My new set up the guys went from 60 or so gal hex to 150 gal yacht they are living the high life. they have gotton a little snoby though hmmmmmmm fish

C2

Very nice! I'm starting to think I want an inside tank now!! hahaha.....it is all this forums fault! :rolleyes:

Derrick

Very nice! Now, expect all the fish to have a big growth spurt!

Derrick, I think most people with ponds had aquariums first. If you haven't, you've missed out on really seeing fish close up and from the side! It's a much more connective relationship with the fish.

Derrick I think you and i think a like at times (which is scary in its self) But I was backwards too. Pond first I had no desire for a tank but wanted a pond then the pond bug bit me and well you see he pic
Now with that said, indoor fihing has the same addiction and nothing is ever big enough yeah I really need group help

C2

hahaha, no big surprise I did it backwards I guess, the suprise is Christina admitting she thinks like me!!!....Wow, a female me out there, that;s just plain scary!! :D :D

Robyn, the more I read up on it and see other peoples tanks, the more right you are. I have the feeling before next fall I am definately going to have to remedy this situation!! ;)

Derrick

Was looking over Kijijii and there are a lot of fish tanks available. Everything from bare tanks to complete systems, some at very reasonable prices. So my question would be, what is a good sized tank to start out with? I am thinking I would like to just have 4 or 5 fancies in it, and maybe something a little odd like dwarf frogs or something like that. Not a ton of stuff, just to get started.

So would a 30 or 40 gallon tank be enough for that, or should I plan on bigger (I know, I will want a bigger one once I start, but gotta start somewhere)?

Thanks for any advise to someone pathetically under educated on the subject (no comment needed from you Christina!! LOL)

Derrick

By "fancies," do you mean fancy goldfish or just fancy fish? If you want goldfish, then certainly a 40 gallon breeder tank is a good place to start. They are the best size for your money. They're also a good size for a mixed community tank although most people start with a 20 gallon long tank for that. If you want African dwarf frogs, fancy guppies, and other smaller tropical fish, a 20 gallon is good. I don't suggest mixing goldfish with small tropicals or dwarf frogs. Larger goldfish may pester or even eat small fish while other fish may pester goldfish.

As with ponds, it's usually easier to maintain the water chemistry and cleanliness of a larger tank to a certain point.

I suggest looking around at the fish available at your local aquarium store. Figure out which species you like. Then, ask here and elsewhere to find out if they are compatible and what size tank you would need. Too often, people buy the tank first and then get fish without research. They say, "But, I REALLY had to have that fish." If they'd picked the fish first (but not bought it), they could have then set up the perfect home for it before actually buying it. It's only rarely that that perfect fish species would not be there when you go back (but that is possible, hence the impulse buys some of us have experienced).

Local aquarium store = Walmart! LOL...I live way out in the sticks!

I don't really know exactly what I will want in it. Probably NOT goldfish though. I found this offer, does it sound reasonable?

A 30 gallon tank, gravel, filter, heater,and pump included. The lid will probably have to be replaced. The tank, etc. is in good shape! Asking $100 OBO. (will throw in some tank decorations!)

I figure 30 gallons is a good place to start, and then decide one fish at a time what I want in it. As I don't have my heart set on anything in particular I wont be too upset if I have to pass on a few things.

Very, very nice C2!
Good job! :)

C2, that thing is huge!
I'll bet those fish are having fun swimming end to end.
What does the family think of the new tank?

R3d, we started out with the pond, then went to the aquarium afterwards.
Like robyn said, seeing fish from the side ... way different than only from above.
My 26 gallon aquarium and lid cost close to $100. So, the 30 gallon with accoutrements sounds OK ... but there's probably better deals out there for the size.

Our 26 gallon is just right for our small home ... but I would prefer something with a little more volume.
More options that way.

PG

I was actually thinking I might be able to make a simple lift on/off lid myself and save buying one, at least for now.

