AquaCulture 55 gal. aquarium

[manbearpig]

Me and my wife are wanting to buy this aquarium set:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3363264

I was wanting to know if it is a good aquarium for a beginner, and if that price is decent for what you get.

thanks,
jason

 

[src]

In my opinion, you are better off buying the pieces individually. The kits usually come with a very cheap (read "not very good") set of accessories. Any money you save now will be spent later replacing the cheap junk with something decent.

For one thing, get a good filter, such as an Aquaclear. The "cartridge" filters leave you throwing away your good bacterial culture every time you need a fresh filter.

 

[manbearpig]

I called our local petsmart, about 45 mi. away, it's the only pet store within a 50 mile radius, and they have 55 gallon tanks, with the hood and lights for $120. could I get a good filter and heater for $40?

is this the filter you speak of?

Filter

Heater

I figure 2 of these since the aquarium is 4 feet long, one at each end, or do you suggest just one at one end or in the middle?:

Bubble stones

and I can get an air pump at wal-mart with 2 outlets and 2 check valves for $10

of the things listed, is this a good start?

also, how long should I let a tank this size run before I add the fish to it?

 

[src]

I never said you could replicate the setup for less money, but you could pay a little more and end up with vastly better equipment. The filter and heater you linked to are both very good choices.

When shopping at PetSmart, take printouts of the online store's prices with you. In-store pricing is much higher, but they _usually_ will match their online prices.

As for how to start the tank, go to the "Getting Started" forum and look at the information on "fishless cycle".