In a couple days I'm gonna have me a 125 gallon aquarium!

[Rabrrrrrr]

I went and got estimates the other day on the 125er versus the 55er, and, apart from a sizable in increase in the cost of gravel for 125 versus the 55, the rest of the costs aren't all that much major. Oh, sure, the filter is more for the 125, but unlike the gravel, which is a 200+% increase, the filter is only about a 25% increase (an extra 30 bucks) and more for water treatment (but that's pretty darn cheap stuff anyway - a 6 dollar difference, which is about 250%, but still, it's only 6 bucks); and the water heater was only about 15% more.

Even the squarium and the solid oak stand was only about 10% difference between the two (because the store owner guy had gotten a hell of a deal from the factory for the 125 gallon setup, since it's being discontinued, but not for any bad reason - just a style change in the stand).

I figure, all other things the same, why settle for a 55 gallon when I get a really beautiful 125 gallon one for what works out to only about 20% more?

(though that doesn't include the obvious other price differentials in terms of amount of fish and fake plants and increase in fish food, but those considerations weren't significant to me in my calculations - I had really thought the upfront cost would be out of control different for the two different sizes; but they aren't).

WOO HOO!!

I'm so glad, because, as determined as I was to get a 55 gallon tank, when I walked into the store and saw this 125 gallon my first thought was "Holy shit! That would look so utterly perfect where I want a tank!!" but I figured it was a pipe dream. But it wasn't! Woo hoo!!!

Of course, I still need to get me a little 10 gallon hospital tank...but first things first.

Now, what color gravel should I get?

My living room theme is "black, stone, and metal" but I have white walls and white carpeting and, sadly, a fireplace that's done in that modernly-fashionable shitty oak wood "faux country" crap style, as well the miserable pathetic molding and trim. Why do people like that shit? It looks awful. Anyway - I love black, but I think black gravel is pushing it. I'm thinking that lustrous east-side-of-hawaii-pacific-ocean deep blue might be nice. Or else sand-brown color.

Ah, it's all so exciting. I can't wait for it to get here.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Deep blue. Have fun!!! I had a hard time with my fish dying so I don't

think I could do it again, but they are really relaxing and fun to watch! :hi:

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. You just weren't feeding them enough pheasant!

sorry to hear that you had problems with 'em.

I love fish. And I Want them because, yes, they are relaxing... I can stare at aquariums for hours.

[gaia_gardener]

6. Or feeding them too much

We inherited a fish tank when we moved into our last house. It had about 5 fish when we moved in (and apparently they were OLD). When it got down to 1 fish, we only fed it about once every other week. The damned thing lived another year after that (I was ready to get rid of the aquarium because our baby was learning to walk and I was terrified he was going to pull it over on himself).

Too much food can be worse than too little food. Fish really don't need that much food.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. I think I get too obsessed with keeping them alive, and end up smothering

them to death. I do love fish tanks though.

[DS1]

3. Have you made sure your floor can handle 750+ pounds?

But good luck, I want a fish tank like that whenever I get settled.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Yep! Solid concrete!

[DS1]

5. Sweet

take pictures when you're all set up. I lived with a roommate that was good with fish tanks, it was sooo easy to lay down on my couch and watch them swim back and forth until I fell asleep :-)

[GOPisEvil]

8. Wow! That's a big-ass tank!

Deep blue is a solid gravel choice. :thumbsup:

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Or maybe GOPisEvil Gitmo-Orange?

:-)

[fluffernutter]

10. how awesome, it's going to look great!

go for the Hawaiian deep blue gravel. it's going to be so cool when you get it all set up :)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

11. Don't start small or anything like that... you know, just jump right

in and get a swimming pool, why dontcha?

Have fun, it can be a blast.

[Kali]

12. mixed black and white

especially if you can get two sizes.

(god, this both thing is really showing up for me everywhere I post tonight)


And why don't you paint your mantle (or whatever) black?

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. I'd thought of that, too

Black and white would like nice in the room, and I like that combo anyway.

Do you mean, two different sizes of black and two of white? Or one size of black, and different size for white?

It it were just a mantle, I'd be tempted to paint; but it's the entire fireplace, and I live in an apartment. So that's not an option. Sadly.

Someday, when I have my own house... then it will be different!

[Kali]

24. whatever they have at the store!

I would say probably half and half - you'll probably just have to play around and see what looks good. I've done blue and white and also several colors mixed with white.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Salt or freshwater?

I think the salty guys prefer sand...

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Fresh for me

Saltwater perhaps later in life.

[pinniped]

17. I had an arrow but that sucka ate too much and grew too big.

.

[Rabrrrrrr]

22. What's an arrow?

[pinniped]

25. Arowana.

File photo:



It would eat 20 fish at a time.

Later I got it to eat some dried krill but it didn't seem too happy.

He/she got along well with my plecostomus suckers.

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. That kinda looks like a hungry sort of fish

And it don't look like a plant eater...

I don't think I'll be getting one of those.

:-)

Thanks for the info!

[pinniped]

27. A lot of Chinese restaurants have Arowana tanks on display.

Some think they will bring good luck to their business.

These silver Arrows could grow like 3 feet long. Steinhart Aquarium in SF had some full grown ones on display.

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. Is that what arrow root comes from?

Heh heh - just kidding.

3 feet of fish is a lot of fish for an inside tank. In an outside pond I could see it...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. I'm an "au natural" fan myself...

On the other hand, you could go for the pink flamingoes look, with some outlandish color of gravel and tons of aquarium kitsch...treasure boxes, plastic divers, orange castles, pink giant clamshells and such.

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. I don't think that's quite me

:P

[pinniped]

16. what kinf of fish are you putting in?

.

[Rabrrrrrr]

18. I really like neon tetras

I know, it sounds dumb, but I love 'em.

Also like kissing guoramis. And of course, gotta have some algae eaters.

I like mollies and guppies, too.

And angelfish - big angelfish fan. Especially the black and white ones.

perhaps an Oscar. I saw some kind of African somethingorother the other day that I really liked - more than the oscars. They were like $20 each, but were a great size and beautiful.

[pinniped]

20. I had a kissing gourami and that sucka lived for many, many moons..

.

[Kali]

23. oscars

are great pets - they learn to watch for you and really have personality, on the down side they eat everything and root up all plants and rocks. They need to be in a tank of their own. Angel fish, like many creatures and plants with sweet sounding names are in fact vicious - they will attack most other fish, neons are great get a hundred of them and they will school nicely. Mollies and guppies are livebearers and will have babies if there is enough "plant" cover for the babies to hide in. Fancy guppies are subject to having their tails nipped by other fish. Another good schooling fish that look good with neons are zebra danios. Gouramis are pretty good multi-species fish as I recal - there are some dwarf species that have beautiful colors and markings.

Hint for a cool background for your tank: This mounts on the outside. Get a piece of styrofoam to fit, melt several holes or gouge them our with a tool. Spray paint the whole thing black. that goes against the glass. behind that mount a "mirror" - you can get a cardboard version so you don't have to mess with another piece of glass, or go for the real thing if you are handy with glass. This looks really cool through the water as a background with or without plants. and with neons its extra special.