Fresh water tank?

[deadly_legend]

Who here has one? and what can you tell me about them and the fish you keep. my girlfriend wants a freshwater tank because she doesnt have the money to fund the saltwater, and she likes alot of the freshwater fish. but i was just curious as to if anyone has any tips or anything for me/her.
Also, shes thinking about buying a 29g with stand that includes just about everything needed to set the tank up for $200

 

[crypt keeper]

$200 isnt a bad price when you start adding stuff up new. Filter heater lighst tank stand whatever else comes with it. A decent 29g with stand can run $150 now.

 

[deadly_legend]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3219867
$200 isnt a bad price when you start adding stuff up new. Filter heater lighst tank stand whatever else comes with it. A decent 29g with stand can run $150 now.
filter heater light stand tank syphon and its brand new, and the store has layaway so she could make payments since she doesnt have a whole lot of extra cash
so that is a good price im guessing, i will let her know that she was amd at me though, for "making" her want one when all i did was start mine, and talk only about it

 

[crypt keeper]

fish are fun. but imo saltwater isnt that much more expensive for a tank that small. She could get 20 pound sof rock and some sand and be done with it. Place some clowns and a bi color blenny and maybe one other fish and have a sweet little set up.

 

[browniebuck]

I have an African cichlid tank in my classroom...lots of color and personality. You can get a couple bags of normal play sand (rinse thoroughly) or you could go with a couple bags of black sand (with a 29 gallon, this would look real good and wouldn't take too many bags). I went to a landscape/pond place and got rock for $.08/lb (just flat rock, I think it is called flagstone). In a 29, you could probably get away with a half dozen cichlids and a smaller catfish...get the cichlids small
1 either a demasoni or electric blue johani (black and blue)
1 yellow lab (yellow and black)
1 red zebra (actually orange)
1 greberi (pale yellow with stripes)
1 socolofi (light blue with black)
1 albino something perhaps (pinkish with red eyes)
This list will provide LOTS of color and a pretty good deal of character....and each fish, if bought on the smaller side would probably only cost $5-$8.

 

[deadly_legend]

i'll see what she says to that, and i could help her alot with that one and i can actaully get discount cured LR at the LFS since im there almsot everyday lol (i actaully am starting to ask about getting a weekend job there or so).
But the main thing about her not wanting it is that we may move in together, and then wed have two saltwater tanks with almost the same setup, and she likes contrasting things lol

 

[deadly_legend]

Originally Posted by browniebuck
http:///forum/post/3219872
I have an African cichlid tank in my classroom...lots of color and personality. You can get a couple bags of normal play sand (rinse thoroughly) or you could go with a couple bags of black sand (with a 29 gallon, this would look real good and wouldn't take too many bags). I went to a landscape/pond place and got rock for $.08/lb (just flat rock, I think it is called flagstone). In a 29, you could probably get away with a half dozen cichlids and a smaller catfish...get the cichlids small
1 either a demasoni or electric blue johani (black and blue)
1 yellow lab (yellow and black)
1 red zebra (actually orange)
1 greberi (pale yellow with stripes)
1 socolofi (light blue with black)
1 albino something perhaps (pinkish with red eyes)
This list will provide LOTS of color and a pretty good deal of character....and each fish, if bought on the smaller side would probably only cost $5-$8.

WOW thanks for the fish list, shes coming over tomorrow so we can research together what she wants from the tank and fish wise. and she wants some type of goldfish in there, so would that fit into a cichilid tank?

 

[crypt keeper]

goldfish are like damsels. cheap mean as ahell and you cant kill them.

 

[deadly_legend]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3219877
goldfish are like damsels. cheap mean as ahell and you cant kill them.
lmao i will be sure to tell her that when she replies to my text so if she did get one just add that last? lmao

 

[browniebuck]

I have never tried goldfish with my cichlids, but I have added "rosies" to my tank and the cichlids ganged up on the rosies and killed them. Cichlids are aggressive, they will battle each other, which is why you want a decent number of them.

 

[browniebuck]

Here are some pictures (found using on-line searches...not my pictures)....
1st = demasoni
2nd = red zebra
3rd = yellow lab
4th = greberi (difficult to get good pictures of...but very pretty)
5th = socolofi

 

[deadly_legend]

shes going to want the last one the most lol, she loves purple. but thanks for the pics! i really appreciate that

 

[beaslbob]

Originally Posted by Deadly_Legend
http:///forum/post/3219865
Who here has one? and what can you tell me about them and the fish you keep. my girlfriend wants a freshwater tank because she doesnt have the money to fund the saltwater, and she likes alot of the freshwater fish. but i was just curious as to if anyone has any tips or anything for me/her.
Also, shes thinking about buying a 29g with stand that includes just about everything needed to set the tank up for $200
I have been maintaining FW planted tanks since 1979.
Basically balanced or leiden systems.
In that you start the tank with plants and let the plants take care of the tank.
I use tap water, no water changes, no filter, no circulation, common lighting, and building material type substrate.
Tanks have ran for up to 7 years with descendants from the original cycle fish. Probably would have lasted longer but I had to move around while in the Air force.
my .02

 

[flower]

I kept freshwater fish 30+ years:
Don't get cichlids, very pretty but they are the most evil of freshwater fish. They constantly kill each other off and nothing else can live among them.
Go for tetras, mollies, swordtails and silver dollars, even a Betta or guppies... at least then she can have more than one type of fish. I hated cichlids.

 

[fishtaco]

I would like to add that if she is just getting a 29 gallon tank, then do the right thing and stay away from tank buster fish like Oscars and most cichlids, plecos, bala shark, silver dollars etc.
Fishtaco

 

[ryant]

Id go with a couple africans. wouldnt suggest these in a 29, but couldnt resist opportunity to show my bruisers:

 

[browniebuck]

are those jaguar (mangaguense) cichlids??? we used to have one in another classroom (he got traded in at 13 inches), all by itself in a 90. we tried to introduce a 9-11" jack dempsey, but that poor little fella got his hind end handed to him (this was when the jag was only 7"). The jag turned out to be a female and laid eggs...we were hopeful that they would hatch, but it didn't happen.

 

[browniebuck]

Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3220552

I kept freshwater fish 30+ years:
Don't get cichlids, very pretty but they are the most evil of freshwater fish. They constantly kill each other off and nothing else can live among them.
I started with roughly 26 fish well over a year ago and still have 22 in my tank. I also have had an upside down catfish (of some sort...it was only 1-2" when introduced) that has been in the tank since the beginning...no problems.
I have also had "community" tanks, and will never do it again with freshwater...they are too boring. My cichlids are just so much more personable than any of the community stuff that I used to do (counting years growing up with them and taking care of them...about 20-22 years out of my 31 total).

 

[louti]

Definitely go with peaceful fish. I like german rams, clown loaches, rainbows, especially bosemanis, congo tetras, cherry barbs. Africans are really cool, but unless she's going to really get into them and research, she will get frustrated. There's just so many of them that are too mean.

 

[louti]

blue ram:

gold ram:

bosemani rainbow:

Congo Tetra: