Good fish for new hobbiest?

[MichelleCarmen]

For a 20-gallon fresh water tank, any fish suggestions?

We do not want goldfish. . .the pet store woman recommended: a beta with a few guppies. . .and I'm wondering if we can add a snail to that.

Thoughts?

(This will be my son's tank and him and I will be doing the maintainance together = I'll do all the work while he watches!)

 

[tlh]

I had gouramis. (Pink kissing, Blue Opaline, and red dwarfs) They lived forever! But the Blue Opaline got MEAN when he got bigger, and picked on my silverdollar schools... esp the really small babies!

The silver dollars were my favorite... they were playful and fun to watch... very easy to take care of... and a school fish. They don''t thrive alone.

I also had pleco''s for cleaning the tank. The snails are gross, I didn''t like them.

I no longer have a tank... but these are what I enjoyed when I did. They were low maintenance, and fun to watch. Best wishes.

 

[D&T]

One I can remember growing up was Angel Fish

 

[purrfectpear]

It''s been 48 years since I''ve had a freshwater tank. I did saltwater coral reefs for years

I didn''t know you could mix betas with other fish, but if the aquarium folks say it''s OK, I guess it works. I do remember that guppies and neon tetras are fairly bullet proof fishies

Just watch for overfeeding. It''s the #1 mistake new owners make.

 

[Inanna]

Female betas are fine in community fish tanks, but male betas should never be with other fish.

I also haven't kept fish for a while, but here's what I remember: Mollies, dwarf gouramis, tetras, rasboras, and danios are all good community, non-agressive fish. Angel fish can be quite aggressive if they become large enough to eat the other, smaller fish.

A snail can be fine, but beware of infestations - they reproduce like crazy. I never bought any snails on purpose, but I did have a few annoying snail infestations because of snail eggs attached to live plants I purchased.

Also, plecos (algae eaters) often make the tank more toxic. Yes, they eat up all the ugly algae, but the massive amount of poo they produce will be a hazard to the water quality. You'll need to actually clean the tank more often if you get a pleco.

As PP warned, definitely be very careful of overfeeding (make sure your son knows how important this is). Anything that your fish don't eat will break down and contaminate the water.

 

[dragonfly411]

MC - I bred guppies for a very long time and absolutely adored them. They are beautiful fish, easy to keep, and they''ll eat just about anything. I also really enjoyed mollies. I gave up on angel fish, they were really hard to keep.

 

[Gailey]

MC

Did you buy a heater with your tank? You will need one if you want to keep anything other than goldfish.

I''m not sure how much you know about keeping fish, so forgive me if you know all about this. However, before you think too much about the fish, you need to understand about "New Tank Syndrome" and how to cycle your tank (bit like breaking in a new pair of shoes!).

Many, many years ago I learned the hard way and lost all my fish.

The other good rule to follow is 2 inches of fish per gallon (not including head and tail). Guppies are pretty tough little fish and very colourful.

A couple of little otocinclus will also help to keep your algae problems down.

Do you know anyone with an established healthy tank? If you do, suck up some "gunk" from the bottom of their tank with a syphon and use that to start your new tank. Also put some tough plants in their to start with to suck up any nitrite. Hornwort is a good choice if it''s not on your state''s noxious weed list.

If you want a male betta, get a 5/6 gallon tank and keep him on his own.

Good luck!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Thanks for all the info everyone.

Gailey, I haven''t heard about the "new tank syndrome," and will read up on that. At the fish store, the woman mentioned that it''ll take about a month before beneficial bacteria built up, which I take it as being similar to you''re mentioning getting some gunk? We don''t have any friends with a tank. . .I hope that we''ll be okay with this. . .

Today, I did go to the pet store and decided to get, rather than a 20-gallon, but a 3-gallon. I know that is tiny, but my son is only 7 and he''ll be thrilled with that, and the smaller size will be easier to fit into his room. It''ll give us all a chance to learn. I''m kind of scared of the bigger tanks.

I was told that one male beta and two guppies should fit into that small aquarium. When we looked, it was pointed out that ALL the female guppies had little black dots on their tummies = being pregnant! My son is hoping all his guppies make babies so he can sell them!!!

(I thought that male guppies are fine around other fish, just not other male guppies?)

PP - Tetras were also recommended and they may be another fish we''ll add in if there is room.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/6/2009 4:16:03 PM
Author: Inanna

Also, plecos (algae eaters) often make the tank more toxic. Yes, they eat up all the ugly algae, but the massive amount of poo they produce will be a hazard to the water quality. You'll need to actually clean the tank more often if you get a pleco.

