Thanks to those members that never judged and made my dreams come to life.

[my2rotties]

So... I saw the arguments about red and yellow list fish, then posts about fish that should not even be attempted by anybody, and if attempted, only experienced reef keepers should try.

So I have a Regal Angel that has been super easy to care for, disease free and eats anything I throw in the tank, as well as zoas and things I wish he wouldn't eat. He is by far the fattest regal angel I have seen aside of Marie's. He is growing and is full of vim and vigor.

Next was the cleaner wrasse that I gave away to another member, since he was bothering my cowfish and I would not stand for it. He was eating nori off the clip, and anything I threw in the tank. Not a single issue with him and I am sure he is happily residing in Carmen's tank to this day.

Next is my Copperband butterfly fish. I have had him since early January and he also eats anything I throw in for food aside of pellets and nori. He is fat and eats from my hands.

Now for my Achilles tang, he has been here for over two months and is a breeze to care for as well. Yes he had ich at the start but nothing now. He is a little trickier to care for since he does not want pellets and only eats nori and brine shrimp. He is fat and is by far the most active fish I have. I asked for help in private messages since I was too afraid to post here. All the help and info I received from some awesome members was taken to heart, and I made the proper adjustments to make sure he thrived. He is getting fatter and is growing... And YES, they do need lots of flow and really strong power heads to play in. He is very happy and I have no worries about his survival.

I have scooter and a mandarin dragonettes... easy as pie... they live with a porcupine puffer and he has not eaten them. I also have several different kinds of shrimp with this big puffer and banana wrasse. I have three anemones in the same tank and it is no big deal. Oh and my very large marine betta that lives with the other fish with no issues.My tank is about 8 months old and all of the fish were added quite early with no issues. People destined me to failure and I have not failed. There are 30 fish, 10 peppermint shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 fire shrimp and 1 coral banded shrimp living peacefully with a huge porcupine puffer. The cleaners and fire shrimp even climb onto him and clean him. I would not know it could be done unless I tried...

I had stopped posting about any fish I wanted to try since I would go down in a firestorm of bashing and to I was destined to failing. So, here I am with all the fish that are destined to die, and they all reside happily in a community aquarium together. I have no fighting, no deaths and no issues. I can say that I probably have too many fish in one tank, but they are fine and happy. I have made certain to add an extra 90g tank in my sump room on top of the 72g sump and 55g fuge that are all plumbed together. Because I made these adjustments, I feel this is a big reason I have been successful in the end.

So if someone like me can do this with no problems, why can't anyone else? I did have three angel fish die way back at the start from the same disease, a dogfaced puffer ended up outside of my tank in a freak accident and I did not find her in time, but no other fish have died since. It can be possible for people like me to keep this hard to keep fish even though our tanks are new and we don't have the same amount of experience. Some people blame cyanide, but why is my CBB just fine while most deaths are always blamed on cyanide? Why would mine be any different then the rest?

All it takes is for a member to do their home work, make adjustments to their system and make darned sure to be committed to making this work. I do know some people have had bad luck but it is not always so. Instead of bashing people for asking questions when they have their fish's best interest at heart, perhaps give the knowledge you do have and pass it on, instead of being negative. Sometimes new people do succeed and do take advise at heart if it is advise that helps keep the fish healthy and happy, not saying you will fail so don't do it at all.

Yes my fish are PITA with feeding requirements and their complex needs and wants. However I have done it and will continue to do so. I just wanted to finally say my peace since I did get destined to failure and I did not fail. Some people do have the right tenacity and commitment to be able to make things possible. I just think they are too afraid to come forward and say much, since it always brings controversy. To any people wanting to try new things and are too afraid to ask, just use the search button and private messages to people you see have tried. These people are a blessing and are always more then willing to help other like myself succeed.

I want to thank all those people I have private messaged in past months with all the questions I had on their fish and what they did to make sure things went well. These people were my inspiration and made my dreams of my desired fish come to life for me. All of you know whom you are, and THANKS so much for all your help. I will always be more then happy to help others just like these people helped me. They never judged me, they just helped me. You guys are the best:mrgreen:

[Fox]

I just wanted to thank you for coming on here and speaking you peace.

