Reddit mentions of Aqua Clear, Fish Tank Filter, 20 to 50 Gallons, 50v, A610

Neither of them are good. Honestly, I'd grab one from Amazon if you have time. Pick up an Aquaclear 30 or 50. They're 10x better than these.

Both these filters are some of the lowest on the market.

Repeating and adding on to what's already been said, neither would do well in that "tank". It's too small for any fish to live comfortably and doesn't allow for many if the things needed for fish to thrive. Because you're asking a question like this you must be new to fish keeping, which isn't a bad thing. As far as the tank goes, I would try and return it if possible. Like /u/_ataraxia said, goldfish need 30-40 gallons, minimum. To better display the reason why, here is a comparason of the goldfish you buy at the store to a full grown adult. Bettas also need larger, 2.5 gallons is the semi-agreed upon minimum for bettas. I put "semi" there because many argue that 5 or 10 gallons should be the minimum.

If you want to get some fish for you daughter and care for them in a humane way I'd invest in a 10 gallon tank. 10s are small enough to be affordable for beginners and allow for more than one fish to be kept in the tank. /u/kamikazeX already mentioned that petco has a $1 per gallon sale on now which you should really take advantage of if you want to commit to this. Personally, I think a 20 gallon long tank would be much better and would only cost about $10-15 more to set up and will make your life easier. Believe it or not bigger is better and the bigger the tank the less maintenance you have to do. For things you should research a small list would be:

• The nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank without fish, you may want to add fish right away but that would likely kill them due to ammonia poisoning
  
  
• What fish can fit in your tank
  
  
• Please, please, pleeeaaaaaaaaase research an individual fish before buying it. All too often people buy baby common plecos aka "sucker fish" when they're little, without knowing that they get massive
  
  As far as what I'd recommend buying to get started is:
  
  
• 20 Gallon long or 10 galon (up to you, but the 20 is easier to care for)
  
  
• Aquaclear 50 (if you wanted to go with the 20) or an Aquaclear 30 (for a 10 gallon)
  
  
• Black sand (the colorful gravel may be appealing, but the paint can wear off). I say black because with the darker substrate fish show more natural colors and look better.
  
  
• Fake or real plants and some rocks or caves (personally I think that the more natural the better, and live plants help manage nitrates)
  
  
• Decent lights
  
• Small heater or an appropriate size
  
  There may be similar products for lower prices, but with aquariums you always want to buy nice, not twice. When/if you get a proper tank and it is time to add fish go to trhe store and find the ones you like, write down what they are and leave. Don't buy them, leave. Go home and do your research so you know how to care for what you're getting and that it will do well in your tank. The last time I bought fish I had done a week of research on what I was buying.

10 gal is fine. I started my first SW tank a couple months ago and I got a 6 gal. Now, you will have to have to have live rock. Without it, it will be nearly impossible to have a stable tank. I suggest you get around 15 pounds. Get all the live rock you plan to have in you tank at once so your parameters don't get an ammonia spike if you have a fish inside. Aragonite sand should be fine. I would stay FOWLR (fish only with live rock) because corals are much harder. The cycle is also very similar. Set up your tank, add sand, fill with a few inches of water, add rocks and aquascape, fill up with water, add a deli shrimp, and you should be good to go. You will need some salt, a hydrometer, a good reliable heater, some lighting, a power head and test kit. And also a filter.
This is what I would get
http://amzn.com/B000260FUM
I would put the bio rings and carbon aside and replace with this,
http://amzn.com/B0002A5VK2
http://amzn.com/B004PBD4J4
Add the matrix when you start cycling, then add the purigen when you are getting fish. The reviews are speaking for the product. Purigen is simply a godsend
http://amzn.com/B00019JOSO
Go for a refractometer if you can afford it but this works fine for me as long as I tap it an there are no bubbles.
http://amzn.com/B001EUE808
The test kit.
http://amzn.com/B0036S4YZ0
This powerhead should do fine in a 10 gallon.
http://amzn.com/B003M7P9YU
This is one of the best most reliable heaters on the market. Many will fail and bake your tank but not the jagar.
http://amzn.com/B003EE5GUS
These make life a whole lot easier BN testing water or adding things like calcium. You get 10 so they should def last a while.
http://amzn.com/B008SJ1H7A
Get like 5 of these. They are extremely accurate and last around 3 months each. Wrap the wire around the tank and have one on at all times. They also help when doing water changes. You should also pick up an extra heater for water changes, via aqua and aqua top have good ones. These are made in china and sent out to companies like coralife to be package and sold for like 10 dollars, see
http://amzn.com/B0002DI4TO

Now, this is the salt I use for water changes,
http://amzn.com/B0002DJU0G
This should last you a year or two and is way cheaper then continually buying salt. I personally use tap water that has been heavily decholinated with this,
http://amzn.com/B00176CVK8
You should get your tap water tested for copper which can kill invertebrates. A 5 gallon bucket is really useful as is this siphon for water changes,
http://amzn.com/B002LL8BWU
This net is really fine and will catch most tiny debris
http://amzn.com/B008HPOCUE
You will probably find it cheaper in a store. I leave it in front of my powerhead for a hour or two every couple to days to catch debris and waste.
These tweezers help for when you don't want to get your hands wet.
http://amzn.com/B001CWDSYA
But they do start rusting after a lot of
use.
http://amzn.com/B0002E7ITK
This has been the best fish food in my experience but all fish should be fed a varied diet. This is a good staple and should be substituted with brine shrimp, mysis shrimp (frozen) and seaweed.
Not everything here is necessary, I'm just telling you what helped me make the jump to saltwater.
Here are some pics of my tank:

http://imgur.com/p3PP7X7
http://imgur.com/9kUaq1g
http://imgur.com/wtUfCb5
http://imgur.com/yl82GRn

One last thing, in a tank that size, draw a small line where you want you water level to be, when it goes below that due to evaporation, top off water. Test your salinity often in that tank. I use seachem marine buffer to deal with pH issues but chemicals and buffets should be avoided.

