any fish aquariums owners out there?

[sadiegirl]

My son turned 13 yesterday and we have decided to purchase an aquarium for a family gift! Can anyone recommend a good size? We are considering one ranging from 30-45 gallon. Where did you buy your tank? Would you recommend acrylic? I saw on a website that they are easy to scratch?

If you have any recommendations on size of tank, brand etc or even best place to buy, I would appreciate it.

We are thinking that this will be a good investment but after looking at all the accessories you can buy on Petsmart site...wow! this has the potential to be costly!

Any advice?

[elise1mds]

I think 30-45 gallons sounds like a good size. The general rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, so you should be able to get a couple dozen small to medium-sized fish in there easily. :)

 

We have two tanks right now, a 12-gallon tank in my son's room and a 50-gallon tank in the living room. The smaller one is acrylic and the larger one is glass. I've never had a problem with the acrylic being scratched because all you have to do is get a proper cleaning sponge and you're good to go.

 

I assume you're talking about a freshwater tank. I have NO experience with a saltwater tank. My husband refuses to put in the work for saltwater in anything less than about 75 gallons for stability reasons, and we don't have space (or money) for that. So I take care of both tanks and they are both freshwater.

 

Wherever you can get a good price will probably be fine for the tank, but make sure that you find a reputable place to buy your fish - ideally one that will fix the issue if the fish dies within a week or two of purchase. Both Petsmart and Petco will do that, but you have to bring in the receipt and a water sample which is kind of a hassle. I've found it's easier to go with a smaller shop and get to know the owners. Also, be patient with purchasing. You don't want to overwhelm the tank before it's truly set up. It's a long process.

 

I don't know what kind of filtration system you're looking at, but we've been really happy with our BioWheels. :) Some tanks come with those already in the kit.

 

It can be an expensive hobby initially, but once it's all set up, food and the occasional new fish aren't too bad. Enjoy!!

[Whereneverever]

I'd agree- with an aquarium bigger is better. More fish, and less maintenance. My advice- make sure you are really, really sure it's exactly where you want it- once it's filled it's impossible to move. I want mine 2 inches over- no go. :lol:

[Splungeman]

Hello! I worked for years as an aquatics specialist at both Petsmart AND Petco. My grandfather used to breed aquarium fish and taught me everything he knew.

 

My first bit of advice for the beginner aquarium is this: Bigger is better. Get the biggest tank you can afford. The reason for this is that small tanks get dirty very quickly, and if some kind of bacterial bloom occurs, it doesn't take long for it to kill all your fish. The bigger the tank, the more forgiving it it. A lot of people like to start small, and that's what causes them to get out of aquariums because all their fish died. But you are aiming big...so great!

 

Recommended filters: A Penguin bio-wheel filter appropriate for the size of your tank is my favorite. BUT you'll find people out there who hate them and love ones that I hate. Undergravel filters are okay as well. My grandfather loved them. It is pretty well understood that canister filters are the "best", but they require a bit more work. Though it's just a matter of doing a little bit of reading on the net. It's not rocket science.

 

Recommended lights: Flourescent. Incandescent are cheaper but they heat up your water and they look rather ugly.

 

Acrylic vs Glass: Yes, acrylic scratches easier....but is less likely to spring a leak. Glass doesn't scratch as easy, but may leak down the road (usually don't have leaking problems for years though.)

 

Get enough gravel to coat the bottom of the tank about one inch. Unless you get an undergravel filter, in which case you need an inch and a half to two inches of gravel.

 

Set up the tank at home and get everything running and let it mellow for a week. No fish yet! Turn the light on during the day and off at night. Get into that habit. Fish can't have their lights on all the time. They will get stressed because they can't sleep (yes...they do sleep!). Plus algae loves it when you leave the light on all the time. This is the best time for your son to practice changing the water and cleaning the tank. Have him do it a couple of times during this "No Fish Week". A good water change schedule is to change about a third of the water every two weeks (better if it is weekly though) Here's a good link that tells you how to change water:

 

http://www.bestfish.com/wtrchang.html

 

I thought about writing more, but the "articles" section of the bestfish website is a VERY good resource. In fact...it's got pretty much everything you'd find in a book. And most books are published by companies who make fish-food and tank supplies...so they are selling you stuff as you read. :( This website has everything you'll need to know starting out.

 

http://www.bestfish.com/articles.html

 

Good luck! It's a lot of fun. your son will learn a lot of about biology and ecosystems if he cares for an aquarium!

[sadiegirl]

I don't know what kind of filtration system you're looking at, but we've been really happy with our BioWheels. :) Some tanks come with those already in the kit.

 

BioWheels...I'm assuming that Petsmart or Petco carry this? We live 70 miles from Belleville, IL and that is more than likely where we will purchase the aquarium. I have heard it is a rather lengthy process to set up and we are still debating as to the location. My husband thought out classroom would be ideal but I think I would prefer living room so we would enjoy it as a family--he doesn't spend the time we do in the classroom- and plus I think nighttime is the best time for viewing the aquarium.

Do you recommend one that comes everything you need in a basic kit if they offer that or is it better to buy individual filters, lighting etc? I know in some products when you buy a "kit", the components aren't top of the line and we want to be sure to get better quality parts.

[Heather in AL]

I don't have any added advice, as you have already received some great info. I am in the "love my bio-wheel" camp for a filter system!

