csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) (05/02/88)
I have a 20 gallon setup using entirely Aquarium Design equipment -- tank, heater, pump, UGF, light, even the (plastic) plants. The price was right ($70) so I kindof ignored the exceptionally cheap construction. Now I'm not so sure. My second heater in six weeks is now dying -- contacts arcing so badly that they don't stay closed long enough for the element to get hot. I can replace it under warranty (again), but I don't want to risk thermal shock to my fish (again). So I'll probably throw out the AD heater and replace it with the Rolf Hagen submersible that has worked so well in my other tank. Is all Aquarium Design stuff like this, or am I just unlucky? <csg>
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (05/03/88)
In article <21623@pyramid.pyramid.com> csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) writes: >I have a 20 gallon setup using entirely Aquarium Design equipment -- tank, >heater, pump, UGF, light, even the (plastic) plants. The price was right ($70) >so I kindof ignored the exceptionally cheap construction. Now I'm not so sure. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! $70 for a 20 gal setup ? GAK. used 20 gal tank - $10 gravel $3 if you really need it pump $10 filter $5 >My second heater in six weeks is now dying -- contacts arcing so badly that >they don't stay closed long enough for the element to get hot. I can replace >it under warranty (again), but I don't want to risk thermal shock to my fish >(again). So I'll probably throw out the AD heater and replace it with the Rolf >Hagen submersible that has worked so well in my other tank. > >Is all Aquarium Design stuff like this, or am I just unlucky? Whats the heater for ? I didnt even use them in canada. I guess if you need a good one, spend a of money on one of those digital jobs, but you just may want to try it without one for a while just to see what happens. -- "Words of wisdom Lloyd, words of wisdom" richard@gryphon.CTS.COM rutgers!marque!gryphon!richard
csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) (05/04/88)
In article <3765@gryphon.CTS.COM> richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) writes: >AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! > >$70 for a 20 gal setup ? GAK. Please don't be so presumptuous. For all your bountifully helpful advice (which I greatly appreciate), you still seem to have lost touch with those of us who are still struggling to keep a few fish alive -- i.e., rank beginners. My time is worth something too, and it took a whole lot less time to work with people at the fish shop whose advice I trusted than to rummage about in yard sales for used equipment. (There ain't no used equipment in the stores around here.) Perhaps more importantly, I'm not buying several tanks -- just one. If it blows up and dumps the fish on the floor at 2am, it's a crisis very differ- ent from when you have three or a dozen tanks. And odds are that my new tank will hold up better than a used one of unknown origin. >Whats the heater for ? To keep the fish warm. :-) Newcomers need to reduce the number of variables. My books says that my cory- doras, swords, and danios want the water to be between 74 and 78F. And I can't maintain that without a heater. Now, maybe they'll do just fine at room temp- erature (66 to 74F throughout the day), but that's not what the "experts" have told me, and everyone I talk fish with uses a heater; so until I have enough experience to know better, I'll go the conservative route even if my out-of- pocket expenses are higher. I did get silly on a few aspects -- colored gravel, for instance. And it came with a tight-fitting glass cover, a 25W flourescent light, and a gratuitous sample of pellet food, presumably for koi or goldfish. Incidentally, several people have sent my E-mail wondering how I was able to put together a setup so *cheap.* I have seem the same setup at other shops in the $150 range. I you're a beginner, it's *tough* to find the bargains. <csg>
padgett@inuxd.UUCP (Gary Padgett) (05/04/88)
> In article <3765@gryphon.CTS.COM> richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) writes: > >AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! > > > >$70 for a 20 gal setup ? GAK. > > Please don't be so presumptuous. For all your bountifully helpful advice (which > I greatly appreciate), you still seem to have lost touch with those of us who > are still struggling to keep a few fish alive -- i.e., rank beginners. > > My time is worth something too, and it took a whole lot less time to work with > people at the fish shop whose advice I trusted than to rummage about in yard > sales for used equipment. (There ain't no used equipment in the stores around > here.) Perhaps more importantly, I'm not buying several tanks -- just one. If > it blows up and dumps the fish on the floor at 2am, it's a crisis very differ- > ent from when you have three or a dozen tanks. And odds are that my new tank > will hold up better than a used one of unknown origin. > [stuff deleted] > > sample of pellet food, presumably for koi or goldfish. Incidentally, several > people have sent my E-mail wondering how I was able to put together a setup so > *cheap.* I have seem the same setup at other shops in the $150 range. I you're > a beginner, it's *tough* to find the bargains. > > <csg> There is an alternative to pet store gouging and yard-sale rummaging. There is a mail order aquarium supply store in Pennsylvania called "That Fish Place". Their equipment is almost always half the price of the pet stores (sometimes more). They deliver within two weeks for charge card purchases and money orders, and within four weeks for personal checks. I don't have my catalog handy but if anyone is interested I will be glad to manil or post their address and toll-free phone number. ----------------------- Gary Padgett AT&T Consumer Products Laboratories Indianapolis, IN ihnp4!inuxd!padgett
terry@lamc.UUCP (Terry Stinnett) (05/06/88)
Gary--
Am interested, please post address, etc. of the mail order place
in PA. Thanks.
Terry
--
Terry Stinnett - Letterman Army Medical Center - San Francisco, CA
{ihnp4,lll-crg,ames,pyramid}!pacbell!lamc!terry
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