Keeping a yorkie is way easier than keeping saltwater tank!

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by lovespandp

Ya it is really amazing- the yellow tang is like 10 years old! He has had the tank forever! He maintains it himself. He is always tinkering with it when Im there Lol.

Wow! That's awesome! Good for him.

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

The jellies are so pretty!!! So hard to care for, correct?

I have NO idea.

[enchilila]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Well if you have fish, you have to have a cleaning crew, snails, shrimp etc. And if you have a cleaning crew, you must have fish for them to be able to feed. Was he only keeping one or the other? I was told the cleaning crew must go in first, as they are hardier, then the fish a month later. Sadly for my crabs they did not make it.

He had a good balance of both at all times. He usually bought his water at our local fish store. He made his own at times. He did water changes every two weeks. I did all the water testing with his kits. It was that darn PH that he could never keep steady for some reason. For the last 6 months, he only had live rock and other colorful items in it. It was beautiful! Then, each one started dying slowly.

[enchilila]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Well if you have fish, you have to have a cleaning crew, snails, shrimp etc. And if you have a cleaning crew, you must have fish for them to be able to feed. Was he only keeping one or the other? I was told the cleaning crew must go in first, as they are hardier, then the fish a month later. Sadly for my crabs they did not make it.

At first, I sat for hours at night watching all of the activity going on inside the tank. It was beautiful at night. I loved watching all the little sea creatures roam around. I'm sorry your crabs didn't make it.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by enchilila

He had a good balance of both at all times. He usually bought his water at our local fish store. He made his own at times. He did water changes every two weeks. I did all the water testing with his kits. It was that darn PH that he could never keep steady for some reason. For the last 6 months, he only had live rock and other colorful items in it. It was beautiful! Then, each one started dying slowly.

so sad. I think my ph is ok at 8.2, but I need to get a salinity tester. Poor crabbies.

[capt_noonie]

Boy did I have a scare this morning! I was retesting, and saw the star on the side of the glass. I thought oh cool he's climbing up. Just as I was looking at him, he falls off the glass and plops down on the sand upside down! I thought oh no he's dead for sure! But he righted himself in less than a minute. Whew!

Now Shrimpy is hiding, maybe he's gonna molt soon?

[enchilila]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

Boy did I have a scare this morning! I was retesting, and saw the star on the side of the glass. I thought oh cool he's climbing up. Just as I was looking at him, he falls off the glass and plops down on the sand upside down! I thought oh no he's dead for sure! But he righted himself in less than a minute. Whew!

Now Shrimpy is hiding, maybe he's gonna molt soon?

I was always cleaning the "molt" skin out of the tank. I was constantly uprighting the hermit crabs. I would drop larger shells for them to crawl into when they outgrew their own shells.

Do you have those tiny tiny tiny stars that stay on the sides of your tank? I could never figure out where they came from. I always figured they were, what I called, hitchhikers (they were attached to other things we bought and put in the tank).

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by enchilila

I was always cleaning the "molt" skin out of the tank. I was constantly uprighting the hermit crabs. I would drop larger shells for them to crawl into when they outgrew their own shells.

Do you have those tiny tiny tiny stars that stay on the sides of your tank? I could never figure out where they came from. I always figured they were, what I called, hitchhikers (they were attached to other things we bought and put in the tank).

I think they come from the live rock. So far have not seen any. The people on the fishy forum keep telling me to return Patrick and exchange him for the tiny stars, but I like him already. they said the tank is too small for him and he will starve to death. But the guy at the shop told me it was ok. Don't know who to believe. You can't always believe everything you read online, but some shopkeepers will tell you anything to make a sale you know?

We are going to another shop today and see what they say.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by lovespandp

OMG You are crazy girl!! Salt water tanks are so HARD to maintain and very $$

Here is my best friends hubby's tank Everything you see is alive!

I could SO get into that hobby if it weren't for the work part of it. All those pix were wonderful - just took me away. It would be so relaxing to just sit and watch that for hours. I think I would have to have one of those gas glass fireplaces installed, too, just to add to the ambiance.

[Ringo1]

Yeah ~ those have always looked like a lot of work to me - but still pretty.

I know I don't have the patience for it OR the skill.

I bought my son a goldfish for his 9th birthday and it lived exactly one night. He never wanted another one!

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

I could SO get into that hobby if it weren't for the work part of it. All those pix were wonderful - just took me away. It would be so relaxing to just sit and watch that for hours. I think I would have to have one of those gas glass fireplaces installed, too, just to add to the ambiance.

I guess it's the super technical part of me. Whatever the problem is, there is a scientific reason why it happened. I have to buy more testing supplies too. =/ I actually get dizzy staring into the tank for too long. LOL. And this started off as bf's hobby. Guess who is the one who does all the testing. but it's fun.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Well if you can put in the work, go for it. I would love to have one - a big one, if I could manage the work. And video your swimming critters as you can for us who would like to just see them occasionally - pul-eeeese?!?!

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

I guess it's the super technical part of me. Whatever the problem is, there is a scientific reason why it happened. I have to buy more testing supplies too. =/ I actually get dizzy staring into the tank for too long. LOL. And this started off as bf's hobby. Guess who is the one who does all the testing. but it's fun.

Wasn't Uni his idea too?

Shrimpy has a name?

[Harrysmum]

Oh my goodness, I've just seen this thread...

The same thing happened with my son! He decided to do a salt water tank, got it all sorted and filled it with shrimpy things....

He named each one...Sally, Harry, Andy, Anna etc. etc. - unfortunately one by one they all died! Each of us had a long, lingering death...he said it was the worst few days of his life..... Sally x

[capt_noonie]

Well, I've got some bad news guys. Last night I came home and checked on the tank. Shrimpy was belly up under a rock. Then this morning the two snails were gone too. I was afraid to check on Patrick. I fished out the bodies, and then I poked Patrick to see if he was still alive. Thank goodness he is still alive, for now. He keeps climbing up the tank wall and then plopping himself upside down on the sand, then flipping himself over.

I feel so terrible! That's six lives that I've ended since Sunday. All testing is coming back within normal range! I don't know what else to do.

[Maximo]

Poor shrimpy and snails! I think I will stick to Yorkies, they do sound much easier.

My family had fresh water tanks and at one point my brother had a pair of gorgeous black angel fish. They grew fairly large. Then my brothers dumped in a fish, can't remember what it was, and the thing mauled the angel fish and caused them to die. I was furious with my brothers. They should have known better.

I love looking at pictures in tank forums and seeing everyone's beautiful setups.

LOL, boyfriend started this hobby and you have taken over.