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From: hansen@convexs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Fish Questions
Message-ID: <23000022@convexs>
Date: Sat, 11-Jan-86 17:48:00 EST
Article-I.D.: convexs.23000022
Posted: Sat Jan 11 17:48:00 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 01:32:23 EST
References: <1513@ihlpg.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:ihlpg.UUCP:1513:convexs:23000022:000:2179
Nf-From: convexs.UUCP!hansen    Jan 11 16:48:00 1986


Setting up a marine aquarium is a womderful experience. Don't let
anyone frighten you with their horror stories. The people who tell
these tales never took the time to learn about it and therefore
failed. The single most important thing that you need is a collection
of good books (ignore almost anything published by T.F.H. and
everything written by Herbert Axelrod). I highly recommend The Marine
Aquarium Handbook by Martin Moe as well as The Marine
Aquarium:Science,Animals and Art. The next step is to find a dealer
in your area that you can trust. Beware of any dealer in a shopping
mall; they rarely have the knowledge to properly set up even a gold
fish bowl properly.

With regards to equipment, always purchase the best quality equipment
that you can afford. Take it from me, in my nine years in the hobby I
have purchased a lot of junk and that is the stuff that does nothing
but take up an inordinate amount of space in my closet. Purchase a
good quality undergravel filter (i.e. Aquology or Perfecto), one or
more air pumps (I highly recomend the new Tetra Luft Pump), good
heater such as a Supreme or E.C.L., and a reliable outside power
filter such as the Magnum made by Marineland. It may cost more in the
begining, but you won't regret it ten years from now.

The answer to the best size of the tank may sound trite, but it's
accurate: the biggest that you can afford and have room for. I would
say that anything under a thirty would mean a lot of work and that a
seventy-five would be the optimum. If your willing to spend the extra
money, acrylic tanks are the optimum. They will never leak, have less
distortion, and are as light as a feather (you haven't lived until
you've had to move a two-hundred gallon all glass tank).

A good ball park estimate on price is about eight dollars a gallon for
a basic set-up. I strongly encourage you to get involved in the hobby
and I will be more than happy to help you in any way that I can. If
you will tell me were you live in your reply, I will try to find out
about good aquarium shops in your vicinity.

                                      A marine aquarium nut,
                                             Ken