My daughter wants a clownfish I need help!

[gmford1979]

its really not that hard. like everyone else is saying, listen to people on here. they aren't trying to make money off of you. your Live Fish Store (LFS) is going to try and sell you all kinds of crap that you don't need.
second, don't cycle with damsels. take my word on it. bad idea. that $3 fish will kill $300 worth of fish. stay away from damsels.
Good Luck

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by NigerBang
Thats what I was thinking......4 months....Call Guiness for the world record cycle..

Well...4 weeks when you've done it before.

By the time you've read, bought your set up, actually "set" the tank up, and started the cycling...
Time and patience...as we all know, more 1st time tanks have crashed due to rushing the set up/ cycling time.

 

[eugenez_21]

This is not to hard just takes a LOT of waiting. WARNING: once u start there is not a end its very addicting trust me.

Lot of fun and beuty

 

[rabbit_72]

Yes, very addicting it is to have salt water tanks. We have 2 display tanks and 2 quarentine tanks. It is so much fun. But I had done freshwater before. I don't see too much difference. Just do proper testing and proper cycling and you'll do fine. feel free to email me if you want help starting out! Always glad to help!

 

[jacrmill]

the more patient you are, the less problems you'll have, every time. If you are only doing this for your daughter, I would buy her a movie that has goldfish in it, so you can get some goldfish instead of a Nemo. But if you think it is a hobby you will enjoy than go for it.
The only problem is, if you dont enjoy this hobby you won't put in the necessary preventative maintenance. then you will have more problems than you should and the tank goes from something you didnt really care about but did for your daughter to a giant money pit and an huge headache.
overall it is not that hard. and if you ever run into something difficult, just post it here.... I would hate to see how this hobby ran without boards like this, I bet people had to read actual books.....like in print

 

[vpotts28]

#1 The very first post on this forum titled "A list of extremely helpful..." will help you more than any question you can have in this thread.
#2 I am starting to believe this hobby is more addicting than heroin. Your daughters want clownfish, but YOU will want much more. But it is extremely fun and exciting, and its a great lesson in life for your children.
#3 I cycled my first tank in 13 days, and six months later it is doing GREAT. It will never take 2-4 months to cycle a tank. Remember to read, read, read. And have patience, these aren't goldfish, but they have 100x more personality and you won't regret this. Heck maybe your kids will turn out to be Dr's with a PHD in marine biology.
4)As you have seen in your first post, be a skeptic, don't believe everything you read. Ask a lot of questions and find the middle ground, there are alot of opinions in this hobby. And as we all know opinions are just like.......we all have one. Do trust the most experienced aquarist, you will know it when you talk to them (I'm not one of them).
Welcome to the boards, this site has taught me everything, and I am grateful for it. You will find a wealth of knowledge here. Good Luck.

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by eugenez_21
This is not to hard just takes a LOT of waiting. WARNING: once u start there is not a end its very addicting trust me.

Lot of fun and beuty
sssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~ we're "fish hobbyists"

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by Vpotts28
#1 The very first post on this forum titled "A list of extremely helpful..." will help you more than any question you can have in this thread.
#2 I am starting to believe this hobby is more addicting than heroin. Your daughters want clownfish, but YOU will want much more. But it is extremely fun and exciting, and its a great lesson in life for your children.
#3 I cycled my first tank in 13 days, and six months later it is doing GREAT. It will never take 2-4 months to cycle a tank. Remember to read, read, read. And have patience, these aren't goldfish, but they have 100x more personality and you won't regret this. Heck maybe your kids will turn out to be Dr's with a PHD in marine biology.
4)As you have seen in your first post, be a skeptic, don't believe everything you read. Ask a lot of questions and find the middle ground, there are alot of opinions in this hobby. And as we all know opinions are just like.......we all have one. Do trust the most experienced aquarist, you will know it when you talk to them (I'm not one of them).
Welcome to the boards, this site has taught me everything, and I am grateful for it. You will find a wealth of knowledge here. Good Luck.

This is awesome advice~

You should make this into a "ten commandments" of the saltwater hobby.(I am serious too

)
And, yes we all have own hallowed opinions, definitely trust the "masters"(neither am I

) Welcome aboard, and good fishing