A Friend Wants Fish, But What Should He Get?

[§tudz]

Hi,

A friend of mine wants to set up a tank, his wants it to look really nice with some fake plants, but nothing OTT.

I've advised him to get something like a 30gal at least, but the problem i have is that I like the bigger fish and the oddballs etc.
And thats not for a beginner, he said he doesnt want anything 'boring', so I'm stumped on what to suggest.

He needs something which is easy to care for and does require special feeding, or special water parameters, so brackish is off the list.

I did suggest tiger barbs, harlequins barbs and cardinal tetras with some corydoras for the lower levels.

Anything else you would suggest, he doesnt want to go with the normal stuff but he wants bright colours, I also suggested cichlids but mbuna need hard water which we dont have and I dont think he's up to prep'ing the water.

Thanks in advanced,

 

[WILDER]

I have a 30 gallon and all I have it it is
2 male guppies
1 black neon tetra
4 harlequins.
2 x ray tetra
2 corys

Small fish, make sure they can live together.
Wish I had more but sick of buying new fish for them to wipe the others out.

 

[shroob]

Convicts are easy for beginners, a pair of them and your friend will be sorted.

 

[§tudz]

I have a 30 gallon and all I have it it is
2 male guppies
1 black neon tetra
4 harlequins.
2 x ray tetra
2 corys

Small fish, make sure they can live together.
Wish I had more but sick of buying new fish for them to wipe the others out.

hrm.. you realize that your stocking very wrong, corys and tetras should all be kept in groups of 6 of each species. Although corys will shoal with different species of cory.
Same for the harlequins barbs.

Convicts are easy for beginners, a pair of them and your friend will be sorted.

yeah convicts could be an idea, but what are they like with decore?

 

[WILDER]

I know they need to be in groups of six, some died of old age, and some lost to desease.
There fine they all get along and the neon shoals with the harleys.

 

[evilchild]

i also started with tiger barbs, nice fish but you are some what limited to what you can put in with them as they can be a bit fin nippy. imo i would leave them out and get a few more fish with colours.

 

[§tudz]

i also started with tiger barbs, nice fish but you are some what limited to what you can put in with them as they can be a bit fin nippy. imo i would leave them out and get a few more fish with colours.

I agree with the fin nipping but if kept in big enough groups they are normal fin, unless you put long finned fish in with like congo tetra.

I dont need info on what can be stocked with what, but ideas on fish that he could stock, as I tend to keep larger fish now, or rare fish, which just isnt where he should start, or anyone should start for that matter

He seems pretty taken with the convicts, but doesnt want to just stcok them, ive suggsted jack dempsey and firemouths with them, but the aggression is probably a problem.
Maybe i'll just get him to set up a tank and take him to my not-so-LFS and talk him through what they have there lol

 

[shroob]

JD's get too big for a regular 30G, so I wouldn't have them. What are the dimensions of the tank?

You're friend could have 1 con and 1 firemouth.

 

[§tudz]

JD's get too big for a regular 30G, so I wouldn't have them. What are the dimensions of the tank?

he hasnt bought a tank yet, im just 'fishing' for ideas of what to suggest, I'd have him get polypterus or snakeheads lol but thats too advanced for a beginner

 

[evilchild]

JD's get too big for a regular 30G, so I wouldn't have them. What are the dimensions of the tank?

he hasnt bought a tank yet, im just 'fishing' for ideas of what to suggest, I'd have him get polypterus or snakeheads lol but thats too advanced for a beginner

nice pun. lol

 

[shroob]

I think a polypterus would be ok for a beginner, as long as they know the basics of water changing, correct diet etc. Then it should be alright. A senegal polypterus should do for a first try. Not hard to feed really, pellets, shrimp, mussle all get eaten not that tricky. As long as the tank is suitable it should be fine I would have thought.

 

[§tudz]

I think a polypterus would be ok for a beginner, as long as they know the basics of water changing, correct diet etc. Then it should be alright. A senegal polypterus should do for a first try. Not hard to feed really, pellets, shrimp, mussle all get eaten not that tricky. As long as the tank is suitable it should be fine I would have thought.

yeah i have two P. senegalus, I also own P. delhezi, P endlicheri endlicheri

I think they are great fish, as I said general care for most fish I'm pretty good with, its just what fish i should suggest to him

 

[GhostDogg]

How about a male Paradise and a harem of females(3-5) for centerpieces.
And a shoal of Golden pencilfish as dithers.
And a bunch of Corys for the cleanup crew.
Thats basically 1 of my setups.(minus plec)
The Paradise just spawned too.

Or he could go with 1 angel or a pair.(Centerpiece)
A few Rams(Bolivians for beginners Blue/gold for more advanced) [or even a few dwarf cichlids], some corys,and a few SAE or small plec or 2.

 

[Ava_Banana]

Being totally honest, I wouldn't go with Convicts.

I love them...and they were fantastic to watch....but as soon as they have paired.....they mate.....then the take the whole tank as their territory...and rip into anything that comes within range.


My suggestion would be to try some of the larger tetras....like Bleeding Heart Tetras....I have ten and they go everywhere together.

....or you could suggest going the livebearer route....always interesting for a noob to fishkeeping to actually have babies in the tank.

 

[§tudz]

right I've been speaking to him about what he wants.

As with every new comer, he is dead set on a betta splenden, or one of those fighting siamese thingys, as calls them.

I've suggest harlequin rasbora with some corys on the bottom, which if i have my way will be C. trillineatus.
So might be getting some where now