Okay, I've decided I am going to get an aquarium

[Rabrrrrrr]

I posted a thread last week about this, and got some great advice. And I've thought about it, and read a couple aquarium books, and checked out some other aquarium stores in town, and tomorrow (if I have the time) I'm going back to the first store I talked to someone. They have the best prices, they're truly local, I was able to talk with the OWNER, and his tanks of fish aren't full of algae.

So I'll ask him to go over pricing differentials for the 125 gallon tank versus the 55 tank. I really want the 125. I have a perfect place for it. Hopefully, the cost differential isn't that much so I can justify the extra couple hundred for the tank and stand setup. But it all depends a bit on initial cost, and also the future per month cost of upkeep (more filters, etc.) but I'm assuming the extra monthly cost won't be a significant increase compared to the 55 gallon one.

Wish me luck! I've been dreaming all week of that beautiful 125 gallon tank along my living room wall, perfectly filling the 7 foot vacant space I have there...

[PartyPooper]

1. Good luck with all of those fish!

:hi:

[shawcomm]

2. Salt or fresh?

Either way, mucho cool.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Fresh

I need to start there. Someday, I'd like to go salt, too, but it's awfully expensive.

I might do just a small salt tank, just to get a humuhumunukunukuapuaa, which one of the local stores actually has. Since I miss my homeland, my 'aina, so much.

But must start with fresh water - tropical, specifically.

[4morewars]

6. A few things to think about

125 gallons = 1,000 lbs, plus the weight of the tank(200lbs),plus the weight of all the peripherals, puts you well over 1200 pounds. Make sure the floor can handle it, you wouldn't want all that stuff ending up in the basement.

Don't buy any fish for a week or two, except for a few gold fish to get the bacteria growing. You will want to check and adjust the ph and temperature during this time. Also, you can let the chlorine evaporate, or you can use an additive. A pinch of salt also helps, but NEVER use iodized salt, iodine is a heavy metal that will kill everything in the tank.

Once you have fish living in the tank, you will have to do a 20% water change at least once a month. I use a 10 gallon shop-vac and fill it twice (100 gallon octagon) I insert the shop-vac hose into the fish tank "vacumn" which is basically a hard plastic tube about 2" in diameter, I only put the shop-vac hose in enough to draw water up slowly, about an inch or two under the surface, while the other end of the "vacumn" rests on the bottom, and draws up more shit than you would have thought possible ! Try not to suck the gravel into the shop-vac.(gravel clogs plumbing lines)

You will also need a 10 gallon hospital tank, as it is easier(and cheaper) to treat 10 gallons as opposed to 125. Treatment usually involves at least one 25% water change, maybe two, AND it usually turns the water blue or brown. Plus, you have to remove the charcoal or the bio balls. Trust me, you will be glad to have the hospital tank if any of your critters get sick.

We started with Oscars, they kill and eat anything that is not a same sized aggressive fish. We got rid of the oscars and now have more mellow cichlids. They are african and amazonian, but they also will kill and maybe eat other critters. We have lost crayfish and frogs this way. We lost a BIG angel this week, I don't know why, sometimes they just die, maybe another fish killed it. It's a part of the hobby.

I don't wish to discourage you, because the fishtank is a showpiece of our home,something that my wife and I are proud of. I feel that all the work is worth it, and I think you will too.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Screw it, I'm sending this around again

p.s. - ZombyWoof is my common-law wife!

[azoth]

5. Love is a beautiful thing.

[Historic NY]

7. I've been thinking about one myself, then I got a free screen saver.

Seriously I had and raised fish when I was young and it does take some attention. If you really want to try go with a smaller tank and see if you want to be bothered. I personally find it soothing to watch the fish. Salt water require a great degree of skill, best left to professional tank minders that come in and do it for you.

As was posted your major concern should be weight, a rule of thumb 8lbs to the gallon.

I liked my Oscars but sometimes they a just plain anti-social or psycho.

[matcom]

8. LOTS of work in the beginning

then not so much. remember, you have to "create" a world that they will be healthy in. its trial and error (somewhat) in the beginning but be meticulous. it gets easier

[Cerridwen]

9. Wishing you much luck! I hope it goes swimmingly for you.

;)

[Aiptasia]

10. I have five tanks

Just google my screen name, two reef tanks and three FW south american biotope tanks.

4MOREWARS has provided you with some very good advice. Heed all of it like it was the gospel. I'm glad that you've decided to start with a larger tank, as the more volume of water you have to play with, the easier it is for the tank to absorb some of your rookie mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, i've been keeping tanks for 25 years and I still make them occasionally.

There are so many tips. Where do I begin?

Go with a fully submersable heater at 5 watts per gallon, such as a visi therm or ebo jaeger unit. Also, remember to unplug it during water changes as they can shatter if exposed to air.

