Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Tanks and Equipment => Topic started by: Robert on January 27, 2016, 11:32:21 AM
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New member FinkTank (http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=176997)shared this with me today...
www.lilfolx.com
Do you have any fun little ornaments in your tank?
Share your pics or vids here! :cheers:
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I'm afraid you'll have to count me out. Apart from a terracotta plant pot covered in java fern all my decor is wood of various types. No 'fun' ornaments at all.
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Fish tank ornaments - the garden gnomes of the aquarium - never to be allowed anywhere near my tanks.
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Haha! I guess these are marmite - you either love them or hate them ;)
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My daughter in law showed me on Amazon what she wanted to get me for Christmas until my son talked her out of it - a cyberman head for aquariums. All those years of living here must have rubbed off on my son :).
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My daughter in law showed me on Amazon what she wanted to get me for Christmas until my son talked her out of it - a cyberman head for aquariums. All those years of living here must have rubbed off on my son :).
Parfait! Check out Aquarium Fish Tank Ornament Dr Who Cyberman Helmet- :afro http://amzn.to/1PSPVvs
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That's the one.
I shouldn't be ungrateful, it was kind of her to think of it, but I don't think it would have gone with the rest of the decor.
They did buy me a Kindle, which I do appreciate :)
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I'd rather a Kindle too... Wouldn't put it in a tank though Sue :rotfl:
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Yes it would be a bit tricky trying to read something with all those fish getting in the way ;D
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I do understand why people like them but they're not for me.
I like to think of my aquarium as like a little natural haven, so if it's not found in a natural setting it won't be found anywhere near my tank.
Therefore I feel the same way about coloured gravel.
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I think I'd spend a lot of time worrying that the fish had beheaded the ornaments or even swallowed one of the little figurines whole! At least there's no writing on it, such as the "no fishing" or "danger" signs that some ornaments have on them, which would be worse.
I like to think of my aquarium as like a little natural haven, so if it's not found in a natural setting it won't be found anywhere near my tank.
Therefore I feel the same way about coloured gravel.
Interestingly enough, I recoiled recently when looking at photos of my goldfish tanks from ~10-15 years ago - coloured gravel galore. Since setting up the tropical tank with lots of inspiration from others on this forum, it's a much more natural look, with the main exception being my plants which are silk. I did have a few other objects (swim-through ornaments) but my taste has changed in recent months and they've been removed (as has the Persil Silk & Wool bottle top which didn't serve its intended purpose as a cave and which just looked far too plastic and so only lasted two days!).
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I tend to follow a natural theme in my tanks, bits of broken terracotta pots are about my limit but its all down to personal choice.
My son's friend brought me some artificial plants and a whacking great big resin cave for xmas one year, of course I had to use them and they went in Franks tank. When he passed on to the Big Fish Bowl in the sky they got squirreled away. The plants are actually quite handy for the quarantine tank tbh.
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A friend visited last year and bought me some small ornamental fish because she said I should have something in my tank - I was running a fishless cycle at the time. As these were a present I have kept them, and have put them in the dwarf puffer tank, because if anything can get away with a slightly comical environment it's probably a dwarf puffer.
The majority of my plants in all tanks are silk, mixed with cuttings of live plants. I also have some relatively realistic-looking plastic plant stems in the puffer tank.
The majority of ornaments are rock and bogwood, with some natural-looking artificial hideaways in the dwarf puffer and axolotl tanks, for convenience.
Each to their own with ornaments, I guess, as long as they are safe.
I think it's nice for kids to have options for Frozen or Sponge Bob themes tanks to get them interested. Perhaps, as a general rule, people move towards more natural looking environments as they gain more experience with the fish.
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My son's 27, when he was little if he'd asked I would definitely had power rangers and the odd megazord in the tank. Anything that makes a child aware of the demands and responsibilities of pet ownership, whatever the pet should be applauded. My sister gets and gives away/sells pets when she gets bored with them and she's transferred that attitude to her children. Her youngest once asked me "when you get bored with Blackie, can I have her?" I'd had my cat for 18 years at that point, in that time my sister had 2 cats, a budgie, fish. a rat and 3 dogs.
When I eventually have grandchildren I will very proudly add anything to the tanks they buy me AND show you lot photos :)
BTW dwarf puffers are so intelligent and inquisitive anything new they love to investigate.
