasn't legal to do.

What people do in their own homes is a bit different than what people can do in public.

I am not an attorney and I don't play one on TV either.

Tim

Pinkpadigal · Post by **Pinkpadigal** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:25 am

Interesting information everyone. The tank I was going to get was 250 gallons! It was going to be expensive, and maintaining it was going to cost a bunch. I just couldn't afford the investment and the upkeep, even though the tank itself was free.

The thought of having some local fish would have been great for fish ID classes, but I never thought that it might pose legal problems. I think I will stick to my goldfish in a simple bowl.

Burntchef · Post by **Burntchef** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:18 pm

amy i have a 50 gallon seaclear acrylic tank with oak hood and some other stuff real cheap if your still wanting some fish friends floating around. let me know. it would probably cost around 200 for a skimmer and 150-200 for reallly good lighting.

Diver_Dave · Post by **Diver_Dave** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:42 pm

I have African cichlids u should try them....Soon u will have many if u heat the tank...They r cheep easy to take care of and they have mass babies every year..Also they come in great colors and all diff. sizes. http://images.google.com/images?um=1&ta ... 20cichlids

Burntchef · Post by **Burntchef** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 6:45 pm

actually the 50 was a fresh water tank, then chiclid, then reef. now it lives in the basement dry. im loving my 18 gall reef since since you could get frag corals really cheap.

Zen Diver · Post by **Zen Diver** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:38 pm

My nephew is an amazing and talented aquascapist/aquarist, he gets offers from all over to create incredible tanks. He's extremely knowledgable about setting up and maintaining tanks If you want his contact info let me know and I'll pm it to you.

-Valerie

Jeff Kruse · Post by **Jeff Kruse** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:18 am

The big expense of a local tank is the chiller. A new one could cost from $500 - $1000. I sold my system for around $500. Used fish tanks can be bought for cheap on Craigs list. Through the years I have seen people just give tanks away.

Grunt Sculpins are awesome and they do live a long time. I had several in my tank last 7+ years and they were full grown when I got them.

I think Richard is thinking of Lumpsuckers. Lumpsukers are awesome but by the time they are big enough for a large tank they only have 6 months to live. You could however raise them from babies if you feed them correctly.

Puget Sound tanks are cheaper and easier to have then a tropical reef tank.

Ethically you need to be ok with keeping fish in the first place.

I feel that having my tank gave me a better understanding and appreciation for the animals we see while diving.