Hi all-
Got an Eclipse System Twelve for Xmas. I'm completely new to this hobby; when I was about 8 I had a few goldfish for a few days, until they died off, and that is the sum-total of my fish experience. I'm in no great hurry to set the system up, and even though I don't understand the details very well I know that once it is up and running it may need to "cycle" (whatever that means) for weeks before it is ready for fish. My question right now is whether the tank I have is a suitable starter system. Is the Eclipse Twelve good enough for someone just getting his feet wet, so to speak? My other hobby right now is homebrewing beer, and I see a lot of similarities between the two. We call brewing "the obsession" also, and there is also no limit to how much money you can spend on equipment.
With brewing you want to start out with equipment that is good enough for you to get a sense of the future possibilities, but you don't want to go completely overboard because some people find out that the hobby just isn't for them. One person (on a brewing forum, actually) already suggested to me that I get at least a 30 gallon tank, but I'm just not sure. I'll be honest: I'm very happy with the present and interested in keeping fish, but at the same time I know right now that I'm not willing to spend hours a week caring for them and I'm interested in as low-maintenance a system as possible. My impression from some web-surfing today is that the Eclipse might be just right for someone like me, but I want some other opinions. Thanks.
Got an Eclipse System Twelve for Xmas. I'm completely new to this hobby; when I was about 8 I had a few goldfish for a few days, until they died off, and that is the sum-total of my fish experience. I'm in no great hurry to set the system up, and even though I don't understand the details very well I know that once it is up and running it may need to "cycle" (whatever that means) for weeks before it is ready for fish. My question right now is whether the tank I have is a suitable starter system. Is the Eclipse Twelve good enough for someone just getting his feet wet, so to speak? My other hobby right now is homebrewing beer, and I see a lot of similarities between the two. We call brewing "the obsession" also, and there is also no limit to how much money you can spend on equipment.
With brewing you want to start out with equipment that is good enough for you to get a sense of the future possibilities, but you don't want to go completely overboard because some people find out that the hobby just isn't for them. One person (on a brewing forum, actually) already suggested to me that I get at least a 30 gallon tank, but I'm just not sure. I'll be honest: I'm very happy with the present and interested in keeping fish, but at the same time I know right now that I'm not willing to spend hours a week caring for them and I'm interested in as low-maintenance a system as possible. My impression from some web-surfing today is that the Eclipse might be just right for someone like me, but I want some other opinions. Thanks.
