Some Advice on Startup?

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I'm hoping to be moving to a bigger place in a couple months and once I do, if I have some money lying around, I'd like to set up an aquarium. I've been doing lots of research online, but there are conflicting opinions on some things, and then there are just other things that I'm not experienced enough to know. Of course I'd like to find a good LFS to help me out, but I like to get my ducks in a row before hand and pretend I don't know as much as I do, and if a place answers questions completely and utterly wrong then I know to look elsewhere. Anyway, these are a few of my questions:

What size? I'm leaning towards the largest I can afford and/or have space for to give myself more flexibility.

What filter? I'm leaning towards a biowheel filter appropriate to the size of the tank I get from what I've been reading. However, should I also get a corner filter in addition or would that be overkill? I worked in the computer field for a number of years so I kind of like redundancy.

Planted or not? Is there a significant difference in startup cost between the two options? What's the difference in difficulty? At what tank size would I want to look into a CO2 canister over a DIY setup with 2 liter bottles?

Fish or no fish for cycling? I've read opinions supporting both. Some people seem to think it's either cruel or not good for even hardy fish that can survive it, and others don't. I'm leaning towards no fish, and have heard several methods including clear ammonia, or using fish food or shrimp. Do you just pop in a bit of fish flake every day until the cycle completes? How much do you use? If you use shrimp, do you just buy one from a grocery store and drop it into the tank to let it do its thing? How different is cycling a planted versus non-planted tank?

I know, I'm full of questions. I'd appreciate any help and thanks for putting up with me.

 

[AtodaJ]

What size? I'm leaning towards the largest I can afford and/or have space for to give myself more flexibility.

The bigger the better. Larger aquariums provide more room for error. Beginners should get the largest aquarium they can imho.

What filter? I'm leaning towards a biowheel filter appropriate to the size of the tank I get from what I've been reading. However, should I also get a corner filter in addition or would that be overkill? I worked in the computer field for a number of years so I kind of like redundancy.

Depends on tank size and type of fish kept really. If you get a 50 gallon with schools of Tetras for example, I'd get 2 Emperor 400 biowheel filter systems. If your tank is going to be larger than 100 gallons then I'd start looking into cannister filters. I do prefer the bio wheels because I believe they provide the most efficient biological filtration out there for their size.

Planted or not? Is there a significant difference in startup cost between the two options? What's the difference in difficulty? At what tank size would I want to look into a CO2 canister over a DIY setup with 2 liter bottles?

Personally I think that plants are great but for a beginner I'd take my time. Get some low light plants like Java Ferns and Java Moss. They require no extra light and no Co2. Once you get comfortable with your aquarium you can begin to think about getting more plants and upgrading your system.

Fish or no fish for cycling? I've read opinions supporting both. Some people seem to think it's either cruel or not good for even hardy fish that can survive it, and others don't. I'm leaning towards no fish, and have heard several methods including clear ammonia, or using fish food or shrimp. Do you just pop in a bit of fish flake every day until the cycle completes? How much do you use? If you use shrimp, do you just buy one from a grocery store and drop it into the tank to let it do its thing? How different is cycling a planted versus non-planted tank?

Lots of questions in there. Many of them can be answered by simply searching this forum. They have all already been asked.

I prefer no fish cycling. That gives you the most control and spares the fish from any amateur mistakes on your part. Get some clear ammonia. I don't like using shrimp due to the bad smell. Cycling a low light planted tank is not different from cycling a non-planted tank.

hth

 

[JM]

Well, a lot of these questions depend on you. Size of the tank depends on a couple factors. First of all are your going to have enought room for a large tank, second is cost, and third is what type of fish do you plan on getting. If your are looking to get large fish you are obviously going to need a large take, but if not you can stay smaller. I prefer larger tanks because it is easier to maintain water conditions in a larger tank. I like Penguin filters with the bio-wheel and then of course you will want to get a model that is appropriate for the size of your tank. Planted or unplanted is also something that depends on you. I think that planted looks much better and more natural, but it is more work and more money than unplanted. I prefer cycling without fish. There are many methods of cycling as you have mentioned in your post. You can also buy a cycling agent at the LFS that will cycle your tank within days. Holefully this helps a little.