New to this and have some questions

[straick]

I'll be honest, I'm going to try an experiment, but would like to see if anyone knows the answer first.
Does anyone know if water "raining" down through an aluminum(I've heard that copper is toxic to fish) radiator back into the tank kill fish? I'm asking because I want to do both a computer cooler and aquarium in one. If that would kill the fish, then I'll just set up a standard aquarium, if no one knows, I was thinking of getting some feeder goldfish to try it out(they do have a rather short life to begin with, and if it doesn't kill them, then they'll have a nicer life than otherwise). Also, I'm not even sure how well I'll succeed at keeping fish alive, but I am pretty decent with plants.
As of right now, I have an air pump, air stone, some hose, and a 10 gallon tank.

Now for the fun questions. I know that you have to change the water partially routinely, let the entire tank settle down(can't remember the name for it, but it has to do with ammonia I think), and be sure to feed them. Do you need a special light for fish, or will regular incandescents serve fine? Also, how do you clean a tank(I'm used to the pressure washer method of cleaning)?
And(I like to build and repair things), do you need a special sealant if the seem of a tank leaks, or will regular silicone work? Also, is the acrylic cement toxic to fish after fully curing?
To give you an idea, I want to set this tank up on the same desk as my computer(liquid cooled, but the coolant will never make it into the aquarium) to give me something to look at besides just the computer screen.
I know, some weird questions, but I really don't want to do something knowing that it will kill something else if I can avoid it.

 

[kc2ped]

Does anyone know if water "raining" down through an aluminum(I've heard that copper is toxic to fish) radiator back into the tank kill fish? I'm asking because I want to do both a computer cooler and aquarium in one.

If I am following this you want to water cool your computer and then run tank water over the radiator to dissipate the computer heat into the fish tank? It doesn't sound like a good idea to me since there is no way of regulating how much heat you will be adding to the tank. And goldfish are cold water fish so probably don't need their tank heated if it is indoors. I wonder what the effects of being in a constant rain storm would be on the fish. Fish that normally live in fast running water in rocky streams, like hillstream loaches, probably wouldn't mind it but fish with sensitive hearing would probably be stressed by it.

I know that you have to change the water partially routinely, let the entire tank settle down(can't remember the name for it, but it has to do with ammonia I think), and be sure to feed them.

Partial Water Changes are performed to keep the tank water parameters within bounds. Ammonia will kill the fish so needs to be dealt with. This is done by bacteria which convert the ammonia into nitrite which is also toxic to fins but to a lesser degree than ammonia. Another set of bacteria will convert the nitrite into nitrate which is even less toxic but still needs to be kept in check. Partial water changes remove the nitrate that is building up. This is called the Nitrogen Cycle and you can read about how to establish it before adding fish to your tank by searching the forum for threads on a fishless cycle.

Do you need a special light for fish, or will regular incandescents serve fine?

If you are not planning to have live plants I don't think the type of light matters all that much, but incandescence produce a lot of heat which you probably won't want. Fluorescents would be a better choice and, if you can afford them, LCDs are the coming thing. But how will the light get into the tank through the radiator and plumbing for the rain.

Also, how do you clean a tank(I'm used to the pressure washer method of cleaning)?

Cleaning is an ongoing process. You need a filter to do it. There are different kinds (sponge, internal, hang on back, canister, etc) to fit all needs and budgets. You will also want to clean the substrate periodically so some kind of aquarium vacuum is a good idea. Also, don't use anything in the tank that has been used for household or automotive cleaning or has otherwise come in contact with soaps, detergents or other chemicals.

And(I like to build and repair things), do you need a special sealant if the seem of a tank leaks, or will regular silicone work? Also, is the acrylic cement toxic to fish after fully curing?

Silicone is what we use on tank seams these days (used to be tar). Not sure about acrylic cements.

To give you an idea, I want to set this tank up on the same desk as my computer(liquid cooled, but the coolant will never make it into the aquarium) to give me something to look at besides just the computer screen..

it is generally recommended that fish tanks be set up in low traffic areas and away from sources of vibration like TV/stereo speakers. So placing a tank on a table where you will be sitting, kicking the legs and pounding the keys may not be the best place for it. The fish can see out of the tank and will respond to what is going on around them. High strung species may get spooked when you reach for the phone or spin around in your chair to go answer the door. My tank is 4-5 feet away from my computer and if I move around too quickly some of the tetras run for cover.

 

[straick]

I've been doing a lot of thought, and am not going to do what I was originally planning, I'll cool the comp other ways to avoid the risk of the comps coolant getting into the aquarium. I'm assuming that car antifreeze, even in small amounts, is toxic to fish, and I really don't want that headache.
The aquarium will still get setup, but it will be isolated from the comp.