thanks for the input so far. yeah I was planning on putting the "filler" fish to cycle the tank before introducing the centerpiece fish, should have known that shouldn't be implied with some of the threads I've read on here. Thanks for the warning about the intestinal problem, I'll definitely take that into consideration. I'm not even planning on acquiring things for another month or so if anyone has recommendations on books to read up on different types of cichlids , I'm all ears. I have a strange feeling that sketch articles off Google that include links to buy said fish is enough research.
tell me if im stupid
- Thread starter bnjamin10
- Start date
You are not stupid, asking questions is never stupid.
I agree with what has been said here, shoot for a 75 gallon. The extra 6" of width it has opens up options for getting a single JD, Oscar, Red Devil, Green Terror, etc for life. The extra 20 gallons of water is nice too.
You are doing a great job, keep a good eye on craigslist. Open up your searches to within an hour or so of your location. The extra money you will spend on gas may pay off.
I agree with what has been said here, shoot for a 75 gallon. The extra 6" of width it has opens up options for getting a single JD, Oscar, Red Devil, Green Terror, etc for life. The extra 20 gallons of water is nice too.
You are doing a great job, keep a good eye on craigslist. Open up your searches to within an hour or so of your location. The extra money you will spend on gas may pay off.
I would also go with a 75G. I was in the same position you are about 6 months ago and I ended up getting a 55G..really wishing I would have gone bigger now. Also, beware of purchasing tanks off craigslist. Make sure the tank doesn't leak and that the top brace is not cracked! I learned that the hard way lol.
H2O_Beasts;4553367; said:
Good point, I should have mentioned to never buy a tank unless you are confident that it will hold water for the long run. Inspect the sealant thouroughly, look for cracks, chips. Make sure all the braces that should be there are.
Ask when the last time it held water was.
If they tell you it leaks, beware. Unless they are selling it for incredibly cheap and the glass is in good shape. you could always sell the glass, use it to make a plywood, reseal it yourself, etc.
Just be patient, you will find a deal eventually
You'll get as many opinions as there are fish. read them all and try to figure out what will work best for you. Here's mine:
Tank - Hold out for a 75g, you and the fish will be happier.
Filters - I only buy AC110's for HOBs. I put one on a 75g 2 nights ago that only has shrimp and crayfish and a sponge filter for a 10g. The tank was in bad shape, within an hour it looked good, in 24hr's it was spotless. IMO, AC's are also easier to clean and you don't have to buy replacements cartridges. I've been unimpressed with the Marineland 400's I've had. I have an ac110 (ac500) that's over 15yrs old and still running like a champ on the orginal motor and impellar (in fact that was the one I moved to the 75g).
Cycling - Since you have friends with tanks, have them clean a filter in a bucket and take that gook and water and dump it into your new tank. In less than a day your filter will clean out your tank and be cycled or close to it. I've never lost a fish doing a fast cycle with dirty filter water. All that gook is loaded with BB. The tank will look like crap for a day, but it's a good thing.
Substrate - Someone mentioned sand instead of gravel, I'm right there with them. I put small power heads near the bottom of my tanks which blow all the poo into the water column for the filter to pick up, I rarely have to vac my tanks, most never get it; on new tanks, sometimes the powerhead will blow eerything into a pile, I keep repositioning the powerhead until the flow in the tank keeps that from happening. Pool filter sand is great, natrual look, heavy grain so it doesn't sucked up in the filter (avoid play sand) and it's cheap.
Ligthing - I'm in love with metal halides. I'd have them on every tank if I could. But it's unlikely you'll buy those for your first tank. Next up I'd go for T5 10k gives a clean bright light.
Fish - since you will only have one fish, consider ordering from one of the MFK vendors. I've used Rapps and Fishfarm several times with good results. The quaility of fish will likely far surpass that of a petsmart fish. Look at their lists and you'll find fish that most LFS don't carry. You could end up with something you like more than a GT or JD; just research the fish you are interested in to make sure you can accommodate them long term. Also, find out if there are any fish clubs in your area, local breeders are another great source for nice fish.
Good luck and keep it up you're on the right track.
Tank - Hold out for a 75g, you and the fish will be happier.
Filters - I only buy AC110's for HOBs. I put one on a 75g 2 nights ago that only has shrimp and crayfish and a sponge filter for a 10g. The tank was in bad shape, within an hour it looked good, in 24hr's it was spotless. IMO, AC's are also easier to clean and you don't have to buy replacements cartridges. I've been unimpressed with the Marineland 400's I've had. I have an ac110 (ac500) that's over 15yrs old and still running like a champ on the orginal motor and impellar (in fact that was the one I moved to the 75g).
Cycling - Since you have friends with tanks, have them clean a filter in a bucket and take that gook and water and dump it into your new tank. In less than a day your filter will clean out your tank and be cycled or close to it. I've never lost a fish doing a fast cycle with dirty filter water. All that gook is loaded with BB. The tank will look like crap for a day, but it's a good thing.
Substrate - Someone mentioned sand instead of gravel, I'm right there with them. I put small power heads near the bottom of my tanks which blow all the poo into the water column for the filter to pick up, I rarely have to vac my tanks, most never get it; on new tanks, sometimes the powerhead will blow eerything into a pile, I keep repositioning the powerhead until the flow in the tank keeps that from happening. Pool filter sand is great, natrual look, heavy grain so it doesn't sucked up in the filter (avoid play sand) and it's cheap.
Ligthing - I'm in love with metal halides. I'd have them on every tank if I could. But it's unlikely you'll buy those for your first tank. Next up I'd go for T5 10k gives a clean bright light.
Fish - since you will only have one fish, consider ordering from one of the MFK vendors. I've used Rapps and Fishfarm several times with good results. The quaility of fish will likely far surpass that of a petsmart fish. Look at their lists and you'll find fish that most LFS don't carry. You could end up with something you like more than a GT or JD; just research the fish you are interested in to make sure you can accommodate them long term. Also, find out if there are any fish clubs in your area, local breeders are another great source for nice fish.
Good luck and keep it up you're on the right track.
