What is a good, hearty fish?

Question

I've been having alot of sick fish and I have just resolved myself that guppies and mollies just aren't the fish for me!! It seems like everything I do just kills fish. I have checked the water and done tons of research of every type of fish I own. I've purchesed tons of medications that never works and I'm sick of it! So now my last guppy is dying (unless he magicaly pulls out of it) and I was wondering what would be a good, cheap fish that would be SUPER easy to take care of?

Answer 1

It looks like your off on the right track with research and testing of the water. Depending on size of your tank is also a factor beside the cost and hearty fish. Common goldfish/koi (not feeder goldfish), Bettas, Catfish, Cichlids/Oscars, and Arrowana have been very easy for me to take care of. However some the above fish to get very very large. From the fishes you have listed you have small fish tank 60gal or less.

Bettas:
They require the smallest spaces requirements. I use to breed them and 1gal tank would be fine for a single male. If you decide to go with bettas try to get them small, more often then not fish should have full grown male that might only have months to 2 years life span left. Some people report them living more then 6 years but normal is 2 to pushing 4 years.

Cichlid:
These might be the next choose but some can grow big like the Oscar, Flowerhorn and a few while some stay in the 2 to 5 inch range and are pretty colorful. They are aggressive fishest tho so choose their tankmate wisely.

Catfish and goldfish:
I like these type of fish but some are very big waste producing machines. So some require larger space then compared to their size because of the bio waste they produce.

Koi:
They can grow very big if allowed the space. I like these fish the best and I believe the heartiest of all the pet shop fish. But their size is not right for all people.

Arrowana:
Aust. Arrowana is my fav of all the arrowana. However all of these fish in this group grow very large and require a 150-200 gal min. and up.

Good luck with your choose selection

Answer 2

Have you tried adding a little salt to the water for your guppies? It really helps them out. I got this tip a few decades ago from a breeder. Use 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water, and use a salt that doesn't have iodine added (kosher, rock, canning, and aquarium salt are all okay to use). Despite being sold as freshwater fish, all types of livebearers (which includes guppies, mollies, platies, and swords) live in hard water with some salt content. When I started doing this, I cut my losses of guppies drastically (I wasn't keeping mollies at that time). I since have had both mollies and guppies that I've acclimated to marine tanks (full strength saltwater). In fact, two of my saltwater guppies just gave birth earlier this week.

If you'd rather try a fish other than these, try danios. They're small (zebras, pearl, leopards are around 2", giant danios are closer to 4") and active, and should be kept in groups of 5+. They'll also breed in an aquarium, but you have to be able to remove the eggs or parents to raise the fry.

BTW, check on the adult size of an oscar before you decide what to get for your tank. Those guys are sizeable!

Answer 3

First of all, whenever staring an aquarium tank, always add a chlorine/chloramin remover before adding fish. If the fish are already in the tank, and you are doing a partial water change, put the remover in the bucket of water, then add the water to the tank.

Second, to prevent stress from any changes in water, filter media, adding more fish, etc., add some 'Stress Coat'.

Thirdly, everytime you do a water/filter media change, or add more fish, also add something like 'Cycle' to introduce beneficial bacteria to the tank. This will help gain a good balance and rid the water of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates that form and kill fish if those levels are too high.

So, don't give up on having fish. It sounds to me that your tank water was suffering, hence all the fish dying. It's also good to check that you have a good water PH balance appropriate for the kind of fish you are keeping. There is a kit to measure this, as well as one to measure how the levels of ammonia are doing.

Try going to www.AquaFishTalk.com for information.

You should always let your tank age properly before adding too many fish. Only add a few to start - like 3 per 10 gallons. Vacuum the bottom once per week, rinse out the filter media every week or bi-weekly, and once the tank is going good, only do a 20% water change every three or four weeks, and go for a 50% water change every 6 months. I find the more you fiddle with the tank, the more problems you will have with the fish. Furthermore, never overload your tank's capacity with too many fish. That's a death sentence for them.

Mollies and guppies like aquarium salt to be added to the water. It will keep diseases and infections away and make them much more happy.

I could go on and on! If you want some more specific info please feel free to email me.

As for tough fish - go with cichlids. They like hard water by the way.

P.S. Wal-Mart is the worst place to buy fish. Stay away from them. Better to go to a private fish pet store.

