New 29 Gallon Tank Set-up

B

Bucky Katt

AC Members
Jun 6, 2006
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Hello Everyone,

I am brand new to this site and need some advice. My 2 year old son loves fish and my wife and I were thinking about starting our own aquarium. We both are beginners to this so we are researching like crazy to try and maximize our investment.

We were initally looking into purchasing a kit. However, after doing some research, I am very hesitant against this. It seems like you do not get the quality for the conveniece. So I am looking at individual components. I am looking at spending no more than $200 on the setup and I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me some good advice on what equipment to buy.

A local store is offering this set-up:
All Glass 29 Gallon Tank: $60
Deluxe Flow Hood (lighting is not that powerful): $43
Thermometer: $3
30 lbs of Gravel: $17
Penguin 350B BioWheel: $60
150w PennPlax Heater: $17

They will give me 10% off the price if I buy the set-up.

Can I do better buying each individually somewhere else? Is there something better that I should consider?

I appreciate the help.

Bucky Katt
 
you are right in not buying the kit because they usually come with cheap bare minimum products honestly i would see if you could get mabey a little smaller filter i have the same filter the fish store is offering you on my 60 gallon tank and the filter is reccomened for up to 75 gallons so it may be a little too much flow (there is no such thing as too much filtering) because it depends on what type of fish you put in the tank most people in this forum including myself will tell you to stay far away from glod fish they are extemley messyand get pretty big the hood seems reasonably priced but you might be able to do better as far as the tank goes im not sure but im pretty sure you can get a cheaper price on the tank at petsmart or some place like that

im sorry if the info is unclear if you need me to clear anything up just ask -lol-
 
Although you're probably right about being cautious with most 'kits', do consider the Juwel range of complete set-ups. they are very high quality IMO and have a very good filtration system, and the heater and filter are in one compact unit in one corner of the tank, so it looks good too.
 
You are starting out the right way with doing research first on a very interesting hobby!

Check out the "stickys" at the top of the FW Newbie Forum for great info in consolidated posts and articles. Especially the one on cycling a tank:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64301

Many places on line offer great prices even with shipping:

http://www.petsolutions.com/

http://www.petsmart.com/ps/main.jsp

http://www.bigalsonline.com/?splash_done=1

Petsmart, if you have one locally, will usually honor the much lower on line price vice the high in store price.

The larger the size tank you can start with, the better for stability of the water quality. A 29 gal will be better than a 10 for consistency, and you get more fish. Unless you plan on live plants, do not worry too much about the lighting, but I recommend staying with flourescent fixtures.

Don't let all the info confuse you and if unsure, post your question here, you will get lots of advice. Sometimes it might seem contradictary, but lots of factors are involved, all fairly easily solved. What works for some people/situations, doesn't always work for all.

Over filtrate and understock are safe options along with regular consistant water changes. Always take into consideration the ADULT size of the fish you want to keep and their BEHAVIOR. Also, ensure a water test kit, liquid style, not strips, is included in your initial purchases, that can at least do ammonia and nitrIte, and if possible, nitrAte, pH, and KH.

Welcome to a most entertaining hobby.
 
I agree, don't buy the kit. I am a college student and I am on a really tight budget, so I'll tell you what I do. All my tanks are used, I keep an eye out for tanks on www.craigslist.org, local newspapers, garage sales,and talk to people, etc. My first tank was a 29 gallon that I got for 10 bucks at a garage sale, but I still had to buy all the other equipment which added up. I just recently acquired an 85 gallon tank with stand, lights, 2 filters, and a heater for $160, all that I had to add was water, 2 bags of sand($5 each at home depot), rocks(mostly free from local rockery/landscaping supply, only paid a total of $15 for some of thelarger rocks), and fish(adds up quickly)
All in all I spent less than $200 dollars for my 85 gallon tank, not including the fish.
So, keep your eye out, you should be able to find a good deal, and not have to break the bank.
good advice from rbishop.
Also, Welcome to aquariacentral!
 
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Here's a great example of what I was talking about. I just checked craigslist and found someone giving away a 29 and 10 gallon aquariums for FREE! Even if they don't come with anything else, at least it would save you $60. this is located in fremont, california right around the corner from me. I don't know were you live, but you get the idea. good luck.
 
Is it true that the flow on a Penguin 350B is too fast? Should I go with a smaller one for a 29 gallon tank?
 
If it were me, I would check out some local shops.

Don't need all glass(I assume you mean the brand)

You SHOULD be able to get a perfecto or topfin tank and hood(perfecto is better) can easily be had at most shops for around $75.

$60 for the 350B? That couldn't be right! It's $27 at petsmart online. You shouldn't pay more than $40, and even then, i don't think you need more than a 200.

With the numbers I gave you above, you shouldn't ahve to pay more than 152.

What to spend theother $48 on? You COULD combine a Penguin 200 with an undergravel filter. But for the same cost, you could also get a Fluval 204/205 Cannister. Probably overkill, I would get a Penguin 200/350

You could also buy the $99 kit at Petsmart, use the stock power filter, and add an undergravel filter for your biological filtration.
 
The 200 should be fine. Part of the issues you will need to decide on is how it affects the fish you want to keep. Some fish don't mind higher flows and others do. Some fish get big enough to handle it and others don't. Also, the higher flows can affect some live plants adversely.
 
Let's say I want to have all kinds of fish and not be limited by flow. What would be the optimum filter size to get?
 
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