Marine Tank

[woodbloke]

Have just finished doing some maintenance work on the aquarium, water change, cleaning etc. Does anyone else keep marine fish.....its only very marginally less expensive than running a workshop :roll: :shock: - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Never been into fish (except the ones you eat) but that's an impressive looking aquarium, Rob.

Paul

 

[jasonB]

Used to have tropicals but I stick to my Koi now.

Jason

 

[wizer]

looks good!

i'd love to keep fish... but i dont think id get away with another expensive hobby :roll:

hmm someone here built a very impressive tank..... ?

 

[Evergreen]

Woodbloke

Now that is one impressive tank. Who needs a wide screen HD TV?!

Regards.

 

[woodbloke]

JasonB - that's a very impressive Koi pond with what looks like some good fish. I've got some 'Koi ordinaire' (ghosts etc) in my garden pond outside, as well as the usual outdoor fish. We got the koi as tiddlers about five years ago, but the problem is they just keep growing....and growing - Rob

 

[jasonB]

thats the problem they don't stop growing. My largest koi that is now over 24" started life as a 3"er, went into a tank and was 10" after nine months then she was put into the pond.

Few more shots inc some of the construction, its only a small koi pond at 3500gals but thats enough for me.

Next project is to replace the filter covers, which are on their way out after 10yrs, got some 4x3 green oak for the frame and 1 1/4" larch for the boards being cut at my usual mill.

Jason

 

[Noel]

Not meaning to be rude but I cannot see the attraction of keeping fish. Build a tank / pond, buy the fish, fed them and watch them swim around? Is that it?
I'm sure I have pastimes that are boring to others but I'm just wondering.

Rgds


Noel, who may have had goldfish in the past.

 

[dedee]

Woodbloke, never kept marine tropicals, freshwater tropicals were hard enough! Looks like you have a nice set up.

Noel,
every garden should have a pond (not so sure about koi as the water needs to be kept very clean). The wildlife they attract are fascinating not to mention beneficial to the garden and the goldfish keep the midges down. Even at my age I cant resist pond dipping and showing the children the delights that lie within. Its educational too, frogs - spawn - tadpoles, newts, dragonflies - larvae, damsel flies, pond skaters, snails, leeches and the Irises about now are very pretty.


Andy

 

[mailee]

That is one impressive tank. I have never kept any fish but have swam with lots and lots of them. I can appreciate how difficult marine aquariums are to maintain. you must have a lot of patients.

 

[Alf]

every garden should have a pond

Well I wouldn't go that far, but they are nice to have. You don't have to have fish in it though - we didn't even contemplate it in ours 'cos the local heron would have had them away before you could say "you want chips with that?" I'm afraid my mind associates aquaria with patient clinics and doctors waiting rooms, thus ruining them for me completely.

Cheers, Alf

 

[woodbloke]

Noel - I agree with Dedee about ponds, very therapeutic things to have in a garden. SWMBO call ours a big time waster, and she's right - you can spend hours just sitting, looking at the fish. Same is true of indoor fishes - we had a couple of tropical fresh water set ups when the kids were small and always hankered after a decent marine tank.

Here's something else that's a huge timewaster in our family:

This one follows me around all day and demands constant cuddles, and even as I input this post she's jumped up on the desk in front of the screen, rolling around, so I can't see a thing ......get out of the way...trouble is, she doesn't pay any attention to me....bit like someone else I know :roll: :roll: - Rob

 

[dedee]

You don't have to have fish in it though - we didn't even contemplate it in ours 'cos the local heron would have had them away before you could say "you want chips with that?"

We've had problems with herons too. Since the children came along we've had a galvanised wire mesh on a wooden frame over the pond which keeps the kids out as well as the pesky heron. The frame is raised up on bricks so the frogs, newts etc can get in and out and it is easy to prop it up for supervised pond dipping sessions.

Andy

 

[woodbloke]

Dedee wrote:

problems with herons too

A couple of tips I was told about was to firstly make the sides of the pond vertical, this means that the heron can't wade into the water, which is how they normally take fish. Secondly, around the outside of the pond close to the water, put in some bamboo sticks about 600mm apart, about 300mm high and then thread a couple of lines black cotton between them to form a sort of invisible 'fence'. If a heron does land he'll tangle up his legs and won't be able to go fishing. I've had two ponds over the last 10 years and haven't lost any fish to herons - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Rob,

To me your cat seems to be thinking "How can I get the top off that aquarium?" :wink:

Paul

 

[dedee]

Rob, the cane and thread idea I am sure will work as for steep sides well I've seen a heron stand on the side of our pond (feet out of water) and dip his beak to catch a fish, he missed. Incidently I've also witnessed a crow do likewise and he caught a frog!

Andy

 

[tim]

Looks like the heron/fish balance of power might be reversed in Jason's case!

Cheers

Tim

 

[Jake]

I'm afraid my mind associates aquaria with patient clinics and doctors waiting rooms, thus ruining them for me completely. Sad

Me too - and Mailee, by the looks of his freudian slip:

you must have a lot of patients.

 

[woodbloke]

dedee wrote:

I've seen a heron stand on the side of our pond (feet out of water) and dip his beak to catch a fish,

I've never seen that, though I have heard of fishkeepers in our area who have had their ponds emptied by herons, and also one case of thieves stealing valuable koi - Rob

 

[Adam]

Few more shots

Hey Jason, I had a nosey around. Changing your bandsaw blade looks fun

Adam