 

I would, however, like to suggest a great site for you to visit. www.aquamaniacs.net The people there are nice, helpful, and full of info. I stumbled across them several years ago when my ds was sent home with a small aquatic frog and limited info on how to care for it (and much of it was wrong!). If you visit that site, you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about aquariums. :D

 

It's a great hobby.... hope you enjoy!

[JudoMom]

We got an awesome deal on a 40-something gallon tank off of Craigslist, so you might want to look there.

[Jann in TX]

Not all fresh water fish get along!

Common 'cheap' fish like gold fish, mollies, guppies, swordtails and platties may add color--and they can bread easily-- but they are 'dirty' fish and they can be 'fin nippers'. As a rule keep gold fish only with other gold fish as they need extra filtration.

 

Our very first tank was 50 gallons and housed 2 Oscars and one Hypostomus Plecostomus. We had VERY LITTLE in the area of tank decorations as Oscars fill the tank up and like to re-decorate (tear up any live or plastic plants) to their own specifications. They 'allowed' one large piece of driftwood and a few large pieces of slate. They were great fish to watch and Oscars really do have personalities! When we had to move across country we gave the Oscars and the Pleco. away but kept the tank.

 

I prefer a beginner tank of 40-50 gallons. Glass tank and top. Get a STURDY stand as the tank plus the water will be HEAVY! I personally prefer undergravel filters and 4 inches of fine gravel (almost sand). This creates a great set up for adding LIVE plants. For years we had a 50 gallon set up that housed a 'community tank' with angle fish, rainbow fish, assorted cat fish, and a prolific pair of dwarf bristle-nose plecostomus! We also had some tetras (neon, harlequin and others) in for movement (large enough that the angles did not munch on them!). My angle fish were also prolific breeders--and raising the fry (in a separate tank) was an adventure! We joined a local aquarist society (FISH CLUB!)--I never knew they existed--it was a great place to learn and to share--AND to get inexpensive plants and to trade/buy fish!

 

We did monthly tank matience. I used a 35 gallon trash can and a tank siphon/cleaner. This contraption takes out some of the old water while 'vacuuming' the gravel on the bottom--taking out extra food and waste with it. We took out about 1/4 of the water then replaced it with new (treated) water. The 'old' water made great fertilizer for the flowerbeds! Average time spent was 30 minutes.

 

I'd love to have an aquariam again--but for now our tank is being used by one of my daughter's bearded dragons!

[hornblower]

Do check out craigslist for equipment - it comes up a lot.

 

Also make sure you buy your fish from a reputable shop which get their stock from good breeders - not wild caught and not from unhealthy breeders. If you post in your local craigslist or on a local fish fanciers site, you'll get tips on where to go.

 

The big box shops have good return policies BUT IME they also have fish that die. We had better success with the small boutique shops.

 

Bigger is better for tanks - small tanks are hard to keep clean & cycle properly. And yeah, I'll just say what's been said already - make sure you dc understands the tank needs to be set up empty for a while before you can add fish.

 

We've had fish on & off for about 10 years now. Currently we still have tanks set up but nothing in them - dd wants to shut hers down, ds wants to get his going again. It can be a frustrating hobby I think dd is done with it....

[elise1mds]

BioWheels...I'm assuming that Petsmart or Petco carry this? We live 70 miles from Belleville, IL and that is more than likely where we will purchase the aquarium. I have heard it is a rather lengthy process to set up and we are still debating as to the location. My husband thought out classroom would be ideal but I think I would prefer living room so we would enjoy it as a family--he doesn't spend the time we do in the classroom- and plus I think nighttime is the best time for viewing the aquarium.

Do you recommend one that comes everything you need in a basic kit if they offer that or is it better to buy individual filters, lighting etc? I know in some products when you buy a "kit", the components aren't top of the line and we want to be sure to get better quality parts.

 

Yes, either of those stores should have a biowheel system of some sort. I'm sure you can check online to see about prices. If you get them in a kit, they *should* be sized for the tank, but if you purchase them on your own, make sure you get one that will do the job properly. Lighting has come with both of our tanks, and I haven't had too much of a problem with the bigger one, but the algae LOVE to cling to the light in my smaller tank. I haven't really investigated to find out if this is due to a difference in the bulbs or just the fact that the tank is smaller and that's where the algae likes to be, but I'm sure someone here could answer that :)

 

As for where you put it, as others have mentioned, decide FIRST, get a very sturdy stand, and make sure that it's close enough to electrical outlets to plug everything in. You'll also want to be close to a sink or tub! You don't want to set the tank up and go to clean it a few days later and then realize that you're going to be lugging bucket after bucket after bucket of water all the way through the house. Also, should you ever have to empty it (or even just to fill it up the first time) you'll want to have it where the hose can reach. Make sure you get a good water conditioner to get rid of any chlorine or other chemicals; any good aquatic salesperson should be able to counsel you on how to take care of the water, and if you bring in a sample, they can help you with any problems that you are having.

 

One thing I forgot to mention was heating the tank. I'm not sure what temperature you like to keep your house, but during the winter my thermostat is set at 68, which is too cold for the fish, so I have to heat the tank. Heating works roughly the same as the filtration in that you need to get one that is a good size for your tank.

 

OK, this is probably more information than you were wanting, but I hope it's helpful!