Got a rookie heren :)
- Thread starter Tomas
- Start date
Welcome to MFT Tomas.
You're smarter than I was. I already had a tank and fish and was well into my beginner mistakes before I found this site. Lot's of good info here.
Wow, I think it would be really hard to put together a good system for $50. Even a 10 gal. You might be able to find a tank and hood/light for that new. Maybe a filter too. But by the time you throw in gravel/decor, heater, water conditioners etc. you will probably break $50 pretty quick.
My advice would be to save that $50 and add to it. Keep an eye on the local paper and garage sales. Some people getting out of the hobby will sell tanks cheap.
Other advice would be to avoid the 10 gal as a first tank. A 20 or 29 gal would be a much better starter tank. More water means any changes happen more slowly and give you time to catch them before they become problems. Also bigger fish selection.
Last bit of advice. Read as much as you can here before going to the store. Especially pay attention to the stickys on the nitrogen cycle, and fishless cycling. If you have that down cold before you ever go into the store, you can avoid some big mistakes. Also, never assume that the info you receive at the store is always fact. You may be lucky and have a great store near you, but many of them aren't.
Above all, read all you can. Ask questions here. There are lots of great folks here willing to help. And most importantly.....HAVE FUN.
You're smarter than I was. I already had a tank and fish and was well into my beginner mistakes before I found this site. Lot's of good info here.
Wow, I think it would be really hard to put together a good system for $50. Even a 10 gal. You might be able to find a tank and hood/light for that new. Maybe a filter too. But by the time you throw in gravel/decor, heater, water conditioners etc. you will probably break $50 pretty quick.
My advice would be to save that $50 and add to it. Keep an eye on the local paper and garage sales. Some people getting out of the hobby will sell tanks cheap.
Other advice would be to avoid the 10 gal as a first tank. A 20 or 29 gal would be a much better starter tank. More water means any changes happen more slowly and give you time to catch them before they become problems. Also bigger fish selection.
Last bit of advice. Read as much as you can here before going to the store. Especially pay attention to the stickys on the nitrogen cycle, and fishless cycling. If you have that down cold before you ever go into the store, you can avoid some big mistakes. Also, never assume that the info you receive at the store is always fact. You may be lucky and have a great store near you, but many of them aren't.
Above all, read all you can. Ask questions here. There are lots of great folks here willing to help. And most importantly.....HAVE FUN.
Similar to what dogdoc said the 10 gallon tank is really not an good investment. I have commited the same beginner mistake by purchasing it. The 20 gallon tank would be much better due to that you can try more different species in the tank. The price that you pay for the 10 gallon kit may seem enticing but when you get more addicted to the hobby of fish keeping it won't satisfy that addiction. I suggest getting a 20 gallon tank, gravel and a filter first. Then cycle the tank, and then by the time it is finished cycling you should have enough money to buy the other accessories such as lighting, decorations, and cleaning tools. And you would then have a longer time to decide which type of fish you would want. I hope this helped a little.
You may want to join a local freecycle group -- they're through yahoogroups, I believe. Sometimes you can get tank setups for free. (I like free 
) Also, ebay and craigslist.com sometimes has real steals. If you're in doubt about the value of an item, you can always post here first (hint: the free ones are always a good deal)
I'll echo what others have said, steer clear of 10 gallon setups -- heck, you can get them lightly used for under $10 at yard sales and they limit what you'll want to do so much you're sure to be tank shopping in no time if you get one. They're great for quarantine tanks and handy for wee fishies like guppies or bettas but if you want to have some fish, a 20 (minimum) is so much easier and nicer.
) Also, ebay and craigslist.com sometimes has real steals. If you're in doubt about the value of an item, you can always post here first (hint: the free ones are always a good deal) I'll echo what others have said, steer clear of 10 gallon setups -- heck, you can get them lightly used for under $10 at yard sales and they limit what you'll want to do so much you're sure to be tank shopping in no time if you get one. They're great for quarantine tanks and handy for wee fishies like guppies or bettas but if you want to have some fish, a 20 (minimum) is so much easier and nicer.
my two cents...
most pre-asssembled kits are put together with total crapola... you will probably end up replacing the filter and heater, and if you want live plants, the hood as well if you bought that 28 dollar wal-mart setup. it's best to invest in quality pieces rather than a "value kit".
heaters are definitely not a place to skimp.. a crappy one will either 1) boil your fish or 2)crack and create a different scary situation. i've used rena cal heaters, and they have been great. avoid marineland neptunes like the plague. a lot of them do this thing where they never turn off. it's not a happy happening.
