what should i know before buying fish (as pets)?

Answer 1

Start with a freshwater aquarium. Saltwater tank upkeep is a pain! The book you receive with your aquarium will give you all the info you need to set up your tank. Once the ph is balanced and the water temp ir right, anywhere from 65 to 75 degrees you can add fish. When you put the fish in, leave them in the bag until they have adjusted to the tank temp, say 20 minutes. Read up on the different types of fish! Some are predators, some are prey! I use to keep predatory fish but they seem to know when you are watchin them! They kill when you aint lookin! Crayfish, crabs, lobsters etc are all escape artists! If there is the slightest chance to get out, they are gone! I use to find my crabs anywhere in my house! I tried everything to the extent of making my own plexiglass lids, filter outlet screens, etc and they would still find a way out! Dont overfeed your fish. Too much food will end up in the bottom and your tank will start to show too much algae. Add water as needed, maybe once every two or three days depending on how dry your house is. Once the tank is balanced, cleaning the tank is a once a year thing.

Answer 2

Not everything you need to know but these are some basic things to set you up for success.

a. Understand the nitrogen cycle (fish> ammonia> nitrite> nitrate> water changes). A solid understanding of how the cycle works will prevent unnecessary losses. Also stock slowly during the first couple of months. For example, add 1 or 2 fish every other week instead of a bunch all at once. A lack of understanding how cycling an aquarium works is the reason why many novices experience losses early on. Do a search on "fishless cycling"; you can never go wrong with that method.

b. Use water test kits regularly (preferably the liquid test kits instead of the strip tests). During the first 2 months of tank establishment, test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate regularly. Other tests include ph, GH (general hardness), and KH (carbonate hardness). There are lots of other tests to utilize depending on your set up (phosphate, copper, etc). Test kits can key you in on trouble in the tank should it arise). A fully cycled tank should never have detectable levels of ammonia or nitrite (these compounds can be lethal to fish).

c. Know how large the fish you get will grow and stock your tank based on full grown size instead of size at purchase. Many fish sold are young and have not attained full growth at time of purchase. Will that 2-inch fish grow to 3 inches or 12 inches? The proverbial "1 inch of fish per gal" is a rough guideline at best and not a "rule". In addition to size, behavior, activity level and aggression level play a huge part ideal tank size. (example, a single aggressive active swimming 6-inch fish would be unsuited in a small 10-gal). Understockin

d. Know the requirements of all the fish you keep (recommended tank size, ideal water parameters, temperature, compatible tank mates, diet, reproduction rate, etc). Some species of fish are more hardy or delicate than others. It's recommended to start with hardy fish than sensitive fish which have high requirements when first starting out.

e. Water changes. 20-40% two to four times a month, depending on set up and bio-load. If your nitrate is equal or greater than 40ppm then you're over due for a water change.

f. Acquire most of your aquatic equipment online, it's way cheaper. I've got filters that I purchased for $30 that cost $99.99 at the pet shop.

g. Avoid overuse of chemical additives. Most problems are solved through regular water changes and firm aquarium maintenance practices. Many chemical fix the sympthoms but not the root of the problem.

h. Patience is golden in this hobby. Enjoy your fish!

Answer 3

You should know what kind of aquarium you want...some choices are tropical community, tropical semi-aggressive, american cichlid aggressive, african cichlid aggressive, salt water tank, reef tank, cold water tank (goldfish fall into this category), or a betta tank.

Goldfish need a BIG tank, they do not belong in a bowl. If you want an easy and simple set up, simply get a betta. They don't require filtration (though it is better for them) and can happily live in smaller tanks (1 gallon or more).

Cycle your tank before adding any fish and make sure you do research...don't trust the pet store people.

Answer 4

There's too much to know about fish that i could write down in this tiny little character box. I would do some research or ask some reliable workers at a nearby pet store. There's so many things like water quality, compatibility, filtration, and tank size to know about they could probably help you so much better!!

My one tip of advice is that to get anything interestiing you need both a heater and a filter. that and the general rule is 1nch of fish per 1 gallon of water

Answer 5

yo need to be more specific. what kind of fish, how big is your tank , salt or fresh water. Before you buy your fish your tank needs to be set up for 4 - 7 days befor you even put fish in it.
when you decide what type of fish you want, then you need to know what type f habitate they like how many you can have per gallons a tank and specifically what they like to eat.

I have tanks and have had many, right now I have angel fish. My fav. by far are puffers. Fresh water puffers. They are aggressive fish they eat brine shrimo and red worms. Very alert attentive and smart.

Answer 6

check it's scales, make sure the ends are rounded, see if it's swimming properly. Make sure the fins don't have holes in them...the rest depens on what type of fish you wanna buy. Do some research on the net.
P.S. Fish are great, besure to buy the right fish tank and clean out their tank... once a month or so...

Answer 7

I had fish once. It's just like any responsiblity with pets: you need to take time to feed them, clean them (in this case, the aquarium), and make sure that the water doesn't get too hot or too cold.

Answer 8

That you will have to have the time to take care of them. You can't just set up a tank and go ok. They take as much TLc and cleaning as any other pets.

Answer 9

until eventually you get a heater you've gotten to have coldwater fish. They do want truly enormous tanks notwithstanding. you would possibly want to damage out with a fantail or blackmoor in 30gallons. something smaller than that and also you would possibly want to be stunting their boom.

