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NFC: RE: new to this need help
Hi
Nickel and welcome
There
are TONS of great articles on what you need at http://nativefish.org. I won't even
pretend to try to rehash all this since it is already well laid out in the
articles on this site.
You
can get tanks pretty cheap at Petsmart if there is one in your area. I
wouldn't buy a tank mail order.
But
for all the supplies, it's hard to beat That Pet Place (http://www.thatpetplace.com). When
I lived in PA I used to make the long drive to their store in Amish country
frequently. Their retail prices are lower than what most pet shop owners
pay wholesale for their inventory. And since many native fishes appreciate
good heavy water flow, you'll probably want to load up with rediculously
overpowered equipment to simulate their natural environments. Make sure to
match the flow in the tank to the areas that you are harvesting fishes
from.
Some
of my earliest experiences with natives were catfish. And you're right,
they're very interesting to watch. I have no idea what my first native
catfishes were but could probably figure it out if I tried. Later I got
yellow bullheads from the pond behind my family's home (they still live there, I
don't). They grew quickly and ate everything that would fit in their
mouths (and a few things that couldn't possibly fit but somehow
did).
I've
also really enjoyed native sunfishes. If you like tropical cichlids,
sunfishes are in many ways similar.
Many years ago I did have tropical fish and even had a pair of
zebra's mate and lay eggs. But one time I did put a native catfish in the tank
and it was one of the more interesting fish in the tank. Recently I thought
about buying a tank again but this time having all native fish. What I really
need help with, is where can I get the best deal on aquariums and all the
other equipment I'll
need.
Please help a newcomer to the
hobby
nickel
References: