What are the costs of a tank? And opinions on the setup I've got planned.

[Gotcha38]

Hello. :hi:

I figured it was about time for me to post this thread. I've wanted a tank off and on for a few years, and have been reading as much as possible for the past month or so. Being a poor starving older than normal college student, cost is of course an issue. Anyway.

I'm looking at starting a 20g long for a number of reasons. The main reason concerns space. The only real space I've got for a tank is on top of the dresser in my room. I'm living in an apartment complex and technically we're not supposed to have anything over 10 gallons, but to the untrained eye who will notice? I can stand on top of my dresser just fine w/o any deformation, and a full tank if I calculated right will be around 160lbs same as me except spread out better over the surface. Also the low height as compared to a 29 should give me good light penetration.

So (prices taken from www.bigalsonline.come which is NOT www. bigals .com :nilly this is the total price and equipment list I've come up with. Please let me know if this is realistic based on your experiences.

20g long All Glass aquarium from the store $35
Canister Filter (Eheim Classic 2215) $100
Lights (Marineland t5 fixture on sale) $30
Heater (dunno what type) $20
Test Kit (API master) $20
Substrate (not certain what type yet) $40
Chemicals, nets, food etc. $20

So that brings us to a whopping $265

Pressureized CO2 (at the least) $200

Livestock $40

I'm planning on a mix of a few mollies, a school of tetras, and maybe some kind of bottom dweller.

So all told that pulls everything down to around $510


Does all this sound reasonable to everyone? I'm hoping that some people will have some insights that I haven't thought of. I know it sounds a little anal, but I habitually go through almost every eventuality before I buy anything. And please remember I'm not 100% on much of anything except the tank size. For example, I'm pretty sure that I want a canister filter, because I'm going to be sleeping in the same room as this thing, but I'm not diehard about Eheim or anything.

Please share your questions comments and experiences with me. TIA for the :help:.

 

[Gotcha38]

I tried to come up with a thread title with good search terms too. It's so hard to be concise in that one line.

 

[Ballyhoo]

Keep an eye on craigslist, you will find GREAT deals there.

 

[blue2fyre]

I really feel you can make it as cheap or as expensive as you want. I like to get stuff cheap so I can spend more on fish.

For tanks I tend to get used or wait for a $1/gallon sale to pop up. Going on the internet can also help you find good deals. I know walmart.com has test kits for $17, you might be able to find one cheaper somewhere else.

For filter prices I agree a canister is the way to go. I would look into a sunsun canister from ebay. I'll admit I was a die hard eheim fan but I got a sunsun for $49 shipped and it is very quiet and keeps my tank clean. If you want a more well known brand check out kensfish.com. I got my eheims and lights from him for much cheaper than I found anywhere else. He also has good food in bulk for cheap. Just freeze what you are not using and it will last a long time.

Substrate can also be made cheaper by getting something like pool filter sand locally. I think most places sell a 50 lb bag for $7-8$.

 

[ValorG]

OK, i will try to help you out with some prices.
Canister filter - Dont buy an eheim, buy a cheaper, generic brand off ebay. Here is an example http://cgi.ebay.com/JEBO-835-825-Ex...372?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item518ebd8674 Ive bought a jebo canister filter years ago and it lasted me many years until it ran dry after a power outage.

Co2 system - This is a diy system using paintball co2. http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/115850-paintball-co2-injection-diy-setup-tons.html The thread starter actually sells them prebuilt. But if you want a full co2 system (which i dont think you need in a 20 gal) you can still easily find them for $150 or less.

Lights - if your going plants, go with t5 HO Here is the 24" version of a light I just bought. http://cgi.ebay.com/24-T5-HO-Aquari...767?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f974b52f $40 bucks shipped.

Substrate- I use a 1" layer of miracle gro organic potting soil then toped it with clay granuals sold as kitty litter or oil absorbing products found at car stores. Or top it with pool filter sand.


Ebay is your friend. Generic brands are your friends also. Going on the sale threads on aquarium forums is also a good way of getting deals on used stuff.
I've been buying my gear from ebay for years, no problems so far.

 

[TabisFish]

$35 is painful for a 20gallon, to me. Look on craigslist! Or look around more. I bet you could get one for $20 or $15

 

[SandyGravel]

Have you tried http://www.freecycle.org/

See if they don't have a chapter near you, you can usually find one for free ...

 

[Gotcha38]

Wow so many replies to fast! Thanks for the quick responses. I'll definitely check out the sunsun filters on Ebay. I had no idea I could get a good canister for $50.

I was considering going ahead and dropping the dime on a full CO2 system because I could use it on a larger tank or two tanks when/if I upgraded. If I got a paintball system how long would that last on a twenty gallon? Average light conditions, not high or low. The light fixture I was looking at on Al's was a dual T5 about 35 watts.

Also thank you for the Ken's Fish .com recommendation.

I know that the $35 is steep for a tank, and I did find a 20L on craigslist recently, but the person selling wouldn't tell me how long it'd been since it was setup, what kind of condition it was in, or what fish it had in it before. And that's the first one I've seen in 2 months. Unless something good pops up I'm just going to bite the bullet and get a new one that I know should have good seals. Keep in mind this is my first aquarium experience.

I really like the pool filter sand substrate. I've read that people cap a organic miracle grow bottom with it for good results. Is a 50lb bag of pool filter sand way more than I'll need, about right, less?

I love this forum.

 

[TabisFish]

I'd say for a 20gallon, youll need aboutttttttttt... 30-40lbs of substrate. But, better to have a bit too much, than too little

 

[jetajockey]

I have a link to a writeup on buying used tanks in my sig.

I wouldn't risk using straight potting soil personally, just mineralize it first and you can screen all of the twigs and junk out of it, plus you have less of a risk of decaying organics causing a toxin spike, or the rare but reported substrate burp of death.

It takes a little bit of work to do it right, but you'll be happy you did.