My point is that no matter what size tank OP buys, it's going to be too small. Bitching about it seems kind of dumb since it would be impossible for the average person to own a large enough tank.

The only thin OP actually needs would be a filter. Something like this will be enough for these little guys to live long happy lives. That plus regular/appropriate water changes and they'll live 20+ years easy.

It's really easy to criticize someone for their tank size when sitting across the globe and not actually paying the bill. I'm just tired of the hypocrisy. If everyone is actually concerned about the size of this type of fishes living space, they wouldn't put these fish up for sale to begin with, boycott the store that do, and tell everyone not to buy them or return them immediately... but then again, we're talking about a fish. An animal that society has universally agreed on as being less than almost all other living things. Many don't consider them meat.... I'm getting off topic but I'm at a [7] and trying to paint a picture. It's just silly to criticize or make OP feel bad for their tank size when the problem is so much worse.

AquaClear 50 Power Filter - 110 V, UL Listed (Includes AquaClear 50 Carbon, AquaClear 50 Foam & AquaClear 50 BioMax https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000260FUM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_FxaIwbW79Q96B

People swear by this filter. I'm actually about to purchase it for my 10 gallon as well and you can adjust the filter media and water flow on it too.

It is up to you what you want to do but a tank this size definitely at least needs a filter. To put things in perspective for you, on my 20 gallon tall I run this Ehiem 2215 Canister Filter. My tank also houses 8 female bettas and a ton of other life but this should illustrate how much variance can be in a tank this size. Even if you don't want to get a savage filter like the one I run you at least need to get either a massive sponge filter or a hang on back filter like this one

I know some advice on here would lead you to believe that no current is the best current in a Betta tank but in a tank this size, as long as they have places they can swim out of the current then a current is not only no problem, but is beneficial as you need sufficient water circulation.

Depending on what you decide to decorate with, you will also need a light.

Here is my 20 gallon tall: https://i.imgur.com/Qd2Vha0.jpg

Aquaclear 50 is what I use on my 20 gallon, and it works well - you can skip the bullshit cartridges that most manufacturers use, I added some floss padding and purigen to polish the water (clarity) and threw out the charcoal filter that came with it. You also might need to cut the sponge that comes with it in half laterally to fit all of this and still have the bio media submerged, but that's easy.

Aquaclear 50 on Amazon

Filter floss on Amazon

Purigen on Amazon

Your LFS will likely have all of these things as well, so it's up to you if you're in a rush or want to save a few $$$ by using Amazon.

And, lastly, this is just what works for me. You might try a different setup - but many other HOB filters don't allow you to customize the filtration all that much, and are just there to sell you cartridges.

HOB filters are the Gilette of the aquarium hobby.

1. What are the dimensions of the tank? You can tell the volume from that.
   
2. Styrofoam goes under the tank, not in it. It's also completely unnecessary if you have a rim on the tank.
   
3. There's not really an 'unsafe' amount of rock. Water is also extremely heavy and the tank holds that, so any reasonable amount should be just fine as well.
   
4. The best filter for a beginner on a tank that size is hands down an Aqua Clear 50, in my opinion. It will run quietly as long as you keep the water level nice and full.
   
5. Don't buy fish store brand lights if you want plants. Invest a little bit of money in something from Finnex (planted series) that will last forever and are designed from the ground up to grow aquarium plants.
   
6. Night mode is just low-light blue LEDs most of the time. It's essentially simulated moonlight. I personally do not use any lighting at night. The Finnex Planted 24/7 has a built in, automatic night mode.
   
7. Yes, 8-10 hours is pretty normal. Less light means less algae, and yes your lighting needs will depend on hardscape and plant choices.

I guess it all depends on what you'll be stocking. There is no such thing as over filtering but at the same time you don't want your filter to be so over sized that its going to be blowing your plants and fish around. I would suggest going with an aquaclear 50. Its rated for tanks from 20-50 gallons. Just a tad more expensive on amazon that the aquaclear 30 you linked above.

https://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-50-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506557271&sr=8-3&keywords=aquaclear+filter

I would highly suggest you stay away from the integrated kit approach and buy components. As someone currently trying to overcome an Eclipse system, the burdens far outweigh the benefit of integrations and ease. There's more than enough on getting adequate components here, and I would be happy to help you out with the decision, as would others.

Seeing as how you (thankfully) seem to like to take your time and do this right, I offer you some suggestions:

• Whatever tank you want. They're not going to have the greatest selection at Petsmart, but if you find something you like, get it. There's other places online that will ship the tank, but this is probably your best bet to get locally. Though the LFS isn't stocked very well, they might have a number of respectable tanks. Make this decision count-- you will be stuck with it for a long long time, and the ability for your tank to grow with your tools/abilities is crucial.
  
  
• Just pony up the money and get an Eheim Classic. For a 20G, you'll probably want to get this one. If you're getting anything larger than a desktop tank (and, BTW, that's a pretty good one), you'll need a real filter. This may seem excessive, but the dainty POS filters that come in kits ALWAYS wind up biting you in the ass. There are people here that are still using the same Eheim Classic that they purchased 15 years ago. It's a standard for a reason-- it's effective and reliable. Pay for it once and you'll never have to buy another unless you really move up in size. If you really don't want to go that expensive, the best bet is to stick with an Aquaclear filter. For the price, these things do a bang-up job!
  
