Jumpin' Into The Fish World Finally!

[OldMan47]

I own the Walmart 55 gallon kit. If you can buy a bare tank instead, do it. The filter in the kit is in my stash of spare parts and an old sponge filter that I had on hand is serving the tank. That filter was a total waste of perfectly good plastic that someone else might have made into a nice filter. The almost universal practice of making the impeller housing an integral part of the filter housing is even absent on that thing. I am afraid it would start leaking rather quickly if I decided to place it into service.

 

[drobbyb]

Robby~ Is this the filter you are speaking of? I'm thinking about getting the 70 gallon so if I do end up getting the 55 gallon, it will still be very efficient. I think $47 sounds very reasonable with the free shipping. What's everybody think?

http/www.petco.com/product/4051/AquaClear-Aquarium-Power-Filters.aspx

That's the one. They are very reasonable IMO.

 

[waterdrop]

Wow.. Thanks Grr for the tip! I never thought of that... It would start the process and I wouldn't feel like I was wasting time..

WD~~~ I'm in Paintsville. Got any suggestions? The LFS have offered me mature tank water and that's as far as they will go. I have a little tank at work that has one little orange fish (have no idea if it's a gold fish or what) and an algae eater.. It's been up and running for a long time. I have no idea what kind of filter, etc is on it but I have access to it.. It's maybe 5 or 10 gallon. It was a kit tank. Would anything from it help me and not hurt it?

Well you're not planning to be in Charleston WV for the holiday by any chance I guess? Was just judging the possibilities of bringing you some. There might be a fish club in Huntington, I know there are some serious hobbyists in Charleston. Really though, OM47's idea of cleaning the filter at work should give you a good start on the FLC.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[JustFrozen]

Robby~ Is this the filter you are speaking of? I'm thinking about getting the 70 gallon so if I do end up getting the 55 gallon, it will still be very efficient. I think $47 sounds very reasonable with the free shipping. What's everybody think?

http/www.petco.com/product/4051/AquaClear-Aquarium-Power-Filters.aspx

i've got that one (from petco too) and i like it a lot. a little loud when the water level gets away from the top but you have that issue with pretty much all HOB filters i suppose. thats a good price, get it while its on sale.

 

[mp0033price]

Well, my hubbie is gonna kill me.. LOL I ordered the AC filter ... (just realized what a AC filter is..LOL) It was the 47 bucks, then I saved 10 % off that and free shipping! SO I had to get more stuff.. LOL I orderd an air pump, a gravel vac, and a few more necessities.. I got a GREAT DEAL on it all, but it still is a lot for us. BUT I"M SUPER EXCITED! I may not ever be able to afford fish though.. I'm saving on the stand though.. Using a table I already have! It's super sturdy.

 

[JustFrozen]

Well, my hubbie is gonna kill me.. LOL I ordered the AC filter ... (just realized what a AC filter is..LOL) It was the 47 bucks, then I saved 10 % off that and free shipping! SO I had to get more stuff.. LOL I orderd an air pump, a gravel vac, and a few more necessities.. I got a GREAT DEAL on it all, but it still is a lot for us. BUT I"M SUPER EXCITED! I may not ever be able to afford fish though.. I'm saving on the stand though.. Using a table I already have! It's super sturdy.

Well technically you just need the tank and the filter (maybe a heater) to take care of the cycle. I'm 2 months in and the only thing in my tank still is water and a heater. I understand why it's preferable to get most everything at once though, especially if its a bargain. What kind of test kit do you have?

it's good to be sure about the sturdiness of the table. that tank is going to be over 200 lbs when its full. The tank will need a nice flat surface with plenty of structural support beneath (not too uneven). i've got the same setup with that too (just a table)

 

[mp0033price]

JustFrozen, I ordered the API Master test for FW. It hasn't arrived yet.. My table is a very sturdy solid oak. It will be fine. We've stood on it, jumped, and everything.. LOL My directions say it will be over 300 lbs! I'd never be able to get anything like some of the people on this forum. I'd have to add more support block under my home.. LOL


WaterDrop, I won't be in Charleston. I often shop in Huntington, but my dad is very ill and staying with me now, so I won't be doing any shopping other than the net or a quick trip to Wal-Mart. But I sooo appreciate the offer! I'm going to go with the changing the water at work idea!!! Hope you have a great trip, btw!!!

 

[waterdrop]

<...>

WaterDrop, I won't be in Charleston. I often shop in Huntington, but my dad is very ill and staying with me now, so I won't be doing any shopping other than the net or a quick trip to Wal-Mart. But I sooo appreciate the offer! I'm going to go with the changing the water at work idea!!! Hope you have a great trip, btw!!!

Ok, well it'll be fun thinking there's one of our hobbyists just down the road over the mountains and getting started with a tank! One of the things I've said in many beginner threads in the past is that often a good aquarium runs along for years and there's really no reason to rush those first couple of months as they are quite different and make for some good memories later. Their is ton's to be learned about water chem and good stocking plans and other maintenance techniques and that period during the fishless cycle is an ideal time to do these things with the members because all the interactions for checking the progress of the fishless cycle are going on. Later your tank will be all established and probably much more routine. Overall, the hobby is about slowing down and having a spot in your home to forget about the days stresses and communications. I find that TV, computers and cellphones, while they can be an escape, are still all about communication, interaction, and therefor carry a certain energy level that, while escapist, is not as relaxing as a nice stare at the tank can be.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mp0033price]

Waterdrop, I really enjoyed your last last post! That's exactly what I'm hoping for- something my kids can share an interest in with us and enjoy something other than video games and computers! I'm going to start after he opens the tank Christmas since I have to wait for the new filter to come in now anyway. But in the meantime, I'll be researching and dreaming... My hubby says I've gone fish crazy.. LOL But this is gift my dad bought my sons (ages 5 and 10) and like I said, He's super sick. I just want this to be a "forever gift". SOmething special and enjoyable. I don't want to mess it up. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[waterdrop]

Glad you enjoyed it! Now that we've enjoyed our parental dream I'll walk back down the mountain rather than just leaving well enough alone, like I should.

The gap between the excitement of getting the equipment and the point much later when you "do the big water change and get fish" can be a difficult time period. Its really hard dragging a whole extended family along with you on this mission. Some adults will say "could you explain that again? There are invisible bacteria in there that take weeks or months to grow and you're feeding them?"

One of the things I did was to dream up projects (for my son) involving the diagrams of the Nitrogen Cycle (BTT has one in the beginners resource center) and other pictures and things out on the internet. The whole world of bacteria, keeping the pictures of the cells handy to make it more real, can sometimes open up to kids. You can even take some media out of the filter, rinse it right in the tank water and, while keeping it moist, examine it with a magnifying glass looking for the telltale brown stains of the biofilms where the bacteria live.

One thing positive I did find though was that after a while, the whole family began to have a curiosity about whether there was progress. At that point the handmade graphs of the kids can start to play an important role.

Anyway, best of luck with it and of course we'll all be answering questions and watching how it goes for you.

~~waterdrop~~