Wanted Biorb, Read Forums And So Confused Help

[alamaya]

Hi All,

Wanted some fishies for ages and specifically wanted a BiOrb 60l. I will be honest and say my reasons for wanting were they looked simple, had everything built in meaning no choices to make on filters etc. Size was a factor also being that i have a nero 4 guinea pig cage taking up my entire dining room table (i have no dining room just a big living room).

I have since read these forums and i am so confused, people stating biorbs are awful, filters dont need changing when biorb say. fishless cycling which again biorb dont mention. I mean no offence to anyone on here when i say that as a newbie i dont know who to believe. Now of course as an animal lover and forum follower i know noone here would intentionally give bad advice but how could a company like reef one give bad advice like putting fish in 24 hr after set up. Even i think thats stupid!

Anyways needed to get that off my chest. So since i am getting about 200-300 quid for xmas to play with and i am allowed by all parties involved to get in november to allow cycling what is a good noob tank. I at the moment only want silver tip tetras.

Thanks in advance
Sarah
(Owner to a Beagle, 2 DSH Cats, 2 Rescue Guinea's )

 

[~T~]

Hi All,

Wanted some fishies for ages and specifically wanted a BiOrb 60l. I will be honest and say my reasons for wanting were they looked simple, had everything built in meaning no choices to make on filters etc. Size was a factor also being that i have a nero 4 guinea pig cage taking up my entire dining room table (i have no dining room just a big living room).

I have since read these forums and i am so confused, people stating biorbs are awful, filters dont need changing when biorb say. fishless cycling which again biorb dont mention. I mean no offence to anyone on here when i say that as a newbie i dont know who to believe. Now of course as an animal lover and forum follower i know noone here would intentionally give bad advice but how could a company like reef one give bad advice like putting fish in 24 hr after set up. Even i think thats stupid!

Anyways needed to get that off my chest. So since i am getting about 200-300 quid for xmas to play with and i am allowed by all parties involved to get in november to allow cycling what is a good noob tank. I at the moment only want silver tip tetras.

Thanks in advance
Sarah
(Owner to a Beagle, 2 DSH Cats, 2 Rescue Guinea's )

Firstly you are posting in the wrong section, there is an equipment wanted section. Secondly yes biorbs are not the best environmet for aquatic life but after doing a few alterations and stocking sensibly they can be ok.

 

[JustKia]

Not really the wrong section, she's new to fishkeeping, not posting a wanted advert - she's looking for advice.

Sarah, Welcome to TFF =)
I was in your shoes not so long ago (my how things have ballooned since then LOL).
Originally I looked at the biorbs, but so many people who have experience find problems with them and of course the very shape means there is a small surface area of water.
You need surface area to allow for gas exchange (in basic terms at least for carbon dioxide out and oxygen in). Of course you could only part fill the biorb, but that then defies the whole point really.

From my own personal experience I'd say get the biggest tank you can a) fit into where ever it's going and b) afford.
The biggest reason here is that the larger the body of water the more forgiving it is in terms of ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte, also in terms of temperature and stability.

I had a small 35L tank and it was a right pain to keep clean, however my 125L is a breeze.

I'd say spend a bit of time reading through stuff here, read the stickies and weigh up the pro's and cons of what you want. There's quite a bit of time between now and November so you can have a really good think about what you can do before getting stuck in.
What kind of fish are you going to want, how big do they get, how many is it recommended to keep together and what size tank is recommended for them?