Fish Tank 2016 07 02

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Well this is a departure from what I normally post.

I have kept a Fish Tank since I was 16 with few periods of time where I did not have one.

The best setup I ever had was two tall 55 gallon tanks side by side which gave me a wall 8 feet long of Fish Tank.

Currently, I have one 110 gallon high tank. I like the dimensions of the tank. It is 31 inches high, 48 inches long, and 18 inches wide. The 31 inch height is just low enough where I can reach the inside back corner without having to put my shoulder in the tank. The 18 inches wide is wide enough where you can stack stuff in the tank and still have some empty space at the front of the tank. The 48 inches long, well it would be nice if it was 96 inches long, maybe someday.

This is my first attempt to take some close up pictures and it is not as easy as it might seem; the camera wants to focus on the glass, the fish are never still, reflections of both the flash and other stuff in the room are a pain, including windows.

How many fish do I have in the tank? To tell the true I do not know.  I have a lot. African Cichlids are known to be aggressive if they establish territories. There are several ways to combat this problem. Some reading I did said that if you over populate African Cichlids, they will tolerate themselves better and that seems to be true. They still chase each other and establish territories and I still get babies once in a while.

Pet store rant:
Recently, I picked up an infestation of Trumpet Snails from a purchase at a pet store. I have tried many things to get rid of them and have had to settle with controlling the population. I tried traps (a small Tupperware box with holes drill in it and lettuce inside) with some success, Assassin Snails ( amazingly, the Clown Loaches leave these guys alone and they seem to have little effect on the Trumpet snails), and Clown Loaches. The Clown Loaches do not seem interested in either the Trumpet snails or the Assassin Snails. They do love the occasional piece of Zucchini that I put in the tank.

I have two opinions on pet stores, one is THEY ARE TERRIBLE, and two, they are putting themselves out of the fish business with the quality of knowledge they show about the care and maintenance of fish.

Some day I want to try ordering some fish online and see how that works.

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0062- So this is the tank. I have always regarded it as a living moving picture. I calms me down when I sit and look at it. There is plenty of activity. I like the colors of salt water, but do not want the work to maintain it. I have found that African Cichlids is a nice compromise, they have some nice color and have good personalities. 

 

 

I have never paid much attention to names. When I’m in a pet store, if I see something I like, I purchase them.

In my old age, I am finding that I would like to know the names of these fish so if you can help out please do.

The fish in the tank range in sizes from 2 to 6 inches in length

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0055-I really like the colors in this fish, I believe it is the fish that I like the most. Not knowing the name I have made several attempts at purchasing more, but have ended up with some look a likes, but not the same fish, at least I do not think so.

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0015-In this picture there are three, below are some close ups of the “different fish that look the same”

 

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0031-                          Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0059-

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0034-There are two different fish in this shot, the one sticking his nose out of the rocks is very colorful but tends to hide a lot. The one in the mid-range also has good color, and course there is a Clown Loach. 

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0035-Here is another shot of the fish that was in the mid-range of the last picture.

 

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0037-I have no idea what this fish is but liked its shape

 

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0039-What follows are more shots of different fish that I would like help in identifying.

 

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0041-This is a poor shot, the rear tail is not fanned out, but this is another fish that hides a lot so I took what I could get

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0042-More shots of fish whose names I do not know

 

 

 

 

Tank 2016 07 02 DSC_0047-I like the coloration in this fish but have been told that as they mature, they will change color and develop a vertical white strip