This is probably a dumb question, but why does it even need a lid? Just to keep the little fellas from jumping out and going for a spin around the room? :P

PG, Canadian prices on this stuff are way higher than U.S. for some reason. You guys can get a vastly larger selection at about half the price than what we are forced to pay for it. Go figure.

Derrick <_<

Partly, the other reasons are to limit evaporation and incorporate a full spectrum light so you can grow live plants. Including algae sometimes. :angry:

FM3

The more I think about it the more I am thinking I may just break down and go buy a new one. Too many things could go wrong with the heater, pump, filter, etc, and if I had to start replacing them I would soon be up into the money of new stuff anyway. The seller "says" it all works, but who knows? Maybe a trip to Wally World Mart to compare prices is the best idea before I do anything.

I didn't realize how much the lid prevents evaporation until we returned from vacation.
I had half of the lid open to accommodate the automatic feeder (I didn't want to cut any new holes).
When we returned home I saw how much water was gone, and I was certain there was a leak!
But after checking around the tank I figured it out. I had never left the lid open for that long before.

PG

Derrick your joke about the fish taking a tour around the room brought to mind one time I was on a fishing trip with a bunch of my buddies for a week @ Kentucky lake some years back. Well one day my partner and I came in with a livewell full of Bass that we wanted to show off before releasing them. Called a the guys down to the dock(one of which was video taping me opening the livewell) and just as soon as I liped one of the biggest, another one still in the livewell decided he was going to make an earily exit and launched himself out and into the lake with me trying to gab him in mid-air. Needless to say they all almost died laughing when I almost fell in trying to grab him. I always wanted to send that video into "america's most funny video program". I could have been a star. Yea, right. :blink:

FM3

That sounds like a hell of a fishing story frogman!! hahaha

Never really thought about the evaporation aspect, but point taken!

I'm actually glad I held off and went down to Wally Mart after work. They had a 30" x 12" x 18", 29 gallon Tetra tank there that included pump, filter and light for $149. I made myself wait until tomorrow to get it though to make sure I really want it. The money is coming out of my "new drum fund" so it has to be used sparringly!! LOL...but I am 99% sure I will be getting it tomorrow night.

Next comes the fishies and plants! Woohoo! :P

$100 for a 30 gallon tank with working parts sounds reasonable. But, as you say, you don't know how well they work or even if they are adequate (the filter's strong enough for example). For a 30 gallon setup, it's usually the stand that's most expensive so, if you have a place to put the tank, that saves you the biggest expense. After the stand, it's the light fixture (which may or may not include the hood if it's a full hood or a strip light; I prefer strips) that costs the most if you want a good one. You need a lid to prevent jumping, keep in water, and support a light fixture. If you don't want/need lighting (which I do suggest), then you can just use a hardware cloth lid like they sell for reptiles. You'll have to cut some holes in it. My first goldfish tank had that. It was hard for the fish to sometimes see their food or us to see them but they survived.

Let us know how your first foray into indoor fishydom goes!

Want to keep all of the fish small, so after looking at Wally Mart, here is a beginning of a list:
1. 4 Delta Red Guppies
2. 6 Black Phantom Tetra
3. 6 Zebra Danio

Normally I would say 16 fish is way to many for this sized tank, but these are all small fish (approximately 2"), so I am hoping it will be ok. I went with 6 of the Tetra and Danio because they are schooling fish. Not 100% sold on the guppies though, so if anyone has a better suggestion fire away. Would like to get 1 or 2 bottom feeders as well. Suggestions?

R3D asking me to bit my toung is bit much dont you think LOl

I have a lid on the new one and the only holes or space to get out s right by the filter that being said last night I was wlking throughth bacl living room, not even sure why, ancd I felt something cool on my foot well I turne dn the light to find my rainbow shark on the floor he is just a baby no clue how long he was there but I grabed him and he was not moving at all but droped im in the tank anyway and he started swimming little sluggish within an hour he was normal eating like nothing happened. he was covered in hair he looked like a Qtip but survivied. Everyone of my fish get air fromthe surface and sometimes go at godspeed to get there so a lid very important.

