first tank kit and fish

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cecilbdemented

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Im totally new to this, helped keep friends fish for a month or so when he was away so i know what to expect with caring etc - never experienced illness etc luckily but thats something to look forward to...

To my question - i was looking at getting the Biorb as it comes with all needed for the tank - filters etc, and i just have to buy its heater/thermostat accessory to make it tropical.
Do you thin this is ok for an introduction? Its 30 litres, about 8 gallons i think (may be wrong though), real small but i dont have room for much more at the moment. If not what would you suggest?
Oh, and its spherical like a goldfish bowel.
secondly - be it the biorb of something else, what fish would you suggest? obviously something small and comparably hardy but theres soo many around especially when you get into different types of a species. Would the shape of the biorb restrict what fish? I heard that some like the surface, some are bottom dwellers and some in between - would i go for inbetween ones?

im getting impatient already - started looking at tanks etc yesterday and the suspence is killing me...

thanks in advance
C
 
How much is a bio-orb about £70 or £80 if I remember? For that price you can get a really nice 2nd hand or used tank, you'll get much more for your money and be able to keep much better fish.

IMO a bio-orb is okay for a few whiteclouds and some guppies maybe some cardinal tetras (almost identical to neons but hardier) but by that stage you are already overstocked I'm afraid!! I agree the design of it is quite beautiful but remember it is only plastic (acrylic) it will scratch really easily especially if it has algae and you try to remove it!

I would hold out to get a bigger tank, there are some real bargains for tanks, check your local small ads paper. Where abouts do you live?
 
Hi.
I'm a newbie too and Just wanted to give you a wee bit of advice.
Don't go with the acrylic..as William said it will scratch (very easily) and you don't want that, it takes away from the beauty of your fish.
If you wait & sve for a larger tank it will control the "oh that looks great now I need a bigger tank" Been there done that lol

I started with a 10 US gallon and about 2 months later I was looking at the big tanks, rearranging furniture or even getting rid of that old chair to make room. I now have the 10 & a 55gal. And planning out a 125 gal. :)

If you could even start with say a 20-30 gal. you'd be MUCH better off & alot happier. The added bonus....MORE FISH :D

Hope this helps some..just remember do all the research you can & come talk to this forum's member often...We have alot of knowledgable people here and they love to help if they can.
 
Thanks for your replys both.
I only really thought about the biorb as it came with filters and such and so looked a good was to start learning about that stuff. And it was only £60 for the tank etc and then £30 for the tropical conversion kit. and based on the shop i happened to be in i could have been set up with 6(ish) fish for 100. seemed reasonable.

Im in norwich William, theres some big pet stores but knoweledgable staff arnt easy to find, especially ones not biased one way or another.
So - lesson one - not acrylic - got it.
lesson two - bigger tank - i only have space for about a 20inch square maximum on my table - im trying to avoid buying a dedicated stand as im in an attic room and fitting things in is a squease. It is a sturdy table and should be fine, but it does limit me (also weight on floor to cinsider - dont want to collapse floor...). I dont know what sort of size that makes it in litres...i saw a 20 gallon (us) that was 13x24x16 inches so i guess im looking at about that size for now?

Do you have any reccomendations on make or anything i should look out for? I looked on adtrader online (a local free ads paper) and theres a huge amout (doesnt help that most have a very brief description). Juwel seems to be mentioned a lot - are they a reputable make?

thanks for your time,
C
 
Hi Cecil...Welcome to the wonderful world of fish addicts :p


I've never owned a Juwel myself, but have read good things about them. Most stores offer starter packages that come with pretty much everything you need to get the tank up and running. If you decide to go with a used tank you will be able to save some money, but you have to "leak test" the tank before setting it up, to make sure all the seals are still in good shape.
...oh a word of caution, do your research BEFORE you buy any fish. You will find as you go along that some LFS (local fish stores) will lie to you (either out of ignorance or just to make a sale) the best way to check on the lfs integrity is to research the fish you are looking for (or one that you know isn't good for a community tank) and then go in and ask what the sales person thinks about that particular fish.

HTH

Don.


...I almost forgot..."I'm ready for my closeup Mr. Demented" B) :lol: :lol:
 
Thanks for the good advice Pufferpack.

Id like to go new for security sort of thing but may go second hand due to cost : size ratio. Have to try you 'trick' at my local - see if they know thier fish - bit dubious since the sold my two hampsters of the 'same' sex that would exist happily together - needless to say i had babies round my ears and blood and fur flying... a sobering experience :crazy: , i just hope theyve got more knowledge about fish!

Hey! someone whos also seen the film! your like the first one in over a year of using the 'handle' in forums. :D
 
Ok. How does this tank sound?

Juwel Rekord 60

Volume: approx. 54 litres
Light System with 1 x 15 W tube
JUWEL Filter System: Compact Super
50 watt automatic heater
Size: 61 x 36 x 31 cm

for about £69.

