Tank selection help?

[NHnewbie]

I have a very small house and want to start a small aquarium. I was considering an All Glass 7 gallon Bow front to start but by the time I have bought everything I would spend as much as a 12 gallon Aquacube ($113.95). Can an Aquacube be used for freshwater? It seems a nice self contained system. Any advice?
Thanks!

[mom2reds]

I have never used one myself but i dont see why it couldn't. What kind of fish are you planning on putting in it?

[NHnewbie]

Well, probably some neons, platys or mollies and an auto cat or 2.
Or maybe just some guppies. I don't know much about brackish water fish so I thought to start small.
I had a tank years ago but so long ago I don't remember much.

I thought the lights on the Aquapod might be too much for fresh water and was concerned about algea. And if it's set for salt how do I make use of the bio chambers for freshwater?

[mom2reds]

Otos can be very sensitive fish so I would hold off a while on them and they like lost of plants. With only 12 gallons you can't put a lot of fish in there. I don't know alot or really anything about brackish water fish Out of the fish you mentioned mollies are the only ones I know that can take very much salt in the water. I hope someone else can help you out with this. Be sure you do your homework on it and to cycle your tank.

[NHnewbie]

Thanks for getting back to me. I don't plan on doing brackish. My take on that is you need a bigger tank since they are so territorial. I was going small. Maybe something small that likes to school so there is movement. Or guppies since there tail makes it seem that way. I will plan for a while before I spend the money. Does anyone know if All Glass is out of business?

[theotheragentm]

All Glass shouldn't be out of business. They make the tanks for PetCo or PetSmart. I don't recall which one.

As far as schooling fish go, larger tanks are preferable. If you get a 20-gallon long, you'll be better off. If you don't have the room, I would pass on schooling fish unless you want Nano Fish.

Guppies would work in a 12-gallon.

[QTOFFER]

It seems that AllGlass has changed their name to Aqueon, and has started selling filters, food, and accessories in addition to tanks. I think they are still owned by Oceanic. I recently bought a 15 gal Aqueon tank.

Anyway, I once owned a 7 gal minibow complete with glass lid and fluorescent light for which I spent about $70. Unfortunately, I thought that the bowed glass grotesquely distorted the fish as they moved. It was like viewing an aquarium in a funhouse mirror. I just found the distortion too distracting. Perhaps the bow effect is just better suited for bigger tanks (40+ gal). Also, the minibow tank took up the same amount of space as a 10 gal. I'm sticking to rectangular tanks from now on.

I can see the appeal of those compact systems, but boy do you pay a premium for them! You should be able to get a 10 gal tank with glass lid for about $30, or a 15 gal tank/lid for about $50. Add $30 for a flourescent light, $25 for a good HOB filter, and $15 for a heater . I think you get more tank for less money if you buy quality components separately. Of course, it doesn't look as sleek as an all-in-one system, but the tradeoff is a slightly larger tank and some money left over for substrate, plants, fish, and food.

As far as stocking, guppies would be good. So would a small school of cardinal tetras, neon tetras, or harliquan rasboras. If you can find them, Endlers livebearers are very pretty fish too. These fish all stay small - one inch or less. The general rule of thumb for such small fish is one per gallon.