Answer 10

Start with fresh water fish. They are easier and cheaper. Much better for starters.

What size tank do you want or have?

The general rule is for every inch of fish there needs to be 1 gallon of water. You got to take into account how big they will get as well (most stores have it listed on their tanks)

Lets say you start with the generic 10 gallon tank. Very popular for beginners.

First you will need the tank, a hood, a filter, a heater, and a chemical that removes chlorine. (Also gravel and decorations) Pet stores have many brands, I recommend Stress Coat. It takes the chlorine out of your tap water and it also provides a slime coating to help the fish de-stress.

Stress is the #1 factor in the death of most fish.

Do not place the tank by a window. You'll have a green tank constantly and you risk the water becoming TOO hot.

Fill the tank up and add the chemical. Follow the directions of setting up the heater. If you have a glass heater (very common) make sure you let the heater sit in the tank for at least an hour before you plug it in. If you don't wait the quick temperature changes can crack the glass (I've done it before, it's not pretty). The general temperature needs to be around 78 degrees, give or take.

Hook up the filter and get it running. Don't get an underground filter. They do not clean well. Get a side filter. Top Fins are cheap but they work great.

If you do not have you tank yet, I recommend you buy a 10 gallon (or whatever gallon you want) kit at your local pet store. They come with everything you need except gravel and decorations. 10 gallon kits go for around $50.

Rinse your gravel in water before adding it to your tank. It can be dirty and make your tank cloudy. Again general rule is every gallon of water needs one pound of gravel. So 10 gallon tank = 10 lb bag. It doesn't matter what color you get. The fish really do not care.

I personally like the natural look.... but my first tank had blue gravel. So whatever you like.

Do not buy too many decorations. You want to have room for the fish to swim. For a 10 gallon tank one med. or a few small ornaments are fine and a few plastic plants are fine as well.

Now that you have it all set up and running - leave it that way!

It needs to set and run without fish for AT LEAST 24 hours. But letting it run a little longer is better (like 3 days or so). This allows for your tank to begin to cycle, which is when the good bacteria begins to grow. It also allows for your tank to become a consistent temperature that it needs to be.

If you go with a larger tank, then a few extra days are needed as well.


Now you have your tank all set up. It's pretty but it's empty!

You need to decide on what kind of fish you want. There are basically 4 different common kinds you can choose. Whatever group you decide on, stay with that group! Do not mix fish from different groups. They do not usually mix well.

-Goldfish
-Cichlids
-Semi-Aggressive Tropical Fish
-Non aggressive Community Tropical Fish

First Goldfish. They are pretty, yet dirty dirty dirty fish. Plus they grow VERY fast very large. A 10 gallon tank is really only suitable for one young goldfish and that's only temporarily.

Cichlids can be pretty. But they all for the most part get very large. There are two types Africans & South Americans. Do not mix the two kids. Do not choose these unless you’re going with a 50 gallon or larger tank - or if you want to get more then 3 fish. I don't recommend them for 10 gallon tanks at all. They can be aggressive, even with their own kind. These fish are more for the novice or expert fish owners. I do not recommend them to beginners.

Semi-Aggressive Tropical Fish- Popular among beginners. Sharks, kissing fish, barbs are among a few of these. Most of them do get to be around 5-8 inches though, so you really have to take into account how big they will be when full grown.

Community (Non-aggressive fish) - Popular and recommended for beginners. Most are small and stay small (1-3 inches max) and they can be very colorful. Neon tetras, mollies, guppies, are among a few. You can have more of these guys in a tank since they do not get so big when full grown.


Whatever pet store or fish store you go to should have all their fish labeled.

You can also take a sample of your water to your local Petsmart and they will test your water for free and make sure everything is ready to go.

Okay after choosing what you want only purchased 2-3 at a time.
Take them home, let the bag they come in sit in your tank for approx. 15 minutes so that the fish may slowly adapt to the temperature change. Then place the fish in the tank (net them out) but do not place the water from the store in the tank.

You do not want to add a lot of fish at once because it can be stressful to the fish. It is a new tank and it is still cycling. The fish will help it move along smoother. Also adding a lot of fish at once will cause a bacteria bloom and make your tank very cloudy. While it isn't dangerous, it's ugly and nuisance. It can take up to a month to clear up.

So wait a few days, then add a few more - and so on. But be careful not to overcrowd. A lot of people think its ok - and these people are usually the ones who have constant problems with their tanks.


That's basically it.

Change the filters monthly. Take out 25%-50% of the water monthly as well. Put more tap water in, and add more stress coat.

Evaporation doesn't count as water changes!

Buy a gravel siphon. They make cleaning EASY! The store employee will show you how to use it. (They are cheap, under $10)

Don't overfeed. Once a day feeding is fine. Remember their stomach is only about the size of their eye. This might help you in knowing how much to feed. Overfeeding is worse then underfeeding.


Make the last fish you get an algae eater. He'll help in keep your tank glass clean and clear of algae. Do not buy a pleco if you have a small tank. Buy a fish actually named an algae eater or buy a few octocincids (small algae eaters).

Try to get at least one bottom feeder as well. Ask the store employee to show you some that can be with the fish you choose.

Good luck. It seems like a lot - but it's not really that much. You just have to do it correctly and you shouldn't have many problems. Also don't be afraid to ask the store employees questions.