Any Aquarium guys? (1 Viewer)

[Fat Nick]

Just thought I'd chime in.

African Cichlid guy here. I've got a 125 gallon tank in my hallway. Nice furniture-grade stand. I love those guys...but they are little sluts. They multiply like crazy. I started with like 9, then bought about 18 more over the course of a few months. Now I probably have over 50 fish. Seems a couple of the species REALLY enjoy the breeding. Every time I change the water, they breed again. I bought some predatory Cichlids to try and thin them down...no such luck.

As far as starting a tank and the ammonia cycle...if you don't want to buy hearty fish to start the cycle...this will sound wierd. Pee in the tank. Pee = ammonia. It does the same thing. You just have to figure out how much pee to add. I would use the cup method, and put about half of a "serving" in per day. After about 2 weeks, the ammonia level would be gone within 24 hours, and I sufficed I had enough bacteria to get my first batch of fish.

I've had my tank for 5 years running strong. If you're looking for simple filtration for a fresh water tank, I HIGHLY recommend Eheim canister filters. I have 2 2028 (I think) model Eheim canister filters. Easy to clean, and they've run non-stop without a single problem for 5 years.

I don't clean my tank as regularly as I should. I do 50-75% water changes every month. That's it. I know it's not the recommended method, but if the fish are breeding, they must be happy.

 

[Shutterbug]

Just thought I'd chime in.

African Cichlid guy here. I've got a 125 gallon tank in my hallway. Nice furniture-grade stand. I love those guys...but they are little sluts. They multiply like crazy. I started with like 9, then bought about 18 more over the course of a few months. Now I probably have over 50 fish. Seems a couple of the species REALLY enjoy the breeding. Every time I change the water, they breed again. I bought some predatory Cichlids to try and thin them down...no such luck.

As far as starting a tank and the ammonia cycle...if you don't want to buy hearty fish to start the cycle...this will sound wierd. Pee in the tank. Pee = ammonia. It does the same thing. You just have to figure out how much pee to add. I would use the cup method, and put about half of a "serving" in per day. After about 2 weeks, the ammonia level would be gone within 24 hours, and I sufficed I had enough bacteria to get my first batch of fish.

I've had my tank for 5 years running strong. If you're looking for simple filtration for a fresh water tank, I HIGHLY recommend Eheim canister filters. I have 2 2028 (I think) model Eheim canister filters. Easy to clean, and they've run non-stop without a single problem for 5 years.

I don't clean my tank as regularly as I should. I do 50-75% water changes every month. That's it. I know it's not the recommended method, but if the fish are breeding, they must be happy.

OMG! Ewwww....I had a Tiger Oscar(Clyde), Albino Oscar(Bonnie), Jack Dempsey(Jack), Placo(Hoover), Catfish(Whiskers), and a Sunrise Cichlid(Sunny) in my tank (it was probably 125, but I round up.) for about 4 yrs. Those are some strong fish. When I moved, I sold the fish to a pet store and got over $30 each for the Oscars. They were huge. Each on was bigger than my hand.

 

[Fat Nick]

OMG! Ewwww....

Don't hate just because I didn't HAVE to use the cup to pee in the tank.

 

[TheFanatic]

I have a 55 gallon take in my living room. Its great for the 2 or 3 weeks after you clean it each month but its a headache to clean and should really be cleaned every month. I have African cichilds and some schooling fish, I've also tried live plants but the cichlids tear them apart and uproot them. The plants are expensive so for now I am out of that business. The next biggest headache is a getting the water chemical correct for the fish to survive at 1st, once you get that going you are set.

I have been doing fish tanks for more than 20 years now. Yes they are addictive. right now I am have a good set up. Not at all over the top (135 tanks ). I have a 110 in the basement and a 44 in my office. Both are well planted. WELL planted.The 110 has a few Africans (Yellow Labs, Haps, Acei's), a 15 inch sailfin Gibbiceps (pleco) and a 22 inch Clown Knife that I have had for 19 years. How do I have the Africans in with him? He's got cataracts. Can't see them. Bought a really incredible Ahli for about $25 last week and his ####### parked his butt right in front of the CK. CK had a $25 feeder fish. I want that CK to die but can't do anything about it. In that tank I have an Amazon Sword that is about 24 inches tall and 24 inches wide. I also have some Java Fern and Jungle Vals. The Africans don't touch them. the Amazon has sent up a runner with about 6 smaller amazons growing off it...In the 55 I have two pairs of breeder angels, some good size clown loaches, a school of tiger barbs and some tetras. This tanks has a few bits of drift wood, a couple of rocks and a TON of live plants. Huge amazons, Cripticoryn Wendtii mainly. For live plants you need two things. More light and plant food. My 110 has an extra 4 foot liight with dual bulbs but the 55 does not have extra light but it gets natural light from the window. The 110 is in the basement. I fetalize a lot. Kent Fertilizer on ThatPetPlace.com for $25 for a half gallon. A half gallon will last me 6 months at least. Stick to the Vals, Anubias, Amazons and Wendtii and your tanks will look great.My 55 is so well planted that my canister filter barely filters the water (water just dribbles out of the output tube) yet my fish are breeding left and right which a sign of a healthy tank. I have a very strong air hose runing in the tank to keep the water moving. Between that and monthly water changes my 55 is immaculate despite the lack of strong filtration....Water changes are a MUST for any tank planted or not. Without them quit now. Water changes, extra lighting and plant fertilizer are a must for a planted tank....Good luck....

 

[Shutterbug]

OMG! Ewwww....

Don't hate just because I didn't HAVE to use the cup to pee in the tank.

 

[Sonny Lubick Blowup Doll]

Just thought I'd chime in.

African Cichlid guy here. I've got a 125 gallon tank in my hallway. Nice furniture-grade stand. I love those guys...but they are little sluts. They multiply like crazy. I started with like 9, then bought about 18 more over the course of a few months. Now I probably have over 50 fish. Seems a couple of the species REALLY enjoy the breeding. Every time I change the water, they breed again. I bought some predatory Cichlids to try and thin them down...no such luck.

As far as starting a tank and the ammonia cycle...if you don't want to buy hearty fish to start the cycle...this will sound wierd. Pee in the tank. Pee = ammonia. It does the same thing. You just have to figure out how much pee to add. I would use the cup method, and put about half of a "serving" in per day. After about 2 weeks, the ammonia level would be gone within 24 hours, and I sufficed I had enough bacteria to get my first batch of fish.

I've had my tank for 5 years running strong. If you're looking for simple filtration for a fresh water tank, I HIGHLY recommend Eheim canister filters. I have 2 2028 (I think) model Eheim canister filters. Easy to clean, and they've run non-stop without a single problem for 5 years.

I don't clean my tank as regularly as I should. I do 50-75% water changes every month. That's it. I know it's not the recommended method, but if the fish are breeding, they must be happy.

OMG! Ewwww....

