Dorm Tank

[jimmybling31]

To buy those tanks sounds like two things: dumb and spoiled. If you have a hundred dollars (which is NOT a lot of money), you ought to perhaps try and save as much of it as possible. Be frugal, listen to navygirl, look up craigslist, be patient and pick up a 10 gallon tank for 10 dollars of less. I got a 25 gallon and a 20 gallon long both for free. I've also seen a bunch of aquaclear filter products that are really half the price you'd find at your LFS or petco (look up drfostersmith.com or bigalsonline.com, heck even amazon.com--just please don't buy anything from walmart).

10 gallon tank = 10 dollars (at most)
aquaclear HOB filter (probably 20 series) = less than 22 bucks w/o shipping (online)
and a 50 some odd watt heater (depending on temp of room and desired fish) for like another 16 bucks without shipping (online)

and that would all maybe equal your quaint little 6 gallon tank.

do the right thing

i actually set up a 10 gallon for 35dollars. bought the wallmart kit and a cheap heater. lol. worked. kept the fish for a couple weeks while i was trying to get rid of them. i wanna set up another 10 somewhere, but i am resisting as i just set up my 29 as my first salt water.

 

[FishGoneWild]

I'm currently in my last year of college, and here's my two cents...

At home, I have a 29, 54, 75, 125, and 180 gal tanks, which I come home to on the weekends. When I first started college, I thought, "I'm gonna need a fish tank at school, otherwise I'm gonna miss fish too much during the week." So I brought my 10 gal glass set-up. BAD IDEA!!!!
1) you're already gonna have a lot of other crap that you have to worry about when you're moving in, that you don't want the extra burden of a glass 10 gal tank.
2) carrying 10 gallons of water from the nearest water source to fill the thing is a **tch.
3) doing water changes at school when your busy with school work and when you have to carry dirty water to the nearest draining facility is even more of a **tch...
4) the water at colleges will instantly kill fish unless you use lots of water conditioner. They tend to load their water with chemicals, so that nobody gets sick from drinking it...

So, now I just have a 2.5 gal tank. It's glass, so I still have to worry about transporting it and all, but it is sooooo much easier in terms of water and changes and upkeep and what not. Plus, at college, you're gonna have so much other things going on that you're not really going to have time to stare at your fish and enjoy them, and you're not really gonna miss them... My 2.5 gal is a planted tank with ghost shrimp, a mystery snail, and cherry barbs... At one time, I did have a little African dwarf frog in there.

Good advice!

To buy those tanks sounds like two things: dumb and spoiled. If you have a hundred dollars (which is NOT a lot of money), you ought to perhaps try and save as much of it as possible. Be frugal, listen to navygirl, look up craigslist, be patient and pick up a 10 gallon tank for 10 dollars of less. I got a 25 gallon and a 20 gallon long both for free. I've also seen a bunch of aquaclear filter products that are really half the price you'd find at your LFS or petco (look up drfostersmith.com or bigalsonline.com, heck even amazon.com--just please don't buy anything from walmart).

10 gallon tank = 10 dollars (at most)
aquaclear HOB filter (probably 20 series) = less than 22 bucks w/o shipping (online)
and a 50 some odd watt heater (depending on temp of room and desired fish) for like another 16 bucks without shipping (online)

and that would all maybe equal your quaint little 6 gallon tank.

do the right thing

Maybe you're too ignorant to see the advantages of a smaller tank. Don't come out labeling people dumb and spoiled because they want a smaller tank. There are reasons why those tanks sell so well versus a 10gal or 20gal glass. Those tanks are portable which your idea of a 10gal or 20gal glass cannot offer.

 

[Toodleypops]

good call!

 

[pcfriedrich]

i would say the thrid tank but i dont really like any of them. i owuld just get a 10 or 20 Gallon setup instead.

definately. Those setups are usually undersized and overpriced. my first tank was in an Army Barracks (almost just like dorms). I had a 20long, with a couple firemouths. I eventually got a bigger room, and upgraded to a 75.

you could get a 20 gallon setup for less than $200. way less, if you check craig's list.

 

[kj fishy-finn]

I'm currently in my last year of college, and here's my two cents...

At home, I have a 29, 54, 75, 125, and 180 gal tanks, which I come home to on the weekends. When I first started college, I thought, "I'm gonna need a fish tank at school, otherwise I'm gonna miss fish too much during the week." So I brought my 10 gal glass set-up. BAD IDEA!!!!
1) you're already gonna have a lot of other crap that you have to worry about when you're moving in, that you don't want the extra burden of a glass 10 gal tank.
2) carrying 10 gallons of water from the nearest water source to fill the thing is a **tch.
3) doing water changes at school when your busy with school work and when you have to carry dirty water to the nearest draining facility is even more of a **tch...
4) the water at colleges will instantly kill fish unless you use lots of water conditioner. They tend to load their water with chemicals, so that nobody gets sick from drinking it...

Thank you for that advice! I guess that is what I have been trying to get across in my posts, but no one has picked up on that. I don't want a 10 or 20 gallon tank because they are too big to haul around every year. I just want a small desktop tank that I can easily take up and bring back every year. I already have a 20 gallon tank at my home which I go home for every other week. The original plan was to bring that up after the first week of school (so it wouldnt break in the whole moving in process), but as I thought about it more I realized that would be a pain! So I would like a smaller tank that is easy to maintain and quick to setup (everything included in one box).
FishGoneWild:

There are reasons why those tanks sell so well versus a 10gal or 20gal glass. Those tanks are portable which your idea of a 10gal or 20gal glass cannot offer.

This kinda sums it up nicely.

 

[kj fishy-finn]

now I just have a 2.5 gal tank. It's glass, so I still have to worry about transporting it

equidae9854, what do you do about your 2.5 tank over winter break? Do you take it home?
Just wondering because 5 wks is a long time to leave a tank.

 

[equidae9854]

I actually have a spare 2.5 gal tank set-up at home, so I leave the tank at school as it is, and bring just the fish home. I bag 'em up like the pet stores do, and bring them home with me. I used to bring the 2.5 gal home with me, too, which was easy enough for me to do. And never spend big bucks on fish for school. With the stress of moving so many times and with the terrible quality of water at school, it's not worth risking the lives of expensive fish... Stick with the 30-cent ghost shrimp and $1.50 cherry barbs and such. Even the $2.50 cardinal tetras were starting to get a bit expensive to replace for a school tank after a while...

 

[Toodleypops]

wow your cardinals are $2.50?!?! im so jealous at my LFS' they are $4!!!!

 

[equidae9854]

wow your cardinals are $2.50?!?! im so jealous at my LFS' they are $4!!!!

$4?!?!?!?!?!?!
That's craaazzzzyyyy!!!
When I was in Japan this summer, it was $4 for 100 of them there... I wanted to smuggle them home with me

 

[Toodleypops]

AWWW MAN!!!! i hear ya dude!!! yeah our neons are 1.99 and cardinals are 3.99 im pissed but.... they wouldnt survive in my comm tank soooo not too worried about it. Rasbora Heteromurphus is where its at anyway!! only get maybe 1-1.5" so they're great and they look cool!!!