  
• Just don't skimp on a heater. This will do you well, and it's not too expensive. You don't want your fish either roasting to death or accidentally freezing in the middle of winter. Hagen is a good brand to go to here.
  
  
• LED lights these days are great, and have hit a point where the ROI is seen far earlier than previously, and I'm talking about a year. When you get fluorescent tube fixtures, you use more power and have to replace the lights at least every year, and some replace them every 6mo. It depends on how much light you need, but again, I feel you need to recognize that you will grow with this tank, and buying a lighting system now that is cheaper but unable to grow plants will wind up costing you way more in the long run than just getting an LED fixture for 60% more that will last you years and require very little money after the initial purchase. For a first-time tank, I'd suggest a Marineland Singlebright if you really never envision yourself growing plants (which is half the fun in a tank these days), or a Marineland Doublebright if you'd like to grow plants and want an easy, cheaper option now. Know that those two fixtures are the lower end of the LED lighting bars, and you would do well with something like an Ecoxotic Stunner, where you can start with a fixture or two and then add on to the circuit later when you want more light for more plants. Also note the size of all of these fixtures have to be in line with the size of your tank-- there's no universal size.
  
  
• Note, also, that if your LFS sucks in the stock department, and Petco irks you as much as a lot of people here, there's many places where you can order fish and plants online. I haven't heard any horror stories with the big guys, so maybe check them out. Unfortunately, my LFS's are great, so I've never had to resort to these means. I've heard good things about aquabid, and really, you should join plantedtank.net and see what you can find either locally or on the buy/sell/trade forum. Also, joining a local aquatic org can open you up to a ton of CHEAP possibilities.
  
  Good luck. There's lot to research and plan, as well as to spend on, but getting a good setup is so rewarding and relaxing, that it pays back in spades.

Congrats on the first tank! My most successful tank was a 20 long, and honestly I think about going back very often.

If you're looking for a simple entry-level start to filtration, I would go with a simple hang-on-back filter (or HOB for short as they're called in the reefing community). You could absolutely add a small refugium/sump as mentioned here as well, which would increase your water volume and filtration ability, allowing you to get one or two more fish in the system, however as I'm sure you know it will be a bit more expensive and complicated to set up, with a few extra risks regarding any blockages in pumps.

If you're looking into the HOB option, I would recommend my personal favorite, the AquaClear filter (you can get it here https://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-50-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486060633&sr=8-1&keywords=aquaclear+filter). I fill mine with the provided media (I replace the bag of carbon monthly with my own bags that I fill which are a bit cheaper), along with a small filter bag of phoslock to remove some of the phosphates on the top. Overall it's a relatively easy setup, and you can clean the sponge filter every week or two when you do water changes to get rid of any of the detritus that builds up.

Good luck with the tank!

I'll just give you my generalize copy/pasta I usually hand out in situations like these so if you wanna read it when you got a chance, then you have it! Also has tips and purchase links for Amazon as well for different axolotl stuffs.


HOW TO CYCLE:

1. Set up tank with clean conditioned water. 2. Add recommended amount of beneficial bacteria per label
   
   
2. Add "waste" to the tank, so a little bit of say fish flakes ( they're cheap and you need a waste source since you DO NOT put a fish or axolotl in a uncycled tank. The flakes are gonna break down into ammonia. The goal with cycling is to get benefical bacteria to build up so they can change (eat) the waste & breaks down the ammonia into nitrite then finally break it down further into nitrate. All these chemicals can hurt axolotl.
   
   
3. Test tank a couple days later with a testing kit ( avoid strips, they will lie to you and give false results) if there is ANY ammonia or nitrite present, you arent cycled. If there is no nitrate present either, you arent cycled.
   
   
4. If you find ammonia or nitrite, take 50% of the water out and add clean treated water. Add more seachem stability ( benefical bacteria) ( add these each time you change water. Even if it's cycled)
   
   
5. Add a pinch more flakes & Continue to do this until your tank is cycled. Meaning you have no ammonia, no nitrite and a presence of 40ppm or less of nitrate.
   
   
   
   Warnings:
   1.If your tank isn't cycled, you are going to chemical burn them with ammonia in the water. And they will suffer. Nitrate ( the final of the chemical process) can also burn the fish/axolotl. This is why we keep this number under 40ppm. If it is higher than 40ppm, change the water 75%.
   
   
6. This beneficial bacteria lives in the filter. If you change your filter, you just ruined your cycle. Don't do this. If it gets nasty/clogged & you have to replace the cartirage, leave the old cartirage in with the new one for a few days so the beneficial bacteria can inhabit the new filter. If you can avoid replacing that, just rinse/gently squeeze out the filter in old tank water when you do clean the tank to keep from murdering the bacteria
   
7. Letting the filter dry out will also kill a cycle.
   
8. 
   
   *NOTE: Most bottles of beneficial bacteria say they cycle a tank in a day. Cycling can take up to a month in some cases but usually just two weeks if you keep on it. This requires constantly monitoring, testing and replacing most of the water in the tank when you get high ammonia/nitrite levels. You need ammonia/nitrite to be 0 and nitrate to be more than 0. Definitely less <40. If all your levels are higher than this, or if nitrate remains 0, your tank isn't cycled.***
   
   
   Summery;
   So basically, cycling builds beneficial bacteria which makes these waste breakdown chemicals go through a cycle of breaking down into a less dangerous form which keeps fish/axolotl from getting sick/dying. ... Most new fish people don't do this. And fish store employees try & tell them just adding something like seachem stability fixes this. It doesn't. An uncycled tank is basically new tank syndrome and it kills animals.
   
