Has Anybody Got A Phd In Fishology?

[fish4life786]

I'm guessing you need one of those to work out which fish is the best first fish.

I haven't even got a clue where to get started.

I'm thinking something tropical and something obviously colourful.

I was thinking neon tetras but I heard theyr hard to look after.

I'm stuck wondering what to get.

I'm going to base the aquarium around the fish species so if I need a bigger aquarium for a certain fish I'll get it.

Also if you have a filter do you still have to clean out the aquarium? Is there anything you can purchase so you don't have to clean it out?

I'm just wondering once u get a bigger aquarium how would one clean it all out.

 

[chibi]

Teehee, fishology.

Neon tetras are good beginner fish. They are easy to take care of and are hardy. After you cycle your tank, I'd reccomend guppies or mollies. They're colorful and are good beginner fish as well.

If you have a filter, you shouldn't have to constantly drain the tank and scrub the sides and stuff like some people think you have to do. However, you have to siphon the gravel to get rid of the fish poo every 2 weeks or so, and only 10%-15% of it really needs to be removed. It doesn't matter how strong your filter is; you still have to do partial water changes. It's not a huge burden, though.

If you are a beginner, I'd reccomend a 30 gallon tank. It's a nice size, but not too big so if you lose interest, it isn't a huge investment.

Hope this helps~!

 

[Bignose]

btw, the correct term would be ichthyology ( http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthyology ) and if you put in the several years of schooling, you certainly can get a Ph.D.

The best advice would be to read, read some more, and then ask any and all questions here on the forums. First thing I'd recommend reading? The FAQs posted here. There is a lot, but all of them have been pinned and made into FAQs for a reason.

This thread: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099 would be the very first thing I'd read. It discusses cycling and new tank syndrome. Keeping the water clean is well over 90% of fishkeeping. Healthy water = healthy fish.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Neons and guppies can be problematic: it's not because of the species themselves, but because they have been overbred/inbred and kept on antibiotics on fish farms. They used to be hardier in the past, and there are still hardy individuals around.

Mollies will only be hardy if given the right water conditions: hard, alkaline, perhaps even a bit of salt (which limits what companions they can have).

However, there are other choices:
Black widow tetras and danios are both still hardy enough to cycle a tank. Platies if you don't get a bad batch (check up on all the inhabitants of the shop tank!). But even these will fare better if you do a fishless cycle first.

Post-cycle, there is a good choice: the above+ corydoras, bristlenose plecs, glowlight tetras, cherry barbs+ numerous others.