# Begginner Tropical Setup for $114?



## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

Thanks, mod can close this thread. Got help with what I needed.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ow, new stuff, even crap is so pricey. Around here you can often get a used 55, lid, light, stand and filter (and 2 oscars lol) for $100-150. But that is a decent deal for new. Separately $20 tank, $30 hood, $20 filter, $20 heater.

IMO giant danios are a bit big for a 20H, they are more suited to a 55.

All of the fish on your list are group fish, you shouldn't get just 1 or 2. 

Get 6 kuhlis, 8 hatchets (need a tight lid) and 8 shrimp. 

Look up every plant before you buy. Unless you buy a special light, you want "LOW_LIGHT" plants only. Anacharis is okay. Java fern & hornwort are others. I don't know what a frill plant is. If you still to "low-light" plants you can do without special substrate and ferts. 

Unless you are using an Under-gravel filter, go really easy on substrate. Just cover the bottom 1/2-1 inch. If you do sand with a HOB (hang on back filter) consider putting a piece of sponge in place or over the filter intake. Sand in a filter's impeller well will make noise and destroy the impeller (most expensive replacement part).


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## Kimberly (Jan 22, 2012)

I would recommend going on craigslist or other website and see what kind of deals you can find. You can get a used 20g with everything included for a lot cheaper. Also make sure you research the fish as well as the plants. A lot of time the pet stores don't tell you the whole story. You want to make sure you get fish that will not out grow your tank and are happy together.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

emc7 said:


> Ow, new stuff, even crap is so pricey. Around here you can often get a used 55, lid, light, stand and filter (and 2 oscars lol) for $100-150. But that is a decent deal for new. Separately $20 tank, $30 hood, $20 filter, $20 heater.
> 
> IMO giant danios are a bit big for a 20H, they are more suited to a 55.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I didn't want too many fish because I didn't want to overpopulate. But I guess I was off a bit lol.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

Also do plants need to be fed or anything? I just bury the roots in the substrate, correct?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Depends on the plants. Hornwort floats, java fern gets tied down to something heavy, but not buried.


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## S-hag (Jan 8, 2012)

Be sure to actually cycle your tank before you put the fish in it, otherwise you're fish will die and you will have wasted your money. Just a forewarning, hatchetfish are very cool fish, but they are very expensive for the money you are willing to spend. They are usually about $6-$8 each and prefer to live in groups so you're looking at $50 in hatchetfish. You really should get decorations before fish. Fish need a place to hide, and a wide open tank would just stress them further. Gravel and decorations are pretty expensive, be sure to keep that in mind. You don't have to, but I personally recommend planting your tank before adding fish. I think you're rushing into this, be sure to do your research before jumping into this so you know whats to be expected. Fish are more work than most people think, and starting off is very expensive.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

S-hag said:


> Be sure to actually cycle your tank before you put the fish in it, otherwise you're fish will die and you will have wasted your money. Just a forewarning, hatchetfish are very cool fish, but they are very expensive for the money you are willing to spend. They are usually about $6-$8 each and prefer to live in groups so you're looking at $50 in hatchetfish. You really should get decorations before fish. Fish need a place to hide, and a wide open tank would just stress them further. Gravel and decorations are pretty expensive, be sure to keep that in mind. You don't have to, but I personally recommend planting your tank before adding fish. I think you're rushing into this, be sure to do your research before jumping into this so you know whats to be expected. Fish are more work than most people think, and starting off is very expensive.


They are $2.98 at my local Petsmart


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

> Hello. I'm Hyperfap. I'm a beginner fish keeper and currently have a four gallon containing two Goldfish. I have a common and a Fantail. They have been living in that aquarium for about two weeks. The common is about 2" and the Fantail is about 1.25". I'm soon upgrading to a twenty gallon to house the Goldfish in before I stunt their growth so they aren't tiny. I would go even bigger, but I only have about $75 in spending money at the moment, plus my bedroom is too small for anything bigger than maybe a 25 gallon. I'm confident that my fish will survive through the nitrogen cycle, too. They seem to be happy, I am changing about one gallon every five days. I have a lot to learn here. Well, I hope to meet some new friends here.


