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new member with a few questions

3K views 27 replies 7 participants last post by  SinCrisis 
#1 ·
What's up everyone? Just to introduce myself, my name is Adam, and I am a "noob" so to speak when it comes to fish; I recently purchased a 5 gallon eclipse tank for my single male Betta, Spoch. Anyways, I have a friend who is selling a 29 gallon Top Fin tank (believe that is the name), and I told him I would give him 75 bucks for it. It will come with everything, including all of their plants, heater, cleaners, etc., that they have been using. Only thing is,I dont know if I am getting a good deal for sure; I think i am. So what do you guys think? Also, I want to put a rainbow shark in the tank if I do get it..... what fish are compatible with them, and for those who have one, how big is yours?

Thanks in Advance,
Adam
 
#4 ·
welcome to the forum. As for the deal it depends on what equipment hes running. For example, if hes already running a canister filter, that alone is over 50 dollars so your definitely getting a great deal. Also, it might be good to check the condition of his equipment since if it all wears out in a month and you need to rebuy all that equipment, it may not have been that good of a deal. Also, you amy be a "noob" but gettinga 5 gallon for your betta is a move far above what many betta keepers do for their fish so, kudos for great betta keeping.
 
#5 ·
Thanks, I appreciate the fact that keeping the betta in a 5 gallon tank does not go unnoticed. I started out with a terrible apparatus, called a betta cube, which pet smart sells, but I could not stand to think of how uncomfortably small, and UNFILTERED, it was. The next day I brought it back and purchsed the 5 gallon tank, which he loves; this makes keeping the fish that much more enjoyable for me. As for the equipment in the tank, I do not believe it is new, and unfortunately, I am pretty sure its old; although, it seems to be working great. I have checked it out a few times. After a quick search, I am not sure I understand what the canister filter is. My aquarium, which is the first one I have owned, has everything under the hood; so maybe this is the appropriate time to use the noob label.Haha. Also, I still need to purchase a stand, and would like to keep my betta in my room under the larger tank, so if you could offer any suggestions in that area I would appreciate it.
 
#6 ·
Hello and welome!! I give you a kudos as well on the 5 gallon for spoch!

As for the $75 for a 29G with equipment.....unless the equipment is fairly new (which you said its not), or you are getting a canister filter like Sin said....I would look around on craigslist...you'd be amazed at what you can find for almost the same price. You could find maybe a 55G with a stand for that price. I agree that you should check out the equipment s/he has to offer and weigh your options.

Check craigslist, it can't hurt!!!
 
#8 ·
Craigslist is the best. I got my 60 gallon aquarium with everything for $60. Just wait it out and see what comes up. With regards to the 29 gallon, you can buy a brand new 29gallon with everything from walmart for $100.
 
#9 ·
Wow, yeah I already found a very nice 45 gallon, with a stand, and canister filter included for only 150.00...... I really appreciate the insight everyone! I am really excited about getting in touch with this person, and getting this deal done! haha
 
#11 ·
Yeah, always remember to bargain a little, whats the worst that could happen? get a "no". and if that's the case, I'm sure you'll find another good deal no there, look at how soon you found that one. =)
 
#13 ·
how does this list sound; he sent it via e-mail

Yes, the stand comes with it. Stand, tank, light, glass tops, and canister filter (Complete Setup) I will try to get some pics tonight for you if you really need them. The stand is not homemade-it is store brought from Petsmart, as was the tank. The light is a normal output T5 Coralife 2 bulb strip light, and the canister filter is a Marineland Magnum 350.
 
#15 ·
saltwater to freshwater requires extensive cleaning i believe. However its do-able. As for equipment, i wuld ask for brand and age. Although the 150 is already an excellent deal for a tank with stand, i spent over 200 buying my 46 from petsmart with stand, its good to know what your getting in advance and knowing what oyu may need to spend more moeny on to replace. For example, the light could be too small for the tank and restrict you from buying certain plants, or the bulbs in the light are worn out and need to be replaced, or the fixture itself may burn out if its over 6 or 7 years old, etc.

I don't know how much your willing to spend but if you had to rebuy equipment, it will add up really quick. The stuff i needed for my tank was easily twice as much as what i spent on just the tank and stand.
 
#16 · (Edited)
The picture displayed on craigslist shows a saltwater set up, so I would have a lot of cleaning and rerinsing to do before getting it up and running. I am willing to spend the money in order to make any repairs to it as long as they are not outrageous; any run of the mill replacements are fine with me. The only concern I have is the canister filter, for i have never used one before.
 
