Current Events > I should get a fish tank

(+) Yeah! (+)

put some fish in there

And a snail

And a little castle so one of them can be king fish

And an eel

Yeah, I can help and so can @cjsdowg if you decide to.

We are fish tank bros.

Fishtanks are a lot of fucking work omg don't do it.

MICHALECOLE posted...

And a little castle so one of them can be king fish

So that's how king slimes came to be.

MabusIncarnate posted...

Yeah, I can help and so can @cjsdowg if you decide to.

We are fish tank bros.

thinking of some african cichlids

Friends,

I went to my friends house, his brother just had a fish tank, sitting there, empty.

I said WOW, can I borrow it, they said sure. I filled it with water, and went to the store
and just got 5 of the cheapest gold fish.

Well gold fish poop alot, and they filter system was very crappy, like a bottom filter. I had no idea what I was doing.

First one died.... I had 4.... then I found another out on the floor, I have no idea WHY he flipped out. then I had 3. I had to carry the big 10 gallon tank to the toliet, and dump it out to clean it totally.. it was a major pain, water is HEAVY..and risky, with 10 gallons of gold fish poopy water.

one day I just dump them all in, flushed it, and was done with them. That was my short 2 months of a fish tank. I was cured.

So sure, do it the cheapest way possible, and see if you stick to it. if you still have them a year later, go more. Maybe look for used stuff, lots of people are getting OUT of fish.

My next pet might be a box turtle. Go on vacation leave him for 2 weeks, hes ok.

drclaeys posted...

Friends,

I went to my friends house, his brother just had a fish tank, sitting there, empty.

I said WOW, can I borrow it, they said sure. I filled it with water, and went to the store
and just got 5 of the cheapest gold fish.

Well gold fish poop alot, and they filter system was very crappy, like a bottom filter. I had no idea what I was doing.

First one died.... I had 4.... then I found another out on the floor, I have no idea WHY he flipped out. then I had 3. I had to carry the big 10 gallon tank to the toliet, and dump it out to clean it totally.. it was a major pain, water is HEAVY..and risky, with 10 gallons of gold fish poopy water.

one day I just dump them all in, flushed it, and was done with them. That was my short 2 months of a fish tank. I was cured.

So sure, do it the cheapest way possible, and see if you stick to it. if you still have them a year later, go more. Maybe look for used stuff, lots of people are getting OUT of fish.

My next pet might be a box turtle. Go on vacation leave him for 2 weeks, hes ok.

You can't just dump your fish straight into the tank. You have to condition the water to handle the bioload from all the fish first.

Consider shrimp, especially if you're just getting started, but also read up on the nitrogen cycle. Don't do what I did and buy tank and fish in one go. We killed a lot of fish before finally understanding what our issue was (PH was too *low*, we had overprimed it, and the tests we were using were only looking for high PH).

drclaeys posted...

Friends,

I went to my friends house, his brother just had a fish tank, sitting there, empty.

I said WOW, can I borrow it, they said sure. I filled it with water, and went to the store
and just got 5 of the cheapest gold fish.

Well gold fish poop alot, and they filter system was very crappy, like a bottom filter. I had no idea what I was doing.

First one died.... I had 4.... then I found another out on the floor, I have no idea WHY he flipped out. then I had 3. I had to carry the big 10 gallon tank to the toliet, and dump it out to clean it totally.. it was a major pain, water is HEAVY..and risky, with 10 gallons of gold fish poopy water.

one day I just dump them all in, flushed it, and was done with them. That was my short 2 months of a fish tank. I was cured.

So sure, do it the cheapest way possible, and see if you stick to it. if you still have them a year later, go more. Maybe look for used stuff, lots of people are getting OUT of fish.

My next pet might be a box turtle. Go on vacation leave him for 2 weeks, hes ok.

Goldfish arent the easiest fish to keep alive. Of course not the hardest, but Id go with a Guppies or a Betta first.

Also, cheap Goldfish actually need a decent amount of room. They say that 20 gallons for one and 10 gallons for each additional. Though I think thats adult size, you can probably get away with less early on. Of course the cheap ones are more likely to be sickly, anyway.

A_Good_Boy posted...

Fishtanks are a lot of fucking work omg don't do it.

Eh, its some work, but not much compared to most other pets.

Shrimp are so cool, highly recommend getting some of them as long as they're compatible with the fish. I also highly recommend doing your research first and not buying a small tank like 1.5 gallons or something as it'll be hard to control the chemical balance and whatnot of the tank, it's like what, 13 gallons before it starts becoming easier to take care of? But if you have the budget and space it's super cool having a tank, so go for it, just don't be surprised if you kill off a few fish before you figure out what you're doing. Always wanted to get a bigger tank but I just don't have the room for one.

I am so happy I was tagged in this. I love talking about fish, and turtles, and lizards.

My favorite Fish is an oscar. You get them cheap when they are young. But they grew big and pretty. (note this is if you have nice sized tank, like 75 or 100)

NOTE: do not do this , this is too many fish in one tank. But this picture does show you all the different type of Oscars .

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/37ed36e8.jpg

cjsdowg posted...

I am so happy I was tagged in this. I love talking about fish, and turtles, and lizards.