 

[phthalatemagic]

Ammonia Chloramine EliminatorNox-IchpH Decreaser & IncreaserSmall Fish SaverGravel WashInsto ChlorCycle Biological Aquarium SupplementStart rightAlgae Destroyer

Bleh... I'm having a hard time finding a comprehensive list of dangerous chemicals to marine fauna. I'm jsut taking a guess - Start right, Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement are cultures and enzymes and make cycling and growing your nitrifiying bacteria grow faster. Those are fine.The one major caveat is copper. It probably is in your Nox-Ich. Copper is dangerous to many bacteria and will tear up live rock and make your system tough to keep stable due to bacteria blooms and die-offs with water changes. I do not think copper is lethal to vertebrates, but the lower on the food chain you get, the more sensitive the animal is to high concentrations of chemicals. You don't need a live rock setup for a fish only tank though, you can use a wet dry filter system or such. I don't have a ton of experience with that, because I always use live rock - but reefcentral.com has a host of helpful people and articles there. If you want more help, you could ask those folks Dr Randy Farley is a genius, and probably would know anything you ask him. To be sure, you could also bring in your stuff to a LFS and ask them if anything in there could be dangerous and to what animals/bacteria. Other metals may bother low food chain animals/bacteria as well, so keep an eye out for that stuff. Sorry I could help more.

 

[TheFanatic]

Ammonia Chloramine EliminatorNox-IchpH Decreaser & IncreaserSmall Fish SaverGravel WashInsto ChlorCycle Biological Aquarium SupplementStart rightAlgae Destroyer

Bleh... I'm having a hard time finding a comprehensive list of dangerous chemicals to marine fauna. I'm jsut taking a guess - Start right, Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement are cultures and enzymes and make cycling and growing your nitrifiying bacteria grow faster. Those are fine.The one major caveat is copper. It probably is in your Nox-Ich. Copper is dangerous to many bacteria and will tear up live rock and make your system tough to keep stable due to bacteria blooms and die-offs with water changes. I do not think copper is lethal to vertebrates, but the lower on the food chain you get, the more sensitive the animal is to high concentrations of chemicals. You don't need a live rock setup for a fish only tank though, you can use a wet dry filter system or such. I don't have a ton of experience with that, because I always use live rock - but reefcentral.com has a host of helpful people and articles there. If you want more help, you could ask those folks Dr Randy Farley is a genius, and probably would know anything you ask him. To be sure, you could also bring in your stuff to a LFS and ask them if anything in there could be dangerous and to what animals/bacteria. Other metals may bother low food chain animals/bacteria as well, so keep an eye out for that stuff. Sorry I could help more.

Didn't read the entire thread but when it comes to treating the tank with pharmeuticals, it comes down to this: do not treat your tank. Remove the fish and dunk him in some concentrated medecine or flush him. I have not had a disease in any of my tanks in more than 5 years. Treat the tank and you kill more more then just the infected fish. If you are doing the water changed you will not need the meds. If you think I'm kidding I have had angels live more than 10 years, the afore mentioned Clown Knife that is 19 and the first fish I cured of a disease by dunking him in a small dish if tank water an enough Nox-ich to treat a 100 gallon tank, and the Gibbiceps that is at least 8 years old. Most of my fish are older than 5years olds.... Do not treat the tank with anything. All your cats will be killed and probably your plants....

 

[phthalatemagic]

Ammonia Chloramine EliminatorNox-IchpH Decreaser & IncreaserSmall Fish SaverGravel WashInsto ChlorCycle Biological Aquarium SupplementStart rightAlgae Destroyer

Bleh... I'm having a hard time finding a comprehensive list of dangerous chemicals to marine fauna. I'm jsut taking a guess - Start right, Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement are cultures and enzymes and make cycling and growing your nitrifiying bacteria grow faster. Those are fine.The one major caveat is copper. It probably is in your Nox-Ich. Copper is dangerous to many bacteria and will tear up live rock and make your system tough to keep stable due to bacteria blooms and die-offs with water changes. I do not think copper is lethal to vertebrates, but the lower on the food chain you get, the more sensitive the animal is to high concentrations of chemicals. You don't need a live rock setup for a fish only tank though, you can use a wet dry filter system or such. I don't have a ton of experience with that, because I always use live rock - but reefcentral.com has a host of helpful people and articles there. If you want more help, you could ask those folks Dr Randy Farley is a genius, and probably would know anything you ask him. To be sure, you could also bring in your stuff to a LFS and ask them if anything in there could be dangerous and to what animals/bacteria. Other metals may bother low food chain animals/bacteria as well, so keep an eye out for that stuff. Sorry I could help more.

Didn't read the entire thread but when it comes to treating the tank with pharmeuticals, it comes down to this: do not treat your tank. Remove the fish and dunk him in some concentrated medecine or flush him. I have not had a disease in any of my tanks in more than 5 years. Treat the tank and you kill more more then just the infected fish. If you are doing the water changed you will not need the meds. If you think I'm kidding I have had angels live more than 10 years, the afore mentioned Clown Knife that is 19 and the first fish I cured of a disease by dunking him in a small dish if tank water an enough Nox-ich to treat a 100 gallon tank, and the Gibbiceps that is at least 8 years old. Most of my fish are older than 5years olds.... Do not treat the tank with anything. All your cats will be killed and probably your plants....

I agree. Proper use of a QT tank, and a general adoption of the "less technology, more biology" approach makes healthy habitats!

 

[Fat Nick]

Ammonia Chloramine EliminatorNox-IchpH Decreaser & IncreaserSmall Fish SaverGravel WashInsto ChlorCycle Biological Aquarium SupplementStart rightAlgae Destroyer

Bleh... I'm having a hard time finding a comprehensive list of dangerous chemicals to marine fauna. I'm jsut taking a guess - Start right, Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement are cultures and enzymes and make cycling and growing your nitrifiying bacteria grow faster. Those are fine.The one major caveat is copper. It probably is in your Nox-Ich. Copper is dangerous to many bacteria and will tear up live rock and make your system tough to keep stable due to bacteria blooms and die-offs with water changes. I do not think copper is lethal to vertebrates, but the lower on the food chain you get, the more sensitive the animal is to high concentrations of chemicals. You don't need a live rock setup for a fish only tank though, you can use a wet dry filter system or such. I don't have a ton of experience with that, because I always use live rock - but reefcentral.com has a host of helpful people and articles there. If you want more help, you could ask those folks Dr Randy Farley is a genius, and probably would know anything you ask him. To be sure, you could also bring in your stuff to a LFS and ask them if anything in there could be dangerous and to what animals/bacteria. Other metals may bother low food chain animals/bacteria as well, so keep an eye out for that stuff. Sorry I could help more.

Didn't read the entire thread but when it comes to treating the tank with pharmeuticals, it comes down to this: do not treat your tank. Remove the fish and dunk him in some concentrated medecine or flush him. I have not had a disease in any of my tanks in more than 5 years. Treat the tank and you kill more more then just the infected fish. If you are doing the water changed you will not need the meds. If you think I'm kidding I have had angels live more than 10 years, the afore mentioned Clown Knife that is 19 and the first fish I cured of a disease by dunking him in a small dish if tank water an enough Nox-ich to treat a 100 gallon tank, and the Gibbiceps that is at least 8 years old. Most of my fish are older than 5years olds.... Do not treat the tank with anything. All your cats will be killed and probably your plants....

