Good-BY to all my friends

tanker · 02/16/2009, 10:52 PM

I am tearing down my last SW tank.

Early last year when my Purple tang died I was heart-broken. I have had him for over 10 years!! I bought him when he was only 2+ inches in size.
Well, I tore down my 120 and move the fishes I wanted to my 100gal and gave away some others.

Well late last year my Flame angel passed and I have had him since before Y2K!! Now my oldest fish is my Marron Clown, but it is just not the same. I feel like I have lost family members.

So it has been nice, but am changing my tank over to African cichlids.

Good-by and good luck to all those out there.

PS--"Greenbean"--Still love your avatar!!

Toddrtrex · 02/16/2009, 11:14 PM

Best of luck.

I know I will be sad when my Clarkii pair go, they have been with me for 9+ years or so.

I kept African cichilds for a couple of years, sure are neat fish to watch.

Playa-1 · 02/16/2009, 11:51 PM

Cya on the flip side tanker

Juruense · 02/17/2009, 07:53 AM

Man don't do cichlids! They are boring and breed way too much.

Do a tetras/planted/discus tank or a brackish tank...

drauka99 · 02/17/2009, 08:02 AM

if you want a long term chiclid go with a Calvus - if I remember right 7 years to addult size and 20 years not unheard of in tanks

pretty fish to IMHO

Good Luck

fletcherkane · 02/17/2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Juruense
Man don't do cichlids! They are boring and breed way too much.

Do a tetras/planted/discus tank or a brackish tank...

I would beg to differ.
Africans are anything but boring, especially if you don't overstock.

And breeding too much? That is one of the main reasons I keep them. The kids love to see the babies swimming around and growing up, and the LFS will take them in and give instore credit. My two cichlid tanks are big helps in supporting my new venture into salt water.

If you've kept reef tanks, make sure you go all out with your cichlid set up and try a planted tank.

Good luck!

fletcherkane · 02/17/2009, 08:42 AM

Also, if you are going Cichlid, be sure to check out cichlidforum.com
Great place to go for help, friendly and infomative, just like here. :-)

Whisperer · 02/17/2009, 08:59 AM

Looking forward to welcoming you back in this forum. Cichlids just don't have enough selection of solid and well defined colors like marine fishes. The aggresion is also a big issue with them (I am not saying there isn't one in marine).

michellejy · 02/17/2009, 09:01 AM

I used to keep cichlids. They were as close to the beauty and color of a saltwater tank that you could get without actually having saltwater.

I had two different tanks- one for Lake Tanganyika cichlids and one for Lake Malawi cichlids. The babies were definitely the best part. I knew nothing about breeding, but I was thrilled one day to look in my tank and see a bunch of baby brichardis swarming around the pair in my tank. I still have no idea if they are a type of fish that changes sex or if I just lucked out and managed to get one male and one female.

Good luck to you.

maypo59 · 02/17/2009, 04:46 PM

Know the feeling, ice storm killed entire tank, been up for years, lost red hawk we have had since '97...

Toddrtrex · 02/17/2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by michellejy
I used to keep cichlids. They were as close to the beauty and color of a saltwater tank that you could get without actually having saltwater.

I had two different tanks- one for Lake Tanganyika cichlids and one for Lake Malawi cichlids. The babies were definitely the best part. I knew nothing about breeding, but I was thrilled one day to look in my tank and see a bunch of baby brichardis swarming around the pair in my tank. I still have no idea if they are a type of fish that changes sex or if I just lucked out and managed to get one male and one female.

Good luck to you.

Oddly enough I was watching something about Darwin the other night, and they talked about both of those lakes. Had forgotten how cool those fish are.

It was cool seeing all the babies around, and seeing the different growth rates of them.

miwoodar · 02/17/2009, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Toddrtrex
Oddly enough I was watching something about Darwin the other night, and they talked about both of those lakes.

The African rift lakes are awesome in terms of evolution. Many species are evolving at a break-neck pace. Neat stuff.

I liked keeping African cichlids - great personalities and lots of colorful options. If I ever have a 'collection' of tanks again, getting another cichlid tank would be high on the list of wants. I would put a planted tank as a higher priority for me though.

