Getting Back Into The Hobby, Lots Of Questions

[Tolak]

Lol! That brings me back, "reappropriating" neighborhood building supplies when I was a kid. We used to build some fabulous stuff for zero dollars.

Landscaping outfits are great for aquarium decor. I spent $10 on 100 pounds of various large rocks a few years back, I've got rocks for life now. I went in the dead of winter, figuring they weren't going to weigh it, and they didn't.

Same landscaping joint was selling large 16 foot pieces of decorative driftwood for $50. A little work with a saw, some slate & stainless steel screws would turn a nice profit at some of the local auctions. I'm planning on redoing my landscaping soon, and need a nice size piece for a large tank I'm resealing. Bet I could at least make my money back.

 

[phlawed]

Good find on the driftwood as well, shops charge way too much for driftwood, same goes for rocks.

Boy, you aren't kidding about that. I saw a diftwood piece in the LFS that was the same size as the small one I found and they wanted $15 for it!

$15? damn i want ur lfs. for $15 at our lfs you get a 5" piece of nothing around 30-40 for nice peice

 

[plecoguy]

a xp3 will be more that enough on that tank, just pack the bottom baskets with foam (starting with coarse on the bottom, and then go up the the fine) then do ceramic beads on top. if there is a issue with stuff floating around you can add a power head with a sponge on the end to help pick up the rest...shouldnt need it though.

 

[Tolak]

The xp3 is $149 at Petco, $94 at Big Al's. An Eheim 2026 is $159 at Big Al's, & will blow away the xp3.

http/www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/catego...ategory_id=1711

Buy filters, heaters, etc, online, it's the best place to get new equipment.

 

[smoothvirus]

A quick update

I cut the driftwood peice up and used silicone glue to anchor it to some pieces of black slate. That was an idea I got from this forum, I was worried that the glue wouldn't hold, but it works perfectly! I used duck tape to hold the parts together while the glue was setting.

Saw a resin tree stump at Petsmart on clearance for $5, it usually lists at $18, so I grabbed that sucker.

Got a master test kit, a big bottle of Seachem Prime, and a black background for the tank.

I bought 100lbs of black 3M Colorquartz sand from a local construction wholesaler.

One of the local guys is going to trade me an AC110 HOB filter for some beer.

Right now I'm sketching out ideas for an UGJ system.

Still to do....

Order the canister filter and heater (tomorrow or Friday)
Build UGJ system if I decide to use it
Gather some more rocks and find a garden center that sells lava rock
put everything in tank
add live plants (planning on Java Fern, some swords, and Java Moss)
cycle
add fish

etc.. etc.. etc....

what a big project, I'm getting sick of looking at an empty tank!!!

 

[fishfishfish]

what kind of fish do u have planned.if u have alot of rocks,u should go cichlids all the way.

nice store from the sounds of it.what kind of synos did it have?

 

[smoothvirus]

I'm planning on some Blue Rams, some tetras, and maybe a couple of Angels.

 

[TammyLiz]

I missed this thread before. I am in the same boat as you except that I was keeping fish 10 years ago instead of 20, and I got back into it in December. I was awed at the "new" cycling concept, too. Thank goodness for the internet when it comes to keeping fish. There were forums 10 years ago, but there wasn't a whole lot of good information there. I read them religiously but still made what I now consider to be obviously stupid mistakes. I tried rams in 10 gallon tanks, too.

If you're going for rams and angels make sure you test all your gravel and rocks to make sure they aren't going to raise the pH. It'll save you a lot of hassle and possibly lost fish in the future. The blue rams eggs don't have a very high fertility rate unless the water is soft with a low pH. I've heard most of the eggs don't hatch in hard water. Buying gravel and rocks from garden centers generally winds you up with something that will raise your parameters. I noticed you mentioned lava rock. That will raise the pH very noticably. As far as decor goes, stick with driftwood for the rams, and for a spawning site, clay pots work well. Keep in mind that if you want rams and angels breeding in the same tank you'll have some major aggression issues. The tetras would probably be the losers.

Tammy

 

[smoothvirus]

Thanks Tammy.

The 3M Colorquartz is guaranteed to be chemically inert. It's ceramic-coated quartz. So I'm OK there.

I'll do some research on the lava rock. I haven't purchased any yet - right now the only rocks I have are some big quartz pebbles I found in the yard.

 

[smoothvirus]

OK, did some reading on the lava rock. The stuff I had in mind is the reddish stuff that the LFS sell. According to what I've found that particular kind is chemically inert - which is what I want.

Apparently "lava rock" can also refer to some other kinds of rock which are not chemically inert, thus the confusion.

 

[TammyLiz]

Good to know about the red lava rock being chemically inert. I had something that looks almost identical but its grey and the chunks look natural like they were chipped off of something bigger. I didn't know the red was different but I have noticed its usually in a pretty convenient shape with a hole through the middle or something. They must make it somehow.
Keep us updated

 

[Dorkhedeos]

I bought 100lbs of black 3M Colorquartz sand from a local construction wholesaler.

little too much sand dont you think? how much did it cost you? where are you located?

 

[smoothvirus]

I bought 100lbs of black 3M Colorquartz sand from a local construction wholesaler.

little too much sand dont you think? how much did it cost you? where are you located?

I figure I need about 60 pounds of it, and it comes in 50 pound bags. Looks like I'll have plenty left over.

I'm in Northern Virginia near D.C. I got the Colorquartz for $18 a bag.

 

[TammyLiz]

Wow, thats a great deal. What store did you go to? I live in Virginia.

 

[smoothvirus]

Wow, thats a great deal. What store did you go to? I live in Virginia.

Not really a "store" per se, but I got it from Hatchik Supply in Springfield.