newbie has some basic questions

[[email protected]]

Hi,

I am looking at getting my first aquarium.

I am inclined to get a 32gal with double canopy because I would like to
have plants in it.

I don't know much about this hobby but i've been reading but I haven't
found anything about electricity comsumption.

For a fresh water tank with plants, what would be the consumption of
such tank?

In freshwater environments what kind of animal can one have that rooms
at the bottom?

At the pet stores they have these shrimps, scrabs that walk at the
bottom.

Salt water also have cool reefs, which I guess is not available in a
freshwater environment?

Thanks.

[NetMax]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am looking at getting my first aquarium.

http://faq.thekrib.com/

> I am inclined to get a 32gal with double canopy because I would like to
> have plants in it.

Good plan.

> I don't know much about this hobby but i've been reading but I haven't
> found anything about electricity comsumption.

If you have to worry about the cost of the power, the hobby will be too
expensive ;~). Seriously, it's not a major item unless you are relying
on solar power.

> For a fresh water tank with plants, what would be the consumption of
> such tank?

The main electrical consumption will be by the heater. Lights and
filters are as indicated. Heater consumption varies on demand, which is
based on your setting vs average ambient room temperature. In a 32g, you
are using a 100-150W heater. A couple of 28W(?) bulbs and a 15W(?)
filter, so figure about 120-150W (ballpark).

> In freshwater environments what kind of animal can one have that rooms
> at the bottom?

Typically, bottom-feeders (makes sense eh?). Catfish and loaches spend
lots of time on the substrate, as do a variety of algae eaters (SAE,
Otos, Plecs etc). Also snails, frogs, crabs, crayfish etc.

> At the pet stores they have these shrimps, scrabs that walk at the
> bottom.

All sorts of critters are available, but with this huge assortment
(25,000 fish are listed in fishbase), you can be sure that they are not
all going to be compatible with each other. Crayfish eat dead fish, and
if there aren't any dead ones around, many of them will try to accelerate
that process for the ones which are living ;~). African Dwarf frogs can
be easily eaten by some fish, and African Clawed frogs can easily eat
many fish. Are you starting to get a sense of the variety available?

> Salt water also have cool reefs, which I guess is not available in a
> freshwater environment?

There are several categories of salt water tanks, then brackish water (a
little salty) and then freshwater. Live reefs cannot live in freshwater,
but dead reefs are ok in high pH alkaline freshwater tanks. In
freshwater, there are basically 3 types 1) neutral, 2) very soft and
usually acidic (low pH), and 3) hard water and usually alkaline (high
pH). Knowing if your water source is neutral or at one of the 2 other
extremes will help you pick fish (and other creatures) which match your
water (less work for you).

> Thanks.

No problemo :o). I hope you don't mind doing a little research and
asking questions as you go along.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the reply.

As you said the choice of fish is huge and choosing them will be
hard... :)

Thanks

[Robert Flory]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> As you said the choice of fish is huge and choosing them will be
> hard... :)
>
> Thanks
>
You7 might start with testing your water. It is easier to pick fish that are
comfortable in the kind of water you have than it is to try to changw the
water to match the fish. My anels for istance wouldn't do well with liquid
rock, but african cichlids would do better.

Go with a planted tank.... you'll have healthier fish.
Bob

[Elaine T]

wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am looking at getting my first aquarium.
>
> I am inclined to get a 32gal with double canopy because I would like to
> have plants in it.
>
> I don't know much about this hobby but i've been reading but I haven't
> found anything about electricity comsumption.
>
> For a fresh water tank with plants, what would be the consumption of
> such tank?
>
> In freshwater environments what kind of animal can one have that rooms
> at the bottom?
>
> At the pet stores they have these shrimps, scrabs that walk at the
> bottom.
>
> Salt water also have cool reefs, which I guess is not available in a
> freshwater environment?
>
> Thanks.
>
NetMax already got all your questions. I just wanted to say welcome!
Feel free to ask lots of questions as you decide how to set your tank
up. The more you can learn in advance, the happier you will be with
your tank. There's also rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants where you can
learn more about setting up and maintaining a planted tank.

--
__ Elaine T __
><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><

[[email protected]]

Thanks again for the replies.

I was wondering is sound a problem for fish?

I thought of having the tank in the living room but my home theather
system can get quite loud (blame it on those damn explosions).

Is that a problem for fish or they don't care?

What about light from the tv?

