Newbie w/ basic questions

[Janelle]

Hello there!  I recently got my son a fish tank for his birthday - and since then found Aquarium Co-Op and have been obsessed with this hobby!  One day I would love to feel educated enough to recreate and keep a gorgeous tank filled with guppies just like the tank @Dean’s Fishroom let @Lizzie Block put together.  

Is there a thread for newbies such as myself that I can read through?  I am looking for all the info!  Maybe a video series like fish keeping 101? 

I am also interested in info on the pro/cons of glass tanks vs acrylic & brand recomendations.  The different ways to filter a tank, why you would use one vs another and brand recommendations.  There are so many basics to fish keeping I want to learn as much as I can before I attempt more than my sons 15 gal tank!

Thank you!

[Larrimore]

Watch every YouTube video Aquarium Coop has posted and you will fall into the never ending rabbit hole that the rest of us are in...it will also answer all your questions way more in depth than somebody could with a forum post.  The tank your describing isn’t that tough once you get the basics, although the aquascaping won’t reach Lizzie status without a lot of practice.

[FrozenFins]

glass tanks and acrylic tanks usually wont matter when they are smaller tanks (under 120 gallons) 

Acryllic Tanks are lighter

Glass are heavier

I would not buy a big aquarium such as corys 800gallon and have it be glass.

There arent many differnces but many smaller aquariums are made of glass.

I would not get the cheap aquarium kits, they are cheap for a reason. I had a tetra 10gallon one and it bursted, unfortantley many people had the same problem with the tetra kits as I did.

Aqueon have good tanks, and can be found at most big box pet stores

As far as filtering:

Sponge Filters

Pros

 Very cheap, great for breeding tanks and quarintine tanks, good for nano tanks (under 30 gallons).

Cons

Only offers one step filtration, very limited to stocking number, may not have the best asthetic appeal, can be very loud

Hang on Back Filter (HOB)

Pros

Can offer multiple step filtration, can be used for bigger tanks (150 gallon and below), can be very quiet

Cons

May not always turn back on after a power outtage

Good HOB Filters include, AquaClears, Seachem Tidals

 

[gulf coast guppies]

For filtering the tank I would recommend a sponge filter with an air pump. They are super easy to use and work great.

[Daniel]

11 hours ago, Janelle said:

Is there a thread for newbies such as myself that I can read through?  I am looking for all the info!  Maybe a video series like fish keeping 101?

Here is an excellent series of post on fishkeeping basics:

Freshwater Aquarium Blog - Aquarium Co-Op

WWW.AQUARIUMCOOP.COM

 

[ChefConfit]

Here's a thread discussing everyone's favorite aquarium YouTube channels. Most if not all of them will have at least a few videos meant for people just getting into the hobby.

My personal favorites are Aquarium Coop, More Aquarium Coop, Steenfott Aquatics, KGTropicals, Michael's Fishroom, Primetime Aquatics and Dustin's Fish Tanks. I watch others as well but I watch most of the videos each of those put out. I also have seen all of them except I think Dustin on this forum which is cool. 

 

[McNubbin]

I'll let the videos do all the talking on the specifics. Just one piece of advice that I gotta give and can never be repeated enough no matter how many years you've been doing it. Go slow and be patient. Go slow! Slowly add fish, slowly allow the tank to cycle slowly watch your plants grow. Slowly watch as the algae cycles. The only thing instant will be your regret when you found something has gone wrong because you rushed something. This hobby has a timeline line that ranges from months to years in setup, and a lifetime in maintenance. Good results aren't found in a weekend.