Is there anyone who has a marine tank that isn't a reef tank, but instead focuses on marine algae and seagrasses? It could be based on sandy shores and tidal pools. I went to mexico a while back and I loved the marine plants I saw. I also saw some really neato fish that no one knew what they were called, and marine fish charts for the area didn't list them. They were silver torpedo shaped fishes with tube like mouths, black edged tail and pectoral fins held out like wings.
Turns out the neato fish I watched in fast moving shoals by the shore was Mugil cephalus, the striped mullet.
"Mullet, unlike the rest, are just and mild,
No fish they harm, by them no seas are spoil'd;
Not on their own nor different kinds they prey,
But equal laws of common right obey.
Undreaded they with guiltless pleasure feed,
On fattening slime, or bite sea-grown weed."
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/saltwater/clark_grey mullet.html
Here is a neato article on mullet in the marine aquarium. Read this to understand better my ideas.(it's where I found the poem)
Turns out they are very hardy, live life in brackish or marine conditions and even head into freshwater from time to time. They often get trapped in tidal pools when feeding once low tide comes, so that would make them extraordinarily hardy for marine fish. Tidal pools get really warm during the day and very cool at night. The only thing I found about anywhere else is using them as baitfish or something. I searched here and found a thread about keeping one but it was discouraged. I suppose this was because the tank was too small for the adult and people didn't research their diet or whatnot. Many marine fish are wild caught to begin with, why not catch your own?
ANYWAY here was my plan.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee86/88seds88/GetAttachment-1aspx.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee86/88seds88/GetAttachmentaspx-1.jpg
Marine tank, 220 gallons or larger. Big jagged rocks in the corners to hide filter output. These rocks would probably be the kind of rocks on natural shores, riddled with holes and stuff. Sand covering the rest, with random leafy algae covering the rocks in the corner.THEN add the mullet, 5 or 6 of them! These fish feed by sifting sand or gulping water, filtering with their gill rakers to get organic matter. This would be so close to their natural habitat, I wouldn't be too surprised if I could get the suckers to breed. If that happened I could start the mullet trade in marine or brackish aquariums. I would use polyurethane to hide the box filter in the corner... the box would drain into a sump and I would have a refugium for some sort of creature, maybe plankton, crustaceans or some little cardinalfish.
I am aware that grey mullet are not the same species but almost all mullet have very similar characteristics... Mullet are in the genus Mugil and they are very similar.
Also these things are 100% peaceful filter feeders. Apparently it is really easy to get them onto dry or even flake food! Are they the magical just add water marine fish? Who knows. I guess since I live 1000 miles from the nearest ocean I will never get them... until I move to a temperate coastal town. They aren't in LFS for a good reason...The only thing keeping these cute fishes from being suitable for the average aquarist is their size... most get 12-20 inches in length... Hence the large size of the aquarium! Ironically there is groupers at most any marine store that get bigger than that. I suppose the mullet's silvery color is another factor... Some people aren't fans of silvery color. Tankmates include anything other than marlin, barracuda, tuna and sharks. My personal choices would be a few pajama cardinalfish, or black tailed humbugs, or perhaps a trigger or filefish. Then again, I could easily set up a false marine tank with the similar looking bala shark... using the exact same setup ideas. (only freshwater of course)
Thoughts? Am I stupid? Am I crazy? I am thinking maybe 220 gallons (72'' long) might even be a bit small for these active fish. I saw them in the wild and they do swim restlessly and hastily wherever they are going. Perhaps this fish is to remain a symbol of the wild, just as the mullet hairstyle is a symbol of the past... Another problem is they may uproot the plants by foraging. That is why I would focus on planting the rocks in the rear and corners of the tank.
Yes I did post this on another website slightly edited.
Plants:
Codium bursa
Caulerpa prolifera
Caulerpa Sertularoides
I dunno the other kinds I want. Couldn't find much info on marine algae except how to get rid of it?!
Fish:
2-4 Mullets
2-3 sergeant major damselfish or 1 trigger
Anyways please keep comments intelligent. I know I know you eat mullets or feed them to your fish. If that is all you can say then don't bother...
But seriously.. Is there a way to get them shipped to me when I am prepared to make this setup happen? I want to get them over the border legally as possible. How do people ship fish all over without getting in trouble?
