fishes

kevinberry1 · Post by **kevinberry1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:10 am

Get a small muskie or northern pike :)

Bwcad1 · Post by **Bwcad1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:26 am

i was thinking about that but they get so damn big. i was also thinking about a large mouth or small mouth i have a small pond so there not hard to get. i was looking at catfish but i heard there a pain to keep alive.

kevinberry1 · Post by **kevinberry1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:37 am

Bwcad1 wrote:i was thinking about that but they get so damn big. i was also thinking about a large mouth or small mouth i have a small pond so there not hard to get. i was looking at catfish but i heard there a pain to keep alive.

A fish will grow to the size of it's space. For example, a gold fish is really a variety of carp and will get huge in a pond. So you shouldn't have a problem with a pike, muskie, bass, or other game fish in an aquarium. I used to have a small catfish in my aquarium as a kid, but I was dumb enough to put my pet turtle in there and the catfish soon disappeared :)

I also had a fresh water 'red-tailed shark' that lived for a long time. Unfortunately, it only looked like a shark and wasn't vicious or anything. You may want to look into parannas, but some stores really charge a lot for them. Oscars are cool too, but I think you can only have other oscars with them because they will try to eat other fish.

_gonz_ · Post by **_gonz_** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:45 am

Bwcad1 wrote:Hey guys for the past few weeks i have been mulling over getting a fish tank nothing huge but something fun i can put decent fish in. i cant decide if i want to do salt water or fresh. i like salt mainly because i can get meaner fish lol. i dont want lil tetras or goldfish i want bad ass fish like gnars or oscars something of the like. but i dont know much about it. just been reading a bunch. let me know what you think

Alright, Oscars are expensive, need LOTS of room (seriously, lots) and they're kinda hard to keep healthy.

Saltwater tanks can be truly amazing. I've seen some impressive setups in my time... but I won't be the first to tell you (the owners would) that they are *extremely time consuming and expensive* to do properly and nicely.

*as compared to freshwater*... easier to maintain, much more forgiving. Still a huge variety of fish, including sharks, to choose from. Not as exotic, but this is definitely the way to go, so you can learn and gain experience. Very cheap to go this route, not much work involved. If something goes wrong, you are'nt losing much investment.

After a few years, and a few big freshwater tanks later, move into saltwater if you still have the interest. Determining if you want to deal with the responsibilities is one of the biggest reasons I suggest going fresh first, because they are constant work in either case. Some people get sick of it and others love it.

_gonz_ · Post by **_gonz_** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:48 am

kevinberry1 wrote: Oscars are cool too, but I think you can only have other oscars with them because they will try to eat other fish.

Correct. And in my experience, it's one Oscar per tank. We had an Oscar kill its own brother. They are not nice fish. They're nothing to look at either. I would suggest avoiding Oscars altogether, matter of fact. They're just nasty bastards.

Bwcad1 · Post by **Bwcad1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:53 am

well c thats what i want i dont want a bunch of pretty fish i just want one or 2 bad ass ones. im not sure y i just do. im odd like that. im gonna go fresh for the reasons you stated but whats my best bet for fish? i like the idea of bass or a walleye or pike or something but what else should i look at?

_gonz_ · Post by **_gonz_** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:03 am

C'mon now bro...

There is nothing more badassed than sharks. Did'nt you see Jaws?

Otherwise, catfish are pretty badass... but they like to stay still and hide. Sharks don't sit still, they're always swimming about.

Also, Sharks are not terribly large, so you could do four or five in a modest tank.
Also get a sucker fish (whatever they are, I forget) to help with the algae.

Bwcad1 · Post by **Bwcad1** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:13 am

ok for about 400 for everything what can i do?

_gonz_ · Post by **_gonz_** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:25 am

Bwcad1 wrote:ok for about 400 for everything what can i do?

You can start by putting some of that loot right back in your pocket. I doubt you'll spend $200 at most?

Grab a swap sheet or equivelent classified newspaper, people are selling used tanks all the time. Even if it should leak, you can get silicone to seal it right back up.

Obviously from there, your best bet is Petshop superstores, and look into forums for other hobbyists.

I was never into fish, just been around plenty of people who were. Therefore, I'm not the best for anything other than the real basic stuff. Which is...

get a big ol tank, a filter to fit that size, good quality filter is a good idea... you might want an under-gravel aerator (screwed the pooch spelling that one) and you'll need a pump. DON'T go cheap on the pump! Its the part most prone to failure, or making very annoying noise, so just save money up front and buy a good one.

Then you get some gravel, some plants or rocks etc.. to dress up the tank.
Fish food, ya need that. Thermometer for tankside. Anything else necessary, the shops you visit will suggest for you.

Going used on tanks lets you get something bigger than you could afford new. Often they'll come with a stand, which is usually pretty expensive new. If you go ahead and re-seal the used tank, get the right kind of caulk (ask pet shop). Get the biggest tank you can find because believe me, you'll grow out of it otherwise. Bigger is always better with fish.

jejuanm · Post by **jejuanm** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:02 am

OK, go with a 55 gallon tank, this way its not too big, but its not on the small side at all. Fresh water is the way to go, if this is your 1st real tank. Your also on the right move with the OSCARS, one of my fav, but there some fresh water fish called cichlids. These are badass fish, and they come in many colors like salt water fish. The more you feed themm, ther bigger they get. The bigger they get, the more meaner they get. I buy feeder gold fish, i buyy them like 50 at a time, and they feast on these things. It is great entertain net to watch them feed. Start with this set up. If money is an issue, Walmart sells a complete set up of a 55 gal tank and stand, whole 9 yards for about 255.00 you get that and as you learn, step up your setup just like in the car audio biz. Hope this helps!!!! Looking at a a fish tank aftera stressful day really helps, then you take it out on the PS2!!