As PP warned, definitely be very careful of overfeeding (make sure your son knows how important this is). Anything that your fish don't eat will break down and contaminate the water.

Thanks for this info. A specific algea eater was pointed out to me and I planned to purchase that one. I'll make sure it's not a plecos. . .

Oh, and I'll supervise the feeding. My son is too young to take charge on his own. We'll be doing all the feeding and cleaning as a team!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/6/2009 3:28:36 PM
Author: purrfectpear
It''s been 48 years since I''ve had a freshwater tank. I did saltwater coral reefs for years

I didn''t know you could mix betas with other fish, but if the aquarium folks say it''s OK, I guess it works. I do remember that guppies and neon tetras are fairly bullet proof fishies

Just watch for overfeeding. It''s the #1 mistake new owners make.

With respect to Perfectpear, Neon Tetras are not a good choice for new tanks or new hobbyists. This is because they are fairly particular about the pH of the water they are in (5.0 to 7.0 and preferably 6.0 which is quite acidic). As a new tank keeper, trying to adjust the pH of your water in order to keep neons or cardinals is probably not a good first choice. Especially if a young child is involved. Kiddies don''t like to see dead fish.

Do you happen to know what the pH of your water is? Your local water company will tell you this. It''s also worth asking them if your water is purified with chloramine as well as chlorine. Chlorine in water will dissipate in 24 hours, but chloramine will not and you will need to use a de-chlorinator product.

I would be wary of any store assistant who advises putting bettas in with guppies - this is a terrible mix. Because of the flamboyant tails of the guppies, the betta will see them as adversarial and may well try and fight with them. If the store assistant suggested such a mix and didn''t tell you about new tank cycling, either they are ignorant of fish keeping, or they are banking on you spending a lot of money on more fish and medications to try and keep them healthy.

Conversely, Betta''s are fairly doicile fish when kept alone. More aggressive fish, such as gourami''s will pick on a betta.

Mollies, danios and swordtails are a fairly safe choice for newbies.

Might I ask MC, why you have decided on a 20 gallon tank? My first tank was a 20 gallon tank and I got it on the basis of starting with something smalll on the basis of it being easier to take care of. I was wrong. Poor water quality is the downfall of most new tanks and the smaller the tank, the more difficult it is to keep the water quality good. If funds and available space allow, try a 33 gallon instead.

Snails are good in a tank, because they eat the fish poop. Snails do for tanks what worms do for soil. To keep the snail population balanced, you can add in some clown or yo-yo loaches, which are colourlful fun little fish. Malaysian Trumpet Snails are great in a freshwater tank. They won''t munch on any plants that you decide to add in. You won''t see them much because they will bury themselves in the substrate during the day and will only come out at night.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/6/2009 10:30:49 PM
Author: MC
Thanks for all the info everyone.

Gailey, I haven''t heard about the ''new tank syndrome,'' and will read up on that. At the fish store, the woman mentioned that it''ll take about a month before beneficial bacteria built up, which I take it as being similar to you''re mentioning getting some gunk? We don''t have any friends with a tank. . .I hope that we''ll be okay with this. . .

Today, I did go to the pet store and decided to get, rather than a 20-gallon, but a 3-gallon. I know that is tiny, but my son is only 7 and he''ll be thrilled with that, and the smaller size will be easier to fit into his room. It''ll give us all a chance to learn. I''m kind of scared of the bigger tanks.

I was told that one male beta and two guppies should fit into that small aquarium. When we looked, it was pointed out that ALL the female guppies had little black dots on their tummies = being pregnant! My son is hoping all his guppies make babies so he can sell them!!!

(I thought that male guppies are fine around other fish, just not other male guppies?)

PP - Tetras were also recommended and they may be another fish we''ll add in if there is room.

MC, this post of yours and my last one crossed.

Please, please, please, don''t buy the 3 gallon tank unless you are going to only keep the beta. Remember what I said in my first post, 2 inches of fish per gallon. In a 3 gallon new tank, your nitrite levels will spike and will kill the fish. If your son wants to breed guppies (which is easy) it will be so much easier with a larger tank. It''s a really good idea to have floating plants for pregnant guppies to hide amongst to give birth. It''s really cool to watch a guppy giving birth.

The store was sort of correct when they said it would take about a month to build up the beneficial bacteria levels. Trouble is, unless you put fish into the tank to start with, you won''t be able to start the process. Does your son''s school have a fish tank you could get some gunk out of?

