Getting a fish tank?

Evening all,

I've been toying with the idea of getting a fish tank for a while but don't really know where to start.

What type of tank would you advise?
What type of fish?
Is it expensive to start up?
Isit a hassle to clean and maintain?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Cheers

People often tell me I have the build of one

Fish belong in the sea NOT confined to a 4x4 jail cell for you're amusement.

Yes I do eat fish but thats beside the point, I interact with fish when they are dead, they are not there for me to show off to my mates.

My brother used to keep a variety of fish/amphibians/reptiles going back quite a few years. He used to make his own tanks with glass and silicone sealant which was a lot cheaper than buying and obviously quite easy to customise to available space. Cleaning and maintaining I'd imagine would depend on what type of fish you're keeping, if you get the balance right the fish could maintain the tank themselves. He had a couple of placostamus which kept the tank clean of algae and were quite fascinating to watch.

I've kept freshwater and saltwater tanks in the past. Freshwater tanks are generally quite easy to maintain, saltwater tanks virtually impossible, as well as being very expensive. You could get a decent set up for £100-£150 exc fish. The better looking ones like the biorb or biorb life ones are more expensive but limit the variety of fish you can have.

If you wanted something that looks ok and is fairly easy to maintain, just get a couple of types of tetras. You can then add a loach or 2 to help with the cleaning. If the tank is big enough you could get some mollies and guppies which will reproduce especially if there is enough cover.

Live vegetation in the tank supposedly helps clean the water but I've only ever had problems - disease and overgrowth. Also, don't be tempted to introduce snails......

Getting a fish tank?

No!

Should you do it...no, it'll be a ball ache...like gardening

Have you thought about a Lava Lamp...

Same pay off for less maintenance, maybe coupled with sea monkeys

How about a lava TANK? That would be good and would double up as a fancy storage heater

DAVE667

How about a lava TANK? That would be good and would double up as a fancy storage heater

Or as a North Korean weapon to crush the non believing infidels below the heel of righteousness

Thanks for your responses guy.

Some useful ones and some.... umm not so useful ones! I did feel when writing the thread it may have a mixture of responses!

rick_dagless wrote:DAVE667

How about a lava TANK? That would be good and would double up as a fancy storage heater

Or as a North Korean weapon to crush the non believing infidels below the heel of righteousness

Mine's a more comfortable option. Killing with kindness!!!!!!

Didn't Kim Jung-Un feed his uncle & 4 cronies to a pack of 120 starving dogs?

If he was trying to feed 120 dogs with only five people then the poor creatures will still be ravenous

seanmicheals wrote:Didn't Kim Jung-Un feed his uncle & 4 cronies to a pack of 120 starving dogs?

surely it would be more apt in korea to feed 4 dogs to a hundred starving Cronies?

We used to keep tropical fish - therapeutic and interesting when it is working well - but if disease gets into the tank can be hard going.

Two fish were in a tank

One said 'You drive...and I will man the guns'

Steffan wrote:Two fish were in a tank

One said 'You drive...and I will man the guns'

Well I thought that it was funny.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:We used to keep tropical fish - therapeutic and interesting when it is working well - but if disease gets into the tank can be hard going.

Try not sticking your todger in then

what did the fish say when it swam into a wall?

Dam

(sorry)

rick_dagless wrote:what did the fish say when it swam into a wall?

Dam

(sorry)

Neither the time nor the Plaice for jokes like that.

seanmichaels wrote:Neither the time nor the Plaice for jokes like that.

ill stop carping on I can see you have haddock enough

There's a type of fish called a "monkeyface prickleback", you have to get one of these for your aquarium.

rick_dagless wrote:

seanmichaels wrote:Neither the time nor the Plaice for jokes like that.

ill stop carping on I can see you have haddock enough

Don't apologise just for the halibut.

well I have been Perched at this desk for a while so i may as well go trout for lunch.

Galted wrote:There's a type of fish called a "monkeyface prickleback", you have to get one of these for your aquarium.

There's a species of poster called the Prickfaced Strongback....stick one of those in your aquarium and seal the lid on tight

DAVE667 wrote:

Galted wrote:There's a type of fish called a "monkeyface prickleback", you have to get one of these for your aquarium.

There's a species of poster called the Prickfaced Strongback....stick one of those in your aquarium and seal the lid on tight

Brilliant!

Galted I just had a look at that fish, it's well funny. Expensive I'd guess though!

Spencer - if you are going to get a fish tank, you certainly need to be committed to it. As begged for by the Bat girls, we got one a few years back. Fun for a while but they fairly soon lost interest and when they flew the Bat cave, it was left to yours truly and Mrs Bat to regularly clean it out, a back aching and mind numbingly boring task I would add.

When the last fish died shortly before Christmas (of old age / natural causes it should be emphasised), I have to admit that neither Mrs Bat or I shed too many tears.

What did you have for Xmas dinner? Fish perchance?

Two birds on a perch, one says to the other 'Can you smell fish?'

two snowmen in a field, one says to the other, "can you smell carrots?"

TWO EGGS IN A PAN OF BOILING WATER, ONE SAYS "PHEW IT'S HOT"
OTHER ONE SAYS, "**** ME... A TALKING EGG!"

Get an ecosphere,pretty cool imo.

guildfordbat wrote:Spencer - if you are going to get a fish tank, you certainly need to be committed to it. As begged for by the Bat girls, we got one a few years back. Fun for a while but they fairly soon lost interest and when they flew the Bat cave, it was left to yours truly and Mrs Bat to regularly clean it out, a back aching and mind numbingly boring task I would add.

When the last fish died shortly before Christmas (of old age / natural causes it should be emphasised), I have to admit that neither Mrs Bat or I shed too many tears.

A sucking loach can help with the cleaning to some extent - very useful if not pretty looking piscine hoover.  But even so plenty of need for human intervention!

get a couple of cat fish