Editor's note: this post introduces Greg Howard, our new contributing author, who will be speaking from the heart as a beginner saltwater aquarist in his weekly column "The Saltwater Newbie" appearing on Sundays.
I am a fish tank amateur. The first time I looked at a fish
tank, what I was really thinking was: “Ok, what’s the big deal?” I couldn’t
understand my friend’s obsession with what I considered an isolated three foot
sheet of glass and something that moved around in it. Big deal.
I didn’t understand the kind of time that was devoted to it, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around why they cared so much.
I think the problem with my exposure to the aquarium world was with public aquariums. When I was young and craving interaction, these things would just swim around and "be boring". No matter how much I tapped on the damn glass, they wouldn’t respond!
Ignored, I dismissed aquarium fish as 'stupid' and 'a waste of my time'. That attitude stayed with me until a few years ago when I was forced to accept a hard truth.
Some fish are cool.
Now, don’t get me wrong, they were still boring. But sometimes I would see a puffer attack a snail, or see something randomly interesting happen in Mike's aquariums and I would have to adjust my thinking a little. I would still mercilessly make fun of my friends who would turn off their bedroom lights and watch snails move around on the sand bed (Mike, again...). I mean…I had to draw the line somewhere about what was interesting and what wasn't.
It wasn’t until about a year ago when I was confronted with a fish so bizarre and interesting that I finally had the thought: “I would like one of those.” Who would have thought?
Mike had a frog fish. Let me start by telling you, the thing was badass. I will list its badass attributes so you can follow more clearly.
If you’ve ever played a video game or watched a monster flick, this thing will make you giggle like a six year old girl.
Second: It has legs.
This thing walks around. It doesn’t swim often, but it crawls like some Darwinian freak show. In case you were wondering, I’m giggling right now.
Third: It changes colors.
If you have the right color algae growth on your coralline rock, this thing would be neon pink.
Now, Mike's frog fish was a mid sized frog fish. About 2 inches long, it was forest green, and it would devour anything it could fit its mouth around. Now this was a fish I could enjoy.
Maybe that’s where the addiction starts. Thinking back, I can’t really pin-point when it happens, but I know it does.
It wasn’t until recently when I finally broke down and got an aquarium. I didn’t even buy the tank; a friend gave it to me. I don’t think I would have bought one or put anything in one if he didn’t force me to take it. He was there patiently watching over my shoulder (mixing my saltwater and setting it up as I watched and drank a coke) as I set up the tank. And a few days later I went out and got some live rock and my very own frog fish. Here is a picture of my new tank!
You will notice two things: First, yes, I know my sand bed is awesome. Second, Yes, I promise there is, in fact, a frog fish in there. In case you missed it, I will provide you a close up.
Sorry if the picture is fuzzy, but you’ll get over it.
Now, I know he may be hard to find; a fact which my wife was too eager to point out to me every time she saw the tank; and for this reason I have since added a snowflake eel. One of only a handful of tank mates that is safe to put in a tank with a frog fish. (Remember the eating anything it can fit in its mouth thing...)
And for the first time in my life I sat with a flashlight looking at my fish with the lights off. Terribly embarrassing for me, but it happens I guess.
As an amateur aquarist, I have a ton of questions but I’ve learned a lot in only a few short weeks. I want to save some people out there a lot of headache.
1. Find a resource.
There are tons out there. You can start by submitting a question here on the Captive Aquatics blog. Mike and Merritt are here to help with the life of your fish, and really do care. What they tell you may be hard to digest, but they will always tell you the truth and will be helpful. (I got denied trying to add a puffer to my tank.)
If you don’t like the whole idea of submissions, check out the archives here (not much here yet, but we're hard at work, and post every day) and if that fails you, check out http://www.wetwebmedia.com, which is also a huge resource for information for you to read at your leisure.
If you want a more personal touch, you can hire out Mike Maddox (an aquatics consultant) on the main site here: Captive Aquatics. You will not find a better resource for your salt water tank hobby. His consultations are invaluable, especially to a beginner like me.
2. Dedicate the time.
This hobby takes time. It takes care. This isn’t just a glass jar with water and a toy floating around in it; you are supporting an entire mini eco-system. On a whim, you could destroy countless years of life. So, take it seriously.
I will post updates on my small sojourn into the world of the aquarium hobby every Sunday. I hope that you’ll join me!
Woot Woot! Thanks for being here. I'm setting up my first bio-cube salt. My first dilemma, where to put it? I wanna see it at all times, yet the only place for that is my living room which has all eastern windows. Therefore I get a lot of day light. Seeing the back of the tank is already blacked out, would blacking out the sides also protect it more for the daylight?
Posted by: Jamie | 04/18/2009 at 03:48 AM
Why would you want to "protect" it from sunlight? Sunlight is so infinitely superior to artificial light, it's unreal! :) I advised Greg to place his aquarium in a corner with a south and east facing window, although his aquarium is fish only. For corals/other photosynthetic inverts, nothing beats natural nature's sunlight.
Posted by: Captive Aquatics | 04/18/2009 at 07:27 AM
I don't know the reasons why you should find a well lit area. I just know that you *should*. It's one of those things that I learned very early. I can't explain it, but my heart just goes all a-flutter when I see a well-lit nook that would be just *perfect* for a nano.
In time you will also learn this as many have before you. And in time you will also look at well lit areas of a perfect stranger's house and think to youserlf: "That would be a *perfect* place to put a tank."
You will get strange looks, because you will say this outloud, but you won't care. Such is the aquatic cycle. I welcome you!
Posted by: Account Deleted | 04/25/2009 at 11:02 AM