So I got a free fishtank tonight

[Stormwalker]

Not sure on the size, it's about the same shape as my 55gal but just a tad smaller. 40 or 45 maybe? Came with heater, lid & light, outside filter and a couple of other things (no undergravel filter). It also came with 3 tetra, 4 gouramis, a rainbow shark, and a pretty good size pleco.

Anyways, the tank needs some serious cleaning up, and new gravel of course. Won't be able to set it back up until tomorrow at the earliest.


So in the meantime, I threw the fish I got with it into my 55 gal african cichlid tank.

Surprisingly, no casualties as of yet. I made sure to feed those cichlid fuckers a shitload before I threw the tetra to the wolves. Basically my cichlids are swimming around staring at the little fish like WTF.

I hope the rainbow shark lives, I like those.

[CCr]

You could have had plenty of food until I flushed them.

[Exjay]

all my fish like to die

[sport the war]

female betta's die like a mofo. i've had 3-4 die, have the same male.

[StangerJon]

I want some free fish.

[sport the war]

i know a few loose ladies that can make that happen.

[351capri]

Free aquarium ftw, and a large one too. i just have a ten gallon, with two gold fish in it, i have had the one goldfish since june of last year. That thing is atleast 4 inches long, the other fish is almost as wide as it is long.

[MadMatt]

Congrats! Id love to have a tank but all these damn cats........

[Stormwalker]

Congrats! Id love to have a tank but all these damn cats........

If you have a decent hood on it, all will be fine.

In fact, the tank will provide hours of entertainment for the cats. They will just sit there and watch.

What worried me is when my malamute was a puppy he'd try to "bite" the fish lol. I was afraid he'd knock the 20 gallon over.

[sc0tty8]

Want fish you never have to pay for again?

Go to wal-mart.

[Zephyrefi]

My Angelfish, Chinese Algae Eaters and Mollies like to die. My Tetras do great. Richfield water, i guess.

[Stormwalker]

I've had my yellow cichlid for 6 or 7 years now, the blue one for 5 years or so. Once the blue one got somewhat big, he killed off all the other cichlids I had, some of them 4+ years old at that time. He's been beating up the yellow one lately too.

This should point out to people that I only had two fish in my 55 gal aquarium. The blue one is big enough where I can't just add fish I buy at the petstore, unless I'm willing to spend over 50 bucks a fish for that size at world of fish in Richfield or whatever.

Should I....

Put the africans in the 20 gallon, keep the 55 gal for cheap fish like what I put in there, and do the 40-45 gal up as saltwater?

Leave the africans in the 55, set up the 40-45 gal for the cheap fish?

Put the cheap fish in the 20, africans in the 55?

I don't want to set up the 20 or 55 for salt because I already have good equipment for freshwater for them. But this new tank I got needs a few things so I'd have to buy stuff for fresh or salt regardless.

Although I am not sure about the salt tank, because I kind of don't want to set up the 20 gal, I'm really not THAT into fishtanks to have 3 of them running. Are saltwater tanks worth it?

[LilRoush]

Salt are only worth it if you want a specific marine fish. I have one running just for the heck of it...but I'm strange.

Use the new tank for a group of South American schooling fish. Then you could have a new world and and old world set up (assuming the cichlids you have are old world based on discription).

If you need fish and don't want to pay retail, let me know. I never pay retail. And please don't buy from WalMart. Their fish suck.

[SteveR]

Saltwater is the only way to go, more expensive though. I have a 75gal with 2 lionfish, 1 trigger, a snowflake eel and a porcupine puffer. 10 comets are gone in about 30 seconds. But they are fun to watch and the colors/behaviors are way better than freshwater. All the fish I mentioned are very hardy, much easier than alot of freshwater.

[Stormwalker]

Salt are only worth it if you want a specific marine fish. I have one running just for the heck of it...but I'm strange.

Use the new tank for a group of South American schooling fish. Then you could have a new world and and old world set up (assuming the cichlids you have are old world based on discription).

If you need fish and don't want to pay retail, let me know. I never pay retail. And please don't buy from WalMart. Their fish suck.

I was leaning away from salt, but a buddy of mine who is a big saltwater tank freak just came into town and learned I am setting up a tank tonight...

The cichlids I have are lake Malawi fish, I think that would be old world? So when you say South American, are you talking about Oscars, Jack Dempseys, Convicts, Red Devils, etc? I used to have those too, and liked the Africans better. But they were cool too. Hmmm.

And about the Walmart thing.... I would have normally agreed with you. Except for the fact that I picked up my blue one from there. In Brainerd, unfortunately, Wal-mart is the best place to pick up fish. Anyways, the blue one grew faster and got prettier (blue with yellow fins, red starting to appear on back bottom fin) than any of the others I had from expensive fish stores like World of Fish. So maybe you can luck out there sometimes?

I would be very interested to hear about where you suggest to get fish.