Finally, a bit of funding! Judas Priest!

jared

jared

Member
Now that I finally have a job, I can begin work on my aggressive setups! It's about time! ok, now for some questions.
A 55 gallon tank setup is at Wal-Mart, meant for freshwater setup. Would this work for Saltwater? The setup is for 150$ (I think a anther $50+or- for the stand), and it's one of the better deals I'm seeing, if it will work. If not for saltwater, do you think the piranhas will be okay in here? (5 piranhas, purchasing as babies).
Aside from the tank setup, what other things will be essential for a Snowflake eel? Posting items and prices would be extremely helpful. I'm on kind of a tight budget here. Will 55 gallons hold it happily for its lifetime, or will I need to go bigger eventually?
Also, cool tankmates for SFE? I'm thinking a dwarf lion. Would it be possible to add others?
Thanks for any help guys!
 
fishman830

fishman830

Active Member

Originally posted by Jared
A 55 gallon tank setup is at Wal-Mart, meant for freshwater setup. Would this work for Saltwater? The setup is for 150$ (I think a anther $50+or- for the stand), and it's one of the better deals I'm seeing, if it will work. If not for saltwater, do you think the piranhas will be okay in here? (5 piranhas, purchasing as babies).
Thanks for any help guys!
how couldit be meant for fw??
 
I

irenicus

Guest
I think what he means is that the set-up has equipment that is mostly used for Freshwater, IE Biowheel filter, gravel, etc.
 
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thomas712

Guest
Might also come with a UGF. My suggestion would be to not purchase the kit. The heater you get will not do the job, or is of brittle garbage glass that will almost break if you touch it. The food they give you for freshwater you can toss. The airstones if it comes with any you can stash away. Much of the equipment is junk and poorly made.
Better to purchase the tank, itself. Inspect the seams for any bubbles in the silicone, can't do that while its sitting in a box as a kit.
A good heater. (submersible)
A couple of double cartridge hang on filters.
A couple of power heads.
Hint: save money by purchasing the heater and powerheads on line. Might work with the filters too.
Also cheap base rock can be found on ----. Look for H.I. Rocks.
Just a few thoughts
 
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thomas712

Guest
One more thought. I would NEVER trust those presswood stands sold at....well....anywhere. JMHO
Thomas
 
gasguzzler

gasguzzler

Active Member
Yeah, in a moment of necessity I bought a stand like that for my 125. Every time the rays splash about and a drop of water hits it, I hold my breath.
 
jared

jared

Member
Thanx for the tip.
As for the stand, I could probably build a better one for cheaper anyway.
 
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thomas712

Guest
I can appreciate anything that will enable me to have something cheaper, however.
Remember that this thing will be holding your tank up. Your entire investment is in that tank. What you need is peace of mind holiding that thing up. Building it is a much better idea. Just don't use pulp wood. A good oak ply would be much stronger.
Thomas
 
jared

jared

Member
You'd be surprised on the strength of chipwood and pine 2x4's though (not that I'm going to risk it!). Oak could hold a Semi up, but like any hardwood it's kinda pricy. Not to mention the weight! Man it sucks moving around hardwood furniture. I just hope there will be no stairs in the moving procedure!
 
edward

edward

Member
I would start with FW as you initially were asking. You will learn the basic principles of water chemistry that you will need to perfect in order to play SW. You could put pirhanas in that tank as you described. Remeber that they will need to be fed very well or they will end up eating each others' fins etc. They will grow and they will end up eating many many many feeders. They will be expensive to maintain as they grow larger. Once you feel comfortable and knowledgable about aquaria, you should switch to saltwater.
Don't buy a kit though. Buy a used tank out of your local paper. Then go to an auction site for equip. (Aquabid or ---- have good deals occasionally but do your homework first). Build your own stand.
 
jared

jared

Member
How much/often do you have to feed piranhas? It's funny, but no piranha care sites tell this information!
 
edward

edward

Member
The amt. a pirhana will eat is size dependent. I would start with small ones about 1"-1.5". You should be able to buy them (red bellies) for about $5ea. As they get to be about 5", they will consume 1-3 feeder goldfish a day. The good thing about starting with pirhanas in your case is that you will be able to sell them for a significantly higher price/ or trade with pet shop for salt water as you approach that time. I am not sure what state you live in, but they are illegal to have in many states (mostly southern and warmer) b/c of risk of inhabitting natural waters. You need to check that out first. Just do a little web surfing and you should be able to find out everything you want to know about them.
 
gasguzzler

gasguzzler

Active Member
Just to let you know, I have a pair of very healthy Piranhas that are about 6-7" long. They have been captive raised and eat VORCIOUSLY. I would be willing to part with them as to where they are the sixth tank in the house and Im trying to cut my maintainence time. e-mail scott88302@yahoo.com if interested.
 
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