#17 ·
I have always used a canister filter. If the canister filter does not have a bio sponge in it. You can buy one at a pet store and add it to the front of the water flow to your tank. You never rinse this because it has good bacteria that the tank needs. Or you can ad any sponge that will fit in front of the filter cartridge. I have a canister for a 75 gal. tank for my 55. gal. tank. It is always good to go bigger then you need in filters. I have a 4 filter cartridges for that tank. I change them once a month at the beginning of each month. I only put a new cartridge in the back using 2 new ones. Moving the back filter cartridge to the front and using it twice.The cartridge in the front gets thrown away because it was used for 2 months now. This saves money on filter cartridges. The canister filter That came with my 55 gal. tank had 2 filter cartridges I never opened the new filter and bought a better filter for a bigger tank. I bought a 55. gal. glass tank complete with hood,light, filter, heater at Walmart for $124 but that was awhile ago. I sold the canister filter unopened new on craigslist for $20 I was able to buy a nice new bigger one at Pet Supplies | Dog & Cat Supplies, Pet Meds | DrsFosterSmith.com Pet Products on line. They have the best prices over pet and local fish stores. The filter cost me only $33.99 it's a Bio System power filter it had a Oxy surface skimmer also but I took that out as fish were getting caught in it. If your filter has 2 cartridges I would rotate the filter cartridges and just replace 1 with a new one. The next month just throw out the older cartridge you put in that way you have good bacteria on the older filter pad and saves you money. I heard someone else on the forum that does the same thing. Check out the above web site really good prices.
 
#19 ·
saltwater setups often have equipment thats usually not used in freshwater tanks i believe. Also the salinity is kinda risky for fish. The canister, if was used for saltwater tank will need ALL of its media replaced. You will need to do a fresh cycle with brand new media. Moreover any tubing will need to be replaced since you cant know how much salt is left inside them. If it comes with gravel or sand those will likely need to be replaced as they will be saturated with sand and even cleaning ti will not ensure that the salt is gone. Many people avoid moving from saltwater to freshwater because its a hassel. Any water pumps short of just a a fan underwater sould be replaced, however most freshwater tanks dont need pumps so thats not a big deal. Thermometeres can be washed and heaters should be washable. Also if it was a saltwater tank, you will need to run salinity test before your cycle begins i believe so that adds to your cycle time.

Perhaps its a good opportunity to start a saltwater tank.
 
#21 ·
yeah, I am really interested in saltwater tank, and if i did one i would stick with the fish only for a while, with some live rock (i think this is what a fish only tank consists of?). i posted another thread asking what I would need to add or change with the current set up I am looking at (posted in the saltwater aquarium forum)
 
#22 ·
You got some good advice here on your next tank purchase, but a few things i disagree with......First a canister filter is not really all that complicated............Water goes in, goes thru your filter media and back into the tank.......Spending alot of money on a Fluval or Eheim (Both very good filter)s to me is just throwing extra money in your tank.......Rena makes an XP series canister filter that i have been using for years, with absolutely no problems....They are alot cheaper than the other 2 previously mentioned.........Second, you can take your old filter media and put that in your canister to help jump start the cycle in the new tank.......It will be quicker and easier for you......Third, someone mentioned about replacing your filter media in your current filter...............The only time i would replace media in a HOB type filter is if it is literally falling apart...........Rinse your media in old tank water (water from a water change) and place it right back into the filter.............Replacing the media is killing off alot of the good bacteria in your tank, if lightly stocked, it probably wouldnt matter, but IMO why take the chance, plus your not spending money on new media every couple weeks.....Fourth, turning a tank from a saltwater setup to freshwater is not a big deal..........Done it with no ill effects on the fish i put in it...............A very good scrubbing with a mild bleach solution (NO Soap or detergent) will take care of it.......My suggestion would be to place the tank upsides down accross a picnic table and keep rinsing till you see nothing coming out but crystal clear water.........This allows anything trapped in the seams to run down the side of the tank..............Hope some of this info you found useful....
 
#25 ·
Sin, do you own a canister filter?...........Do you know how to recharge the media?..............PLace in old tank water with salt in it and soak the media in it............This helps prolong the life of the media and allows detrius to flow out easier.........Replacing the saltwater media might not be the answer, depending on what type of media it is, but there is really no need to throw it away, unless it is falling apart............Re-using media from a saltwater setup will have no ill effects on the tank, as long as the media is not saltwater specific and was recharged properly......
 
#27 ·
i have been using the warm saltwater treatment for years and it has saved me a ton of money on filter media...I do this for the phos-ban, ammonia remover, and the nitro zorb media, when i have them in the filter......I just run the sponges very lightly thru it, give it a couple squeezes and put it to the side.........Your right on the ceramic rings,,,,,,,those would continue to leech salt back into the tank.....how much and would it affect the fish.........hard to say.........I usually use bio-balls instead of ceramic, just for that reason...............Most saltwater setups dont usually use a canister filters, so i think this doesnt come up often..........I have converted 2 tanks from salt to fresh and have had nothing happen in either tank...one has been setup for 3 years and the other for over a year, if something was gonna go bad it would have by now.......
 
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