fish tank

[homer15]

hey everyone,

my lady has asked me to construct a fish tank to meet certain specs. while the construction of the case is pretty easy, what i don't know about is what else needs to go with the tank. normally, a fish tank has an air pump, right? how exactly does that work? where does it sit, etc? what all will i need?
this is going to house just normal gold fish, or maybe some of those fighting fish... just the basic ones you can get at walmart or anywhere.

[Blakhart]

Best bet is to buy the typical 20 gallon set with everything in it....

[Mr N8]

You need an air pump and a water filter. These usually just go in one of the back corners. If its fresh water, you will want a testor for Ph and nitrate.

As for the fighting fish, only put one in a tank. They will kill each other if there is more than one.

[homer15]

so i should put two in there periodically for entertainment? hehe, just kidding.
so the air pumps and water filters are fully submersable? and they run on just normal 110v ac?
oh yea, the specs on the tank will be LWH 7"x7"x4 1/2

[HAL9000]

Air pumps are generally simple little diaphragm pumps that sit outside the tank... all you really need them for is to aerate the water (keeps lots of oxegen in the water).... a sure sign that there isn't enough oxegen in the water is when fish start gulping air from the surface.

There are some filtration systems that use air pumps. Basically, the rising bubbles cause a current in the water making it flow thru the filer material. Other kids of filters use a magnetically driven impeller to drive the water instead of air bubbles.

Something else to keep in mind, Goldfish are cold water wish, Siamese fighting fish are tropical fish, they live in different water temperatures. While they can survive in the same environment, you have a somewhat unhealthy environment for one of the types of fish.

Another point... whatever you start with... start with inexpensive fish as chances are, when you start, they WILL die.... a natural eco balance must be started in the tank from feeding and the fish "doing their business" in the water. It's best NEVER to drain a tank completely for cleaning, but rather remove no more than 50% (35% is typical) of the original water or you will disturb this balance and fish will die. It's not as hard as it sounds, but can be disturbing to somebody first starting out. Same applies for large filtration systems (half gallon and larger filter containers)... never replace all of the filter material... in this case, keep about 25% of the original "dirty" material.

I had an aquarium for about 5 years.... now that you mentioned it... just might think about setting one up again when we move into the new home.

edit... LOL... I see you're talking a rather small tank

[homer15]

so with these specs, will this
filter and this air pump work?

[Panama Red]

When I had my Aquariums years ago, I progressed from the side mounted tank filters with filter medium to any under-gravel filter with a silent pump mounted in the tank. Did a much better job of keeping the water clean. Only additive I ever used was a decholoinating agent (follow the bottle directions). Hal is right, you are better off not mixing gold fish and tropicals. Tropicals are more expensive and a little more sensitive, but much more colorful. After your tank has stabilized (2-3 weeks) you may want to consider buying a Plecostemus or Chinese algae eater. These are great for cleaning the sides and bottom of the tank. Read up on the Siamese fighting fish. Unless you want to keep buying other fish as food for them, I'd stay away from them as well as Oscars. fwif

[Force Flow]

Originally posted by Mr N8 As for the fighting fish, only put one in a tank. They will kill each other if there is more than one.

Lol, they are called "fighting fish" for a reason.

What are the dimentions of a 20 Gallon tank, anyway?

[doctorgonzo]

I have a 20 gallon tank, at it was about a foot deep, two feet wide, and about a foot and a half tall (approximately). 20 gallons is 2.6 cubic feet, so I guess I am close.

[Force Flow]

Oh, so that is pretty small.

So about how much can a tank 5x2x3 hold?

[David14259]

If you are having tropical fish, you may need a heater as well. There's stuff called 'Stress Coat' at the petstores, get a bottle and put some in your water...it's got directions of how much/how often. It really helps the fish make the transistion to different water types.

[homer15]

actually, i was looking at neon tetras. they have a really wide range of temperatures they can survive in (68-74*F i think).

[David14259]

You don't have to have just neon tetras ya know. You can mix and match. Just don't buy any Angel fish...or those chinese fighting fish.... The pet store people should be able to tell you which will get along. Most freshwater tropical fish can be kept together. I had a 20gallon tank for a couple years with 10 or 12 different kinds of fish.

[homer15]

actually, come to think of it, my lady used to work in a pet store. why i don't just ask her these questions is beyond me. maybe next time i will think a little bit more, sheesh.

[David14259]

I also suggest: Fantail guppies, most tetras are good, swordtails (I think thats what they are called), also get one of those sucker fish to keep your tank clean....

Try not to get any fish that are a whole lot bigger than the rest....

[Mr N8]

If you don't want a "cleaner" fish, snails work well, too. They are more durable than the fish are, so you won't have to invest in a lot of them.

