A little help on knowing what exactly to buy for my aquarium.

[brian_anth]

Ive been looking around for the longest trying to find a fish aquarium. And I finally ran across the Aquapods. My plan is to buy two seperate 24 gallon ones. One I would use for freshwater tropical fish and the other for saltwater tropical fish. My question is what exactly would I need to get for each thank, that doesnt already come with the tank?...I also notice you can get it with either 2x32 watt pc lights or 70 watt HQI. Which is recommended?...Any help would definetly help and id be grateful. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[jdragunas]

well, welcome to the boards!
it's really difficult to list everything you need, so i'm going to recommend a book to buy for the saltwater tank: the conscientious marine aquarist by robert fenner. This book is amazing and will tell you everything you need to know about setting up and maintaining your saltwater aquarium. If you read that and you're confused about anything, feel free to ask away! There's so much equipment and so many choices, that we can't really tell you "you have to get this, this, and this"
basically, though, for the saltwater tank, you'll need:
the tank (obviously)
a filter
some powerheads
a light (if you want just fish, it'll be just a florescent light)
thermometer
hydrometer
heater
test kits
salt (specially bought at a fish store)
the lighting depends on what you want in your tank. do you want just fish, or fish & corals?
if you want corals, you'll also need:
skimmer
the pc or HQI lights (Depending on what kind of corals you want)
i could be missing some things, but this is the general idea.
hope this helps!!!

 

[jdragunas]

also, just fyi, a smaller saltwater tank, although cheaper, is more difficult to care for. You also can't have as many fish, so if it doesn't hurt the pocketbook too much, i'd suggest getting a bigger tank.

 

[brian_anth]

Thanks, this should help to get me started. I appreciate it!

 

[jdragunas]

no problem! let me tell you something. If you're like anyone on here, this will be your life, so prepare to give up everything because that's how much you'll love this hobby!!! haha!

 

[brian_anth]

Yeah im sure it will be my life lol...I just made me a game room and I wanted to add an aquarium to it. I just wanted a little help so I wouldnt mess anything up or kill the fish, then Id feel bad.

 

[jdragunas]

you know, your games will collect dust... you'll be sitting there looking at your tank instead... HAHA!
i'm glad you're doing research first, though. That's a great thing. The one thing i really want to stress to anyone that's new in the hobby is: you MUST research BEFORE you buy. i can't tell you how many times i've heard "this new fish ate my shrimp" or "this new crab ate my fish". You can't go into a fish store, browse around, and then buy the one you like the most. You should either find what you want before you go looking, or find what you want while looking, go home and research the fish, and then make an informed decision. This isn't like freshwater where the fish are like $3 or $5... an average saltwater fish runs about $25. So just remember that one rule, and you should do fine.

 

[gen1dustin]

Originally Posted by Brian_Anth
Ive been looking around for the longest trying to find a fish aquarium. And I finally ran across the Aquapods. My plan is to buy two seperate 24 gallon ones. One I would use for freshwater tropical fish and the other for saltwater tropical fish. My question is what exactly would I need to get for each thank, that doesnt already come with the tank?...I also notice you can get it with either 2x32 watt pc lights or 70 watt HQI. Which is recommended?...Any help would definetly help and id be grateful. Thanks ahead of time.
Well lighting, if you want some LPS hard corals or anemones you would be better off going with the metal halide. Especially since it is priced pretty good with the metal halide upgrade. With the freshwtaer I'd go with the power compact set up & you would be able to grow a bunch of different plants.
With the Aquapod youv'e got the tank, filter, & lights. So for SaltWater you would need;
Heater
Protien Skimmer
Powerhead or two - water movement for corals
Substrate - Sand is the way to go
Salt Mix
Hydrometer or Refractometer - hydros aren't as accurate, but cost way less than a refrato.
Thermomether - Coralife LCD one is best for the $
Test Kit
Live Rock - Will help the tank stay way more stabilized & hiding & food for animals.
For the Freshwater you'd ned;
substrate - Flourtie or something of the such if you want live plants
Heater
Thermomether
Test Kit
Water Conditioner
Decorations
Hope this helps, if you have any quetsions just shoot them at us.

 

[nigerbang]

This horrible hobby has consumed my life....I was waiting on a new skimmer...Fed-Ex was going slower than I thought they should...I made them refund my money and hurry up..I told them there was site plans for a 7 Million dollar project that I needed...they came out that night..The guy was pissed when I pulled out the skimmer...I have cashed in an IRA, took the money when I got rear-ended to buy new lights...I work on the week-ends now just so I can buy some new stuff....Welcome...It really is a lot of money but when you see it go from start to where you are...(you never finish) you will apperciate it...

 

[jdragunas]

haha! don't try to scare him off!!! it's only a LOT of money if you want it to be...

 

[nigerbang]

I was just kidding :cough not really cough:...It can be expensive but then again there is alot of stuff that is DIY

 

[brian_anth]

LOL thanks for all the help...but really money isnt the problem....im ok with getting a big tank at first and having nice fish....I just wanna make sure I know everything ahead of time and not mess up lol Because I know alot of money will be invested into it. I found a site that has a chart telling what fishes wont and will go to together. So that definetly helps, its just little minore things I wanna make sure I know also But im sure since itll be in my game room, Im gonna have no choice but to be admiriing it ALL the time haha

 

[nigerbang]

Just do lots of research before buying anything, fish, equipment, lights, food, everything...and a real good test kit...they are costly but worth it in the long run...and just take your time...It will all come together..I have a 92 corner I have been working on for about 3 months and prolly have another 2 to go before I get ready to start stocking it..

 

[jdragunas]

get this book too:
Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species (The Pocketexpert Guide Series for Aquarists and Underwater Naturalists, 1) by Scott W. Michael
tells you everything you need to know about most every fish you can buy, including tank size needed, what they eat, how big they get, who they do and don't get along with, if they're reef safe, if they're invert-safe, and more. It's a great book to have! Keep it in your glove compartment. that way, when you're at the lfs (like me) browsing around, and you find a fish that you haven't researched yet, but you really like it, you can do some research there.