I was going to say it privately but I am not ashamed to admit that I have publicly looked for certain fish and felt humiliated by members of this board afterward.

I hope I speak for those who won't when I say thank you and congratulations!

I hope you and everyone else for that matter enjoy continued success!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Congrats on keeping these fish alive and healthy.

I too have a big porcupine puffer living with 3 anemones, corals & such with no problems (used to be a 120g fowlr but now its a softy mixed reef).

Didn't have much luck with Achilles or Copperbands, so now I just admire Doofus from afar instead.

Anthony

[my2rotties]

Hey Fox good luck with your future plans for your system, and there are many awesome people on these forums. Seahorsefanatic, I know the Doofus you speak of, it was his owner that really helped me with Ari, my Achilles. With my CBB, he has just always been healthy and eating all along. I think the food I make for my puffer has a big part of him staying alive and healthy though. He really eats a lot of it, and I think there must be nutritional components that he must need in that food.

I should also thank the members that helped me with my corals and mentored me with dosing and my profilux controller, which I still don't have worked into the system yet. After the summer for sure. There are people here that will come all the way to your house in a shot to help you out or loan you tank space, or loan you items when yours break or you have a power failure. There are so many thoughtful and helpful people that hardly ever post, but are always there to help if needed.

[Aleks]

I agree its a little overboard with the fish police at times....Well done, must be a nice tank!

[Clay&Chey]

"let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

good for you for persevering and creating the slice of ocean you desire. I'm new to this hobby and it really perplexed me how how some people can tell people off for the fish they have when they themselves have fish. The fish you choose are cruel to keep but the ones I have aren't? Deep down wouldn't it be cruel to keep ANY fish in a tank away from it's natural habitat. It's like the rapist saying to the petofile, " ya but yours are underage" if your gonna preach what's right and wrong you better be doing no wrong yourself. I agree it takes research, passion and a respect for the life that's in your hands and those who respect that will have a tank of healthly, content fish for years to come.

[naesco]

I think you posted that you had been lucky enough to get a hold of a juvenile red sea regal angel. Juvenile regals from the red sea have been successfully kept but sadly they are rarely available. The PI/Indo angels which are often found in LFS are almost impossible to keep.

A few reefers have managed to keep cleaner wrasse but the survival statistics are so poor they are best left in the ocean doing the great job they do cleaning other fish.

I have kept tangs for almost 18 years. My powder brown (A. japonica lived for 11 years).
The Achilles tang does well for a while than for no apparent reasons dies often taking a few other fish along with it. I believe they need something in their diet that has yet to be determined. Having said that there are a few reefers that are successful.

Mandarins can be kept successfully if you have a tank that is aged (10 months or so), a large tank with live rock that harbours lots of pods. The problem is most of them are very difficult to 'wean to' frozen food.

Best of luck in keeping these fish.
Wayne

[naesco]

"let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

good for you for persevering and creating the slice of ocean you desire. I'm new to this hobby and it really perplexed me how how some people can tell people off for the fish they have when they themselves have fish. The fish you choose are cruel to keep but the ones I have aren't? Deep down wouldn't it be cruel to keep ANY fish in a tank away from it's natural habitat. It's like the rapist saying to the petofile, " ya but yours are underage" if your gonna preach what's right and wrong you better be doing no wrong yourself. I agree it takes research, passion and a respect for the life that's in your hands and those who respect that will have a tank of healthly, content fish for years to come.

I wouldn't be perplexed, Clay.
As well as reading the experiences of reefers on this board it is easy for a newbie to go online or read a few good fish books to determine which fish is easy to keep and those that should not even be available unless specially ordered. Most articles and books are written by experienced authors

Those that you say 'preach' have been around for a while and have already read the online stuff and the books on fish keeping. Many have attempted some 'impossible to keep fish' with obvious result.
It is always your choice as to which fish you decide to keep.

