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yinoma2001
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 Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 5:45 am Post subject: Starting a 30 Gallon Fish Tank, Need Pro Tips |
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So my kids are getting into fish and we want to start a small tank. Few questions for those who are experienced:
1. we have a Betta and want to add 2-3 neon tettras together. 5 or 10 gallon (wife would prefer smaller tank).
2. what are some of the essential items to get (it can get costly it seems with so many add ons)?
3. what is the process to prep the tank for habitation? We already have a small 1 gallon (I know it's too small for a Betta) tank for the Betta.
Any tips would be helpful. We're not trying to be Sea World here, but have a small starter tank (possibly upgrade in a year but certainly not before then).
Is a 10 gallon tank more work than a 5 gallon one or will the fish thrive more with the space?
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venturalakersfan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 6:22 am Post subject: |
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Go big. I had a 110 gallon tank with an Oscar in it. I had her for 11 years and she was good for entertaining the kids for 20-30 minutes. She grew to be about 14 inches and my kids learned to handle goldfish and crickets. I sure miss that fish.
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Huey Lewis & The News
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 6:52 am Post subject: |
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| venturalakersfan wrote: | | Go big. I had a 110 gallon tank with an Oscar in it. I had her for 11 years and she was good for entertaining the kids for 20-30 minutes. She grew to be about 14 inches and my kids learned to handle goldfish and crickets. I sure miss that fish. |
OK wow, not ready for that yet. STARTER tank! 
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Gimme_the_rock
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 7:26 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, yin. Can't help but thanks for starting this. I'm interested in starting up, myself. Haven't had an aquarium since I was a kid. Love me some fish. Apart from dogs, these slippery little mofos are my favorites. Dream was always to one day own a salt water aquarium but I ain't rolling like that. This piqued my interest again.
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venturalakersfan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:22 am Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | | venturalakersfan wrote: | | Go big. I had a 110 gallon tank with an Oscar in it. I had her for 11 years and she was good for entertaining the kids for 20-30 minutes. She grew to be about 14 inches and my kids learned to handle goldfish and crickets. I sure miss that fish. |
OK wow, not ready for that yet. STARTER tank! |
I started with a 45 gallon tank, they aren’t as big as one might think. We had the colorful guppies but they reproduce like crazy. I was partial to the Oscar because they have personality.
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Dladi Vidac
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numero-ocho
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 10:08 am Post subject: Re: Starter Fish Tank |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: |
1. we have a Betta and want to add 2-3 neon tettras together. 5 or 10 gallon (wife would prefer smaller tank).
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You don't mean add the Tetras to the same tank as the Betta do you? Is it female?
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 10:14 am Post subject: Re: Starter Fish Tank |
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| numero-ocho wrote: | | yinoma2001 wrote: |
1. we have a Betta and want to add 2-3 neon tettras together. 5 or 10 gallon (wife would prefer smaller tank).
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You don't mean add the Tetras to the same tank as the Betta do you? Is it female? |
Male. You're probably right, he's aggressive!
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jodeke
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 10:52 am Post subject: |
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Make sure the fish you add to your tank are compatible. Fish eat fish. Once you get started look at salt water aquariums. If you don't like maintenance don't do salt water. They are very difficult to maintain but the beauty is stunning.
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:13 am Post subject: |
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| jodeke wrote: | | Make sure the fish you add to your tank are compatible. Fish eat fish. Once you get started look at salt water aquariums. If you don't like maintenance don't do salt water. They are very difficult to maintain but the beauty is stunning. |
Yeah. I'm at a beginner's level so keeping it simple. May just get a 10 gallon and do betta fish with some shrimp/eventually something could co-exist with it.
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:46 am Post subject: |
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So the nitrogen cycle and new aquarium process...can someone break that down into easy steps? Pretty please?
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non-player zealot
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:48 am Post subject: |
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| venturalakersfan wrote: | | Go big. I had a 110 gallon tank with an Oscar in it. I had her for 11 years and she was good for entertaining the kids for 20-30 minutes. She grew to be about 14 inches and my kids learned to handle goldfish and crickets. I sure miss that fish. |
I had an oscar for a few years. Would rip up all the decor. I used to have a grand freshwater aquarium set up back in the early 90s. I remember having a number of beautiful gouramis and angels. Bigguns. Clown loaches, tinfoil barb, plecostomus, big ol apple snail (the shell of which I still have, eww). I was telling someone the other day how I had to jump my ass outta bed during the Landers and Northridge quakes because that thing was rocking back and forth. I didn't have time to bleed during those quakes. I had work to do.
Incidentally, Landers was on 6/28/92, the day of the Dream Team's first gm against Cuba. I was pissed because I thought NBC would surely cover the quake all day, but they cut to the game at the final second. 79 point win over Cuba.
