Help! Big time newbie! <------

Anubias & java ferns are attached to the rock--sometimes you can wedge them into a niche, others use fishing line or cotton thread to tie the plant gently to the wood or rock. After about a month, the plant will be attached to the object (in most cases--I have one anubias that after one year, and lots of growth, still refuses to attach).

For a bottom feeder--cories are nice, and there are a wide variety to choose from. A trio of them will be happy, and the shark shouldn't bug them other than to keep them away from his cave. Dwarf puffers can nip their fins though, so you have to be careful. I would avoid most loaches, as they will compete with the puffers for snails, but kuhli loaches are a long time favorite of mine that do well with puffers. They prefer to be in groups, and while not as active as many fish, they are very fun to watch when they are out.

Visual breaks = decoration or plants that break up the tank area, so you can't see all the way through, front to back or side to side. If there are lots of plants, wood, and such, the puffers can get away from each other, and this will reduce aggression.
 
Thanks for all the help! Especially Orion Girl, I guess thats why youre a moderator. Ill probably be getting my tank in the next week so Ill be getting my fish in about two. So once again, thanks for all the help!
 
Even if you plant heavily, you'll want the plants to establish themselves for more than a week before putting fish in. Without heavy planting, the tank will need to be cycled to establish the bacteria needed to process the ammonia wastes the fish produce. You might want read up on the nitrogen cycle, just so you know what's going on and can plan for it.
 
Went to Petco today, I was looking at the tanks and I cant decide what would be better, to buy a package deal or to buy everything seperate. To buy a package would be great because it would save a ton of money. I found a two 29G packages, one was Marineland(or Marinesomething) and had a 200w heater and a Penguin filter, and the other package had a 100w heater, a 20w light and a Whisper filter. What should I do? Ill add more to this post once I get off work. Thanks
 
A lot will depend on what comes with the kits. Some of them are good, and will allow you to setup the tank you want--others cut some corners that will cause problems, or necessitate more money to bring them up to par. Lighting is an important one--some of the cheaper kits come with incandescent hoods. While this used to be a big problem (incandescent is pretty well useless for planted tank, and prone to overheating), there are now compact fluorescent bulbs that screw in to the incandescent socket that are better than regular NO fluorescent.

List the contents, and we can better help you out.
 
Ill have to look up those packages on the internet or go back and look again. All I remember is the Marineland had a Penguin filter, a 200 watt heater and all it said was "flourescent light" on the box. The other kit had a 20watt flourescent light, a Whisper filter and a 100w heater.
Also, does the heater need to run all the time? And if so does it use a lot of electricity? Same for the filter, the filter at Petco supposedly is a lot more efficient, but do these things really use a lot of electricity? I only ask because Im 19, a student and renting a house, so utilities and usage are a big deal. Do these things really affect usage?
If they dont affect it too bad I have no problem, just as long as its not gona make a HUGE difference. We already dont use a lot of electricity, but anyway.
I went to PetsMart tonight and I couldnt find the plants you were talking about(OrionGirl). They mostly had swords. Do I have a better chance looking for these plants at the smaller local stores? And am I going to need a more powerful light no matter what I get with the kit? Thank you!
 
For power use--the filter does run all the time. The heater runs only as often as needed to keep the tank warm--so if your house is 70, the heater won't work very hard to keep the water 78. My house is around 68, and my heaters are on 1-2 times a day, usually, to keep my tanks between 70 and 78 (depending on the tank). Setting up a new tank usually adds about $10 to the electric bill--lights and such add more than heaters and filters, IMO, and my tanks usually have lots of light.

For the plants--yes, you'll probably have to go to a smaller store. The chain stores seldom have anubias and java ferns--not sure why, they just don't. If you're comfortable ordering off the net, there are many places that sell these plants, and you can sometimes get some really good deals from aquabid.com. The 20watts will be okay for the low light plants. You'll want to get a bulb that has the right spectrum for plants (Gro-Light, for example). If you decide you want medium to high light plants, then you will need to upgrade.
 
Both those kits should probably do fine for what you want. Keep in mind you still need to buy gravel and a background of some sort with the kits. I don't think that the power draw of a HOB type filter is all that much. If I'm thinking right both come with a single light fixture that probably comes with a 15w bulb. One thing to consider is since you are working on a budget a good light fixture can be an expensive thing. If you really want a plant set-up you should probably look into the DIY lighting ideas. You can also ask around at the LFS in your area to see what sort of package deals they may be willing to give you. Since they aren't bound to the chain store rules you can sometimes get some interesting non-advertised type specials.
 
Hey guys,

Hound: What is DIY lighting? And also one of the kits comes w/ a 20 w bulb.

OrionGirl: I take it Gro-Light is an actual type of bulb? And can I find it at a chain store? My room, and for the most part my house, is usually pretty warm, probably up around 70 degrees now that its getting warm down here in New Mexico, so I probably wont have to run the heater that much, right?
 
DIY = Do It Yourself. There are retrofit kits that you install into a hood/canopy yourself. Most include instructions and aren't too tough to do.


Gro-Lights, Aqua-Sun--there are a huge variety of lights made specifically for differenct conditions. Light's name something like Gro-Light offer the best spectrums for plant growth.

Nope--your heater probably won't come on very much at all. I had a tropical setup in my room in Albuquerque--didn't need a heater at all in the winter, but it ran most of the summer due to the wonders of air conditioning. ;)
 
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