My advice, as a first timer, would be to go with artificial decorations instead of live plants. Most tank setups out of the box don't have the right kind of lights, nor the right spectrum and intensity, for live plants. Don't worry, there are plenty of artificial plant options, and don't skimp. Fish like places to hide behind. Remember, big fish will often redecorate your tank for you whether you like it or not. Oscars are famous for this. Untreated driftwood is often a hazard to new tanks, so go with artificial driftwood if you can find it. Caves, cliffs and ceramic objects are just fine. Do not use shells, rocks containing calcium (unless sw or african cichlid setup) or metal of any type as a decoration.

Think about the fish you'd like to keep first before mixing and matching. Different tropical fish come from different parts of the world and prefer different water conditions. For example, South American Cichlids perfer soft water with an acidic pH, so you'll want to re-create that for your tank. Whereas African Cichlids perfer hard water and an alkaline pH.

Invest in a good test kit, such as a FW master test kit, so you can always keep an eye on pH, hardness and nitrogenous waste problems. A good test kit will let you know when your tank has completely cycled and is ready for more fish.

I use a python-no-spill system for my freshwater tanks and it's very convenient to use. You hook it up to any threaded 3/4" tap in your house (such as your kitchen sink) and you can fill and drain your tank without having to haul buckets of water around. They come in 50 foot and 100 foot versions and looks like a regular gravel vaccume hooked up to a clear hose. Just add dechlorinator to your tank when you fill, and go.

Understanding the nitrogen cycle is the most crucial aspect of fishkeeping, and diciplining yourself to do partial water changes on a weekly basis. If you can do that, you'll have a successful tank. Do not rush new tank syndrome, and do not rely on off the shelf "cycling" products. It takes time and patience. Add your goldfish or black mollies when you first set up the tank and don't remove them until the tank has cycled (ammonia zero, nitrite zero).

Remeber, there are 3 types of filtration: Mechanical, chemical and biological. The most efficient for a fw tank is a wet/dry unit with a mechanical filter and carbon chamber. Cannister filters are very good for big tanks but are a PITA to service. You need about ten tank volumes per hour going through your filter system. So, at 125 gallons, you need 1,250 gph of flow. If you can afford it, go with a wet/dry setup with a sump underneath the tank (in the tank stand) or an integrated 125 tank with wet/dry (wet dry built in on back).

Acrylic tanks scratch easily so be careful of this. Make sure that when you install and set up your tank, you use a carpenter's level to make sure the tank is perfectly level on the ground. If it's slightly off in one corner, it will crack with a stress fracture.

This is a typical ticking timebomb: The typical particle board tank stands will warp within five years. Constant exposure to water and humidity, combined with the weight of the tank, will cause the stand to warp and will cause a glass tank to stress fracture. On big tanks, I usually remove any laminate and seal the bare wood with thompson's water seal, then paint the stand inside and out with a good marine quality paint. This will seal the tank stand and prevent warping. You can buy marine paint at any boat supply company. That, or go with a metal frame stand (paint with rustoleum first) or alternative material, such as brick or cinder block.

There's so much to go over, but you'll just have to learn as you go like we all have.

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Wow! Thanks!!

Thankfully, I have a cement slab for a floor, so weight is no issue, adn the stand I like is oak, not particle board. Thanks for the head's up on making sure it's level - with carpeting, I'll have to make sure to check the level. Wouldn't have thought of that.

And thanks for the all the other info!

[Aiptasia]

12. seal it with thompson's water seal

or a good marine varnish.

I'm sure there's a million other things, but you kinda learn as you go. The biggest thing is the inital purchase and setup goes smoothly, and you understand new tank syndrome. If your pet shop offers a setup service, go ahead and take advantage of it. With wet/dry systems, some of the plumbing can be a little tricky. It's also a PITA to fit all of that equipment into a van or an SUV, and you'll need a few strong arms to help you move it into place properly.

On a tank setup like that, I could easily blow about $3k and not bat an eye. But i'd probably make it a reef tank setup which would add 50% more to the typical FW setup.

Some pet shops also offer a maintenance contract, and if your a complete novice, that can also be a godsend until you know what you're doing.

One last, very important POTENTIALLY LIFE SAVING TIP!

Install Ground Fault Interrupt outlets (GFI) on the power outlets your going to be using for the tank. Water and electricity can be a deadly combination, and quite a few people have electrocuted themselves to death working on their fish tanks. GFI outlets are always installed in kitchens and bathrooms, and they have a little built in circuit breaker in them and will "trip" off if there's a voltage spike. If you can do some basic wiring, you can wire one up yourself by turning off the circuit breaker in the tank's room and unwiring the existing power plug, and replace it with a GFI outlet from Home Depot or Lowes.