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I have been thinking recently of ideas for pets, 'cos my hamster just died (v sad, can't talk 'bout it without crying!), and one of my options is fish. I love my m8's fish, they are so cool, and I would like some of my own. (This is only an idea, but I would like to research it first). Unfortunately, I have apsolutely NO clue whatsoever about fish etc, so I really need help! This is where you fish guru's fit it! Please could you tell me exactly what I'd need to set a tank up, what fish to get etc. Also, links to any good sites would be welcome! Thanks, Mimi. (P.S. Please don't talk to me in fish terms, I will have NO idea at all what you are saying, thnx!)

I guess I will try to start you off then.
Im still newish to this hobby myself, so if i go first, the others can correct me if im wrong.

First off, start with a larger tank. A lot of people start with 5 gallons (and some stores are even selling 2.5!) but there isnt a lot you can keep in them, and the water conditions can fluctuate a lot, stressing your fish, and makeing them more likely to get sick.

A 20 gallon is a good thing to start with I think, since it isnt so big that you sit there and wonder HOW you are going to clean it.

Keep in mind that setting up a tank can be an expensive proposition, but once the initial money is spent, it will actualy cost you very little. A jar of food can last a year, if you dont have a lot of fish, and water conditioner lasts forever too. The only thing that you will have to buy on a fairly regular basis is filter cartiges, and you only replace them once a month or so. My filter uses cartriges that cost ten bucks for a three pack.

Once you decide on a tank, decide if you want a few big fish, a handfull of medium sized ones, or a bunch of little ones. Then ask the people here what they suggest...also, brows your LFS (Local Fish Store), and see if there is anything there you like. write down the names and look them up when you get home, so see if they are right for you...or, again, ask the folks here

Once you know the general types of fish you waht, you can decide on decorations. Some fish like plants, others like caves, ex. This will give you an idea on how you want your tank to look....not that it matters, most fish end up rearanging things anyway. Make sure your decorations are all fish-safe. Some toys and stuff that you might want to use could leech chemicals in the water that will make your fish sick, so it is best to stick with stuff that is intended for fish.

I will let the rest take it from here (mostly because I am tired of typeing) Good luck on your tank!

Welcome to Fish Profiles!

I have to tell you, keeping fish is an addicting thing. So be prepared!

First of all you will need an aquarium. Most people start off pretty small. I would get the biggest aquarium you can afford. 29 gallon aquariums are a good size to start with. Or another option is a 20 gallon long (version) tank. There are two versions of a 20 gallon, long and high. Obviously the "long" version is longer. This is better than the high one.

After you find an aquarium, you will need to round up some equipment for it. You will need some type of filter (cleans the water). There are all different types. There are some that hang on the back of the aquarium. There are some that sit outside the aquarium. It all depends on what you want to spend.

You will most likely need a heater. These come is different watts. Usually the rule is 5 watts per gallon. So for example, if you got a 20 gallon tank (aquarium), you would need a heater that was 100 watts. The number of watts is usually written on the box.

You will need some type of hood/top. Some aquariums come with tops, some don't. Hoods/tops usually have lights built in. Lights are good to have, that way your fish are not in the dark all the time.

You will also need some gravel (looks like rocks). It comes in many colors. Usually the colorful kind will flake off eventually...so it may be better to go with a tan/brown or "natural" color. The smaller the gravel/rocks, the easier it is to clean. You will see when you go to a pet store that it comes in many different sizes.

I'm sure I missed something, but I know other people will help you also. That is pretty much the basics of setting up an aquarium.

I suggest you go to the pet/fish stores around you and see what they have.
I would get a kit if you can find one. Kits come with the aquarium, hood/top, filter, and sometimes a heater.

I completely forgot about dechlorinator and food! Tap water contains chlorine, which isn't good for fish. You will need to get some type of liquid dechlorinator to get rid of it. Pet stores and fish stores have this.

