Any aquatics/fish/amphibian keeps here?

[Arwen]

I know a lot of us already have similar interested, so does anyone here keep anything in their house in a tank with water?

I've been toying with getting an aquarium for few years now, but the initial cost always put me off, that and the thought of having to move it when I move house. However, someone at my work was selling a rather nice 64l tank for much cheapness, so I bought it.

Decided that I'd put one of my long time favourite animals in it, an Axolotl. (not my picture)

I am sooooooo excited! However I'm having to cycle my tank first, which seems to be taking an age... I just want my new pet already

What have you got in your tanks if you keep fish etc?

[Guest]

Used to keep snakes, lizards and newts but not for years. Quite fancy getting back into it though. Axolotl, very cool!

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

Kept fish for a while, very good for lowering the blood pressure. Then added a particularly fast fish to the tank that unbalanced the whole thing.

Never had anything as exciting as a salamander.

Are they easy to keep?

[Via]

That is one awesome looking fish.

Used to have a tropical tank years ago, really want to get a marine tank but cost / upkeep is very off putting. Do drool over the setups at local garden centre whenever I go there.

[Arwen]

Kept fish for a while, very good for lowering the blood pressure. Then added a particularly fast fish to the tank that unbalanced the whole thing.

Never had anything as exciting as a salamander.

Are they easy to keep?

 

Once the tank is set up, they should be. I've never set up a tank before so having a bit of a learning curve and lack of patience! They live in cold water and don't like fast moving currents so pretty easy to keep in this country.

[mention]Via[/mention] , not sure about where you are but a few of my local fish shops premake marine salt water for you now, You pay per litre (it's like 25p or something) and is meant for people with small tanks that are more difficult to keep marine things in due to their size. I find I am mesmerised by the marine corral when I visit, and the eels! They are always so curious when I approach the tank

[MarkW]

does anyone here keep anything in their house in a tank with water?

 

Yup - the immersion heater.

[Arwen]

I've got one of those too [mention]MarkW[/mention]

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

The thing I watched on YouTube said 17 degrees was the optimum temp for them. It also said they can regrow limbs if they lose one!

One of my friends couldn’t wait for the tank to set up so came home with the tank and the fish, didn’t even acclimatise the fish temp wise and then wondered why they all floated to the top! Your patience will be rewarded with happy fish. Have you got a water testing kit? They’re very useful for keeping the water quality at its optimum and your fish disease free.

[Via]

@Via , not sure about where you are but a few of my local fish shops premake marine salt water for you now, You pay per litre (it's like 25p or something) and is meant for people with small tanks that are more difficult to keep marine things in due to their size. I find I am mesmerised by the marine corral when I visit, and the eels! They are always so curious when I approach the tank

 

Yeah coral is main reason I would want one, absolutely amazing. Maybe when I move I'll think about getting one

[Stu]

Used to keep fish years ago but don't really have the room anymore!

I used to have a 6x2x2 tank which was a bloody size really!

One thing someone did say to me the other day which I have never really though of is to remember that you are looking after water not fish! keep the water right and the fish will be happy! I've never really thought of it like that before

[Arwen]

Oh that's exactly what this feels like just now [mention]Stu[/mention] , I'm keeping water a pet

A 6x2x2 tank would be awesome for multiple axolotls. That is sorta my plan for when I eventually buy a house...

[mention]Slowlycatchymonkey[/mention], yup, they can regrow pretty much any part of their body. Truly amazing abilities, and very active and curious for an aquarium dwelling pet. They are critically endangered in the wild due to humans draining their lakes. However they are very popular lab species and are kept as pets in many countries. So hopefully these little cuties wont go completely extinct

[Fozzie]

I used to keep fire bellied newts.

My dad had a tank for tropical fish but I wasn't that fussed as I always preferred marine setups.

The terrarium I had setup was pretty good, but it also proved why you couldn't keep the newts with other community fish. They preferred warm but not tropical temperatures otherwise they'd get bloat really easily. And they spent more time out of water than in it generally! Hiding in little caves.

They also hunted any of the smaller fish when I did experiment with a community setup.

