Any Reef Keepers? Show Off Your Coral and Fish (of the Swimming Variety)

ilayd · Oct 16, 2019

I wanted to see if any of you fine folk also indulge yourself with the saltwater hobby. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of keeping these extremely sensitive critters in a suitable environment while getting the benefit of enjoying the out-of-this-world vibes. Not unlike the watch hobby, I find that with keeping a saltwater aquarium, you have to do tremendous amounts of research, have very good patience, and dodge risks. I have been keeping saltwater fish and coral since 2011, with a 2 year break while I was away living in Virginia.

Currently, I have two aquariums, one being a 25 gallon 18 inch cube (this is considered a nano tank due to its "small" size). Additionally, I am currently in the middle of setting up a 75 gallon tank (36in x 24in x 20in). Now on to some pictures.

Here is the full tank shot (FTS) of the nano aquarium...

Some close-ups of the corals and critters

And here is the view of the bigger 75 gallon tank... this one currently has no coral (it does have fish now compared to when the pictures were taken).

Hopefully I am not the only member here who also enjoys this hobby.

Steve9pm · Oct 16, 2019

Really cool. I don’t know much about it, but could you answer a few quick questions?

How much can one expect this hobby to cost (initial and maintenance)? How much time do you spend cleaning/changing the water?

ilayd · Oct 16, 2019

Steve9pm
Really cool. I don’t know much about it, but could you answer a few quick questions?

How much can one expect this hobby to cost (initial and maintenance)? How much time do you spend cleaning/changing the water?

Set up and maintenance costs of a reef aquarium can vary wildly. Mainly, it depends on the type of fish and coral you wish to keep. Fish only tanks require the most basic set up with only basic equipment, which ends up being very affordable. Corals are a lot more demanding, and those can range as well from their needs. There are typically three types: softies (these are non skeletal corals), LPS (large polyp stony) and SPS (small polyp stony). Softies require less water flow and lighting (which tends to drive up the cost), and then go up with LPS, followed by SPS.

Lastly, the size of the tank will effect price as well as larger tanks require more water flow and more lights to give sufficient coverage.

If you are buying all new equipment, you can expect to spend somewhere around $1000 on a smallish fish only tank, and ranging all the way up to 10s of thousands for large SPS dominant tanks. That being said, there is a very large forum community and you can often find used equipment for about half the price of new, and still in very good condition.

For example, both of my tanks are well equipped and can sustain any coral or fish (size permitting). The small tank is pretty manual and can be acquired for about $1500 brand new, and about half that used. The large tank has a lot of automation and computers connected to automate a lot of the monitoring involved.... on that tank I am well over $8000 so far, and will be closer to $10,000 when finalized.

As to the maintenance, once your tank is "dialed-in" the upkeep is very manageable. I spend about 2 hours a week doing the necessary testing, adjusting, and water changes every week (I am overly obsessed though, and you can do that probably every other week). Then another 10 minutes a day to feed the fish.

As to the maintenance costs, its quite forgiving. I am too lazy to make my own saltwater, and purchase premade water... which increases the cost slightly. All in, I probably spend anywhere between $50 to $100 a month to upkeep the tank (food, trace elements, throw away filtration media, and water).

STANDY · Oct 16, 2019

More of a planted tank guy

(Web picture) Similar style I am currently growing.

Big fan of Takashi Amano and his work

https://imgur.com/gallery/dMiO3

verithingeoff · Oct 16, 2019

One of these days I'll take the plunge [pun?] into a salt water tank. For the moment my little tank of Guppies, Neons and a couple of Clowns keeps me amused

Andy K · Oct 16, 2019

My wife and I have often considered getting rid of the big TV and getting a saltwater tank. Very calming and tranquil as compared to following the news. And earlier this year when I made a deliberate effort to spend less time and money on my watch hobby I did some research into getting a tank set up. Ultimately I realized I probably wouldn’t save much money!😁

Some day though...

freakazoid · Oct 16, 2019

Very nice TS!

Funny anecdote... I wanted a fishtank, but my wife wasn't into it... then 2 years a ago I went shopping for a christmas tree and also bought a small fish tank on impulse with the kids. So currently only a small tank, but if I get the chance I'm going to upgrade to a larger one.

ilayd · Oct 16, 2019

STANDY
More of a planted tank guy

Big fan of Takashi Amano and his work

https://imgur.com/gallery/dMiO3

Takashi is definitely a master at the planted tank craft. In fact seeing several of his tanks has often drawn me to try and get one myself. Always tempted, but then when I did the research, it can be just as demanding and expensive as a reef... and with two tanks already, I'm pausing on the planted one for now.