   You still are going to need to keep an eye on chemical levels after the cycle..Occasionally different things can cause the cycle to "crash", like changing the filters or a high tempeture, or the filters becoming dry..
   
   Once your tank is cycled, and you have an axolotl, honestly it's not that much work. The cycles the worst part. I feed my adult axolotls once every other day, I change 75% of their water twice a month, and add water to top it off / spot clean occasionally two-three other times a month due to the water I lose due to evaporation.
   
   
   Stuff you'll need:
   
9. Air stone+ airline+ air pump ( cheap ones are at Walmart.
   
10. Seachem stability ( beneficial bacteria)
    
11. Seachem prime ( it's a water conditioner I just prefer seachem)
    
12. A tank, 10 gallon minimum for 1 axolotl. But the bigger the better.
    
13. A filter
    
14. Hides for the axolotl
    
15. A syphon / water vacuum ( to suck out the poo/change water easy. I have a long food grade plastic hose I got from Ace hardware. I syphon and let it drain into the yard
    
16. A bucket
    
17. A Tupperware
    
18. A fan. Literally any fan you can put on top the tank and point at it will work. I have a table fan sitting on top my tank and blowing at the water to help keep it cool. A chiller is best, but they are expensive.
    
19. A tank thermometer ( don't get the thermometer strips, they lie
    
20. A master fresh water test kit.
    
21. Worms or repashy or pellets
    
    
    
    Links:
    
22. Test kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000255NCI/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784772&sr=8-2&keywords=master+freshwater+test+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51FQhbpfB0L&ref=plSrch
    
    
    
23. Fan suggestion
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001R1RXUG?aaxitk=NqgMhM9.r7.gAHICKezCoA&pd_rd_i=B001R1RXUG&pf_rd_p=0ef604ef-c787-43e9-9404-52a4ff25a95c&hsa_cr_id=8386596470601&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F71pMktGGyRL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B001R1RXUG
    
    
24. Tank thermometer
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002AQITK/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784880&sr=8-5&keywords=tank+thermometer
    
    4.
    Air pump + line + stone.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073DWVX5P/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1549784937&sr=8-11&keywords=air+pump+for+aquarium&dpPl=1&dpID=41%2BcSpzfDgL&ref=plSrch
    
    
25. Filter ( basic the tank you have probably already has one)
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000260FUM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785038&sr=8-2&keywords=hob+filter&dpPl=1&dpID=41Rr1kpTVOL&ref=plSrch
    
    
26. Shower poof ( hang these so they slow the flow of water coming out of filter. Axolotls don't like a lot of heavy water flow. Get these at the dollar store and rinse them before going in tank. You don't have to get these online. I'm just showing you)
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01F88BMC8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785094&sr=8-3&keywords=shower+pouf
    
    
27. Seachem stuff
    Prime; https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00025694O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785181&sr=8-1&keywords=seachem+prime&dpPl=1&dpID=41Q0rRc8NML&ref=plSrch
    
    Stablity:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002APIIW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785210&sr=8-1&keywords=seachem+stability
    
    
28. Food
    Pellets:
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0787T25J1/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785278&sr=8-1&keywords=axolotl+pellets
    
    Repashy:
    https://www.chewy.com/repashy-superfoods-meat-pie-gel/dp/166289?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Repashy%20Superfoods&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkfriBRD1ARIsAASKsQLQAXpk3WwGiCwRMr6OQmbfUXPIZutYnADrujltXxW1PPSVgYpPduEaAmAaEALw_wcB
    
    Ice cube trays for repashy( frozen is better. It's a jello. It will really trash your tank. So frozen is better):
    
    https://www.amazon.com/niceCube-Mini-Ice-Cube-Trays/dp/B01L7ZFBXW/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785496&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=mini+ice+cube+tray&psc=1
    
    
    
29. Hides. Here's a good example..I soemthing similar. Just go to the reptile section at your pet store. Get one that's not rough but smooth. Plastics a good option. Just rinse it well before you put it in tank
    https://www.arcatapet.com/m/item.cfm?cat=22600&source=GA-PLA00522600&fullsite=0
    
    
30. Water vacuum. This is what I have + I have a big long hose for big water changes. I use this to spot clean poo and "vacuum' it into a 10 gallon bucket
    
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549785739&sr=8-1&keywords=aquarium+vacuum
    
    Feeding tongs: They're actually tweezers for planting a planted fish tank. These can grip worms very well.. The Amazon ones that are silver suck and will make your life hell. Don't waste your money on ones on amazon unless you can find these on Amazon.
    
    https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fish/feeding-accessories/fluval-straight-forceps

Would recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Clear-Power-Filter-AquaClear/dp/B000260FUM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536260246&sr=8-2&keywords=aquaclear+filter

It would work good for a 20 gallon tank and it has an adjustable flow switch, so you can mess around with that to find the perfect flow for your axolotl, they are all different and it depends on the size. But it would never hurt to also have a sponge filter in there, but a single sponge filter isn't going to cut it as the only source of cleaning.

1- I’m aware of the window issue, but my house is full of windows (no complaints there!) and there wasn’t a better spot. That window is north facing and we rarely open the blinds.
2- except for the somewhat impulse bought setup I’m over planning.
3- substrate is sand and river stones.
4- I’m probably going with no background anyways, just out of laziness. I like the light strip idea.
5- definitely going with real plants
6- obviously. :) I have a dumbo plakat
7- I’m 100% getting corys. Do the different types have different personalities or just coloration? I’m leaning towards panda. I’m probably getting Harlequin Rasboras. I’m considering a snail because of the window/algae situation. I’m going to stock it really slowly though.
8- it came with a light.
9- already bought this filter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000260FUM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kbSaBb411RKF2
10-13- already done
14- probably going with a floating log (or two)
15- I might use the small tank I’m moving my betta out of for shrimp.
16- will do. In the small tank I have I use a turkey baster as a “vacuum”, that’s not going to work anymore. Haha.