[Myka]

That's great that it's all working out for you right now! I'm glad you're finally happy with your tank. Your tank hasn't even been set up for a year right now though, and although you celebrate success at this point (which is great), success will be had when you have kept these fish for 3+ years. Long term success is a point of celebration, where short term success is often had.

[Treebeard]

Great post Diana and keep up the good work. Your success is an inspiration to many of us new to the hobby! :biggrin:

[Aquattro]

Diana, keep in mind that many warnings are given with good intent. I was warned that keeping purple anthias was near impossible. I'm an experienced aquarist with the ability to attempt meeting needs of anything they need. I got 4 dead anthias out of that test. so when someone says that "generally" something will die, it doesnt mean always, it means often enough to not risk killing something. If you're going to do it anyway, and it works, great. If it doesnt work, well, lesson learned, and don't try those again.
So if someone says they want to try a butterfly that 99 out of a 100 die, I think the warnings are warranted. Often the warnings come from those that have previously killed those very fish. I know if you post about wanting purple anthias, I'd warn against it.
Now we hope that the warnings come in a tempered tone, but as you know, people are passionate about things, and that often comes through in a bad tone.
I recall a facebook friend going on about a mistreated rottie, she was very passionate and you could see that in the tone :)
Remember, any negative comments are not because people don't like the poster, it's because they love the fish. Yes, they should maybe re-read then count to 10 before hitting submit, but that's in a perfect world.
we were all new once, and we all killed things we we're warned to not attempt, and mostly we try to save others from that sad situation.

[lastlight]

Well said.

[naesco]

Brad, great explanation.

[my2rotties]

I appreciate the comment Myka, but I have already do not touch the tank for any other reason aside of feeding and maintenance. I have not added any any new fish or corals and have no plans to do so. The less I touch the tank the better. No more fish, no more corals, meaning no disease or or dangers to the tank. I learned first hand that if you add fish or corals you run a risk of bringing unwanted things into the tank. I lost all of my acros due to flatworms that were infesting a LFS tank. I did not have the experience to know what was happening until it was too late. I dips all corals in Revive, which was not strong enough to make a dent in the flatworms, and I did not see them, due to the epoxy and rock they are mounted on. They were hiding inside of it all, where I could not see them. Lesson learned, and I have no interst in replacing them, since my fish need the swimming space.

Three years is a very long time, but I have no doubts my fish will be fine. I don't know how long most fish live in captivity, and perhaps if all their needs are fulfilled they still may not live that long. In the future I may remove fish and rehome them if they start getting aggressive, which I have done already in the past. Keeping the peace is first and foremost with my tank, and I have no ich, and no unhappy fish. Since I am not adding anymore, I have peace and harmony which is the other most important thing I have discovered. I don't watch television, I watch my tank instead, so I know all of my fish like the back of my hand and know if something is not right. The best way to know my water quality is not from testing, since I must be colour blind, since I never really know what the results say. I watch my fish's breathing and motion and know if something is out of whack. My Pagoda cup is also a big thing to know how my water quality really is as well. Testing my water just sends uncertainty and distrust, so I don't do it anymore. However, I don't suggest it to newer people with new systems, until they know their fish and tanks as well as I know mine. I also don't expect the same results for other people as I have had with my tank. Each system is different in the end, and because I get away with things, does not mean others can.

My only big issue I do have is that my puffer continues to eat snails whole, and ends up puffing up to cough them up. I was told this is stressful to them, but there is nothing I can do about it. It is an impossibility to remove all the snails, so I just hope he will be okay. So far it does not phase him, and perhaps it is a normal thing they do in the wild to align their pleats in their stomachs since there are so many.

I know there are members that have had fish for years, even ones from the very start, so I don't feel I would be any different. I also have a very experienced reefer that just moved out to my neck of the woods. He set up his tank and left for vacation, and I am taking care of his tank, and he will take care of mine when I take off for holidays with my dogs and hubby. I won't have a holiday disaster when I get home, and if there is a problem I am a phone call away. My tank has been around long enough now that I do not need to change the water much, although I do a small one twice a week, just because I want to do it.