I used a small 10 gallon tank that I kept under my main tank. If I had a sicky, I'd simply scoop him out, syphon some water from the main tank into the holding tank (to keep the transition easy on the fish and provide some ammonia processors) and then add the sick fish and meds. I just had a simple sponge filter in the hospital tank. Some live, some don't...but more importantly, nothing spreads, and you don't go messing with the water in your main tank.

 

[TheFanatic]

Ammonia Chloramine EliminatorNox-IchpH Decreaser & IncreaserSmall Fish SaverGravel WashInsto ChlorCycle Biological Aquarium SupplementStart rightAlgae Destroyer

Bleh... I'm having a hard time finding a comprehensive list of dangerous chemicals to marine fauna. I'm jsut taking a guess - Start right, Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement are cultures and enzymes and make cycling and growing your nitrifiying bacteria grow faster. Those are fine.The one major caveat is copper. It probably is in your Nox-Ich. Copper is dangerous to many bacteria and will tear up live rock and make your system tough to keep stable due to bacteria blooms and die-offs with water changes. I do not think copper is lethal to vertebrates, but the lower on the food chain you get, the more sensitive the animal is to high concentrations of chemicals. You don't need a live rock setup for a fish only tank though, you can use a wet dry filter system or such. I don't have a ton of experience with that, because I always use live rock - but reefcentral.com has a host of helpful people and articles there. If you want more help, you could ask those folks Dr Randy Farley is a genius, and probably would know anything you ask him. To be sure, you could also bring in your stuff to a LFS and ask them if anything in there could be dangerous and to what animals/bacteria. Other metals may bother low food chain animals/bacteria as well, so keep an eye out for that stuff. Sorry I could help more.

Didn't read the entire thread but when it comes to treating the tank with pharmeuticals, it comes down to this: do not treat your tank. Remove the fish and dunk him in some concentrated medecine or flush him. I have not had a disease in any of my tanks in more than 5 years. Treat the tank and you kill more more then just the infected fish. If you are doing the water changed you will not need the meds. If you think I'm kidding I have had angels live more than 10 years, the afore mentioned Clown Knife that is 19 and the first fish I cured of a disease by dunking him in a small dish if tank water an enough Nox-ich to treat a 100 gallon tank, and the Gibbiceps that is at least 8 years old. Most of my fish are older than 5years olds.... Do not treat the tank with anything. All your cats will be killed and probably your plants....

I used a small 10 gallon tank that I kept under my main tank. If I had a sicky, I'd simply scoop him out, syphon some water from the main tank into the holding tank (to keep the transition easy on the fish and provide some ammonia processors) and then add the sick fish and meds. I just had a simple sponge filter in the hospital tank. Some live, some don't...but more importantly, nothing spreads, and you don't go messing with the water in your main tank.

Really This is the way to go....

 

[Irish]

I have a 130 gallon glass breeder tank. I have had someone tell me I could use it for saltwater, but they would not recommend it. What do you think? Is there any reason why I should not converst the tank I have now?

A former breeder for fresh water? If this is the case, I'm assuming this person told you that because there are fresh water chemical treatments that are lethal to saltwater fauna that can leech into/back out of glass and make the tank un-usable for salt. That being said, if you have owned the tank for its lifetime and know what chemicals you put into the tank, I can let you know if any are dangerous to marine fauna. Fish tend to be tougher than inverts/corals and such, so even if you used some treatments that aren't kosher, it may be OK for a fish only tank.Also, this person may have just assumed you didn't want to deal with an overflow box since it's not likely your tank is drilled for internal overflow due to it being for fresh, but having an overflow box is not a big deal at all.

Those are the only two speedbumps I can imagine.

Ammonia Chloramine EliminatorNox-Ich

pH Decreaser & Increaser

Small Fish Saver

Gravel Wash

Insto Chlor

Cycle Biological Aquarium Supplement

Start right

Algae Destroyer

These are all the different chemicals I have used in the tank. How do I remember this? I have an aquarium tool box. :grin: I like to keep track of everything. Just in cases like these.

I think it may be easier for me to look up what commonly used FW chemicals are dangerous for you to use in salt then compare the labels on your bottles. I used to own a tackle box with a bunch of chemicals and stuff in it too! Now I got so lazy, I just bought a table and have everything just laying out.

There's a better name for my box...

 

[TLEF316]

quick update:

went to several fish stores yesterday. Not much luck. The local place i went to was pretty crappy. They had no tanks to speak of and a lousy selection of fish. The big chain store (petco) was totally lousy. the only tanks were sold in total packages and waaaaay too expensive. (over a grand for a 55 gallon gank with a bunch of other stuff)

one of the members here sent me a PM about a great fish store about an hour from me. Ill be checking it out within the next week.

Ive decided not to plant at the start. Id rather not deal with it at the begining.

 

[Hoosier Daddy?]

 

[Fat Nick]

I doubt it's within an hour of you, but if you have any reason to head to Maryland, check out The Aquarium Center in Randallstown. By far the biggest, best, and most knowledgeable place I've ever seen for fish.

Fresh, salt, whatever. They carry in stock probably 100 or more large tanks, from basic to Oceanic high-end models, full array of filters, foods, and tank decor. That's where I got all my cichlids. Some of them are going on 4-5 years old now. They've got some crazy fish I've never seen before. Very quality fish, quality staff. Great place.

 

[TLEF316]

I doubt it's within an hour of you, but if you have any reason to head to Maryland, check out The Aquarium Center in Randallstown. By far the biggest, best, and most knowledgeable place I've ever seen for fish.Fresh, salt, whatever. They carry in stock probably 100 or more large tanks, from basic to Oceanic high-end models, full array of filters, foods, and tank decor. That's where I got all my cichlids. Some of them are going on 4-5 years old now. They've got some crazy fish I've never seen before. Very quality fish, quality staff. Great place.

funny that you say that, as ill actually be in maryland next weekend visiting a friend. Not sure how close they are, but ill take a look. thanks for the heads up

 

[Shermanator]

I have recently been given a 75 gallon tank. I am looking for some of the best ways to filter this size tank. Is a waterfall pump and powerheads w/an underground system the best way to go here? And if so, what size filters would be recommended for a tank this size?

Thanks

 

[phthalatemagic]

I have recently been given a 75 gallon tank. I am looking for some of the best ways to filter this size tank. Is a waterfall pump and powerheads w/an underground system the best way to go here? And if so, what size filters would be recommended for a tank this size?Thanks

fresh or marine?

 

[Hooper31]

Much like owning a boat.

Best two days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

 

[Shermanator]

I have recently been given a 75 gallon tank. I am looking for some of the best ways to filter this size tank. Is a waterfall pump and powerheads w/an underground system the best way to go here? And if so, what size filters would be recommended for a tank this size?Thanks

fresh or marine?

Fresh water. Sorry

 

[phthalatemagic]

I have recently been given a 75 gallon tank. I am looking for some of the best ways to filter this size tank. Is a waterfall pump and powerheads w/an underground system the best way to go here? And if so, what size filters would be recommended for a tank this size?Thanks

fresh or marine?

Fresh water. Sorry

that's cool, I'll let the fresh water experts answer the question, since filter systems can vary greatly.

