I swear Im getting a bigger tank!!

jwm2k3 · #1 07/20/2004, 09:14 PM

How many times have we heard this from people who purchase a fish that will outgrow their tank?

I dont think its realistic to plan on a big tank after buying a fish that will get BIG.

Get the tank first, then the fish.....

(sorry to rant, I just cant believe anyone who says this anymore)

slylie · #2 07/20/2004, 09:25 PM

There is a guy on another board with a nurse shark in a 55 gallon, who SWEARS he is going to build a 3,000 gal tank for it in the future, but then again he has been saying it for a while now.

ihatter · #3 07/20/2004, 11:28 PM

What board is it?

rtgordon · #4 07/21/2004, 12:20 AM

fwiw, i have two fish that will outgrow my tanks (1 in each). My lfs takes back fish at 1/2 what they sell them for regardless if you buy it there or not. So, it is not an issue for me unless I get too attached to the fish. In that case, I guess I would have to look for a larger tank.

Sometimes you guys can be a little too conservative... "OMFG, you have a clownfish in that 125!!! It could poop in there!" lol When I first started, I used fw stocking principles because I didn't know any better. After researching, I learned more about stocking a sw tank and had to take some of my fish back. Some people apply a pretty conservative rule for everyone without knowing anything about their system. What I learned is that it is not just about tank size, it is also about (and sometimes more importantly) what filtration methods are used.

IMO, it's pointless to argue/worry about it because fish weren't meant to be kept in glass cages regardless of size. Yet, we put them in there for our own enjoyment. We do the best that we can for them, but sometimes what one sees as the best isn't what another sees. A tang in a 55 isn't good, but it could be alot worse.

The way I see it is if someone is on a msg board, they are trying to learn something. Its not like you never killed a fish. Hopefully you felt bad and you learned something from your mistake... and hopefully, by participating and by seeing the examples set by others, they will see the error of their ways and work to change. If not, they simply don't care and there is nothing that you or anyone else can do about it and no amount of arguing/flaming will do anything to change things. In that case, the only reason they say they will upgrade their tank is to shut up the people that will criticize them and to try and take attention away from the fact that they put something too large in their aquarium in the first place.

gordon

s dubay · #5 07/21/2004, 12:33 AM

Well said,RT.i would have to agree with you there!

T-T-Trigger · #6 07/21/2004, 01:56 AM

I think he is talking about boneheads that blow smoke so they don't get flamed for being seen as cruel - and I see way more queen/clown trigs, big groupers, sharks, rays, eels, sohals, etc... being sold than I do 180g + size tanks, so these people are definitely out there.

rant all you want about "conservative" recommendations - but if the LFS won't do it, somebody has to.

Gem Tang Rider · #7 07/21/2004, 05:52 AM

Here I go!
I am getting a larger tank, because my 75 gal is too small. I had the 75 gal from when I had a planted tanks.
My wife is going to kill me.

rtgordon · #8 07/21/2004, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by T-T-Trigger
I think he is talking about boneheads that blow smoke so they don't get flamed for being seen as cruel - and I see way more queen/clown trigs, big groupers, sharks, rays, eels, sohals, etc... being sold than I do 180g + size tanks, so these people are definitely out there.

rant all you want about "conservative" recommendations - but if the LFS won't do it, somebody has to.

in most cases, the clown trigger, etc has more to worry about than outgrowing a tank in these situations. If someone doesn't understand how to stock a tank, the chances are that the fish won't make it to adulthood anyway.

I was just trying to present a case from the other side and also trying to say some people here and there are overly conservative/assuming about others sometimes. It is better to educate than flame and the uneducatable will always be just that.

I took jwm2k3's advice to heart about mixing puffers with lions even when all the lfs dorks said it should be okay. better to be safe than sorry imo.

If some bonehead wants to keep wasting money doing all the wrong things in spite of all the advice... good for him/her and good for their lfs. It's not worth stressing over. Fish are supposed to relieve stress

gordon

2004jeepoutlander · #9 07/21/2004, 09:53 AM

nurse shark in a 55 gallon thats cruel

T-T-Trigger · #10 07/21/2004, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rtgordon

Fish are supposed to relieve stress

[/B]

Who told you that?!?!

jwm2k3 · #11 07/21/2004, 11:51 AM

Gordon, good post.

How many times can I see someone say, "Im planning a XXX gallon tank, what can I put in there? I already have a Panther grouper, a Clown Trigger, and 36 tangs." and NOT say anything....

