I am getting a fish tank. What size should i get and what type of fish?

Question

I am going to get a fish tank and it has to be smaller then 2 ft length 1 ft height and 1 ft width. It will be heated. I want to get a small shark but i would have to get a larger tank. It will be decorated with plants etc. Also what plants/ statue things should i get. thanx

Answer 1

Keep in mind - larger is better and easier. So the largest tank you could get would be best. The dimensions you're descibing sound like you're looking into a 20-gallon tank. If you're going to get a shark, you will need a much larger tank when he gets older (they've been known to grow up to a foot in one year, and depending on what kind of shark you're looking into, they can grow to be 12-36 inches, sometimes larger).

In my opinion, plastic plants are the way to go. You don't have to worry about introducing snails or diseases, and you never have to worry about your fish eating them. No decomposition to worry about, either.

Decorations are up to you. You can make your own rock caves (using shale or slate with no sharp edges and aquarium-safe glue or epoxy), you can use terra-cotta flower pots, or you can simply buy decorations designed for an aquarium. Your local pet store has all kinds of "themes" you can decorate your tank with (I've seen everything from mid-western, to Greek, to undersea graveyard).

This is going to be a freshwater tank, right? Make sure you cycle it before you add your fish.

Since you're going with a heater, you have a large variety of fish to go with. Remember to keep schooling fish in groups of six or more to see the best colors and schooling behavior. Rasboras, small tetras (no silver dollars), corydoras catfish, guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies, danios, even a betta (if none of your fish have long flowing fins). Don't get any goldfish, algae eaters, or cichlids (as they will all get too large and produce too much waste for your tank to handle).

Good luck!

Answer 2

Keep in mind, the larger the tank, the easier it is to keep clean. Feed sparingly, and add only 1-2 fish at a time. Wait 2-3 weeks before adding more fish. A tank can support one inch of fish for each gallon the tank holds. 10 gallon=10 inches of fish. Make sure to look at the lable to find out how big the fish will grow to if you don't plan to upgrade your tank size in a few years.

Good luck!

Answer 3

How many fish do you want to get? It all depends on how many fish you want to be able to determine the size of the tank. You need to give them enough room to swim around. As far as plants, it also depends on the fish. If you need help deciding on these things, ask the people at the store for help. Good luck.

Answer 4

Sounds like you should go with a ten gal. I would get enough plants to provide hiding places and leave enough room, probably towards the front, for fish to swim in. Remember when stocking your tank the general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water. But do think that a ten inch fish would be happy in there? Me neither. I would say at most 3 in. long for any given fish in your tank. But remember to check their adult size before you buy them, they might be little now but they might not stay that way.

Answer 5

you can always go to a glass place and have a tank custom made according to your specs. believe it or not, sometimes this can be cheaper. dont get live plants. they are a lot of extra work and are not really necesary. fake ones look just as good. try to get decor that matches the fish's natural environment. i dont understand why people get things like ships, skeletons, houses, etc... how many ships and houses do u see at the bottom of a river? not tooo many. hope this helped!

Answer 6

I would suggest a 10-gallon aquarium (10 x 20 x 12). A 50w heater is best to use for a 10-gallon aquarium. Check out http://www.liveaquaria.com for a list of freshwater fish that are suggested for 10-gallon aquariums. They even have a selection of invertabrates and plants. As for a theme.....that is up to you but the popular themes are Pirates (shipwrecks, skeletons, skulls, treasure chests), Atlantis themed statues and even just trying to create a natural enviroment.

Answer 7

it depends on the size and wether you get saltwater fish or freshwater fish. i had a 2 gallon tank (small). and 1 small tropical freshwater fish. i had plants and everything to. basically you want to determine the size and the kind of water. if its a big tank try getting a lot of schooling fish. and i had my fish for a bit over a year!

Answer 8

sharks and mollies wont artwork the shark will consume the mollies... so which you would be wanting to ask the puppy shop guy what works in the tank with the form of fish you like the main... fish tanks are alot of relaxing... i do advise guppies although there exceedingly and that they are incredibly great starter fish.. in order that which you dont spend a bunch of money on a pink tail shark and have it die with the aid of fact of temps no longer being suitable.. sturdy success

Answer 9

well u could get a 2 foot tank and but a small shark in it. there are all kinds of small sharks.. but it also depends on what kinda fish u want and how many fish u want to know how big of a tank to get. i like tropical fish thay are prity. ya know like angel fish and stuff

Answer 10

beta fish last 4evr, but usually u can't put 2 2gether cuz they fight & end up killing 1 another!! so, maybe not the best if u want a bigger tank...