Would this be ok as a starter tank you think?

as to fish - something quite small and comparably hardy but theres soo many around especially when you get into different types of a species. I heard that some are bottom dwellers and some in the rest, presumably i would want some of the middle ground ones and bottom dweller or two to help with the cleaning - but are there any small enough?
Any suggestoins about fish/where to look for options.
thnks again, a very helpful place.
C
 
Thats about 12 gallons I think Rekords are good tanks a few people here have some maybe they can help more :) If 12 gallons is your limit and you can't go any bigger at all! Then it would be a good tank to get but remember with 12 gallons you can have (v. rough) 12 inches of fish, depending which fish you want this may be ample, for bottom dwellers try a couple of corydoras for swimming some tetras or livebearers would probably suit a tank like that. :)

Just read you wanted an algae eater for the bottom! You could try a bristlenose/ancistrus pleco (cories are cool but won't help eat algae :) ) IF you get a pleco you will need some bogwood in the tank as otherwise they will die :( Don't get a regular pleco either it must be ancistrus (dwarf) as otherwise some of them grow huge!! :)
 
Alternatively you could get a couple of applesnails to eat the algae, ditch the ancistrus and go with a couple of corys and some tetras :)
 
Hi dude;

Try this place: http://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/ See if there is one nearby? You can get a 21 gallon tank with everything except substrate (grit / sand) & decorations for £80.00!

That's a light-glo glass tank / Lid / Heater / Light Bulb / Fluval Filter & Media / Imitation Plants (ideal for beginner) / Thermometer and EVEN food!

Sounds like I'm being paid?! But this is a fantastic beginner to intermediate set up.... you even get a basic guide, which never takes away from this wicked lil' site...

If you get a chance, take a look... gr8 £ for value ratio!
 
Thanks all. Very helpful. Im sure to be back once im up and running (eventually!) and have more questions. Who knows - one day i may even be able to answer some.
C
 
You could try Otto's for algae eaters, I think they stay pretty small.
....I know how you feel with those hamsters...I picked up our 1st cat named L.T.(short for little Tom) without checking the plumbing ( I was assured by the folks giving it away that it was male), we went back the next day and got HER brother to keep her company :*) :lol: :lol:
 
I would never buy a spherical fish tank unless it was just for decorative purposes, like in an office.

#1 - I like to sit and really watch my fish and it's hard to do when you have such distortion from a round tank. I don't even like the bowfronts that much. Flat glass is much clearer.

#2 - A goldfish bowl shape has a smaller gravel base and less air contact than a rectangular tank of the same volume. Both of those features are going to work against you.

There are plenty of combination setups in the fish stores. Just talk to other fish people (like us :D ) to determine what type of fish you're going to keep, what type of subtrate you want, and whether or not you're going to have live plants. That will help you decide what kind of filtration to buy. Don't jump on a kit just because everything is included.

Make the right choices to start with and you'll be happy for a long time. (and always buy the biggest tank you can afford :D )
 
I got me a 20 gallon tank (roughly - its a Juwel Rekord 96 litre) second hand for £30. Not bad and its in good nik it seems - testing for water tightness etc tomorrow first thing. Just gotta throw some stuff out (like my bed :/ ) to make room...

It has a internal heater and filter, light and lid. (all to be checked too with filter media replaced before going live)

Where do i go with kit?
I know i nead a thermometer and water quality stuff for setting it up for fish but before i get that far...

presuming i went with reccomendations here for first fish:
bristlenose/ancistrus pleco or Otto's to roam the lower regions, and tetras or livebearers.

With these what do i need to add to what i have? ive read some books and sites but i figure youll be able to help with these particular fishes requirements better.
What substrate?
Filtration - undergravle or not? Do you think id need an airstone?
the pleco would require bogwood, what if i went for ottos?
should i start with real plants or just use them as decoratoin and thus plastic vs real being a matter or preference?

thanks again all - would have been much much harder without your input, and i probably would have ended up with a worse tank.
C :thumbs:
 
not much use for most of the prep stuff but i would say it depends on what you got with the set up if you got nothing i would probably got with ... ither an under gravel i had for my first tank was cheap and worked well with plants and all sorts of fish had no porblems. thing it the fish junk can get turned into nitrates apparently. never affected me and i ran a tank for a long time lot less turbulence that streese fish in my oppinion. also it does seem the preferre filter method for most fish shops... perhaps because of cost. well the other filter option might be fluval/ehiem type of unit thats kinda think i have on atm seems ok many of them have airaters incorperated . what ever you go with i would recomend something that incorperates airation. i cant think of a filteration system thats been the cause of much greif for me but under grav with and airstone in the pipe seems to look the nicest and be roughly the cheapest.
 

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