Hi I have a few questions

I'm quite new to owning fish so im not sure what to do. I have a dog and a bird and suspect caring for a fish would be the hardest of the 3. First of all the im putting the tank in the basement, ( don't worry the basement is fully renovated). Most likely i would like a fresh water tank, but im not sure where to buy a kit or buy the equipment individually. So here are my questions.

1. What size of tank is appropriate to hold med size schooling fish ( 10 - 15 fish small or medium)

2. Kit or buy aquarium and parts (i would like to save some money and time)

3. Also is there any way to keep the tank clean without changing all the water. Like with cleaning fish or power filters?

 

Hi Daren, welcome to 3 reef
if its your 1st tank, then freshwater is an ideal starting place IMO

tank size - a 2ft (24 inch tank ) is where it started for me, with tropical freshwater many years ago - but bigger is easier to maintain - so consider space, budget and what type of fish you want

there are some very good kits available- if you want to buy new, your LFS can help you with all the bits you need (tank, hood , lights, heater, filter etc)

you will always need to do some maintenance - partial water changes and cleaning eveb with a good quality external or internal power filter, your glass will get dirty and needs scraping (aquarium magnets are great) and you will need to change 10- 15% water on a weekly basis, and clean your filter sponges etc


also check out Craigs list or E bay as you can get some full set up bargains on there

Steve

 

I would recommend a 55 gallon for your first tank. its big enough to be stable but not to big for the maintenance to overwhelm you. you may want to look into wal marts 55 gallon kit it should be a good jumping off point. to lessen maintenance also look into adding a canister filter. I am running a canister filter with all the media it came with taken out and replaced with bio balls. makes maintenance very minimul. you will still have to do some water changes but with fresh water it is really very easy.

let us know if you have any more questions and when you decide on a tank let us know.

welcome to 3reef.

 

Honestly, I rarely do water changes on FW tanks. I run a good HOB (Hang on Back) filter, replace my water as it evaporates and always have a Plecostomus to control algae.

Any LFS should have a good "kit" to start you out. Figure out what size you want, or how much you can afford and go from there.

 

I would second the 55gal tank.Fairly cheap(especially if used) and decent water volume.Read up on the fish you're gonna buy BEFORE hand and don't skip on filtration. Freshwater are fairly easy to keep so read,buy,read and enjoy. (did I mention read?)

 

All great advice, but before you venture into this hobby, I would do alot of research as to how to maint. a tank and whats needed. It would suck that after you drop some major $$$, that you find out this is not for you or your life style. I also started with FW then "graduated" to SW many yrs ago. Just my 2 cents.


Luna

 

I'm going to say i started with SW. Dont be intimidated by it either. It does require alot of planning and reading. for sure go larger as it will allow for more what could be "newb" mistakes. Just read up, ask questions, and dont jump in head first. take your time.

 

I would like to add I started with a 55g FW also. It was a good starting point. 10 years later I now am addicted to SW. At least 1 hour a day maintaining, cleaning, feeding and surfing the net for info. Sites like 3reef are great and 3reef is one of the best in my opinion. Whether you decide on FW or SW both take patience. Take it slow and the rewards of the hobby can outweigh a lot of the stress and worry.

 

I am not sure what kind of Bird you have. I have a scarlet Macaw and she is twice the work of my fish tank.

 

oh i just have 1 cockatiel, it takes only a few minutes to clean his cage daily, and he gets to fly around the house, so no real work.

Btw this is the tanks i might get Eclipse System 12 Aquarium by Marineland - Aquariums - Fish - PetSmart

(freshwater)
any recommendation for fish? Ill probably get some kind of ghost shrimp, and probably just tetra and neons at first. Btw how many schooling fish can i fit in a 12 gal?