Mostly A Question

[YoungDesigner]

So, I was researching Aquariums and Aquarium Services here in NWA and came across this community. I figured I had to poke my head in!

Here's the deal: I am an intern for an Interior Design Firm in Rogers, and our current project is requesting an upgrade of their current aquarium. Their current aquarium is pretty simple. (Desktop sized... no decor to speak of... just rocks... rotating fish (they can't keep them alive)) In moving into their new building, we're looking at moving them to a 125 Gallon tank (60"x18"x24") and possibly paying a service to maintain.

We (myself and my supervisor) don't know anything about Aquariums, so we don't even really know where to begin. The main thing we're looking for is an idea of what the startup costs/initial investment would be, and what the cost to maintain an aquarium of this size would be.

I can't even really tell you what we'd like to have in it. So, I'm open to suggestions. This Aquarium would be in the reception area of a cancer center, and is supposed to instill peace and tranquility in an otherwise super depressing place. The fish and decor would need to be visually appealing with mid range pricing.

I hope you're able to help me out here, and I appreciate your time.
Also, I hope I haven't disrupted your community. That certainly was not my intention.

Thanks again for you time!

[dennysfishroom]

You haven't disrupted anything. In many ways these are the types of questions we really encourage. One thing I would recommend is for you to decide whether you're going to have freshwater or saltwater. Most of our members are freshwater hobbyists, although many have dabbled in saltwater. There are pluses and minuses for each, but that would be your first decision. There are books written on these subjects, so it's difficult to give you a comprehensive overview in a forum. If you want to call me, I can probably get you started in the right direction, and if I can't help you, I can more than likely get you to some people who can.

Denny Rogers
479-359-0088

[etheonut]

Several of us in this community have maintained aquariums like the one you are talking about professionally. Some of the local stores offer these services. I don't know if they still do, but Worlds Underwater used to service tanks professionally.

Kevin

[mewickham]

Though I've been a hobbyist for decades, I'm no longer familiar with the cost of buying a new aquarium setup. And I don't know the cost of having a service maintain an aquarium. But there are several companies in the area that service tanks. Saltwater Depot and Worlds Under Water both sell aquariums and, I believe, service them, too.

If there's one recommendation I would make it would be to go with a freshwater aquarium. Freshwater aquariums are less expensive to buy and maintain than saltwater aquariums. My personal favorite is a heavily planted freshwater aquarium. Worlds Under Water has a nice one set up in their showroom as an example you can see. Though saltwater fish tend to be larger and more colorful, they are much more delicate. A heavily planted aquarium, with a mix of leaf textures and colors, and a nice selection of fishes, can be as beautiful as any saltwater aquarium, but with fewer potential problems.

[godscreaturespetshop]

If you will give me a call I can get you a good deal on a new set -up with everything you need plus I would take care of the tank for you monthly for a fee. I do have some that i already do that for.
My name is Don and I own God's creatures pet shop in neosho missouri. But dont worry Im sure I could get the tank to you.

Thanks,

Don
417-455-1112

[YoungDesigner]

Wow!
Thanks everybody!
The thing is, I don't even really know what our client is looking for, so I wouldn't even know what to discuss. I mentioned what they have now, so anything is an improvement. We sort of took it on ourselves to propose a nicer aquarium, but their budget is super tight. This is kind of why I'm here looking for ideas.

The freshwater tank filled with plants sounds perfect, and I think I can picture it. Maybe toss in some rocky environment features? I'm just looking for a rough estimate, but I'll certainly give those two companies a call to see about maintenance fees.

Thanks again!

[mewickham]

Maybe toss in some rocky environment features?

Absolutely! Plants alone could end up looking odd. Well-placed rocks and driftwood are pretty much necessary accents to make everything look natural in the planted aquarium.

[snakeskinner]

I'm not in your area so I can't really help on particulars there but I've thought about this subject a bit and I have some suggestion. The most popular setup for public displays are what are considered "african cichlids" which are cichlid fish from Lake Malawi in Africa. There are many colorful fish from this lake that typically range from 4-7" and have striking yellows, orange, blue, red, etc. The problem in this instance is that they typically bicker amongst eachother and inevitibly will result in some losses now and then so since you specified it to "instill peace and tranquility", that probably wouldn't be the setup for you.

So what I'm thinking might fit your bill is a 55 gallon tank setup (common and affordable as well as moderately sized) with whatever gravel, some easy to grow plants such as anubias, cryptocorne, hornwort or similar (plants can become a LOT of work if you get more hi-tech) and some terra-cotta pots for caves and then pick a moderate sized "peaceful" cichlid and some other smaller fish. What I would suggest is a pair of Pelvicachromis pulcher or "Krib". These are well known for their parenting skills and will breed and raise babies and protect them from any threats. They are not overly aggressive so a school of small tetras or some livebearers would go just fine in a 55 gallon tank because the kribs have space to defend a "home" while the other fish can live peacefully in the other regions. Some fish will breed very fast and the babies have no market but if the Kribs do breed and there are babies, there is always a market for them at the local fish shops. Here's some reading and photos of the krib: http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/africansgeneral/p/kribensis.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelvicachromis_pulcher http://www.thekrib.com/Apisto/P-pulcher.html http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/other/pelvicachromis_pulcher.html

just an idea, Kyle

[YoungDesigner]

Sorry for disappearing. I haven't forgotten about you all. Focus at work changed, and this aquarium has been a back burner project.
Lots of good ideas floating around, so I really appreciate it. I should be in contact with some of you soon.

What you suggested, snakeskinner, seems really nice, but the size is problem. Could the same setup you described be applied to a much larger tank? Like, the 125 Gallon one that we've allocated space for?

[snakeskinner]

not sure what you mean by "size is the problem"..

My suggestion of kribensis and schooling fish would work just fine in a 125, that would actually be much more room than necessary but it would give you more room to decorate and have an even more peaceful tank. If you wanted, you could even add more than one pair of kribensis to that tank or another species of smaller sized cichlids. Kyle

[etheonut]

Some of the west African tetras get larger and would look great in a 125 gallon aquarium with kribensis or other west African cichlids. I am thinking about the congo tetra and the large variety of other species of similar look. The kribensis would be nice because of their inclination to breed and raise young, even in a community tank, with almost no effort on the part of the aquarium keeper. This could actually cause issues in a public tank, as you will eventually have more kribensis than you desire.

Kevin