I’ll definitely post updates :)

Over filtration is always better. I recommend Aqua Clear 50 rated for 20-50g.

Aqueon quietflow 50 would also be a solid choice.

I marked things with a [w] if they're on my WL!

1. Something that is grey. China Glaze Polish Ecollection Recycle [w]
   
   
2. Something reminiscent of rain. Hehe, a watering can [w]
   
   
3. Something food related that is unusual. Miracle Noodles - they're these weird low-carb noodles [w]
   
   
4. Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) LARPing Book for my friend Dennis. His is missing several pages, which is very frustrating to him. He's endlessly dear to me. [w]
   
   
5. A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! Other People's Love Letters - doesn't that just sound romantic? :D [w]
   
   
6. An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Mickey Mouse Cookies!
   
   
7. Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) SmartCat [w]
   
   
8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Triple heart necklace <3 [w]
   
   
9. A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Love Me If You Dare. Everyone should have more French film in their lives. It's a beautiful, artistic, funny, romantic movie. The main characters are hot.
   
   
10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. Cast Iron is heavy! [w]
    
    
11. Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. For exercise, way easier on my knees than the treadmill [w]
    
    
12. One of those pesky Add-On items. Awesome fabric softener - and I really want it, too! [w]
    
    
13. The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? A Roomba. I have pets. I need to vacuum more often. I'm lazy. Also he would be my robot butler friend. I'd name him Alfred or Jeeves or Pennyworth. My cats would be afraid of him. [w]
    
    
14. Something bigger than a bread box. A mattress is quite a bit bigger! [w]
    
    
15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Pearl earrings [w]
    
    
16. Something that smells wonderful. Lilac and Lilies! [w]
    
    
17. A (SFW) toy. Cat toy! [w]
    
    
18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. Chromebook! It's actually for when my husband starts college. [w]
    
    
19. Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Filter for my new fishtank! [w]
    
    
20. Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. Electric bike so, my comment on this is: “Theoretically I would like to bike. Realistically I'd like to bike, except up hills. Oh, here we are!”. Right?! Also what they sell electric bikes on Amazon? Damn! [w]
    
    Bonus:
    
    Oregon Chai!

I definitely wish I got an aquaclear judging by the reviews. I got a top fin 20 on sale a long while ago for my 10 gallon, and for even less than half the cost I wouldn't get it again. Filtration isn't bad, but it is really loud. Somehow even louder with the cover on it. I ended up replacing it with a much larger penguin biowheel filter with some aquaclear sponges in place of the biowheels which is doing quite well.

By the way, if you are in the US amazon has the AC20 for a little bit cheaper.

Check out the Aquaclear 50.

I dunno if you'd call it "budget" but it's the best for the money really. Also, I take the carbon out and put in more bio material.

20g is a nice size to start with.

Ok, seeing as you've come out and stated you have very little knowledge I'm going to list the absolute necessities. Apologies if you already have these covered, but it's better to be over cautious!

• Filter - Absolutely 100% required, this is only second in importance to the water IMO. The Aquaclear 50 would suit you well. However there are many other suitable alternatives, of which you may already have one.
  
  
• Heater - Ok maybe it's necessity depends on the stock you want to keep, but I'm guessing you'll go tropical purely since most people do. A 50-100W heater should be powerful enough to maintain tropical temps.
  
  I'd encourage plants. They give the tank a natural look, as well as giving the fish places to hide and relax. Happy fish are the best fun to watch, so it's worth making sure they're comfortable!
  
  There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of stocking options you could go with. Try using this website to try out different options. It's not the absolute gospel, but a very good indicator.
  
  As for general advice, read, learn, and live the Fishless Cycle. It explains why cycling is necessary, and how to do it.
  
  Good luck, and post pics as you go along :)

I understand. Sometimes life circumstances are what they are and we have to make the best of them. In that case I'll give you the same advice I gave to the other guy with goldfish in a 10g:

For the time being, the best course of action if you want to keep the fish and upgrading is impossible is to change out the water in the tank very frequently, I'd suggest half the water twice a week, and upgrade their filter to something heftier if you only have a filter rated for 10g--I recommend something like this Aquaclear 50. Make sure you move the filter media from your old filter over to the new one if you get a new filter as to not crash your cycle.

It is large and will look ridiculous on a 10g tank but the important thing is that it will effectively convert your fish's waste into less harmful compounds as quickly as possible given the higher flow rate, and this is extremely important to prevent lasting health problems from prolonged exposure to ammonia before a dinky 10g filter can get around to filtering all their water (goldfish are ammonia-producing machines). If you find the current to be too much for your fish with a more powerful filter, you can baffle the output flow with a piece of sponge so the current is diffused.

