A BiOrb 60L Life or a Fluval Edge 46L

Froglet

If you consider what it does to people ,imagine what it must do for the poor fish.

I saw the result of keeping a goldfish long term in one of those awful biorbs.It's body was permanently twisted,it was stunted and had ammonia burns on it's body,whilst it's fins had withered away so it could barely swim..I could have cried for it.Yet there was nothing i could do bcause it was through my job that i saw it.

It's companions had apparently died years ago.Lucky them.I'm not saying they are unsuitable at all but that just proves how they can be tempting for people who don't get any advice. I lump them in with horrible bowls and tiny tanks.

shegirl

Froglet wrote: »

If you consider what it does to people ,imagine what it must do for the poor fish.

I saw the result of keeping a goldfish long term in one of those awful biorbs.It's body was permanently twisted,it was stunted and had ammonia burns on it's body,whilst it's fins had withered away so it could barely swim..I could have cried for it.Yet there was nothing i could do bcause it was through my job that i saw it.

It's companions had apparently died years ago.Lucky them.I'm not saying they are unsuitable at all but that just proves how they can be tempting for people who don't get any advice. I lump them in with horrible bowls and tiny tanks.

Fish shops don't help though!

Nor does the myth that it doesn't matter as fish only grow as big as the tank will allow them -not internally they don't.

Or the one where people think they don't need to change any water until there are ammonia or nitrite readings!!!

But hey,they think it was all fine as the fish lived 2 years (rather than the lengthy lives they are meant to have!)

cazs

CFC wrote: »

Pawsie doesn't know what she/he is talking about.

OP there's nothing wrong with a Bio orb providing you don't overstock it. I have 5 white mountain minnows, a really nice planting arrangement and a couple of snails - very low maintainance temperature water fish. I only need to do a partial water change every couple of months as the stocking level is so low. You can turn it tropical, you can turn it higher maintainance, it's just up to you.

If you don't mind spending the money you can have a wonderful marine reef arrangement in a Fluval....corals/sponge/couple of very colourful shrimp or some clown fish, they look wonderful. I suspect converting the bio orb into a marine would be quite a bit more.

It's just going to depend how much you want to spend and how much stock you want in it. Look into it and make sure you do not overstock the tank, these are both small tanks (with the fluval being smaller but really looking the biz). Please dont keep goldfish in them, goldies are dirty fish and get pretty big, they really need a fair size tank if you ask me.

http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2011Q4/IMG_2443.JPG

pic of a very nice marine set up wit the fluval

I would like to go the marine reef route but I hear it is very tricky and therefore, I don't know whether I should try it in the Fluval (assuming I got that one) or not. I don't mind the cost unless it's outrageous. I love the idea of re-creating Finding Nem with those beautiful colourful fish but I'm sure you hear that all the time and it probably isn't easy.

In terms of goldfish, yes, they are lovely, but I had heard they're a bit messy and that neither tanks are particulary good for cleaning out due to access and therefore, that doesn't quite match up and also they would be tight for space. I'd probably only be able to get one and it would be a bit lonely and my tank would look empty anyway.

cazs

pulliptears wrote: »

I had a tropical Biorb running for many years and loved it. I had a few neon tetras in there and a few guppies, nothing too big and not too many. It looked great and tbh it was the easiest thing in the world to maintain.

I was considering setting it up again with a couple of guppies but managed to crack it

Yes, they're beatutiful fish aren't they. Very eye catching.

cazs

Froglet wrote: »

Good on you for asking first,and not believing the advice from your nearest pet shop.This sounds harsh but most haven't a clue on the proper conditions for fish.

Basically the bigger the better and don't even THINK about goldfish unless you have at least a 4ft tank holding 60 + gallons.Otherwise they get stunted and suffer before giving up and dying.

EDIT i see you have been asking on the PF forum and getting some very good advice.Best one out there in my opnion.

Mm, I was in Pets at Homes looking at tanks the other day and I heard a man with his family saying I bought a tank a few days ago and they said leave it three days before you put fish in it but it's gone all cloudy. I was thinking in my head after having read a little about it that you need to leave it a few weeks but I didn't want to butt in seeing as I am new to it myself.

I have indeed, I like to hear lots of different opinions from peeople. More opinions means more informed hopefully, and if you can learn and not make mistakes and make it nicer so much the better.

cazs

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Little fish and more of them can be far more rewarding visually than one sad looking stunted thing.

White cloud mountains are very nice little fish, and seeing them in a group, in a more natural behaviour, is very relaxing.

You may want to check how much weight the furniture can take. A 60l tank will be holding 60 kg or just under nine and a half stone of water in it. Would you stand an adult woman on that furniture?


