New 29 Gallon Set-up

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Bucky Katt

New Fish
#1
Jun 6, 2006
1
0
0
#1
Hello Everyone,

I am brand new to this site and need some advice. My 2 year old son loves fish and my wife and I were thinking about starting our own aquarium. We both are beginners to this so we are researching like crazy to try and maximize our investment.

We were initally looking into purchasing a kit. However, after doing some research, I am very hesitant against this. It seems like you do not get the quality for the conveniece. So I am looking at individual components. I am looking at spending no more than $200 on the setup and I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me some good advice on what equipment to buy.

A local store is offering this set-up:
All Glass 29 Gallon Tank: $60
Deluxe Flow Hood (lighting is not that powerful): $43
Thermometer: $3
30 lbs of Gravel: $17
Penguin 350B BioWheel: $60
150w PennPlax Heater: $17

They will give me 10% off the price if I buy the set-up.

Can I do better buying each individually somewhere else? Is there something better that I should consider?

I appreciate the help.

Bucky Katt
 

SkwidsLair

SkwidsLair

Large Fish
#2
May 17, 2006
316
1
0
Not nearly far enough west
www.skwidslair.com
#2
As with any investment, you should look at protecting your investment.

I would stick to a tank/stand/light kit and deal with the rest seperately.

A decent cannister filter (Eheim is a great name) and a reliable heater should be on your list. You can get a decent air pump for under $20 for your 'bubblers'. A thermometer and a test kit should also be in your cart.

You won't be putting any fish into the tank for a while, so you can take that expense later on. (including food, medicine, nets, etc)

I would also invest in a Python syphoning system...it will make water changes less of a headache, and will help keep water changes from lessening the enjoyment of the hobby.

Keep some basics in the tank...enough gravel, one or two decorations, some plastic plants and a couple of rocks.

Don't forget to shop around!
 

N

noncentric

Large Fish
#5
Feb 18, 2006
196
0
16
WA state
#5
You'll definitely want to add a test kit to your list. The best to use is the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit, which tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH. Don't use test strips (paper strip type tests) as they are expensive on a per-test basis, and they aren't very accurate after the first time the container is opened and exposed to air.
If you have a PetSmart nearby, you can print out this page and take it in to have them do a price-match on the test kit - the in-store price is near $30.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...1149057714342&itemNo=2&In=Fish&N=2030068&Ne=2

Before deciding what type lighting and substrate (large gravel, small gravel, sand, etc) to get, you should decide if you're going to get live plants or not. It's a lot easier to make the tank live-plant-friendly from the beginning, rather than after it's already set-up. Are you planning to grow live plants? It can be a bit more complicated, but that really depends on the plants you get. Some plants are quite simple as long as you have adequate lighting (ie, java ferns, java moss, anacharis). Also, you can always use better lighting on a non-planted tank, but not vice versa.

Bio-wheel filters are pretty good, but some people are very partial to canister filters. With a 29-gal, you could go either way - if you think you might upgrade to a larger tank in the future, then I'd get a canister filter (Eheim or Filstar XP series are good choices).

Hope this helps, good luck! :)
 

SkwidsLair

SkwidsLair

Large Fish
#6
May 17, 2006
316
1
0
Not nearly far enough west
www.skwidslair.com
#6
For all intents and purposes...I use the Tetra brand Laborette for my test kit. It also includes the two hardness tests for water...and it's about the same price as that one mentioned in the last post.

At least, for me it was. I'm in Ontario, Canada and shop at Big Al's mostly.

This CAN be a very expensive thing to get into. It gets even more expensive if you don't do things right. Again, I say, protect your investment.

There's some good information here: http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/aquariumstartup/ as well as on these forums.

If all you want is a simple aquarium with a few choice fish for years to come, it won't end up costing you a lot in the long run....as long as you take proper care of everything.
 

FreddyJ

FreddyJ

Large Fish
#7
May 5, 2006
187
0
0
#7
Lots of good advice already posted here for you, Bucky. I would suggest looking at fish online and seeing what kind of habitat the ones you are interested in getting require (i.e. some fish prefer tanks that are tall as opposed to long and vice versa.)
 

E

Etheostoma

Large Fish
#9
Aug 28, 2005
300
0
0
Missouri, USA
#9
The price seems quite reasonable, and the setup looks good, as does most of the advice so far. Preferences vary, however, mine among them.

I would never recommend a beginner starting off with live plants, period. Synthetic decorations have come a long-way over the years. Several of my tanks are decorated with synthetics and I can vouchsafe that I enjoy both their appearance and the respite they deliver. Plus, it is nothing for me to alter the theme of a tank to better fit my wife's decorating as it changes, or to suit new fish in the event I want a big change.

I prefer to cycle by seeding from an established tank. Fishless cycling is an option I've yet to try, but I'm inclined to agree with the approach since starter fish are almost universally some species I've no desire to keep.

Be sure to double check any stocking or species selection recommendations you receive.

To me, you appear to be a fine candidate for success. Enjoy the new hobby!

--E.
 

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