# New Guy



## amingra (Oct 9, 2005)

Hello everyone, I am glad I found this site. Well, simpte actually told me to come check it out. I was posting on fishforums before. I think its cool that you guys are local. Do you guys mind if I post on here cuz I'm not a member?
Here's a little bit about my experience so far.
I went to the store to buy a fish bowl and ended up spending a few hundred dollars on a full 20gal tank setup! I hate Jack's aquarium. They didnt tell me anything and I was stupid and didnt read. But now I'm smarter and I know more than I ever thought I would about water chemistry and fish, and I still have a lot to learn. When I went to JAcks with an ammonia problem, they told me to double dose the "cycle" (crappy product that doesnt do anything). They should have told me to do a50 percent water change, which when I finally figured it out three swordtails had died. I blame the store but I should blame me for not researching. Live and learn I guess. Bastards! I'm never going back there. I found a store that's been around for over thirty years and is run by a whole family of fishkeepers. They are awesome, knowledgable, and they treat me like a friend and don't try to sell stuff I don't need. Sorry I thought I'd go on a rant here instead of at home because you guys would understand. lol
The place I go to is called the house of tropical and marine fish on route 50
This is my setup so far 20 gal,3 mollies,1 apple snail,1 pleco,2 African dwarf frogs. I don't have any plants yet. I was thinking about going with some java moss or fern. I don't want to try co2 or ferts yet. Any suggestions would be welcome. thanks for reading this!


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 23, 2005)

First of all welcome.

Starting with plants is a great idea! I tired to keep them for about a year but had issues because i wasn't using the correct frets and my lighting was way off. I have turned my lights down and add ferts once a week and the tank looks great. It is also much less work, no ammonia issues to speak of. I am also no longer wasting money on plants that will die. Which means more money for artyman:

What kind of gravel do you have? If your going with Java moss or Java fern it really doesn't matter, but when you get into other plants(and trust me, being around this bunch you will) you may want something other than what you have. And remember, ask questions and use the search button on the forums! There is a TON of good information on here.

Once again, Welcome!


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## amingra (Oct 9, 2005)

I have medium sized decorative gravel that came with the tank


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

amingra said:


> Hello everyone, I am glad I found this site. Well, simpte actually told me to come check it out. I was posting on fishforums before. I think its cool that you guys are local. Do you guys mind if I post on here cuz I'm not a member?


Welcome to SWOAPE and also APC! No problem at all with you posting here. You are more than welcome to become a member if you are interested, no fees or dues, just need to have a desire to learn or share some info about planted tanks to become a member 



amingra said:


> I found a store that's been around for over thirty years and is run by a whole family of fishkeepers. They are awesome, knowledgable, and they treat me like a friend and don't try to sell stuff I don't need. Sorry I thought I'd go on a rant here instead of at home because you guys would understand. lol The place I go to is called the house of tropical and marine fish on route 50


Does this store have plants? If so, you will have to give us (me) some better directions 



amingra said:


> This is my setup so far 20 gal,3 mollies,1 apple snail,1 pleco,2 African dwarf frogs. I don't have any plants yet. I was thinking about going with some java moss or fern. I don't want to try co2 or ferts yet. Any suggestions would be welcome. thanks for reading this!


Some good plants for a non-co2 tank would be Java Moss, Java Ferns, Anubias species, and most Cryptocoryne species. Water Wisteria and Water Sprite are a few more that will probably so well in your setup. I assume since the tank was a "Jack's" tanks that you only have about 20 watts of light over it. More light (another 20w or so) would greatly increase the the type of plants you can keep but would probably require some additional fertilization. We can point you to some links if you decide to go that route in the future.

I'm not sure how Apple Snails or frogs are with plants since I have never kept either. The Pleco could do quite a bit of uprooting of some plants also and will get too big for your tank pretty fast. You should be prepared to either get rid of the Pleco or get a larger tank in the next few months.

I may have another 55g complete setup to sell in the near future if Jim ever gets the bigger tank he wants


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## amingra (Oct 9, 2005)

i tried to get a small pleco. i was going to go with the clown, but i got the rhino becasue the guy said they only grow to be six inches. I looked up rhino plecos online and it said they could get 10 inches. I might have to take him back. He's only like two or three inches right now. I would LOVE to get a 55gal, but first I need to find out how long I'm staying at my current apartment. I don't want to set something up and then have to move it. Keep me posted on that though, cuz I could put it in storage for a little while. 
The store does have plants, I don't know how many or the quality. I'll find out my next time through. It is close to downtown, between anderson ferry and state avenue on river road, if you know where that is. Oh and I'm posting so much cuz I'm at work and I'm bored. lol


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## molurus73 (Apr 15, 2005)

Welcome to the club. Matt, maybe after we visit Dave's we can head down to House of Tropicals. I know right where it is at. Long drive though.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

molurus73 said:


> Welcome to the club. Matt, maybe after we visit Dave's we can head down to House of Tropicals. I know right where it is at. Long drive though.


