SUMMARY OF REPLIES TO A BEGINNER'S QUESTIONS
Apoorva Koticha
Firstly, everyone (and I mean everyone) recommended reading. Read
till you get tired, and then start setting up an aquarium.
Secondly, the FAQ was very informative.
I am giving the summary below, which is followed by individual replies.
Apoorva
akot...@rnd.stern.nyu.edu
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The summary
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Ques: What size tank
Ans: The biggest you can afford -- easier to maintain, better for fish.
(I got myself a 20G long)
Ques: Marine or Freshwater Fish
Ans: Freshwater. (Marine generally more beautiful, but very hard to
maintain, even for the experienced).
Ques: Filters
Ans: Most recommended power filters, a few recommended Under-gravel
canister filters.
Ques: Plants (Artificial or real)
Ans: Both artificial and real were recommended. (Real ones require
more work, but are more satisfying. Also, the fish have
something to eat if you forget to feed them). I'm going with
artificial ones for now.
Ques: Starter Kits (Yes or No)
Ans: Yes and No. The kits are cheap and hence good -- however, most
of the items are of low quality and need to be thrown out soon.
(I am buying individual items via mail-order),
Ques: Gravel
Ans: Whatever turns you on. Also, not necessary if you don't have
real plants or a UGF.
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THE REPLIES
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From rcl...@alcor.concordia.ca Mon Dec 23 17:37:50 1991
>a). What size tank?
Believe it or not, the water quality in a small tank is more difficult
to maintain than a larger tank. I have some 5 gal tanks and have a
lot more problems with them than the 20 gallon tank I have. I suggest
a 20 gallon tank.
>b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Tropical for sure. Get a book on tropical fish and then make some
selections. Ensure the fish have similar requirements. If you get
livebearing fish, consider what you'll do with all the young.
>c). Filters?
get an undergravel filter powered by an air pump (pump ~$20). I
also suggest an outside power filter with flow rate ~150-200 gal/hr.
>d). Gravel.
2mm grain size, and at least 3" deep for use with UG filter
>e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
Unless you want to spend at least $50 on lights, get artificial.
>f). Anything I've forgotten..
Get a few test kits
1) pH
2) ammonia
3) nitrite.
If your fish need higher than room temperatures then get a submersible
heater of about 50-75 Watts. You'll eventually pay for getting a
really cheap heater, buy one that costs about $10-$15 like Visitherm
or EboJaeger.
You can add fish when pH is in their range, and ammonia and nitrite
are effectively 0.
>Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
>Are these good?
Well, if you want to grow live plants NO. The hoods always have a
single bulb, you need at least 2 for live plants so you'll be
throwing the hood away. Usually you get
a really cheap pump with them that lasts about 6 months. The UG
filter and aquarium are ok though.
Total cost
tank $20
gravel $10
heater $12
ug filter $10
air pump $15
power filter $20
test kits (cheap ones) $10
fish - ? just don't buy numerous cichlids to put in a small tank,
they'll kill each other. Good beginner fish are various tetras,
and they have the advantage of being cheap. You might like
a pair of blue gouramis. Those fish are fairly hardy. I'm being very
brief here, so I can't give extensive advice.
P.S. many people feel that a UG filter is sufficient for a tank. if
you like you can forego the power filter and see how the tanks runs
after a few months. If you need additional filtration then get a power
filter. On the other hand, personally I use only a power filter
and don't use a UG filter.
From: jos...@veritas.com (Joshua Levy)
>a). What size tank?
Bigger tansk are more stable, but cost more. 5 is an absolute minimum,
but 10 is a "usual minimum" in terms of size. 20 would be better if
you can pay for it.
>b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Marine is much more expensive and harder to keep. Besides tropical,
there is also cold water fish, like goldfish.
>c). Filters?
Yes, lots. Two different types. I like the tetra spong filters, and
the box filters that hang on the back of the tank. You want biological
filtering, physical filtering, and activated carbon filtering.
