Begginer To Tropicals!

[interscope]

Hello guys!

I used to be an avid goldfish hobbyist, now I only keep a few in the garage. As a result, I have a bare 20gal tank in my living room, that hasn't been used for a while. I'm looking to try my hand at keeping tropicals; I'm amazed at the selection and how much you can keep in there (well, compared to gf)! Before with goldfish, I could only keep two in a 20 or else the filth levels would start going up.

I had a few questions:

1) Do you guys have any suggestions for fish for beginners? I've been reading and it seems livebearers are pretty good.

2) Will the filter be a problem? I'm worried that if I have smaller fish they will be sucked up by the intake tube.

3) Are plants, decor important? I used to keep the tank barebottom so that I could get rid of the poop easily. I also hear that its harder for diseases to cultivate in barebottoms.

Thanks!

 

[Tolak]

Welcome to TFF! Since you have been keeping goldfish, I'm sure you are familiar with cycling. If not, check out http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099

Livebearers are a good first choice, and are compatable with many other fish. Platys look sort of like mini goldfish, and seem to be a little less inbred than guppys, making them hardier. The only problem with livebearers is that they breed like rabbits. If you have a place for the fry, weather it be selling/trading to your lfs, or a hungry fish you will be fine. Just remember to keep 2 females to every male, as the males constantly harass the females, it's a breeding thing.

Adult livebearers have no problem with the intake of filters, the fry may. A foam pre-filter slid over the intake solves this. It's nothing more than filter sponge with a hole poked in it. Netting, screening, or an old nylon work for this as well.

Going barebottom or with a substrate & decos is up to you. Bare bottom tanks are easier to maintain, which does make for a cleaner environment for fish. Most of my tanks are bare bottom with an artificial plant or two tossed in, but they are breeding tanks in the basement. The show tank in the living room has gravel, artificial plants, rocks, & driftwood. I had to make it look a little nicer to keep it in the living room.

HTH, any more questions feel free to ask!

 

[interscope]

Thanks for the advice! I'm actually looking forward to starting this tank. I was wondering, if I stuck to the 1" per gallon rule, (for goldfish it was 1 fish per 10 gallons, phew!) would a HOB filter w/ 330 gph be sufficient? Its a Whisper 60 that I happen to have extra.

 

[Tolak]

That filter should work fine. The 1" per gallon "rule" is a general suggestion, refering to slim bodied fish under 3". Understock at first, this will avoid a lot of problems.