I'm sorry are you saying you have 12 fish in a 3.6 gallon tank right now? And you're thinking of upgrading to a 10 because your parents will be doing the maintenance when you are away? If this is the case, that is absolutely not an ok set up for those fish. I don't want you to feel bad. But, you need to bring all 12 of those specific fish back to the LFS as none of them are acceptable in a 10 gallon. There is only one fish that can be in a 3.6 gal that I can think of, that is a male or female betta. But, if you're going to be staying in the dorm, then bring the tank with you unless they have rules about aquariums or leaving the heater unattended. If they are going to do all the maintenance, get a 20 long and they won't have to do hardly any maintenance and you can keep all the fish. Move them over immediately and buy a bottle of Seachem Stability and dose the tank every day until it's cycled. But, you will need a gravel vacuum, just a small one like this and you can use it if you have sand. If you want gravel, you would need a larger tube or it can bend easily. Get the tank at the $/gallon sale. Order your other items online and see what's cheaper. But, You will HAVE to get the following: The Stability, an API Master Test Kit (it will need to be used regularly for testing pH, Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates), a filter (get something like this Aquaclear 50 so you will have enough filtration for those fish and the box is a good size so you can add filter media like this instead of the cartridges which aren't as good anyway. Then all they'll have to do is swish around in the bucket of tank water maybe once a semester. But, there are more things to buy for a tank, a lid, a light, substrate, live plants, etc. An adjustable heater.

The best pet parent you could be would be to return the fish and get a Betta and for goodness sake, tonight at least add water to the top so it's close to being 3 gallons at least.

My Ammonia and Nitrites spiked. After some help from you all my fish couldn't be happier. I got a second filter The AC50. I am leaving the old filter running in the tank for 6+ weeks to help grow good bacteria. I currently dont have another tank so I will leave both filter running, that and with 25% water changes every other day for a week plus Prime and Stability the fish should be quite happy.

• Slow water changes rate down to weekly.
  
• Next plan is to get some plants and a better lighting.
  
• Maybe start my plants in a second 10g tank, then move a few over to my big tank.
  
• My SO isnt too happy about my plan to spend more money on my fish tank but I enjoy it. so will see :D
  
  
  Thank you guys so much for all your help.

I really like these filters
http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-50-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUM

for a 30 gallon tank you'd want one capable of up to 50 gallons or so.

Theyre great because of the three separate cartridges- Also, ignore the packaging, you can reuse the sponge and the ceramic rings indefinitely unless a terrible awful disease breaks out. So this filter saves you money too!!

Edit: Puffers are usually too big/aggressive/brackish to include in a tank like this. Unless you had mollies/platys which have a high salt tolerance. Cories have zero salt tolerance tough.

Some of my favorite community fish are Galaxy Rasbora or Celestial Pearl Danio (same fish) I also like Badis. Theyre anabantids(sp) like the Betta.

I'd also highly recommend live plants. they really make you look good. Aquariumplants.com has total and trace substrate pellet fertilizer which Is pretty good at keeping them well fed.

Lighting: It depends on how deep the tank is. In my 55g, 29g, and standard 20g, crypts and small swords have a really hard time with standard T5 fluorescent lighting. With double-bright LEDs, they do OK.

Anubias and java ferns are my heroes. They don't grow very fast, but they just don't need a lot of fussing over, either.

Java moss won't grow where it doesn't get light -- but it doesn't have to be strong light.

If I had my preference, every tank I own would have the proportions of a 20g long. There's a lot of volume for water and fish, but it's nice and shallow so it's easy to light and for plants to thrive. My 20g long has the crappiest lights and the most prolific growth of plants.

HOB filters: If you look at the way Aquaclear filters are put together, there are three distinct components. There's a coarse foam insert for mechanical filtration. There are pumice beads with lots of surface area for bacterial cultures to grow (bacterial filtration). Finally, there's a carbon packet that's meant to provide chemical filtration. They're all really important in an aquarium, but I rely on my plants to do the chemical filtration bit.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I've run tanks with Penguin & Aqueon & Biobag filters with the carbon already in there and it didn't kill my plants. But with my heavily planted tanks (where I've upgraded to Aquaclear filters), I have been able to completely omit the carbon component to no ill effect for my plants or my fish.

If nothing else, it reduces my operational costs. All I do is rinse out the foam insert from time to time and/or run the pumice beads under the tap to wash off the schmutz. They don't wear out (at least not in the time I've had mine running), and they shouldn't be scrubbed or sanitized, because the invisicritters that would make us sick are the things that keep the tank healthy.

The biggest thing that I've discovered to help my low-tech, low-light planted tanks look great is to take advantage of vertical planting, meaning that I get big (tall) pieces of driftwood and anchor plants all over them. That way, I end up with greenery going gangbusters at various levels without having to rely on some kind of stem plant (although Hygrophilia difformis/water wisteria is a good one) to grow upwards all the way from the bottom of the tank.

If I may make a recommendation; buy some of that stuff from amazon. You'll save some money. These are Amazon's prices:

• Aquaclear 50 - $29.60
  
  
• API master test kit - $23.99
  
• Tetra whisper (20gal) - $10.99
  
• 25 feet airline tubing - $5.24
  
  etc
  

http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-50-Power-Filter-Includes/dp/B000260FUM
thats the filter equivalent of your p200. or you could go up to a 70. but the main thing is the bio media in the back. swap out the carbon for even more and you have a super strong bio filter going on.

this canister is pretty cool too. http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-A207-206-External-Filter/dp/B005QRDDM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1406263645&sr=1-1&keywords=fluval+206

Yep it's going onto a bureau. For the filter I was thinking of the AquaClear 50 More water stability is also always nice

Fair warning, incoming essay haha

27 gallons is perfectly fine. The first thing you will want to read up on is the nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling. The best way to cycle your tank is to ask a local fish or pet store if they can give you some used filter media to jump start your cycle. If not, buy an API test kit and follow the steps in those guides then your tank will cycle in about a month.

For filters you have two main options Hang off the back (HOB) or canister. HOB are easy to maintain and clean which seems great as a beginner. They need to be cleaned every couple-few weeks. Aquaclear are great HOBs. For your size tank I would get an aquaclear 50 or two of the 20/30s (one for each side).

