I want to start my own fish tank, where do I start?

Question

I want to start my own fish tank, but I don't know where to start. What do I need? I'm planning to get a 20 gallon tank.
Should I start with a freshwater tank or a saltwater tank?
What kind of fish should I get? Where is the best place to get this stuff? How much will it cost me?

I need a lot of help.

THANK YOU.

Answer 1

you can get a 20 gallon at walmart with hood, light, decent filter, heater -- i think its about 75 dollars. you need something to put it on -- thats a minimum of 30 bucks. a twenty gallon tank weighs about 180 lbs so you can't just put it on a cheap bookcase. then comes gravel, plants, water conditioners, meds, the list goes on.

i get whatever i can at walmart. i don't buy fish at walmart. i have a few goldfish and am mostly a betta addict. i find them to be more personable.

most people set up some kind of community tank --

you can do brackish with mollies, platies, swordfish
you can do cichlids -- either african or south american
you can do peaceful tropical with things like schools of fish, angelfish, gouramies. rasboras, tetras, danios, the list goes on.

i would start with freshwater. saltwater is a lot harder to keep. and about 4 times the price. -- you need specialized equipment for everything.

you can put together a really good freshwater community tank if you do a lot of research and don't just blindly buy fish from the local pet store.

Answer 2

I would just go to your local chain store. A Wal-Mart or anything of the like. Stick with freshwater if this is your first time. I wouldn't pay a whole lot or buy really expensive fish your first time out either, most people screw up a time or two, and it's better to have a few ten cent goldfish floating on the water than a 50 dollar angel fish.

Don't go overboard buying really expensive rocks or anything. Basically pick up something cheap. Small colored rocks can be bought for about a dollar a pound. And any figurine that is weighted will do for the decoration.

Also seriously consider using a heater and filter. Both can be found for about 10 dollars. The filter will cut down how often it has to be cleaned (cleaning big tanks is a pain) and the heater is necessary for things like sucker fish, which will die at room temperature.

Answer 3

First, you might want to consider getting a bit larger tank. Ten gallon tanks are pretty hard to establish and maintain and you can't really keep very many fish in it. I use to keep a male betta in a community tank of 15 gallons in my bedroom. I kept about 8 neon tetras and a couple of albino corydoras in there also. I had the tank heavily planted with Java plants and Amazon Swords and also a few large (size of a small hand) natural rocks. I had it filtrated by a waterfall filter box hanging off the back of the tank and kept a heater in it also. Sometimes I would get my air pump out and add a bubble line in because the fish seemed to enjoy it. I did 10 to 20 percent water changed every one to two weeks, cleaning the gravel at the same time with a hand held vacuum/syphon and used a good quality dechliorinator/water conditioner when adding water from the tap.

Answer 4

Most of the big pet stores have starter kits which includes the filter, the hood with an incandescent bulb, and of course the tank itself. The best tank to start with would be fresh water. I would start with Mollies, platys or guppies. These are hearty fish which means they survive in the worst conditions of water. One rule of thumb is that you can never have too much filtering. Along with the filter that comes in the kit you might want to look into an under gravel filter. The more filters you have, the cleaner the water. A 20 gallon is a good size to start with. Your sales person at the store can inform you of other things you might need. I started with a 20 gallon and then graduated to a 55 gallon. Still keeping with the freshwater theme. The prices on the supplies might vary from store to store. To do it right, you should plan on at least $100, again depending on where you get your supplies.

Answer 5

I recommend start with a freshwater tank. Go to your local family owned/ privately owned pet store. They will be more helpful in starting out. I would start out with tetras, goldfish, guppies, mollies, gouromis etc.... Make sure you let the tank establish for about 3 days before adding fish. Make sure you have something sturdy to hold the tank. youll need the tank and hood with light, a heater a filter, rocks, decorations. If you would like I can send pictures of what my 29 gallon looks like. Just email the request. Whatever you do don't go to walmart, petco, petsmart, or petland to buy fish or fish stuff. And remember depending the size of the fish you can only have 1 medium size fish per gallon or 2 small per gallon. You also want to research the fish to make sure they are compatible before you put them in a tank together.
Talk to your local petstore they will be very helpful.

