Hardy Fish For Beginners

[frapadoodle]

Had some as a boy. Male fantails keep a kids interest, at least briefly.

 

[Betta_Shark5678]

I would love to get some pandas for the class tank, but I think my parents would have a fit because of the price, most likely I'm going to get a single Betta.  
 
I didn't put guppies on the list because I haven't had very much luck with them.  I suppose they would make a good addition as long as I tell the kids WHY I had trouble with them (low pH, and high nitrAtes). 

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Corydoras spp. are great social fish, but I would not put them in the same "hardy league" as Hoplo Catfish (Megalechis thoracata, although a number of long tubular catfish often with brown bodies are often assigned this common name). Putting them in newly cycled tanks/filters is quite a risk, they do far better when put in system that have matured for a few months, whereas Hoplos can be the first fish in a tank and have no issues at all (I did it myself with my four).
 
Generally speaking, I think most livebearers of Platty size (~5cm SL) and below are pretty hardy fish and will suit a 20g, ideally long. But again generally speaking, they are a fish for hard water, but there are exceptions ("fish48" on here amongst others is a livebearer guru with ~120 species only breeeding tanks, he could advise you on ones for neutral/soft water).

 

[nigsy]

Dannios would be ok, but they are active and need a lot of open water. Also they are temperate not tropical so can handle room temp upwards.
 
I know people have advised against neons, but cardinal tetras or rummy nose tetras I've never had an issue with. I've also used Harlequins (Rasboras) to do a fish in cycle.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

The danio family covers a wide range of fish, but while hardy, I would not put them in any tanks talked about in this thread (upto 20g long). Personally, I consider Leopard/Zebra/Pearl Danios as one of the oddities of the hobby, in that ~5cm fish are so hyperactive that they deserve and will make full use of a 120cm (48") tank or beyond.

 

[TallTree01]

The danio family covers a wide range of fish, but while hardy, I would not put them in any tanks talked about in this thread (upto 20g long). Personally, I consider Leopard/Zebra/Pearl Danios as one of the oddities of the hobby, in that ~5cm fish are so hyperactive that they deserve and will make full use of a 120cm (48") tank or beyond.

I can not agree more!

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

The danio family covers a wide range of fish, but while hardy, I would not put them in any tanks talked about in this thread (upto 20g long). Personally, I consider Leopard/Zebra/Pearl Danios as one of the oddities of the hobby, in that ~5cm fish are so hyperactive that they deserve and will make full use of a 120cm (48") tank or beyond.

I can not agree more!

Likewise with your opinion. My Pearl Danio group could swim against 1000lph filter current in my Rio240 and still be at the filter end within 1 second at will. The end.

 

[Betta_Shark5678]

Oh wow! I knew Danios were active, I wasn't going to suggest them to anyone without at least a 20 long, but I didn't realize they were that active.  I'll take them off the list in that case.  
 
I've never seen Hoplo catfish, otherwise I'd add them.  
 
I think I'm going to go to the pet store and make a list of all the fish they have there, then do a lot of research on all of them! I made a list of all the tetras they had a while ago, which are the main type of fish the sell.  Tetras, Cories, Plecos, and Cichlids are what they sell the most of.