Go to your nearest aquariam store and they will be happy to answer all your questions.

Answer 4

I easily have a 10 gallon fish tank and that i've got been cyclying my tank for a week now and in yet another 2 weeks i will upload some fish yet till then i'm additionally finding for some hearty fish. Zebra daios are hearty fish so r goldifh yet they cant be saved in a 10 gallon tank they choose atleast a 30 gallon. Guppies are ok yet no longer so hearty. platties are a stable hearty fish additionally. tiger barbs sword tails clown loach yet they choose atleast 50 gallons Mollys Gourami stable success

Answer 5

Have you try taking everything out of your tank and washing it all really good with hot water. (no soap) Than putting it all back in.
Platies are a very hardy fish. At least for me they are. When i first got my tank i didn't know that you were not suppose to take everything out of you tank and clean it. So i took all my fish and African dwarf frogs out but than in a bowl with a cover that i did not put on tight. I just wanted to make sure nothing jumped out. Well... I got done cleaning my tank and started putting the frogs and fish back in tank and i was missing a fish. My pretty fish at the time. I looked all over. Here it was about 15 ft from my tank. I was just sick I thought i had kill it. I went to pick it up and he moved so i put him back in the tank and he sat at bottom of tank and didn't move i gave him a couple min and he still didn't move so i gave him a little push and from than on he kept moving he still a live today.
Also African dwarf frogs are very hard to kill. There not a fish but they get a long with a lot of different fish. And there a lot of fun to watch. They usely eat what you feed your fish like tropical fish flakes. frozen brine shimp or bloodworms.
Also keep in mind you should chance some of the water every week like at least 20 % Also do you use tap water if you do You might want to add something like Aqua safe which is made by tetra. I get mine at walmart And i belive pet stores have it or they have something like it. This is supose to help take bad stuff out of your water. Good Luck

Answer 6

A fish that is extremely tough, that could probably live the worst water conditions and never get sick, is a Zebra Danio. I don't suggest you let the water conditions go that bad though. Zebra Danios have to be the toughest fish I know of. Blue, Opaline or Gold Gouramis are also very tough fish. I don't suggest you go for an Oscar unless you have or are prepared to get a 90 Gallon tank. Oscars can get to be over a foot long.

Answer 7

Two come to my mind. They are bettas and most types of goldfish. There really are some cool looking goldfish out there. Before you get any new fish, empty your tank and clean it with a mild solution of bleach water. When you set it back up, if you have well or spring water or know someone that does refill the water with it. Always make sure you treat your tank with Jungle's Start Right. I have found that this works best for me, especially if you have city water. And let the filter run for a day before you get the new fish. Hope this helps!

Answer 8

Guppies in my opinion are hard to take care of!! I think you will like a betta.They are quite hardy ive been having betta's for years now!They are 3.47 at walmart and are usually more if they are crowntails [spiked pretty fins]. All you really need is water conditioner and decorations/plants because they love to hide.They r also loners though,and will fight if another male betta is in the same tank.A good hardy fish like a betta that can accompany a betta's tank is a cory cat.They are always on the gravel constantly moving around looking for food and they have cute whiskers.Pleco's are very hardy too..you feed them tubifex worms and algae,but dont buy one if you cant fit one in ur tank when they r older,they can grow up to 12 inches!!

Oscars,yeah,they are hardy too,but they are extremely aggressive and should be kept in bigger tanks because of thier size.Oscars are carnivorous and like small fishies!!

Answer 9

gold fish...really...they're dirty, so get a bigger filter than you think you need, and a heater to keep the tank at about 75-80 degrees (F) year round. I add Kosher salt to my tank, about 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons of water and this seems to help them fight off any nastys...salt MUST NOT contain iodine (hence Kosher salt).

before you get new fish...boil everything in your tank or buy new.

Most goldfish are hardy, inexpensive, and long lived. They're fun, interesting and will eventually come to recognize you. Ours are HUGE now and the oldest is about 7 yrs old now.

Check out websites on Koi and Goldfish, you'll learn some neat stuff.

Answer 10

Oskars. When I was little my parents got me a tank of them to take care of. Mostly because there nearly imposible to kill. Not that I was mean to them or anything, but being a young boy I did sometimes neglect them, and then try to compinsate by over feeding them. Never lost a one of them though. very durable fish. And betas too.