Any suggestions for a fish for a beginner fish carer?

Question

I am going to get a fish for the first time. Actually , I have had fish before , but they kept dying. I have cleaned out the 5 Gal. tank . This time and I am not putting in gravel or a rock. Any suggestions on what kind of fish I should get? I would like a goldfish though. Any tips on caring for fish either? Thnx

I do have a filter , I think it is a penguin biowheel 100. or something. I am not putting in gravel because last time the fish waste got in the gravel and was hard to clean out.

OUt of the six answers that I have recieved so far , I am leaning toward the idea to get a beta so if you have any info or tips on caring for beta fish then answer. thnx : p

Answer 1

If we define a good beginner's fish as one that is easy to feed and care for, hardy, able to live in a variety of water conditions, and attractive, then there are a number of widely available fish which fit the bill nicely. Many of these are regularly sold as beginner's fish. But watch out! Many of the fish sold as beginner's fish really are not well suited to that role.
Many of the smaller schooling fish make ideal first fish. These include White Cloud Mountain Minnows, the several commonly available species of Danios and Rasboras, and most available species of Barbs. For those with a slightly larger tank, Rainbowfish make a great schooling fish. Corydoras Catfish are ever popular schooling catfish.

While many beginners are tempted to get just one or two of each of several different schooling fish, this should be resisted. Schooling fish do better if there are several of their own species present for them to interact with. A minimum of six of each of the midwater schooling fish is recommended, while four is the bare minimum for Corys. In the long run, a school of a dozen fish showing their natural behavior will be more pleasing than a mixed group of fishes unhappily forced to share the same tank. (``Mom, why is that one fish hiding behind the heater and that other one just hanging in the corner?'')

Of course, as mentioned in the introduction, the population needs to be built up slowly, two or three fish at a time. The aquarist might, for instance, build up a school of eight Rasboras of a certain species, then turn to building up a school of six of a species of Cory Cats.

Some Cyprinids
White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are all Asian fish related to the Carp and the Minnow. All of these fish belong to the family Cyprinidae. White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are small, active, hardy, and colorful.

``White Cloud Mountain Minnows'' - Tanichthys albonubes
Found in mountain streams in China, White Clouds can be kept in unheated tanks (down to 55F). Some people advise against putting these fish in tropical tanks but I have found that they do fine in heated aquaria as well, as long as the temperature is not kept above the mid 70s. They can be fed any small food and they spawn often but fry will not be seen unless the parents are removed to another tank. White Clouds are brown with a red tail and a silvery white line down the side that shines in the light. They get to be 1 1/2" long.

Danios
Several species of Danios are often found in pet stores, including the Giant Danio - Danio aequipinnatus, the Zebra Danio - Brachydanio rerio, the Leopard Danio - Brachydanio frankei, and the Pearl Danio - Brachydanio albolineatus. These fish are fast swimmers and are always in motion. Different patterns of blue markings allows one to tell these fish apart. Most Danios stay under 2 1/2" long, although Giant Danios can get up to 4".

Rasboras
The most popular Rasbora is the Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora heteromorpha. A very similar looking species, Rasbora espei, is also available, as is the Clown Rasbora - Rasbora kalochroma and the Scissor-Tail Rasbora - Rasbora trilineata. Orange, brown, and red are usual colors for Rasboras, and their stop-and-start swimming makes them interesting to watch as a school. Scissor-Tails can get up to 6" long and Clown Rasboras up to 4" while Harlequins stay under 2" long.

Barbs
By far the most commonly seen and commonly cursed Barb is the Tiger Barb - Capoeta tetrazona. It nips the fins of other fish if not kept in a large school of its own species and because it is over-bred it is susceptible to diseases. Several aquarium morphs are also available (such as the greenish ``Mossy Barb'' and an albino variety) but these are even more sickly and often deformed.

Don't give up on the Barbs too fast though, as many are well suited as first fish, especially for those with moderate sized tanks. Capoeta titteya, the Cherry Barb, is a terrific little barb - up to 2" long and with a wonderful orange-red color. Mid-sized barbs (up to about 4 1/2" long) include Clown Barbs - Barbodes everetti, Rosy Barbs - Puntius conchonius, and Black Ruby Barbs - Puntius nigrofasciatus. The artificial morphs (long-finned, albino, etc.) of the Rosy Barb should be avoided though, as these tend to be sickly. Checker Barbs - Capoeta oligolepis and Spanner or T-Barbs - Barbodes lateristriga are large, peaceful barbs (Spanner Barbs up to 7" long). Unless you have a very large aquarium avoid Tinfoil Barbs - Barbodes schwanefeldi. They grow to be over a foot long!

