Please Help !?!

[$e73n]

Firstly a big hello to the comunity, first time poster here . I have really enjoyed reading some of the post's here so far. I have no clue what i am doing with regards to the careing of fish, so please forgive me if any of the questions that i am about to ask are really out there.

The reason for me getting into keeping fish is that my son has a real fasination with them, so like any good father i told him when you get a bit older we will maybe consider getting a tank and looking after some fish. Well i started looking into it myself, and the more i looked the more i wanted to get started. So this brings us to today. The idea got jump started when a freind of mine gave me a brand new BiOrb 30l tank for free, as he knew we were looking into it and he had recieved it as a gift that he didn't want, telling me that it would be a good starting point for us to see if we liked it.

So hear are a few questions that i have with regards to starting out, i seem to have got most of the basics from this forums and the literature that came with the tank. But fish selections are the problem, so here goes...

1. I know this must have come up a million and one times, but, my son got inot fish from the movie Finding Nemo, are Clown Fish able to survive in trpoical tanks ??? If so does anyone have any useful links or books so that i can read up on them and there needs.

2. What type of fish would you recommend that look as close to Clown Fish if i can have them ?

3. Any useful sites or books for me to get with regards to tropical fish ?

4. Your top 5 tips of what not to do and what to do !!!

Thanks in advance for any responses !!! 8)

 

[dwarfgourami]

Hi and welcome to the forum- and to the hobby! I think you will find your son has done you a good turn here, introducing to a great hobby. T answer your questions:

1. I know this must have come up a million and one times, but, my son got inot fish from the movie Finding Nemo, are Clown Fish able to survive in trpoical tanks ??? If so does anyone have any useful links or books so that i can read up on them and there needs.

Clown fish need a marine tank. These are not usually recommended for beginners, as they are expensive to set up and run and require a higher level of expertise- things can easily go disastrously wrong. I would suggest trying to work on expanding your son's interests in other directions for the time being.

2. What type of fish would you recommend that look as close to Clown Fish if i can have them ?

Depends on what tank you are putting them in. The 30 ltr bioorb leaves a fairly limited choice, as it is a small tank and (due to its shape) has a limited surface area (=limited oxygen). The fish that is commonly recommended for these is a Siamese fighter (betta)- now I can't pretend they look anything like a clown fish, but they have a lot of other good features, they tend to interact a lot with their owner and come in a great variety of colours. You can only keep one in the same tank though, they are very territorial. You could also fit in some shrimps- amano shrimps are big enough not to be eaten by the betta, and are very cool to watch. Other suitable fish for the biorb would be small tetras. They are schooling fish and need to be in groups- you could probably squeeze in 6 of them if you go slowly. White Cloud Montain minnows are another schooling option- they prefer cooler water, so you would leave the heater off.
Tbh I think the betta is probably your best choice. We have a special betta forum on here, with lots of good info and pictures.

If you did upgrade to a 60-80 ltr rectangular tank, you would find your choice expanding. If it's the stripes your son likes, check out khuulie loaches: they look like little fat stripy snakes. If he wants a fish that can turn and wink at him, a small group of corydoras would be good. Livebearers are other options, or cherry barbs, or lots of tetras to choose from.

3. Any useful sites or books for me to get with regards to tropical fish ?

Can't remember titles now, there was one by David Alderton and one by Kathy Jinkings that I found quite good. Combine books with info from the internet- which is where you are going to find the most up-to-date information. This is the best forum I have found so far for general information.

4. Your top 5 tips of what not to do and what to do !!!

i. DO look into fishless cycling (pinned topic in beginners' forum)
it is by far the most humane and least stressful way of preparing the tank.

ii. NEVER buy a fish you have not thoroughly researched
you need to know adult size (you'll be surprised at some of the common ones in the shops!), dietary requirements, whether they are schooling or territorial, if they are fast swimmers (need long tanks), requirements as to water temperature, hardness, acidity, if they are fin-nippers (no tankmates with long fins), if they need caves or other hiding places etc. Don't let this thought put you off- it's one of the great pleasures of fishkeeping, as it helps you to see how fish have evolved to deal with different conditions in the wild. It is also a great way of introducing your son to biology. Do not expect the lfs staff to be experts on this- use the internet!

iii. Be prepared to set aside an hour a week for partial water changes and other maintenance- though it is possible to skip the occasional week if you are away.

iv. Do NOT be tempted to overstock until you are very experienced. A 24 inch tank (60 ltr) is only really suitable for fish with an adult size of 3-4 inches or less; and with these you can follow the inch/gallon rule- not more than 1 inch of fish (adult size) per (US) gallon of water. But you need to factor in all the other things, like territoriality.

v. A larger tank is easier to maintain than a smaller one- larger eco-systems tend to be more stable.

 

[$e73n]

2. What type of fish would you recommend that look as close to Clown Fish if i can have them ?

Depends on what tank you are putting them in. The 30 ltr bioorb leaves a fairly limited choice, as it is a small tank and (due to its shape) has a limited surface area (=limited oxygen). The fish that is commonly recommended for these is a Siamese fighter (betta)- now I can't pretend they look anything like a clown fish, but they have a lot of other good features, they tend to interact a lot with their owner and come in a great variety of colours. You can only keep one in the same tank though, they are very territorial. You could also fit in some shrimps- amano shrimps are big enough not to be eaten by the betta, and are very cool to watch. Other suitable fish for the biorb would be small tetras. They are schooling fish and need to be in groups- you could probably squeeze in 6 of them if you go slowly. White Cloud Montain minnows are another schooling option- they prefer cooler water, so you would leave the heater off.
Tbh I think the betta is probably your best choice. We have a special betta forum on here, with lots of good info and pictures.

Hi thanks for the responce, i have looked into the Betta's and must say i am not overly keen on them, i prefer the look of the Tetra's, they look a nice fish with some very interesting colours available. Is there any other species that people would recommend. If you have the time or inclination please list your top 5 species for beginners.

ps. How many Tetra's would you try and get in a 30 litre tank without cramping them ???

 

[dwarfgourami]

Hi thanks for the responce, i have looked into the Betta's and must say i am not overly keen on them, i prefer the look of the Tetra's, they look a nice fish with some very interesting colours available. Is there any other species that people would recommend. If you have the time or inclination please list your top 5 species for beginners.

ps. How many Tetra's would you try and get in a 30 litre tank without cramping them ???

No, bettas aren't my favourites either tbh. You could probably fit in 5-6 small tetras, not more.