Sale On Aquariums

[SerenityFL]

I used to have an aquarium, nothing big, a 10 gallon tank but it was my first one and I really liked it. However, with moves and such over the years, I had to give up my aquarium to a friend.

It has been a very long time since I've had one and I've always wanted another one. And then posts started showing up here on DFC about aquariums and there were photos and talking and I just really wanted to get one again. But dang, man, that just costs so much money.

Well, today, I was in PetCo, of all places, looking for Nylabones and comparing prices on baby gates to ensure I got the better deal elsewhere, (I did), and for some reason, I do not know why because I was not even thinking of getting one yet, I walked over to the fish department.

I just happened to walk right to the aquariums for sale and found out that PetCo was having an amazing sale. They have 40 gallon tanks on sale for....

$40.

Yes!

Forty fricken dollars for a 40 gallon tank! (If you have a PetCo card.) Holy (bleep)!

Needless to say, I now have an aquarium at home again. Huge! I just need to get the hood and lights, (they were out of that size), and then, in a week or two, the fish. But I have everything else.

So, if you like aquariums and wanted another one, a bigger one or wanted to get started, go see if your local PetCo has this sale. My jaw is still scraping the floor.

[chowder]

Check out Craigslist for anything else you need like the lights and hood. We got our 55 gallon set up on Craigslist for pretty cheap. I just about gave away our little 10 gallon one that the fish totally outgrew because I needed the room in the garage for the new freezer so I stuck it on Craigslist.

[SerenityFL]

Check out Craigslist for anything else you need like the lights and hood. We got our 55 gallon set up on Craigslist for pretty cheap. I just about gave away our little 10 gallon one that the fish totally outgrew because I needed the room in the garage for the new freezer so I stuck it on Craigslist.

Well, I am getting a whole lot of rebates as well on what I purchased, (oh yes, I do fill out those rebate cards, give me my money back!), and I also have 5 year warranty, (that came with the parts), in case things break down.

In the past, when I first got a 10 gallon aquarium, I had set it all up at home and was waiting for the nitrates to build up so no fish yet. It had been just about two weeks. I was sitting in the room, watching t.v. when all of a sudden, >crack!< Sploosh!

It cracked right down the middle, not at the seams, right. in. the middle of the glass. And all 10 gallons of water came pouring out and on to my carpet. Because I bought it at the store, I got another one, free. I don't have that safety net if I buy off Craigslist. So, because of that experience alone, even though it might save money, I'm going to get everything at the store.

And pray that this 40 gallon tank does not do what my first 10 gallon tank did!

Now I have to find those old posts because I want to talk about fish and plants!

[swolek]

I get most of my tanks on freecycle or craigslist, haha, but that is a good deal for a brand new tank.

What are you going to put in it? :D

[chowder]

Well, I am getting a whole lot of rebates as well on what I purchased, (oh yes, I do fill out those rebate cards, give me my money back!), and I also have 5 year warranty, (that came with the parts), in case things break down.

In the past, when I first got a 10 gallon aquarium, I had set it all up at home and was waiting for the nitrates to build up so no fish yet. It had been just about two weeks. I was sitting in the room, watching t.v. when all of a sudden, >crack!< Sploosh!

It cracked right down the middle, not at the seams, right. in. the middle of the glass. And all 10 gallons of water came pouring out and on to my carpet. Because I bought it at the store, I got another one, free. I don't have that safety net if I buy off Craigslist. So, because of that experience alone, even though it might save money, I'm going to get everything at the store.

And pray that this 40 gallon tank does not do what my first 10 gallon tank did!

Now I have to find those old posts because I want to talk about fish and plants!

We actually got our tank itself at Petco on sale. But we got the stand, lights, hood, glass covers, filters, vacuum, etc all from the same lady on craigslist. We just went ahead and got a new tank so it would be guaranteed not to leak. I've also gotten stuff on line from 'that fish place' when they've had a sale and surprisingly gotten filter media cheap online from Walmart. Petco online often has stuff cheaper then at the store with free shipping, and you can return it to the store if you decide you don't want it.

[Porphyria]

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I don't know where I'll be living in the next few years, so I have to stick with my little five and ten gallon tanks but I'd love to have a bigger one some day! What are you planning on stocking your new tank with?

