fish type?

Question

ok i wanna get a fish just to kinda have around and be there. I am totally willing to change the water and clean the tank and feed the fish but what kinda fish is good? and how much work does each type require + how big of a tank? I only have room for a medium size tank. any info would be great thanx! :-)

Answer 1

To start with I recommend a 2-5 gallon tank with a filter and light and get a betta. They are hearty, beautiful, and have a lot of personality.

If you go to a chain store they will tell you to get a fish bowl for a betta, but I (as well as most people here) Strongly recommend at least a 2 gallon tank. Its better for the fish and actually easier to maintain. You would just need to do a 50% water change once or twice a week.

I started with the small tank and betta and after I tried to add way too many live plants for the size of the tank and was obsessive about decorating it, I went ahead and got a 30 gallon tank to obsess over and 6 months later another 30 gallon, and now Im considering a 55 gallon.

Bettas are a great starting point. The tank and set up is fairly inexpensive and not very demanding. Having one can give you a good idea of whether or not you want the upkeep of a larger tank.

Answer 2

If you only want a fish to "kinda have around and be there", I would respectfully suggest you get one of those "fake" fish in a tank. Fish are living creatures and shouldn't be considered household decor. I admire your willingness to care for the fish and provide adequate tank maintenance, but a fish of any sort requires serious attention and isn't something you should have "just to keep around".

Goldfish are not "easy" to care for so unless you are willing to spend at least 2 hours a week on observation and maintenance, don't get a goldfish.

There are too many combinations to make sensible recommendations. You should decide what type of display you would like to have and research the possibilities.

I would consider a medium tank to be 55 - 75 gallons. There are literally hundreds of fish you could keep in such a tank.

Are you interested in keeping a single specimen or would you prefer a tank with plants and schooling fish? Are you able to provide a tank heater? I don't recommend a marine tank unless you have the resources to pay for a professional tank maintenance company to come by weekly and care for your tank as marine tanks are not for those not wanting to treat their fish as a very serious "hobby".

Answer 3

A betta might be a good fish for you to start with. They can live in tanks that are 2.5 or 5 gallons, but do need a heater. I keep my bettas in tanks like this one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3635102 - the best part of this is that a betta won't outgrow this tank. It comes with a filter and light, so you would still need to get gravel and a heater, plus the fish, food, and whatever decorations you'd like for the tank. I keep a piece of driftwood and a few live or silk plants in with mine.

There are plenty of other fish you could try, such as barbs, tetras, danios, and rasboras, but these are all schooling fish, so they should be in groups of 5 or more. Cory catfish, smaller loaches, or otocinclus catfish should be kept in groups of 3 or more. To keep any of these, you should have a tank that's 10-12 gallon (or more) depending on the size of the species you choose, and how many total fish you get.

Others fish like guppies, platies, variatus, swordtails, or mollies (livebearers) can be kept individually, or in groups, but if you keep males and females, expect a lot of baby fish! The only way to assure they don't reproduce is to get only males, as females that have already mated can store sperm for up to 6 months. Given that they can give birth every 28 days, that can add up to lots of fry! If you only want males, I would suggest the guppy, platy, or variatus. The male mollies and swords tend to be more territorial and will be somewhat aggressive to the the others.

Hereare some good links where you can find out info about these fish, and fishkeeping in general:
http://www.fishlore.com/
http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/default.aspx?pnl=fresh
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16

Answer 4

Fishlore.com is a good site to learn the ropes of keeping fish.Start with a 10 or 20 gallon,they are big enough to have enough fish to give you the feel of the time and effort it takes to have fish.One thing everyone should know,you can never over filter a tank.So if you get a 10 gallon,get a filter for a 30 gallon.If you get a 20 gallon,get a filter for a 50 gallon.

GOOD LUCK! HAVE FUN!!

Answer 5

You could have a 30-55 gallon tank.
If you want livebearers like platies or guppies, put 4 livebearers per 10 gallons
If you want goldfish, 1 per 10 gallons
If you want egg- scaterrers, 1 per 5 gallons(maybe???)

Answer 6

Go to walmart and get the ten gallon tank kit. 30 dollars and go from there and if you like the hobby go from there.

Answer 7

i recommend that you start with a simple tank and a goldfish. they are generally pretty hardy, and simpkle to care for. after you get used to that, and if want more responsibility, get a bigger tank with a variety of fish, filters, etc.