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non-player zealot
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:49 am Post subject: |
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| Dladi Vidac wrote: |
The key is to stick to just a few fish and don’t get nutty. |
What are your fave fishes, DV? I gots ta know!
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Dladi Vidac
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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| non-player zealot wrote: | | venturalakersfan wrote: | | Go big. I had a 110 gallon tank with an Oscar in it. I had her for 11 years and she was good for entertaining the kids for 20-30 minutes. She grew to be about 14 inches and my kids learned to handle goldfish and crickets. I sure miss that fish. |
I had an oscar for a few years. Would rip up all the decor. I used to have a grand freshwater aquarium set up back in the early 90s. I remember having a number of beautiful gouramis and angels. Bigguns. Clown loaches, tinfoil barb, plecostomus, big ol apple snail (the shell of which I still have, eww). I was telling someone the other day how I had to jump my ass outta bed during the Landers and Northridge quakes because that thing was rocking back and forth. I didn't have time to bleed during those quakes. I had work to do.
Incidentally, Landers was on 6/28/92, the day of the Dream Team's first gm against Cuba. I was pissed because I thought NBC would surely cover the quake all day, but they cut to the game at the final second. 79 point win over Cuba. |
Layers and layers of eloquence by a masterful poster.
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Dladi Vidac
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| non-player zealot wrote: | | Dladi Vidac wrote: |
The key is to stick to just a few fish and don’t get nutty. |
What are your fave fishes, DV? I gots ta know! |
My current favorite is a big male Australian harlequin tusk (named jack tripper). Had an Arnold back in the day but he jumped and found him 10ft away. Some others; golden yellow Tongan blenny, resplendens angel and Red Sea regal angel. I have a couple jet black tangs from Hawaii that are pretty cool. I sold a baby clarion angel that was super cool for big bucks once. The neatest is an orange spot filefish that’s considered pretty much impossible to keep in captivity due to its poor eating habits (eat solely coral polyps/slime in the wild and they are incredibly difficult to get to eat anything else. Well, I got homegirl eating Cheetos and she’s a fat sass machine. Remember Abraham? Arnold’s pet black goldfish. Didn’t he go down the sink once on accident??
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LakersRGolden
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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Bigger tanks are more stable than small because everything is spread over more water.
1) 15 gallon minimum. 10 if you're strict on maintenance or go with much less than the 10 inches of fish.
2) Expect to do partial water changes every week or two
3) Be very selective on the fish you put together.
- Stay away from anything that ends in "barb" unless that's the only fish you want.
Basic Setup:
1) Aquarium with Hood and Light
2) Fish food
3) Heater rated for the tank size (optional if it's in a room always kept 73-80)
4) Hang on the back filter
5) Gravel (not sand for a beginner)
6) Plants (probably fake to start with)
7) Fish net
8) Seachem Prime (1 capfull per water change)
9) Algae scrubber (make sure you match acrylic/glass to your aquarium)
10) Water change bucket
11) Syphon vacuum (you put it "on" the gravel and it sucks "dirt" and water out. Then you put clean water back in) High end brand = Python
12) Water test kit (optional: PetSmart will do free tests for you)
Good starting fish:
- guppies, platties, mollies. These are live birthers so if you mix male + female you will have little babies swimming around in a few months.
- Neon or Black tetras. They are schooling, so should be in groups of 3+. Some of the other tetras are sensitive to temp and water quality so google them.
To start a small aquarium, I usually set it up, let it sit a day or two, then stick a molly in it for at least 2 weeks to get the biologicals working. Then slowly add fish. |
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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| LakersRGolden wrote: | Bigger tanks are more stable than small because everything is spread over more water.
1) 15 gallon minimum. 10 if you're strict on maintenance or go with much less than the 10 inches of fish.
2) Expect to do partial water changes every week or two
3) Be very selective on the fish you put together.
- Stay away from anything that ends in "barb" unless that's the only fish you want.
Basic Setup:
1) Aquarium with Hood and Light
2) Fish food
3) Heater rated for the tank size (optional if it's in a room always kept 73-80)
4) Hang on the back filter
5) Gravel (not sand for a beginner)
6) Plants (probably fake to start with)
7) Fish net
8) Seachem Prime (1 capfull per water change)
9) Algae scrubber (make sure you match acrylic/glass to your aquarium)
10) Water change bucket
11) Syphon vacuum (you put it "on" the gravel and it sucks "dirt" and water out. Then you put clean water back in) High end brand = Python
12) Water test kit (optional: PetSmart will do free tests for you)
Good starting fish:
- guppies, platties, mollies. These are live birthers so if you mix male + female you will have little babies swimming around in a few months.
