Did that get your attention? ;)
We bought a 55gal setup from a local eBay seller who didn't sell it in his auction. We got the tank, gravel, double-cartridge Whisper power filter, undergravel filter, airstones, driftwood, light strip, and all except two of the artificial plants pictured - all of that for $100!
I already had the stand, plus a large heater, another dual-crartridge power filter, and two air pumps from a garage sale purchase last summer, so I saved some money there.
Now...What to put in there? We've decided to go with tropicals rather than the fancy goldfish we love, mostly because the goldfish are higher maintenance and we've not had good luck with them. I'm thinking semi-aggressive fish like tiger barbs, puffers, gourami, and some others.
Have any of you tried fishless cycling? It's an interesting concept, and since we have no fish yet, I'm giving it a try. You can read about it at this http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycling.html It makes sense, and I've nothing to lose by trying!
