laddinn asked:
is it a good idea?
and for pets maybe some reef fish and cleaner shrimp?
good idea?
do you think my animal suggestions are good?
is an aquarium high mantenence?(cleaning…etc)
any other concerns i should take to mind?
is it a good idea?
and for pets maybe some reef fish and cleaner shrimp?
good idea?
do you think my animal suggestions are good?
is an aquarium high mantenence?(cleaning…etc)
any other concerns i should take to mind?
thanks for answering!
What kind of tank are you thinking about getting? A salt water? Fresh water? You should research the pro’s and con’s of each before you get anything. Saltwater takes ALOT more work than say.. fresh water. Do research first tho!
Salt water tanks are about 300 times more expensive than freshwater tanks, and need much more work.
You need to research the nitrogen cycle, fish aggressiveness, adult fish size.
Don’t take advice from pet store employees.
You should only get fish if you like fish, not because they’re cool or colourful or ornamental, because if you don’t make them happy, they won’t flourish and make very good ornaments.
But the best advice I can give you is to research the nitrogen cycle and how it applies to stocking guidelines. You MUST own your own ammonia, nitrate and nitrite tests. Look for info on the inch per gallon guideline.
Be prepared for a weekly 20% water change, and possibly having many different kinds of aquatic foods for different kinds of fish. Dedicated hobbyists also have a variety of medications in their house to treat any problems at a short notice.
There’s alot of beautiful freshwater fish you can get. If you have no experience, I would not start with a marine tank….and expecially with a reef tank……..
Different types of fish require different amounts of effort/maintenance. Typically the nicest looking fish are the hardest to look after.
Some fish require “river water” ie no salt, chlorine and so on. Some fish require salt water. Salt water tanks are harder to look after than normal tanks.
Your local fish shop can explain all this to you, however as someone else suggested don’t trust everything they say. They will usually be quite helpful but sometimes they will just tell you whatever it takes to sell you stuff. (ie it could be like trusting a used car salesman).
Saltwater tanks are beautiful, and its what attracted me to fish-keeping in the first place.
There’s a wonderful book available that will walk you through the planning stages of setting up a saltwater tank, including what sorts of fish are more newbie-friendly. “The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide” can be found for less than $15, and it saved me lots of time, money, and frustration.
Saltwater tanks do tend to be a little more challenging than freshwater tanks, but my 55g tank’s maintenance takes no more than 5 minutes a day, and a little bit more when its time to do a water change. The equipment isn’t inexpensive, but its relatively easy to find good equipment used through craigslist listings and local aquarium societies’ forums. The larger forums, like, can give you many ideas for setting up your tank and expose you to many different kinds of tanks.
Best of luck!
You don’t say whether or not you’ve ever had an aquarium. My best advice would be to start with a freshwater community tank. Swordtails, guppies, mollies, etc. DO NOT START WITH GOLDFISH because they require more care than most people think. Research freshwater aquariums, FO or Fish Only marine aquariums, FOWLR or Fish Only With Live Rock marine aquariums, and RO or Reef Only marine aquariums. Start with whatever is cheaper and easier to gain some experience in aquarium keeping.