Oh man this was supposed to be a cheap Hobby

[Aquatic Delight]

Hey guys and gals!

I'm from good ole San Antonio Tejas. I've always had pets in my life dogs cats, fish, gerbals, Sugar gliders and so on.

A little over 2months ago i realized that i was going to have to give up my Sugar Gliders because i just couldn't care for them they way that they deserved. and i began to think about what low maintence pet i could get to replace them. I thought hey i had fish once and they were pretty easy, just throw a bunch of food in once a day and change out the water. pretty simple right?

Haha! that idea ended when i realized that i hate the way fake plants look in a tank.

in the last month i've basically spent more money getting this tank set-up and running than i've saved not having my gliders. I think i'm howevering around $400 dollars in the last 30 days on my tank LOL! i can't help myself its so shiny and i want it.

I'm a student of the try it and see what happens school. so far most of it has worked, but its only been a month.

but anyway I'm in my last semester of culinary school, I enjoy working on cars and playing/watching sports, and most outdoor activities.

I can't wait to know what i'm doing lol

[Daximus]

It doesn't have to cost a ton, but it can depending on what you are looking for. If you simply want a functional tank to grow plants and fish...that can be quite cheap regardless of size. If you want an work of art, then you can spend a fortune.

Example:

Fluval Edge: Style wise this tank is a work of art (room centerpiece). ~$125 for a 6 gallon tank.


Tetra Aquarium Starter Kit: Style wise this tank is all function (kinda fugly). ~$25 for a 5 gallon tank.



I give you this example not to belittle Edge owners, but simply to demonstrate the aesthetic costs of the hobby vs. the functionality costs of the hobby. The two get confused a lot. I LOVE the Edge, I want one. That said, both of the above listed tanks will grow plants and hold fish. One could actually make the argument that the Tetra setup is better equipped to do so. The filtration is better (my opinion) and the lighting system is easier to upgrade for plant use (add a 10 watt CFL for $2).

Many things in the hobby are like this. Nothing wrong with either one, just the cost of form vs. function in most cases.

PS: If you can avoid buying anything with the word "aquarium" stamped on the box, you will automatically save 50%, lol.

Welcome to TPT!

[tetra73]

Because it costs money, a bit more, to keep live plants alive.. Fish does not care about algae or not enough light or not enough ferts. As long as you do regular water changes, the fish is happy.

[BillyL]

You're not alone ..

[GeToChKn]

Originally Posted by Daximus

It doesn't have to cost a ton, but it can depending on what you are looking for. If you simply want a functional tank to grow plants and fish...that can be quite cheap regardless of size. If you want an work of art, then you can spend a fortune.

Example:

Fluval Edge: Style wise this tank is a work of art (room centerpiece). ~$125 for a 6 gallon tank.
Attachment 43676

Tetra Aquarium Starter Kit: Style wise this tank is all function (kinda fugly). ~$25 for a 5 gallon tank.
Attachment 43677


I give you this example not to belittle Edge owners, but simply to demonstrate the aesthetic costs of the hobby vs. the functionality costs of the hobby. The two get confused a lot. I LOVE the Edge, I want one. That said, both of the above listed tanks will grow plants and hold fish. One could actually make the argument that the Tetra setup is better equipped to do so. The filtration is better (my opinion) and the lighting system is easier to upgrade for plant use (add a 10 watt CFL for $2).

Many things in the hobby are like this. Nothing wrong with either one, just the cost of form vs. function in most cases.

PS: If you can avoid buying anything with the word "aquarium" stamped on the box, you will automatically save 50%, lol.

Welcome to TPT!

Buying used, asking online on craigslist and kijiji for free old stuff or cheap stuff has gotten me everything in my sig for well under $1000 and I have which is outdated now I think. lol. Setting up a 20gal I got for free. Needed a good cleaning but came with aquaclear filter, light, the works.

If I buy a used canister, I fill it with bbq lavarock and plastic pot scrubbers. $4 to fill a canister or $100 in fancy biomedia.

CFL bulb, $2, aquarium plant bulb, $10
48" hardware store bulb, 2/$6. 48" Aquarium bulb, $40 each.

It goes on and on but if you are frugal, take your time, you can get lots of deals. I've bought boxes of misc stuff online for like $20 and ended up with like 4 aquaclears, air pumps, heaters, decorations, all kinds of stuff.

Most of my stuff though has been posting ad's just saying, anyone have any old aquarium stuff sitting in their basement they don't want and want to give it a good home where someone will use it and enjoy and I get all kinds of replies.


Anyways, welcome, enjoy the hobby and if you need anything, post in correct sub-forum and someone may be able to offer help or a cheap alternative.

[Aquatic Delight]

thanks guys.

yeah i tend get over excited and buy the first thing i see. i spent about $200 of that getting my tank up and running and the rest on fish, shrimp and plants lol. but i am happy with the way it looks now, just a couple minor things i need to make all my guys happy( more hiding places for shrimp and such)

but now i am learning i need research what i want buy first because its not as simple as i remember when i was ten.

[Daximus]

Originally Posted by Aquatic Delight

thanks guys.

yeah i tend get over excited and buy the first thing i see. i spent about $200 of that getting my tank up and running and the rest on fish, shrimp and plants lol. but i am happy with the way it looks now, just a couple minor things i need to make all my guys happy( more hiding places for shrimp and such)

but now i am learning i need research what i want buy first because its not as simple as i remember when i was ten.

Yea. It's never a bad idea to run new "ideas" past the folks here...chances are someone has tried it, lol.

[Aquatic Delight]

great i have none of my own original ideas lol ;-)

[NWA-Planted]

Originally Posted by Aquatic Delight

great i have none of my own original ideas lol ;-)

thats right its part of TPT group consciousness, group brain you get it haha! its actually kinda handy cause then you don't potentially try something that was a bad idea

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[allegoriest]

I am king of the OOOO SHINY~ syndrome. Stupid shiny things. ;__;
Go to alamo aquatics for some cheap plant. Come home with another angelfish.

And you're going to have more tanks. Trust me. You will. *despair*

I'm going in a nano direction, and, it seems to cost nearly as much. Somehow, it's also making me laaazy, which is kinda bad for small tanks. I'm pretty sure my doggies take less actual energy from me than the fishies. D:

[Aquatic Delight]

Oh i'm full of bad ideas lol

[Aquatic Delight]

i just spent the last hour on craigslist looking for people giving away tanks! i want to get my invert tank up and going. i'm hoping this guy i ran into at elegant reef will be calling me soon with his 55 gal i want.

These guys are taking more of my time than my sugar gliders did! and my cat hates me now cus i give my fish more attention than i give him.