New To This And Need Your Help

[mikedeaders]

Hi, I want to buy a tropical fish tank and I don’t know what to buy. I like the bi orb 60, it needs to be smallish i live in a flat I would like it to be very easy to look after not needing much doing to it (very lazy) and I like the ones with the led lighting. I’m very new to this so I need your help guys, thanks

 

[toppman]

its always best 2 buy the biggest volume of tank u can afford as the more water the easy it is 2 control and the more stable it is.
whatever tank u buy is going 2 require some sort of cleaning so it doesnt really matter if u have 2 clean a slightly larger area.
if u really r that lazy then ur better off getting goldfish bcoz in my experience they require less effort.

 

[mikedeaders]

Thanks toppman so what would you reccommend for someone like me ? I dont mind a a little work because i know it will be worth it but space is limited thats why I like the biorb. I found a biorb 60 with led heater for £141 its the cheapest I have found, are they any good what else could i buy ???

 

[mommyof2bettas]

ur better off getting goldfish bcoz in my experience they require less effort.

goldfish they need a 20 gallon tank and are very big waste producers which means more water changes. They aren't very good beginner fish, and not very easy to take care of.

I think you should get a 20 gallon or up, with 10 gals the space is more limited. First of all, if you're that lazy and don't want to work a lot-you shouldn't keep fish as you need to cycle a tank (takes about a month) and that needs daily testing, then you need to feed the fish/check on them, and if thet get a disease you need to spend lots of time on them, plus they need weekly gravel vacs, and lots of research on the fish you want. you also need to test your water every once in a while and if it's off you'll need lots of water changes. Keep in mind water changes need dechlorinator, plus lots of bucket dragging and vac pumping. I don't know how many gals the biorb is but tbh, the fish for you sounds like a betta, since they need a 2.5 (actually 1 gal, but that's a bit cramped) and they are very pretty fish (although be careful with tankmates). And they are pretty good beginner fish.

 

[toppman]

my m8 had a gold fish for 7 years and he never went out of his way 2 do anything special 4 it just changed the water occasionally, but that may be a 1 off.

ur a man rite? with a flat, u sound like a mans man and a betta is not the fish 4 u.

whats the gallonage of ur tank?

 

[mikedeaders]

dont have a tank yet, thats the first thing i need help buying

 

[dwarfgourami]

The dimensions which make the biorb such an attractive choice for those short of space, also limits the number and the kind of fish you can keep in it.

A traditional 60 ltr tank (24x12x12 inches, 15 US gallons) will give you much more swimming space and surface area, and is not actually a bad starter size. This would enable you to house 6-8 fish in the 2 inch range, or 10-15 smaller fish (1. 5 inch). So enough for a group of 6 tetras and a small group of smallish livebearers or corydoras catfish, just as an example. A Juwel Rekord 60 will come with all the bits (though you may want to get new light bulbs) and should cost quite a bit less than the price you quoted.

You will want to look up the pinned topic on cycling a tank, since the early weeks are crucial to the fish's survival (and to your enjoyment of the hobby). For the first few weeks, expect to need to be around to test the tank every day, whether you do a fishless cycle (highly recommended) or cycle with fish. After that, you should be able to settle down to a routine of weekly water changes.

If you are seriously pushed for space, a betta tank may well be another option; they can be happy in a 4-5 gallon tank. Just ignore toppman's sexist twaddle, there are loads of male betta breeders, and there are females (like myself) who can't stick bettas at any price.

 

[mikedeaders]

Thanks for all your help but i still need a tank like the biorb, I only have space for a tank 20" by 20" ish I do like the neon tetras and would like a few other small fish. I thought buying a fish tank would be easy but im sure its worth all the planning

 

[rdd1952]

my m8 had a gold fish for 7 years and he never went out of his way 2 do anything special 4 it just changed the water occasionally, but that may be a 1 off.

Goldfish can easily live 20+ years in an aquarium and up to 50 years in a pond so his fish died a very slow death from poor water conditions and possible ammonia poisoning.

If you don't want to have to do a lot of water changes and mainteance, do as everyone has mentioned and get as large a tank as you have room for and can afford. Then get filtration to process the water 10 times per hour. So if you get a 20 gallon tank, get a filter (canisters are better but also more expensive - you get what you pay for) that is rated 200 gph. Then lightly stock the tank with community fish like tetras, rasboras, corys etc. that are not big waste producers. I would stay away from livebearers as they will have a new batch of fry every 28 days and you will have more fish to deal with.

Being overfiltered and lightly stocked should mean that you can go 2 to 3 weeks if you want between water changes.

Edit: The Biorb 60 is a 60l tank which is slightly over 15 gallon. It doesn't offer a lot of surface area and the filtration on it isn't very good. If you check around, you could probably find (or have someone order) a 15 gallon high (20"L x 10"D x 18"H) tank. You could add your own filtration that is much better. You could also probably get the whole setup a lot cheaper than the biorb

 

[mikedeaders]

i like the look of the aqua one ar380 35L and Panavision 48 litre Bow fronted Glass Aquarium whats one of the best bow fronted aquariums and can you get one with led lights ?

 

[vinylman]

Why not just buy an 18" tank; BiOrbs are massively expensive for what they are; I'd take a small tank every time. More swimming space, too.

 

[mikedeaders]

i've fund a place that will make a glass tank 16" cube is this a better idea than a biorb ? Does anyone know any other place i can get a glass tank 16" cube so i can see if i can get a better deal. I live near glasgow so would be able to pick it up if in the area

 

[-germ-]

Toppman
Whats a mans man and what does it have to do with bettas?
I'm a skinhead, i have 7 tattoos, work out and eat red meat GRRRR!!!!
until now i always thought of myself as a man (not a mans man, just my own man, man)....
But i do like bettas Oops! To think my parents never noticed!
Anyway..
Mike;
I'd have a look at AquaOne starter tanks, i've used one myself and it's been brilliant so far. Cheap as well, the smallest they do is £60, ideal for a betta which are may i say, gorgeous
They tend to be quite tall for their gallonage, making a smaller footprint to fit them in. One of my larger tanks is the aquamode600 and this has been brilliant, i think it was £120, the filter is well placed,
effective and easy to clean and due to its odd shape (semi-circular) fits on my living room shelf.

 

[djceri_g]

Im my potion, you buy one tank thinking its big enough but end up with this huge collection of them and a big obsession

 

[mikedeaders]

whats the smallest tank you can have for a saltwater marine set up ?? i like the idea of coral, anemones and a few fish