I feel that if I have not killed my fish in a newly set up tank, the risk of doing so has lessened at least ten fold or more. I have found that the first six weeks is the most crucial part of bringing them into my system. My other success for this set up is the fact that I had bought over 250 pounds of live rock from a well established tank that was being shut down. I also added an additional 100 or more pounds of well established live rock from other shut downs. For me this was key in getting to where I needed to be. I added an additional 90g of water to the system for QT purposes that I could shut the water supply off of and run a skimmer, powerhead and heater when I needed to. I had a member come spend the night after a fish fest in the city and put all of her fish into that tank for the night. I shut it down from my water and when the fish were gone, I drained it, and cleaned and then added it to my water supply.

There are things that can be done to make things work out in the end. Perhaps I was lucky, perhaps it is the way the system is built, or perhaps I just some how know what I am doing. There are many members here that I know that bend and break the rules and have done amazing things with their systems. They just don't speak about it, since it against all odds or what others say is possible.

I may not have all my fish for three years but it will likely be due to them outgrowing their habitat, or the fact that all of them have grown too large and I will have to thin my school of fish. I have done this already, and it was a hard choice to make at times, which ones stayed and which ones went to new homes.

All I am saying it is possible to do things when the odds are stacked against you. New reefers should try to contact people in private after they do a search on fish or certain issues, to avoid the bashing and belittlement. It has always been an ongoing joke on how I get my butt kicked for asking anything on the forums, when other people get away with the same thing. There are people that are quick to bash others for adding a small tank to their smaller tank, when they have plans of upsizing or rehoming the fish when it outgrows it's tank. However the same people that often ridicule others for this practice do the exact same thing, and justify it. Why would anyone take these comments seriously or as helpful when people do not practice what they preach?

Any ways... I am just saying it is possible to house certain sea life together peacefully, through trial and error. Sometimes you don't know until you try, since every case is different. I see people that have killed multiple fish of the same species, only to get on their high horse and say not to do it. Well, why should I bother listening to these people when they don't follow their own advise, or blame other things that cannot be proven for a fact for the deaths?

I have made mistakes, and readily admit to them. I get beat up for it on these forums, but I have learned from each and every one of them. There are people that continue to make the same mistakes and errors in what they do, and nothing gets said. I can say from all the things I have done and mistakes I have made, I am a better hobbyist. I now know that I can't have it all, but I know some people that have more fish then me, and a tank full of the most amazing corals. I myself, have tried and can't, so I won't try again anytime soon, if I ever do. This is an amazing hobby and just the fact that we can keep marine fish alive and well, is a miracle all in itself. It just depends how much you can or want to do to ensure they thrive.

[my2rotties]

Brad I whole heartedly agree with you. There are fish I will avoid since people did say not to try them. I weigh out the pros and cons, and then I search for the people that have these fish and ask what they did to ensure their survival. I then go ask all the questions I need to ask in PMs and then decide if it is worth my while to try. When I bring in certain fish with low survival rates, it is a huge stress to me. I watch and I wait, I watch some more, do more research, drive myself nuts, and still do more reading and ask more questions. I will only try something once, and so far I have been very lucky. I do believe that most of it is the diversity of the foods I feed my fish. I throw everything in there in small amounts several times a day. I adjust powerheads and see what the results are. I also give new fish three days to settle in and establish a pecking order. Three days seems to be the magic number.

I am not telling people to go out and try stuff because I have done so. I am just saying to do the research and ask member directly on how they succeeded and if the fish are alive to this date. A couple of my fish are a huge PITA!!! They won't eat pellets and I have to trial and error many different foods or make home prepared diets to keep them fat and healthy. The fish I do have that almost never live are not at all easy to keep in the time I have to invest on learning what they want to or will eat. The bioload I put on my tank with learning these things about them was expensive due to the water changes I had to do frequently, and for the food I would have to purchase or make to see if they liked it. I fed several small meals throughout the day, and went through a heck of a lot of food and salt to ensure they were eating and keep the water quality. Now that I do know, I feed twice a day and know what they need or want. A lot of it was research and asking other people, but a lot of it was time, effort and money. All fish are different and some of my fish eat different things then other people's fish of the same species.