Sorry to hear you're getting out of reefs Tanker. Hopefully you'll be back sooner than later.

TWallace · 02/17/2009, 05:54 PM

This seems like a really odd reason to switch from SW to FW. You know FW fish can die, too, right?

tanker · 02/17/2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Juruense
Man don't do cichlids! They are boring and breed way too much.

Do a tetras/planted/discus tank or a brackish tank...

I already have a planted tetra tank. My other 100gal is full of tetras and heavily planted.

tanker · 02/17/2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Whisperer
Looking forward to welcoming you back in this forum.

Who knows.

Have had my SW for a long time, almost 20years ago it was a FO with filter. Will see.

02/16/2009, 10:52 PM	#1
tanker Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: sf bay area Posts: 3,522	Good-BY to all my friends I am tearing down my last SW tank. Early last year when my Purple tang died I was heart-broken. I have had him for over 10 years!! I bought him when he was only 2+ inches in size. Well, I tore down my 120 and move the fishes I wanted to my 100gal and gave away some others. Well late last year my Flame angel passed and I have had him since before Y2K!! Now my oldest fish is my Marron Clown, but it is just not the same. I feel like I have lost family members. So it has been nice, but am changing my tank over to African cichlids. Good-by and good luck to all those out there. PS--"Greenbean"--Still love your avatar!!

02/16/2009, 11:14 PM	#2
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Best of luck. I know I will be sad when my Clarkii pair go, they have been with me for 9+ years or so. I kept African cichilds for a couple of years, sure are neat fish to watch. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

02/17/2009, 08:02 AM	#5
drauka99 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: at the Beach in Fl Posts: 792	if you want a long term chiclid go with a Calvus - if I remember right 7 years to addult size and 20 years not unheard of in tanks pretty fish to IMHO Good Luck __________________ "Aliie, Eat a Snickers, you're "HANGRY" - me "I sometimes enjoy watching shadow puppet shows" - jpfelix "Bacon is Love." - Fat Man Current Tank Info: 240 Algae Farm System Running

02/17/2009, 08:42 AM	#7
fletcherkane Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Jenison, MI Posts: 22	Also, if you are going Cichlid, be sure to check out cichlidforum.com Great place to go for help, friendly and infomative, just like here. :-) __________________ There is music you make, and Music that makes you. Living is Collaborating. Never Teach a Pig to sing. It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig. Current Tank Info: FOWLR--Lawnmower Blenny, Ocellaris Clown, Yellow Tailed Blue Damsel, Scopas Tang, Royal Gramma

02/17/2009, 08:59 AM	#8
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	Looking forward to welcoming you back in this forum. Cichlids just don't have enough selection of solid and well defined colors like marine fishes. The aggresion is also a big issue with them (I am not saying there isn't one in marine). __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

02/16/2009, 11:51 PM	#3
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	Cya on the flip side tanker

02/17/2009, 07:53 AM	#4
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	Man don't do cichlids! They are boring and breed way too much. Do a tetras/planted/discus tank or a brackish tank...

02/17/2009, 09:01 AM	#9
michellejy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: OH Posts: 1,076	I used to keep cichlids. They were as close to the beauty and color of a saltwater tank that you could get without actually having saltwater. I had two different tanks- one for Lake Tanganyika cichlids and one for Lake Malawi cichlids. The babies were definitely the best part. I knew nothing about breeding, but I was thrilled one day to look in my tank and see a bunch of baby brichardis swarming around the pair in my tank. I still have no idea if they are a type of fish that changes sex or if I just lucked out and managed to get one male and one female. Good luck to you. __________________ Michelle Current Tank Info: 30G FOWLR Clownfish tank soon to be replaced by JBJ 28 Gallon Nano

02/17/2009, 04:46 PM	#10
maypo59 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 78	Know the feeling, ice storm killed entire tank, been up for years, lost red hawk we have had since '97... __________________ 75 gallon display, 40 gallon fuge/sump in basement. Running wonderfully from 1995, until the ice storm of '09.. back on line Sept '12 after 3 1/2 years of mourning.

02/17/2009, 05:54 PM	#13
TWallace Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,464	This seems like a really odd reason to switch from SW to FW. You know FW fish can die, too, right?