What fish should i get?

Question

I have a 20 gallon tank, and i'm decided what fish i want to get once it's finished cycling. Here's my ideas...

I want atleast one little catfish. i love them.
I want a pretty type of little fish that likes to be in schools.
And I would like to have maybe a bigger fish that would draw people's attention to it (like something really pretty)

and i would love to have as many fish as i can... without them having any harm...

Answer 1

Try a school of mexican tetra, they are pure white fish that , through evolution, are born without eyes

A dwaf Gorami

and a cory cat

goodluck!

Answer 2

Find yourself a good aquarium shop. One that specializes in aquariums. Please try to stay away from chain stores like petco and petsmart. They are really not very knowledgeable.

Personally, I like the catfish. But, they do like to school so you need at least 3. Stay away from the pleco's, they will get way too big for your tank (2 ft). Goldfish are nice, but in a tank that size you could only have 2 because they produce a lot of ammonia and get large.

For color, I like Tetra's. For a bigger fish, the gourami is nice. They are not as agressive as some larger fish. If you go for a larger fish, keep in mind they will eat smaller fish so you probably would not want to mix gourami and neon tetra.

Just ask at the aquarium shop and they can tell you what fish would work best together.

Good Luck

Answer 3

Tetras are great school fish, and here's a tidbit for you: if you have neon tetras and glow tetras, the two schools will play with each other and may even become one large tetra school (I know from experience), regardless of whether the members are neons or glows.

Fancytail guppies are also very nice, but get the ones with shorter, plainer tails - the tails grow as they get older, and the ones with very long, very fancy tails will die shortly after you buy them.

Glassfish are another nice kind of school fish, but don't bother with the "dyed" or "painted" glassfish - this is produced synthetically, and the fish will lose its color over time.

Zebrafish are another awesome choice. HINT: long-finned tend to be less aggressive, and if you put short-finned and long-finned in the same tank, they will NOT associate with each other (at least, not in my experience).

Some people like the various kinds of mollies. I could never get them to stay alive, but hey, if you can, more power to ya.

Bala sharks are very pretty and social, but they're not school fish. One or two, however, will make a nice addition for your tank. Their skin is silvery and shiny, and one or two make very nice accents - to quote you, they are "bigger fish that would draw people's attention." However, they're fairly docile, and not big enough to pose serious threat to other fish. My tetras would actually play with both of my bala sharks, and other than occasionally being chased off when one of the balas was in a cranky mood, they never had any issues with each other.

And don't forget a plecostimus - an algae eater. They keep your tank clean, and the patterns on their skin can be quite beautiful as they get older and larger (mine started at .5" long; when it died, it was 7" long and the headbone and several vertebrae ended up being donated to my school's science department).

However, if you have any of the above: DO NOT BUY GOLDFISH!! Goldfish are highly aggressive to fish outside their own species (and sometimes to other goldfish), and you'll end up with nothing but goldfish left. They're very pretty and they work well in pairs or trios, but not in a community tank. An older plecostimus can hold its own against goldfish, but tetras and long-finned zebrafish especially do not get along with goldfish, and sooner or later, one's going to die.

As for larger fish . . . I must say, NO ANGELFISH. These, like goldfish, are highly aggressive and will massacre your tank.

When you pick out fish, do so at a store like PetSmart or Petco. The clerks there are specially trained, and they can give you a lot more advice based on what kind of tank you have, which fish they stock that will live and play together nicely, and so on. They have knowledge - take advantage of them!

Here's hoping your tank will be happy and healthy!

Answer 4

I started with different types of tetras and a Chinese algae eater. Tetras are small so you can have15-20 in one tank, depending on how often you want to clean it. I would get about 8 neons and then several different types of larger tetras. Don't get Bala sharks for a 20 gal tank! They ARE schooling fish and they don't stay small forever. THEY NEED ALOT OF ROOM. Plecos will also get too big for your tank if you are planning on having alot of fish.

Answer 5

I think clownfish are really cool looking. Also you cannot have a tank with goldfish

Answer 6

probably some goldfish .. they are pretty and tough and can get pretty big.

You need a tough/hard-to-kill fish for your first fish.

good luck.