All I am saying is that sometime things can be done if you are willing to make the sacrifices and be prepared to not have money to do anything else aside of the tank until you figure things out. I am so glad I am past that point. I don't need fish, corals or any livestock. I just buy food and salt, and I am done. I can finally enjoy my tank, since it was bloody hell for a very long time. I did it to myself but now it is done and I can just sit back and enjoy them all. No more money, or upgrades for now. I discovered I do not need a chiller and that really pleased me. My only issue is we might move out of the province next year, and I don't know how I can move this system. I really want to keep it and my livestock, so I will need to research. However I will not worry about it for now, since it has not happened yet. I already know whom I would offer my favorite fish to, free of charge since I know they would keep them happy. For myb fish it would not be about recouping money, it would be about the people that are best suited for my fish.

I just wanted to speak my peace, since I really did get beat up a lot for asking anything, and felt it was uncalled for. You are right people should count to ten before hitting the submit button, since it does nothing but make people afraid to ask for help when it is needed. My friends call me the reef anarchist, and I guess I had to be one for a long time to get to where I needed to be. Again thanks to those that helped me out in private, they helped me decide if it was worth it to try and what needed to be done to succeed.

Diana, keep in mind that many warnings are given with good intent. I was warned that keeping purple anthias was near impossible. I'm an experienced aquarist with the ability to attempt meeting needs of anything they need. I got 4 dead anthias out of that test. so when someone says that "generally" something will die, it doesnt mean always, it means often enough to not risk killing something. If you're going to do it anyway, and it works, great. If it doesnt work, well, lesson learned, and don't try those again.
So if someone says they want to try a butterfly that 99 out of a 100 die, I think the warnings are warranted. Often the warnings come from those that have previously killed those very fish. I know if you post about wanting purple anthias, I'd warn against it.
Now we hope that the warnings come in a tempered tone, but as you know, people are passionate about things, and that often comes through in a bad tone.
I recall a facebook friend going on about a mistreated rottie, she was very passionate and you could see that in the tone :)
Remember, any negative comments are not because people don't like the poster, it's because they love the fish. Yes, they should maybe re-read then count to 10 before hitting submit, but that's in a perfect world.
we were all new once, and we all killed things we we're warned to not attempt, and mostly we try to save others from that sad situation.

[Myka]

See PM Diana.

[Skimmerking]

Hey at the end of the day its your tank and if you go through all of this for your fish then who cares what you do its your hobby and your Opinion on how things are done. I would rather see or anyone on here take a fis hthat is impossible to take care of and give it a place to live even if its life can only live for 3-4 months at least it made it that far. But when some one buys a the same fish and doesnt have the background or some of us and it dies like in 2-3 days or hours that is sad.

Like I have satated to you befoe in a PM, who cares what other people think. its your money ,time and passion that keeps your fish going through day after day.


MIke

[banditpowdercoat]

Diana, your tank is awesome, and you have done extremely well. I see that combo's are possible that I was told never would be. Your tan has been a great inspiration for mine.

[niloc16]

i'm pretty sure i'll get it for this post but its ok, i feel i've earned the right to speak my mind on here. i think alot of the time people should keep their mouth shut as to what 'THEY' feel should be allowed into someone elses tank. where someone gets off deciding what should and shouldnt be allowed to be sold or kept is beyond me. if you really stand back and think outside the box, nothing we put in our tanks should technically be there. but at the end of the day the hobbyist is the strongest researcher in marine life when it comes to owning an aquarium. we spend more time on our tanks and staring into them for endless hours than actually scientists do in the lab. yes i agree there is alot of losses of marine life in the industry but there is a greater loss in the wild with global warming. all the time spent in attacking others for their decisions or protesting stores or suppliers for what they are bringing should be spent in trying to make a difference in the environment.

hats off to you for doing a great job in not only keeping your livestock alive but obviously having them thrive. sorry i couldnt find the regulations on timelines of keeping livestock alive to prove your success. but by the sounds of it, it exists. along with the red and yellow fish list.

