Keep or Ditch?

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Paradisio

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May 10, 2006
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Well for a while I had a iguana, he got too big for this tank I got from a friend (29 gallon), he said it was watertight. The problem is, I only have a screen lid. And from my previous experience with fish, some like to leave the tank if possible ;p There is also the evaporation issue even without suicidal pets.

I don't have a credit card, so I can't hop online and buy one. And there doesn't seem to be a local place that could easily etch one out with the hood and everything. Should I be able to walk into a petstore and just buy a glass top? I never seem to see them for sale by themselves.

There is a community garage sale day this weekend so I was going to sell it if I can't find a top for it and use it as a fish tank.

If so, whats the best starter tank size to get? At what point do tanks starting getting really expensive?
 
Usually you can buy glass tops in a petstore like petsmart or a local pet store should have them for sale too. If not they may be able to order one for your tank. I bought one a few months ago when I needed one so I could have the proper lighting for my corals in my saltwater reef. I just bought it right off the shelf. The glass tops usually are not all that expensive either. If for some reason this is not possible to get from these places, than try going to a place that sells and cuts glass to fit. Just make sure that if you do this that the edges are beveled so there is no risk of sharp edges or getting cut. I hope this helps you out.

Be happy!

Marinemom
 
Alright, I'll check around. There is about 15 petstores close to me, I'm sure one of them has one then. I guess I've just never looked or asked about them.

Anyways, I've read up on cycling. I would like to do fish cycling, I know its hard on the fish, but I'm going to get a lot of odd looks having a big empty aquarium. I was going to get a couple of Danio's for that.

Any ideas on what to get after that?

I was planning on adding some live plants, but I'm a total newb at that. Although a few of the local petstores sell the plants.
 
You'll want to fill the tank with water outside and let it set to be sure that it really is watertight before you invest in aquarium equipment. I've seen before that the silicon can dry out in terrariums.

The price of setting up an aquarium depends on the quality of products you purchase. The cheapest way to go and easiest way to compare costs is to look at the starter kits but they have minimum filtration rates and cheap heaters. If your 29 doesn't leak it's a good size for your first aquarium. Opinions vary on filter sizes but I would say to get a filter with at least 300gph flowrate despite what the packaging says. It is also better to get a $20 heater with accurate settings and more reliable performance than one of those $7 hang on the back heaters.

If you start talking about live plants people will recommend expensive light setups, but since you are new and I'd imagine looking to go cheap a single bulb strip light will allow you to grow java ferns, java moss, anubias, and crypts. These plants cost alittle more but will give the best results and easiest maintenance. An aquarium hood with light may be cheaper than a glass top and strip light.

Catalogs are a cheaper source for equipment than lfs and even chain stores, like 30 to 50% cheaper, and you can pay with check or money order instead of credit card. I buy from thatfishplace.com and drs.fostersmith.com and both will send you catalogs. That way you can afford to buy better equipment.
 
Well I found a crappy little store near my house. I wouldn't buy a single fish there, but they were about half as expensive as the other stores I went to.

I'm not one to cheap out and buy crap for my pets. I'd rather do it right the first time. I already have a good light from my previous lizard, which I just replaced the bulb on. I should probably get a new one that fully fits the tank instead of just halfway.

I was going to get the 30 gallon size power filter (penguin/emperor, whatever its called), a $50 heater, black gravel (none of the stores had them price marked) or sand (I'm not sure which is better for plants,) and a glass top (found one to fit it, $19.)

The heaters seem very expensive for some reason, and right now my house is about 80 degrees (texas in the summer.)

I saw a combination hood that would fit my tank, had a power filter and a secondary filter (a flat one and a bio-wheel), double light strip, and a hood. This cost much more than buying the glass top/filter/light would, at over 100 dollars. If It was one of the filter brands I would be a little less apprehensive about buying it; it definitly would look nicer than the one I cobble together though.
 
I would definitely check first to make sure nothing leaks first as stated above. It really is a matter of preference as to what size tank is a good starter size. Just remember that the bigger the tank is the more forgiving it is of beginner mistakes. Smaller tanks can go sour fast if you are not on your toes with the water quality especially during the cycling process. If for some reason the tank you have doesn't work out for you and you still want a tank, shop around. You can find some really good deals. As far as the plants go, I think it is a really good idea to have them in the tank from the getgo.You will see little or no algae if you have enough plants because the plants will out compete the algae for the nutrients in the tank. Also you will not see much nitrates in the tank because the plants will feed off of them. You may still want to invest in a glass top instead of the regular hood and light.With the plants that are listed you will have sucess if the plants get about 1 watt per gallon or more but with those listed I would not go above 2 watts per gallon. At this point I would not recommend stronger lighting because depending on the size of the tank you end up with stronger lighting may also require co2 injections. You may not want to deal with that at this time. You mentioned that you want to cycle with fish and plan on using danios for this purpose. I certainly understand because looking at an empty tank is realllly boring. However, do keep in mind that this is hard on the fish during the cycle and you risk losing the fish at any time during the cycle. That being said, danios usually handle the cycle very well and they are quite active fish so you should see them all of the time.If you have any more questions, just post and I or others on this forum will try to help you with the cycling and maintenance of your tank so you can sit back and enjoy the underwater world you have created.

Hang in there!

Marinemom
 
Thanks for the advice, I really hope it doesn't break. Then I won't be able to sell it either. I haven't had the tank a horribly long time, so I think it should be fine.

How many Danios should I put in for the cycle? I will probably put plants in right off the bat or even before I get the fish, so I think regular fish should be fine, but it's better to be careful I suppose. Most of the local shops who sell aquarium plants only seem to have the -sword plants, I'll look around some more though. And yes, I don't want to do CO2 injection right now. While the tanks full of plants look awesome, I think I'll wait until I'm a bit more experienced.

Barring that; if the tank doesn't work out, what size should I get? I have a small vehicle, so I don't think I can physically get anything larger than a 55-60. Bigger than that, I will have a very hard time affording one anyways. But I think I want at least a 20; since you can't do much with 10s I've heard.

Should I get one of the back coverings for the tank as well? I'm trying to bring out the colors in the fish (hence the dark substrate.)
 
P.S. If you want a dark substrate I would recommend eco-complete. This is a dark sand substrate that already has the good bacteria in it necessary for the long term survival of your new tank. I have it in my 46 gallon discus tank and I love it!

Marinemom
 
It's a matter of preference.Some people like the backings and some people paint the back of thier tank. If you want to bring the colors out in your fish it depends on the species you want to keep.For instance,if you want to keep african cichlids a dark background would be appropriate or if you want disus than a lighter background would be better.(Just as a note if you want discus, they are a schooling fish,grow quite large so a large tank is needed for them,and they should only be placed in an aquarium that is very established meaning at the very least a tank that has been up and running for a year).I think at least a 40 gallon tank would be nice.(that is if you do not use the tank you already have and want to buy a new one).

Marinemom
 
Well, I honostly have no idea what I want to keep. Something compatible with the cycling fish, I'd feel bad getting rid of them.

I've had little previous experience with fish, having only kept a beta for a while (wish I had kept the water.) My father had a big tank (150+ gallons I believe) and had a large arrowana, 2 oscars and a bottom feeder (upside-down catfish?.) But he accidently killed them one day when he accidently knocked a little bit of bleach into the tank (he was devastated.)
 
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