I feel the need to keep it real here. How often does the bigger tank really happen?

slylie · #12 07/21/2004, 01:17 PM

the most extreme case i ever heard, i met this guy browsing the reef shop... (actually he asked why i was staring at the liverock, and told me "theres nothing in there") i explained that i was looking to see if the rock was cured or not.. he then went on to tell me he was having problems keeping fish alive.. i asked what he had.. he replied "a 40 gallon with 2 nemofish, 1 doryfish, 3 yellow tangs, and a school of these green shiny fish." i gasped and said "so which of those are dead?" he replied "nonono.. they are all alive, the ones that died were a powder blue tang and a koran angel"

i gave him the address to my board and begged him to trade in his tangs or get a bigger tank, but i doubt he did. Never visited the board either.

jwm2k3 · #13 07/21/2004, 02:45 PM

sly, this is no joke or exaggeration. There is a lfs in Boston that has a 4 1/2 foot wobbygong shark in a 125 tank. The first I heard about it I was shocked. Then I went in to see it....

It cant even move, nevermind turn around...

They want $1500.00 for it.

That is complete animal abuse.

bartzenegger · #14 07/21/2004, 02:54 PM

my 220 used to have a 5ft gator that couldnt turn around. ( i bought the tank used from a lfs ) i didnt have the gator. it was at the lfs.

garrettjohnson · #15 07/21/2004, 03:59 PM

Yeah it is ridiculous how some lfs owners can treat their livestock. I was in a petshop thats about 30 min. from my house that had a 13 inch. wobbygong shark in a 20 gallon tank that was divided in half. The shark could barely stretch out it would have to lay diagonally to stretch its entire body length in that tank!!! I may just be 15 years old but I am sure smart enough to know animal abuse when I see it!!!!!!! Some of these guys make me sick!!!!

Steve_B · #16 07/21/2004, 05:51 PM

I really am! I just got off the phone with my wife and we figured out a way of rearranging some rooms to accommodate a big tank and not turn our house into, as she says "a pet shop". I think I'm going to shoot for a 300!

bartzenegger · #17 07/21/2004, 07:58 PM

nice!

jwm2k3 · #18 07/21/2004, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SBSB
I really am! I just got off the phone with my wife and we figured out a way of rearranging some rooms to accommodate a big tank and not turn our house into, as she says "a pet shop". I think I'm going to shoot for a 300!

Are you messin with me? J/K

bj32482 · #19 07/21/2004, 09:12 PM

good for you sbsb

way to put your foot down.

I am in the same situation with my 135g

I wanted a 240g she wanted a 55g

We settled on the 135g RR

VolitanLioness · #20 07/21/2004, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Get the tank first, then the fish.....

I agree with this! If you are plan on getting a bigger tank than why not wait on the fish.
I also get sick of hearing how the fish wont grow in a smaller tank, like stunting the growth is something to be proud of.
Or reading threads about tangs because when you dont agree your called "The Tang police" and isn't that just original.

Ok now I am just ranting!

Kaye

Steve_B · #21 07/22/2004, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jwm2k3
Are you messin with me? J/K

Nope, I meant what I said. After a cursory investigation, the expense may just be more than Iâ€™m willing to spend though. I went onto the Tenecor site and spent a few minutes adding up the cost for a 300 and Iâ€™m easily over $4,000 just to get started. I would want to go with live rock, and I have no idea what kind of money that would involve. Iâ€™m starting to think that I could easily hit the $6,000 mark when everything is totaled up. I came up with a really cool idea on furnishing the room the tank would be in, and that would add a couple of thousand more so I could end up at $8-10K to do the whole thing. Almost everything we do with our house is special order or custom stuff, so if we do something we either do it right or not at all. Iâ€™ll have to see how a few things play out financially in the next few months before making a final decision.

rtgordon · #22 07/22/2004, 11:04 AM

don't know about their reputation or quality, but check out glasscages.com prices

Trigger Fan · #23 07/22/2004, 11:19 AM

Glasscages have very good tanks and good prices, friend of mine got a 240gl pre-drilled from them, not one problem with the tank. SBSB, you can get a 240 96-24-25 for $450 or the 300 96-24-31for $800. Imo, i would go with the 240, you only lose 6" of height and save $350 to put towards other goodies for the tank. HTH a little.

Steve_B · #24 07/22/2004, 12:46 PM

That price I was quoting included overflows built into the tank, an acrylic stand, canopy and a wet/dry system including pumps. I wouldn't use their filtration system; I would want to design my own. I just quoted those numbers as a rough estimate.
Thanks for the info about Glasscages; I'll check it out.

LHHFMF · #25 07/22/2004, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jwm2k3
sly, this is no joke or exaggeration. There is a lfs in Boston that has a 4 1/2 foot wobbygong shark in a 125 tank. The first I heard about it I was shocked. Then I went in to see it....

It cant even move, nevermind turn around...

They want $1500.00 for it.

That is complete animal abuse.

I've been to the store you speak of and have seen the shark, so sad to see the poor thing just laying on the bottom of the tank with no where to go