Thinking of getting fish...

cazs

I'm thinking of getting fish in the new year. I think one of the first steps would be to choose what type of fish and to look at tanks. Was looking at P.at H websie and the BiOrb Flow and the BiOrb Life look rather nice.
Has anyone any experience with these? How many fish could I fit in the 60L one? Even that one, the largest them I could see, doens't look that giant...
I've also seen one called Fluval Edge so would welcome opionon on that also.
Thank you.

bugslet

There's this thread a bit further down which may be useful to you

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4347507

I have two 10 year old goldfish in a 220 litre tank, which is about the right size for them to have a swim and a mooch around in without annoying each other. Fish need space and 60 ltr tank isn't huge and don't forget, provided they are well cared for, they will grow and need a bigger tank.

I'll wait for Froglet to come along and tell you what she thinks about Bio-orbs!

Froglet

Oh dear,Bugslet you are making me out to be a guru and although i have years of experience with all types of fish,i still always direct people to the best site on the net http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/

to cover everything you need to know,especially before you start out.

cazs it is good that you are doing your homework before you start.Too many people think you can buy a tank and the fish on the same day.Done properly and humanely ie fishless cycling,takes up to 6 weeks,but there are ways to shorten that time.Again,read up on the site and ask lots of questions.Don't take the word of the shop selling you what you need,as they are quite often just out to make a profit and don't know,or don't tell you,what it really involves.

However for now,i agree with bugslet,for goldfish you need a tank no smaller than 220 litres.Yes the fish start small but if left in anything smaller they will get stunted and sick.If you decide to get a larger tank then it is more expense,tank,stand,lights filter etc etc.The bigger the tank the more body of water that will make keeping the waste products from the fish that is so poisonous to them,more diluted and the filter able to cope once mature.

Keeping fish correctly is not cheap and takes time and effort(as does any creature).Tropical fish are actually easier than goldfish and come in many varieties and sizes,so you could have a nice 2 or 3 ft tank which would give you the space to have a shoal of fish,catfish for the bottom and maybe some live bearers for interest.Healthy fish swimming through healthy plants,it doesn't get much better than that.But patience is required in bucket loads to achive that.

What i think of BiOrbs is I'm afraid unprintable.They are second only to bowls in my opinion(and other fishkeepers).Would you want to spend your life swimming round and round? They are not at all suitable for any kind of fish,but because they look attractive as a centre piece in the home,people are drawn to them without thinking of what is best for the fish.And because they are expensive people are then reluctant to get something bigger later on.

Read up,ask on here and you won't go far wrong.Please don't think fishkeeping sounds too much trouble,I don't mean to make it sound like that.I started out 25 years ago and love my outdoor pond fish and my tropicals,2 of which are over 20 years old,as are many of the pond fish.Mnay fishkeepers get truly hooked as have I !!

bugslet

I just remembered you didn't like Bi-orbs!:p

Froglet

bugslet wrote: »

I just remembered you didn't like Bi-orbs!:p

Too right i don't.The largest of them would perhaps be suffice for the smallest tropicals but nothing else.i have seen goldfish in them that have grown but still stay stuck in there and they cannot swim properly so their bodies become permanently bent.A pathetic sight and so unnecessary.

cazs

I thought a Biorb 60L sounded huge - it was not the bowl style one I was looking at, it was the taller one with the white gloss frame like a standing up rectangular shaped one - but even that one doens't look that big when you open up the picture.

Are there any other 'nice' looking tanks out there? Anyone comment on te Fluval Edge ones at all?

I will look at the site suggested re fish info.

However you sound knowledgeable so I thought I would pose this question to you: how do I choose which fish to go for: I understand (?) there are 3 types: cold, tropical and marine.

I am looking to a have a collection of colourful fish but other than that....

Froglet

Ok.Marine you can forget,only the very experienced of fishkeepers go for them,and it is a very expensive hobby,and very exacting or the fish will suffer.In any case i do not believe that marine fish should ever be taken from their surroundings and shipped to be put in tanks,it is incredibly difficult to replicate the right conditions and many suffer because of that.