"thank you, come again"

[Navarchus]

Hi,
First of all...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ericrwalker/pichers1.jpg

Now, to the hurt of the matter…

Just like you I had successes with some hard to keep specimens such as Diacanthus (keep2 3 together for some time, all eating dry food) I head a mandarin for 4 years and he eat dry food eventually, cleaner wrasse was my tank doctor for a long time and so on….

you said:

All it takes is for a member to do their home work, make adjustments to their system and make darned sure to be committed to making this work..

I believe this is the key to success!
These hard to keep specimens requires advance planning and some aquarium modification. For example the Diacanthus is very sensitive to nitrogen cycle, so it is better to introduce it to an established system 3-6 month. If you have some aggressive fish in your system you should know you will have to give them away in order to maintain this delicate fish.

These are not fish you buy on the spot out of enthuse! Buying them without a proper planning and knowledge will end in their death and the enthusiast bitter disappointment!

[Aquattro]

. if you really stand back and think outside the box, nothing we put in our tanks should technically be there.

Pretty much says it there. It's funny how we criticise people killing a tang as we type over our dinner plate of salmon. These ornamental fish are actually food in their parts of the world, and get killed all the time. Groupers probably eat more fish than hobbyists kill :)
In all honestly, if a person is that passionate about fish, they should be working in a field trying to preserve reefs, not contributing to their demise. A fish does not, ever, belong in an aquarium. Birds don't belong in cages. Nor snakes. Or any wild animal. But as a species, we tend to be a bit selfish in our self rewarding behaviours, and "pets" often pay for that with their lives.
That being said, if you're going to keep these poor little things captive, doing your best is all that one can ask......

[brickwood]

Blah blah blah. Red list, yellow list, green list, whatever. If you have a tank with fish and corals, you are a hypocrite! I have broken every rule. Tangs, bring em on. I have many. Different species of clowns in one tank? I got em. Mixed reef? Mine is. It thrives. I have seen many tanks like mine that thrive. Even when I posted my journal, I was judged. I say whatever. I am in a hobby that can only be supported by taking from mother nature. Am I a bad person? Maybe. I am no worse than anybody else in the hobby. Maybe we all need to keep our opinions to ourselves, unless asked, including myself.

[Zoaelite]

Pretty much says it there. It's funny how we criticise people killing a tang as we type over our dinner plate of salmon. These ornamental fish are actually food in their parts of the world, and get killed all the time. Groupers probably eat more fish than hobbyists kill :)
In all honestly, if a person is that passionate about fish, they should be working in a field trying to preserve reefs, not contributing to their demise. A fish does not, ever, belong in an aquarium. Birds don't belong in cages. Nor snakes. Or any wild animal. But as a species, we tend to be a bit selfish in our self rewarding behaviours, and "pets" often pay for that with their lives.
That being said, if you're going to keep these poor little things captive, doing your best is all that one can ask......

This is a very truthful statement, to acknowledge that the hobby we partake in is detrimental to the lives of the animals we care for makes sense. To become passionate about it though (and that's why I believe most of us stay in this hobby) is what is really the life blood of the reefing industry. To see beyond the fish tank and understand that your responsible for the lives of ALL of these organisms is what everyone has to understand. Good on you Diana, it really looks like you are putting the effort in to care for these animals if I can give you any advice it's just to learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of the others around you, after all that's what this forum is for.
Levi

[Pazil]

Diana we still have not seen any new pics of your setup... I would love to see some. Glad to hear the new tang (well not so new any more) is doing great!! Get some pics up.

