Recommended Equiptment And Price Range

[BiGBlak]

First off i would like to say i love this forum i recently got hit with the fascination of keeping an aquarium and i have already had a few threads asking silly newb questions and no one has bashed on me for that and you all are respectful so thank you . thumbs2:

In this one i would like some of you guys experience like what you Recommend for a beginner fresh water tank ( what works well for you and your fish?). brands i should look into, brands that i should stay away from. necessary and unnecessary addition to the tank what type of filter/ heaters how many air pumps/ water pumps im just trying to stay in what ever a reasonable budget to get my aquarium running when i purchase all the necessary items im not trying to buy stuff i dont but think i need coming off of no experience so i would appreciate it and im planning a 55gal by the way:help:

[MCHRKiller]

As far as the tank itself pick up a 2nd hand one if you can or just buy the tank itself, "kits" are hardly a bargain when all of the equipment is junk. I would personally advicate a canister filter for your application, without knowing your intended stocking or what you want to do with the tank I will recommend the XP2 and XP3 by Rena, choose the later if you intend to have a higher bioload. But of course you can never have to much filtration.
XP2
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XP3
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As for a heater goes, Im a big fan of Hydor Inlines...they are more efficient at heating your tank than standard models and they keep some of the junk and clutter out of the tank. You would need the 200watt 5/8"
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If you want to have live plants or just show off your tank under a good light, I would definatly look into the Current 108 watt Freshwater HOT5
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Of course you will need a test kit,
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If you choose the Rena Canister, you will need to buy some additional biomedia...id go ahead and get 3 boxes as the quantity discount makes it worthwhile...not to mention that would probably give you enough to fill an entire basket for just biomedia.
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Arguably the best water conditioner on the market:
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Also if you wanted live plants, Flourite is a great substrate:
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[rookie]

good advice jenn good luck bigblak

[HeatherB]

My advice- silly as it sounds.

SEVERAL NETS! Different sizes. I use a brine shrimp net (usually white) to take stuff (uneaten food) off the top. Then I have a large net I like to use for catching. Much easier to catch them in. And then a smaller net I use for whatever. Also good when I can never find a net that I want!

A PYTHON! the most wonderful thing I ever spent money on in regards to fishkeeping. You hook it to your faucet and it drains and refills your aquarium from you sink. No need for buckets, fishwater in the mouth etc. I loved it for even 10 gal. tanks, so no idea how people with huge tanks still do buckets.

BIGGER IS BETTER! Get the biggest tank you can afford, and then some. It is so much bettter in terms of stocking fish, easier to deal with problems, more room for fish/plants/decore etc etc. I wish I had bought, like a 30 gallon instead of a 10 when I first started.

A GOOD BOOK! Even though this site is the best ever!!! thumbs2: I still like and refer often to my Freshwater Aquariums for Dummies book. Wonderful resource and I highly recommend it!

[korith]

Think first thing you gotta do before even spending any money, is to figure out what kind of fish interest you, read up on them, then you can get an idea of what sort of tank and filtration you'll need to keep them.

I'm a fan of finding used aquarium deals on craigslist, you end up getting a lot of extras (nets, chemicals, hoses, pumps, buckets, etc...) all the little stuff that ends up costing a fair bit when added together. Just have to take a good look at the tanks and make sure they are in good condition if going the used route. If buying used worthwhile asking to see the tank filled up, just so you can see if there are any leaks. Good time for finding used tanks too, a month or two into the new year, all those aquariums given as xmas gifts start showing up.

[i_am_511]

Its a good time to buy tanks also i think because alot of people have filed there taxes and maybe have upgraded to a larger tank. I know i sold a 75 gallon with alot of extras monday for $275

[BiGBlak]

Think first thing you gotta do before even spending any money, is to figure out what kind of fish interest you, read up on them, then you can get an idea of what sort of tank and filtration you'll need to keep them.

I'm a fan of finding used aquarium deals on craigslist, you end up getting a lot of extras (nets, chemicals, hoses, pumps, buckets, etc...) all the little stuff that ends up costing a fair bit when added together. Just have to take a good look at the tanks and make sure they are in good condition if going the used route. If buying used worthwhile asking to see the tank filled up, just so you can see if there are any leaks. Good time for finding used tanks too, a month or two into the new year, all those aquariums given as xmas gifts start showing up.

FISH IM INTERESTED IN
Blue Johanni 78d ph 8.0
Electric Yellow 73-82d ph 7.2-8.8
lepard ctenopoma 79-82d ph 6.5-7.0
Marlieri Cichlid 72-82d ph 8.0-8.9
koi angel (74-80d f ph 6.5-6.9
african butterfly (8-12 ° dGH. Ph: 6.5 to 7.0. Temp: 77-82 ° F (25-28 ° C)
convict cichlids
black knife ghost
thats what ive been looking at for a 55 gal tank i know all of them cant go in alltogether but i should be able to pull of the majority right ?

[Garrett]

Ehhh, some of them.

You'll definitely going to want the higher capacity filter though, if your loadout is going to based on most of those.

I have to echo the 'buy it used'. I got my tank and lighting setup for $25. The light bulb was a marine frequency, so it colors the water a little bit weird, but the tank was in great shape and the plants still grow, so I'm not complaining. It's amazing how much stuff people have in storage and are willing to get rid of cheap.