as far as a filter, canister is the way to go if you've got the big bucks. if not, you'll most likely want a hang on back penguin or aquaclear. they are pretty comparable in price and gallons per hour rating. i prefer the penguin because it has the bio-wheel, which allows for the growth of more nitrifying bacteria, and in my experience, it is silent except for the low sound of the water running off it... which is a cool little zen-like addition to a room, kind of like a tabletop fountain. =)
equipment pricing can be marked up off the charts sometimes at your lfs (there is one near me that sometimes doubles retail prices!) so it's best to find what you want online first from a few different sources to know the neighborhood you should be spending.
if there is a petsmart near you, they are usually a good place to find equipment. some of their in-store prices can be jacked up a little bit... but they will match any price to their online store price if you've got a printout.
for example, my boyfriend needed a 100w heater for his 20gallon. he really wanted a rena toplite excel, but they were $32 in store. we looked it up on petsmart.com, their price was $18.50. i also saved about eight bucks on the filter i bought for my ten (penguin 100) that way. the savings really add up when you do the product research before you buy.
and as far as tank size, if you go smaller, you have to be more anal about water changes, but that is not enough to make me decide against a small tank, as long as it's cycled before you add fish.
my first tank was an eclipse 5gallon, and i was not thrilled with it because of the way the filter is set up inside the tank and the way the acrylic retained heat from the light i needed to run for my live plants, but it was a thriving, happy, mini-community. i have since upgraded to a ten, with nothing but success.
most pre-asssembled kits are put together with total crapola... you will probably end up replacing the filter and heater, and if you want live plants, the hood as well if you bought that 28 dollar wal-mart setup. it's best to invest in quality pieces rather than a "value kit".
heaters are definitely not a place to skimp.. a crappy one will either 1) boil your fish or 2)crack and create a different scary situation. i've used rena cal heaters, and they have been great. avoid marineland neptunes like the plague. a lot of them do this thing where they never turn off. it's not a happy happening.
as far as a filter, canister is the way to go if you've got the big bucks. if not, you'll most likely want a hang on back penguin or aquaclear. they are pretty comparable in price and gallons per hour rating. i prefer the penguin because it has the bio-wheel, which allows for the growth of more nitrifying bacteria, and in my experience, it is silent except for the low sound of the water running off it... which is a cool little zen-like addition to a room, kind of like a tabletop fountain. =)
equipment pricing can be marked up off the charts sometimes at your lfs (there is one near me that sometimes doubles retail prices!) so it's best to find what you want online first from a few different sources to know the neighborhood you should be spending.
if there is a petsmart near you, they are usually a good place to find equipment. some of their in-store prices can be jacked up a little bit... but they will match any price to their online store price if you've got a printout.
for example, my boyfriend needed a 100w heater for his 20gallon. he really wanted a rena toplite excel, but they were $32 in store. we looked it up on petsmart.com, their price was $18.50. i also saved about eight bucks on the filter i bought for my ten (penguin 100) that way. the savings really add up when you do the product research before you buy.
and as far as tank size, if you go smaller, you have to be more anal about water changes, but that is not enough to make me decide against a small tank, as long as it's cycled before you add fish.
my first tank was an eclipse 5gallon, and i was not thrilled with it because of the way the filter is set up inside the tank and the way the acrylic retained heat from the light i needed to run for my live plants, but it was a thriving, happy, mini-community. i have since upgraded to a ten, with nothing but success.
i agree with seleya. sometimes you find really incredible finds in teh paper and online. i've seen on occasion people just trying to "give away" tanks and equipment. the first tank i ever set up, i found on teh side of the raod. i found another at the dump. haha. in my basement, i have two 10g and a 5g that i've found along the way, sitting empty for now hahaha.
aside from my tangent there...
definitly check online e.g. big al's (www.bigalsonline.com) for some good prices. fifty bucks is a very tight budget. things definitly add up. i will say, however, if you were interested in native fish, all you'd really have to buy is the tank, hood and filter since natives don't require a heater, and i got all of my gravel, fish, and plants from local streams.
with fish tanks, it's about quality. you could easily set up a small tank for under fifty bucks, but in a few months, chances are you'll have to either upgrade or replace cheap items.
aside from my tangent there...
definitly check online e.g. big al's (www.bigalsonline.com) for some good prices. fifty bucks is a very tight budget. things definitly add up. i will say, however, if you were interested in native fish, all you'd really have to buy is the tank, hood and filter since natives don't require a heater, and i got all of my gravel, fish, and plants from local streams.
with fish tanks, it's about quality. you could easily set up a small tank for under fifty bucks, but in a few months, chances are you'll have to either upgrade or replace cheap items.
Before you think about the fish, you may want to read some of the postings regarding the "Nitrogen Cycle". There is good information on this forum about that.
With a 15g you will want to stick with small(er) fish. You may want to try tetras. They come in many varies and colors and create nice community tanks.
With a 15g you will want to stick with small(er) fish. You may want to try tetras. They come in many varies and colors and create nice community tanks.