Big Al''s is a good on-line place to look for equipment. (I''m assuming you are in the US).

 

[Gailey]

Date: 7/6/2009 10:32:08 PM
Author: MC

Date: 7/6/2009 4:16:03 PM
Author: Inanna

Also, plecos (algae eaters) often make the tank more toxic. Yes, they eat up all the ugly algae, but the massive amount of poo they produce will be a hazard to the water quality. You''ll need to actually clean the tank more often if you get a pleco.

As PP warned, definitely be very careful of overfeeding (make sure your son knows how important this is). Anything that your fish don''t eat will break down and contaminate the water.

Thanks for this info. A specific algea eater was pointed out to me and I planned to purchase that one. I''ll make sure it''s not a plecos. . .

Oh, and I''ll supervise the feeding. My son is too young to take charge on his own. We''ll be doing all the feeding and cleaning as a team!

Add in live plants, otocinclus (algae eaters) and snails, this will be much less of a problem. Think about it in terms of building a little eco-system. That said, it is important to learn how much to feed

 

[Dancing Fire]

i use...http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ for my pet supplies.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/6/2009 10:42:10 PM
Author: Gailey


Might I ask MC, why you have decided on a 20 gallon tank? My first tank was a 20 gallon tank and I got it on the basis of starting with something smalll on the basis of it being easier to take care of. I was wrong. Poor water quality is the downfall of most new tanks and the smaller the tank, the more difficult it is to keep the water quality good. If funds and available space allow, try a 33 gallon instead.

Snails are good in a tank, because they eat the fish poop. Snails do for tanks what worms do for soil. To keep the snail population balanced, you can add in some clown or yo-yo loaches, which are colourlful fun little fish. Malaysian Trumpet Snails are great in a freshwater tank. They won't munch on any plants that you decide to add in. You won't see them much because they will bury themselves in the substrate during the day and will only come out at night.

I'm not sure of our water PH, but will purchase test strips to find out. . .along with declorinator.

The reason for picking a small tank is because it will easily fit on my son's book case and we won't have to buy an aquarium stand or another piece of furniture. The aquarium is a gift from my MIL but I'm the one who's picking out and purchasing all the stuff and then she's paying me back. The budget is only $100 and the attraction to the 2.5/3 gallon tanks is that they come in a box with all the equipment so I can just buy that, the rocks, plants and a few decorative items and be set to go.

If I was to go up to a 10-15 gallon tank, then would we be okay with 2-3 male guppies? (My son wants a beta, but insists it has friends to swim with, so we'll probably scratch that one all together if it means there's a chance the fish will bicker with the Guppies.) ETA - okay, my son said he's find with only guppies! (he said, "a whole bunch of guppies would be too much." lol So, phew, he'll be okay with a few male ones.)

The deal is my son really wants fish, and I'm okay with that, however, I do not want to invest hundreds of dollars until we see where this is going. I'm wondering at this point, will his fish just be cute for him to watch at night or will he grow into a full-blown hobbiest.

All this is for my son's birthday, which is this weekend, so I've got to figure the arrangement out soon!

ETA - thanks again for the tank cycling info. I've read a few sites, each stating how that is one big mistake where pet stores don't inform customers about this. We'll be sure to take care of this!

 

[atroop711]

I 2nd the plecos...loved watching them up against the glass

We have saltwater aquarium...been long time since we had fresh water. I wish I could rec more

 

[Gailey]

MC

I understand your rationale. I would add in a Nitrite test kit to your shopping list. Hagen make some that are very reasonably priced.

Good luck, and many happy returns to your son.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi Everyone,

Just an update. We came home with two platies today. A boy and girl. The person helping me said he hasn''t had good luck with guppies as beginner fish. He recommended trying the platies.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I''m totally in love with them. . . more so then my son.

If they work out, I''m tempted to get another small aquarium and try guppies out as beginner ones!

 

[D&T]

MC- wanna share some pictures? I love looking at aquarium full of fish, its very soothing and relaxing to me

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Okay, hopefully this doesn''t turn out too small. . .

Omec theme going here!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

All the photos I took of the fish are blurry. . .here''s one that''s not as bad. (I''ll take more when I get a chance).

The darker one is the male. His name is Sam. The girl is Lilly.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Sam. . .

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Lilly (on left). . .

 

[D&T]

Sam and Lilly are adorable! thanks for taking those pictures

how does your son like them so far?