setting up a beginner's aquarium

[savage1987]

I've never had an aquarium before, I'm interesting in maybe doing something just basic. What sort of initial cost am I looking at for a simple setup.

I was inspired today after spending some time at our pond watching a snail

Any input appreciated, recommended tank sizes, pump/filter setups, species to keep, etc

I may well end up deciding against it, at this stage it's just a matter of curiosity for me

Cheers
Sam

[naf33n]

you can get 5 foot tanks for $90, so for a smaller one, about 3 foot or so, your looking at under $70 bucks, a filter to suit is about $80-100 depending on where ya go, then ya need a couple of KGs of pebbles so there is another $20, ten you have to go for a walk in the bush to find some pretty rocks to make the tank look good and for fish to hide etc

then finally what ever you want to chuck in there, plus food.



ive got a turtle and they would have to be the easiest animal to look after, its lived in garden tap water for the last 12 years ive owned it and feed once a day, simply the best pet ever

[savage1987]

OK that's the new plan: a turtle. I've always wanted one as a pet, I need to know more about them though. What sort of setup, how big a tank, etc. Do I need a license to keep a turtle (may be a stupid question)?

Cheers
Sam

[faroogoo]

Australian Freshwater Turtles - Powered by vBulletin

[savage1987]

Thanks mate will have a browse

Still interested in any info/tips people might have for getting set up

[naf33n]

i have my turtle in a 5 foot tank, only cause he has grown a bit, baby turltes can live in really small tanks, and they only grow to the size of there enviroment and how much you feed them, my mate has a turle that is older then mine and is half the size, just cause of the size of the tank.

in the tank i have about a foot or so covered by a plastic shelf, so he has some where to hide, then a big rock in the middle so he can get out of the water, and the rest is just pebbles on the bottom, i use to put plants in there but they would get destroyed in less then a week, even plastic ones.

i feed it "turtle food" which is a pellet type of food, can get it from most pet shops and sometimes chuck in a gold fish, but he is pretty useless at catching fish, or just lazy.

as for a license, you need one like you need pants, as far as im concerned its only a suggestion,

[betts]

A good thing to remember when looking for an aquarium is that more water is always better. Larger amounts of water are less succeptible to outside temperature changes, nitrate or ammonia spiking, and bacterial infections. Fish and turtles will live in tanks which are not large enough to accommodate their fully grown adult size, but animals that are kept in tanks that don't allow them to reach their full size will stop growing and slowly start to deform after a certain point.

Filtration goes by the same rule as water size. You can never have enough filtration, that being said if you are only going to keep the one turtle then you could get away with having a smallish filtration system. Depending on the size of the tank an internal filter may suffice, but if you are looking at a tank of around 350L or more, I would recommend an external cannister filter.

In WA you do need a licence to keep a turtle, and will have to apply for one.
They are fairly easy to get, and I'm pretty sure there is an annual renewal fee.

Hope I have answered some of your questions

[savage1987]

Sure have, cheers guys. Looks like I'd be needing a bigger setup than I thought to keep a turtle, might have to wait til I've got my own place for that one.

[bezz]

Bear in mind turtles can live for over 20 years... definitely a long term pet.

I'm looking at getting a tropical set up when I get some time/extra money. mate of mine has a baby snowflake eel is his marine tank. Pretty much the coolest pet ever.

[cracker]

iv got a standard 6 foot tank around 300L i think... and keep mainly american/south american cichlids iv also got a 4 foot tank with 3 larger ever so pissed off american cichlids, flowerhorn, dovii and a red devil.

The 6 foot tank cost me $150 new, built the stand/lid my self for around $60-$80
its got twin 4 foot fluros which cost next to bugger all.
and i was able to get a large eheim canister filter for $150 2nd hand, which retail for around $400-$500, which works very well
iv also had very good luck with fluval internal filters iv had one for over 8 years or so, they go for around $100 new and are kick ass but take up a bit of room
heaters arnt expensive at around $20-$40

they it comes down to you really what you want, id strongly recomend you research your fish before you buy them because many tropical mainly cichlids can be redicualsy aggressive to the point where ull wake up in the morning and there will be small parts of shit left or nothing.

for a beginer id look at getting some convict cichlids, they are small hardy and very easy to breed, which is quite entertaning watching the parents care for and defend they babies, which you can later on sell back to another aquaruim.

most cichlids are also quite smart and will interact with you, some can even be trained to jump out of the water for food such as an oscar and will often sulk if they are bored or hide from you etc

have a look on the internet and go to few aquariums and decide what your after, its a fun hobby and something thats pretty cheap once its all up and running.