I prefer canister filters. They give you more options for customization, can hold more media, and don't need to be cleaned as often as HOB. Buuuut they typically come at a steeper price. The most popular brands are eheim, fluval, and sunsun. I have eheims and love them. Reviews for sunsuns can be hit or miss, but they definitely have good value for their price. When picking a filter you generally want a turnover rate of 8-10 times your tank size. So 27 gallon tank, youd want about 216 - 270 gallons per hour (gph), keep this in mind when picking a canister.

If you plan on tropical fish you will definitely need a heater. Aqueon pro and eheim make good heaters. If you go canister, you can get an inline heater which are nice because you don't have to look at it or try to hide it in your aquarium.

For planted tanks you need a substrate. The cheapest option is to use pool filter sand along with some root tabs. Look into the walstad method if you wanna keep it low tech and cheap. The only problem with this method is that if you ever want to move plants or hardscape around it can be a bit messy. The more expensive route is to buy some aquasoil. There are a few types, but the most well known is ADA aquasoil. These substrates are packed with nutrients that last at least a couple years usually. In between is to use a porous substrate like Fluorite or eco-complete. These come with a little nutrients, but will need fertilizers to continue its benefit.

Fertilizers area great way to keep your plants happy and healthy, but for many plants are not really necessary. If you decide to use them you can buy them in liquid or dry form. I suggest buying dry because it is much cheaper, but you will have to figure out how much you need to dose. Luckily there are calculators out there that can do it for us!

Lighting you have many options. My favorite are finnex LEDs. They are middle of the ground pricing wise and do their job very well in my experience. Here is a good guide for lighting. When researching a light you want to use you should do so by finding its PAR value at the level of your substrate. Low is about 0-30 PAR, medium 30-50, and high 50+ PAR. Low you don't need pressurized CO2 to avoid algae, medium it is recommended, but you can get away with a densely planted aquarium and use of seachem excel, and high you need pressurized CO2.

I like to use hardscape in my aquariums. Things like rock and drift wood give a natural appearance to aquariums, provide shelter for livestock and take up space. If you get into aquascpaing, hardscape plays a major role.

Plant selection will depend on your lighting, fertilizer, and CO2. Here is a list of good low light/low tech plants. If you want more demanding plants do your research and ask questions if you have them!

Fish selection depends on you and what you like. See a fish you're interested in? Do NOT automatically trust a sales man at a petshop or fish store. Do your own research on the fish before buying and ask questions about people's experience with the fish and its compatibility with your tank. In a 27 gallon you can fit 1, maybe 2, groups of most smaller schooling fish and then some bottom feeders.

A general stocking plan would be 10-12 of a schooling fish like neon tetra (or something of that size), 10 salt and pepper cories, 6 otocinclus, and some red cherry shrimp.

The most important advice I can give you is to do your research. Doing your research will save you time and money. People are generally friendly and helpful on this subreddit so don't be afraid to ask more questions.

> 40-60 is way too vague. It is one or the other.

This is the filter I have http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000260FUM/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My betta gets along great with the guppies, doesn't bother them. I've been breeding guppies, mollies and platies, I keep some of the babies and the rest I always donate to my LFS. I wish they would interbreed, I've been trying hard to achieve that. My ratio is 3 females per 1 male. Except on the platties both of them are females and the sword tails are male. On the tetras I'm slowly adding more of both, in the past they would die when I introduce to many too fast.

If I get a filter that is rated at least 2X of my gallons wouldn't that create too strong of a current for the fish?

I have this filter on it right now. I could probably get away without it though. I just have it for looks. I like the water flow, and it clears up the water quickly after a trimming session.

I'd recommend the 50, at least. If you're keeping guppies still, the current won't wear them out. All of them are adjustable flow, so you can just turn it down if need be.

https://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-50-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479866479&sr=8-1&keywords=aquaclear+50

Of course, bigger is always better, in case you upgrade to a bigger tank in the future.

Sure! We love multis and I love telling people about them :) We live in Missouri so we have hard water, I don't have a test kit for the water hardness but it's high. Our water comes out of the tap at a ph of 8 so basically our water was MADE for africans!!

Their tank is kept around 78 degrees, no fancy lights, just a basic 20L with hood and light from Petsmart. The substrate is CaribSea for African Cichlids in black. Look for it on special at your local big box store. I think we got our 20lb bag for $4 or something. We use an african cichlid mix for their water here is a good article with a mix like we use. We also use Rift Lake Vital for the trace elements they need. We do 50% water changes on the tank weekly (and you have to make the mix for each water change of course).

We feed them Omega One Flakes, a few shrimp pellets, sometimes color bits to mix it up. They are very clean fish and keep their territories clean. Usually there will be two or three places in the tank where the waste seems to congregate, either they are putting waste bits of snail shells, food etc. there or it is naturally being swept their by the filter, an Aquaclear 50.

The fish are kind of hard to find so ask around. Usually people who have them have a colony going for years. My independent LFS has had them a couple of times (and asked $15.99 each!!). We bought them at the auction for about $3 each if I recall and the other six were given to us by the same guy.

I just recently purchased a 125 gallon tank and am slowly building up all the stuff to get it set up. I am looking at filters now and was looking for advice. I plan on planting it pretty heavily and stocking it with some big fish like black knife ghost fish, some catfish, and arrowana (knowing i will upgrade the size of the tank) I was looking at possibly doing an aquaclear. The 110 seems like its slightly too small for my tank which brings me to my question. would it be better to use 2 aquaclear 70 or 3 aquaclear 50 to make up for the size? are there some nice canister that would look and function better than multiple aquaclears? Thanks.

I run a dual setup in my 40 gallon long tank; a canister alongside a HOB. I love this setup and recommend it to anyone for larger tanks. It gives you the large size of the canister filter for a good amount of bio media, but you also have the HOB to add any small little things you need to for the tank. For example, in my HOB, I run filter floss, foam, and purigen. While in my canister I run bio balls, foam, and PhosGuard. Oh and I should mention that the HOB I use is an AquaClear 50, and the canister is an Eheim Classic 2215.
Specs on those:
Eheim:
164 GPH
Total Filter volume of 1.1 Gallons
Rated for tanks up to 92 US Gallons
AquaClear
200 GPH max (depends on how much filter media is inside)
Rated for tanks up to 50 gallons

Alright...time to start typing out this monster.

Ive been reading guides and stuff, but i have a terrible memory when reading things, and theres some stuff i want to double check, etc.

Im looking to set up my old 29 gal tank from when i was a kid (its been empty for 10+ years). My goal is to do a planted tank with primarily tetras and shrimp...maybe a pleco and perhaps another type of schooling fish.

I probably wont be able to start cycling for ~2 weeks or so, though by the time i buy stuff on amazon, etc thats probably a decent timetable.

This light was suggested to me by another user. Should be sufficient for growing plants in a low tech system, right?

Ive seen various numbers for how 'oversized' a filter should be. Right now im kinda looking at these two (1) (2). Any comments on brand? It looks like i can get either one in bigger/smaller sizes. 400gph seems like it might be a bit overkill...but is 250 too low?

Ive read that often the agitation in the surface water by the filter is enough to provide sufficient gasses to the plants/fish...do you think that ill be true in a low tech tank? Would an aerator help? I dont think i'll mind having bubbles coming up in the background if it will, but am i overthinking this?



I wish i had saved more links on substrate and sand and all. Any recommendations for substrate for plants? Would probably like black stuff. I think this is the one i had read about being good?

Thinking about doing a bit of gravel in the tank, but i'd also like to do some sand. Maybe something like 2/3 sand (maybe a couple different types?) and then the rest gravel? Thoughts/concerns?

I thought i had read somewhere that people often use blasting sand (rinsed well)....anyone have comments on that? I could probably get some for cheap from work, though im not sure i want dark sand...


Best place to get a larger piece of driftwood? Ive looked around online a bit and have seen a ton of different sites and whatever, but was wondering if anyone had a suggestion for where to go. Im probably going to want one big piece, and then i can get smaller pieces from wherever.


I assume when im doing water changes and stuff im going to want to bypass our water softener? Our water is supposed to be pretty hard, do i want to maybe mix softened with unsoftened? (ive seen a lot of stuff about adding minerals to pure RO water, but havent seen much on softeners)




Im sure ill think of more, but this should at least be a good start...

Edit: Best place to get rocks and stuff? I'd like a couple for a natural look, im just not sure where to get them. I could get some red granite around here, but im not sure how that'd work, and it seems like it'd be really heavy...?

So I'm planning on getting a 55 gallon planted tank and was looking around for HOB filters. Would getting two of this be overkill? My hope is to keep the tank as clean as possible at all time with little water changes per week.

Cherry and blue dream are the same species and will interbreed.

I would recommend picking one or the other.

When they interbreed, you won't get purple, instead you'll get some poorly colored blues, some poorly colored reds and a lot of "plain" which are basically mostly clear with some light brown.

Also neocardinas like lower temperatures, if you're looking to build a colony you should avoid tropical fish since they prefer warmer temps. If you're keeping shrimp a heater isn't really necessary.

I agree to wait for the $1 per gallon sale, it really is difficult to beat.

Over the last few years I've had 6 20g's going at the same time with slightly different set-ups from sponge filters to HOB to canister. I experimented with all methods, hi-tech, low-tech, waldstadt.

The most important thing you can do is think about what your end goal is. You'll make mistakes at first, everyone does. But if you plan ahead you can minimize how costly they will be.

If I were to recommend a set-up to a beginner.

• $20 aquarium PetCo $1 per gallon sale
  
  
• $35 AquaClear HOB filter
  https://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-20-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUM
  
• $8 SunSun powerhead
  https://www.amazon.com/SunSun-Submersible-Aquarium-Hydroponic-Powerhead/dp/B00OUJ60RY
  
• $90 LED + full spectrum. As far as lighting goes, I've never been let down by Current USA, but I've never tried this model.
  https://www.amazon.com/Current-USA-Satellite-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B00C7OTE0O
  
• $40 Substrate I recommend aquasoil
  https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Soil-Amazonia-Liter-Normal/dp/B00519832W
  
• $80-$150 for hardscaping. I would recommend Seiryu, Manten, or Ohko stones. You'll want 20-30 lbs and the cost ranges from $3 per lb to $6 per lb.
  
• $10-$25 for plants. For starting off I'd recommend something easy and fast growing like hygro pinnatifida, cabomba caroliniana, dwarf hairgrass, and rotala indica.
  
• $10 initial livestock. Get everything set-up and planted. Then buy 5 white cloud minnows to cycle your tank for the first month. These guys love the same parameters as your soon to be purchased shrimp.
  
• $5 second livestock purchase, get 2 otolincus catfish. By this point your tank should be cycled and some algae may be growing, otos will clean that up in no time.
  
• Now you buy your shrimp. You can get decent quality fire red cherry shrimp for ~$3-4 each, or blue dreams for $5-7 each. You'll want to start off with 10. Be good with your 20% water changes every week and soon they will be molting afterwards. Soon you'll get babies, after your first batch is born, buy another 10 to improve the gene pool a bit.