I want to start an Aquarium...

I also have quite a few plants and mosses you could have. Couple shrimp too but they wouldn't get along with the goldfish.

I received all of my plants and shrimp in the mail and never had a problem.

Pictures...

Im in NorCal,quite a drive my man. I love a nice toke and drive but thats a little ridiculous. In my past experience anything i ship within cali usually takes 1-2 days. Idk about during the holidays. Whats your weather like for the week?

so it's 25lbs black gravel, 5lbs dark blue, and 5 lbs lighter blue mix...I can't believe how blue it turned out, but I can live with it...I need decorations, maybe a log and some caves, and then the plants...Also plan on getting a deep blue backround for it.






And a show of the thermometer, light, filter, and 200w heater

Damn, those are some pretty fancy starter fish. Plan on keeping them?

Gonna have to upgrade that light to keep plants. Some will do alright,ie;moss,anubias,and ferns to name a few. Cryptocoryne plants can do ok in low light but they are heavy root feeders and that inert subsrate has nothing for them to eat. Tell ya what, ive got about 3 packs of root tabs that will do you good if you plan on planting anything in the substrate. I'll send them with an anubias and some moss and a fern to get you started. If you get stuff going and your liking it i can send you some crypts also.

Gastanker said:

Damn, those are some pretty fancy starter fish. Plan on keeping them?

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Yeah, once the tank has cycled, I'll probably set up a 10 gallon the the goldfish if they survive. I've dubbed them "Fish" and "Chips"

THE PUMPKINHEAD said:

Gonna have to upgrade that light to keep plants. Some will do alright,ie;moss,anubias,and ferns to name a few. Cryptocoryne plants can do ok in low light but they are heavy root feeders and that inert subsrate has nothing for them to eat. Tell ya what, ive got about 3 packs of root tabs that will do you good if you plan on planting anything in the substrate. I'll send them with an anubias and some moss and a fern to get you started. If you get stuff going and your liking it i can send you some crypts also.

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Right on, the light is a T-8, but I figured if I get and plants going, I can always figure out a way to upgrade the lighting...After all, I do grow other stuff indoors...lol

How would you ship aquatic plants, could they be delivered to my P.O. Box?

@ metasynth, be sure you get your plants from a reputable source. Live plants are notorious for carrying parasites. Looks like you're off to as good start. I suggest you try some cycle beneficial bacteria to speed up the conditioning process (cuts time to nearly only a 1/4 of the time). Do you know what fish you plan to stock your tank with? The type of fish will determine how you will decorate your tank. Cichlids: only rocks & slate (If you put plants with most cichlids they will uproot them & destroy them. Create lots of hiding spots & caves. Tetras & such: lots of plants. You know what I mean. Good luck.

Sending water plants in the mail is actually really really simple. Place plants in wet paper tower, bag, box, send. As long as it's not freezing or over 110 and the plants really don't care. Introduction to a new tank with different water conditions is generally the more traumatic part of receiving live plants, not the actual transportation.

And like Calidadd said, plants depend on inhabitants. I have a 30g tank with just a gold fish in it. I dump all my trimming into this tank and the goldfish eats them all - handfuls and handfuls. If I put the goldfish in my 40g planted tank, by the end of a week it would be empty - I guarantee every plant and fish would be eaten (most likely to the demise of the goldfish - pigs!)

Can I take a large piece of live rock, and just break it up into a few smaller pieces for my 'scape? I think my LFS only has pretty large chunks.....

Gastanker said:

Sending water plants in the mail is actually really really simple. Place plants in wet paper tower, bag, box, send. As long as it's not freezing or over 110 and the plants really don't care. Introduction to a new tank with different water conditions is generally the more traumatic part of receiving live plants, not the actual transportation.

And like Calidadd said, plants depend on inhabitants. I have a 30g tank with just a gold fish in it. I dump all my trimming into this tank and the goldfish eats them all - handfuls and handfuls. If I put the goldfish in my 40g planted tank, by the end of a week it would be empty - I guarantee every plant and fish would be eaten (most likely to the demise of the goldfish - pigs!)

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yeah, i cant keep my marbled crayfish (crawdaddies(freshwater "lobsters") with anything (selfcloning species)

Lookin good bro!...Have you decided on fish yet?...those are nice little starter fish...you plan to keep them around?...shit I gatta go for 10 miutes

Metasynth said:

Can I take a large piece of live rock, and just break it up into a few smaller pieces for my 'scape? I think my LFS only has pretty large chunks.....

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I dont know much about the darkside (saltwater) but im 99 percent sure this is fine.

hmm, you could also go to one of the saltwater forums and ask there,

Metasynth said:

Can I take a large piece of live rock, and just break it up into a few smaller pieces for my 'scape? I think my LFS only has pretty large chunks.....

Click to expand...

THE PUMPKINHEAD said:

I dont know much about the darkside (saltwater) but im 99 percent sure this is fine.

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It depends what kind of rock. Some rock types will alter the pH and total hardness. I did however put in some red sandstone I had laying in the backyard and it seems to make little difference 1+ year later. Looking good, welcome to a hobby that never ends!

neosapien said:

It depends what kind of rock. Some rock types will alter the pH and total hardness. I did however put in some red sandstone I had laying in the backyard and it seems to make little difference 1+ year later. Looking good, welcome to a hobby that never ends!

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Live rock, neo...I was thinking Fiji live rock, since my LFS has some thats already "cured" and partially covered with purple coralline algae...

For those who do not know, live rock is made up of the aragonite skeletons of corals, and it provides a ton of surface area for nitrifying bacteria, becomming the main sourse of biological filtration in reef tanks.....

Metasynth said:

Live rock, neo...I was thinking Fiji live rock, since my LFS has some thats already "cured" and partially covered with purple coralline algae...

For those who do not know, live rock is made up of the aragonite skeletons of corals, and it provides a ton of surface area for nitrifying bacteria, becomming the main sourse of biological filtration in reef tanks.....

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Oh, I missed the "live" bit. Yes, Yes live rock very popular.

Ok, so I never though I'd be spending 60 dollars on rocks and sand, but I just spent 60 dollars on rocks and sand...lol...I got a bitching piece of "cured" live rock, all encrusted in purple and pink coralline...It's 2 pieces actually, one little piece in the lower right back corner propping the larger piece up...All sorts of caves and shit going on in here...The guy at my LFS gave me like 4 gallons of water from his tanks too, and I got some nice live sand...All this combined he said I'm ready to go, and I can add corals and some invertebrates right away! I'm gonna wait 24 hours and go get a snail or 2, maybe a shrimp or a hermit crab.

So yeah, the water is all cloudy because I just set it up, and it's more purple than blue in person...The camera doesn't capture the lighting very well, but I'm way excited!! This and the freshwater tank, I have a couple good money pits for a while...

Completely off topic, I think I'll start collecting smoking paraphanalia as well...lol

Pictures to follow.....

http://youtu.be/Giw9H2LLq8E

songs called just that take alisten

Tank is looking killer! Uhg, I am really going to have to get a salt water set-up at some point - damn their high expenses!! Looks like you didn't have to fragment your live rock but for the future - yes you can break it up.