Sounds good, depending on the day and time we visit Dave of course...


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

Glad you made it over here Amingra. We are always welcoming new members into the fold. But watch your wallet. This is a very addictive hobby. I think I have bought plants everyday for the last week now off ebay.


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## EcleckticGirl (Jul 26, 2005)

Welcome, Amingra!

Your frog should be fine with plants. There's a great photo of one of the kind of frogs you keep swimming happily away on the home page of a site where I hang out a lot. It's call Natural Aquariums and the site admin gets great pictures of her tanks.

Here's a link to that page:http://http://www.naturalaquariums.com/ He's on the right a little ways down in front of a lush growth of Ludwigia repens, I can't identify all the other plants in there. Maybe Matt can for you. The Ludwegia is doing fine in my low light tank but doesn't look so lush. Though with the Flourish Excel, that's changing.  (A liquid source of carbon for the plants as opposed to CO-2 .)

Sorry to hear your Jack's experience was so bad. It definitely is a case of which stores have the better experienced sales staff (like most stores). You really have to know your stuff and when to listen and when to doubt too, though. I know the Jack's just a mile up the street from me (the original) has some good people, I also know some haven't a clue. The one down by Matt has one guy named Joe who knows his stuff too, he sometimes works at my Jack's. Unfortunately Jack's is way overpriced on nearly everything, too.

Again, welcome.


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

Joe is a good guy. He knows his cichlids also. Other than that............... well lets just say Joe is a good guy.


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## Troy McClure (Aug 3, 2005)

The store he's talking about is House of Tropics down on Rt. 50 in lower Price Hill. Good place, really big, although I've never bought fish from them. As some of you know, I stick with getting my fish things from Monfort Aquarium and Pets...family owned and operated for over thirty years like House of Tropics. I won't buy from Jack's or the chain stores, with the exception of the four otos we got recently (sale price plus my mom was doing a demo there so that was an addition % off I think.) So the only three that I -would- buy from are Monfort, House of Tropics, and if I ever win the lottery, Aquarium Adventure.

House of Tropics is ok with plants. Mostly low-light easy plants - swords, crypts, moss, a few stem plants. That's about all I remember them having.


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 23, 2005)

I only shop AA because its local, the rest of the local places dont seem to know much or cant keep there tanks clean. It is pricy, but i shop there sales and have befriend the managers


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## ElectricHead (Sep 11, 2005)

Hello, Amingra
I am also new guy. I attended the last meeting at Matts house and everyone was great. I am in the process of converting a 58 gal reef setup into a freshwater planted tank. I have stuff coming in the mail right now and I still need to get up some cash to buy my co2 outfit. Been working on laying out my aquascape on paper so I have a plan and know what goes where when I finally am able setup.


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## molurus73 (Apr 15, 2005)

When AA first opened around here they were just awesome. Beautiful tanks. People seemed to know their stuff. Lately, the tanks have gone to crap, there is not very much selection and they are waaaayyyyyy overpriced on everything. I have bought fish from there on 2 separate occasions. Both time they got ich and half died. I don't go 'round them parts no more. Hopefully the C-bus stores are a lot better.


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## ctmpwrdcamry (May 23, 2005)

They have their days. Most of the time they do well. They are alittle more expensive, but not much more so than anything else. there tanks are MUCH cleaner than anything else around here. I also know when the fish come in, so i can let them get them healthy and stablize them before i take the mhome


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## EcleckticGirl (Jul 26, 2005)

Simpte 27 said:


> Joe is a good guy. He knows his cichlids also. Other than that............... well lets just say Joe is a good guy.


LOL, Well, I am a newbie. At least he did not say anything so blatantly rule of thumb (if you have a really huge thumb) like I have heard some folks say at some of the marts. But I get your point.


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## amingra (Oct 9, 2005)

Where is Monfort?


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## molurus73 (Apr 15, 2005)

Colerain avenue. Just south of Northgate mall. Well, not _just_ south. From 275 go south until you pass Galbraith rd. On the left hand side. Kroger is on the right.


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