There's nought wrong with your tanks LF <3
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Thanks Fiona :)
I have just spent the past hour with the dwarf puffers, "pooh hoovering" and cleaning the tank. Some of them follow the syphon around the tank, and as cute as it is, it does make for a time consuming outing with the syphon. After cleaning I sat with a coffee to watch them for a while and was entertained as they played amongst the plants, then followed in a line through a granite rock tunnel then up to the filter outflow to swim in the bubbles, before another trip around the plants.
It does seem that the more ornaments/plants/rocks etc. in the tank the more active they are. I tend to move things around a bit every few weeks, to keep them on their toes/fins.
:fishy1:
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They're a veritable nightmare when it comes to tank cleaning and they look so much like dead leaves!! I took my eye off the ball once when I was tank hoovering and suddenly realised Id sucked up a puffer :yikes: I was actually incredibly impressed because it was swimming like fury and had managed to stay in the first 9 inches of the syphon tube. Thankfully it was none the worse for wear and knowing puffer's joy at new things, it probably treated the whole experience like we would a trip to the fun fair.
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I must say I'm very jealous of anyone with dwarf suffers, they may be the fish to start my MTS either that or shellies.
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Fiona, I nearly ruptured myself laughing with your description of sucking a puffer up the syphon :rotfl: It is a situation that concerns me, which is why it takes me so long to clean their tank.
Matt, I recommend dwarf puffers, as they are adorable and entertaining.
As you can see, some of mine are practising their synchronised swimming.
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How long have you had your puffers LF? We've had ours about a year now and we seem to have 1 male and 5 females.
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I've had them since January. Just over a week ago they were upgraded from a 70L to a 125L tank. I haven't recognised any males yet, but they are still quite small, so I'm assuming that they are juvenile. I hope to get a few more in the future.
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Ours were teeny when we got them. I recall when they guy in the shop netted them and we looked in the bag it was really hard to tell if they were puffed up or just plain dead! We lost one I think I recall, the rest settled in well and we started noticing the male belly stripe at about 9 months.
Are any of yours iridescent? I've noticed some are and some aren't and its not due to gender. I'm wondering if maybe there's more than 1 species of dwarf puffers... a bit like the rainbow goby conundrum.
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Mine have grown a little since I've had them. One in particular was much smaller than the others and I was quite worried, however that one does seem to be very forward for its size and is often first in for the food and first to investigate new additions in the tank. I will keep a look out for any belly stripes developing.
Some of mine are iridescent. I read on the Practical Fishkeeping site that there are two types, which are so similar they are both sold as dwarf puffers, so I guess that's where we get the mix from.
I also have an image of your puffer wearing a t-shirt that says "I took a spin in the syphon", similar to an Alton Towers style souvenir shirt. I really can't get that image out of my mind. ;D
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I also have an image of your puffer wearing a t-shirt that says "I took a spin in the syphon", similar to an Alton Towers style souvenir shirt. I really can't get that image out of my mind. ;D
I just choked on my tea! :rotfl:
Being serious though, can I have a link to Practical Fishkeeping article please? I'd love to read it.
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Here it is:-
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3768
:)
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I love the natural look of the wood, stones and plants and eventually this is what I would like to achieve. In the meantime while I only have one tank (MTS warning!) I will probably have ornaments in there as I want my 5 year-old to enjoy the tank. She has already spotted Olaf from Frozen in the fish shop ornament section so I'll likely have him in beside my fishes... At the end of the day it is something to be looked at and enjoyed so if it arouses some interest and wonder in Abbie I'm happy to do it :D
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Paddy, MTS was only a matter of time.
However, as tank ornaments go, I'm not sure anything can top what I saw in MA (pic attached)........
an air bubbler in the shape of a naked bottom.....that's farting.
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(https://2982-presscdn-29-70-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg)
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Here it is:-
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3768
:)
Ta
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:rotfl:
Best not to have it farting on Olaf though.
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If you do get a farting bubbler, and find that your fish enjoy playing in the bubbles, please promise that you will post a vid.
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It's a big IF, but ok I promise... IF I get one... :rotfl:
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As part of our daughters easter we have bought her two fish tank ornaments. One is an Olaf figure and the other is a brightly coloured miniature tower building (pics to follow)
Most may not approve but as I said this is a family tank and I want my daughter to be engaged in it so sod it, it's going in! 8)
The question is, what's hte best way to introduce ornaments into the tank? I don't think it's ok to just plop it in there without at least a rinse off and a good steep in some tank water...?
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I just rinse under the tap to get rid of any shop dust etc, then plop it in.
Wood is a bit different as you have to soak that to get it to sink.