New Tropical Tank

[IlPrincipe]

Evening,I am currently the owner of a little tank with a dwarf and golden gourami.However I really would like to make a brand new,much bigger tank for the house.I really want the tank to be colourful and lively.However I am still very inexperienced with regards to tropical aquariums and just wanted to know if someone could maybe give me a list of colourful fish who swim around quite a bit? Also,I'd like to have at least one school of a single species in this tank.Any ideas? thanks.

 

[fluttermoth]

Hi there and to the forum

There are literally hundreds of species of tropical fish, so it's not really possible to give you a list, just like that!

A few questions to narrow things down a bit;

Is your local water hard or soft (ie, do you get a lot of limescale in your kettle, for instance?)

From how far away will you be looking at the tank? I know that sounds a bit silly, but if you're looking at the tank from the other side of the room, you'll want larger, more boldly marked fish than if you're sitting right next to it.

Are there any fish you particularly want, or do you have a favourite colour? Having a look round your LFS (local fish shop) and making a list of species you like and then looking them up (or asking the good people on here) is always a good place to start.

Of course, a lot depends on the size of the tank. There's no point me recommending a fish that grows to eight inches if your tank's going to be only a foot wide!

 

[IlPrincipe]

Hi there and to the forum

There are literally hundreds of species of tropical fish, so it's not really possible to give you a list, just like that!

A few questions to narrow things down a bit;

Is your local water hard or soft (ie, do you get a lot of limescale in your kettle, for instance?)

From how far away will you be looking at the tank? I know that sounds a bit silly, but if you're looking at the tank from the other side of the room, you'll want larger, more boldly marked fish than if you're sitting right next to it.

Are there any fish you particularly want, or do you have a favourite colour? Having a look round your LFS (local fish shop) and making a list of species you like and then looking them up (or asking the good people on here) is always a good place to start.

Of course, a lot depends on the size of the tank. There's no point me recommending a fish that grows to eight inches if your tank's going to be only a foot wide!

The water here is a bit hard,but I've got some limestone to soften it up.I was thinking a relatively large tank.Maybe 2-3.5 meters in length(large by my standards anyway!). In the past i've had a lot of Bettas but obviously they wont do in a community tank.Bolder,brighter fish would be nice? I don't want them to be too small but not too big either.Maybe around 6-10 cm? Thanks for the welcome btw.

 

[fluttermoth]

[
The water here is a bit hard, but I've got some limestone to soften it up.

Limestone won't soften your water, it'll make it even harder!

I was thinking a relatively large tank. Maybe 2-3.5 meters in length(large by my standards anyway!).

Oooh, nice size You'll have lots of options open to you in something like that.

In the past i've had a lot of Bettas but obviously they wont do in a community tank. Bolder, brighter fish would be nice? I don't want them to be too small but not too big either.Maybe around 6-10 cm?

Some of the larger barbs or tetras would be a good choice perhaps. When you've got the tank we can be more specific

Thanks for the welcome btw.

No worries, always nice to see a new face and someone doing their research before they get a tank and fill it with fish!

 

[jrgofish4life]

Evening,I am currently the owner of a little tank with a dwarf and golden gourami.However I really would like to make a brand new,much bigger tank for the house.I really want the tank to be colourful and lively.However I am still very inexperienced with regards to tropical aquariums and just wanted to know if someone could maybe give me a list of colourful fish who swim around quite a bit? Also,I'd like to have at least one school of a single species in this tank.Any ideas? thanks.

I don't think you can possibly go wrong with Zebra Danios.

 

[IlPrincipe]

thanks about the limestone,this is why I've learned not to trust pet shops.As soon as i get the tank(soon!) I'll come back to you guys.Thanks for the names you've given already!