Hardy Fish For Beginners

[Betta_Shark5678]

Hello!
 
I'm teaching a fish keeping class, and for one of the weeks we're going to talk about choosing hardy fish that suit the kid's water.  Here's my list so far, and I'd love some suggestions if you can think of any!
 
 
Bettas – Very hardy, they breathe air from the surface, so they can live in bad water conditions, though it's not recommended. They should be kept in at least 5 gallons.
 
Platys – Somewhat hardy, not as hardy as Bettas, but can still live in bad water conditions for short periods of time. They are livebearers, so suggested M:F ratio is 1:2, better is 1:3. They should have at least 15 gallons for 3.
 
Convict Cichlids – These are very hardy and good for new tanks. They can be aggressive. They need at least 20 gallons.
 
Dwarf Gouramis – These can be hardy, though due to in-breeding of this species they can have “dwarf gourami disease” (DGD) which is incurable. 10 gallons is minimum. Honey Gouramis are similar, but not the same. They don't run the risk of DGD.
 
Glowlight Tetras – Hardy tetras that get about 2” long. Very nice looking, and don't have the risk of “neon tetra disease” (NTD). Need groups of 6+, though bigger groups are better. 15 gallon min.
 
Harlequin Rasboras – I've heard these fish are hardy, and good for beginners. I have never had these fish, because they are also apparently difficult to find in this area. Which is something to consider with any fish.
 
Neon Tetras – Another hardy, and beautiful type of tetra! With these there is a risk of NTD, so be careful. They need groups of 6+. 10 gallons min.
 
The tank sizes we're using are 5-20 gallons, so for suggestions I'll need fish in that range.  Preferably something that they can put in the tanks right after cycling.  
 
I do want to say that several of these fish I've never had, I just read that they were hardy, if you think I should take them off the list let me know!
 
Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Tuxyu3]

Betta's - Not so sure i personally would consider Betta's to be a 'very hardy' fish. Even if there is an ounce of truth in it (which i have yet to believe as Anabantoids in general seem to be easily irritated), i would still not tell people they can live in bad water conditions as people may take it to mean 'It's totally alright to keep this fish in bad water conditons'.
 
Dwarf Gourami's - I can not comment on the hardiness but be sure to stress that males will be aggressive towards each other so only one should be kept.
 
Platy - Perhaps suggest an all female group to prevent masses of fry. Like with Betta's, i would word the thing about bad water conditions differently so as not to encourage the wrong kind of thinking.
 
Glowlight Tetras - I have not kept these in a few years so do not recall much about them but do bear in mind all Tetras have the potential to catch NTD.
 
Harlequins - From my personal experience these fish seem to be vulnerable to white spot (more so than any other fish in my tank), i have also heard people advise against them as a beginner fish but again, i cannot comment on this as i have never tried them as a beginner fish, but they do seem pretty hardy to me.
 
Neon Tetras - These fish have a bit of a reputation for being weak nowadays due to inbreeding but it varies on the supplier. I also feel they deserve 20 gallons at least due to their potential level of activity.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I would personally scrub Neon Tetras, Dwarf Gouramis and possibly Glowlights Tetras from that list. Neons tend to badly in new tanks, especially if the water is hard; Dwarf Gouramis can be prone to an infection that has been doing the rounds for several years. I've never thought of Glowlights as hardy, but I have never kept them, so who knows.
 
I would not put Platties in anything less than a 90cm long tank for life, they are active fish and in cramped conditions they can get fiesty with each other and tankmates if kept in groups less than six (even then you can get rogue individuals).
 
From my own fish collection, ones that have done well for me in my moderately hard alkaline water and I would consider hardy plus suitable for a 20g (ideally long) would be...
African Butterfly Fish (1 would be very safe, two added together should be ok, with a well structured water surface to make line-of-sight barriers) 
Leopard Bushfish (would just about house 3 for life if added together as babies, or a singleton would be very safe, never get two as one will be bullied to death)
Hoplo Catfish (very friendly fish, almost "wet pets", found in a wide range of water types in the wild)
Synodontis nigriventris ( the true "Upside Down Catfish", but others of the family can be given this ambiguous common name that are bigger and fiestier, must be kept in groups as they are social, great classic tankmates for Butterfly and Bushfish above... providing the catfish are bought first and then small predators added later!)
Rubbernose Plecs (after quarantine period to ensure they get food without competition after their stressful shipment, once settled hard as nails in a specialist "river tank" with cool ~21C water and massive flow (~15x real water turnover))
Golden Wonder Killifish (colourful, at least semi-interactive, another fish not to house with streamlined <6cm tankmates, just like the African predators mentioned earlier)
Blockhead Cichlids (very adaptable, but like Convict Cichlids, they turn into psychotic protective parents when breeding... both need very careful choice of tankmates, especially in a modest sized tank like a 20g long)

 

[NorthEastFisherman]

Danios are really hardy i put 3 the day after i got my tank for a fish-in cycle and i still have them (actually my friend bought them off me for his tank so i could ge tmore room). I wouldnt suggest and tetras, dwarf gouramis, or anything expensive since they are most likely sensitive fish. Barbs are hardy too. Although tiger barbs are aggressive but more towards their own species when not kept in a school of 6 or more. Gold, rosy, cherry, and a few other type of barbs are good community fisdh (not sure about rosy) and theyre all less than 3 inches. They dont need to be kept in higher schools of 6 but do need a group to feel safe.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I'm less concerned with the types of fish you select than any notion that a fish can be kept in less than ideal conditions. If you're teaching future fishkeepers, please lead them through the fishless cycle, and then talk about the types of fish that will do well together. 

 

[zain611]

Are neons hardy? i would say that glowlights are very hardy and sporty as the first 2 that i bought which is nearly a year ago when i started my tropical set up for my tank and cycling they are still alive now and healthy. my neon that i first got sadly died one somehow got sick and died after my guppy gave birth the day before and the other i think died of old age so the neons i have now are my second batch

 

[This Old Spouse]

Neons are not hardy. Not only do they not do well in a young tank, but they are susceptible to neon tetra disease from overbreeding.

 

[Betta_Shark5678]

Thank you for all the suggestions!
 
I should have rephrased the "can live in bad conditions".  The kids are all 10-13, and I'm going to bet some of them will skip water changes, or become bored with their fish at some point.  Not all of them, but a few.  So I'm looking for fish that are hardy enough to survive in slightly less than ideal conditions for a short period of time.  I'm hoping that I can start a little fish keeping club that meets once a month after, and that'll be a reminder for the kids to clean their tanks if they forget their weekly water changes!
 
We have started fishless cycling our tanks, and I might be giving them sponges from my current tanks to help speed that along.  I tried for a 10 week class, starting the cycle on the first week, and then getting fish on the 10th, but I was told to cut it down to 8.  
 
The problem with a lot of fish is that there is only one good pet store in my area, and they have a limited stock, and the parents aren't going to be buying fish online.  The only two fish on N0body of the goat's list that I've ever seen are Rubbernose Plecos, and Synodontis nigriventris.  Danios, other than Glofish, are rare, but the occasional zebras pop up.
 
Neons I've heard conflicting information on, but it sounds like they won't do well, I'll take them off.  My Glowlights were in a tank with a crazy algae bloom, and monthly water changes for 2-3 months before I got them, without a single fatality, that's why they're on the list.
 
I don't know the size of all the kids tanks yet, apparently some of them don't even have tanks, but the biggest one is a 20 gallon long.  

 

[This Old Spouse]

This explanation helps a lot. Thanks. 
 
Maybe with a sand substrate you might consider corydoras.

 

[Betta_Shark5678]

You're welcome, sorry I didn't explain that better from the beginning lol. 
 
I thought Corydoras did better in an older tank?  If they do well in a new tank I'll definitely put those on the list!

 

[This Old Spouse]

Well, truth be told, all fish would do better in a more established tank. But I've found my bronze cory do surprisingly well in a variety of conditions, plus they breed fairly often. Fun, energetic and curious, I just love them. There are a gazillion kinds out there, but for this discussion I would definitely recommend the bronze. Albinos are basically a color phase and are also fun, but I've had more luck with the bronze.
 
I hope you'll keep us posted on how this project works out!

 

[Betta_Shark5678]

Oh, that's good information to have! It would be fun to have a little school of Corys in the class tank, though it's only 10 gallons, so Bronze wouldn't work.  Maybe I can convince the kid with a 20 long
 
I'm thinking about doing a journal for the class tank.  I started the cycle last Tuesday.

 

[This Old Spouse]

A journal would be great!
 
And dwarf or pygmy cory would do in a 10g I would think.

 

[frapadoodle]

Why not guppies?

 

[Lunar Jetman]

Why not guppies?

I've been thinking that! They're pretty much the first tropical fish most people start with.