Regarding "creature compatibility"....

[Coelacanth]

The Sachs Aquarium has an emphasis on realism. So I'm just wondering...When some of the future creatures are added, will the realism extend to compatibility between creatures? That is, will it enforce, or even just suggest, what should and should not be kept together in the tank?

Examples:

1. To use a couple of the current fish as an example, clown and picasso triggerfish have NO place in a reef tank. (I am going on the premise that this IS supposed to be a reef tank, not a fish-only tank.) Clown triggerfish especially would pretty much destroy a reef tank, and would terrorize small, shy fish like perculas. These guys are big, mean dudes.

2. Most of the large angelfish like the French, Queen and Regal angels are also anything but reef-safe. For example, see this link: members.aol.com/aquariumt/category.html

3. An octopus would absolutely eat everything else in the tank. Goodbye fish, shrimp, molluscs, crabs...you name it. If the aquarium wants to be absolutely realistic, it will have to disable all other animal choices if the octopus is chosen. Or, it will have to include the eating of tankmates as one of the octopus' behaviors.

4. Lionfish gulp small fish. Can't have anything smaller than their mouths in the tank. And they're not reef-safe. Same goes for boxfish/puffers.

5. Seahorses would be cool -- but they can't be kept with ANY other current fish species. The only fish species that might work with them are pipefish, small frogfish (they just mostly sit around), and small watchman gobies. Anything else is inappropriate -- especially when the aquarium incorporates feeding behavior. Seahorses are the slowest-moving fish in the world at 0.01 mph. They'd starve to death and/or die of stress if kept with ANY of the other fish.

6. Sharks have been suggested. They are wholly inappropriate for a reef tank, and way too big for the current size of the tank anyway. Even the smallest leopard or horn shark wouldn't work. And they'd also eat the smaller fish.

7. Leafy sea dragons would be WAY cool to have in the tank (though the polygons would be horrendous). But they live in cool water in weedy environments (hence, their camouflage) -- NOT in a reef environment. Hopefully, a different seaweedy background can be provided for them. Also, the same rules apply to them as for seahorses -- times ten. These guys are pretty impossible to keep in a private aquarium, and public aquariums even have elaborate setups to attempt to keep them alive. Long Beach Aquarium has one of the best displays I've seen of them, and they actually had babies!

8. Moorish idols are darn near impossible to keep in captivity. This is where perhaps the aquarium COULD deviate from reality a bit -- to make it possible to keep creatures in the tank that usually couldn't be kept alive for any length of time. I've also read that, to keep Moorish idols with any degree of success, you must keep a school of six or more. They are not solitary creatures.

9. Pinnatus batfish are impossible to keep in captivity. They don't eat. They just die. I haven't seen any in a fish store for quite a long time, which is a good thing. They should be left in the ocean. Perhaps having a nice, healthy virtual one in the Sachs aquarium would be a neat thing, though!

Yep, another long post from me....hopefully I didn't bore everybody to tears

Comments?

[Jim Sachs]

The Aquarium is an idealized environment. An opportunity to see fish together which wouldn't ordinarily be kept in the same tank. Agressive fish, which might normally kill others, will just chase them in this Aquarium. Coral-eaters will pick at the corals, but not damage them.

[Coelacanth]

That's cool.

I guess my only suggestion would be to provide appropriate background environments for the animals to be in. Seahorses need hitching posts, for instance. And they shouldn't be able to just swim through the bubble column with impunity either. They'd get swept up and away, head over...um...tail.

[feldon34]

The background will be double-wide soon (August? ) so there will be places for the Octopus and Eels to hide. I'd imagine there will be things for the Seahorses to cling to.

Jim wants to do the Nudibranchs but the 3D background is first so they have something to crawl on.

I totally agree with your approach Jim. I own a reef tank and the compatibility problems can really be a pain. It really limits what you can put in your tank. Many really cool creatures either aren't compatible or are far to difficult to keep alive. It's refreshing to see all my favorite fish together on the screen.

Anyone who wants an ultra-realistic aquarium can just select the appropriate fish in the options. The clownfish and gramma are peaceful. Choose 2 clownfish and assume they are a mated pair. Go with one or two tangs and perhaps a wimplefish. Stay away from the triggers (though they are way cool). And don't choose the damsel--they are little bullies.

[Seafoam]

I'm sure that this screensaver is the aquarium we'd all LIKE to have, not necessarily the one we WOULD have, since some of your points are true; not all these animals would belong in the same captive enviornment. I did have one comment to make; Moorish Idols. Ever since I started studying fish, I'd heard that they were difficult to keep in tanks (liveaquaria.com ranks them an "expert only" level fish), and they are definitely not beginner fish. But they are not impossible! In fact, they don't even need to be kept in schools. I have talked to people who keep one Moorish Idol in a tank with very high success rates; you just have to know what you're doing. They need a very large aquarium. Also, the hardest thing about them is their eating habits. If you can buy high-quality foods that the fish will accept, they can live happy lives in an aquarium. It just can't be a small, low-quality one.

[cjmaddy]

Dateline ..... 29th May 2001 !

The background will be double-wide soon (August? ) so there will be places for the Octopus and Eels to hide. I'd imagine there will be things for the Seahorses to cling to.

..... Makes you think doesn't it? ..... We have learnt patience here!!!

I'm not complaining! ..... - just amazed how the time flies.

[Jim Sachs]

Two points -

Morgan said that, not me.
Nothing was said about August of which year.

[cjmaddy]

Very true!

[Marian Nichols]

yep, this is a cruel, curel world for man or beast, and fish.

[James]

Originally posted by cjmaddy
Dateline ..... 29th May 2001 !
...
I'm not complaining! ..... - just amazed how the time flies.

Yes indeed,
Seafoam diggs up many old threads that remind me so many things, time do really fly so fast, my Master of Engineering Studies is near end now, I hope I can graduate, sigh.

[Seafoam]

I don't remember when these threads were started since I just joined yesterday!! ^_^" See, when I search for certain terms, and find a topic about which I have something to say...I don't even look at the date it was originally started! Glad you guys are kinda happy about looking back on these old things you wrote. ^.^