I am wondering, would it be better to buy a 10 gallon tank at nnnnnn or pet supermarket? I know it would be cheaper at nnnnnn, but is the quality the same as if my husband and I were to buy it at pet supermarket?

Also, how much do you think the 10 gallon tanks with everything included go for?

Thank you for your help

I bought a 10 gallon set up with everything included for $50 at my local store. At nnnnnn the usually cost $10 for the tank and $2 for hood - everything else sold seperatly. I supose it really depends on what you need it for. If it's just for quarentine I suggest nooppee, or if you're looking to set up a comfy place for your goldie you might want to go for the all-included pac.

As for quality...I've never had a problem with nooppee tanks (I have a 10 and 55 currently)

^_^

I'd go with nooppee unless you're like boycotting them or something. If something does go wrong (imo quite unlikely), it's a simple matter of sealing it again wih silicone.

Also, I like buying the accessories myself. I prefer reputable brands of filters and heaters.

ok thanks

I got a 10-gallon tank setup at PetSmart about a week ago for $40. It included the tank, hood, and filter. I bought separately gravel, a decoration, ammonia & Ph testers and a tank vacuum. All in all I spent about $75. A pretty good deal I think, especially now that my little fantail seems so much happier in his new, larger home!

Cat

how ecactly do you test the PH level? I am not sure about this, and need some help...also, I've been taking notes. Please review them for me and let me know if these are good and if you want to add anything else, please feel free. I am taking notes simply for mine and the fish's benefit...before my husband and I get the fish...I really want to be educated and be a good fish parent.

Fish Tank Notes

-When doing water changes, do change 35-40% of the water a week.

-Add Nova-Aqua once a week (is this avalible in stores, if not, what is another good brand to look for?)

-Add a detoxifier like Amquel once a week (is Amquel avalible in stores, if not, what is another brand that is just as good that I can buy)?

-Let new water stand 24 hours before adding it to my fish's tank

-Let the new tank cycle 24 hours before adding my fish, and let the water clear up before putting the fish in (This will take about a month correct)? Forgive me if I have this information backward, if so please help me.

Oh also, my husband and I went to pet supermarket tonight. We saw a 10 gal. tank for about 40 dollars or so. It included everything (a filter, lights, heater..etc.) Is there anything else I will need to buy separate...besides decorations?

Thanks guys for all your help

Also, the Novaqua and Amquel should be added to the new water to detoxify chloramine and heavy metals (both of which won't dissipate over time). I'd recommend using Amquel+ or Prime instead of Amquel.

The letting water sit in your tank for 24 hours before adding fish is just a safety procedure, checking for leaks, making sure the water is fine, etc. Cycling will take you a month, or at least 2 weeks if you use Bio-Spira.

The heater, is it titanium or glass? The stuff on glass heaters start to peel off after a while so you're probably better off buying one made of metal.

Thanks! and I believe the heater was metal. I didn't get a very good look at it because we were only in the store for a few minutes.

I have another question. I was told by many people that a fish will only grow to the size of the tank that you put it in...is this correct? I would hate to get a 10 gallon and then have my goldfish grow bigger and have to buy a 20 gallon

also, does amquel and nova-aqua have to be added EVERY time you change the water?

And...how exactly do I go about taking 35-40% of the water out a week to put new water in?

sorry for all of the questions, but I will be adding all of this to my notes

i use a gravel scyphon, i suck up all the poop and change the water at the same time. i love my gravel scyphon, id be lost with out it. theyre little pipes, with a flexible rubber hose attached to a little ball and a spout. you put the pipe in the tank, hold the ball and spout over a bucket, and sqeeze the ball to start syphoning, best little invention in the world! you just move the pipe end around to suck up the pooop. Some one else might be able to give a better description of it then me, but im sure you get the idea.

That assumption that fish only get as big as their tank is correct only in the sense that the fish will get sick and its growth will be stunted, think of it this way, when you were a baby, some one locked you in a box only slighty bigger then yourself, so when you grew to the size of the box, you stopped growing. Fish are the same, they need lots of room to develop naturally.

How many fish are you planning on getting? If i was getting one fancy, id buy a 20g. that way your safe. Your better off buying a bigger tank. When we say 10g per fish, were talking bare minimum. so if you dont want to worry about the fish growing up healthy and happy. one in a 20 is fine, if its a fancy, it shouldnt outgrow it for a very long while. But again, the happier you want your fish to be, the bigger the tank, IMO.

Dont be afriad to ask questions! Theres nothing wrong with wanting the best care possibly for your glodies!

ok thank you. We only plan on getting 1 fish. I just posted this question again in another post of mine, so sorry if you see it yet again.

We don't want a fish that will get too big (as far as inches) so I am looking up which ones won't get extremely too big

Tank size? My advice is the largest you have room for and can afford. I have found that if you start with one fish then you'll see another because the one you have seems lonely and needs company. Then you'll see another-you just have to have. Then another and before you know it your buying a larger tank after you just spent all that money and time to set up the first tank.

We started with one fish that my son brought home at the end of this last school year. Surprise, surprise!!!!... That poor thing.... I knew NOTHING about fish accept that the old-school theory was to let the water set for 24hrs before adding any fish. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!!!!!! (and still do!) I put it in a 5 gal tank....knowing nothing about "cycling." Of course the poor little thing didn't make it. Just before it died we had bought it a tank mate. That one lived longer as I found books and talked to every pet/fish store within a 30mile radious. That was still before I found this wonderful site.

We moved the surviving one to a 10gal...(we already had the 5 & ten gal tanks from other "pet" projects). Out to the store to buy a new hood, more gravel, a heater, etc. My son added 2 more fish We upped it to a 36 gal withmore costs for more supplies....and since then with 3 more fish (all goldfish) we are up to a 54 gal corner bow tank.

The 10gal now serves as a sick tank and the 36gal is now filled with different kinds of Tetras.

Kudos to you for educating yourself before you buy your fish. I wish I would have had more time than 2hrs notice that we were adopting a sweet little goldfish.

One more thing you might want to check out at your pet/fish store..... Really check out the display tanks. Find out which fish you want and ask how many of their display tanks are on the same filtration system. Most in my area have 6 tanks to a filter. Check out the fish in all the tanks on that system for obvious signs of diseases...ich, fin rot, etc. If there's one sick in one tank on that system, then it's probably filtering through the other tanks too. One of the fish I brought home (during the beginning of my aquatic education) gave the other fish in my tank Ich. No matter how hard I tried I still ended up losing my favorite to futher infections that escalated from the inital Ich episode.

Well, I hope I didn't bore you too much with my story

Good Luck with your new adventure....

thanks for that advice. right now though, we don't have much money, and our room isn't very big. so we only have room for a 10 gallon tank at the moment