>d). Gravel.
Actually not needed unless you have an under gravel filter (which I do not
like). Most people like having it in the tank, and for goldfish you should
have some, but other fish just don't care.
>e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
Plants can be harder to keep than fish. If you are not interested in them,
I'll just use plastic ones to start.
>f). Anything I've forgotten..
Time. Be prepared to spend 1 hour per week on the tank.
Heaters.
>Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
>Are these good?
Yes and no. The suplimental equipement (pumps, heaters, etc.) are
typically low quality and also cheap. This is good and bad.
You might want to get a goldfish tank (2 or 3 1.5-2 inch fish in a 10 gallon).
You could get simple goldfish or slightly fancy fish. The really fancy ones
are harder to keep, and more expensive.
Another option would be 2-4 swordtails in a 10. They might breed, which
might be fun. You could get fancy guppies, 10 or so in a 10 gallon tank.
If you get tropical fish, make sure you get a catfish or two to clean the
bottom. I love Corys for that purpose.
10 gallons is a little small for a mix fish tropical tank, since most tropicals
like to be with a few of the same fish.
From: Rick Allard <wh...@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>
Briefly, for the moment, I would advise for the starter kit. I just
started my first aquarium in 15 or 20 years this August (a 20 gal
guppy tank), had the good fortune of having a wise net source here in
person, but spent too much, I think, here and there. You may want to
augment it, but you'll still be ahead.
From: mks!fr...@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (Fred Kratky)
>a). What size tank?
20 to 30 gallons is a goos starter size. it is easier to maintain
proper conditions in a slightly larger tank.
>b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Not marine. They take a lot of work, and a fair amount of knowlege.
For your first tank, I would suggest a community setup. Look for fish
that are not too aggressive.
Before buying any fish, I would recommend you get a good basic book on
fish. It will help you select your fish, and will save you a lot of
grief by giving you basic advice on fishkeeping.
Chose fish that will "fill up" your tank. That is, some fish are
bottome dwellers, and some swim near the top. Choose some of each.
With the wide variety of fish available, you should be able to find a
mix of fish to your liking.
>c). Filters?
Use an outside power filter. They are not to expensive, and are easy to
maintain.
>d). Gravel.
Your choice, though I personally would stay away from teh bright pink
stuff :-)
>e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
Again, I would recommend a good basic book. Tetra press puts one out
for ~$10.00 that covers teh basics of water quality, lighting, and
nutrients very well.
>f). Anything I've forgotten..
Buying your equipment. For your first tank, try to find a store that
deales in used equipment. You will save a bundle. For things like
filters you can also buy by mail order.
Find the local aquarium club and go out to a few meetings. You will
find lots of people who are willing to help with your problems and
questions.
>Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
>Are these good?
They tend to be over priced.
From: SAUN...@WILMA.WHARTON.UPENN.EDU
>a). What size tank?
The largest you can afford. Keeping in mind that you will need a
light, gravel, pump, tubbing, heater(?), thermometer and filter
just to get things going.
>b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Tropical are cheaper. Marine are prettier. You may want to start off
with tropical fish to get some experience. Then move to a marine tank.
I like marine tanks better because you can keep colorful slugs,snails,
crabs and other little interesting creatures.
>c). Filters?
Under Gravel Filter. Not a whole lot of cleaning needing with this
filter. The only drawback is when you do clean the tank you will have
to move the fish and clean the whole tank.
Outside filter. This would be my second choice. It sits on the outside
of the tank and is very easy to clean and does not disturb anybody.
>d). Gravel.
Whatever turns you on.
>e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
Use real plants. They help keep the tank clean and give the fish some
veggies to much on if you leave it out of their diet.
>f). Anything I've forgotten..
Nope that sounds like everything unless you don't know how to light
your tank.
>Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
>Are these good?
Check to see what the items cost seperately. They usually have bottom
filters ( which I don't like ). Other than that they are fine.