[Elaine T]

wrote:
> Thanks again for the replies.
>
> I was wondering is sound a problem for fish?
>
> I thought of having the tank in the living room but my home theather
> system can get quite loud (blame it on those damn explosions).
>
> Is that a problem for fish or they don't care?
>
> What about light from the tv?
>
Some fish don't mind disturbances, while others are more sensitive. I
wouldn't put a tank of discus, breeding fish, or sensitive dwarf
cichlids into room with a loud home theater. Most of the sturdier
common fish like gouramis, livebearers, tetras, catfish, hardy cichlids,
etc. should be fine with light from the TV and noises - they learn that
it's not a threat. My betta is in the living room and never seems
bothered by the TV or stereo.

--
__ Elaine T __
><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><

[thewes]

Heh, I've wondered about the sound issue for a long time. I have a
feeling that sounds outside the tank (even loud), can't effect the fish
TOO much. I would imagine that because water is so much more dense than
air, noises and sounds we have no problem hearing, are lost and
absorbed by the water. It's kinda like sticking your head underwater
and having someone clap a few feet away from you - you wouldn't be able
to hear them. It's only certain pitches and frequencies of sound that
can travel through water and effect the fish...and I'm not sure if
those sounds need to be generated in the water, or if that makes a
difference at all.

I'm not sure though, I guess it's totally possible that loud sounds
coming from an entertainment system can cause the tank and water in it
to vibrate and distress the fish somewhat.

I would be more concerned about the light coming from the TV. Depending
on the fish, flashing colorful lights can really freak them out. I know
that my Bettas are really sensitive to lights like that. It probably
also depends on how far away the TV is from the tank. I don't know, I'm
just half-thinking aloud here. Hope I could help a little and that
everything will work out well! Good luck!

[Fishy Fish]

wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am looking at getting my first aquarium.
>
> I am inclined to get a 32gal with double canopy because I would like
to
> have plants in it.
>
> I don't know much about this hobby but i've been reading but I
haven't
> found anything about electricity comsumption.
>
> For a fresh water tank with plants, what would be the consumption of
> such tank?
>
> In freshwater environments what kind of animal can one have that
rooms
> at the bottom?
>
> At the pet stores they have these shrimps, scrabs that walk at the
> bottom.
>
> Salt water also have cool reefs, which I guess is not available in a
> freshwater environment?
>
> Thanks.

Hey get the bottom feeders. Like cory catfish, redtail shark, black
shark. They get along ad they are cool to watch. Also anglefish are
cool.

[[email protected]]

Depending on where you are, a planted tank can be a very expensive
hobby, at least in the beginning. You need to allocate about $500 to
get things set up right. However, once things are running smoothly, it
is a very cheap hobby. Things to buy includes tank, canopy, lighting,
fertilizer, siphon, plants, thermometer, heaters, filters, water
conditioner, CO2 injection equipment, etc.

You need to do some research on the correct lighting for your planted
tank. I use Zoomed fluorescent tubes myself. They are not expensive
but you have to get the right kind of lighting.

32 Gallon is a little small, but it is better than nothing. If you can
swing it get at least 50 gallons. Larger aquariums are easier to care
for.

I calculated the electrical consumption to be about $75 a year for me.
Of course it all depends on your ambient temperature. The problem is
that your tank must be kept in the 70's, and if you have a room
temperature in the 60's all year round, you will need to heat your
aquarium. I suppose you can look for plants that grow in colder
climates, but I have not found any in stores, I suppose I can go to the
park .... Nevermind.

Be careful about shrimps and crayfish. Some will eat your plants. If
you want to keep shrimps get some Bamboo shrimps. I have 4 of them in
my planted tank and I attest that they are plant safe.

I have a reef in my freshwater tank, a plastic one that I use to
provide a cave for my pleco. Really nice one too.

[[email protected]]

Not true. For a beginner, your choices are bounded. Here is a list of
beginner fishes I started with:

1. Zebra Danios. Boring but hardy, at least people keep saying that.
2. Blue/Gold Gourami: get just ONE, unless you want them to kill each
other.
3. Live bearers: Platties, Swordtails, Guppies, etc.

I recommend 3 swordtails: 2 female and one male, and one Gold Gourami.
If you can't keep these alive, you will need to aquire a lot more
information or give up.

[[email protected]]

Angelfish are not easy to keep. They are also expensive. Also, the
fish in your list will outgrow a 32gallon tank in no time.

[[email protected]]

Thanks so much for the help guys...

I am bit limited on space so I can't really go for big tanks and
another thing is that they are expensive.

I thought a 32 gallon to start with would be okay.
I don't plan on having alot of plants and the fish would be the small
kind, like I said I want them to have space to swim around, not
confined to a tight place.