Answer 6

go to your nearest pet store they can help you or go to wal mart buy a tank get the chemical called srart right and one called tape water safe for fish start with like 2 or 3 fish and you should be good but a little addvise fot every gallon you take is say you have a 10 gallon tank you can have 10 inches of fish so if you have a 10 gallon tank and buy a 10 inch fish you cant have any more

Answer 7

Research everything.

A freshwater tank is easier to maintain than a saltwater tank.

The fish for freshwater are cheaper (less to loose if one or more dies).
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New tropical fish buyers and seasoned hobbyists alike get excited about new fish. They can’t wait to fill the tank or add some new specimens to an existing system. And rightly so: It is fun to bring new pets into your life. But take your time. Before you fill the tank and start introducing new inhabitants, there are preparations to be done.

Believe it or not, soap or other cleaning agents should never touch the inside of the tank, so put that aside right now. Place the gravel, rocks, and ornaments in the tank and, with a clean bucket or hose, start filling with a mixture of warm and cold water.

If you’re using good old fashioned municipal tap water, you’ll need a product to de-chlorinate. This should eliminate chlorine and chloramines, a combination of chlorine and ammonia; it’s something your fish feel pretty strongly about. Some of these products also remove heavy metals, which could be present even if you’re using chlorine-free well water. The folks at the water plant work hard to make the water good for you, but you have to make it good for your new fish.

After the tank is filled, start the filter and activate the heater. Today’s heating units make it easy. Set the heater to your target temperature and turn it loose. If the light’s on, the heater’s on. Simple enough. Even so, always check the heater’s activity against the thermometer.

If there is an existing tank that is in good condition, use some of that tank water to introduce bacteria into the new one. If none is available, there are products on the market to initiate bacteria and biological activity in the tank.

With the impressive science at work in today’s products, it probably isn’t necessary, but as long as you’re planning ahead, give your tank a day or two to reach a constant temperature and a stable water quality. Patience works well in just about every rewarding experience in life and maintaining healthy pets is no exception. Get your tank ready properly, add fish a few at a time and your new friends will get along swimming.
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Setting Up Your Tank: An Inside
Job
When it comes to the equipment that goes in your tank, it takes a lot more than pretty fish to keep things looking good. Filtration is imperative for the health of your pet. Clean water is a big deal to us and we mostly use it for drinking and bathing; imagine how important it is for the little fellow that lives in it his whole life. Power filters hang on the back of the tank and offer good filtration, aeration, and easy maintenance.

Canister and wet/dry filters both offer similar performance and maintenance, but they sit under the tank and are not visible. These filtration systems use bio balls for bacteria growth and filter mats, charcoal filters and other devices to keep things **** and span. Generally speaking, the fish don’t have much of an opinion on which you use as long as the water’s clean. Talk to your dealer for some advice for your specific tank or bowl.

Tropical fish don’t just need love and clean water, they need warmth. Choose a quality, reliable heating unit that is strong enough to maintain a good tank temperature. A good rule of fin is three or four watts per gallon of water. A ten-gallon tank, for example, would need a 50-watt heater to be on the safe side.

Other great items for your new tank include a hood and light, gravel (about one to one and a half pounds per gallon), a thermometer and some type of background. Background paper not only looks nice, but makes your fish feel comfortable. (Isn’t it amazing that we know this stuff?)

Pick up a couple of ornaments, some plants, a net and some fish food and you are on your way to a great tank and a lifelong hobby.

Answer 8

The very FIRST thing you should do is, get a good fish or aquarium book. Not one that just describes a tank but one that details what to put into the tank as well as the fish to get.

Then make your decision. !!

Answer 9

Freshwater is fine.
Let the water stand for a day to adjust to room temperature and get all the calcium out.
Stones (small) for the bottom $10.00
One or two figurines ($15.00
A couple of fish ($10.00)
Usually the tank kit comes with everything you need ($80)

Clean it about once a month.

Answer 10

Go to Wal-Mart and buy a starter kit. It comes with a tank, filter & sometimes even a book.