[SerenityFL]

Well, not only was I getting good deals at the store, (so much was on sale), I'm also a bit of a clean freak and my stuff looks brand new even 10 years later. I have a hard time with used stuff...except SOME furniture. (But not couches, I can't stop thinking about what may have gone on, on that couch or how filthy their jeans were or how much food they dropped on it or if they slept on it with their dirty feet on one end, greasy head on the other...I think this illustrates what I mean by "clean freak".)

What am I going to put in it. I don't know! I do NOT know what I'm doing with salt water tanks so I have to stick to fresh water. Last time I had a pleco, and red tail sharks. But, red tail sharks are aggressive. Some will tell you to get only one, some will tell you to get odd numbers. I had two at first and they fought, constantly. I got a third and that cut down on the aggression. (Do I have a magnet for aggressive animals?)

This guy at PetCo told me I could get one but only get one, (well, I know better from experience), and said that they are only territorial with each other, not other fish. Anyone know? Cause I like red tail sharks.

I'll get two plecos because they keep the tank nice and clean, (my last one was named, "Elvis"). But after that? I have NO idea! Suggestions?

My tank will look purply when the lights go in, (a blue light and white light with black gravel makes it look purple), and I have a castle and my version of LOTR rock tower. (I'm a nerd.) I have a few live plants in there, will get more. But...what should I get that would look cool in there? I need a bit of color, and I don't want them to get over 3 inches because then I just start getting wigged out. Especially the plecos. Elvis got pretty big in my 10 gallon tank and while I adored Elvis...eeeesh, he kinda gave me the willies when I had to touch him. :::shudder:::

So, nothing too big, but I don't want a bunch of tiny fish either. A little color to go along with the decor, the two plecos and the one red tail shark.

Suggestions?

[Porphyria]

Gouramis are really nice. Most are good-sized but not super big (kissing gouramis get huge so stay away from them!), and they can come in very nice colors. Dwarf gouramis are particularly striking. Bettas are also very pretty, but of course you could only keep one male (unless you wanted to divide your tank). Females aren't as bright but they can still be lovely, and you could keep a sorority (no fewer than four, with six+ preferred) of them if you wanted more than one. I don't know how small is too small for what you're looking for, but if you're looking for bright colors, fancy guppies are very nice.

As far as bottom feeders go, I'm partial to corydoras, but I'd like to have some otos at some point (unlike cories, otos eat algae if you have problems with that). What kind of plecos are you going to get? Common plecos get HUGE! I wouldn't really recommend them for anything smaller than 55 gallons at the very least, but some individuals get so big they need 125+ gallons! They can also be pretty aggressive to other common plecos. There are other species of pleco, but I don't know much about them, though zebra and candystripe plecos are really cool-looking! If you want to stay away from really big fish and you can't find a smaller pleco to suit your fancy, some species of catfish are good for algae control. Some snails are good algae eaters too.

I don't have any experience with red tail sharks though, sorry!

[chowder]

It sounds like it's going to be really nice to look at. We kind of just fell into the fish situation. My son brought home three tiny fancy gold fish in a 10 gallon (kids never move home empty handed!) so we got a big 55 gallon with lot of castles and volcano's and plants to make it all look really cool. Now we have three GIANT fish with only room for two little tiny plants with them. All the great toys we got them had to be removed to make room for the fish.

Although I do like my fancy goldfish....they have great personalities and are really friendly. But, they get huge and you can't really have a great looking tank with them.

[Scarlett_O']

Yes red tailed "sharks" should only be kept at a single fish if kept in a smaller tank.

Gouramis as well, they are in the category as Bettas and shouldnt be kept in multiples unless you are going to have LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of cover!

PLEASE if you are getting a pleco ONLY get the smaller types, like a rubber lip!! The others get FAR to large, far too quickly and shed off FAR too much waste to be kept in a smaller sized tank(ESPECIALLY more then one!) Corydoras are cool, however they are happiest with quite a few, and should be a "last addition" type fish as they are sensitive!



And please remember NO fish should be just a cleaner....thats your job, along with water changes and feeding everyone what they need naturally!

(I volunteered under one of THE top fish keepers in the US, if not the world and she taught me a TON, which Im always happy to share!)