What Fish??

[GSD]

I am starting out with a small sized tank about 60cm by 40cm.I would like to know some easy going fish to start with that are relitevly easy to keep.But the more colourful the better and what id the best to feed them on as i quite like the BETTA but i dont know if its the best for a newbie like me and what it would go with.Thanks

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'd start with some Platys- hardy, colourful, ideal for the beginner. Hard to kill- my friend lost 13 fish in a few days, only platys survived. I'd wait until you know fish aren't going to die in your tank- no offense but I'm sure you'd rather have some platys die than a beautiful betta?
Oh, and feed them tropical fish flake and a mix of live or frozen food, eg. bloodworms

 

[GSD]

thanks alot ill try some of them!!!

 

[sylvia]

Start by reading through the link in my signature. That contains some essential information and things you MUST know to successfuly keep fish. It will also help you avoid some of the most common mistakes when starting out.

Once you've gone through that and understand it, feel free to ask any questions.

Platies ARE a good fish to begin with once you have cycled your tank (read that link and the pinned topics at the top of the beginners forum). If your tank is 20 gallons or more, an even better choice would be the indestructable zebra danio. These are shoaling fish though so they should be kept in groups of at elast 5 and their high activity level means they need a nice long, spacious tank. Research the species you are interested in first - the fish index on this message board has some fish profiles - the rest you can find on www.google.com and, for basic info or to look up a species, fishbase.org .

Good luck Have fun and welcome to the forums!

 

[GSD]

thankyou every1

 

[Lynz781]

I would quite like a Betta but whenever i see them in a pet shop they look so beat up and sad and all alone cowering in the corner, like they want to die. Is it because they are kept alone that they don't get on with other tankmates? There long finnage don't help. I've got danios that like to nip so i won't be getting one.

 

[TESS]

Hello
I am quite new here and i have read some of your posts.
Being a complete beginner to tropical fish keeping i knew little about it, there is something i knew nothing about and that was cycling , so i got my tank let it run for 3 days and then got my fish (8 red platys) all my fish are fine (although they are slightly pale) and its now day 11 of cycling my tank but nitrites are spikeing and i am very stressed for my fishes sake, i am doing my best i.e water changes to help them survive this process called cycling.I see you have had your tank running for 3 weeks, have you tested your water and do you have a testing kit?,please .please .please wait another week or 2 to see wether your tank has cycled before you put fish in.If you do this your fish will be very happy and you will have no stress. If you have already cycled your tank then just ignore what i have said

 

[sylvia]

As TESS said, cycling is essential - but letting a tank run for 3 weeks isn't enough. There has to be a source of ammonia present - fish food, pure ammonia or a frozen prawn can be used for this. Please research cycling before leaping into the hobby You may have already done so in which case fine - just reminding you for your fish' sake.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Why not just do a fishless cycle and then get a betta? Before I knew about cycling and bettas I kept mine in a large bowl and changed it's water every few days with tap Now I know better, but bettas aren't like discus and tetras, they're much more forgiving of mistakes.

 

[fuzzyferret]

If you do decide on a betta, don't let the grotty depressed look in their tiny spaces fool you.
Once they are in a nice spacious tank they soon pick up and spread out their fins - you'll see colour on them you never thought possible!

Best of luck whatever you decide....