A starting point

[Andrea]

I've done a lot of research, planned, revised, considered building, purchasing premade, went back to the drawing board, and finally took the plunge today. Right or wrong, I bought stuff.

So here's the fishtank I already own:

It already has one fish that just wouldn't die... which is why I haven't given the tank away. But the pump died years ago. The light died a decade ago. My interest in fish... well, I never had any. This is the tank my husband's father gave him when the father got tired of having fish (or more likely his wife did) and then the husband got tired of the fish. And when he moved out, he left a lot of stuff... including the tank, with the one remaining fish. Okay, well, it's a starting point.

So today I bought a lot of stuff to go with it.

From Home Depot: A plastic shelving unit ($41.96), a couple of plastic bins ($5.42 each), a PVC saw ($13.89), and some miscellaneous PVC parts (about $25 worth).

From my local hydroponics store (Glen Avon Hydroponics): A 132 GPH water pump ($11.49), An air pump ($8.99), Some more PVC parts ($8.00), and a 50 liter bag of expanded clay ($39.95).

It doesn't look like much, does it?

I assembled the shelving unit (which required shifting the aquarium about half a foot):

And here is the clay (in case you're curious - I know I was):

Okay, the day is over. I'll work more on it tomorrow!

[Nate Storey]

That's usually the best way to start Andrea- have an idea and then just go buy what you think you'll need. A year from now you'll probably have something vastly different from what you started with- but that's the nature of development. Looks like you're starting off on the right foot. One of my mantras of late has been: "Get excited and make somthing!"