My favorite Fish is an oscar. You get them cheap when they are young. But they grew big and pretty. (note this is if you have nice sized tank, like 75 or 100)

NOTE: do not do this , this is too many fish in one tank. But this picture does show you all the different type of Oscars .

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/37ed36e8.jpg

what size tank is that

I've had salt water tanks. Those mfs like to die for no apparent reason. Water tests good...next day everything's dead.

After the second mass death I decided I'm done. 2 clown fish were alive. They lived for another 10 years and are only supposed to live for 5. Got huge.

LeoRavus posted...

I've had salt water tanks. Those mfs like to die for no apparent reason. Water tests good...next day everything's dead.

After the second mass death I decided I'm done. 2 clown fish were alive. They lived for another 10 years and are only supposed to live for 5. Got huge.

i'm definitely not ready for a salt water tank, much cooler fish though

Spiderman23J posted...

what size tank is that

That was just something I found online. But I think it is a 65 just from eyeballing it.

cjsdowg posted...

That was just something I found online. But I think it is a 65 just from eyeballing it.

im thinking of getting something in the 55-65 range

Justin2Krelian posted...

Eh, its some work, but not much compared to most other pets.

Caring properly for just the water is a freaking chore. Each fish needs it's own care and attention to or they can just get sick and plop on you. Even the substrate needs attention and maintenance, and that's not even counting if you choose to use plants or not. With a fish tank you're essentially playing God to a whole entire ecosystem all the way down to the microscopic level. It's a lot of work. Kudos to those that can handle the effort, but fishtanks are hard as shit.

Aqadvisor.com

It's great for figuring out what can go in a tank size wise, and compatibility wise. Will also let u ou know if your filtration is sufficiant.

A 55 gallon is a good start, and fine for a African cichlid community. They are beautiful, but aggressive, so do some research on pairing. Look at middle aged ones over babies when you start, add slow, i'd suggest ordering from a breeder online, California has a couple I could suggest that ship overnight and are high quality and disease-free.

The larger the tank you can go, the better, a lot of early mistakes are people starting with a 10 gallon tank, smaller ones fall apart faster from problems than larger ones, and tend to be more advanced level.

I've kept tanks for about 30 years, fresh and salt, and at one point was certified in aquatics through the pet store chain I managed. Like CJ, i'm always happy to help too and you can always tag me with questions and whatnot if you decide to get into it.

Justin2Krelian posted...

Betta first.

those are well liked. many different colors.

Oscars and parrots are my favorite fish, but I also like African cichlids that MabusIncarnate mentioned. They come in many beautiful colors and patterns, and you can keep them with other compatible fish. However, you should always research before mixing different types, since they are still cichlids and can be aggressive and territorial. But normally they are friendly than their South American cousins. An African cichlid tank can rival the beauty of a saltwater tank, with its stunning diversity of fish.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/fd9b2b03.jpg

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a3650b72.jpg

Theres a 55 gallon with the stand included at petsmarts for $500. One the reviews said they where took advantage of a Black Friday sale and got it for $250. Im definitely going to wait to see if I can take advantage of that sale.

A_Good_Boy posted...

Fishtanks are a lot of fucking work omg don't do it.

This is what I came in to say.
You cannot really have cats with it either.

That sounds like a bargain, I hope you can buy it. If you get it from a reputable store like that, you have a better chance of getting it fixed if something goes wrong, than if you bought it from a no-name place or second-hand.

Make sure you get all the necessary equipment with it.
Heater
Substrate - I used to use pool sand, but now I use black aquarium sand.
Filter - I recommend a canister filter. For a 55-gallon tank, I would use a Sunsun. Some people report issues, however.

Here is the Amazon link: https://tinyurl.com/4mzun9an

They are cheap, but they work well for the price. You might want to upgrade after a year or two. I used one on my turtle tank, until I switched to the F6. Here is the

PetSmart link: https://tinyurl.com/tr2z7dpn

Right now they are at a very good price. But they need occasional maintenance and that can be a hassle. I have to work on mine today. But when it is working, it is great. I have two turtles and a fish in my big tank and the water is crystal clear and I dont have to do many major changes.

Other things you might need are nets. I have a large net and a small one.

You will probably also need a bucket, like the ones you get at Lowes or Home Depot.
Test kits are important too.

Rocks and maybe some artificial wood can make your tank look nicer. I would not go for real driftwood yet, if you are just starting out.

Spiderman23J posted...

Theres a 55 gallon with the stand included at petsmarts for $500. One the reviews said they where took advantage of a Black Friday sale and got it for $250. Im definitely going to wait to see if I can take advantage of that sale.

That sounds good, i'd avoid any "kits" that premake you a filter, heater, and everything included, they are generally underpowered. A lot of filters are rated like "25 to 55 gallons" ALWAYS go on the low side, a filter that say max 55 gallons will be too weak for a 55 gallon. Find something that says 40-75 gallon, or 55 to 80 gallon, don't go on the low end for filtration. Canister filters are the best option, as cj suggested. A lot of overhang/overflow filters lose a lot of filtration when the media gets dirty, the water just flows over top.

a 55 gallon tank is a pretty big tank. If this is your first time keeping an aquarium, consider something at least a little smaller first to see if you even enjoy it as a hobby/petkeeping.