 

[TLEF316]

still debating whether or not i want to do any planting in the tank. At this point, ive decided that one side of the tank is going to be some rock formations(probably slate) while the other half will be some smaller rocks with some fairly small plants(either real or fake)

Ive read that there are some beginer plants that dont require special lighting or Co2 pumps. Just how much work is it to care for VERY basic plants? I really just want them for the cover and to help curtail algae growth. Im not looking to plant a garden here. thanks again for any answers.

and o yeah, ive pretty much settled on a 75 gallon glass tank. I can deal with the extra cost(will be starting my first legit after college job in june, and i was offered about $6000 more than i expected) and id definetly like to be able to keep some slightly bigger, more active fish(clown loaches for sure)

 

[Guapote]

Shermanator-Sorry I missed the request for advice earlier.

Stay far away from undergravel filters, they're pretty dated technology. They do work, but there are better options. My recommendation is an Aquaclear 300, a power filter that hangs on the back of the tank (except it's not called a 300 anymore, it's the model that moves 300 gallons per hour). Easy to maintain, gives you 4x turnover in an hour, which is OK. A 500 gph model is better, but the 300 will work. If you're planning to stock at a high density you might want to get the 500. I'm not a big fan of the whisper/penguin/emperor brands, they'll work OK, but they're light on the biological filtration. The type with the bio-wheel works pretty well, but I've heard too many stories about them getting stuck.

Your other option is a canister filter, there are some good ones out there, but they are (in my opinion) too much work to clean out, leading to them getting cleaned less often. They do have a lot of good features, but they're more high-tech than most of what I use so I can't give you much input on these.

TLEF316-Look at Java fern; it's the best plant for low light situations. Unless you put a ton of light on a tank that deep you should figure you have a low-light tank. Java fern grows slowly, but it's really easy to keep alive. If you go with a twin-tube fluorescent or a power compact hood you could do a lot more, but that's going to cost a lot more. I've also found Java fern to do really well even in my tanks that don't have any plant substrate. In my 75s with standard twin-tube 4' fluorescents I have a hard time growing much other than this. There's probably other plants that could work for you, but I've had poor luck with Bacopa, hornwort, Hygrophyla, etc. I can grow water sprite floating, but it's not that attractive, it's just a good place for fry to hide.

 

[Wild Young Billy]

I once had 3 piranha in a 29 gallon tank. Watching the piranha devour the feeder goldfish was a great way to waste away an evening.

Then I neglected to buy some feeders for the piranha for a week or so . Then I was down to 2 piranha.

Good times.

 

[kbreaker]

Right now, I've got a 29 gal. planted tank with 3 Bolivian Rams.

Looking at setting up a 55 gal. African Cichlid tank sometime in the next couple of months or so.

As far as the plants go, if you start out with a good substrate (I used Eco-Complete) and good lighting (I have 2x65w compact flourescents) and some low-tech CO2 supplementation, it's fairly low maintenance. The biggest problem I have is pruning - if you don't do it at least monthly, things will get out of control pretty fast.

 

[kbreaker]

still debating whether or not i want to do any planting in the tank. At this point, ive decided that one side of the tank is going to be some rock formations(probably slate) while the other half will be some smaller rocks with some fairly small plants(either real or fake)Ive read that there are some beginer plants that dont require special lighting or Co2 pumps. Just how much work is it to care for VERY basic plants? I really just want them for the cover and to help curtail algae growth. Im not looking to plant a garden here. thanks again for any answers. and o yeah, ive pretty much settled on a 75 gallon glass tank. I can deal with the extra cost(will be starting my first legit after college job in june, and i was offered about $6000 more than i expected) and id definetly like to be able to keep some slightly bigger, more active fish(clown loaches for sure)

If you want an easy plant, go with Java Fern. No special lights, no CO2, slow growth, can root to rock and driftwood, and fish don't like to eat it.

 

[TLEF316]

still debating whether or not i want to do any planting in the tank. At this point, ive decided that one side of the tank is going to be some rock formations(probably slate) while the other half will be some smaller rocks with some fairly small plants(either real or fake)Ive read that there are some beginer plants that dont require special lighting or Co2 pumps. Just how much work is it to care for VERY basic plants? I really just want them for the cover and to help curtail algae growth. Im not looking to plant a garden here. thanks again for any answers. and o yeah, ive pretty much settled on a 75 gallon glass tank. I can deal with the extra cost(will be starting my first legit after college job in june, and i was offered about $6000 more than i expected) and id definetly like to be able to keep some slightly bigger, more active fish(clown loaches for sure)

If you want an easy plant, go with Java Fern. No special lights, no CO2, slow growth, can root to rock and driftwood, and fish don't like to eat it.

yeah, thats pretty much what im looking for. All that stuff seems ideal. Ill probably just use wood, small rocks and some mid size fake plants in the background to add some depth. Im getting pretty psyched about this.edit: any other species besides java fern if i want variety?

 

[TheFanatic]

still debating whether or not i want to do any planting in the tank. At this point, ive decided that one side of the tank is going to be some rock formations(probably slate) while the other half will be some smaller rocks with some fairly small plants(either real or fake)Ive read that there are some beginer plants that dont require special lighting or Co2 pumps. Just how much work is it to care for VERY basic plants? I really just want them for the cover and to help curtail algae growth. Im not looking to plant a garden here. thanks again for any answers. and o yeah, ive pretty much settled on a 75 gallon glass tank. I can deal with the extra cost(will be starting my first legit after college job in june, and i was offered about $6000 more than i expected) and id definetly like to be able to keep some slightly bigger, more active fish(clown loaches for sure)

If you want an easy plant, go with Java Fern. No special lights, no CO2, slow growth, can root to rock and driftwood, and fish don't like to eat it.