- Neon or Black tetras. They are schooling, so should be in groups of 3+. Some of the other tetras are sensitive to temp and water quality so google them.
To start a small aquarium, I usually set it up, let it sit a day or two, then stick a molly in it for at least 2 weeks to get the biologicals working. Then slowly add fish. |
Wow thanks! Have to go 10 gallon as wifey doesn’t want such a big tank.
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dood23
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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fight her for a 15 gallon tank. 20 even. you don't want that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that the tank could've been a little bigger 'if only', especially if you fall in love with it. wifey will come around when the tank comes to life. they always do.
fish with a lot of room to dart around are a lot more lively and your kids will love it
DO IT FOR THE KIDS
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jodeke
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| dood23 wrote: | fight her for a 15 gallon tank. 20 even. you don't want that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that the tank could've been a little bigger 'if only', especially if you fall in love with it. wifey will come around when the tank comes to life. they always do.
fish with a lot of room to dart around are a lot more lively and your kids will love it
DO IT FOR THE KIDS |
Put the brother up on the real. Aquariums call for a lot of maintenance. If not properly maintained they will have a foul odor, cloudy water, draw insects and other critters. The glass has to be cleaned constantly or the tank will have a cloudy look. There is a tool, I've forgotten the name that's used to keep the glass clean. A plecostomus LINK is a must for any tank. It's a alga eating fish. It has a large mouth it uses to cling to the glass. It's also one ugly thang. It's necessary for tank cleanliness. Get a outside filter to keep the water clean. You also should change the water periodically. There are chemicals to help keep the water clean and clear but I recommend live plants to do the job. They also give the tank a underwater look. Aquariums are more than a notion. I wouldn't spend a lot on one until you see if it's what you really want. Though not many think of fish as pets they are and should be treated as such.
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:10 am Post subject: |
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| dood23 wrote: | fight her for a 15 gallon tank. 20 even. you don't want that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that the tank could've been a little bigger 'if only', especially if you fall in love with it. wifey will come around when the tank comes to life. they always do.
fish with a lot of room to dart around are a lot more lively and your kids will love it
DO IT FOR THE KIDS |
Ha. Don't have the space to be honest. I can always upgrade down the road. In fact, she only wanted a 5 gallon one so I wanted a 10.
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 5:11 am Post subject: |
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| jodeke wrote: | | dood23 wrote: | fight her for a 15 gallon tank. 20 even. you don't want that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that the tank could've been a little bigger 'if only', especially if you fall in love with it. wifey will come around when the tank comes to life. they always do.
fish with a lot of room to dart around are a lot more lively and your kids will love it
DO IT FOR THE KIDS |
Put the brother up on the real. Aquariums call for a lot of maintenance. If not properly maintained they will have a foul odor, cloudy water, draw insects and other critters. The glass has to be cleaned constantly or the tank will have a cloudy look. There is a tool, I've forgotten the name that's used to keep the glass clean. A plecostomus LINK is a must for any tank. It's a alga eating fish. It has a large mouth it uses to cling to the glass. It's also one ugly thang. It's necessary for tank cleanliness. Get a outside filter to keep the water clean. You also should change the water periodically. There are chemicals to help keep the water clean and clear but I recommend live plants to do the job. They also give the tank a underwater look. Aquariums are more than a notion. I wouldn't spend a lot on one until you see if it's what you really want. Though not many think of fish as pets they are and should be treated as such. |
Yeah, which is why going with a starter tank to see if we are down for this fight.
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jodeke
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:19 am Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | | dood23 wrote: | fight her for a 15 gallon tank. 20 even. you don't want that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that the tank could've been a little bigger 'if only', especially if you fall in love with it. wifey will come around when the tank comes to life. they always do.
fish with a lot of room to dart around are a lot more lively and your kids will love it
DO IT FOR THE KIDS |
Ha. Don't have the space to be honest. I can always upgrade down the road. In fact, she only wanted a 5 gallon one so I wanted a 10. |
Don't fight it, HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE. 
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:30 am Post subject: |
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Any tips on cycling the tank?
I might just do the bacteria starter, and add 1 fish early on and cycle that way. Thoughts?
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jodeke
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 8:48 am Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | Any tips on cycling the tank?
I might just do the bacteria starter, and add 1 fish early on and cycle that way. Thoughts? |
LINK
MUST HAVE! FISH TANK SIPHON You definitely don't want to suck that nasty water into your mouth when you cycle the water. It also cleans the pebbles on the bottom of the tank. Food settles there and like your carpet it has to be vacuumed. Like I said aquarium take more than a notion.
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