Absolute total beginner aquarium with as little equipment as possible

[niels123]

In some years time I might want to build myself an aquarium. Right now, I have too much other obligations and too little spare time. But it is something I am interested. Since I want to do it properly or not do it at all, this (unfortunately) means I cannot start this new hobby soon.

However, I am curious: are there possibilities to start with easy-to-keep freshwater fish in a small tank (like 40-50 liters) where the water does not require circulation. So no pumps / coolers / heaters required? I guess aeration is required, but easy to install of course. Or does every tank with fish require filtration / (ideally) a skimmer / constant temperature? My house varies between 17C and 24C year-round (winter / summer). I guess there are no fish that can tolerate that?

When I google for neon tetra I read this: "In the wild they inhabit very soft, acidic waters (pH 4.0 to 4.8) Ideal pH for aquarium is 7.0, but a range of 6.0 to 8.0 is tolerable. They can have a lifespan of as long as ten years, but normally just two to three years in an aquarium."
Does that mean that even the most perfect aquarium is bad for the fish?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

freshwater tanks are indeed much easier than saltwater, much less cost and much less overall maintenance and effort. However, the fish cant live in completely stagnant water, the tank needs at minimum a HOB filter and a heater, the bigger the tank the more equipment is needed. Or, you can keep super simple fish like beta fish, in a bowl with nothing else but water, I've never done that so I'm not sure how often water changes are required. You can check some freshwater fish forums for more idea's.

 

[niels123]

freshwater tanks are indeed much easier than saltwater, much less cost and much less overall maintenance and effort. However, the fish cant live in completely stagnant water, the tank needs at minimum a HOB filter and a heater, the bigger the tank the more equipment is needed. Or, you can keep super simple fish like beta fish, in a bowl with nothing else but water, I've never done that so I'm not sure how often water changes are required. You can check some freshwater fish forums for more idea's.

What temperatures do you need to keep your beginner fish at? Room temperature (20C) is too cold?

Wat does a HOB filter remove?

If you invest in top-quality equipment (like filters, pumps, skimmers etc.) and you have a huge aquarium (like several thousand liters) do you still have to change the water every now and then or can you keep it forever and filter/clean it?

Do you always have to have your equipment hoses / tubing (for filtration etc.) coming from the top or are there aquariums where you have a physical opening in the bottom or back of the glass itself so you get everything completely invisible?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

the temp depends on the fish you buy, when you want to buy a fish, you have to google the appropriate tank size, feeding habits, water temp, peaceful or aggressive. Every fish is different, and the more you know about the fish you want to keep, the better chance you will have to successfully keep it alive.

HOB filter removes solid waste particles, and helps agitate the water surface and provide oxygen to the tank. It can also be used to run activated carbon and phosguard and other media's. Can also look into canister filters if you dont like HOB's. But a filter is definately required for freshwater, not so much for saltwater.

Water changes also depend on the animals you keep, and how many you keep. The bigger the bioload in a tank, and the more you feed, the faster the water gets dirty. Having bigger more expensive equipment can clean the water faster and reduce water changes. Some people change the water very often, some change only once a year.

There are ways to hide all equipment, most people use sumps (a small tank hidden under the main tank).

there are many, many ways to successfully run an aquarium, I'm just telling you my way.

 

[flyingscampi]

Check the videos out by this YouTuber. Fascinating stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/c/FootheFlowerhorn/videos

 

[3429810]

I am currently running a 65 gallon mixed reef with a hob filter and that’s it for filtration other than the rock. Reef breeders 24s and a couple jebao wave makers. Pretty much as simple as it gets and I have been having success running my tank that way. I will be adding a sump and some other stuff but that’s just to make the tank coast a bit better. I wouldn’t waste the money on the freshwater setup when you could do a reef for a not a ton more. You should be able to get a good reef tank up and running for under a grand if you go the nano route.

 

[niels123]

I am currently running a 65 gallon mixed reef with a hob filter and that’s it for filtration other than the rock. Reef breeders 24s and a couple jebao wave makers. Pretty much as simple as it gets and I have been having success running my tank that way. I will be adding a sump and some other stuff but that’s just to make the tank coast a bit better. I wouldn’t waste the money on the freshwater setup when you could do a reef for a not a ton more. You should be able to get a good reef tank up and running for under a grand if you go the nano route.

That's actually pretty cheap. My big passion is mineral collecting and the big collectors easily spend 20k per year on their collection. Some well over 100k per year...
Money is not the limitation in the long run. Time is. At the moment I dont have the time or dedication needed to get it running successful.

I was maybe thinking as a fun project to start with something small with only freshwater plants and shrimp and no fish.