There is one problem with Java Fern. When it propagates it send tiny versions of itself floating around the tank. Guess what happens next? Those little plants clog your filters. I have Java Fern in my 110 but I have an undergravel filter and two monster power heads so no intake valves for it to get sucked into. The filtration setup is kinda weak but I'm not changing it till my big Clown Knife dies and I redo the tank. It works for what I need at the moment.Planted tanks are flippin easy. I have a buddy what went nuts with a CO2 system and way too much extra lighting. All you need is an extra light strip (and if you order them through That Pet Place they are pretty cheap) some fertilizer (Kent is the best) and the most important thing is this. When leaves start to die on your plants, pull them from the tank. Even if you have the best system in the world some leaves will die off. Get them out of the tank. They will mess up your Nitrate cycle fast.But basically you need an extra light strip which is less than $100. You need good bulbs. Online those bulbs that are $27 at Petsmart are $14. You will need to replace the bulbs every 3 years or so depending on how often you turn on and off your lights. The more you turn them off and on the less lifespan the bulbs will have.I said it before, stick to Amazon Swords, Crypticorn Wendtii, Jungle Vals, and Annubias with an extra light strip and a little fertilizer and your tank will look spectacular.....As for the guy who wants to do fresh water and has a 75....GREAT starter tank. The smaller the tank the more maintenance. But too big has the same problem. The 75 is much better than a 55 because it has the nearly the same dimensions for viewing but has 50% more surface area. Surface area is key because that detarmines how many fish you can have in the tank. That 1 inch of fish per gallon of water is crap. A 45 gallon high has the exact same surface area as a 30 gallon. But since it has 50% more volume in terms of water people think that they can put 50% more fish when in fact they should put the same amount of fish. The surface of the water is where the water becomes oxygenated - at the ripple. It's not the little bubbles coming up from the airstone. It's the ripple those bubbles create on the surface of the tank. The other tank I recommend for beginners is the 58 gallon tank that is 3 feet wide and 18 inches deep. As for filtration on the 75. If you are going to go with some sort of external power filter like the Aqua Clear I would recommend the 500 or two 300's. The Aquaclear is the best external, non canister, filter on the market. Simple but very effective design. I would recommend over filtering. Particularly for someone who is just starting out. If you can afford it, a Fluval 305 or maybe even a 405 cannister would be even better. My 55 has the older model of the 305, the 304. The water is crystal. For the guy wanting to go with slightly bigger, more active fish. AVOID Bala Sharks and Silver Dollars if you plan on planting the tank. Both get decent size. Both are very active. Both are pretty interesting. And both are extreme vegetarians. Anything green you put in that tank that isn't plastic will be a salad bar for them.A nice combination of fish for a planted 75 gallon tank are 6-8 angels, 3 schools of different kinds of tetras (avoid the neons because they just don't get big enough and the angels will eat them), some clown loaches, maybe some dwarf south american cichlids (smaller, docile cichlids like Blue Rams mentioned above and anything from the Apistogramma genus), with a school of 6-8 cory cats. You will also need something for algae. Go with a couple of plecos, but to really keep up with the algae growing on all the plant leaves buy a bunch of otocincles cats. Otos get about an inch and a half long and are algae eating machines. Buy a dozen of them. They are pretty cheap...

 

[kbreaker]

still debating whether or not i want to do any planting in the tank. At this point, ive decided that one side of the tank is going to be some rock formations(probably slate) while the other half will be some smaller rocks with some fairly small plants(either real or fake)Ive read that there are some beginer plants that dont require special lighting or Co2 pumps. Just how much work is it to care for VERY basic plants? I really just want them for the cover and to help curtail algae growth. Im not looking to plant a garden here. thanks again for any answers. and o yeah, ive pretty much settled on a 75 gallon glass tank. I can deal with the extra cost(will be starting my first legit after college job in june, and i was offered about $6000 more than i expected) and id definetly like to be able to keep some slightly bigger, more active fish(clown loaches for sure)

If you want an easy plant, go with Java Fern. No special lights, no CO2, slow growth, can root to rock and driftwood, and fish don't like to eat it.

yeah, thats pretty much what im looking for. All that stuff seems ideal. Ill probably just use wood, small rocks and some mid size fake plants in the background to add some depth. Im getting pretty psyched about this.edit: any other species besides java fern if i want variety?

Java Moss is another very low maintenance plant. I wouldn't worry too much about the Java Fern clogging your filters, especially if you're not investing in bright lights or CO2. Regular filter maintenance will keep things going fine. Plain old hair algae will be more likely to clog your filter intakes.

 

[loimkeith]

Here is a great site to buy most anything you'll need (other than the tank iteself & grave/rock due to it's weight) shipping is very reasonable and it's UPS 2nd day. You'll find the prices on media, filters etc. about 50%-60% cheaper than what you'll find at a Petsmart or other retail outlet.

That Fish Place

I think Guapote is pretty close in the expected cost of a 55 gallon. If you going to go with a larger tank or plan to keep Cichlids (especially South American) I recommend using a Fluidized Bed Filter (Marine Life) for biological filtration and a large canister (Eheim etc.) as these fish grow big and create a large amount of waste. The fluidized bed filters are self contained and require zero maintenance after setup and if the canister is big enough (I recommend one that circulates 8x to 10x the tank volume per hour) you only need to spend about 45 minutes every 6 months cleaning it/replacing media. The rest is weekly water changes which will only take about 30 minutes if you get a Python and glass/acrylic cleaning.

As far as live plants go there is a wide variety to chose from, I've found Amazon Swords to be the hardiest and they require the least maintance. Banana plants seem to do very well too (at least in my tanks.)

I currently have over 1000 gallons of tanks in my house, feel free to PM me with any questions.

My next move is a Jellyfish tank, I'm looking at building a custom one as the only ones commercially available are running betwen 12k-15k for a 90 gallon all inclusive (filtration, chiller, stand/walll unit)

I live in York, PA only a few miles fromThat Fish Place in Lancaster, PA. It is a wholesale company that supplies products to many small companies throughout the area. You can buy many things from the cheaper than you can from a local chain store.I do agree with an earlier post that a 55 gallon is the way to go. If you started with a ten gallon you would just get frustrated and quit. The bacteria needed to sustain life in a tank just never seems to equal out in a 10 gallon. I truly recomment undergravel filters and a strong back filter. I have had tanks for years and with all my experience I will never own live plants. Not a fan plus I like a lot of current inmy tanks so the undergravel plates and live plants don't ever seem to get along, plus if you get a plant eating fish... what is the use!

I also say give your tank a solid week before your first fish purchase and then the fisrt purchase should be ZEBRA DANIOS (2 to 4 of them). These are very strong fish and very inexpensive so if they die you may only be out $3.00.

Take your time... a healthy tank takes a while to set up. You don't have to get it all done in one weekend. Also aftre you get the first fish your tank will get cloudy... that is a bacteria bloom... IT WILL GO AWAY! Do not let a salesman tell you otherwise!

Good Luck!

 

[Fat Nick]

I doubt it's within an hour of you, but if you have any reason to head to Maryland, check out The Aquarium Center in Randallstown. By far the biggest, best, and most knowledgeable place I've ever seen for fish.Fresh, salt, whatever. They carry in stock probably 100 or more large tanks, from basic to Oceanic high-end models, full array of filters, foods, and tank decor. That's where I got all my cichlids. Some of them are going on 4-5 years old now. They've got some crazy fish I've never seen before. Very quality fish, quality staff. Great place.

funny that you say that, as ill actually be in maryland next weekend visiting a friend. Not sure how close they are, but ill take a look. thanks for the heads up

I don't know where you're headed, but it can't be more than 30 minutes or so from Baltimore...if that. You can get plants there too, but if nothing else, you can visually look at about everything you'd ever need. Don't let the outside of the place fool you. It doesn't look like much, and is just in a strip mall, but inside it's MASSIVE and pretty nice for a fish store. You can even request males and females for most fish, and the guys know how to sex them pretty well.

 

[Shermanator]

Shermanator-Sorry I missed the request for advice earlier. Stay far away from undergravel filters, they're pretty dated technology. They do work, but there are better options. My recommendation is an Aquaclear 300, a power filter that hangs on the back of the tank (except it's not called a 300 anymore, it's the model that moves 300 gallons per hour). Easy to maintain, gives you 4x turnover in an hour, which is OK. A 500 gph model is better, but the 300 will work. If you're planning to stock at a high density you might want to get the 500. I'm not a big fan of the whisper/penguin/emperor brands, they'll work OK, but they're light on the biological filtration. The type with the bio-wheel works pretty well, but I've heard too many stories about them getting stuck.Your other option is a canister filter, there are some good ones out there, but they are (in my opinion) too much work to clean out, leading to them getting cleaned less often. They do have a lot of good features, but they're more high-tech than most of what I use so I can't give you much input on these.

