Garage Sale Aquarium :)

[prettyvacant]

I see that someone has already made a post about the same thing...But I just have to share my experience also.

Yesterday, my neighbours were having a garage sale, since they are moving soon. I noticed an aquarium, so I went over to check it out. I was amazed at the great deal I could get. It was a 20 [acronym:f249e39651="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:f249e39651] that already had lots of nice gravel, a big rock and another ornament, a background, a filter, a heater, and the hood with a fluorescent light. All this for only $25. At Petsmart, this kit would be about $130 and wouldn't even come with decorations and gravel. So I must say, I got a good deal here.

Before setting this up, is there anything important that I should be doing? Perhaps cleaning the gravel very well, and scrubbing the sides...?

I would also like to have some suggestions on what fish I could put in here? I was thinking something different...I already own tons of platies, larger tetras, and danios in the house already.

I am really looking forward to getting started

[Meredith]

First thing I would do is take out the gravel, and fill the tank with water and a teeny bit of bleach. let it sit. Check for leaks. Also clean all the equipment with the light bleach solution, and rinse everything VERY well. I personally would not keep the gravel. I think though you could probably just rinse it very well and set it out in the sun for a while.
That was a great find! Have fun

[prettyvacant]

Thankyou Why wouldn't you keep the gravel? And how much bleach?

[fearlessfisch]

Oooh lucky you! Congrats!

[Meredith]

Its probably fine, but you don't know what they put in their water or if some kind of germ or weird disease causing thing was in the tank before. I just think there are too many places to hide in gravel and with new gravel you are assured its clean.
I don't measure out how much bleach. I filled my ten gallon up and just used a little splash, maybe a little more than a capful. Just enough bleach so you can barely smell it in the water. And rinse a bunch of times so you cant smell it at all in the empty tank. You can also do a final rinse with water and a water conditioner to remove any remaining chlorine.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by prettyvacant

All this for only $25. At Petsmart, this kit would be about $130 and wouldn't even come with decorations and gravel. So I must say, I got a good deal here.

Bah...you disappoint me....you are supposed to haggle...its a garage sale tradition...you should have snagged it for $20! :P

Before setting this up, is there anything important that I should be doing? Perhaps cleaning the gravel very well, and scrubbing the sides...?

Clean the tank well with really warm water and a bit of bleach (careful to not damage the seals), and rinse well. The gravel can be cleaned by putting it in a bucket and repeated risning and agitatation in very hot water. All other items can be cleaned with a soft, dedicated dish-brush under a stream of hot water.

I would also like to have some suggestions on what fish I could put in here? I was thinking something different...I already own tons of platies, larger tetras, and danios in the house already.

Apistogrammas, julidochromis, etc are very nice:

[BillD]

I put lots of bleach, and bleach the gravel, too. You can do them together. Putting a capful in 10 gallons is not even worth the trouble. If there any mineral deposits around the top, you can use vinegar which will soften it. It will also neutralize any bleach left behind.

[greenmaji]

I use alot of bleach.. cups even.. you can always rinse it out.. it gets the tanks cleaner faster!!!
I usually dont have merneral deposits on tanks givin to me but vinegar does work well when you have to get rid of them.. just remember to rinse well...

[Toirtis]

250 ml of bleach (make sure it is plain, unscented bleach) in 10 litres of water is plenty....you should never overuse chlorine bleach, it is very ecologically unfriendly and does a lot of damage to our waterways.

[BillD]

250 mls of bleach is probably enough for 20 gals. Any bleach that goes down your drain will be cosumed long before it gets to the sewage plant. But it is powerful stuff.