Anyone have an aquarium?

[agp423]

Does anyone have an aquarium in their home? Please post some pics and show them off! I'm thinking of getting a tank this summer and throwing some fish in there

[William_F]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

Used to have some. Or should I say tried to have some. It's a lot more involved than just putting water in there and tossing fish in. We killed all our fish because we didn't know at first there was more to it than that. There is set up work that has to be done several weeks in advance of putting in the fish you ultimatley want to keep.

If you haven't already, I'd suggest doing some research on the fish first and how to get the tank setup right for them.

[cnfowler]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

Are you wanting a saltwater tank or freshwater? Saltwater tanks are just beautiful, but if you go that route make sure you have really deep pockets. Everything in a saltwater tank is EXPENSIVE!

Colin

[agp423]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

I'm not certain on whether I want to get freshwater or salt water... The only thing I'm certain about is getting a tank hahaha. I don't mind if salt water is more expensive, but the thing that's turning me away from salt water is the fact that it may require more work/attention than freshwater... Maybe in a few years when I save up enough money and get a big condo I'll get a salt water tank, but for now I will probably go with freshwater.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

I was looking into getting a tank. The initial start up costs are a killer. Then there is the ongoing time factor involved. I decided to pass on this hobby.

Good luck with it.

[kimchiyuk]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

First and foremost, BEFORE you set up a tank, do some research on how to cycle the tank. Just check out general aquarium chemistry requirements. As said in another post, there is much more to aquarium keeping than tossing some fish in the tank. Also, definately start with fresh water. If you have trouble with a fresh tank, salt will be a disaster. I took up aquarium keeping in 2005. After many, many,many trial and error and dead fish, I finally figured it out and had an awesome tank. If the tank is not set up properly, you WILL have fish loss and problems beyond your imagination, if it is not done correctly to begin with. It can be very fun and rewarding though.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

Anything beyond a simple gold fish gets unbelievably expensive and complex. Even a "small" tank is going to end up costing you hundreds more than you expect - just about guaranteed. My friend started a 15 gallon saltwater tank thinking he would keep his costs around $200 - I told him no way, and $1,200 later he had to take a HUGE loss and sell it off because he couldn't afford it.

It's crazy addictive and expensive... maybe worse than detailing!

[agp423]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

Anything beyond a simple gold fish gets unbelievably expensive and complex. Even a "small" tank is going to end up costing you hundreds more than you expect - just about guaranteed. My friend started a 15 gallon saltwater tank thinking he would keep his costs around $200 - I told him no way, and $1,200 later he had to take a HUGE loss and sell it off because he couldn't afford it.

It's crazy addictive and expensive... maybe worse than detailing!

I hear ya, at least you make your money back with detailing
I remember my uncle bought one of those big cabinet tanks when I was 7 or 8, and I'd use to spend hours with him doing research online, going to stores asking professionals, and shopping for the proper equipments and all. Hopefully I can find one of those tanks that has the built-in filter and stuff, so it'll save me some time.

[HealthyCivic]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

I used to have goldfish. I was able to take care of them until they lived 7 years when I was only 8 so it can't be THAT hard to take care of goldfish.

It definitely can be complex though, I work for Security at a large aquarium and so I get to see all of the machines, people, and procedures involved in taking care of all fish, sharks, and rays, and it definitely can be intense.

Those guys have to set and monitor oxygen level, temperature, pH level, salt, and several other aspects of the water.

[woblynne]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

Hi, I have a freshwater tank which is 36"w x 12"d x 18"h.

Its not too labour intensive, if you start with the more hardy breeds then you have a bit more leeway if you get your water slightly off level.

I usually do a partial (1/4 tank) water change every 2 weeks and clean the filters out every 4-6 weeks. It makes things easier if you have an external pump/filter as you dont have to lift it in and out of the tanks. Mine just has 2 isolation valves then unscrew the flow and return pipes and take the filter to the sink.

Ther are plenty of good beginners books out there for starting an aquarium, there is a bit of maths to do for the size of your tank to how many fish you can have and the volume of chemicals/additives you would need to add, but once you have done it a few times it becomes second nature.

They give hours of viewing pleasure and its well worth the effort.

I would scan the classifieds and pick up a second hand tank, as mentioned earlier they dont sell on for anything near the original purchase price.

Go for it and you'll enjoy every minute, and you'll have the pleasure of making the glass sparkly and the rest of the tank clean on a regular basis!!!

HTh
Mark

[visaliaipa]

Re: Anyone have an aquarium?

Here is mine. And yes they are labor intensive. Mine is only freshwater as I dont have time for a saltwater one. I can barely keep up with this one. As a matter of fact I need to replace the bulbs as they've all burnt out.

My wife I think is much more supportive of my otehr hobbies i.e. detailing and watch collecting.....LOL. Plus she wants new hardwood flooring where the tank is now soooo I'm sure it will end up on craigslist........LOL

Its a 110 gallon and built the stand and canopy for it.