I would check your local paper andwant ads that is how I got both my tanks. The big one here I got for 200 US dollars with the filter and decor but I did trade him my hex tank I would check around. We have a thing called craigs list it a free sell/wante site do you all have something like that

word to the wise you always want bigger just remember that when you buy. I out grew my 60 gal tank in 6 months.
You will love it!! Good luck

C2

Your fish selection should be fine. I've never had phantom tetras but have heard they can be a little aggressive (not too much for guppies or zebra danios to handle though). For bottom feeders, I suggest about four cories of some sort (whatever they have). If you want an algae eater, I would wait at least a few months until the tank is established. For a 30 gallon tank, I like bristlenose plecos. I'm not sure what your store has.

As much as I hate WallyMart (and that is a LOT) it is probably where I am going to get the tank. For the extra $50 to buy new and opposed to a bunch of stuff in a box is worth it to me.

hahaha...no woriies about me not keeping you informed Robyn. I'll be asking questions until you want me to go to some other forum!!

That's funny Christina, because I am already wondering if the one I'm getting is big enough! LOL...It's a start I guess, a learning experience if nothing else. There is no local Craig's list around here. I checked the papers, but not much of interest there either. Oh, and biting your own tongue is better than biting someone elses....sometimes....LOL

Derrick

Thanks Robyn. They had some Pleco's there, but I'll have to check and see what type. I don't want anything that is going to grow to large. The last thing I want to do is crowd everyone or have unhappy fish that are just too big for the tank.

Speaking of which, WalMart had these tiny little cups basically that they were calling fish tanks. Makes me mad that they sell that crap to someone who doesn't know any better. May as well pour a large glass of water and dump a poor gold fish in it. It would be like a person being forced to live in a closet. It just isn't right....ok, that's my rant for the day. Sorry! LOL

Derrick

Pic of my pleco he is my favorite fish in the whole tank he hand feeds like a beast (which is unusual) my other one doesnt even come close to me I am so excited for ya watch new tank syndrom it is bad but I had no loss during it just a lot of attention frequent water changes and tested daily but then smooth sailing for the most part.


C2

Oh, that is SO COOL!!! I want one of those....and one of those fish too!!! ;)

So what type of Pleco is that Christina, and is that full size? It's about the size of your finger, which is just right. Unless of course you are like Sandy Allan and have fingers the size of my arms, but I doubt that. It would be hard to type.

What type of tank issues should I watch for? Ph levels? What else? Come on, fess up!

Derrick :D

Big daddy is one of my very few wally world fish purchases He/she (never checked) got big daddy the size they sell them at WW in the spring dropped in my pond and it came out 3 inches bigger and BD is about 10 in long nose to tale. Not sure how much longer but I know they start to plump and get thick and meatier.

all of your levels 1st amonia, then nitrites then Nitrates when you have registered nitRATes you are towards then end of the cycle meaning your good bacteria is keeping up with all waste but it takes a month even two. do you test your pond water?

Now that I have told you this i have to kill you that is just the way it is. :ph43r:

C2

yeah i dont have man hands at least when the shave my knuckles they dont look like man hands. LMAO

Yeah, I test the pond water, so I guess the same goes for the tank (duh...no brain tonight). :D

I'm sure hoping Big Daddy is the fish. Otherwise you are reallt scaring me! ;)

10 inches is a little too big....for my fish tank. The whole tank is only 30 inches long, so he may be a wee bit cramped.

Oh my! Will you let me live if I tell you I will have forgotten all of this by tomorrow? Sad thing it that it's true!! hahaha

You have very nice shaved knuckle hands. Well manicured and the paint isn't even chipped. I would have been much more worried if you had said that was DH's hand!! :rolleyes:

Derrick

My page on the nitrogen cycle and some water chemistry is at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/chem.htm but it's woefully deficient. It goes over the basics.

Most plecos sold at chains are going to be the common sorts that grow 1 to 2 feet long, too big for your tank. If you can find a bristlenose, clown, or other small pleco species, I suggest them.