i have a 50 gal fish aquarium and i need help with what i need and what kind of fish?

Question

i just got a 50 gallon fish aquarium and now i need to know what i need to get it running and what kind of fish would be the best in it...i know i plan on getting 4 algea eaters but what else should i get...i would like to get some kind of fish that my kids would like to watch and maybe a snail or something...also with what i want do i need a heater or not...any help would be very much appreciated! thanks!

Answer 1

OK, you would need:
- a filter w/ a bio wheel (you dont need one w/ a bio wheel but its what i suggest)
- a heater, yes you do need a heater for the algae eaters
- fish food, for your algae eaters you might want to get some algae wafers
- gravel (optional but its for decor)
- plants and an airstone/ bubble wand etc.
- flurescent lighting and a hood (flourescent lighting provides more light but is more expensive)
- if you want you can get some ornaments for decor.

OK... now to your fish...
an algae eater gets to be at least 7 inches so you right now have 28 gallons of fish right now. you can get any fish under 22"
here are some yes' and nos:
yes- any tetra but if you decide to get small tetras like neons you cant put them in with bigger tetras like black skirts and they have to be placed in schools of 3

no- cichlids. they are very hard to take care of. and since i know youre a beginner they arent for you. some include angelfish and glass fish

yes- livebearers like platies, guppies, mollies, or swordtails. if you decide to get these you have to get 1 male and at least 3 or more females because the male will most often chase the female a lot. but if you decide to get these... be prepared for lots and LOTS of fry (fish babies) so you will need a breeding trap so the mom wont eat the young

no- big aggressive gouramis like pink kissing and pearl b/c they get too aggressive for your algae eaters

yes- dwarf gouramis and barbs. make sure the barbs are in groups of 3 so they wont bother the other fish and make sure the gouramis are bigger or equal in length to the barbs because the barbs are really aggressive. id say any dwarf gourami and 3 cherry barbs would be perfect

no- oscars, eels, peacooks, or haps- too aggressive

yes- danios but dont put them with small tetras

no- saltwater fish

yes- corydoras: perfect for any tank!

thats all! if you want some more info go to aquariumfish.net and go to tropical fish compatibility. sharks might go good with your algae eaters...im not sure

Answer 2

That sounds like a nice sized tank! I think you're going a bit overboard on the algae eaters, though!

First, you should know there are several fish sold under the name "algae eater". Otocinclus cats are nice because they stay small - about 1 1/2 inches - and can be kept in groups or in a smaller tank. Downside is they shouldn't be put into a tank unless it's been running for about 6 months. There's a Chinese algae eater. They may eat a bit of algae, but as they grow, they lose interest in algae and start eating the slime coat off your other fish. This is irritating at least, and may kill the other fish. Avoid these. The last os a group of fish known as plecostomous, or "Plecos". Depending on the species, they may grow from 4" to 18". Don't buy any of the algae eaters thinking that any will keep all algae out of your tank - they won't! They may eat some, but it won't be perfectly clean. And they don't eat all types of algae.

There is an endless variety of other fish. Some are very colorful, like fancy guppies, platies, swordtails, and mollies. These will even breed in your tank. Neons and other tetras can have bright colors, too, and these like to school - you should get a group of at least six if you get some of these.

If you'd like something a little larger, try a dwarf gourami.

I'll give you some links to some websites where you can look up info on these fish. Why don't you go through the photos with your kids and see what fish they like? Just make sure the fish you get have similar temperments and water requirements. Most tropicals will need a heater. Also, I'll link to some sites with info on setting up your tank and general maintenence.

http://www.elmersaquarium.com/h701elmers_freshwater_handbook.htm
http://www.fishlore.com/
http://www.firsttankguide.net/
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16

Good luck with the tank!

Answer 3

I love goldfish. You could get two or three fancy goldfish for that tank. They will probably get about 5 or 6 inches long. I used to have three big fancy goldfish in a tank like that. I think they were called Lionheads because their heads were orange and bumpy. They had orange and white bodies and big fins. They were so gentle. That's what I liked most about them. Goldfish don't fight with each other the way a lot of fish do. They acted more like three puppies because they came rushing to the front of the tank as soon as they saw me. They were hoping I would feed them. Goldfish will eat all of the time, and it is easy to overfeed them if you are not careful. They were the best fish I ever owned. They were sort of expensive, but they were well worth the money. You want to get algae eaters? I don't think they are necessary. I don't think they are too aggressive. I don't believe they can really harm other fish. I do know that scavengers often die in aquariums. Scavengers usually starve to death. That's because most tanks don't have that much algae in them. Algae eaters love cucumbers. Try dropping a slice of cucumber in your tank. They will devour it.

Answer 4

You shouldn't get so many algae eaters because there might not be enough algae in the whole tank for all of them to share unless your going to feed them algae wafers. As for the heater, you will need it because it doesn't matter what fish you get all tropical fish need heated water. and the fish-yes you could get a couple of guppies or tetras, mollies, Barbs, Clown Loaches, there is a wide variety of fish you could get.

Hope it helps.

http://www.fishlore.com/TropicalFishProfiles.htm

Answer 5

First off you now bought a 50 gallon aquairum. I assume you bought a heater, filter, gravel, and lights.
1-Begin by washing off all the gravel so none of the small particles float.
2-put in the gravel, water, heater and filter.
3-set the heater to about 75 degrees
4-put in about five 25 cent feeder goldfish and wait a week.
5-once your water is crystal clear and your filter and heater is working well throw away the goldfish because they have been amonia poisend by the amonia that was present in your tank before you cycled it.
6-set your heater to about 80 degrees and wait a day till the temperature reaches 80
7- go to the fish store and buy a tropical fish, i recomend a cichlid like the Tiger Oscar or Flower Horn, but make sure you get a baby fish or something of small size as to not create too much amonia and make your tank murky white.

Answer 6

wow you bought to many algae eaters now you will have to buy them pellets you should have just gotten one and a small one beacause those suckers grow big and fast if you get a snail get a big one little ones are boring and yeah you should get them some little frogs they sell them at pets mart they are fun to watch and only cost about $2.00

Answer 7

mabey swimming frogs gold fish baby shark

Answer 8

you should get like those neon fish!!! or those pufferfish!!! but NEVER and i repeat NEVER get snails!!!!!! they block the filters and they reproduce like mad!!!!! Trust me, I used to have a tank full of snails just because i had a few in the first place!!

Answer 9

how about some bala sharks,or some swordtails.......