# budget fish keeping



## sawman88 (Sep 29, 2008)

had an idea for a thread.. "things that you can buy at an aquarium store that is WAY cheeper at other places."
for example....
aquarium sand. $15-20 30lb bag FS $5-$10 pool store
aquarium safe sillicone $10-$15 tube FS $3-5 home hardware
air filter lifter tubes $5- foot FS $5 6 feet canadian tire
filter floss $5-10 bag FS $5-10 MASSIVE bag at craft store
floressant light fixtures $$$ ALOT FS $10-20 canadian tire
slate+ rocks $$$$ alot per pund $less per pound (lol) garden centre
driftwood $5-50 FS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE beach

so on goes the list hopefully...


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## sawman88 (Sep 29, 2008)

cummon this is a sweet thread lets get it started . i heard of a new one today...
dollar store garland for spawning grass


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## Tanked (Sep 9, 2008)

Fuel line works as Air pump line and is super cheap. 

I'll think off more.


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## desjardo (Aug 30, 2008)

Anyone know the best place to buy water test kit?


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

API freshwater test kit is pricey at Big Als. Price at www.mops.ca is a lot better. If you buy few other items together, you could get this at mops price from Big Als after price matching plus -5%.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

what about pool stores? I havent actually looked myself.

I love those 65ook plant bulbs that calmer pointed me too in canadian tire... Sweet stuff.

I am all over good food quality bins for DYI filters. Pond style. If you dont mine the look that is.. LoL


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## sawman88 (Sep 29, 2008)

good food quality bins for DYI filters what do you mean?


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I try to find food quailty bins if possible just so leaching doesnt happen with the plastics. I have used regular bins but i am a bit parinoid about it. 

You layer filter media into the bin and just have a pump push the water up through it. I saw one at a reptile show for turtles and i really wanna make my own soon.

I also keep my turts in large bins instead of tanks. 12 dollars compaired to 30-40 is a good deal for me


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## sawman88 (Sep 29, 2008)

oooooooo you mean like.. tupperware? and like margerine containers?


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Pretty much anything used to store foods, is said to be safe for fish. I'm not too convinced, I believe it's just a matter of time before it will leach chems. 

It just buys you more time than the cheaper stuff. 

If you don't mind a bit of DIY; Most lighting can be purchased cheaper thru an electrical/lighting warehouse. I got my daylight T8's for 6-7$ each.


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## Dilettante (Oct 3, 2008)

Shattered said:


> Pretty much anything used to store foods, is said to be safe for fish. I'm not too convinced, I believe it's just a matter of time before it will leach chems.
> 
> It just buys you more time than the cheaper stuff.
> 
> If you don't mind a bit of DIY; Most lighting can be purchased cheaper thru an electrical/lighting warehouse. I got my daylight T8's for 6-7$ each.


Hey Shattered, I'm looking for some lighting as well, where did you shop?


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

I get the fixtures and lights either from Home Depot and or torbram electric.

At the moment I'm trying to source a few other distributors, but we'll see what happens.


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## Tanked (Sep 9, 2008)

Thought of another one today 


Water conditioner- $7 
Water from a dehumidifier- free( of chemicals as well)


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Tanked said:


> Thought of another one today
> 
> Water conditioner- $7
> Water from a dehumidifier- free( of chemicals as well)


What about cost of dehumidifier? I got none. 

Anyway, I wouldn't recommend using water from dehumidifier, it's free from chemicals but also free from all other beneficial minerals for fishes and plants.


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## Dilettante (Oct 3, 2008)

Shattered said:


> I get the fixtures and lights either from Home Depot and or torbram electric.
> 
> At the moment I'm trying to source a few other distributors, but we'll see what happens.


Thanks Man, I gotta get me a 48" fixture


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Dilettante said:


> Thanks Man, I gotta get me a 48" fixture


I'll preface this by saying I don't have one - I saw these after I went another route, but if I went looking for a economical but good fixture today - I'd look at Rona or Home Depot for one of these (maybe TES would have it too):

4' Ulitity Work Light

It's T8 lamps, not T5, but the reflector is really quite good considering the price. It's not quite like a polished aluminum reflector but its' very well formed. When you look at the fixture head on, you see white bulb reflection over most of the reflector. For a little bit extra it's a lot better for an aquarium application than a plain white box type strip light. It's a pretty clean design and low profile so it will fit in a DIY canopy nice or if it's hung over a tank it will not be a big eyesore.


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

glass lids.

cut your own! it's easy and cheap, and glass works places will often part with scraps for free. http://www.wikihow.com/Cut-Glass


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Depending on the glass shop sometimes they'll cut it for free or for next to free (Last time it cost me a large coffee)

Good tip.


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## Cory_Dad (Apr 18, 2008)

Tanked said:


> Thought of another one today
> 
> Water conditioner- $7
> Water from a dehumidifier- free( of chemicals as well)


NO, NO, NO!

That's really a bad idea. I tried that decades ago and it all ended in tears.

I never found out what the actual problem was but I suspect it was either a bacterial problem (a lot of moisture on the coils) or and over abundance of aluminum.

Please don't try this. I lost my whole tank.


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## sawman88 (Sep 29, 2008)

humm yeah i dunno i dont think i would want to use dehumidifuer water. another cheep idea though.. amplek showed me this.. use one of those plastic fruit containers with a rock on top for a breeder trap


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## Tanked (Sep 9, 2008)

conix67 said:


> What about cost of dehumidifier? I got none.


Off to sears you go then 



Cory_Dad said:


> NO, NO, NO!
> 
> That's really a bad idea. I tried that decades ago and it all ended in tears.
> 
> ...


Damn.. just when I though I had it all figured out, I get told this.

Well I've only used 10gal of it ( 2 25% water changes on a 20g) But added water conditioner and Pimafix just to be safe.. Back to tap water for this ole top.

Thanks


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