Note that many barbs don't school as ``nicely'' as do Danios or Rasboras, but most should be kept in schools nonetheless. Also note that many authors may put all of the above mentioned species in the genus Barbus.

Corydoras Catfish
Cory Cats are members of the family Callichthyidae, a family of armored catfish from South America. Corys are small (generally 2 1/2" long or less), schooling fish that are always searching the bottom of the tank for food. There are at least 140 species of catfish in the genus Corydoras. Some of these are quite delicate and die quickly even in the hands of experts. The fragile ones, however, are rarely seen in pet stores and are high priced when they can be found. The Corys you will see for reasonable prices are hardy and can even survive in a tank with low oxygen as they can swallow air from the surface and absorb it through their intestines. Some Corys you may encounter are the Bronze Cory - C. aeneus, the Spotted Cory - C. ambiacus, the Leopard Cory - C. julii, the Skunk Cory - C. arcuatus, the Bandit Cory - C. metae, and the Panda Cory - C. panda.
Corys generally feed at the bottom of the tank and special sinking foods should be fed. These include sinking pellets like Tabi-Min and frozen blood- worms. Care should be taken to insure that all frozen foods are eaten quickly as they decay rapidly and can foul the tank. Don't overfeed!

Rainbowfish
Rainbows are extremely colorful fishes native to Australia, New Guinea, and Madagascar. Like the Cyprinids described above, Rainbows are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of six or more. Larger, somewhat more expensive, and harder to find than many of the schooling fishes already discussed, Rainbows are easily cared for, active, and make good first fish for those who want to try something a little less common. Look in your dealer's tanks for the Australian Rainbow - Melanotaenia splendida, Boeseman's Rainbowfish - M. boesemani, Turquoise Rainbows - M. lacustris, and the Celebes Rainbow - Telmatherina ladigesi.

Answer 2

No matter what kind of fish you get, you will need a filter for the tank. All fish need filtration to remove fish waste and uneaten food.

Also, any fish other than a goldfish needs a heater in the tank that will keep the temp in the range of 72-78 degrees. They call them tropical fish for that reason, they come from the tropics where the water is very warm. Goldfish are coldwater fish.

You must always do regular (weekly) partial (25-30%) water changes for any fish you keep. This is the single most important thing you can do to keep your fish healthy and happy. This might be one reason why your fish kept dying before. Gravel in the bottom is not anything that would kill your fish. Personally, I use sand (pool filter sand) in most of my tanks. Debris does not settle down into it and is easy to siphon out. Be sure to rinse the sand or gravel well if you decide to use it.

Also be sure to add the DeChlor drops to the fresh water to remove the chlorine and chloramine.

Answer 3

If you want just a few fish get a 10 Gallon tank for starters. Get a few fish that seem interesting Like: Platies Mollies Tetras danio Those are all fish that will school together mostly and are colorful. There also really easy to take care of and most important WONT STINK :D

Answer 4

For a beginner, you should try out labyrinth fish. For a community tank you can have a few gouramies of different strains maybe. If not, you can use your 5 gal. tank as a grand home to one or maybe two betta (2 if you use a divider). These fishes are hardy and this is supported by the fact that they can breath atmospheric air. This means if the water amount is enough, you don't need an oxygen pump. They're quite nice to look at too...

Answer 5

Please don't put a goldfish in a small tank, they grow to 12" and need a big home! If your having problems with the tank, you should get a water test and see what is killing the fish. Are you useing soap to clean the tank? that'll kill them, maybe your temps are off? An easy fish to take care of is a betta, they do good in small spaces.

Answer 6

Betta. Use declorinator. You cant put more than 1 or 2 fish in a tank that size.

Answer 7

Yes if your getting a gold fish be ready to clean your tank a lot!!! They dirty tanks quickly. you should on have 1inch of fish per gallon of tank. I would recommend mollies or a betta. Mollies and lots of color and you could a three or so, but it is best to only add three new fish at a time. A betta is very easy to take care of and if you decided you wanted something else in there you could add a mollie or two later.