Saltwater Fishtank

[Needmorerum]

Anyone had anything to do with Saltwater fishtanks. I want to have a shot at keeping one, mainly for Poddies.
Not sure if it is a viable option, but maybe worth a go.

Corry

[NeilD]

A saltwater setup is a little more complex than freshwater. Waste products (ammonia and nitrites) from the fishes metabolism are toxic and need biological filtration to break them down. This can be as simple as undergravel filtration or as complex and expensive as a trickle system. Fish like mullet are hardy and would probably survive in a 4ft tank with a simple undergravel system. Go to a good aquarium and have a look at what they have.

Neil

[MOZ]

Corry

I used to run a 4 foot marine tank for years and successfully kept all sorts, squire,bream, flathead, shovelnose, venus tuskfish, and many other fish all line caught. Only filtration I had was basic underground filters but the key to it was regular water changes of 1/4 to 1/2 tank. I used to take 2 rubbish bins with plastic liners out on the boat each fishing trip and fill with nice clean sea water before returning to the boat ramp.

A bit of mucking around but successfull and cheap!

MOZ

[MulletMan]

Another point is that you don't keep topping it up with straight salt water all the time. When the pool level drops due normal evaporation etc. the actual salt content remains unchanged so if you keep chucking in seawater, the salt level will increase each time until it kills them. Heavy filtration and a careful watch over the salinty level is essential. Kept a big one in PNG for 20 years full or coral fish, anenomies etc. and though a lot of work, worth it in the long run.

[Richard]

Just a thought but a lot of mullet species are euryhaline (meaning they can survive in a wide range of salt levels). It might be a lot easier just running a freshwater tank.

You'd have to convert them over before putting them in the tank or putting them back in the ocean. This can be done by adding little bits of freshwater them while in a bucket of saltwater over time. You'd have to experiment with it but it wouldn't be hard once you knew how quickly you could do it.

Salt water tanks can be difficult and expensive to keep running if you want to do it right.

richard

[Pwoida]

The problem for me was keeping the water temp down in summer. In winter you just use a heater but to keep certain fish in summer you need an expensive chiller system. Now that I have an air con installed I might have another go at it.
Fish are great to watch, even just bream / mullet etc. I tried to keep live bait for a while but my wife kept naming them.

[Steven78]

I would just buy a second hand Bar fridge and make a coil out of Silcon hose with a small AC pump.
This option could be very cheap to biuld and you could regulate it with the speed of the pump and temp of the fridge

[Rainbowrunner]

mullet would be too easy .
Just plenty of filtration and water movement.
Marine fishtanks are very easy, check salinity and ph and nitrite.
Marine CORAL tanks require alot more time effort and water quality control.
I used to keep livies in a bathtub downstairs with a cheap pond pump and filter made from milkcrates with the water falling through them...most effective.

[damons33]

corry, buddy it would be a lot simplier just to get into soft plastics.
da ant nuffin dat swims dat wont ate em' school jew included.
damon

[devocean]

Have been keeping salt tanks for about 15 years currently have 3. Want more missus said no.

Very simple to set up just get a decent pump. Good overflow filter would be fine. collect your water from the sea so you dont have to make it up and cycle it. Throw in a couple of hermit crabs or snails from the becah asa well for a few days t get the bacteria to build up.

After a bout a week throw in your fish. Dont throw in heaps a few at a time. As mentioned in previous posts the biggest killer in marine tanks is overfeeding as this causes builds upo in waste. Only feed fish about once evry 2 days. Anyhting dead in the tank must be removed immediately or else this will kill your fish.

Also mentioned in the other posts dont top up with saltwater just use fresh water out of the tap asthe salt content always stays the same.

If you want coral you will need a double fluro batten and proper marine lights ( not expensive). Onec up an d running easier than freshwater.

I have never successfully kept mullet though I have kept just about everything else you can name. They tend to like running water, though if you get a heap of little bream and few whiting and soles and flathead you can make an awesome estuary tank.

[col_aus]

i had a go at keepin mullet in a tank once but every time i turned the lights out the buggers jumped out lol .so i put a lid on em and they ko:ed them selves on it guess you have to leave the lights on

col

[devocean]

Heres a little pic of one of my tanks