Help me choose something for my aquarium

• Help me choose something for my aquarium rwbeagles Posted : 8/28/2006 12:43:36 PM Okay folks. One of the more interesting/weird things in our new house is a 30L aquarium built in to the kitchen's dining area wall. I've included a pic below. It's accessed for cleaning etc from a small room behind it. Apparently previous folks were "fish people" and thus the tank. I like it...but I have no idea WHAT to put in it! I've had  a 10gal before and Betta's are about as far as I've gone with fish. I'm not sure I want fish..but they're not off the list.   In general the important thing would be *NO to very little odor *Low maintence/cleaning required (I have enough to deal with dogs and kids etc) *Interesting/pretty to look at or some kind of activity...it's right in the middle of everything really. *Not messy or gross to deal with.   I've pretty much eliminatedmost mammalian critters..the cage cleaning is weekly usually and they always smell like something. Thought of a frog but the same deal....cleaning weekly. I can do spot cleaning but a full cage empty/all water out type clean would be a pain in my behind as the tanks so big.   So any thoughts?   LIKE 28 REPLIES 1162 VIEWS LAST POST BUSTER'S MOM Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Debbie R Posted : 8/28/2006 1:23:11 PM I don't know anything about fish or decorating, but I think you have to much to do woman, so  if one of the interior designers would log on and tell you what would look great, that would be good I can't tell from the picture how high up the wall that is but I've always wanted a pass through, server thingy that is not the technical term, (I  told you I am not an interior designer) even with shutters that open and close, the shelf is already there to place dishes from the kitchen to dining room and back again.I would put some kind of wood around it, frame it, and something like a butcher block on the bottom shelf part. You would just have to remove the glass on both sides. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• rwbeagles Posted : 8/28/2006 1:30:49 PM Lol Debbie! I do have a lot to do you're right. BUT now that miss Lily is in school I do have about 2 hours per day all to my lonesome lol!   This thing is opposite a picture window where a dining table would go for an eat in kitchen. The tank is actually in the wall that is the backwall of our garage....so a passthru would passthru to the garage lol! The little room there is neat, it's got the water heater in it and that's where we put our litterbox heh.   I think the idea was, when you sat to eat in the kitchen you'd have a lovely view of the backyard on one side...and a calming view of fish swimming on the other..lol! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Benedict Posted : 8/28/2006 1:36:01 PM Land crabs?  Interesting to look at, spend most of their time OUT of water so they don't need a large water area, no water changes like you'd need to do with fish, and they tend to scuttle about and be pretty entertaining.   Kate 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• cyclefiend2000 Posted : 8/28/2006 1:44:09 PM we just started our aquarium a few weeks ago. there isnt too much maintenance involved. right now while it is cycling we are doing 20% water changes once a week and monitoring the ammonia levels once a week. that takes all of about 20 mins. right now we have a few barbs, a few danios, and a pleco. the barbs and danios are pretty hardy (ie hard to kill). we sprinkle in some food twice a day for the barbs and danios, and we give the pleco an algae wafer in the evenings. the barbs come in an array of colors. we have all rosy barbs which have a reddish tint to them. the danios are zebra striped (black and silver), and i think they come in other colors as well. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• meilani Posted : 8/28/2006 1:45:22 PM That is so cool! I would love to have a tank in the wall. Anyhoo, if you were to do fish, how about a community tank with Platies, Molly's, Neon Tetras and the like? If not, how about a fiddler crab terrarium? I have one and it's low maintenance. I have mine stocked with 6 Fiddlers, a snail, firebelly toad, green tree frog and a bahama anole. Fiddlers are a scream. I can spend hours watching them "pop lock". 