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beginner salty

  • #21
woah..I just read back through more of the posts on this thread..

Polywer,
I see you are 10 years old..
PLEASE dont even consider starting fishkeeping with a salt-water tank!
start with a fresh-water tank instead.

not because you are 10 years old, thats irrelevant...I would give the same advice if you were 50 years old.. but because anyone who hasnt kept fish of any kind before is MUCH better off starting with freshwater..its SO much easier! (and its not all that easy either! it takes some experience and learning to "do it right"..)

If you havent yet, please read through this thread:

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112660

for some of the trials and tribulations of starting up a new freshwater aquarium.

Start with a 29 gallon aquarium to do it right..(or larger if you have the money and space)

Another thing that wasnt discussed much in this thread is the sheer amazing $$COST$$ of doing a salt water tank..
you are talking $2,000 just to get properly started.

You can set up a nice 29 gallon freshwater tank from scratch for $250.
even less if you look for used aquariums..which are actually pretty common, because many people give up on the hobby after awhile.
probably because they dont know how to do it right and get frustrated with failures..there is a TON of bad advice and misinformation in this hobby..
but its not hard, and its very rewarding, once you get the hang of it..

check your local craigslist..This one in New York City popped right up:
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brx/for/652294772.html
$125 for a complete 29 gallon setup..
thats a good deal.


Scot
 
  • #23
but i am a $100 budget
Sorry for the bad news, but thats only about enough to get you a powerhead, heater, and another tiny item. You need to save more money.

But don't get discouraged! Find a way to earn some money, or just wait till' the holidays come around and ask for some cash from your relatives. Or....If your parents are really nice, they'll buy you the tank for your birthday or the holidays.

If you insist on having a small tank, go with 29 gallons minimum. I'm saying that for your own good... please trust me.
I totally agree with you on the whole small tank ordeal, but the only reason I said 10 gallons is because this kid seems pretty set on getting a small tank. I figured I'd try to convince him to at least get a slightly larger one than the sizes he listed. I don't think we're going to change his mind on purchasing a larger tank all too much.

-Matt
 
  • #24
Start with a 29 gallon aquarium to do it right..(or larger if you have the money and space)

I agree. I might even lean towards the 55 gallon side more, but at the least 29 gallon. BUT, I also know that it is possible to have a 10 gallon reef. I kept one for about a year, so it's possible, just not recomended.

Another thing that wasnt discussed much in this thread is the sheer amazing $$COST$$ of doing a salt water tank..
you are talking $2,000 just to get properly started.

I agree again. Not only the cost of getting properly started, but just the upkeep. Food, chemicals, salt, water, electricity, cleaning, etc. But it is a very rewarding hobby.

But don't get discouraged! Find a way

100% AGREE. There are gonna be times when you'll want to pull your hairout. dead fish, dead corals, corals that never seem to be happy, mixing saltwater, chemicals, water tests, cleaning, cleaning. It will be a learning process

HAPPY REEFING!!!! :-O
 
  • #25
but i am a $100 budget


well its still possible to get started for $100..
(freshwater tank, not saltwater)

that craigslist complete 29 gallon setup was $125..(used)
and that was in New York City too..where everything is EXTRA expensive! ;)

if you look around, you could probably find a used 29 gallon and all the necessary bits for
$100..its a stretch, but possible.

For a freshwater tank you need:

tank.
filter.
heater.
2 or 3 small fish to start with.

thats it..

a hood and light is nice, but not necessary to get started..
you could just cover the tank with a piece of plywood until you can buy a proper hood.
(the hood and light will probably come with the tank anyway..so its probably a non-issue anyway.)

you will need SOME kind of cover however..you cant leave the top open, because nearly all fish will jump.

Some aquarium gravel on the bottom is also generally a given, but again not necessary right from the start..
I would recommend starting with some gravel however, because the gravel supports a big chunk of the biofilter bacteria...which is a good thing.

and if you keep goldfish instead of tropical fish, you dont even need a heater!

I would recommend a basic "hang on the back" power filter, like this:

http://www.petsmart.com/graphics/product_images/pPETS-3758093t400.jpg

dont bother with cannister filters or anything like that..
and dont use a UGF! (Under Gravel Filter)..they are evil.