Made changing the water nice and easy at least

[Six30]

Used to keep fish years ago but don't really have the room anymore!

I used to have a 6x2x2 tank which was a bloody size really!

One thing someone did say to me the other day which I have never really though of is to remember that you are looking after water not fish! keep the water right and the fish will be happy! I've never really thought of it like that before

 

Your teeth go in a cup of water of a night time don't they Stu

[Moonraker]

I used to have a tropical tank with Cichlids (from Lake Malawi) and 2 catfish. Get the tank temp right with a good filter and all was fine. Was relaxing to watch them. Males are also much more colourful than females generally, and they will eat any other fish that can fit in their mouth, including babies.

[NeilM]

We have a large fish tank in the control room as an anti stress device.

We rent it. Thus all we have to do is feed them with the pellets once a day.

A bloke comes out once a week and cleans it and replenishes any dead ones.

We've had it years

[BIKERDAD]

My bro in law has had fish tanks for years then got rid them now he's gone and bought another one as he says they calme you down and stress relief is amazing ( I just.fell.alseep all the time ) so they are good for you just Make sure you get one them fish ..don't know the name them . They eat the crap off the glass tank and floor .. they grow depends on the size the tank .. brown camo skin ..

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

It important to get the aggression levels of different varieties matched for a happy tank. The Axolotl sounds like quite the carnivore so you wouldn’t want a small sucker fish in there unless you enjoy a bit of destruction.

[Arwen]

Yea Axolotl's are completely carnivorous. They will attempt to eat anything that fits in there mouth, so no little fishy friends for mine.

I may eventually get a 2nd axolotl for company/breeding however they appear to do fine on their own too.

I've bought some Marimo moss balls for it to play with, which should also keep the algae at bay apparently. It's quiet nice seeing them there, bobbing around the tank

[Magpie84]

Yea Axolotl's are completely carnivorous. They will attempt to eat anything that fits in there mouth, so no little fishy friends for mine.

I may eventually get a 2nd axolotl for company/breeding however they appear to do fine on their own too.

 

They are quite keen on pinkies as well. I adore Axolotls! I used to work in a zoo and we had a tank of them and we had to keep them on their own as they will eat anything they been fit in their mouths. They are just fascinating creatures.

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

I think when your fish are installed we’re gonna need pics!

[Arwen]

Oh I'll definitely be taking pictures. However they are only around 2-3" in length just now, so tiny Trying to decide on a name... we can't decide if we should give it an Argonian name, or maybe call it after a dragon (Spryo, Parthanax, Glaurung etc)

[Westbeef]

We have a large fish tank in the control room as an anti stress device.

We rent it. Thus all we have to do is feed them with the pellets once a day.

A bloke comes out once a week and cleans it and replenishes any dead ones.

We've had it years

 

Does it function as intended? Might get one for my desk at work if so

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

Oh I'll definitely be taking pictures. However they are only around 2-3" in length just now, so tiny Trying to decide on a name... we can't decide if we should give it an Argonian name, or maybe call it after a dragon (Spryo, Parthanax, Glaurung etc)

 

Had to look that up as hadn’t heard of it so now it’s crystal clear

“Argonians or Saxhleel[1][2] are an oviparous race of reptilian people native to the large and marshy province of Tamriel known as Black Marsh. They can be found in smaller numbers throughout the continent.[3] Argonians are one of the few races completely unrelated to men and mer, who think of themselves as coming from, and ultimately returning to, the Hist.”

How big can they get and do they have teeth? Axoltl that is not Argonians!

[NeilM]

We have a large fish tank in the control room as an anti stress device.

We rent it. Thus all we have to do is feed them with the pellets once a day.

A bloke comes out once a week and cleans it and replenishes any dead ones.

We've had it years

 

Does it function as intended? Might get one for my desk at work if so

 

No. We are all still stress heads

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

We have a large fish tank in the control room as an anti stress device.

We rent it. Thus all we have to do is feed them with the pellets once a day.

A bloke comes out once a week and cleans it and replenishes any dead ones.

We've had it years

 

Does it function as intended? Might get one for my desk at work if so

 

No. We are all still stress heads

 

Imagine how bad it’d be without the fish