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• jeano Posted : 8/28/2006 1:47:44 PM Do freshwater fish, because saltwater fish are super high maintenance. Don't EVER get snails. They make a huge mess. I think guppies are fun fun fun, and the kids can see them have babies. They are gloriously pretty and active and easy to care for. You can also add some neon tetras into the mix.The main thing is not to get aggressive fish in with docile ones. Guppies and tetras are docile fish. Angelfish and oscars are aggressive fish who will kill other fish. Or chew the heck out of them. You could get just angelfish and nothing else. They are large and very pretty. But not as active as guppies. Fake plants are best, because the live ones take care and can bring in yucky things like snails. I had a plastic farm scene at the bottom of my aquarium, just for something different! With guppies you'll want fake feathery plants for the babies to hide in. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• rwbeagles Posted : 8/28/2006 2:00:13 PM Lily was trying to get me to get a Nemo fish....uh uh...no way....too much work!   I thought of a Tortoise...my cousin has one that is really cute and friendly, and thier food is cheap...but they get so BIG the tank eventually wouldn't be big enough....sigh...   I'll have to look into the crab thing. Hermit crabs stink I know that! Fiddlers look cool...hmm.... 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• cyclefiend2000 Posted : 8/28/2006 2:06:19 PM ORIGINAL: rwbeagles Lily was trying to get me to get a Nemo fish....uh uh...no way....too much work!   i never thought i would want a salt water aquarium, but after visiting a large fish store near us i think i might. i know they are tons of work, but the fish seem much more colorful (like the "nemo" fish) and all the other stuff you can put in them can be alive as well. we arent ready for one yet, but maybe someday. p.s. i told my wife i wanted one of the nemo fish too! [] 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• hlb118 Posted : 8/28/2006 2:09:24 PM I think a planted tank would look awesome in the wall. But you'll have to do some research to get the right plants for your tank. Having some shoaling fish would be interesting. Barbs, tetras, etc. Like some one said, they are community fish. And maybe throw in some guppies for the enjoyment of babies.   You have to cycle your tank, so don't add fish until you do that. Check out [linkhttp://www.fishtanksandponds.net]www.fishtanksandponds.net[/link] there is a section just for setting up tanks and cycling. And anything else you need to know just ask in the forum.   Some of the members have gourgeous setups, maybe you can get an idea from their tanks. All my tanks are filled with fake plants, but in your case, a planted tank would look nice.   Once you get a hang of maintenance, it should be a breeze. It should only take an hour a week (at the most) to clean, etc. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Benedict Posted : 8/28/2006 2:11:08 PM I have nemo fish   I have 2 mated pairs, in 2 different aquariums.  (They fight like devils with each other unless it is a mated pair or a HUGE tank.)  Marine tanks are not as much work as people think, but it is definitely a commitment and the equipment is much more expensive than a freshwater tank.  The fish aren't cheap either lol.   Kate 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• hlb118 Posted : 8/28/2006 2:11:38 PM Forgot to add, when it comes to salt water tanks... There is more maintenance and monitoring involved. I tried saltwater a while back. It needed more equipment than my boss wanted to buy. So it slowly got worse, and I took the fish back to the store. There is special lighting, and other things that are needed to keep a marine tank stable. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• cyclefiend2000 Posted : 8/28/2006 2:22:32 PM ORIGINAL: hlb118 You have to cycle your tank, so don't add fish until you do that. Check out [linkhttp://www.fishtanksandponds.net]www.fishtanksandponds.net[/link] there is a section just for setting up tanks and cycling. And anything else you need to know just ask in the forum.  i thought you had to add some fish for the tank to cycle? 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Benedict Posted : 8/28/2006 2:27:07 PM No, you don't.  Using fish to cycle a tank is often called *popping* and can result in the death of the fish.  There are various ways to do it.  Using a chemical called "Cycle" which will instantly cycle the tank, or use something like a raw shrimp that will decompose, thus kick-starting the nitrate cycle.  In marine tanks, something called live rock is often used and creates a very quick, painless full cycle.  Shrimp and snails (live ones) are used sometimes too because they are less sensitive to the cycling (although more sensitive to salinity fluctuations.)   Signed, Kate the fish geek []     0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• hlb118 Posted : 8/28/2006 2:31:45 PM lol, you called yourself a fish geek. I'm going to join your club. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login