I appreciate the advice. Thanks alot I always thought (in theory I guess) that undergravel filters are a great way to keep the water flow going, and help cleaning the tank.So everything I would need is that Aquaclear 500 huh? whood a thunk it Cool. Im on it, like a hornet

 

[Rustoleum]

On a smaller scale, when my sister-in-law and her family moved out of state I sort of inherited (read: rescued) their Nanocube, which had been maintained by her husband who had moved ahead of them for work a couple of months earlier.

I am not the most diligent on water changes and only had experience with a 30 gallon freshwater tank and some ornamental goldfish in a 10 gallon, but everything has been flourishing for almost 2 years now -- a clown, some live rock, a colony of polyps, snails, hermit crabs, some skittish fish with a spike on his head (fire goby?), and the assorted little critters in the rock.

The only setback I had was in temperature shocking (like a fool) a couple of mushrooms and killing them during a water change. Everything else has even survived the ballast on the light burning up and having to live off the crappy hood light from the freshwater tank for a week.

So, it is possible and relatively easy to do saltwater without eating up a huge chunk of your living space.

 

[shredhead]

Nice to see all the aquarium hobbyists here. Reading all the replies (OK most of them) just goes to show you that there are many different theories out there and none of them are 100% right or 100% wrong. That being said, I have issues with a lot of things that were said. First off and foremost remember that you are creating an ecosystem. Learn how your ecosystem works and maintain it so all inhabitants will remain healthy. I highly reccomend plants unless you are planning on keeping more aggressive fish such as cichlids. Think about it, Fish need oxygen to survive. They give off Carbon Dioxide. Hmmmm. Guess what? Plants take in CO2 and give off oxygen. Sounds simple huh? Well it pretty much is, but there are other things to consider. You need to wait until the nitrogen cycle is complete and a few fish are in the tank before adding plants because the plants need Nitrates to flourish. Not too much nitrates though or you will fry them. Plants, like live rock and sand in salt water are the best natural filtration there is. I have had my planted tanks up for 5 years and have never cleaned the tank once. All I do is about a 20% water change every other week on my freshwater tanks. The water is pristine. It's all about balance. If you have too many fish then some will get sick and maybe die off. If there are too many plants then the same will happen to some of your plants. Plants also use up the nitrates that cause algae growth. So a planted tank can save you time on maintenance. A lot of hobbiest are chemical happy in my opinion. If you notice algae growth why not add a plant to get rid of it instead of adding chemicals. My 29 gallon tank has no algae on the glass and doesn't even have a plecostomus in it. It is an extremely balanced ecosystem. Add a little at a time (fish or plants) wait , and make sure everything is still healthy before adding more. A good rule of thumb for freshwater is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. Make sure to know what the full grown size of your fish is going to be before using this formula. Also keep in mind that heavy rocks displace water volume and also consider evaporation between water changes. My 29 gallon tank usually tells me that it has reached it's bioload at about 22 inches of fish and my 55 tops out at about 40 inches of fish.

One more thing about plants. The argument about lighting for a planted tank being much more expensive is completely bogus. A good light lasts about 1 year in my experience. A light in the growth spectrum is only about $5-$10 more expensive. If you can't afford to spend $5-$10 more a year then this probably isn't the hobby for you. I have found planted tanks to require less maintenance than non planted tanks, so I feel my time is well worth the $5-$10.

Now for a few of the things I have issues with. Someone said something about South American cichlids in a 55. I think this is kind of cruel. You should have at least a 75 before even considering these guys. A 90 or 125 gallon would be better. Oscars can get up to about 13 inches long so you could only do 2 or 3 in a 55 and that would be pushing it since a 55 is only 12 inches front to back. I have a 110 gallon tall tank and have 6 South Americans in it. That is all it will have in it until they die 15 or so years from now and I convert it to salt water.

Now to the guy who put 2 Oscars, 2 Dempseys and 2 barbs in a 20 gallon tank. If true, you sir are an idiot and should be beaten for your disregard for life and cruelty to animals. Nuff said.

Finally to the person who reccomended crushed coral for the tank being changed to salt water. I would do live sand instead of crushed coral. Sand is a lot easier for your snails and clean up crew to get to and it is easier to vacuum during water changes. Crushed coral is hard to get the detrius out and can make nitrates harder to control.

To the original poster. Have fun with this new hobby. Get a good water testing kit and test regularly, especially at the beginning. Good watwr parameters are the key to healthy livestock. You said you may be moving in 6-12 months. 2 things to consider. 1, wait until you are in your new place to start because moving an established tank takes time and care. 2, if you do have to move an established tank, I reccomend a cooler to move the fish. It will help stabalize the water temp. Re use as much of the original tank water as you can once the tank is moved and set up. This will help you keep more of the beneficial bacteria and basically re-seed your tank and prevent another mini nitrogen cycle.

I almost forgot, about rock, I bought lace rock at a landscaping rock and gravel store for about 1 tenth the cost of the fish store. Just soak the rock really good to get the dirt off. Use a brush that has never been exposed to any soap or chemicals to scrub it. Then boil the rocks to kill off anything else. If your rocks are too big to boil then soak in the sink or tub with as hot of water as the tap can get.. Repeat a few times to be safe if you use this method. I also used salt in the hot tap water to help kill stuff. Make sure to rinse them off if you use salt though.

Good Luck!

 

[shredhead]

still debating whether or not i want to do any planting in the tank. At this point, ive decided that one side of the tank is going to be some rock formations(probably slate) while the other half will be some smaller rocks with some fairly small plants(either real or fake)Ive read that there are some beginer plants that dont require special lighting or Co2 pumps. Just how much work is it to care for VERY basic plants? I really just want them for the cover and to help curtail algae growth. Im not looking to plant a garden here. thanks again for any answers. and o yeah, ive pretty much settled on a 75 gallon glass tank. I can deal with the extra cost(will be starting my first legit after college job in june, and i was offered about $6000 more than i expected) and id definetly like to be able to keep some slightly bigger, more active fish(clown loaches for sure)

If you want an easy plant, go with Java Fern. No special lights, no CO2, slow growth, can root to rock and driftwood, and fish don't like to eat it.

