Different First Fish

[Bugdozer]

I have yet to add my first fish to our aquarium, which is a 40l tank. Everyone seems to recommend either Platys or Zebra Danios as the ideal first fish to put in your tank due to being hardy little critters. However, I'm slightly concerned that the danios might be a little boisterous if I later want to add some timid fish. My wife is not that keen on platys as she thinks they look too much like goldfish!
Can anyone recommend any other especially good fish species to be the first in the tank? My criteria are...

Small, because the tank is small.
Good community fish that don't aggress others.
Relatively easily obtainable (i.e. not something I have to import from New Zealand because nowhere else stocks it!)
Don't mind plants in the tank. They can eat them if they like.
Do not require excessively acidic water.

Thanks if anyone has suggestions!

... and can I also add, please not a species that will consume Amano Shrimp which we want to add later!

 

[FishFanatic04]

Well, I guess the answer is a question. Have you cycled your filter? If you don't know what I mean, then your tank is not ready for fish at all yet.

 

[FishFanatic04]

The nitrogen cycle. Fish produce ammonia, which within days can become very toxic in the water. There is a bacteria that will grow and convert the ammonia to Nitrite. Also very toxic. Then another bacteria will grow in the filter that converts Nitrite to NitrAte. At that point, the water is safe for you fish and weekly water changes will remove the excess Nitrates.

If you don't have these bacteria when you add fish, then you are in for a LOT of work, or some very sick fish.

You can read about this in the beginner section here...Beginner Resource.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Ooohh lol. I remeber why I recognized your name. The plant thread....SO you have heard about cycling. Once your done why not look into a dwarf gourami, or a betta.. You could have a betta and a group of micro rasboras.

 

[Bugdozer]

I am in the process of cycling the tank, I know it's not ready for fish yet, but I want to plan ahead and make sure I select suitable species that will be happy. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[OldMan47]

If you are done with your cycle, consider easy care fish like guppies. They are readily available, can be had in your choice of colors and are fairly hearty fish in any typical environment. I am a livebearer specialist so you must recognize that I will favor livebearers in my own selections. If you like egg layers, try the group often sold as rasboras or rasbora hets. They are about as tough, in most settings, as the guppies and are suitable for most water conditions in a cycled tank.