Goldfish,again are more difficult,you need a large tank and any but the fancy variety,of which i can't take to,especially the ones with huge eyes,should ultimately end up in a pond where they can enjoy the space it provides.

So that leaves tropicals.There is very wide variety for the beginner,colour wise,size wise etc so you can't go far wrong if you make sure you get the biggest tank you can afford and set it up correctly.It is not difficult and there are step by step instructions on the fishkeeping site.

Any tank once fully stocked and maintained correctly will look nice,it is what you make of it.you could pay a lot for a fancy tank but if it is too small,and they often are,you are choosing what looks nice ,at a premium and not what is in the fishes best interest.I have a 4ft standard shape tank which is fine for my tropicals ,it is made by juwel and has been going now for some 13 years after i upgraded from my 3ft.

It all depends on what you can afford.You could look at second hand ones and pick up a real bargain or if you want to buy brand new then take a really good look around at all the aquatic sites on the internet.i will have a quick look now and see what is about.

Froglet

ok,had a look at the fluval edge.Though they are very stylish,you are appaying for the look,they are not very big at 42 litres,and you can do much better for the cost.I also do not like the cube shape.rectangular shapes are much better ,and more natural ,otherwise you will limit yourself to very small tropicals.

This is much more suitable,a good shape and holds nearly three times the amount of water.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Interpet-Fish-Pod-120-Litre/dp/B003XLBW4G/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1356109251&sr=1-8 and it is on special offer at the moment at amazon.

Ilike this one even better,i am a fan of juwel tanks anyway
http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplies/aquariums/juwel/juwel-rekord-aquariums/juwel-rekord-800-aquarium.html and even cheaper here

http://www.petsave.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=8357&from=google_base

their cabinets are cheap too.Bear in mind you will need one to be safe as tanks weigh a lot when full,though if you have a very strong cabinet already at home you might be ok.http://www.petsave.co.uk/brand.aspx?brandid=383

cazs

Froglet wrote: »

ok,had a look at the fluval edge.Though they are very stylish,you are appaying for the look,they are not very big at 42 litres,and you can do much better for the cost.I also do not like the cube shape.rectangular shapes are much better ,and more natural ,otherwise you will limit yourself to very small tropicals.

This is much more suitable,a good shape and holds nearly three times the amount of water.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Interpet-Fish-Pod-120-Litre/dp/B003XLBW4G/ref=sr_1_8?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1356109251&sr=1-8 and it is on special offer at the moment at amazon.

Ilike this one even better,i am a fan of juwel tanks anyway
http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplies/aquariums/juwel/juwel-rekord-aquariums/juwel-rekord-800-aquarium.html and even cheaper here

http://www.petsave.co.uk/product.aspx?productid=8357&from=google_base

their cabinets are cheap too.Bear in mind you will need one to be safe as tanks weigh a lot when full,though if you have a very strong cabinet already at home you might be ok.http://www.petsave.co.uk/brand.aspx?brandid=383

Thank you, it is very kind of you to point me in the right direction and check out the options.

I was actually planning just to put it on the kitchen worktops as I have quite a bit of worktop and I don't use it all so It seemed to make sense?

You say you are a fan of the Jual tanks - is there any particular advantage of that brand over others?

Sounds a funny question but do all tanks light up bluish at night so you can watch them swim in the dark...

I really know nothing much about this at all I'm afraid.

Froglet

Why not ask the question on the PF site,here

http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/search.php?searchid=8705411 (or search though some of the posts that are relevant )

as to whether a kitchen worktop would be strong enough? I have only ever used the right stand.They are made strong enough for heavy microwaves and i have seen small tanks in people's kitchens but as it is going to be an attractive feature why keep it in the kitchen? Unless you spend a lot of time there? You generally need the lights on about 10 hours a day,and once turned off the fish won't appreciate a bright light being turned on when they are in the dark,it makes them quite skittish.I'm not sure what you mean about the tank being blueish either.

But that is not a major issue at this point.Be very certain you understand the whole issue of cycling the filter without any fish being present in the tank,and that you really want to go ahead. As for why i like the juwel tank,the lighting system is superior to others and the quality is good also,with built in filtration .