Hello From The Somewhere On The Road

[matthewlee1959]

My daughter loves Daddy/Daughter hobbies and also loves the Glofish she sees in the stores as well as Betas and other species and has been talking for some time about aquariums.  Astronomy is something we do when I can get home and we have clear skies and temperatures that don’t require dressing for the arctic.  Still we need something else and keeping an aquarium seems like something that might fit the bill.  I had a 10 gal. when I was her age, but unlike her, my parents did nothing to support my hobby.  After reading about cycling the tank before adding fish and other things I should have done it’s amazing my fish survived as long as they did.  It was in the early 70's and I was in the 8th grade so it was a bit harder to get information.  I am an over the road truck driver so my time at home is limited so most of the maintenance is going to fall on her shoulders.  I know she joined this forum last night as well so once we get started I’m sure we will both be looking for help and opinions.  Right now we are in the planning, setting aside money stage. 
 
She just lost her Betta, Play Dough over the weekend.  He developed dropsy and finally passed on Friday night.  We tried to save him and the more research we did the more I became amazed that these fish survive in the pet stores, or homes at all.  They sell you these little “critter keepers” and no one ever tells you about water changes.  Even when I had an aquarium before I had never heard of doing water changes, you just filled it to make up for evaporation.  Her’s lasted a year with us and we have no idea how old he was when we got him.  He was “rescued” before he got to the daycare where my wife teaches 2 year olds.  I say rescued because the fish in the preschool room disappeared into the pocket of one of the boys (the fish didn’t make it.)  As for myself I enjoy the relaxation of watching the fish, water and bubbles of an aquarium.  After having a Betta my wife has even relented on allowing an aquarium in the living room.  She has said she won’t be responsible for it, but I’m sure she will help if she knows what to do.
 
I realize that this is a bit rambling, but it gives everyone a bit of an idea of where I am coming from.  I am thinking of a 20-50 gal size since I would like to create 2 different types of habitats.  One of the most fascinating aquariums I ever helped with was in marine biology in middle school.  We went to the canal behind the school and gathered material, plants, fish and other organisms.  From that we created an aquarium that replicated the canal.  I would love to create an aquascape that resembles the environment that the fish we add could feel at home in.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

to the forum.

Play Dough.

IMO 55 gallon tanks are the best starter size, because they're bigger, the water is a lot more stable.

Biotope tanks can be really fun! Lots had research needs to b involved though. I've seen some really stunning Biotope tanks around!
It would be a great idea for you and your daughter.
If you find a fish you like the look of and is suitable for your tank size, find out where it's from and see what other fish are in the same area. You can then find pictures of what their natural habitat looks like with plants etc.

Make sure you have a look at the cycling link in my signature.

 

[ncguppy830]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Shelster]

Welcome to the forum, a world of info on here and many interesting people to chat to too.

Any further fish ideas? So many to choose from enjoy your search

 

[DianaFaye]

I'm sorry to hear about your betta They have always been one of my favorite fish- loads of personality and never a dull moment. It truly is a wonder how on earth they manage to survive as long as they do, given the setups advertised for them, and unfortunately their resilience adds to the myth that they are able to survive in those conditions. One of my fondest memories was when I moved a betta I once had from a small (filtered and heated, mind you) desktop aquarium into a 20 gallon. If a fish could exhibit happiness, that was definitely it. 
That being said, I agree with the above post that biotope tanks can be a lot of fun, and the work to research and set it up is very rewarding. It could also be a really great learning experience for you and your daughter to research different habitats and their inhabitants, and to try to recreate that at home. And definitely go for the largest size that you can afford to get, you're better off getting one big tank than 2 smalls ones. Larger tanks are better for water stability, whereas in a small tank slight changes in water chemistry can be disastrous and requires religious maintenance. I've had a tall 20 gal for many years, and went through a lot of learning processes with that tank, but I ended up becoming very frustrated with it, as I wanted to do more than it would allow. 20g is about the absolute bare minimum, and imo when "appropriately stocked," it just looked bare. It was great for housing a betta and a fairly decent school of neons. I had also been attracted to the GloFish at the time, and came to learn that length is better than height and my setup just wasn't the best for them. I recently upgraded to a 40 gal breeder that I'm *super* excited about, and looking at the difference between the 2 tanks, I wish I had gotten it sooner. If I had the means to go bigger, I would, but my new 40 gallon is just enough for my purposes, and has quickly become my new standard for "minimum" tank size.