New guy from Des Moines, Iowa!

[EagleTime1989]

Wow. Thank you all for the comments! I really love the advice! I thought a water heater could turn up the temp quite a bit. I'm so excited to start this venture with ya'll. Quick question. Amazon has "Aquarium sets" that come with a tank, filter, and the works. Are those worth the money or should I buy each indvidually? I will have to go look at some fish and take notes of which I like this weekend. There's a place here in town called Aqualand who sell LOTS of fish. Also big box stores like Petco and Petsmart, etc. Should I stay away from any of those in particular? Thanks again guys!

 

[Innesfan]

I cannot speak to the 'aquarium sets' since I've never bought or owned one. As for your local stores, sounds like Aqualand is the better option for fish. There are fewer and fewer shops like this since the advent of the big box stores and they almost always offer a better selection of fish that are usually better cared for. I'll also wager that the staff at Aqualand will be better informed than at the box stores. As for the chains, they might be useful for supplies, foods etc but usually are not the best option for fish. That said, not all Petcos and Petsmarts are created equal and there are a handful I've been in across the country that had some interesting offerings. We have a Petco here in Manhattan that is the best box store I've ever been in and by far. I have indeed bought some fish from them over the years.

 

[gwand]

My first tank was actually a 10 gallon aquarium kit that came with a filter box, filter material, heater and a hood with a built in led strip. It was inexpensive but got the job done. Six tanks later, I still have that first set up running with white cloud mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes). All of my other tanks were not kits. Once I knew something about tropical fish, aquarium equipment and had gained some experience with the beginner’s tank, I bought each component separately. In general the kits do not contain the best equipment. But my minnows are not complaining!