Would this be a new tank in addition to the 20 gallon you will buy for your goldfish. None of those fish you listed should be kept with goldfish.

Remember, when setting up a new tank, you need to be very patient. It can sometimes take up to two months before a tank is safe to add fish. If you do it right, your fish will live long, healthy, happy lives. 

Have you done your research on the Nitrogen cycle yet?


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

bmlbytes said:


> Would this be a new tank in addition to the 20 gallon you will buy for your goldfish. None of those fish you listed should be kept with goldfish.
> 
> Remember, when setting up a new tank, you need to be very patient. It can sometimes take up to two months before a tank is safe to add fish. If you do it right, your fish will live long, healthy, happy lives.
> 
> Have you done your research on the Nitrogen cycle yet?


Yes, I know what that is and how it works. I'm keeping my goldfish in the 4 gallon for now, since I can't throw them in with the tropicals. I will find them something nice to live in soon. I do very frequent water changes for them though, I do about 20% every 5 days. Since I've had them for about 2 and a half weeks, bacteria should be developing in about 2 - 3 weeks. They show no signs of illness or anything, so I'm confident they can keep strong until their bacteria friends come into the picture. They're very hardy too.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

Bump, anything else? Do I feed plants?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

don't feed low light plants. 

I would put the goldfish in the 20 and take them to a pond next spring when they've grown to about 4", then clean the tank and make it tropical. By then you should have a very detailed plan. 4 is too small, sometime during the next year I predict you will mess up and kill them both.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

emc7 said:


> don't feed low light plants.
> 
> I would put the goldfish in the 20 and take them to a pond next spring when they've grown to about 4", then clean the tank and make it tropical. By then you should have a very detailed plan. 4 is too small, sometime during the next year I predict you will mess up and kill them both.


I'm 13... I can't have a pond setup in my yard -.-. Even if so where would I get that kinda money :3.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It doesn't have to be a your pond. Ask around, post on facebook, etc. there are a lot of ornamental ponds around. IMO that is where goldfish belong. The fish just have to get big enough not to be eaten by full-grown goldfish. If you take them back to the store, they will go in the feeder tank, if you keep them in a 4, best case they get stunted and live about 5 years. More likely, they either attack each other or die from ammonia the first them they are overfed.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

emc7 said:


> It doesn't have to be a your pond. Ask around, post on facebook, etc. there are a lot of ornamental ponds around. IMO that is where goldfish belong. The fish just have to get big enough not to be eaten by full-grown goldfish. If you take them back to the store, they will go in the feeder tank, if you keep them in a 4, best case they get stunted and live about 5 years. More likely, they either attack each other or die from ammonia the first them they are overfed.


What if I can buy another 20 gallon over time? Like I said I'm 13 and it takes some time to get some money, how long before they are stunted..?


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## Ladayen (Jun 20, 2011)

Hyperfap said:


> What if I can buy another 20 gallon over time? Like I said I'm 13 and it takes some time to get some money, how long before they are stunted..?


It's unknown and permenent damage can happen from ammonia poisoning within a matter of hours. Nice name btw


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

You can reduce stunting with lots of large water changes, but you really don't want 14" fish in a 10" tank, either. As they grow, they eat more, and make more waste. Forcing you to choose between making them go hungry, letting them live in nasty water, or constantly changing water. I think you will surprised how fast they grow with good care. Even in a 20, you'd be looking to rehome them in a year or two.. If you don't have room for a bigger tank, you shouldn't plan on keeping goldfish long term. IMO, selling these as 'beginner' fish is irresponsible. They are pond fish and don't belong in tanks because they can't stay both healthy and small.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

