Poll: Marineland 29, aqueon 36 bow, custom or other?

[Bobrummel]

Doing research on what is the best inexpensive tank build to purchase for a smaller community tank. I have looked at the Marineland 29 gallon kit, the aqueon 36 gallon bow front, or putting my own 29 together piecemeal. I have about $150 to spend, so depending on the kit, I may have some room to upgrade a kit if needed.

If I go with a custom build, I was looking at the following equipment:
29 gallon tank
Aqua clear 50 power filter
Aqueon 100 pro heater
Marineland day/night LED hood
(Pretty basic stuff)

So, shout out your opinions! Thanks!!

 

[fish wrangler]

I have the TopFin 29 gal kit. Only thing I have replaced is the light bulb, light ballast, thermo, and heater (after 2 years). I upgraded the thermo so I didn't have to use the strip one it came with.

I know it isn't one you mentioned, but it maybe a good option.
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[candymancan]

I have the TopFin 29 gal kit. Only thing I have replaced is the light bulb, light ballast, thermo, and heater (after 2 years). I upgraded the thermo so I didn't have to use the strip one it came with.

I know it isn't one you mentioned, but it maybe a good option.
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Basicaly you bought a kit and had to replace everything lol.. Doesn't sound like a good deal to me.. I have 20 year old fish tanks that have the original equipment and still work..

Top fin is a good brand though so im a bit surprised..

I wouldn't get get the Aqua clear filter... look up reviews of those things.. they lose power over time.. something with the impellers on those filters.. Plus there expensive... If you want a good filter and a quiet filter.. I would get a Top fin Internal Filter.. the 40g version.. I am slowely replacing all my HOB filters with these internal filters... they suck up debris just as good as normal filters with those tubes that go in the water and they are much quieter... by far much quieter.. and they act as a power head too..

Look it up on petsmart... top fin internal filter.. I have the 10-20 and 40 version all are quiet.. The only problem I can see with them is you don't have the space HOB filters have to put something inside.. The 40g version does but not the 10 or 20g one

http://www.petsmart.com/fish/filter...ternal-filter-zid36-20868/cat-36-catid-300088

 

[fish wrangler]

The original light and ballast lasted almost 2 years of being on for 12 hours a day. For a kit i didn't have to replace everything right away

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[candymancan]

Yea my lights are on 12 hours a day as well and for 15-22 years on my Hex and 30g... My Tank came with a kit as well.. a Marineland filter, and some no name T8 light fixture.. which im still using... 2 years is absolute crap.. Im not hitting on you.. just saying 2 years 1 by 1 is pretty sucky.. Very POOR quality

 

[aqua_holic]

Doing research on what is the best inexpensive tank build to purchase for a smaller community tank. I have looked at the Marineland 29 gallon kit, the aqueon 36 gallon bow front, or putting my own 29 together piecemeal. I have about $150 to spend, so depending on the kit, I may have some room to upgrade a kit if needed.



If I go with a custom build, I was looking at the following equipment:

29 gallon tank

Aqua clear 50 power filter

Aqueon 100 pro heater

Marineland day/night LED hood

(Pretty basic stuff)



So, shout out your opinions! Thanks!!

For $150 you can get yourself a good used setup with quality components. I don't know why anyone buys new tanks, but I'm glad that they do because that allows me to buy used for a third the cost. For $150 you can get a 55, which I would suggest.

 

[candymancan]

For $150 you can get yourself a good used setup with quality components. I don't know why anyone buys new tanks, but I'm glad that they do because that allows me to buy used for a third the cost. For $150 you can get a 55, which I would suggest.

Im going to agree with this man... If you get a 29g tank... what are you going to use for the stand ? Remember you need a stand too. And your not going to buy a new 29g tank and stand for $150 at a petstore.. youll spend like $250 for that.

I suggest going on craigslist, looking at used fish tanks.. I have bought 2 tanks on there.. I got my 55g which was only 3 years old.. with the stand, and the heater and a Penguin 350 biowheel filter and lights for $120.

I also a week ago bought a 44g Pentagon with stand, and glass top and a Quad Power Compact (like a T5HO) light with 2 heaters (broken filter) for $100.. The only thing is once you buy these tanks you just gatta clean them up a little. Use a bleach/water sdolution and scrub with a sponge.. but it saves you so much money..

