What to get for first fish????

Question

Today I'm going to get a 10 to 30 gallon tank, depending on the cost. I'm not going to do the water cycle thing this is just gonna be a trial and error test. I'm just going to set up the tank in prepertation for the fish i'm going to buy on Saturday or next week. What would be the best fish to put in for my first fish??? I want to start off with an easy fish. My tank is going to be a fresh water tank. What was the first fish you got and how did that work out??? The fish I'm thinking I want in the tank, most likely a 10 - 20 gallon tank are..

Bettas
Danios
Guppies
Mollies
Tetras
Platies

The type I want for each are easy fish that get along with other easy fish.

How much of each can I put in the tank?? I want to add more fish every 2 or 3 months. I'll mostly upgrade to a bigger tank when necessary.

I decided I'm going to do the fishless cycle first which takes about a month or around that, so, I can wait that long to get fish. Thanks for the help everyone.

Answer 1

I would suggest starting with just a small group of danios. They're a hardy fish and would be one of the most likely to survive in a tank that's not cycled. You could get 3-4 of the smaller ones, then wait a few months till the tank is finished cycling before adding others.

Like Jon said, you tank is going to cycle whether you use fish or not - if you use the fish, they're going to be stressed by the water chemistry until the bacteria are built up in the tank (takes up to 2 months) so the ammonia and nitrites are removed. And don't be surprised if you get cloudy water during the time it takes to cycle the tank using fish.

http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Personally, I use a fishless cycle using media from another tank to jump-start a new one so it takes less time. That works out fine for me and the fish.

You can only keep multiple bettas if they're all females. Otherwise, it's one to a tank.

Answer 2

One thing you need to understand, you actually are cycling this tank, only it's going to take much longer then usual without adding in any bacteria. Ammonia is going to build up to VERY high levels in this tank. The only advice I can give since you aren't going to consider using cycle or something to speed up the process would be Danios. At first, get maybe 3 at the max. Don't just stock it up with them to begin with unless you plan on having alot of funerals for them. This is a natural process and whether you want it to happen or not, it will. The bacteria is going to take time to build up and process the waste. Guppies are pretty durable also, however, they breed excessively. You'll need a plan for the spawn. Mollies, Tetra's and Platties are not bad either, but please, don't just max out your bio load for your tank until it's cycled, and even then, gradually stock that tank to avoid spiking it with ammonia and nitrites. General rule for bio load capacity is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. Use that as rule of thumb unless you going with Betta's. They are more dirty then the others listed, I'd use that by half if you go with Betta's and remember, you can't put two male Betta's togeater unless you like watching a fish kill another fish.

Answer 3

Remember 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water. If you have good aeration, then you could push this a little further. however, I would recommend (for 20 gallon) a school of five with any 3 of those choices (except for Betta). Zebra Danios only grow up to 1 inch, so I would recommend those. Neon Tetras add color to your tank and barely grow about 1 inch. Guppies can get to be a little over 1 inch, but not too much. Some types of mollies can get big, so choose small ones. Platies also get big, so choose small ones. Hope this helps!

Answer 4

you cannot put bettas in a tank together. Hence the name fighting fish.

For up to 30 gallon tank stick with the fish you have chosen. You can have 1 inch of fish per gallon of tank. keep in mind that is the full grown size, not the size you purchase it at. They do grow.

Good luck...sometimes you can find free fish and tanks on craigslist.

Answer 5

Start out small. For example. Bettas, guppies, tetras and danios don't go good together. It would be best to start with mollies, since there are a lot of different colors[balloon mollies] then, add some neon tetras. 6 or more, since they tend to be bullied, then add platies, pick either A betta, danios platies or guppies. Hope i hepled! =]

Answer 6

Danios for sure. they are a great starter fish and hearty. they can with stand alot of fluctuating temps and tank set up. only start with like 2or 3 just in case they die anyway. danios swim lots and get along with other fish too.

Answer 7

Trial and error testing is a pretty cruel way to keep pets. Did you know that the ammonia and nitrite generated by your fish burns and scars their gills so that if they don't die from the burns themselves they eventually suffocate to death?

Answer 8

a cat to play with