I've got a small tank with CMMs. It's planted, has driftwood, sand, gravel and substrate. It's very much like a river bed and has plenty of filtration and aeration running 24 hours a day. I have never seen fish look so happy. OK, there may be a bit of a snail population explosion going on, thanks to one of the plants, but they look genuinely happy. Especially as they're spawning.

Um, I don't know how to check that. I did ask Homebase as I have the Strand range from there, but they just said put any tanks on a stand which doesn't really help.
Would I stand an adult woman on it? Er, shall I get up and find out?
Does anyone else sit a tank that size on the sideboard? Any problems?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

cazs wrote: »

Um, I don't know how to check that. I did ask Homebase as I have the Strand range from there, but they just said put any tanks on a stand which doesn't really help.
Would I stand an adult woman on it? Er, shall I get up and find out?
Does anyone else sit a tank that size on the sideboard? Any problems?

It does appear to be quite sturdy. I think I would be more inclined towards a rectangular tank, not just because of the weight but because it's more widely distributed over the surface. And, from experience, have a layer of thin board covered with felt directly between the furniture and the tank; a slight slip in topping it up, moving it slightly, a cold night meaning condensation on the glass, dropping the food tub :whistle: or just normal skimming off uneaten food with a little net could lead to damaging the surface of the sideboard. And yours isn't a cheap one.

Hope that helps.

Froglet

cazs wrote: »

Mm, I was in Pets at Homes looking at tanks the other day and I heard a man with his family saying I bought a tank a few days ago and they said leave it three days before you put fish in it but it's gone all cloudy. I was thinking in my head after having read a little about it that you need to leave it a few weeks but I didn't want to butt in seeing as I am new to it myself.

I have indeed, I like to hear lots of different opinions from peeople. More opinions means more informed hopefully, and if you can learn and not make mistakes and make it nicer so much the better.

Don't get me started on Pets at Home.What on earth difference do they think 3 days is going to make? No fish means no raised ammonia and nitrite levels which are so damaging to fish.It can take up to 6 weeks of dosing with ammonia to replicate the fish waste ,and testing daily with regular water changes.

It sounds hard but it isn't.Once the filter is mature and no adverse levels show up then fish can be put in,still cautiously but with the knowledge they won't suffer.

Fish to most pet shops are just one means of making a profit.They make money out of selling you fish and a small tank.Then the fish get sick so they sell you medication.When the fish die you either give up or get some more.Eventually you realise their advice is rubbish so you get a bigger tank.Doing it right from the beginning means they lose that profit.

Sorry if i sound cynical but on PFK we hear of it SO many times and it saddens and angers us who truly care for not just our fish but any fish that is subject to ignorance,and worst of all bad advice from those who customers are led to believe is correct.

shegirl

cazs wrote: »

I would like to go the marine reef route but I hear it is very tricky and therefore, I don't know whether I should try it in the Fluval (assuming I got that one) or not. I don't mind the cost unless it's outrageous. I love the idea of re-creating Finding Nem with those beautiful colourful fish but I'm sure you hear that all the time and it probably isn't easy.

In terms of goldfish, yes, they are lovely, but I had heard they're a bit messy and that neither tanks are particulary good for cleaning out due to access and therefore, that doesn't quite match up and also they would be tight for space. I'd probably only be able to get one and it would be a bit lonely and my tank would look empty anyway.

Neither tank is big enough for even one goldfish!They are pond fish really but can start off in tanks or stay in large ones.A goldfish should have 120 litres to itself.They can grow to 12 inches plus.Fancy goldfish less but they still need decent sized tanks.

Marine set ups are the most complicated and expensive.Again,neither tank has much space and you certainly could not recreate Finding Nemo in either of them!Small tanks are also more difficult to maintain the water quality (apparently).

You could have a little tropical set up though.I highly recommend pygmy corys (schooling fish so need minimum of 6) as they're very small,incredibly cute and interesting to watch.

As Frogley says,join us over on the PFK forum and you'll be advised on what you can stock either tank with

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Marine are not difficult to setup, it just requires more equipment, with a 2 foot tank you wont need a protien skimmer, live rock will cope with the volume, with 2 wave makers, and a external filter and reverse osmosis kit on the taps, marine salt from a good supplier, would be fine, some bottom feeders like cleaner shrimp, some pretty anemonies, shrooms, and correl, with some goby pretty eh comes in deep purple and white aswell. trick is with marine especially small reef, setups is not to have same species intogether they are territorial in captivity unless theres a pair that are fine with eachother, wich 99% of the time are male and female companions.