Do you know what size your friend's aquarium is?

edit: Browsing the fish store is a good idea! That will let us know what type of fish you are interested in. The different types of fish have different needs. Some need huge aquariums, some don't. You should see what you like and then decide how much you can spend. The amount you can spend on a tank will limit the size you can get and the fish you can keep.

*Kristin*

If you are looking for a tank and dont know how to set it up or are scared to set it up with all diffrent bits from diffrent makers then why not get one where it is all included. So tank, heater, pump and filter all by the same make. I used this make as my first tank and have had no probs with it att all
here is there web site

http://www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/index.htm

hope this helps

Thanks you guys! I think my mates is a 15 gallon, I'm not sure. She has some 4 little white catfish (soz, I don't know the proper names), around 8 neon tetras, a siamese fighting fish, and some other ones as well I think! I can't remember exactly. I will go down the LFS (Hooray, I remembered it!) and see what they've got. Ta, Mimi

So glad you found us and are doing the research... we should clone you so we can make all new aquarium owners so willing to find things out before shifting into purchase power overdrive.

Hope to see more of you on the boards:

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

Lol! I am going to research fish etc this week 'cos its half term! Yay! So hopefully in a few days time I will have a bit of an idea of what to do! I wanna go and see the fish at the shop soon as well, to get an idea of what I want.

According to where you are, Walmart has a 29g that has filter, heater, hood and light, fish net, some food samples and water conditioner samples to get you started, for $100. I have two, I'm cheap and they aren't expensive, so... They also have a 55g, not sure on the price for that one, but it's what I'm going after next.

I probably should have told you this before, I live in Britain. That's just to stop anyone giving me addresses to sites that only deliver in America! Sorry. I suppose I could try and get my penpal to send it to me... anyway, I am going down to the library to get out a couple of books, so hopefully it should all magically become clear!

Welcome to FP! and to the wonderfully addictive world of fish keeping!

starting off can be a bit scary but the advice everyone has given so far has been great! and researching is the best way to avoid ending up spending $100s of dollars which go down the drain.. which is how i started

dont forget to pick up some buckets and a gravel cleaner which will come in handy when doing your weekly water changes! sucks everything out the gravel!

also test kits are important to test the water.. this will be very handy in monitoring the 'cycling' process!

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Truth doesn't always win friends but it influences them

If you're in the UK, I can recommend Maidenhead Aquatics as a good chain to visit (if there is a store near you).

Their website is: http://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/

The staff there are friendly and knowledgeable, they are fishkeepers themselves, not just someone working in a shop. They have a whole range of tanks, including kits containing everything you need (filters, heaters, chemicals etc).

Have a look at some of the fish while you're there to see what interests you, and then come back here and look for it in the profiles section or ask on these message boards. The best advice I can give you is to do a little research before buying (as tempting as it is to just buy on impulse!) and you will save yourself a lot of heartache (and wasted money!) - although it seems you're wise enough anyway by coming here before making a purchase.

Finally make sure you read/ask about cycling before starting, it's very important to cycle your tank before adding your fish (it's basically getting the helpful bacteria set up in your tank to keep the water suitable for fish to live in). Check out the article at the top of this message board.

All the best with your new hobby, and don't be worried to ask here. There is so much to learn about fish keeping and I've found the contributors here to be invaluable.

Im new to the fishkeeping too - about 2-3 months in on my first tank

I recommend looking at other tanks and seeing what you like and don't like before you do much else. Do lots of research. Really rather figure out what fish you would like before buying and setting up the tank. That was my mistake, I saw my boyfriends amazing Kribensis (awesome kind of fish) and realized I wanted a go at them... but I don't have enough space in my tank, because I already bought a 2ft and fish to go in it.. Do lots of research, it might take a while, but being as knowledgable as you can be about it all really helps and makes it more interesting. Figure out what fish you want first though - it sucks buying these nice fish, then seeing someone elses tank and realzing youshould have gotten that instead...