Scot
 
  • #26
A 10 gallon setup for freshwater fish is very stable provided that you slowly stock and do some diligence (maybe I'm too over cleaning and whatever)
10 gallon tank $10
Filter like a whisper like $14
Airpump $8
Airstone for the whole back of the tank $3
Gravel or river rock from the hardware store (make sure it won't screw with the Ph though) $3 to $10 Depending on the packaged stuff or the cheap river rock.
Heater $10 to $20 From a cheap Tetra to a Stealth
Hood if you want plants the 8 watt ones won't cut it I like my strip light ontop of the grid setup but no plants means a $10 hood will be fine. $10 to $20
Now I'm getting DSL back tomorrow after one pickin month so I'll show you what I did for under $100 for a nice 10 gallon. I have mine stocked with 4 Danios(2 orangish ones(half moons?) and 2 zebras),2 Albino Cories,a guppy (the last survivor from fart mart),2 neon tetras and another form of tetra. I heavily suggested a planted tank there fun and my nitrates are like zero(no algae like never) unless I add my fertilizer creation. I can help you out with the plants since mine are like growing like crazy from the light and fertilizer that I add monthly. I tried CO2 but I have great growth without it so I dunno ether I have vigorous plant species or just am doing something else right. Oh guess what I'm using for fertilizer :lol: ?
I spent about $15 for a quart of the stuff hasn't done anything but great growth to anything I have in my carefully and low amounts.
 
  • #27
Zebra Danios and Neon tetras are schooling fish and really don't do too well in groups of 2. You need to keep them in at least groups of four; I've tried a group of 3 neons and it just didn't go.

I keep a 5 gallon freshwater with 4 neons (as stated above); it's a little over a year old now.

I really don't feel like putting in the extra effort for aquatic plants when I can get plastic ones that look almost exactly the same as the real thing (established with algae growth, of course). I guess I'll try them out some day.
-Matt
 
  • #28
I have 4 danios :) I have 4 tetras just different colors :)
I like the plants there easy,I keep a very nice turbulance for the filter to suck up the crap.
 
  • #29
Each specific species (the zebra danios and neon tetras) need to have an exclusive school of four each.
Keeping 2 neon tetras with 2 different species of tetra does not count as a school.
This...
neontetra.jpg


Will not school with this...

GlowlightTetraWFM_C1283.jpg


Just trying to help for the sake of your fish.
-Matt
 
  • #30
Alright I understand I have 2 like danios but my tetras are different well could I have my tank stocked with 2 1 inch sized full grown albino corys,1 guppy,4 tetras,4 danios could I add 2 more of each to make them happy ? Or am I pushing my luck ? The bottom(like 20 gallons or 15) of my 55 is going to be ready I could take out the less colorfull tetras buy 2 more of them then put 2 more of the neons into the 10 that will work just need a filter and some gravel removal in my 55 bottom. Thanks for looking out for me on this I'm a newbi to this ,
I started a thread on the 2 tanks lets leave this one alone :) Since this is polywer's thread.
 
  • #31
Each specific species (the zebra danios and neon tetras) need to have an exclusive school of four each.
Keeping 2 neon tetras with 2 different species of tetra does not count as a school.
This...
neontetra.jpg


Will not school with this...

GlowlightTetraWFM_C1283.jpg


Just trying to help for the sake of your fish.
-Matt



I beg to differ..
my neon and glo-light tetras have never seemed to be aware, or care, that they are different species..

I once had 6 neons and 4 glo-lights..(about 6 years ago)
over time a few have died..
im now down to 4 neons and 2 glo-lights..
they have been one happy school of 6 fish for many years..

I do agree that danios will not school with tetras..
but in my experience, different types of tetras will school together.

Scot
 
  • #32
Hmm, thats interesting.
Well, at least in technical terms, they aren't supposed to. I was just trying to give an example.

Thanks for looking out for me on this I'm a newbi
Glad I could help.
Join the www.fishlore.com forums. They will be able to answer your questions better than I.

-Matt
 
  • #33
I have 4 danios but I will take care of the tetras :)
I'm on a guppy forum I can get help there readily.
But you seem very knowledgable :D
 
  • #34
But you seem very knowledgable
hehe, thanks. I guess a long times worth of research & experiance is finally paying off...

So do you have everything figured out with your tank?
 
  • #35
Ya I need yo get 2 more neon tetras 2 more of those other guys I'll have more than an inch a gallon but I have an airstone for the whole length of the tank and craploads of plants so I'm thinking I'll be fine.
I will this winter try to setup a 30 since I'm earning cash quickly and my dad will buy a generator for the winter.
And meanwhile I will try to setup a 10 gallon with some Live Sand,LR rubble,Maybe some Good LR(just some) and keep only some very easy inverts not corals,fish or anything just some snails,starfish(i think there not hard to keep right?) and some shrimp.
I'll spend like $120 but atleast I will in theory keep them happy,if the power goes out I could move the tank to my friends house(in town they never get outages)/insulate it,I should be able to get acquainted and I'm thinking the CUC would be a low bioload and would teach me on keeping something without a large initial investment. I'd obviously cycle the tank have the basic equipment and so on. Lighting will be cheap CFLs or striplights since coraline algae doesn't need too much light.
 
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