I like the idea of bottom crawlers because it gives an impression of
activity in the tank.
I guess what I am looking for is a small town with all sorts of
activity going on. Don't want the tank to be beautifull and dull.

As for the tank, the pet store has a special for a 32gal with all the
equipment and on top of that is double canopy which is a good thing.

So yeah I am excited about this project...

[Elaine T]

wrote:
> Thanks so much for the help guys...
>
> I am bit limited on space so I can't really go for big tanks and
> another thing is that they are expensive.
>
> I thought a 32 gallon to start with would be okay.
> I don't plan on having alot of plants and the fish would be the small
> kind, like I said I want them to have space to swim around, not
> confined to a tight place.
>
> I like the idea of bottom crawlers because it gives an impression of
> activity in the tank.
> I guess what I am looking for is a small town with all sorts of
> activity going on. Don't want the tank to be beautifull and dull.
>
> As for the tank, the pet store has a special for a 32gal with all the
> equipment and on top of that is double canopy which is a good thing.
>
> So yeah I am excited about this project...
>
32 gallons is a great size to start. Look at danios, rasboras, gold or
cherry barbs and tetras for small, lively fish. Danios especially!

Good bottom fish might be corydoras catfish or pygmy chained loaches
since they move around a fair amount during the day.

If you are going for a double canopy (I agree that it's a good thing!),
it is better to have a lot of live plants rather than only a few. If
your tank has light, nutrients from fish waste, and not enough plants to
use the nutrients, algae will take advantage of the situation. Algae
outbreaks under high light can quickly blanket everything in a fishtank.

It is also amazingly beautiful to see fish swimming in and around plants
like they do in their natural habitat. It's surprising, but sometimes
the more cover like rocks and plants you have in a tank, the more you
see your fish. They tend to show better colors if they feel secure too.

--
__ Elaine T __
><__'> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><

[Fishy Fish]

wrote:
> Thanks so much for the help guys...
>
> I am bit limited on space so I can't really go for big tanks and
> another thing is that they are expensive.
>
> I thought a 32 gallon to start with would be okay.
> I don't plan on having alot of plants and the fish would be the small
> kind, like I said I want them to have space to swim around, not
> confined to a tight place.
>
> I like the idea of bottom crawlers because it gives an impression of
> activity in the tank.
> I guess what I am looking for is a small town with all sorts of
> activity going on. Don't want the tank to be beautifull and dull.
>
> As for the tank, the pet store has a special for a 32gal with all the
> equipment and on top of that is double canopy which is a good thing.
>
> So yeah I am excited about this project...

Yea it is cool. The bottom feeders are real cool. I have had no luck
with the sword fish or guppies. But the angle fish and tetras all do
wellfor me and not tha expensive. The most I paid for a fish was $6.00
for a black shark. I did not like the zebras, too mean (flush). Hard to
get colorfull fresh water fish. Thats why the red tail shark is cool. I
have 2 albino catfish. Some color. Red fin tetras are nice. Red fins
with blue tops (back?) The dyed fish suck. They die too fast.The angle
fish have some color.I have one orange platty. That is the most
colorfull one I have.

[Fishy Fish]

Also forget the starter kit. They suck!!. Buy th peices seperitly. I
got a starter kit for a gift and it sucked. The heater did not work
right. I turned it all the way up and it could not get over 72 degres.
I replaced it with a submerisable and it is right on 78. The fish
stoped dying. I also replaced the filter. I had a cheap one for a 30
Gallon tank and I bought an Eheim for a 50 gal tank. It is great. It
does a great job. it was only a $35.00. The heater was also $25.00. So
that was not to bad. It helped the tank a lot.

[Gill Passman]

"Fishy Fish" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Also forget the starter kit. They suck!!. Buy th peices seperitly. I
> got a starter kit for a gift and it sucked. The heater did not work
> right. I turned it all the way up and it could not get over 72 degres.
> I replaced it with a submerisable and it is right on 78. The fish
> stoped dying. I also replaced the filter. I had a cheap one for a 30
> Gallon tank and I bought an Eheim for a 50 gal tank. It is great. It
> does a great job. it was only a $35.00. The heater was also $25.00. So
> that was not to bad. It helped the tank a lot.
>
Where I am it is very difficult to buy tanks without them being all
inclusive. So what I do is get the LFS to swop out the bits I don't want and
then replace them with what I actually want. They credit what they take out
and charge for what they put in. Actually works out much the same cost wise.