Alas, my new tank plans are on hold until after Labor Day.
My A. versicolor (the blue tarantula, Aragog), is dead. Best theory going right now is that he had a bad molt and died. Apparently, Avicularia species occasionally kick the bucket for unknown reasons, too. We'll try another one, maybe next month.
The finches are out of quarantine, healthy as can be. Whatever illness they had has run its course; Milly and Oy were never ill at all, and are quite happy to be back in the bird room.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Freshwater setup, part 1
Since I'll be going through this soon one way or another, it's as good a time as any.
So you want a fish tank! Maybe it's for your bedroom, for relaxing. Maybe it's for your living room, to impress your guests. It could be for your kids. Whatever your motivation, there are some decisions you should make first.
One rule is easy enough; always get the largest tank you have room for, and can afford. This always catches people off guard, as it's a little counter-intuitive. The reasoning behind this is that the larger the volume of water, the slower any major chemistry changes will happen. For example, if a 3" long fish dies in a 10 gallon tank and you don't notice, there will significant effects -- ammonia will spike, and water may cloud. If the same fish died in a 55 gallon tank, there will still be some ammonia... but it may not even register on a test. Temperature can swing wildly, and quickly, in a small tank if a heater malfunctions or your power goes out, but in a larger tank the change will be slow enough that you can catch it in time.
Once you know what size tank you can manage, you need to know what fish appeal most to you. Do you want goldfish? Lots of tiny colorful fish? A few large fish? It's amazing the number of people who try to mix those last two -- keep in mind, almost any fish will eat anything tasty it can fit in its mouth, and this includes other fish. Even goldfish will occasionally take a shot at small minnows.
If you want goldfish, you'll get away without a heater, but you'll spend that money on a stronger filter. Goldfish are nasty little critters. A full grown one needs about 10 gallons to himself -- this means if you have a 55gallon tank, eventually you should only have about 5 of them. Yes, I'm serious. But don't they live in bowls? -- Sure, for a few weeks. A well-kept goldfish may live over 20 years. (Eyes pop out when I tell people that.)
If you're going for a few large tropical fish, you'll need the strong filter and heater. This includes most cichlids, and some of the semi-aggressive tropicals.
Filters -- the best filters are canister filters, but these are pricey. You can do just fine most of the time with a HOB (hang-on-back) filter; I like the Marineland brand ones, but your mileage may vary. I don't like undergravel filters, because they are difficult to clean and tend to trap all kinds of things under the plate. Whatever you buy, do yourself a favor and don't buy the very cheapest item. This is a one-time purchase, and with filters you end to get what you pay for.
Heaters -- get a submersible one rated for your size tank. Even better, get two smaller ones (instead of a 200 watt, two 100 watt ones). This reduces the chance of a catastrophic failure if a thermostat goes bad. (It's rare, but having your tank end up cooked is just depressing.)
Lighting is only important to you and to plants -- fish don't care. If you don't want live plants, the light that comes with the tank is fine. If you are planning on live plants, you'll want to buy the appropriate bulbs or even upgrade to a more powerful fixture.
Gravel is semi-optional. It looks nice, and provides a good home for bacteria (this is a GOOD thing). It's also hard to add later on, so now is the time. Decorations are entirely up to you. If you want the bubbly diver with his treasure chest and as many day-glo orange plants as you can wedge into your neon blue and purple gravel as possible, well, to each his own. The fish will need hiding places, but beyond that, they really don't care. (This is a generalization; some fish, such as african cichlids, will need many caves. Angelfish need lots of plants. Consult your salesperson if you know what kind of fish you want to keep.)
You'll need to walk out of the store with these items, as a minimum.
your large-as-possible tank
an appropriate stand (tanks are HEAVY)
lighting/lid
filter
heater*
gravel
decorations
chlorine-removing chemicals
So you want a fish tank! Maybe it's for your bedroom, for relaxing. Maybe it's for your living room, to impress your guests. It could be for your kids. Whatever your motivation, there are some decisions you should make first.
One rule is easy enough; always get the largest tank you have room for, and can afford. This always catches people off guard, as it's a little counter-intuitive. The reasoning behind this is that the larger the volume of water, the slower any major chemistry changes will happen. For example, if a 3" long fish dies in a 10 gallon tank and you don't notice, there will significant effects -- ammonia will spike, and water may cloud. If the same fish died in a 55 gallon tank, there will still be some ammonia... but it may not even register on a test. Temperature can swing wildly, and quickly, in a small tank if a heater malfunctions or your power goes out, but in a larger tank the change will be slow enough that you can catch it in time.
Once you know what size tank you can manage, you need to know what fish appeal most to you. Do you want goldfish? Lots of tiny colorful fish? A few large fish? It's amazing the number of people who try to mix those last two -- keep in mind, almost any fish will eat anything tasty it can fit in its mouth, and this includes other fish. Even goldfish will occasionally take a shot at small minnows.
If you want goldfish, you'll get away without a heater, but you'll spend that money on a stronger filter. Goldfish are nasty little critters. A full grown one needs about 10 gallons to himself -- this means if you have a 55gallon tank, eventually you should only have about 5 of them. Yes, I'm serious. But don't they live in bowls? -- Sure, for a few weeks. A well-kept goldfish may live over 20 years. (Eyes pop out when I tell people that.)
If you're going for a few large tropical fish, you'll need the strong filter and heater. This includes most cichlids, and some of the semi-aggressive tropicals.
Filters -- the best filters are canister filters, but these are pricey. You can do just fine most of the time with a HOB (hang-on-back) filter; I like the Marineland brand ones, but your mileage may vary. I don't like undergravel filters, because they are difficult to clean and tend to trap all kinds of things under the plate. Whatever you buy, do yourself a favor and don't buy the very cheapest item. This is a one-time purchase, and with filters you end to get what you pay for.
Heaters -- get a submersible one rated for your size tank. Even better, get two smaller ones (instead of a 200 watt, two 100 watt ones). This reduces the chance of a catastrophic failure if a thermostat goes bad. (It's rare, but having your tank end up cooked is just depressing.)
Lighting is only important to you and to plants -- fish don't care. If you don't want live plants, the light that comes with the tank is fine. If you are planning on live plants, you'll want to buy the appropriate bulbs or even upgrade to a more powerful fixture.
Gravel is semi-optional. It looks nice, and provides a good home for bacteria (this is a GOOD thing). It's also hard to add later on, so now is the time. Decorations are entirely up to you. If you want the bubbly diver with his treasure chest and as many day-glo orange plants as you can wedge into your neon blue and purple gravel as possible, well, to each his own. The fish will need hiding places, but beyond that, they really don't care. (This is a generalization; some fish, such as african cichlids, will need many caves. Angelfish need lots of plants. Consult your salesperson if you know what kind of fish you want to keep.)
You'll need to walk out of the store with these items, as a minimum.
your large-as-possible tank
an appropriate stand (tanks are HEAVY)
lighting/lid
filter
heater*
gravel
decorations
chlorine-removing chemicals
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