# Need Advice Before Purchase



## Curious1 (Oct 6, 2009)

I think I'm finally getting somewhere and want to make sure I'm making the right decision before buying my new aquarium. I found a 29 gallon tank at Wal-Mart by Aqua Culture. It is $97.97 and includes an Aqua tech 20-40 power filter with Bio fiber biological filtration and ez change #3 filter cartridge. It also includes fluorescent light with hood, digital thermometer, water conditioner, fish food, fish net and 100 watt heater. Is this a good brand? Are the accessories that come with this of good quality and are they adequate? Also they had some cute albino frogs. Would those be okay in a community tank? Thanks


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## flyin-lowe (Oct 3, 2009)

There is nothing at all wrong with purchasing new equipment. You know you are getting good stuff, and it is clean etc. However you might also trying looking around on Craigslist for stuff locally in your area. Sometimes you can find used tanks with a little higher quality filters and stuff for a lot cheaper. If you want to stay with the 29 gallon I would bet you could find a complete setup with stand, lights, filters and everything for under $100.00 
I know some people aren't comfortable buying from third parties, especially off of the internet but you can find terrific deals.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

As for the frogs, if they are ADFs (African Dwarf Frogs) then yes, they will be fine for a community tank. If they are ACF (African Clawed Frogs) then no, they would pose a threat to smaller inhabitants.


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## Robert (Oct 2, 2009)

Hey Curious1, you might give a LFS a try before buying from a mart store. There are still honest one out there, who can be of help.
African Dwarf Frog are not albino, there is not an albino form of them. The albino frog grows quite large and will eat small peaceful fish like James said.
Robert


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

x2 on Craigslist. I got a 55g with a magnum 350 canister filter, gravel suction cleaning stuff($50 at LFS), and several medium pieces of drift wood, lights, and nice wood storage cabinet and matching cover for $150. Just search fish tank on CL and see what comes up. Nothing wrong with buying new though. Also some LFS carry used gear that is another idea


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## shocktrp (May 24, 2009)

I bought the 55 gallon version from Wal-Mart. It's a good deal, but you'll need a better (& bigger) filter.


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## jrodriguez (Jul 20, 2009)

There is better quality equipment than at walmart...but you can survive witht the stuff that it comes with( except for the filter)


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## garfreak526 (Aug 15, 2009)

I like to go to my LFS. It may cost more than if I go on ebay or a Mart store but I know it is good quailty and clean. As for the equiptment every thing sounds good. You can't really go wrong with that.


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## Robert (Oct 2, 2009)

Hey guys, I know I am bias because I am in the business, but if you give your local store a try sometimes they will have specials on equipment that are maybe only a few bucks different in price. My problem is if you don’t support your local shop, they will disappear, and finding repair parts will be time consuming, and you in a lot of cases will have to figure out the problem, instead of dragging the filter to a local shop and asking them to repair it. When the local store goes away, the selection of fish will be a few livebearers, and a gourami or two. Your local stores are the ones who promote the hobby, they are the ones who bring in that Discus, or Calvus, or that Lungfish, or Redtail Cat, and can help with good advice. This is a wonderful hobby and I hate too see it go to the large chain stores, and internet companies, where profit is number one.
I will get off my soapbox now.
Robert


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

I really wish you were right Robert. I have every bit as good a selection of fish at Walmart or Petsmart as at the older mom and pop fish shops in my town. There is a LFS worth having in a town only 60 miles away that has a great selection of fish and also supports my club, but the ones where I live could close tomorrow and it wouldn't bother me much. They carry greatly overpriced equipment and I can get a better hardware selection at the Petsmart than at those places. I have seen, and will go out of my way to shop at, a truly good fish shop but I would not lump them all together like that. Maybe if the 3 in my home town started to go under, a decent single shop would emerge that would have a big enough customer base to provide the kind of service you are talking about. I seriously doubt it though. I doubt there are many shop owners with a clue about what a good fish shop looks like to a customer. My guess is that all 3 are whining about the Walmart and Petsmart taking away their traffic while doing nothing to fill their own shops with customers. A truly good pet shop will thrive in an environment like the place I live, as the one in that nearby city can attest, but a poor one will go under fast competing with the chain stores that are just as good at "customer service" as they are.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I have 3 home town fish stores here in Tulsa and 4 petcos and petsmarts and one Walmart that carries fish. The other 8 took out all live goods. I use petsmart for dogfood and some equiptment, but I personally use the smaller fish stores as I have a better selection and healthier fish. I would rather pay more for quality and knowledge than to go to the big box stores.

When I was looking to buy the 220 I planned from the beginning to go through my favorite one. He made me wait a month because he knew that he was going to have a midnight sale with vendors there and wanted me to order it through the vender. That way I got a better price on the tank, stand and canopy, which was 10% above his cost then on top of that, because he is a club supporter he gave me another 15% discount. Big box stores won't do that.


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

When it comes to fish, I wish I had some of the advantages that you enjoy Susan. I would be much happier if that shop an hour away was in my own town but fish doesn't determine where I live, at least not yet.


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## shocktrp (May 24, 2009)

Oldman said:


> I really wish you were right Robert. I have every bit as good a selection of fish at Walmart or Petsmart as at the older mom and pop fish shops in my town. There is a LFS worth having in a town only 60 miles away that has a great selection of fish and also supports my club, but the ones where I live could close tomorrow and it wouldn't bother me much. They carry greatly overpriced equipment and I can get a better hardware selection at the Petsmart than at those places. I have seen, and will go out of my way to shop at, a truly good fish shop but I would not lump them all together like that. Maybe if the 3 in my home town started to go under, a decent single shop would emerge that would have a big enough customer base to provide the kind of service you are talking about. I seriously doubt it though. I doubt there are many shop owners with a clue about what a good fish shop looks like to a customer. My guess is that all 3 are whining about the Walmart and Petsmart taking away their traffic while doing nothing to fill their own shops with customers. A truly good pet shop will thrive in an environment like the place I live, as the one in that nearby city can attest, but a poor one will go under fast competing with the chain stores that are just as good at "customer service" as they are.


Except Walmart doesn't take care of their fish - I have been there several times when they have had floaters in the tanks - that's what happens when you hire a bunch of kids for minimum wage without any job skills.

I purchase all my fish from a reputable shop (ironically, he shares a parking lot with a Walmart). He knows what he's talking about, & he takes care of the fish.

For a few dollars more it's worth it to know that you're not going to take home a diseased fish and decimate your tank.


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## Oldman (May 25, 2009)

I agree with you completely Shocktrp. If I had a decent LFS where I live I wouldn't have to drive an hour to shop at Sailfin or at Fishman Tropicals. They are each an hour away in opposite directions, but the ones near home are not as good at fish health as the Petsmart down the street. For commonly available fish, the Petsmart near me isn't too bad but they don't carry the fish that I usually am looking for.


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