Plants? Fish?

[FritzScoot]

Hello, I my freind Dustin told me to ask how I could setup a tank here. I really like his plants tank and the fish he has. I dont know how big my tank is or what I need. He said this is the basics

Tank
Substrate (he said he has some stuff)
Heatr
Filter
Lights

I think I am missing something, please tell me all the stuff I need.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

use the calculator on this site to get the size of your tank, that will be helpful when sizing components you will need. These are the main things you will need but they can be narrowed down and there are certian specifications for each one depending on what type of tank you want, where the tank size will come in handy, example: I have 2 40 watt bulbs in a 40 gallon aquarium which means I have 2 watts per gallon.

 

[loganj]

Length x width x height and divide by 231. That'll give you the tank size...or use the calculator. What kind of fish do you want to keep? That will determine some of the equipment you'll need. It will also determine what your water parameters need to be.

 

[Guest]

I think I am missing something, please tell me all the stuff I need.

A good beginner book! Not to give you a hard time, but it's good to get a book or two that covers the basics of aquarium keeping. I don't have specific titles for you, but your lfs, library, or bookstore should have plenty of beginner type aq books, or maybe your friend could loan you one. Having the basics down before you buy anything, or even touch your tank is the best way to go. That way you can avoid many of the very common mistakes made by newbies. (Believe me, I sure made my share of errors when i started!)

 

[d9hp]

I agree on the book, I think I can loan you one of mine. I think I can build you a hood, all you need to do is fork out the dough. Go to www.liveaquria.com and see what kind of fish you like. Just dont look at cichlids, although they are pretty I doubt the tank you have is big enough.

 

[Vanilla Magilla]

please tell me all the stuff I need

I found that patience is a big factor. Letting the water cycle, letting the fish get acclimated, was hard for me. I am still in the learning process and picked up Aquarium Owners Guide by Gina Sandford from the library it has some good info on setting up a tank. Have fun with it.