[my2rotties]

Thanks for the more positive comments, they are nice to see. It is also nice to see some members agree with some of these other posts as well. I do have to mention I didn't think there was a three year time line in order to know you have been successful. I may not have this tank and the fish for three years, I don't know that. As long as I live in this house, I will have them and consider their health and well being while I have them to be a success. I don't worry about if they will be dead in the morning or have the mentality that I am going to fail them. If I had this mind set, I should not be in this hobby... I wouldn't want to be, since that would not be enjoyable at all. I paid those dues at start up and with every fish I added. I am glad I have all the fish I want, and don't need to put myself through worrying about any new fish. If any do die, I will admit to it... why hide. Perhaps others could learn from the deaths and do better if they try.

I was told my limited success I have had in the past months in no way makes me an experienced hobbyist, but I never claimed to be one to begin with. I never tell anyone to do what I did, and never advise anyone to do what I have done. I would never advise or condone anything I had done...However, what I have done to make things work, may be different then other people's so I do think I deserve some credit. I am aware that problems may or will crop up later on as the tank matures, it is almost nine months old now. I was worried about hitch hiker crabs, but they give my Banana wrasse a hobby. He is a hunter and he loves to look for the crabs. Sometimes bad things can be blessing in the long run.

My husband built this system, and for someone that has never known a thing about things of this nature, he by far outdid himself. He made things very simple for me to do my job, which is care for the fish and the system. Nothing came easy and with the higher risk fish came great amounts of stress and tension.

Some times rules are made to be broken or bent. Sometimes it takes a newbie reefer to have the torch passed onto them, to try something once again. From my extensive research on many fish, there is not a large amount known about them to begin with, and if people continue to try, perhaps more knowledge of keeping them successfully will come along. I don't know everything of claim to even know very much. However I do know what I have learned, and I do know everything I had done to be where I am.

I continually see people get beat up for stocking choices, or impulse buys. Instead of bashing people and making them fearful to ask questions, why not say nothing at all. Why bother posting the tank will crash, the fish will die, or they have no chance. What is the point of closing doors?

Any ways, I have a serious hike to go on, and I appreciate all the input and insight on my post.

[my2rotties]

Working on pictures my other computer is not working properly and this one is brutal to get pictures to load and and stuff like that. There are some pictures in my photo album on the forums though... I hope that is enough for now. I will try to borrow hubby's computer to get things done.

Diana we still have not seen any new pics of your setup... I would love to see some. Glad to hear the new tang (well not so new any more) is doing great!! Get some pics up.

[fishoholic]

I go away on holidays and I miss out on commenting earlier. I have seen Diana's tank and it is beautiful. She has been a great friend to me and I am glad she has the fish she wants and the ability to take care of them. I agree that research should be done before buying a fish, needless to say I have bought fish I shouldn't have thinking I could care for them when a bit more research turned up things I didn't know about the fish which may have made me not buy it, but in the end you learn from mistakes and try to do better for future reference.

Sometimes it's good to try (within reason) because you just never know what might work that otherwise you wouldn't of thought possible.

I think you posted that you had been lucky enough to get a hold of a juvenile red sea regal angel. Juvenile regals from the red sea have been successfully kept but sadly they are rarely available. The PI/Indo angels which are often found in LFS are almost impossible to keep.


FYI her regal is a indo regal angel and is basically full grown, not a juvi red sea regal.

[seanoman]

Hey Diana! Great to here that your tank is doing so good. I am glad that you have had success so far with these fish. Just curious on how your sargassum trigger is doing. I would love to see some pics of these guys in your tank.

Keep up the good work!!

[my2rotties]

Thanks Laurie, at least you saw it in person, so nobody thinks I am lying.

Seanoman, the trigger is doing awesome. He is a fat so and is a really neat fish. Very quirky personality, and fun to watch playing in the powerheads.

[BlueAbyss]

This thread is awesome, it reflects how I feel about this hobby... often people are quick to bash someone for trying something, when they have themselves killed things. Often the best thing to do is step back, take it all into perspective, and try to think of ways to help rather than just saying that someone is stupid for even wanting to try something.