New tanks are so overpriced

 

[Bobrummel]

For $150 you can get yourself a good used setup with quality components. I don't know why anyone buys new tanks, but I'm glad that they do because that allows me to buy used for a third the cost. For $150 you can get a 55, which I would suggest.

I have been looking for something used, but haven't found any deals like what you've mentioned yet. Maybe it is because I see they are asking about the same as what I would pay new, but in reality, it is nicer equipment?

I don't think that I have room for a 55. I don't need a stand either. I have a shelf/bar that I am going to put the tank on, so I don't have that expense

I'll look into the other filter. I'm new to researching tanks! Keep the opinions coming!

 

[aqua_holic]

Sometimes you have to wait for a good deal to come along. But when you see one you have to act FAST!

Asking prices are just that - asking prices. No doubt there are a lot of people who think they can recoup the cost selling the tank, but the only way that's possible is if you buy used - you can sell a tank for the same price you bought it when you buy new. Sometimes more if you got a really good deal.

Buying used items is pure negotiation. If they are asking 200 that means they will take less. It's common to ask for more than you expect to sell it for. At 200, you can offer 100 and meet at 150. If they start at 150, you would offer less than 100 and settle on a price less than 150.


Some people give away crap equipment with a used tank, just to dump the stuff on someone. Other people sell their tank with the quality components they bought for the tank. Really depends on whether they are getting rid of the tank because they are getting out of the hobby or moving, or if they've just upgraded the tank.

 

[Bobrummel]

Ok, I might have a line on a used tank. I think it is currently In use and housing fish. Do I need to clean it? How? Can I use the filter to seed my new tank?

What are the rules for using a used tank in a new setting? The fish and tank look pretty good in the pictures, but I am not taking the fish as they are not toddler fun fish.

Where is the "best" place to look at reviews of filters? I got the name of the filter I was going to get from a beginner article often quoted here on the board, but maybe the quality has declined since the article was written

Sorry about all my random questions. I've been feeling a little lost and confused by my new fish adventure!

 

[aqua_holic]

I don't do anything more than clean the tank with hot water and paper towels to get a tank ready that's in use when I buy it. I remove the substrate and usually toss it because I don't like it. Most important thing is to keep the media wet from the filters. It's the media that keeps the fish alive.

Best place to get filter reviews is right here on the forum. The problem with reading the product reviews is you don't know how long the product has been in use at the time of the review. Who cares if it's still great after a month, you know?

 

[candymancan]

Post the link of the tank and well tell you if its a good deal or not. Like someone said some people who sell their tanks.. Think they are going to get all their money back.. No one is going to buy a 3-4 or 10 year old 30-40-50g tank for $200.. And like someone said usually these people will give you all the equipment.. The lady who I bought my 55g from for $120 gave me the lights, pump, filter, air bubble pump and nets and so forth..

My 44g Pentagon for $100 he gave me everything as well including like 4 power heads filter, the quad light, and heaters and nets and air pumps... Of course this time unlike the 55g all the crap he gave me didn't work, except the heaters and light but that's ok

As for cleaning the tank, obviously drain it take the rocks out and put them in a bucket.. or throw them away if you want new rocks. To clean the tank when you get home what I do is set it in the front yard get the water hose out and bottle of bleach and I fill the tank like 1/3 of the way and pour half the container of bleach in there.. then I get a sponge with the soft side and scrubby side and I scrub the walls using the bleach solution in the tank., scrub the bottom.. scrub the top plastic parts and the outside glass.. then I let it sit for like a couple minutes.. then I tip the tank over gently and drain the water and with the other hand I spray the entire inside of the tank to get all the bleach water out.. Then spray the rest of the tank to get the bleach water off.. Then I bring it inside the house and fill it up.


Btw don't SCRUB the seals.. just the glass

If your going to reuse the old rocks.. I suggest you actually put those rocks in the tank when your cleaning the tank with the bleach solution and give it a good swirl.. Badically you are disinfecting everything.. make sure you clean the rocks good of the bleach though.. Then when you fill the tank up I use 2 capfuls of prime, and then put a handful of food in the tank and let it cycle for a few weeks before I add any fish making sure the ammonia and nitrites are gone first.

As for the used filter.. toss the old filter pads out and buy new ones.. and just wash it in the kitchen sink with hot water and sponge.. NO SOAP


This is how I cleaned my 55g and my 44g pentagon, I just got this pentagon with 2 heaters and a QUAD lamp for $100 like I said, I reused the old rocks too as I liked them. I washed everything just as I described above.. even the gravel.

