Even if I had a 10 feet long tank I would not get a fish that grew longer than 5-6 inches because you have to think of their welfare.
Even if I had a 10 feet long tank I would not get a fish that grew longer than 5-6 inches because you have to think of their welfare.
Originally Posted by dtyharry
Rules out a large % of what's available though doesn't it?
Even Yellow Tangs can grow to 7 or 8 inches I understand.
One strategy with a smaller tank is to buy juveniles, keep them for a year or two and then sell them on when they start to get too big. Fish fostering, sort of thing.
I would rather have a lot of little fish than a few big ones, think it looks more like a natural reef, just wish I had the money to do it!
Having said that, one possible benefit of the algae scrubber is the water change one. Salt is not cheap here in the uk and a 10% weekly water change on the hypothetical 10 feet tank would be 25 uk gallons which would cost about £10 or maybe double that if you had to buy the ro water! A scrubber could eliminate that cost.
IMO fish only swim long distances to find more food when they consume the food where they are. like tangs that will eat every little strand of algae on a reef then move to the next reef while the first reef re-grows. but when we give them all the food they need we eliminate the NEED to swim long distances. IMO it would be like saying that dogs NEED to run in packs and hunt for food all night...but we all know that a dog can be happy and healthy eating puppy chow from a dish and sleeping in your bed.......no??
Yes that is a fair point I guess but it would be nice to have a shoal of chromis having a proper swim instead of banging their heads on the side all the time! Depends on the fish I guess, lionfish hardly move, gangs are all over the place.
In that hypothetical 10 feet tank I would have two big reef pinnacles at either end and an artificial oil rig type legs structure in the middle hanging down for them all to swim around.
IMO the show should run a prominent disclaimer at the beginning stating that the show is for entertainment purposes only along with a internet address directing people to a site where they can find the proper way to set up a home marine system.
They could then proceed with the reality show non sense. I wonder when they will have the first fist fight and the ensuing sad but introspective music as someone walks in shame off the show.
I wonder if these guys actually service the tanks after they are set up? If all they do is fabricate and set up the tanks I imagine they are none to popular with the service company's that have to deal with the after the fact problems that look inevitable considering the way the tanks are tossed together with not much thought put in but the initial ascetics of the tank on the day it is "unvailed".
I live in the uk so have not had the pleasure of that program but by the sound of it I am not missing much!
I spoke with Brett from Tanked at MACNA for quite a while on Friday. There's a lot that you don't see on the show, ATM has many of their own products, which they will be launching soon, to treat the water and maintain the tanks. Nothing that I would do (similar chemicals you have out there now for detox and maintaining zero phos and low N between maintenance).
Bottom line is that the show is for entertainment purposes, and they throw in a few things here and there about filtration, but it's not geared to be that kind of show. Animal Planet / Discovery Channel has a formula for a show, so that's what you see. They have a large QT and holding system, and you don't see that the fish are not coming straight from Exotic to the site, it's just the drama factor. Exotic was at MACNA too by the way. After speaking with Brett at length about several things I would say they do a pretty good job.
Interestingly, the show has single-handedly changed the demographic of Animal Planet in 3 weeks. They shifted the median age from 50 to 35 and went from 75% men 25% women to 50-50. It's the most popular show they've had. And it's going to drive people into the hobby, which will eventually be good for everyone in the industry.
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