As far as what fish get along, if you do go to Wally World, they have info on all the fish. Usually its located on the top of each tank, and it tells the temp range, and what their temperment is. It is a lot more effective than trying to find someone there who knows anything.

The Siamese Fighting Fish will most likely be called a Betta in the fish store. If you want one, they live just fine in any sort of fish bowl (or whatever you want to call a fish bowl) without any filtration or air pump. They are great as a low maintenance fish.

[David14259]

Yeah, snails work, but they tend to rapidly reproduce...you'll start with one or two snails...but soon..... hundreds... especially if you have live plants for them to lay eggs on!

[Floppyman]

Don't skimp on the equipment-- you might regret it later. For instance a cheap heater could overheat if the thermostat goes south, which in turn your fish will do also then. If you need some suggestions let me know, I'd be happy to point you in the right direction. I had a 10 gallon tank, and just recently until I moved to college a 30 gallon tank-- both were freshwater.

Here's a great place to buy equipment from (have dealt with these guys on a number of occasions):

www.petwarehouse.com


Oh yes, and don't stick two Beta males in one tank. They'll fight each other until one dies. (You probably knew this already though).

[HAL9000]

.... and when it comes to Guppies... throw one male in with three or four females... and you'll never get rid of the damn things

[sdkfz]

OK to the size question: (LxWxH)/231 = gallons

I am putting a special room into my house being built to support a 48x24x25 = 124.675 gallon tank (1040 pounds of water)

First 1 gallon water = 8.34 (about) so you will need a real stand for anything over 10 gallons and one that is still sturdy and secure for anything under.

Goldfish get big and keeping them in a bowl or anything less than a 20 gallon is cruel. Also goldfish are messy and not a good starter fish contrary to what most people say.

If you want small and easy look at fighting fish if you live in a year round warm climate (inside the house is 75 degrees ALL year) and paradise fish if it get colder than that. Both breathe air and you can actually drown these fish.

If you can try loooking at www.marineland.com and the exclipse tanks, they have several sizes and they are pretty easy to maintain. Just remember, the bigger the tank the easier it is to maintain and do not over crowd any size tank.

Finally, fish like to eat lots of tiny meals, in nature food just does not happen at a feeding time that you set. If you can feed them several times in a day but no more food than they can eat in 2-3 minutes you will have less trouble.

Anyone know a good reef tank forum, we are going to venture back to salt water, the last time I had salt was 75-79 and things have changed a lot since then.

[Floppyman]

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/

[sdkfz]

Addendum, I just realized you are in my old stomping grounds (pretty much)

My first job was at Albany Aquarium on San Pablo Ave just north of Solano Ave, that was a good store, but it has been a long while since I have been there,there is also wet pets in el portal shopping center that were pretty good too. Both are bit of a drive for you but might be on the way on a commute.

You best bet when it comes to buying fish is find a store that sells just fish, If they can not keep them going then they get into other things to make a profit.

[sdkfz]

thanks floppyman, I'll have alook at that as soon as I can get something for work fiinished

[Penguin]

The best and cheapest place to order on-line for pet supplies is www.thatpetplace.com

The best filter for a small or really an size tank are the Aqua_Clear filters. The only media you need to change is the Carbon, and you can get carbon in a bio bag that will last you 6 months. All you would nee to do is take the filter sponge out every couple weeks and rinse it out.

If you have any questions I can probably help.

HTH

[onyx]

Homer15,

Is your tank 7"x7" x 4 1/2 INCHES, or 4 1/2 FEET? Because if it is inches, the only thing you will be able to keep in there is (maybe) one Betta, or 1-2 guppies, or possibly 1-2 neon tetras. It is way too small for goldfish. Also, you will find you can't heat it, because any heater sold is too big to fit in it safely.

Just would hate to see you go to the work of building it, only to end up with something that is not a suitable habitat for keeping your fish alive.

[homer15]

ok, so it would be at room temperature.
but i would still need a filter and a air pump, right?

[Floppyman]

Unless the room will be at a constant temp 24/7 (room temperature), you will need a heater. Even if this is the case, I would still suggest you still get one. It will make sure that the water stays at a constant temperature. An airpump is not really necessary unless you need it to drive a filter such as a UGF (undergravel filter). Check out the Aquaclears Penguin suggested. I have used both the 150 and 300 model and they work great. How big is your tank again?

[homer15]

7x7x4 1/2 INCHES. it's not a huge bowl, just something to fit on a small desk.

[sdkfz]

that will hold .687 gallons, typical sugestion fish amounts are 1 inch of fish per gallon......

[homer15]

at the most, i could extend it out to 10x7x4 1/2... what would that be? and what conversion are you using? i found a site that wanted me to convert from cubic inches to cubic centimeters then into gallons, but it came out to be like 20 gallons... i know it's not right, but i followed their stupid conversion process.