Offer help when asked, or say nothing... don't pollute threads with worthless comments about how something can't be done.

[my2rotties]

Here is a link to some pictures. I only have an iPhone and it can be difficult to photograph so much movement and such a wide tank. This the best I can do.

http://dianafranks260greef.blogspot.com/

Pictures just don't do my fish and justice.

[EmilyB]

Success.

As my second fish approaches 10 years in my tanks, I think I am close, but not quite there.

She is a Chaetodon melannotus - black back butterfly. Her name is Spike. She plays at the front glass with us a lot. I buy her soft coral to eat.

And then there is Trig-No-Metric-Functions. He is approaching 12 years in my tanks. Still shy, but still comes when called....

No, my dear, you are not quite there yet, but you are a good candidate perhaps and I do wish you the best.

:biggrin:

[Red Coral Aquariums]

but you are a good candidate perhaps and I do wish you the best.

+ 1
As do I.
Kevin

[my2rotties]

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step... that can be applied to anything in life, even this hobby.

I am glad you have had fish for so long, but I am sure when you started out, you just lived things day by day or month to month. I don't even know if I will even be living here or in this province in ten years... heck I don't even know if I will be alive in ten years... such is life and we never really know. Wasn't the world supposed to end in 2012 or something like that:wink:

I feed my regal angel zoas and he has killed a few of my softies from snacking on them or sampling... what do you do? At least he has an appetite right? The last thing I will do is complain about it, I was told by other people I asked about these fish they eat stuff they are not supposed to...

It is truly amazing how long fish actually live if they have the right care. You are someone I aspire to be in the future. However I know a dozen years from now, I will be talking about my 14 year old Antichrist damsel fish that bites me every time I need to do something in the tank. I hate that fish, I have dropped so much stuff while he has sniped the back of my arm. This fish will certainly outlive me.:lol:

Thanks for sharing Emily, it is appreciated.

Success.

As my second fish approaches 10 years in my tanks, I think I am close, but not quite there.

She is a Chaetodon melannotus - black back butterfly. Her name is Spike. She plays at the front glass with us a lot. I buy her soft coral to eat.

And then there is Trig-No-Metric-Functions. He is approaching 12 years in my tanks. Still shy, but still comes when called....

No, my dear, you are not quite there yet, but you are a good candidate perhaps and I do wish you the best.

:biggrin:

[EmilyB]

I am glad you have had fish for so long, but I am sure when you started out, you just lived things day by day or month to month. I don't even know if I will even be living here or in this province in ten years... heck I don't even know if I will be alive in ten years... such is life and we never really know. Wasn't the world supposed to end in 2012 or something like that:wink:



Actually, no. I pretty much committed to the fish the same way I do with my dogs. :biggrin:

[my2rotties]

I hear you there, my dogs are the love of my life, and nothing comes before them, not even my husband. The dogs and fish come before me all the time. They get fed before I eat and get cared for before I think of myself. All my fish have names and really do have personalities.

Do you notice your old fish are aging at all, or seem smarter since they are old? I would love to see them, since I am sure they have a been there and done that attitude. I have no doubts that my fish will live a long and healthy life. I spoil them rotten with all their special needs and requirements. I pity my friend who will be taking care of things when the hubby, digs and I go on holidays next month. I will have to leave small novel on all he needs to know about my gang. They really are a PITA, but to see the thrive makes it all worth while in the end. I really do love my fish.

Actually, no. I pretty much committed to the fish the same way I do with my dogs. :biggrin:

[EmilyB]

Do you notice your old fish are aging at all, or seem smarter since they are old?

No, they look exactly the same, and really aren't significantly different in behavior either. :lol: Spike (Bfly) was always very sociable, loves to chase the cleaning magnet, or just flare at your finger. Trig loves to stare at me, and when I look over and catch him, he pretends he wasn't...

Barring a tank problem, I wonder how long they will live?

I honestly think that will be the end of SW for me.