Buying aquarium need advice

Author: Discipulus_Didicit

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#1
Discipulus_Didicit
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I have been debating between getting a huge aquarium or a cat for quite some time and after months of consideration have decided to go with the many times more expensive and less useful option where everything going horribly wring is much more likely, the aquarium.

The problem (well, the main problem anyway) is that II have no experience whatsoever in the purchase or care of fish outside of what I remember from a few guppies my family had in a small fishbowl as a child. Any advice or links to useful websites for such a project would be appreciated. If this topic garners interest from a number of users I'll even upload a few pics/video clips of the work in progress.
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#2
Discipulus_Didicit
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Help
#3
Speedrace
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@Discipulus_Didicit

I dunno why you thought I had an aquarium though lol
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Tagging random people
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#5
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Lol do you?
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#6
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@WaterPhoenix
You have the word water in your name...
#7
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I can't offer specific advice but my brother had one once. Be careful of the fish you're having cohabit the same space. He introduced a new fish once and suddenly he had two fewer fish the next morning.
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@Discipulus_Didicit
Don’t over or under feed your fish. I’ve had little fish, and really there isn’t much needed to take care of them

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#9
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@warren42
"I can't offer specific advice"

Goes on to immediately offer highly useful advice 
Classic warren.
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#10
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@Vader
really there isn’t much needed to take care of them
#1 reason I wanted fish or a cat instead of a dog or something lol.
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@Discipulus_Didicit
Haha well I can't help with like what species not to put together or anything
#12
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Clean the tank often lol
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#13
Discipulus_Didicit
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So according to speeds link just about everything is toxic to fish. Good to know...
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I just had a conversation about best breeds of certain animals... The best breed of fish is a Maine Coon. They don't even need an aquarium.
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@Discipulus_Didicit
It's one of those hobbies where you get enthusiasts and then you get people who splash out a lot of dosh only to quickly loose interest. I would suggest you chat to some enthusiasts and decide if you're really one of them.....The good thing about cats is there's not a whole lot of water management involved....Nonetheless, keeping  animals needs to be a 100% commitment, so just don't go there on a whim.

I have a dog, and I also a tortoise I found about 30 years ago.....Now, if you want an undemanding pet, look no further than a tortoise.
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#16
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@zedvictor4
All good advice not just for pets but life in general. What kind of dog? if you don't mind me asking... My parents have two dogs (a bullmastiff and a bullmastiff/someotherbreed) and a turtle (very different from a tortoise but similar) and your post reminded me of them.
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@Discipulus_Didicit
A Cairn Terrier, Jack Russell cross.....Yep a tortoise is less demanding than a turtle.....Had a cat until recently, but won't replace him, as I have now come to regard  cats as having a negative impact upon small mammal and songbird numbers.

A word of advice gained through experience......Never use "spot on" flea or worm treatments on dogs or cats.
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#18
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@zedvictor4
I have now come to regard  cats as having a negative impact upon small mammal and songbird numbers
Had a few as a kid so I know what you mean, regular little serial killers they are. We also had a pond around back and I can assure you small amphibians had just as much to worry about as the mammals and birds =/

A word of advice gained through experience......Never use "spot on" flea or worm treatments on dogs or cats.

Can I ask why? Just doesn't work?
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@Discipulus_Didicit
Daren't say too much as I might get sued. And for the record this is only a personal opinion based upon limited circumstantial evidence.

But,  just research systemic pesticides and relate that to the high incidence of pancreas and liver tumors,  especially in dogs.

Very few dogs seem to make it beyond 8-10 years anymore.
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@Discipulus_Didicit
No but my mom got us a dog
#21
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@Discipulus_Didicit
I don't know much but my brother had a 55 gallon tank for years and years and I had a boyfriend who had several big tanks

  • start small- 10 gallon.  Even if you plan to go bigger you will need a good small tank for cleaning/fish separation etc
  • introduce fish one at a time with six week intervals
  • too much cleaning is as toxic as too little
  • stable tanks are  seldom flashy
  • flashy tanks are seldom stable
  • fish won't fight so much if they have different territories/ecosystems

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#22
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@Speedrace
No but my mom got us a dog
Basically the same thing.
#23
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Lol
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#24
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@oromagi
Some of that is stuff I never heard before/thought of. Thanks for the post.
#25
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@Discipulus_Didicit
my uncles digged themselves a koi pond at their old house an have big ass fish tanks in their new house

best advice i could give is do research on the fish ur buying cuz they might eat eachother
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@Discipulus_Didicit
idk i've never had an aquarium cause my parents would kill me if i brought a pet home. but always make sure you're giving both fishes enough food and that you always have a neighbor or something feeding them if you go on vacation. my neighbor forgot to feed their fishes and one of the fishes literally ate another one. also, make sure to spruce up the interior so that the fish don't get bored and stuff and make sure to thoroughly research the types of fish your getting and their preferred ph level and water temperature.
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@Discipulus_Didicit
If you're new, start with a tropical freshwater tank. Don't try plants unless you're committed to it. This is mostly because powerful plant lights are a great way to have uncontrollable algae. To save headache, just use plastic plants and a less powerful light not meant for plants. (Also keep the tank from the window. Window light will create an algae problem too.)

Make sure your fish are compatible, and make sure your tank is spacious enough to accommodate the full size of the fish you buy. Many fish stores will sell you an initially small fish and won't tell you that they can grow to be a foot long or more, so do your research before buying.

Also, make sure to create a bio-filter in the tank, (or create a base of bacteria). You can buy bacteria at the store to put in the tank and speed up the process, and this works just fine, but if you don't want to spend the 10 dollars just put a small amount of fish food in the tank and wait for 3 days for the bacteria to populate it. This is ESSENTIAL. Without doing this, ammonia will build up in the tank and it might kill your fish.


#28
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Also, Oromagi's advice is mostly right on except for the "introduce fish one at a time" thing. That's not necessary if you have a solid biofilter.
#29
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#30
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@Barney
Okay maybe I will get a fish tank and a cat. I am sure that could never go horribly wrong in any way.