setting up home aquarium/fish

[Sonic dB]

I know nothing about types of fish, but Id like to set up an aquarium for my home...something mid sized about 55 gallons.

Im unsure of whether to go with fresh water or salt water fish. The salt water fish are more colorful and seem to have more personality, but the guy at Petco says that they will grow very large and you can only have a couple of them in a tank at a time.

Id like to have a tank with many types of colorful fish, large-medium sized and smaller swimming around. I want fish with personality if possible....

Anyone here know anything about setting up a home aquarium?

[vash]

not to bag on PETCO, but i would try to find my aquarium advice at a "fish only" specialty store. i cant remember where you live, but most towns have some great shops. PETCO is for food only.

last time i went into a fish store i was blown away. first and foremost, lighting has come along way. and now they have fertilizer fortfied aquariam sand. go look at the pros and you will be amazed at the level of freshwater aquariums possible. at my store, there is one tank with alot of driftwood with plants (java fern) growing out of it. then they just put some grasses, and a few big leafy plants (some annubus) and a few fish. some of the biggest cardinal tetras i have ever seen. it looked like they harnessed the sun, the tank was glistening like a jewel. really breath taking. a 55 gallon is a nice size to go with. nice dimensions.

my opinion, i would go with freshwater. salt is too labor intensive.

[singpilot]

Sonic!

Buy a boat. I see the saltwater fish (and even have to listen to them sometimes) here in the Harbor in Redondo every day!

I think you'll find the freshwater is twice as easy to keep and maintain.

[Sonic dB]

singpilot... Ive been thinking of putitng off the purchase of a 993 TT, and getting a boat instead.

Glad that you mentioned it. Im leaning towards a sailboat....maybe something in the 30 foot range. A power boat would be cool, but the gas prices and labor seem to be intesive.

What type of boat do you have? Any tips on where I can start to look in this area? I was looking on Ebay and boattrader.com.

Thanks for the tips on freshwater fish. Thats what the guy at the store said too. I went to a specialty fish store today. It was very small but had great selection on fish, but not much on aquariums. Maybe Ill just get the aquarium at Petco and the fish elsewhere.

[vash]

get a TRUvue plexi tank, you will not be sorry.

[pbs911]

Do lots of research. You will find the LFS (local fish stores) are not really your best source oif info. You don;t go to Pepboys to get advise on your Porsche.Here is a great link to the Pelican Parts of the salt wter tank world.