There is one problem with Java Fern. When it propagates it send tiny versions of itself floating around the tank. Guess what happens next? Those little plants clog your filters. I have Java Fern in my 110 but I have an undergravel filter and two monster power heads so no intake valves for it to get sucked into. The filtration setup is kinda weak but I'm not changing it till my big Clown Knife dies and I redo the tank. It works for what I need at the moment.Planted tanks are flippin easy. I have a buddy what went nuts with a CO2 system and way too much extra lighting. All you need is an extra light strip (and if you order them through That Pet Place they are pretty cheap) some fertilizer (Kent is the best) and the most important thing is this. When leaves start to die on your plants, pull them from the tank. Even if you have the best system in the world some leaves will die off. Get them out of the tank. They will mess up your Nitrate cycle fast.But basically you need an extra light strip which is less than $100. You need good bulbs. Online those bulbs that are $27 at Petsmart are $14. You will need to replace the bulbs every 3 years or so depending on how often you turn on and off your lights. The more you turn them off and on the less lifespan the bulbs will have.I said it before, stick to Amazon Swords, Crypticorn Wendtii, Jungle Vals, and Annubias with an extra light strip and a little fertilizer and your tank will look spectacular.....As for the guy who wants to do fresh water and has a 75....GREAT starter tank. The smaller the tank the more maintenance. But too big has the same problem. The 75 is much better than a 55 because it has the nearly the same dimensions for viewing but has 50% more surface area. Surface area is key because that detarmines how many fish you can have in the tank. That 1 inch of fish per gallon of water is crap. A 45 gallon high has the exact same surface area as a 30 gallon. But since it has 50% more volume in terms of water people think that they can put 50% more fish when in fact they should put the same amount of fish. The surface of the water is where the water becomes oxygenated - at the ripple. It's not the little bubbles coming up from the airstone. It's the ripple those bubbles create on the surface of the tank. The other tank I recommend for beginners is the 58 gallon tank that is 3 feet wide and 18 inches deep. As for filtration on the 75. If you are going to go with some sort of external power filter like the Aqua Clear I would recommend the 500 or two 300's. The Aquaclear is the best external, non canister, filter on the market. Simple but very effective design. I would recommend over filtering. Particularly for someone who is just starting out. If you can afford it, a Fluval 305 or maybe even a 405 cannister would be even better. My 55 has the older model of the 305, the 304. The water is crystal. For the guy wanting to go with slightly bigger, more active fish. AVOID Bala Sharks and Silver Dollars if you plan on planting the tank. Both get decent size. Both are very active. Both are pretty interesting. And both are extreme vegetarians. Anything green you put in that tank that isn't plastic will be a salad bar for them.A nice combination of fish for a planted 75 gallon tank are 6-8 angels, 3 schools of different kinds of tetras (avoid the neons because they just don't get big enough and the angels will eat them), some clown loaches, maybe some dwarf south american cichlids (smaller, docile cichlids like Blue Rams mentioned above and anything from the Apistogramma genus), with a school of 6-8 cory cats. You will also need something for algae. Go with a couple of plecos, but to really keep up with the algae growing on all the plant leaves buy a bunch of otocincles cats. Otos get about an inch and a half long and are algae eating machines. Buy a dozen of them. They are pretty cheap...

You are right about surface area dtermining how many fish you can have. I should have mentioned that when I mentioned the 1 inch per gallon theory. It is a good thing to keep in the back of your mind though. Your tank will tell you when ther is enough fish in it.If you stick to the easy or even medium difficulty plants, there should be no need for a CO2 injuection system. Remember, you will have quite a few Co2 producers swimming around in your tank anyway. These Co2 systems can actually be detrimental if they are not set properly. You can actually suck some of the oxygen out of your tank and kill some fish. for the otto suggestion. These guys are algae eating machines. Make sure you actually have algae before adding plecos or ottos.

 

[TLEF316]

any last minute suggestions for heating, lighting and filtering units. I think ill be picking up everything but the livestock tomorrow. thanks again for any advice

O yeah, im 99% sure im going 75 gallon glass tank, and will be trying some light light plants like java fern and java moss.

 

[kbreaker]

Quick rule of thumb is to buy more heater and filter than you need. I'd probably even want to go with two heaters for fault tolerance.

I personally like Eheim canister filters - you'll want something around 400+ GPH

 

[TLEF316]

Quick rule of thumb is to buy more heater and filter than you need. I'd probably even want to go with two heaters for fault tolerance.

I personally like Eheim canister filters - you'll want something around 400+ GPH

Those cannister filters seem pretty expensive. One on thatpetplace.com costs around $250, and that is for up to 500gph. Seems a little steep to me. I think id rather go with a high quality external power filter. This one seems to get very good reviews, and i can get 2 of them for less than the cost of most of the cannisters.

Are the cannisters really that good? It hardly seems worth the extra cost and maintenace

 

[kbreaker]

Quick rule of thumb is to buy more heater and filter than you need. I'd probably even want to go with two heaters for fault tolerance.

I personally like Eheim canister filters - you'll want something around 400+ GPH

Those cannister filters seem pretty expensive. One on thatpetplace.com costs around $250, and that is for up to 500gph. Seems a little steep to me. I think id rather go with a high quality external power filter. This one seems to get very good reviews, and i can get 2 of them for less than the cost of most of the cannisters.

Are the cannisters really that good? It hardly seems worth the extra cost and maintenace

I think they're worth it. Eheim is more expensive than other brands, but even a lesser brand is better than the hang-ons IMO. You can load up the canisters with ceramic rings or other media to vastly increase the surface area for beneficial bacteria. That means a more efficient and scalable nitrogen cycle, which means better water quality. That's really the heart of what you're investing in. It's worth the extra.I've heard good things about this value canister. It should fit the bill for you for $114

 

[TheFanatic]

Quick rule of thumb is to buy more heater and filter than you need. I'd probably even want to go with two heaters for fault tolerance.

I personally like Eheim canister filters - you'll want something around 400+ GPH

Those cannister filters seem pretty expensive. One on thatpetplace.com costs around $250, and that is for up to 500gph. Seems a little steep to me. I think id rather go with a high quality external power filter. This one seems to get very good reviews, and i can get 2 of them for less than the cost of most of the cannisters.

Are the cannisters really that good? It hardly seems worth the extra cost and maintenace

I said it once and I will say it again, Aquaclear is the best external power filter maker on the market. I've been doing this for close to 25 years. I've had every filter imagineable. Aquaclear is the best. As you get a feel for the hobby, you may want to move up to a canister. Canisters are the best filters outside of some custom deal the salt enthusiasts use. You can get a Fluval 405 for under $200 and wouldn't need any more than that. As for heating. I generally look at it like this. If your tank needs say 400 watts to heat it, I would go with two 250 watt heaters. One on each end of the tank. If one failed you would be OK for a while till you got another heater.

As for lighting, I just ordered a bunch of bulbs from DrFosterSmith.com. None of the 4 foot grow bulbs was over $15. I ordered three 4 foot grow bulbs and a couple 2 footers. I think the extra 4 foot light strip from ThatPetPlace on my 110 gallon was about $100 and holds two bulbs. All you need is one of those strips (along with what came on the tank, but maybe not even that) some good bulbs (which online are CHEAP), and some fertilizer (I paid $25 for a half gallon that will last me months).

It comes down to this, to do this hobby right you have to spend some jack. Buy your fish from wal-mart and you will get what you pay for. Buy cheap food and your fish will not be as colorful. Scrimp on the water changes and everything suffers.

If you don't want to go with the plants or a canister filter now, don't sweat it. Master keeping the fish alive. Then work on the better water quality and a more realistic and healthier tank with the plants.

This is my best advice I can give you: don't overcrowd your tanks and do water changes

If you don't follow either of those items in bold above you are going to be using that little net a lot to fish out the floaters to take them to the toilet for a flush....

Another thing, find knowledgeable pet store employees. Generally PetsMart or the guy at Wal-Mart don't know jack. I heard a PetSmart employee tell someone that an Oscar will be just fine in a 20 gallon by himself as long as the guy doesn't put anything else in there. And NEVER ask them what Africans can co-exist. You'll have Red Empresses in with Julidichromis and a bunch of dead Juli's. Find a small pet store where the people know their stuff.