If you have a marine planted tank, tell me about it! Does it need the same fertilizers? Does it matter weither you use marine lights or freshwater pink tubes? Do they need CO2?
Turns out the neato fish I watched in fast moving shoals by the shore was Mugil cephalus, the striped mullet.
"Mullet, unlike the rest, are just and mild,
No fish they harm, by them no seas are spoil'd;
Not on their own nor different kinds they prey,
But equal laws of common right obey.
Undreaded they with guiltless pleasure feed,
On fattening slime, or bite sea-grown weed."
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/saltwater/clark_grey mullet.html
Here is a neato article on mullet in the marine aquarium. Read this to understand better my ideas.(it's where I found the poem)
Turns out they are very hardy, live life in brackish or marine conditions and even head into freshwater from time to time. They often get trapped in tidal pools when feeding once low tide comes, so that would make them extraordinarily hardy for marine fish. Tidal pools get really warm during the day and very cool at night. The only thing I found about anywhere else is using them as baitfish or something. I searched here and found a thread about keeping one but it was discouraged. I suppose this was because the tank was too small for the adult and people didn't research their diet or whatnot. Many marine fish are wild caught to begin with, why not catch your own?
ANYWAY here was my plan.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee86/88seds88/GetAttachment-1aspx.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee86/88seds88/GetAttachmentaspx-1.jpg
Marine tank, 220 gallons or larger. Big jagged rocks in the corners to hide filter output. These rocks would probably be the kind of rocks on natural shores, riddled with holes and stuff. Sand covering the rest, with random leafy algae covering the rocks in the corner.THEN add the mullet, 5 or 6 of them! These fish feed by sifting sand or gulping water, filtering with their gill rakers to get organic matter. This would be so close to their natural habitat, I wouldn't be too surprised if I could get the suckers to breed. If that happened I could start the mullet trade in marine or brackish aquariums. I would use polyurethane to hide the box filter in the corner... the box would drain into a sump and I would have a refugium for some sort of creature, maybe plankton, crustaceans or some little cardinalfish.
I am aware that grey mullet are not the same species but almost all mullet have very similar characteristics... Mullet are in the genus Mugil and they are very similar.
Also these things are 100% peaceful filter feeders. Apparently it is really easy to get them onto dry or even flake food! Are they the magical just add water marine fish? Who knows. I guess since I live 1000 miles from the nearest ocean I will never get them... until I move to a temperate coastal town. They aren't in LFS for a good reason...The only thing keeping these cute fishes from being suitable for the average aquarist is their size... most get 12-20 inches in length... Hence the large size of the aquarium! Ironically there is groupers at most any marine store that get bigger than that. I suppose the mullet's silvery color is another factor... Some people aren't fans of silvery color. Tankmates include anything other than marlin, barracuda, tuna and sharks. My personal choices would be a few pajama cardinalfish, or black tailed humbugs, or perhaps a trigger or filefish. Then again, I could easily set up a false marine tank with the similar looking bala shark... using the exact same setup ideas. (only freshwater of course)
Thoughts? Am I stupid? Am I crazy? I am thinking maybe 220 gallons (72'' long) might even be a bit small for these active fish. I saw them in the wild and they do swim restlessly and hastily wherever they are going. Perhaps this fish is to remain a symbol of the wild, just as the mullet hairstyle is a symbol of the past... Another problem is they may uproot the plants by foraging. That is why I would focus on planting the rocks in the rear and corners of the tank.
Yes I did post this on another website slightly edited.
Plants:
Codium bursa
Caulerpa prolifera
Caulerpa Sertularoides
I dunno the other kinds I want. Couldn't find much info on marine algae except how to get rid of it?!
Fish:
2-4 Mullets
2-3 sergeant major damselfish or 1 trigger
Anyways please keep comments intelligent. I know I know you eat mullets or feed them to your fish. If that is all you can say then don't bother...
But seriously.. Is there a way to get them shipped to me when I am prepared to make this setup happen? I want to get them over the border legally as possible. How do people ship fish all over without getting in trouble?If you have a marine planted tank, tell me about it! Does it need the same fertilizers? Does it matter weither you use marine lights or freshwater pink tubes? Do they need CO2?