I don't agree with "goldfish only belong in ponds" (obviously... see signature lol) but really 20 gallons is too small. It's okay for now but you're going to want to save up for a 40 gallon or bigger. Keep saving and get one next time Petco does their dollar a gallon sale. Look on craigslist and the newspaper ads for cheap tanks/filters etc. Yard sales are another great place to find stuff like that. I got a full 46 bowfront setup with stand, filter, heaters, light, lid, and decorations for $50 at a yard sale. You just have to be patient and look for the right deal.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I would agree. I you plan to keep the goldfish, stop thinking about a tropical tank and put your goldfish in the 20 gallon. Save up your money and buy them something 40 gallons or bigger. 

What emc7 said may sound harsh, but it's the truth of it. Your fish need much more space than you have for them. That 4 gallon tank could be stunting them right now.


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

bmlbytes said:


> I would agree. I you plan to keep the goldfish, stop thinking about a tropical tank and put your goldfish in the 20 gallon. Save up your money and buy them something 40 gallons or bigger.
> 
> What emc7 said may sound harsh, but it's the truth of it. Your fish need much more space than you have for them. That 4 gallon tank could be stunting them right now.


But my bedroom is really small. The only place I can put an aquarium is on top of my dresser, which is about 12 inches wide and 26 inches long. The 20 gallon I was going to buy was 24 inches long. Anything above 25 gallons I really can't have, because there isn't enough room. 

Goldfish however are commonly labeled as a "beginner fish," but they are more than that. I didn't want the traditonal Betta fish, but now that I think about it, it probably would've been better for the Goldfish. But anyways, I've become a bit attached. I don't want to take them to the pet store because I don't want them to be eaten, or put in a 1/2 gallon fish bowl.

However while the Goldfish may not be suitable for my aquarium, or the 20 gallon I am purchasing, many tropical fish can live in there. Loaches, Hatchetfish, and lots of others which I personally admire are suitable for a 20 gallon. This is why I wanted to step up to tropical.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Like I said before. Wait on the tropical fish, until you have a proper home for your goldfish. Buy the biggest tank you can for your goldfish, then move on to a tropical tank. No sense in buying new fish, but neglecting your old ones.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2012)

I had my three goldfish in a 55 gallon tank with tropical fish. It can be done. But then one of my clown loaches got sick and one of the goldfish were picking on the sick fish, so I had to move all three goldfish to my 10 gallon but then I got thinking and gave them to the pet store, Farmland. They put them in a tank that had no feeders in it. So your goldfish may or may not get put in a tank with feeders.

I would not get clown loaches for a 20 gallon because they do get big. Just look at my avatar. The big one in my avatar is about 7 inches. She is the biggest fish I have in my 55 gallon tank.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Goldfish can be cool. They are dumber than cichids, but smart for a fish, can have long lives, are very food motivated and can even learn tricks. I don't blame you for getting attached. At 1" they go back in with feeders, but once they get to 3 or 4" they price goes up and people buy them for ponds. You can keep them in a 55, but I would rather have more, smaller fish and less work.


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## austinroberts23 (Jan 25, 2012)

I agree with he craiglist post. look on there. I've picked up two 55g tanks with stands, decor, filters, and lights for under 100 each


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## Hyperfap (Jan 25, 2012)

I'm just going to buy a 20 gallon for my goldfish. Thanks everyone!


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

*facepalm*

Did you miss the part where that isn't big enough for them? It's easy to do, only about three people said it.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

It's much better than nothing. It is possible to keep healthy goldfish in a 20g tank, but it is difficult. It is not likely that anyone can keep healthy goldfish in a 4 gallon though. The 20g should last hyperfap about a year, before it makes sense to move them to something bigger. Perhaps in that time he can look for something that better fits his fish.


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## S-hag (Jan 8, 2012)

Hyperfap, it really comes down to you. If you cannot finiacially suport these goldfish (buying a larger tank, more food etc.) you shouldn't be taking care of them. I know you're attached, but if they grow too large for your tank, you have to give them away.


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