I would recommend reading as much as you can too. Aquarium Fish Magazine is probably your best source of info that covers a wide variety of topics. I haven't had a subscription in years but I had one for about 5 years and it was great....

 

[TLEF316]

i dont plan on skimping at all. I just want to get the most bang for the buck. I figured that a big time canister filter is the "best" way of doing it, but is it really worth the extra money. It just seems that the good brand name external power filters get very good reviews, and are far cheaper. I think thats where im gonna start.

Ive worked at a Petco, so i know what goes on there. I wont be buying any livestock from places like that.

Good idea with 2 smaller heaters also. Ill definetly consider that.

As for lighting, ive got some more research to do. im still very confused.

 

[TheFanatic]

i dont plan on skimping at all. I just want to get the most bang for the buck. I figured that a big time canister filter is the "best" way of doing it, but is it really worth the extra money. It just seems that the good brand name external power filters get very good reviews, and are far cheaper. I think thats where im gonna start.

Ive worked at a Petco, so i know what goes on there. I wont be buying any livestock from places like that.

Good idea with 2 smaller heaters also. Ill definetly consider that.

As for lighting, ive got some more research to do. im still very confused.

If you aren't planting the tank what comes on the tank will be enough. And you still may be able to do something with some of the lower light/lower maintenance plants with that set up. The way I see it is this, there are 3 levels of planting the a tank:

1) Single light strip only will make planting the tank hard and the yield of spindly plants that barely survive (if they survive at all), but very little extra work or money involved)

2) Add a light strip and some fertilizer and your plants can thrive for a little extra money at the outset and a few bucks for bulbs every couple of years and some fertilizer. The extra wortk here will be trimming dead leaves and adding fertilizer. If you take care of this at monthly water change time it is minimal extra work.

3) Add the extra light strip, fertilize and add a Co2 Unit. The Co2 Unit is not cheap. A good one is gonna cost a lot more than the extra light. You have to maintain the Co2 unit so extra work there and the biggest downfall is this. Your plants won't just thrive they will look like they are on roids. You will be trimming back plants twice a week. It will look incredible, but the extra work and $$ outweighs the difference between my well planted tanks without Co2 and the Co2 tank.

All I did was add a light strip and fertilize a couple times a month which entails pouring a few ounces of something that looks like ice tea into the tank.

 

[TLEF316]

i dont plan on skimping at all. I just want to get the most bang for the buck. I figured that a big time canister filter is the "best" way of doing it, but is it really worth the extra money. It just seems that the good brand name external power filters get very good reviews, and are far cheaper. I think thats where im gonna start.

Ive worked at a Petco, so i know what goes on there. I wont be buying any livestock from places like that.

Good idea with 2 smaller heaters also. Ill definetly consider that.

As for lighting, ive got some more research to do. im still very confused.

If you aren't planting the tank what comes on the tank will be enough. And you still may be able to do something with some of the lower light/lower maintenance plants with that set up. The way I see it is this, there are 3 levels of planting the a tank:

1) Single light strip only will make planting the tank hard and the yield of spindly plants that barely survive (if they survive at all), but very little extra work or money involved)

2) Add a light strip and some fertilizer and your plants can thrive for a little extra money at the outset and a few bucks for bulbs every couple of years and some fertilizer. The extra wortk here will be trimming dead leaves and adding fertilizer. If you take care of this at monthly water change time it is minimal extra work.

3) Add the extra light strip, fertilize and add a Co2 Unit. The Co2 Unit is not cheap. A good one is gonna cost a lot more than the extra light. You have to maintain the Co2 unit so extra work there and the biggest downfall is this. Your plants won't just thrive they will look like they are on roids. You will be trimming back plants twice a week. It will look incredible, but the extra work and $$ outweighs the difference between my well planted tanks without Co2 and the Co2 tank.

All I did was add a light strip and fertilize a couple times a month which entails pouring a few ounces of something that looks like ice tea into the tank.

good deal. thanks. I think i will go with the light strip and fertilizer. Thanks again

 

[Eli2Shockey]

TLEF, ever make it up to that store? It's real nice but on the expensive side.

 

[TLEF316]

TLEF, ever make it up to that store? It's real nice but on the expensive side.

thats where im going tomorrow. Im mainly gonna check tank costs against what ive seen at other places. I feel comfortable going to places like petsmart for stuff like filters and heating if it means lower costsHow much more expensive are the fish up there?

 

[Eli2Shockey]

TLEF, ever make it up to that store? It's real nice but on the expensive side.

thats where im going tomorrow. Im mainly gonna check tank costs against what ive seen at other places. I feel comfortable going to places like petsmart for stuff like filters and heating if it means lower costsHow much more expensive are the fish up there?

what type of fish are you looking to get?

 

[TheFanatic]

TLEF, ever make it up to that store? It's real nice but on the expensive side.

thats where im going tomorrow. Im mainly gonna check tank costs against what ive seen at other places. I feel comfortable going to places like petsmart for stuff like filters and heating if it means lower costs

How much more expensive are the fish up there?

Definitely....Always look online first (thatpetplace and DrFosterSmith) but if it's not much cheaper online than the store go to the store. Case in point. Been looking at a new Fluval 405 Cannister filder. $179 at Petsmart. $169 online. I'll pay the extra $10 to be able to return it for another one in a matter of minutes rather than have to ship it back to get a new one if something goes wrong with it....Good luck and keep us posted...

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Don't get drunk and eat the sucker fish on a bet. YWIA.

 

[TLEF316]

TLEF, ever make it up to that store? It's real nice but on the expensive side.

thats where im going tomorrow. Im mainly gonna check tank costs against what ive seen at other places. I feel comfortable going to places like petsmart for stuff like filters and heating if it means lower costsHow much more expensive are the fish up there?

what type of fish are you looking to get?

community fish. Ill be looking at stuff like Dainos (zebra and leopard) early, then maybe some corys. Later ill think about adding stuff like tetras, maybe some clown loaches. Id also like to add a shark (albino rainbows are cool) nothing that exotic. One thing that looks really cool are zebra plecs, but from what ive read they are fairly rare and pretty expensive

 

[TheFanatic]

TLEF, ever make it up to that store? It's real nice but on the expensive side.

thats where im going tomorrow. Im mainly gonna check tank costs against what ive seen at other places. I feel comfortable going to places like petsmart for stuff like filters and heating if it means lower costsHow much more expensive are the fish up there?

what type of fish are you looking to get?

community fish. Ill be looking at stuff like Dainos (zebra and leopard) early, then maybe some corys. Later ill think about adding stuff like tetras, maybe some clown loaches. Id also like to add a shark (albino rainbows are cool) nothing that exotic. One thing that looks really cool are zebra plecs, but from what ive read they are fairly rare and pretty expensive

Crazy plecos ae my favorite fish. And they can be quite spendy. Get your fish keeping abilities down before you jump into this. On a side note, I just got my delivery from DrFostersmith and replaced all my light bulbs. Even though my plants were doing well, I didn't realize how bad my bulbs were. My two tanks (55 and 110 gallons) look sooooo much better with new bulbs.....