Deluxe kit or separate?

[mlee0332]

Here is what I need to know...

My local wal-mart sells a 29g deluxe kit that includes:
lighted hood
filter media (w/out aerobic pad )
net
water conditioner
food
100 watt heater
digital thermometer

For a total cost of $94.88

Would it be cheaper/smarter to buy all of this separate and be able to get a filter with aerobic grid?

*i'm only pondering this purchase*

 

[rdd1952]

It really depends on what you want. For a normal start up kit, it will probably be fine. If you want to have a planted tank though, the light that comes with the kit (probably 15 or 17 watt) won't give you the wattage you need (at least 2 watts per gallon). I bought one for my wife for Christmas and have already had to buy a new power compact light. And when you get a new light for it, you will also have to buy a new glass top for the tank as the one that comes with it won't work with the upgraded lighting. All in all, you would probably be better off to buy the items seperately online. That way you can get exactly what you want but it is a little more work.

 

[mlee0332]

well i want to only keep fish so I guess the whole deal would be good, but my only draw back is the filter. I really have seen a diff with the aerobic grid and would love to have it. These kits are really out-of-date, but i don't care. If it will save me money I'll get that, but if the other way will save me money, i'll go in that direction...

Which one is cheaper? does anyone know?

 

[yvez9]

what's an aerobic grid?

 

[mlee0332]

that is a floss pad that helps culture nitrifying bacteria. They look sort of like an algae scrubber with a plastic "grid" around them. They have specially made filters that these fit in and they never need replacing... (unless they are very badly damaged)

 

[rdd1952]

I'm not really sure which one is cheaper. The only way to find out is make yourself a list of what you need (food and water conditioner aren't really a factor as you will have to buy more anyway). Then price them seperately either in the store or online. Online will definitely be cheaper but you may not be able to find a glass tank online because of the problems associated with shipping glass items. You can expect to pay about twice as much in a store for a filter as what you can buy them online. My Fluval 304 filters on my 75 gallon were $139.99 at Petsmart and I got them for $72.99 plus shipping at petsolutions.com. Even Petsmart.com sells them for $79.99 plus shipping and tax.

 

[mlee0332]

Thank you.

I guess that I will place an order for the stuff online, and when it comes in i will go to a store and buy a glass aquarium.

 

[rdd1952]

The actual glass tanks are pretty cheap. Petsmart sells a 10 gallon in the store for $9.99. I haven't priced the 29 gallon ones though. Good luck with what ever you do.

 

[mlee0332]

I went today, before i bought the kit, and a 29g glass aquarium was 48 dollars!!!!! I couldn't believe it!! I thought that was rediculous!

 

[Ethos]

I'd actully go with the walmart one. I've had a good expierence with their tanks. Even though I rEFUSE to buy fish from then, the have good quality fish tasnk kits. Save yourself a hassel and pay 10$ more for a kit. Thats what I did.

 

[squirrelrabbits]

Tetra actually makes a similar kit but with much higher grade products. My local meijer (a midwestern walmart, i guess) sells these for $99 (and sometimes they go on sale for $79!--which is how I got my two). All the stuff in these are tetra branded--including a whisper filter and a whisper heater--and are really quality items that I trust a lot more than the walmart branded stuff ("aquatech"). The local petsmart carries these kits for about $110... and they seem like the best deal around to me.

 

[paulthegreat]

Compared to prices in Sweden $99 for a 29gal kit is dirt cheap. My 29gal kit was $193 on sale!!!, my 14.25 gal kit was $110.

 

[akitty6552]

Petsmart makes sets that are around the same price as walmart but the filter and heater that comes with it are a little higher quality. I really liked the set my friend bought from petsmart.

 

[Polardbear]

Just as an fyi - the Aquatech brand products are made by Marineland so they aren't all that bad.

 

[wrs]

well I have a 55 from walmart and the 55 from petsmart. They are both great tanks, but the only thging is that the petsmart heater works better than the walmart one.

I also have the 29 from walmart, and it does have that white thing. And that tank was great as well. It has 20 watts of light though. I loved it. The tank.

so now with the seprate stuff, I bought my 20 that was

$42 for hood and light
$23 for tank
$20 for filter
$20 for heater
$105 total seperate, more than the 29, so it probably will cost you more that way.

Id go with the kit, it worked great, plus it comes with a net, lol.