What other wacky and interesting animals are we all keeping these days?

Syreptyon

Syreptyon

Chameleon Enthusiast
Okay I thought a nice, happy, drama-free thread might be a good palate cleanser for us all today :) What other unusual animals do you all have to show off?

While chameleons will always be my one true love, I've been cheating on them quite a bit in the marine world as of late. Here are my favorite aquatic critters right now (all of which are kept in separate aquaria to suit their individual needs):

1.) Dwarf seahorses! These are my newest additions. Just an absolute treat if you can get over having to feed them live baby brine shrimp on the daily. Mine have already started giving birth to new babies.

2.) Moon jellyfish! As a kid jellies were always my favorite animals. I finally got the opportune to keep them when I found a very lucky craigslist find -- a dedicated jellyfish aquarium. No I have my childhood favorites and my adult favorites under the same roof

3.) Harlequin shrimp. This obligate starfish-eater just has a big personality and is super fun to watch.


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Very cool! I love sea horses and jellies!

This isn't exotic, but I spent the past two months raising up 300 fire bellied toad froglets. So much work! I just sold and shipped them off to LLL Reptile on Monday!
 

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Syreptyon said:
Okay I thought a nice, happy, drama-free thread might be a good palate cleanser for us all today :) What other unusual animals do you all have to show off?

While chameleons will always be my one true love, I've been cheating on them quite a bit in the marine world as of late. Here are my favorite aquatic critters right now (all of which are kept in separate aquaria to suit their individual needs):

1.) Dwarf seahorses! These are my newest additions. Just an absolute treat if you can get over having to feed them live baby brine shrimp on the daily. Mine have already started giving birth to new babies.

2.) Moon jellyfish! As a kid jellies were always my favorite animals. I finally got the opportune to keep them when I found a very lucky craigslist find -- a dedicated jellyfish aquarium. No I have my childhood favorites and my adult favorites under the same roof

3.) Harlequin shrimp. This obligate starfish-eater just has a big personality and is super fun to watch.


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Why have you not shared your amazing critters with us sooner? So cool. I used to have a nano reef, nothing super special. And a 55g FOWLR. If I got back in marine aquariums i think I'd do cuttlefish or octo maybe mantis shrimp, too broke atm for any of that though. Aquariums fresh or salt are among my favorite things though.

I haven't gotten anything too crazy lately, moving so had to part with a lot. Added some Porcellio hoffmannseggi and ornatus to my isopod collection. My gyna centurio roaches finally molted into adulthood, very pretty roaches lol.

Now if you want to hear what's on my wish list... I could post a book hahaha
 
jamest0o0 said:
Why have you not shared your amazing critters with us sooner? So cool. I used to have a nano reef, nothing super special. And a 55g FOWLR. If I got back in marine aquariums i think I'd do cuttlefish or octo maybe mantis shrimp, too broke atm for any of that though. Aquariums fresh or salt are among my favorite things though.

I haven't gotten anything too crazy lately, moving so had to part with a lot. Added some and ornatus to my isopod collection. My gyna centurio roaches finally molted into adulthood, very pretty roaches lol.

Now if you want to hear what's on my wish list... I could post a book hahaha
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I've gotta keep some of my secrets, don't I? ;) Yeah, I have three nano (or pico, technically) aquaria: one for jellies, one for seahorses, and one for corals
& inverts. The saltwater hobby honestly turned out to be a lot less expensive than I expected (except for when you're addicted to buying fancy coral...), but it'll be a while yet before I upgrade to any large tanks. Plus, who doesn't love tiny things?

Cuttlefish and octopuses are some of my dream pets, too! And the peacock mantis shrimp. Shame about cuttlefish's extremely short lifespan, though. But an octopus especially, would be just incredible. Such intelligent animals.

Love the P. ornatus! I just got some Porcellio "Dairy Cow" a few weeks back and am loving them. I'm thiiis close to starting to keep isopods just as pets. My local herp shop is getting in Rubber Duckies and is breeding clowns right now. I can only resist for so long
 
Syreptyon said:
I've gotta keep some of my secrets, don't I? ;) Yeah, I have three nano (or pico, technically) aquaria: one for jellies, one for seahorses, and one for corals
& inverts. The saltwater hobby honestly turned out to be a lot less expensive than I expected (except for when you're addicted to buying fancy coral...), but it'll be a while yet before I upgrade to any large tanks. Plus, who doesn't love tiny things?

Cuttlefish and octopuses are some of my dream pets, too! And the peacock mantis shrimp. Shame about cuttlefish's extremely short lifespan, though. But an octopus especially, would be just incredible. Such intelligent animals.

Love the P. ornatus! I just got some Porcellio "Dairy Cow" a few weeks back and am loving them. I'm thiiis close to starting to keep isopods just as pets. My local herp shop is getting in Rubber Duckies and is breeding clowns right now. I can only resist for so long
Click to expand...

