So you’ve decided to keep fish, now comes the tricky part. Aquariums take a lot of upkeep. First, the tank itself, glass, Plexiglas, or plastic? Then there’s filtration, aeration, lighting, heating, plumbing, sealants, cleaning, tank ornaments, coral, invertebrates, fish-food, the toxicity question, never mind the fish. Awesome choices! And cost! Research online will pay dividends. Use a standard search engine, or better still, Web Ferret, which is cross-platform, and independent. Do your homework yourself, and visit the dedicated fish-hobbyist forums, chat-rooms, and bulletin boards. That way you won’t have to learn the hard way, let others be the fall-guys. And visit the websites which give you advice, e-books, or show videos.

Recommendations, product reviews, books, dedicated DVDs, and customer feedback, all give you valuable clues. You’re going to need all the help you can get if you want healthy, long-lived fish. Payments first, always pay by credit card, PayPal, or the like, that way you’ve got their resources behind you. Go to eBay whose associates offer quality control, but where you’ll probably pay a little more. It cuts out the hassle, though. Make sure they have a privacy policy, though; you don’t want junk mail ad infinitum!

Price comparison is the first consideration. There will be hype, but feedback from customers, or fear of being blacklisted tends to keep them straight. Go for discounts, but make sure the products are not old stock. Guarantees are a must. You don’t want to pay a fortune for the top of the range tank, or equipment only to find it damaged on delivery with no recourse to a refund. Ideally, the suppliers should also thoroughly test the equipment prior to sale. Also specials, coupons, mailing lists, all help to keep the costs down. Read More>>