No to low maintenance aquarium?

[WoodiE]

This is a question for all the aquarium guys we have here - what is a good no or low maintenance aquarium setup? Would I be better to go salt or freshwater?

I'd like to keep it under 50 gallons.

 

[Rolex]

Absolutely freshwater. Salt water tanks can be far more beautiful with the variety of fish available but the maintenance is almost constant.
Fresh water tanks need little more than occasional PH testing and balance along with proper temperature settings. A lot of the cleaning chores can be done by selecting certain fish and snails that will bottom feed or clean algae off the glass.

 

[robmob]

I have 2 freshwater tanks. 55 and 40 gallons both using marineland penguin filter setups. I do a 1/3 water change every 2 weeks and change all filters monthly. Each tank has a pleco to help keep things clean. I never check the water since I never have had a problem. The key is to not overfeed. Excess decaying food can cause problems if the pleco doesn't take care of it.

 

[SchrodeMode]

Robo Fish Play Set Very low maintenance.

 

[WoodiE]

Salt water tanks can be far more beautiful with the variety of fish available but the maintenance is almost constant.

That was what I was afraid of, as I've always been in aw of salt water fish.

I have 2 freshwater tanks. 55 and 40 gallons both using marineland penguin filter setups.

Would it be helpful, in terms of keeping maintenance low, to over filter? Just for example, say something like this filter setup (no idea if this is a good brand or not) that's designed for 65 gallon tank but use it in a 30 or 40 gallon tank? Can I over cycle/filter water?

Robo Fish Play Set Very low maintenance.

You're probably on to something, even more so since I'd really love to have some clown fish.

 

[Rolex]

I'm SOLD on that Robo Fish setup. Just look at how ecstatic those kids are! You can't get happiness like that from REAL fish.
No, you can't really over filter, you'll just get more movement of the water since it's a larger pump. More filter, less cleaning.
Robmob is correct in watching that you don't overfeed. A few Aeneus catfish or Glass cats will keep the bottom free of food.
Droppings will build up, so there are grates you can put under the gravel that will draw that in and cycle it through the filter.

 

[slowngreen]

Freshwater 100% if you want the least maintenance. Salt water, while more rewarding imo, take almost a part time jobs worth of time and effort to keep them thriving especially at first till they get fully established.

Stay away from canister filters, they are nitrate factory's and will end up being your main feeding source for bad algae that will likely make you take down your tank. A good HOB (hang on back) filter like Rob uses will work great, just keep your filters changed. Also partial water change, like a once a month 10% will really help keep your water where it needs too be.
If you are going to use tap water, make sure you have chlorine, ammonia remover on hand (liquid/dry supplement). Makes your fish stay healthy as well as some will help clear out excess iron in the water. Although if you could use a RO/DI unit you would be best off with it.

Over lighting can also be a problem with over feeding.

If you want to go cheap, watch Petco for their $1/g sale where you can go up to 55g. Those are tank only of course. You might watch craigslist though for a full setup of tank, filters, heater, lighting, stand/canopy.

You know what you are wanting fish wise? Community freshwater would be likely the easiest to just stick fish in and let alone but a Cichlid tank would be your most colorful option but dont just go buy cichlids and stick them in, you have to know exactly what ones will work best with others and your setup. Rob can help you there for sure.

Also, biggest help in my opinion is to NOT listen to your local fish stores, always ask online instead. We arent here to sell you anything and will give first hand info instead of info they memorized to sound like they know.

 

[olds97_lss]

Just an FYI, when I had catfish... they killed pretty much everything but the pleco. It was 4 times their size, but they still would nip at it quite a bit.

The underwater gravel filter helps things go into the rock bed and create a type of septic for the waste. When I had tanks, I had 2 30gal and a 60gal, I had undergravel filters on all of them and a hanging filter like you listed. About once a month I'd replace the filters in the hangers and suck the crap out of the uptubes for the underfilter. Otherwise, I didn't do much besides change out 10% of the water monthly, and add water weekly.

I had an oscar and pleco in the 60, feeder fish in one of the 30's and community fish in the other 30.

 

[grgbulldog]

Did you ever put one together?

 

[ninnon]

No fish tank setup is truly maintenence free, you have to change water, filters, clean it. Treat fish. There's a lot too it. You need roughly 20 Gallons for fancy goldfish:

And +10 for every extra you add. A normal comet goldfish needs around 40 gallons per fish.

Ideally you need a pond for those, I'd go for a couple of fancy ones in a 30 gallon tank. You need to leave the tank for a while before you can put the fish in, and then after that let the nitrogen cycle balance out. There's a lot to it, read as much as you can on it before you buy one.

 

[WoodiE]

Did you ever put one together?

I did not. I love watching them and seeing what others do with aquarium's but I simply don't have the time to take care of something else. So now I just look at the pictures everyone else posts online.

 

[WVNed]

I have a 30 gallon cube with marine fish over live rock. It has a 10 gallon tank as a sump with more live rock and I drilled the 30 gallon for a drain. I have 2 circulating pumps in the main tank and a return pump in the sump which simply holds more rock. I have a hang on back skimmer. I have 5 fish in it along with hermits and snails. Maintenance consists of topping it off with tap water treated with Prime. I do 15 gallon water changes every 3 months. No filters or media to change or clean. Just empty the skimmer regularly and clean it when I do the water changes.. It has been up 4 years now. That's about as easy as it gets.

 

[grgbulldog]

I hear you. On that Woodie. I have 5 5.5-20 gallon tanks running in my room right now, 2 salt, 3 fresh. Originally I was going to combine the 2 salt tanks to the 20l until I saved up enough to convert to a 40b, but with my recent move I can set up a large freshwater planted tank, and I've decided I'm through with saltwater until I can really do it right.

I let the salt tanks go a bit recently. The planted is a 10g with 2 cory cats, I just cut it way back. It's super low tech, takes a while to grow, then the angel and bolivian ram were held on to by a friend for the last year and I just got them back.

I have a 30 gallon cube with marine fish over live rock. It has a 10 gallon tank as a sump with more live rock and I drilled the 30 gallon for a drain. I have 2 circulating pumps in the main tank and a return pump in the sump which simply holds more rock. I have a hang on back skimmer. I have 5 fish in it along with hermits and snails. Maintenance consists of topping it off with tap water treated with Prime. I do 15 gallon water changes every 3 months. No filters or media to change or clean. Just empty the skimmer regularly and clean it when I do the water changes.. It has been up 4 years now. That's about as easy as it gets.

That's an easy set up,I was thinking about doing a 20l like that so I can keep my clowns, yellow clown goby, and add a cleaner shrimp.

 

[WVNed]

I used to be more ambitious and put a lot of time and money into it. Not low maintenance.

 

[alien13]

http://www.sea-monkeys.com/sea-monkeys-order-form/

 

[pitbull14218]

I've got a 20 gallon and a 55gallon, and maintenance is due, I need to do 1/3 water changes to them. Luckily I have the hose that goes to the sink for vacuuming and filling.