Keeping aquarium costs down

[atlantis_child]

I’d like to share some things I have done to keep costs down

What I’ve done:

– buy aquarium at garage sale ( a five gallon for only $5 )
– collect own rocks and such for aquarium decorating and making places for the fishes to hide behind
– use a bit of food meant for human consumption (shrimp) as fish food ( I just kept a bit from a already cooked platter in the freezer and cut off a tiny chunk on days when they get shrimp, and then into tinier chunks. Thaw it. rub it between fingers till it’s all shreded up good) The fish love it.
– get only a few plants, let them grow, make cuttings to increase number, also, get fast growing plants
– buy basic (no hood etc) 10 gallon aquarium for about $13 at petsmart
– buy just a UV light for plants and use old desk lamp and posistion it over the tank

And my scheme for when I get fry is to get another 10 gallon and cheap box filter and useing plastic tubing connect them so that the filters suck from on tank and drain into the other, keeping both heated using only one heater. I don’t want to buy another heater, they’re all bloody expensive…

Please share what you do and your ideas for fish keeping on a budget.

[Aquaseafoam]

In addition to some of the things a_c said:
1) buy all my plants from fellow hobbyists- much better quality, bigger portions and great prices!
2) I use shop lights from a hardware store and daylight bulbs instead of expensive lighting.
3) Use screw in compact fluorescent bulbs in my old incandescent 10 gallon striplight
4)Have a SO who strongly discourages new tanks in the house

[ste12000]

Wood can be collected from local forests and there are a lot of live foods you can collect/breed yourself.
I dont tend to buy cheap equipment because if it failed and i lost all my fish it would not be worth the small saving. Especially if you deal with rare or endangered fish.
Ebay is my favourite place to get a bargain, in the past i have bought a secondhand but not used, top of the range heater for £5 instead of the £22 my local shop is selling it for. I also get the majority of my food from there aswel as declorinator as i found a man selling in plain bottles,bulk deals on a top brand declorinator. Nearly half price savings….

[atlantis_child]

I got a bunch of slate through my mother’s friend. I broke it up a bit and did my 20 gallon with it, and it looks awesome. Plus I can get more if I want. He bought way too much.

– atlantis child

[atlantis_child]

Oh, and next time I visit a beach I’m taking some sand/gravel home with me. The petstore sells it at ridiculas prices :evil:

– atlantis child

[ste12000]

Dont forget beach sand rocks and shells will raise your ph levels???

[atlantis_child]

Yeah. I know thanx. :wink:

I meant a lake or mountain beach. I think that’s stable. I can imagine ocean stuff is bad news, and I’ve trouble enough with pH.

Besides, I live as far from an ocean as one can get really.

– Atlantis Child

[atlantis_child]

For long flowing plastic palnts lookf to the nearest Dollar store. They tend to have ones for “decorating” homes with, and only run a buck.

If too long or you want it more spread out them stalk things with the leaves on them usually can be pulled apart, or if not, cut.

Much cheaper than from the petstore and they don’t have that stupid, huge base thing that doesn’t kept the thing down anyways. Just cram ‘er in between some rocks.

– Atlantis

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