Complete Newbie Start Up Questions

[andy130]

Hello people. Hope yall dont mind me barging in here with loadsa newbie questions. I have been reading the forums and im slowly learning.
I should at this juncture point out a goldfish won at a fair 15 years ago is the only experience i have at looking after our aquatic friends. So please forgive my ignorance.

About a month ago I saw some little sharks in a home aquarium (on TV) and thought they were pretty cool. Not sure how practical that would be for myself but it inspired me to take a look at a local (ish) aquarium were I saw all sorts of pretty cool marine fish. So would like
to maybe jump in (pardon the pun ^^)

Would this tank be far too much work for a newbie: (and is it value for money)
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...atchlink:top:uk

(i dont wanna get a little tank to start with as it would be dead money when i wanted to move on)

Would anyone here recommend or not getting small sharks? (im struggling to find info on them, e.g. are they expensive to maintain)
Also whats the main differences in running a marine tank compared to a normal one?

got loads more questions but cant think of em at the min.

cheers

andy

 

[GRJ]

Hi, i am a newbie at this too, but i can tell you that it is better to get the largest tank you can afford as the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain in the long run. There is a lot of information available to you here, it has been a great help to me so far. My tank has been running for 4 weeks now and i am in the middle of cycling it. If i were you, i would collect as much information on key points like 'The Nitrogen Cycle' and which types of fish are ok to keep with each other in a community aquarium and which dont get on. Everything you need to know is here on this forum and if you get stuck, dont ever hesitate to ask questions, you will always get a reply and help when needed, i always have. Good luck with your tank and welcome to the forum. GRJ

 

[Genie]

i have the jewel 180. they are attractive tanks, and mine has been working fine so far. Some people on here have suggested changing the filter, but others have recommended keeping it in. You could do a forum search (at the top) see if theres any relevant posts.

sorry i cant help with other bits

 

[andy130]

fast replys. cheers guys. I thought maybe being my first tank i was maybe overstretching. But i would like to get a couple decent sized fish (not that bothered about a tank full of em) did see at the local aquarium some tint crabs and shrimp that were pretty cool. Genie as you have that tank can you give me a sort of ball park figure of a monthly cost for maintenance etc as this would be a defining factor ( i realise everyones will differ)

cheers again

 

[shibby]

are u after marine or tropical.


i have a juwel 180 set up for marine. prices will vary so depends what u want marine or tropical fishies


Edit: i read it through again lol, and marine is saltwater and will have clownfish, wrasses, hermit crabs and shrimps in.


tropical will probably be the sharks youve seen

marine is more expensiveee!

 

[Genie]

doesnt cost very much. You dont replace the filter sponges (from what i gather) just the poly pads. Which are about a fiver for five pads. Im changing mine about once a week. Probably be different on a bigger tank. Itll cost you more for dechlorinator/water conditioner as theres more water going in. But i suppose if you plan enough in advance you could stock up from ebay or some other cheap site. Thats about £4 a bottle? and you may end up using a bottle a week. Its not very expensive on a weekly basis. But at the start it is, buying all the things that you may never need to buy again! like a gravel vac. hope that helps

 

[GRJ]

No problem! Its a good idea to write a list of everything you will need to carry out your maintenance too. Stuff like Glass cleaner, Tap Water Conditioner, Nets, Food, Gravel Vaccum, Liquid Tets Kits (Very Important, essential), and other things. Check out the sticky pins at the top of the 'new to the hobby' page and have a good thorough look at what they say, its an invaluable rescourse. It also eplain about the nitrogen cycle, you really need to get that clear in your head and understand the factors involved in at as that is whre most people seem to go wrong. Once again, Good Luck!

 

[andy130]

helluva lot more to this game then i realised this time 2 days ago

think 200 - 250ltr will be more sensible but with good options

 

[Genie]

yeah mines a 180 lt. but wish id gone bigger. Maybes a 300ish lt. more options, but i dont have the space

 

[GRJ]

Thats how i was! They didnt give me any decent info at my local fish store, i have learned everything from here. They just want to sell you products that you really dont need and in some cases dont even work. I hadnt heard of 'Fishless Cycling' until i came here and by that time i had out some fish in my tank and it was too late. I have lost 5 fish due to my tank not being cycled. I have 3 left and i am having to do 50% water changes every day to keep them alive. I dont mind as long as the fish are ok, but also i can only add a few fish at a time once my tank has cycled so the biological filter doesnt overload. If you do a fishless cycle, you can fill your tank completely when its cycled. Like i said, i am not trying to put you off, but you need to know it isnt as simple as, get tank, fill with water and throw fish in. Do it properley and you will be laughing mate. Research research research. Thats the best advice i can give you. I dont know anything about the types of fish you are wanting to keep, but while you are cycling your tank, yu can use that time to research all the fish and their needs. Good luck, GRJ

 

[andy130]

Agree completely. Dont intend to buy anything until I know im not gunna kill a £50+ fish within a week. First things first..... need to look up what cycling is

How does changing the water work if its salt water? Do I have to buy it?

 

[Chubbywubs]

£499 is cheap. I want to get the Rio 450 cheapest i've seen it for was £599.


Juwel have a new lighting system called highlite lighting as well as giving all there new tanks a new and improved jumbo filter with better filter media stacking. (been doing my research )

Chances are since this is Ebay it will be the older model of the Rio 400. You might want to email them just to check, not to mention you might not need the newer model and this might be perfect for you.


I think a novice like you or i are more than capable of getting a tank like that. Providing you've also done your research on filtration and stuff (i was advised to get another filter as well as two smaller heaters).


But to answer your question £499 is the cheapest ive ever seen that tank sold for, highest price i've seen was £894, cheapest i can get without resorting to ebay for the rio 450 is £599.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

Larger tanks are easier and more forgiving than smaller ones, have better resale value, and give you far more choices in what you can put in them!

Do however keep in mind that you will be needing to change out at least 100 Liters per week in that big tank! There are some products (like the Python No Spill system) that make such things easier, but if that seems like a big leap to you, you can always start with a smaller tank.

Some other advice for a big tank:
1) It's a good idea to use two smaller heaters instead of one big one. Not only does it keep the temperature in the tank more even, but gives you some protection if one of the heaters start to malfunction (either by not turning on or by not turning off!)

2) You cannot over filter, but you can over current. I would look into a second filter or possibly an upgrade since 2x your tank volume per hour isn't optimal.

 

[vinylman]

The best thing you can do for now is to find out what your water parameters are. Once you know the ph, hardness, etc., you can then choose your fish to suit, rather than buy some fish then start adding all sorts of adjusters. Keep it as simple as possible. You'll be surprised how easy it is to get things right from the start. Read, read, then read some more.

 

[andy130]

great advice chaps. cheers. will keep reading before commiting. good idea about finding out which fish suit my ph levels btw