I'm not even at Newb level yet...

[ALTownsend1]

As a Florida resident who grew up on the water, the idea of owning a beautiful aquarium has always intrigued me. I'm reaching out to you all for advice on a few things:

1. Fresh vs. Saltwater--What are the pros/cons, whether it be species possibilities, or general upkeep and costs

2. How varying can your fish be? i.e., is it possible to have a good number of different species in a single aquarium?

3. What is a generally good sized aquarium? I would love something with a nice, furniture looking base, and have seen some for good prices with everything in the 55 gallon range. Is this a good size, or are the 100+ a better choice? I'm not in a monstrous house, and don't have unlimited funds, so by no means am I looking for an MTV Cribs aquarium. Does size limit species possibilities? Is there a "most popular" size, or most bang for your buck?

4. What are average monthly costs and what are the general upkeep requirements?

5. Where do you purchase your:
-Supplies
-Fish
-etc.

6. Do fish allow you to vacation? i.e., can I go home for the weekend without coming back to a tank full of dead fish? How do you handle time away?

7. How do you transport fish in case of a move?

8. Any other advice or opinions

9. SHOW OFF! I'd love to see your setups, I can't get enough of the beautiful aquariums people have and would love to see what everyone has!

Thanks for any help, you guys rock

 

[nifeman]

wow bro..you really thought this through..lol. I prefer freshwater myself. The larger the tank the better.With adequate filtration and doing water changes your good to go with most freshwater fish.Research fish BEFORE you buy any!

 

[scriving]

i defiantly prefer fresh water fish arowanas are my favorite the bigger the tank the easier it is to mantain it all depends on the fish you want to keep some are peacful some are very agressive you should do some resarch on the nitrogen cycle befor setting up a tank good luck be careful as this is a very addicting hobby

 

[scriving]

o ya and if you are going to buy a tank get it off craigslist it is going to be much much cheaper also you can get fish off of craigslist but im sure you have a lfs around you

 

[devder1]

As a Florida resident who grew up on the water, the idea of owning a beautiful aquarium has always intrigued me. I'm reaching out to you all for advice on a few things:

1. Fresh vs. Saltwater--What are the pros/cons, whether it be species possibilities, or general upkeep and costs
fresh especially if you are a noob, much less expensive much more forgiving
2. How varying can your fish be? i.e., is it possible to have a good number of different species in a single aquarium?
very possible, thats what comm tanks are all about, just do your research
3. What is a generally good sized aquarium? I would love something with a nice, furniture looking base, and have seen some for good prices with everything in the 55 gallon range. Is this a good size, or are the 100+ a better choice? I'm not in a monstrous house, and don't have unlimited funds, so by no means am I looking for an MTV Cribs aquarium. Does size limit species possibilities? Is there a "most popular" size, or most bang for your buck?
it depends on where you are going to put it, i think i would get a 55 or something similar to start out. i think once you are really into it and know what you're doing i would go for a 125 or a 180 with wood stand in like a living room, very furnitur-ey and its always the first thing people ask about when they come into your house.
4. What are average monthly costs and what are the general upkeep requirements?
it gets expensive setting up a tank, especially if you love aquascaping, like me and spend lots of money on rocks driftwood etc. but once your tank is cycling(research) the costs are low
5. Where do you purchase your:
-Supplies
-Fish
-etc.
its alays best to establish a relationship with a local fish store, but for tank and filter craigslist is your best bet, if you look around, you will find setups with filters and lights and stands and everything at 1/2 of what your lfs charges
6. Do fish allow you to vacation? i.e., can I go home for the weekend without coming back to a tank full of dead fish? How do you handle time away?
most fish are fine going 1 week without food, in a lot of cases, 2 weeks wont bothr them at all
7. How do you transport fish in case of a move?
lots of coolers
8. Any other advice or opinions
dont jump in too quick, everyone makes mistakes, but its a lot easier to make mistakes on a 55 gallon community than a big expensive frustrating setup
9. SHOW OFF! I'd love to see your setups, I can't get enough of the beautiful aquariums people have and would love to see what everyone has!

Thanks for any help, you guys rock

my answers are in red
and just took these of my 125

 

[nifeman]

great tank dude!

 

[ALTownsend1]

Thanks for the info, is that freshwater? I would prob go with a 55 freshwater, what kind of fish can I get, or what do you all recommend? I would love to have 1,2, maybe 3 "centerpiece" fish, then whatever you all suggest. The tiny guys don't do anything for me really...would love ya'lls favorites

 

[iloveoscars702]

1. i prefer freshwater... imo its a lot less "maintenance" than salt, fish are some what cheaper(except asian aros)... salt: fish have more vibrant colors, more variety of fish, etc

2. its really all depends on the fish, sometimes combos of fish can be SO out of place, yet all the fish get along.

3. tank size all depends on what you plan on keeping.. always think ahead of how big the fish will be if you keep it through adulthood. if your new i would start small maybe with a 55, then gradually move up from there.

4. im not sure what the water or electric bill, but as for food and other maintenance items i probably spend no more than 20 dollars a month.

5. ive always got my fish from my lfs, most of the time i buy my maintenance items from online or large pet surplus stores like petco or petsmart because they usually have sales,etc.

6. as for vacation... i was away from home for two weeks. before i left, i changed the water(about 40%) and fed the fish the night i left. the day i came back there were no dead fish, just the water line dropped an inch or two. so as for vacation, i wouldnt leave more than two weeks. plus if you have smaller fish you can buy feeding blocks. or automated feeders.

7. the only time i had to transport my fish was from my house to my lfs or my friends house... i usually fill a cooler with tank water and put the fish in. im not sure for LONGER trips.

8. keep asking questions and dont let anyone on here dissuade you to do something unless its completely outrages

9.

 

[jerzyperson]

go with a shoal of silver dollars with maybe some cons or sevs and some smal to medium synodontis such as petricola or lace. or even a school of pictus.

 

[scriving]

ya silver dollars would be cool for a 55