Hopefully I'll have a larger place within a reasonable time and then I can put up an extra one.

verithingeoff
One of these days I'll take the plunge [pun?] into a salt water tank. For the moment my little tank of Guppies, Neons and a couple of Clowns keeps me amused

Guppies, Neons, Mollies always have such nice colors. Big fan. In fact, one of my first fish as a kid was a few black Mollies. We picked out the "fat and big" one. Two weeks later I had a tank with approximately like 20 babies. Turns out the fat and big one was just pregnant. Mollies are live bearers and the tank was overrun with all the babies, which then grew up and started breeding. It was a total mess trying to get them all out and rehomed to stop it all.

Andy K
My wife and I have often considered getting rid of the big TV and getting a saltwater tank. Very calming and tranquil as compared to following the news. And earlier this year when I made a deliberate effort to spend less time and money on my watch hobby I did some research into getting a tank set up. Ultimately I realized I probably wouldn’t save much money!😁

Some day though...

Initially you would likely spend just as much. But I'll be honest, once you get to know some people on the forums, you can wheel and deal or trade coral and equipment. These days i am able to usually trade for the things I need from the ones I already have. Some days I can also make a few bucks too...

ilayd · Oct 21, 2019

There's been a lot of coral pictures. Here is a video of the fish....

I''m not quite sure why the quality isnt showing up as well... and dont mind the fish acting all weird since they're thinking I am going to feed them!

Archer · Oct 21, 2019

I just put the aquarium channel on when I feel the need to look at a fish tank...

ilayd · Oct 21, 2019

Archer
I just put the aquarium channel on when I feel the need to look at a fish tank...

That is definitely a work around if you dont want to invest the time or money. But that's akin to saying I just put on Watchfinder & Co YouTube videos when I want to look at a watch. 😉

Archer · Oct 21, 2019

ilayd
That is definitely a work around if you dont want to invest the time or money. But that's akin to saying I just put on Watchfinder & Co YouTube videos when I want to look at a watch. 😉

Well, as a watchmaker I look at watches all day...

I had a fresh water tank years ago, but not interested in having one again.

ilayd · Dec 31, 2019

Was looking for an older post of mine and saw this thread again. Wanted to show you all how the bigger tank looks as I’ve managed to transfer the coral from the nano. Not as barren anymore.

Full tank shot

Close Ups

CJpickup57 · Dec 31, 2019

Looking really good ilyad!

I lost my 75gal setup here in Buffalo during our infamous "October Storm". It broke me emotionally and I never got back into the hobby. I lost a porcupine puffer, snowflake eel, and 3 lion fish along with the live rock and multiple cleaning helpers. One of the lionfish, I paid very handsomely for, was a black lionfish and he was beautiful. I spent so much money, time and effort and lost sleep for days trying to keep up the temperature, filtration, protein skimmer and the chemical balance in check running off of a 3 deep cycle battery rotation hardwired to an automobile power inverter and one battery was always at my neighbors in rotation being charged off of his generator that he graciously let me have access to during this terrible situation that Mother Nature dealt us. In the end, the ammonia level spiked and I lost everything 🙁. As much as I would love to do it again I get sick to my stomach when I think about my ordeal 13 years ago. Over just fish. Most people do not understand.

I really loved those lionfish.

ilayd · Jan 2, 2020

CJpickup57
Looking really good ilyad!

I lost my 75gal setup here in Buffalo during our infamous "October Storm". It broke me emotionally and I never got back into the hobby. I lost a porcupine puffer, snowflake eel, and 3 lion fish along with the live rock and multiple cleaning helpers. One of the lionfish, I paid very handsomely for, was a black lionfish and he was beautiful. I spent so much money, time and effort and lost sleep for days trying to keep up the temperature, filtration, protein skimmer and the chemical balance in check running off of a 3 deep cycle battery rotation hardwired to an automobile power inverter and one battery was always at my neighbors in rotation being charged off of his generator that he graciously let me have access to during this terrible situation that Mother Nature dealt us. In the end, the ammonia level spiked and I lost everything 🙁. As much as I would love to do it again I get sick to my stomach when I think about my ordeal 13 years ago. Over just fish. Most people do not understand.

I really loved those lionfish.

I've been fortunate enough to never have a tank crash... or have power out too long to worry about it much. And fish absolutely have a personality to them, especially the larger ones. My local fish store has a shallow tank with a Vlamingii tang named Bob who knows me really well and comes over every time for me to pet him. He floats to his side near the surface and I pet him with my finger. He's one cool fish!

Any Reef Keepers? Show Off Your Coral and Fish (of the Swimming Variety)

ilayd

Steve9pm

ilayd

STANDY

verithingeoff

Andy K

freakazoid

ilayd

ilayd

Archer

ilayd

Archer

ilayd

CJpickup57

ilayd

Similar threads

Show Off Your Watch's "Wardrobe"

The Unpolished-Pre-Moon-Straight-Lug-Speedy thread : Show off your facets