I actually think the nanos look nicer than the large tanks. You can have a lot going on with a big tank obviously, but it seems most of them come out looking similar. Have you seen the volcano tank on YouTube? I'd love to do something like that one day. I've seen some crazy beach paludariums too.

Cuttles short lifespan is unfortunate, can be expensive to feed too from what I remember researching them(that was like 10 years ago though). I think for octos, o briareus would be an awesome species. They're diurnal I am almost positive, pretty large, and active. Crazy intelligent animals cephalopods are. Regarding the peacock mantis, they are beasts! Ultimate badass sea creature IMO.

The ornatus are cool, very active and hardy, but still get pretty big. Hoping I can get these hoffsmansaggi to do well, I really like the large species. If I were you, I'd grab some of those rubber duckies. I've heard they're pretty hard to come by.
 
jamest0o0 said:
I actually think the nanos look nicer than the large tanks. You can have a lot going on with a big tank obviously, but it seems most of them come out looking similar. Have you seen the volcano tank on YouTube? I'd love to do something like that one day. I've seen some crazy beach paludariums too.

Cuttles short lifespan is unfortunate, can be expensive to feed too from what I remember researching them(that was like 10 years ago though). I think for octos, o briareus would be an awesome species. They're diurnal I am almost positive, pretty large, and active. Crazy intelligent animals cephalopods are. Regarding the peacock mantis, they are beasts! Ultimate badass sea creature IMO.

The ornatus are cool, very active and hardy, but still get pretty big. Hoping I can get these hoffsmansaggi to do well, I really like the large species. If I were you, I'd grab some of those rubber duckies. I've heard they're pretty hard to come by.
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Agree on the nano's. In a larger tank you are limited in choice by having to keep reef safe and community fish.

I've seen species that I thought I must have that and then found they will eat my corals or its tank mates.

I've got a 140 reef tank and a nano and being honest, I prefer the nano. It's also much easier to look after as well.

I've dived for years and always knew I wanted that little piece of reef in the house. I've had them for 12 years now and a pair of common clowns were the 1st fish I ever got and they are still going strong! (Nasty little bleeders they are lol)
 
Currently keeping 3 birds (Eleanora/Medium Sulpher Crested cockatoo, cinnamon pied cockatiel, European starling), as well as my two tubs of common isos (a. Vulgare, o. Asellus, plus a random mix of temperate springtails and millipedes). Also about to work on a small bioactive display tank for some orange-head roaches I plan on breeding.

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I adore peacock mantis shrimp! :D If I ever get into salt water tanks, that's where I'd be heading haha!
 
GoodKarma19 said:
Currently keeping 3 birds (Eleanora/Medium Sulpher Crested cockatoo, cinnamon pied cockatiel, European starling), as well as my two tubs of common isos (a. Vulgare, o. Asellus, plus a random mix of temperate springtails and millipedes). Also about to work on a small bioactive display tank for some orange-head roaches I plan on breeding.

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I adore peacock mantis shrimp! :D If I ever get into salt water tanks, that's where I'd be heading haha!
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@GoodKarma19 wow you're birds look amazing!
 
GoodKarma19 said:
Currently keeping 3 birds (Eleanora/Medium Sulpher Crested cockatoo, cinnamon pied cockatiel, European starling), as well as my two tubs of common isos (a. Vulgare, o. Asellus, plus a random mix of temperate springtails and millipedes). Also about to work on a small bioactive display tank for some orange-head roaches I plan on breeding.

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I adore peacock mantis shrimp! :D If I ever get into salt water tanks, that's where I'd be heading haha!
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So beautiful!
 
There's more.....I have a problem.
 

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Syreptyon said:
I've gotta keep some of my secrets, don't I? ;) Yeah, I have three nano (or pico, technically) aquaria: one for jellies, one for seahorses, and one for corals
& inverts. The saltwater hobby honestly turned out to be a lot less expensive than I expected (except for when you're addicted to buying fancy coral...), but it'll be a while yet before I upgrade to any large tanks. Plus, who doesn't love tiny things?

Cuttlefish and octopuses are some of my dream pets, too! And the peacock mantis shrimp. Shame about cuttlefish's extremely short lifespan, though. But an octopus especially, would be just incredible. Such intelligent animals.

Love the P. ornatus! I just got some Porcellio "Dairy Cow" a few weeks back and am loving them. I'm thiiis close to starting to keep isopods just as pets. My local herp shop is getting in Rubber Duckies and is breeding clowns right now. I can only resist for so long
Click to expand...
Could post pictures / info on your coral reef tank?? I would LOVE to set up a nano coral tank. When I was growing up my dad was an avid saltwater tank keeper. He had a 300 gallon tank that was pretty much the centerpiece of our house. All of the soft corals were my favorite to watch move with the water, and the colors! Oh the colors!

In addition to my cham I have a pink toe tarantula and a few fur babies, but they arent exotic (except maybe the one with all the extra toes). I am planning on adding a snake to the collection soon! Not sure what species, any suggestions are welcome!
 
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