From: har...@paralandra.yorku.ca
Most pet stores stock Atlas's with information ranging from setups
to fish to plants to foods and deseases. You'll need one of these
(that's a lie, you don't need anything...). In mine, information is
listed like...
- size of fish (you don't want an aggressive big fish with little ones)
- social behavious (nasty, nice, etc)
- breeding
- foods (live, fd, flakes, etc)
- tank position (you want your fish all over, not all at the top or
all at the bottom)
- sensitivity and ideal ph, hardness, temperature, depth, etc.
:) a). What size tank?
Generally speaking, the smaller, the cheaper.
The bigger, the more interresting (and less desease prone).
:) b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Up to you. Non-marine may be cheaper and less time consuming, but
less pretty.
:) c). Filters?
My $100 Fluval works very well ( I clean once a month ).
:) d). Gravel.
I started with gravel from the lake. I washed it, picked out the
pretty ones and washed them for days (literally). Since then I've
bought sand, I find it prettier.
:) e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
All natural is nice. Hygrophillia Coriumbosa (sp) and Java Fern
will grow like the Dickens and some fish will eat them if you don't
feed them.
:) f). Anything I've forgotten..
Yes,
- heater, lighting, stand, time required, area in which you are
putting it...
:) Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
:) Are these good?
Perfectly fine. But don't overcrowd your tank.
Consider where you want the tank to be. Look around in fish stores
for differant fish, buy an atlas and see what thier needs are, then
design the tank before sinking money into it.
From: mac...@woodowl.NYU.EDU (Sonny Shrivastava)
A good rule of thumb when starting a tank is to get the largest one you
can afford. The larger the tank, the more extremes in conditions it can
handle, since you have a larger volume of water.
I have a 45 gallon setup (kind of odd, really), although 50 and 55 are
more mainstream. I would recommend a 50 or 55. Real plants are also a
treat, but they require care and maintenance. Your initial planting
should be generous, so that will cost some money. If you are planning on
getting real plants, I would recommend about 80-150 watts of fluorescent
light.
Undergravel filtration is a must, but I would also do it in conjunction
with an external canister filter. A good system that combines both is the
Eheim canister filter with a Reverse Flow undergravel attachment. Any
top-notch aquarium store will know what you're talking about. Get a
medium gravel which isn't sandy but isn't too large either. This will
both look good and give your plants a place to root.
When you get your filter, make sure you get more capacity than you need.
Filters tend to get clogged over time and the actual throughput can be
reduced by 50%. Keep this in mind - you want to circulate the entire tank
contents about once or twice each hour.
I haven't mentioned this, but I am talking about a freshwater setup. I
think marine is a little complicated for someone just starting out. If
you can successfully keep freshwater fish and live plants, then you are
ready to move up to marine.
If you have any other questions, or require specific brand-name
recommendations, let me know. Hope I can help!
From: silv...@ecn.purdue.edu (Brian R Silverstein)
a). What size tank?
As large as you feel you can afford. Most people who start
with 10 gallons want to stuff it with more fish than it can
handle pretty quickly. 20 gallons is a good size for a starter:
since it is a standard size, everyting is relatively cheap for it.
b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Tropical freshwater for beginners: my fiancee and I lost
$18 worth of fish when we tried marine, and I've been keeping
fish for years.
c). Filters?
At least an undergravel filter: ask your pet-store guy how
they work, or see comment after the questions & answers.
A "Power filter" which is any electric filter that goes
over the back of the tank, is nice too. Whisper and
Aquaclear make the most popular brands. I prefer the
latter myself, but either is ok.
d). Gravel.
If you want the cheapest filtration, use an undergravel
filter: this requires gravel. Buy 20 lbs from your aquarium
store. Collecting your own is too much hassle for beginners.
(And for me, too.)
e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
Artificial ones live longer, and don't get eaten by
your fish. And don't need extra light.
f). Anything I've forgotten..
I'll get to that.
Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
Are these good?
