Things to consider Buying new tank

Subject: Things to consider Buying new tank Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:09 pm

What things do you think someone should consider before they go out and buy an aquarium?
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Subject: Re: Things to consider Buying new tank Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:07 am

type of fish they want, the room they have at home and especially for me will it fit around the corners to get it in the house.

Subject: Re: Things to consider Buying new tank Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:28 am

I think they should consider how devoted they're prepared to be in taking care of their tank. Some setups require much more attention daily than others. Are you prepared to grow plants? Are you prepared to spend the cash involved in some setups? Are you able to spend the time daily, like caring for a dog or cat, or even a house plant that they require for continued health and happyness? Some people think fake plants are esier to maintain, but I have the opposite veiw, as plants use up much of the waste the fish produce and can help create a more stable and hardy system in the long run. One nice things about live plants is that they grow all by themselves which I think is magickal. It's so amazing how plants often know how to grow in just the right way to create a tank of unsurpassed beauty, all by them selves without much if any extra fiddling and management, and with the right fish they can be effective pruners especially with wood grown Java moss.

Subject: Beginner considerations Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:33 pm

The first thing that comes to my mind is Replacement water pH that will suit your fish.
For example: I do not bother with tetras because my water supply is on the hard side (high pH). It just would not work for me in the long run, especialy with a smaller sized tank, in the long run. (although if you saw what was in my 30gal of tank you would call me a hypocrite, but thats because I am willing to haul a certain amount of water from a spring and let it sit warming up, etc.)
The second thing that comes to mind is the sizes of fish we put together. In our streams and lakes, the food chain is primarily based on mouth part sizes.
The temperment of the the fish we put together is there too. Fast little fin biters don't seem to go with slow fish with long flowing fins.
Thats all I got for now.

Rank2 Member Age : 33 Joined : 20 Jan 2008 Posts : 63

I would say they should first read and get as much info on the subject of fish keeping. After that what type of fish should you be considering as a beginner, once you have decided on the type of fish you would like, you should then determine how much money you have to spend. At this point decide where the best place in your home is for a tank, remembering that you are going to have to do water changes, so you are going to want to be as close to a water source as possible. Nothing worse than carrying heavy buckets of water from one end of the house to the other. You also need to have a source of electricity to run filters, heater, lights and other items that will need power, you don't want to have to have extension cords all over the place. Now you need to decide on what size tank is best for this area of the home. A lot of people say to buy the biggest tank you can afford, since a larger tank is easier to maintain and it also makes it easier to move up to larger fish in the future.

Subject: Re: Things to consider Buying new tank Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:03 pm

after recently gettin a second tank take a list with you of stuff you need that you do not already have and check off the items as you get them. Forgot an air pump here but remembered the hose, air stones, gravel, filter food, lighting, etc. Razz

Subject: Re: Things to consider Buying new tank Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:51 pm

That is a good idea I do things like that all the time, always forget one or two things.
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