 

[aqua_holic]

I always get a kick out of how paranoid people are about other fish tank. Completely sterilizing the tank, including tossing the media, is all well and good if you've got your own cycled media to replace it with....but to destroy all the beneficial bacteria of the established tank that was just purchased just to have to spend a month re-cycling the tank is not the best tactic to take, unless you want practice cycling a tank.

If the tank needs a cleaning then by all means give it one - that's the best opportunity to do it. But the tank doesn't require a cleaning simply because you didn't previously own it....
Don't toss the media unless you have your own cycled media to replace it. It's just unnecessary to have to start all over when all the hard work has already been done.

 

[Bobrummel]

Well, I'm thinking my line on the used tank is not going to pan out since they haven't called me back yet.

Aqua-holic: I was just going to ask about throwing the media away, but you beat me to it! I was thinking, "but wasn't I going to buy seeded media from someplace? Hey wait! I just did!"

I am worried about disease from other tanks and from other fish. Unfortunately, I don't have one tank, let along a QT, so I guess I'll have to be wary of where I buy the fish and hope for the best

I may end up buying an aqueon 36 bow front kit because it is on sale for Halloween for $99. The filter is not as big as I have read is suggested, but it is a nice price and will probably be good enough for me to decide if my toddler and I want to peruse fishes further.

Then again, if the Marineland goes on sale, I might buy that one too and/or if I find a good deal on a tank by itself, I could custom build one with all the parts that I want....decisions, decisions!

 

[aqua_holic]

I don't look at anyone's tank on here and think that they are disease ridden cesspools.... Haha I would hope no one thinks that of my tanks either You're no more likely to have to deal with disease from buying a used tank than you are from buying a fish at the store.

 

[candymancan]

I always get a kick out of how paranoid people are about other fish tank. Completely sterilizing the tank, including tossing the media, is all well and good if you've got your own cycled media to replace it with....but to destroy all the beneficial bacteria of the established tank that was just purchased just to have to spend a month re-cycling the tank is not the best tactic to take, unless you want practice cycling a tank.

If the tank needs a cleaning then by all means give it one - that's the best opportunity to do it. But the tank doesn't require a cleaning simply because you didn't previously own it....
Don't toss the media unless you have your own cycled media to replace it. It's just unnecessary to have to start all over when all the hard work has already been done.

First of all usually when you buy a used tank its already drained.. both of my 55 and 44g were dry as a bone.. Second... Why would I not sterilize the tanks ? Would you honestly want some kind of nasty parasites to get on your fish ? What if you were to put discus in the tank and they suddenly catch something from the other owner of the tank... Both my 55 and 44g were nasty... I mean really nasty.. the owners never cleaned the gravel or filters and it had dried up mineral deposites, slimy filters and pumps.. I don't think so lol..

 

[aqua_holic]

I've bought about 20 used tanks, many of which were still running when I got there.

That's exactly my point - the assumption that everyone else's tanks are full of nasty parasites. I've honestly never sterilized anything. I wipe the tank with a wet paper towel.

Like I said, if the tank looks disgusting and the fish look sick, then that's one thing. But I don't assume everyone else's tanks are full of disease just because they aren't my tanks, because they aren't. Fish carry disease, not fish tanks. You can go through all the trouble of sterilizing your tank only to just introduce what you were trying to prevent when you stock it.....

 

[Autumnsky]

I love my Aqueon tank I bought it not new but from someone who bought it from someone and neither ever used the tank.

99 sounds great. If you need another filter you can always add one. 36G is a great size for a smaller community tank, 46G would be my first choice because you can do so much with that size.

The way I use to clean a used tank depends on how dirty it is, light dirt I would use baking soda and white or apple cider vinegar to clean it. I love playing volcano with it!!! Makes cleaning fun! New or fish only sponge.

New or fish tank only, mr. clean magic eraser cleaner. If it is bad I use a razor blade first. Always do a water check for 24 hrs on the tank. Have fun!!!

 

[aqua_holic]

According to msds magic erasers are perfectly safe for fish tank use - there are no chemicals at all. I've even heard of people using them in a full tank.

 

[Autumnsky]

According to msds magic erasers are perfectly safe for fish tank use - there are no chemicals at all. I've even heard of people using them in a full tank.

They are basically little very fine sandpaper blocks and work great on almost everything. (make sure you wet down before use on anything which could scratch like the wood finish painted trim or it can scratch it)