What do I need? Lots of questions :)

[Sweet CupnCakes]

Okay...so I measured my tank and once I get my snake his new cage this weekend or next, I am really considering making it into another fish tank. I am total newbie at this stuff. I only recently started a 10gallon and that was my first aquarium. It has been super fun and I really love it and it makes me want to use this aquarium to possibly to a bigger tank.

It's a bow front and as far as I can tell its about 40 gallons, maybe 1 or 2 more. It is 36" wide, 12" wide and like 21" tall...

So, here are my many questions if I were to use this tank. I am sorry if these kinds of questions are asked a million times...

What kind of items would I need to make it be a properly made tank? Heater, pump, lights...?
How do I figure out what I need for each item? Meaning, how big of a pump, what kind of a pump, how big of a heater, multiple heaters, do I have to have special lights? Etc...

Another question I want to find out is do I have to use live plants? I am a strange person and find the pink and purple and blue etc colorful fake plants to be more fun. Silly I know. My 10 gallon has all kinds of fun fake plants and my fish seem to be just fine, but then I don't have a lot of them. So in a bigger enviornment is it generally frowned upon to not have live plants?

Then, how much work is a 40 gallon to maintain? Is this something that is going to take a lot of time money energy?

Any help would be great, sorry for all the newbie questions. I would just want to start buying things early and set it up right if I can manage this one being a new tank.

and a pic of the tank...It was in another thread where I asked if I could use it after having a snake in it. haha.

 

[FINJOY]

YOU BEST SCRUB THAT TANK EXTREMELY WELL WHERE THE SNAKE WAS IN, I BELIEVE MOST FISH KEEPERS WOULD BE AGAINST USING IT FOR FISH AS SNAKE URINE IS HARD TO GET RID OF AND CAN BE VERY TOXIC TO FISH.....

 

[SpruceGruve]

use 8-10% bleach and water mixture and scrub really good.
if you dont want to do a very good job cleaning this tank then i wouldent use it at all,reptiles are very hard to clean up after

 

[Sweet CupnCakes]

Well I started a thread yesterday asking if I could even use the tank since a reptile has been in it and everyone said yes as long as I clean it. It didn't seem like a problem yesterday but now it seems to be a problem? I want to be sure that I don't hurt any fish so if it is not useable for fish now I would understand. It just seemed like people didn't think it was that big of a deal as long as it was really cleaned out.

 

[TL1000RSquid]

Ok for things you'll need, heater 200w-250w range lots of different brand choices personally I like Marineland Visitherm's. Lighting looks like you've already got a glass top, so I would go with a simple 36" fixture at 21" high I'd go with a dual bulb fixture to keep it well lit simple dual T5 fixture can be found online for $50ish, 2 T8's would suffice too. Filtration more is better manufacturers state capacity is usually overrated for a 40g tank I usually use a filter rated for atleast 70g I like Aquaclear's since you can use whatever media you like in them don't have to always be buying replacement cartridges Amazon usually has the best prices on those AC70 or AC110 would be what I'd use.

You don't have to do live plants if you don't want to, they are beneficial but not a necessity. For the lights I recommended the dual T5's would let you grow some stuff, T8's you could do some low light things like java ferns and java moss. I'd just add an airstone/wand for extra oxygenation if you don't want plants.

My weekly maintenance for my 40 is a 20% waterchange, trim plants, vacuum any junk off my sand if needed. Every other week clean glass with magnetic cleaner, clean glass top, clean one of the 2 sponges in my filter alternating every 2 weeks. Every 8 weeks clean out the inside of my filter housing, recharge the Purigen.

Needed maintenance expenses are very little Prime water treatment, replacing used up test kits, new bulbs once a year, filter media depending on the type of filter you choose I don't have to replace mine just clean the sponges, rinse the bio media occasionally and recharge the purigen.

 

[Sweet CupnCakes]

Thanks so much for all that info! It is a good place to start buying stuff and getting a plan put together. Also doesn't seem like something I can't handle work wise. I really appreciate the jumping off point help.

 

[livebearerfreak]

YOU BEST SCRUB THAT TANK EXTREMELY WELL WHERE THE SNAKE WAS IN, I BELIEVE MOST FISH KEEPERS WOULD BE AGAINST USING IT FOR FISH AS SNAKE URINE IS HARD TO GET RID OF AND CAN BE VERY TOXIC TO FISH.....

wow caps lock much? no need to yell.. he already covered this in his other thread, so besides that point.. he wants help on what to get and such..

 

[Sweet CupnCakes]

haha I was wondering what that was about too... this is why the research (also, she not he). I have already stockpiled some things in my amazon wishlist to see about cost and so far its not too bad. about 200 bucks for everything. Well not including decorations and fish

 

[livebearerfreak]

i would go along with a canister or atleast a aquaclear 70

 

[iheartbettas]

just know that you could have the best compiled list, and you'll always be needing "something else" in this hobby. Also, pictures (or video) when you have everything set up will be much appreciated.