Need advice and opinions! Newbies here!

[ScorpiosWife]

It's been 18 years since I had a fish tank & my husband has never owned one, so we are newbies! We don't even have any fish yet, lol. My last tank was a 55 gallon with a Tiger Oscar and an arowana & an algae eater & they lived together famously.

Since we are just starting out I wanted to make sure we have everything we need, so we took a trip to Petco & bought the following. I'm wondering if there's anything we have forgotten & get yall's opinions on what we bought.

Gravel
Nutrafin Aqua Plus Tap Water Conditioner (the kid at the store recommended it and says we can put fish right in after using this, but I'm not so sure I believe him)
Syphon Vacuum
Aqueon Pro 200 heater
Omega One medium pellets
Api Nexx Filter (55 gallon)

We also bought a used 60 gallon tank to use for the first 6 months to a year while we work out the newbie kinks. We also would like some recommendations on where to buy fish. We live in Tomball & have visited the big box stores without making a purchase. My husband wants an Oscar, I'm not so sure what I want & my son wants a puffer fish (which from what I've read so far may not be a good tankmate for an Oscar). Petco has Ick & we weren't impressed with Petsmart's selection.

Thanks!

[AquaticAddict]

If your visit the west or southwest Houston I recommend Fisland and City Pets. As for filters I think most boxers agree its better to over filter your tank. It really depends on the types and how many. If you like hob's aquaclears work great. I have b aquaclear70 on my 55 and it does the job although I plan on adding a aquaclear50 on the other side. Gravel, vac, and heater sound good. What type of lighting do you have?

[ScorpiosWife]

We aren't picking up the tank till later today. Historically, I over filter. The guy at Petco says he thinks I over-did it but IMO I don't think I did. This filter cycles 132g every hour and the tank is only 60g. The tank we're getting also has an existing 2 year old filter system, which we plan on using till it dies, as well. Petco actually still sells the set up we are buying used. It's a MarineLand aquarium with a Tetra filter system on it. Not sure what kind of lighting system it has either, but if it needs an upgrade, I'm sure it will get one!

[ScorpiosWife]

Off to FishLand we go!

[fshfrk]

welcome mrs Scorpio. I would take the gravel back and get some leslies pool filter sand. It's a muuuuuch better substate. Nothing can settle down in it. Your water will stay much cleaner with it. Just keep your filter imputs 4"-5" off the sand.

In the future use Prime for a dechlorinater. You can not add fish right away. The tank must get cycled. You can do this one of 3 ways. 1-borrow some seeded filter material from some one with a established tank. 2- do a fishless cycle with ammonia or 3- cycle with some cheap fish which we do not recommend because it will kill them. Get a API fresh water test kit. Good luck

[ScorpiosWife]

We will have a filter that's already been cycled and was up and running stil as of this morning. Can I add the dechlorinator to the new water, let it run for an hour or so and then add our new family into their new home?

[fshfrk]

The dechlorinaters will instantly do the job.

[armthehomeless]

Sounds like you are ready to hit the ground running . . . good luck!

[ScorpiosWife]

Thanks for everyones input. We appreciate it!

[Mandocruz06]

I wont get an oscar I would go for some asstorted africans or peaocks..

[sunkenmetal]

shrimp!!!

[armthehomeless]

Get whatever sort of fish you want . . . you can always get more tanks later.

[supadave]

Get whatever sort of fish you want . . . you can always get more tanks later.

+1

I can almost guarantee that you will end up with more than one tank .

[ScorpiosWife]

And $500 later we are on our way home, lol.

[Mandocruz06]

What yll get ..?