A starter kit should have a thermometer, net, heater, and tank
AT LEAST. Most that I've seen have gravel, and stuff for
undergravel filter: filter plates, tubing, and pump. You'll
want all of these. Shop around: I've seen kits for 20 gallon
tanks for as low as $50-$60. Hood and stand optional, but
worthwhile if you have the money. (Hood is more important
than stand, in my opinion.)
Now it's time for the usual plug for READING. No one should
buy a pet without knowing what it needs. There are probably
half a dozen decent books at any public library, and certainly
several at the petstore. Glance at the index. If you find
entries for all of the following, you've probably got a
decent book:
light
water quality
nitrogen cycle
filtering
and a section dealing with popular species
individually.
Read several books. Read lots. See if your local library
has Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine, or Tropical
Fish Hobbyist, or Aquarium Fish Magazine, and read all of
their back-issues.
When you get sick of reading, buy a fish. That's what I've
beein doing for years. Of course, 6 fishtanks later, you
may want to stop... I didn't.
From: br...@attain.ICD.Teradyne.COM (Brian Hunter)
>a). What size tank?
>
>b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
You need to decide this before going much further. Freshwater versus
marine is a major difference. With salt water everything costs more for
one (a lot more). I think you should be of the opinion (hmm) that unless
you really want a salt water tank don't. This is not to discourage you
but salt water tanks require a large commitment. Salt water fish are
(for the most part) not tank raised but are caught in the ocean usually
a few days before arriving at the store. These are wild animals that
now rely on you for survival.
All of the other questions you have really depend on this choice. If
you decide that salt water is for you then BEFORE buying anything get
a copy of Moes Marine Aquarium handbook (or something like that).
This is a easy to read intro to salt water.
If you have any questions about salt water aquaria, please feel free to ask.
>Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
>Are these good?
Generally no. Once you decide what you want to do buy a copy of FAMA
mag and check out the mail order prices.
Usually the stuff in those kits ends up being tossed. You can get good
quallity mail order for the price of junk in most stores. The tank
and fish are best bought locally.
From: Greg_D...@mts.ucs.ualberta.ca
To save money on fish join the local club, strike up a
friendship with other 'fish people' who are into breeding (fish
that is), check the classified ads or the bargain finder weekly,
or buy plastic ones; no feeding, no dying, no water changes:-)
If you are anything like me only the most expensive and
rare fish are good enough to grace my tanks. I have found a fairly
good compromise in African cichlids, very hardy (they don't have
to be replaced very often) and they can be quite valuable when
mature and mated/producing young. I have seen a few of the fish
that I bought for cheap as babies and raised to maturity priced as
high as $50. EACH in some pet shops. As long as you can provide
for your fish's survival properly, you can learn to think of them
as an investment, but don't count on every fish being worth a fortune,
get into the hobby for the love of fish and nothing more.
From: msteph...@postman.gsfc.nasa.gov
Hi, Hope you get lots of advice 'cause folks do have different opinions on
just about everything. Sometimes I think the only thing agreed on is that
fish need water. So here goes:
> a). What size tank?
20 gal is a minimum. Tanks are relativly cheap and can be found used.
A 20 (hi or standard) is large enough to hold a variety of fish but
small enough to not require a special stand. Weight should be under 200 lbs.
Of course, bigger is better but more expensive both in bucks and time to
maintain. If you were a rich grad student, I would say a 55 gal would be
an excellent choice. Bigger tanks are easier to maintain but they are, well,
bigger.
>
> b). What type of fish (marine/tropical)?
Question should be marine or fresh. Answer is fresh! Marine = very
expensive and harder to maintain.
>
> c). Filters?
The least expensive would be a hang on the back such as the Whisper
or AquaClear series. Another choice is a power head coupled to a
sponge filter like the Tetra (can't think of the name, but it's not the
Brilliant or Billi). Both of these should cost under $20 mail order (assuming
a 20gal tank). The Whispers of the world do not provide a lot of filter area
and are not as quiet as the submersible power head. But then, it doesn't need
to go in the tank and it is somewhat easier to clean (just lift out the
pad). The sponge provides better filtration area but you have to lift it out
of the tank and some of the gunk will surely drip back in. I've used both.
Your next choice up would be an internal filter from Eheim or Fluval which
is basically like the power head/sponge but better packaged and a tad more
pricey. Still have to lift it out, but the gunk stays put.
I do not recommend an undergravel filter, period. They are usually filthy
(hard to keep clean), and not as effective as the above.
>
> d). Gravel.
I don't go for pink or yellow or whatever. I'm a natural tank person so I say
go with a natural looking gravel. In my area, the size is typically 1/4" or
larger... too big! A size of 1/8" to 1/4" would be great.
>
> e). Plants (which ones, also whether natural or artificial)
Natural, but plant can be a problem. Try them though and if they "melt" on you
switch to artificial. Good choices would be an Amazon Sword (center piece),
Hygrophillia (bunch), Elogea (stringy bunch) or Vallisinaria (stringy).
Note that these name are horribly misspelled but should be close enough to be
found in a book.
>
> f). Anything I've forgotten..
A submersible heater (visi-therm or the like). Stay away from Perfecto or Penn
plax heaters, even if cheaper I have found they are hard to control.
>
> Also, there are some starter kits (10 gallon and maybe 20 gall) avail.
> Are these good?
No... you get cheap stuff which will annoy you with it's sound and will prove
to be ineffective and underpowered.
Also note that air pumps are not mentioned. They do not put oxygen into the
water directly but only thru water circulation. Air pumps are VERY noisy, a
powerhead is a much better choice.
You should also purchase a test kit, the tetra laborette is a good first
choice.
Build the fish population slowly as the tank needs a break in period so that
the biological filtration can become established. The worst thing you could do
is purchase all your fish at once and dump them in... some if not most will
die.
Check the classified for people getting out of the hobby. You can get stuff
real cheap that way.
IMPORTANT>>> Get a good book!!! If you don't you will be at the mercy of pet
shop people who typically want to sell you fish and things and don't know your
particular needs and situation. A good one is the "Aquarium Atlas" by Riehl
and Baensch, I got mine locally for about $20. Another good bet is the
library. Determine the type of tank you want (there are many choices) and read
up on the type of fish which are compatable with each other. Also be aware
what fish grow.
From: WBA...@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
REAL aquarium enthusiasts may disagree, but I recommend you start with a 10- or
15-gal aquarium. A subsand filter is the easiest to use. Choose the kind whe
re the airstone sits at the bottom of the tube. This aerates the water, but mo
re important, keeps oxygenated water circulating through the gravel. Gunk that
falls to the bottom can therefore be eaten up by bacteria and other microscopi
c critters. 1/4-inch gravel is nice. I like natural silicious rock, myself.
DO NOT USE SALT WATER if you are beginning. Start with fresh water animals. S
ea water is harder. Use artifical plants. Plants are mostly harder to grow th
an fish. The following is heretical. Forget pH, DO and hardness. Don't buy k
its for any of that stuff. The secret is to change about 1/4 the water every
few weeks and don't feed the fish more than they will eat in about 1 minute -
and only once a day. If the water gets even slightly cloudy it's probably bact
eria. Something is dead - a fish or old food are the usual culprits. The only
chemical I ever add is hypo ('declor') to kill chlorine; you add it when
you change the water. Tropical fish usually need heat; buy a heater and thermo
meter and try to get the water to about 75 and leave it there. Gouramis are my
favorite fish; sword tails are active,but multiply. Buy only the smallest si
ze of the cheapest fish - or capture your own from a nearby stream. You'll g
et the most fun from the cheapest and most common fish. One more thing. Don't
get over your head with water chemistry stuff. Many aquarium freaks go banana
s over it and accomplish nothing except killing fish.
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Apoorva Koticha
akot...@rnd.stern.nyu.edu