Suggested Fish For Beginner

[mikster]

Ok im looking at getting this tank 112L tank and i was wondering what fish you would recommend and the best group sizes.

Also if you could suggest any other more interesting fish i could add after several months when i have gained mroe experience. Also anything i should steer well clear of with my tank size and experience.

p.s looked at the fish cycling articles and alot of other information and bought a book already.

cheers

mike

 

[adam98150]

To cycle the tank use a couple of guppies, they are quite hardy and will most likely survive the cycling process (if your not doing a fishless cycle). After the cycling has ended i would recommend a couple of neon tetras, in groups of six or more.(they require a stable tank/a mature tank). I think neons are more hardy then people think they are.
After the neons are settled a few bottom feeders are in order, cories are quite popular and theirs also different varieties. They get the job done, but also need to be kept in groups of at least four. You could also try shrimp (amano/algae eating shrimp, cherry, tiger etc), they are very interesting little creatures to watch. But some hide throughout the day, and come out to feed at night so dont be expecting too much visual entertainment from these guy's.
Other fish include, gourami's, loaches, catfish/plecos, schooling fish (tetras etc, theirs quite a few kinds). These are the only types of fish off the top of my head right now, but theirs alot more. A word of advice though, research all the fish etc that you want in your aquarium. Find out their needs, and how big they grow (thats one common mistake with beginners).

 

[catxx]

actually guppies aren't hardy at all. far too inbred now and wouldn't survive the cycling process.

do a fishless cycle, it'll save you money on fish that are more than likely to end up dead.

i'll ponder on suitable fishies for you and get back to you

edit:

Fishies I would suggest. You have a nice sized tank for a beginner, 29 US Gallons. Once the tank has cycled remember to add fish GRADUALLY, not all in one go!

What kind of fish are you interested in? Schooling fish? Centre piece fish?
For schooling fish I would recommend Harlequin Rasboras, they look great in a school! Or if you like tetras you could consider Cardinal or Black Neons as an alternative to the regular Neon Tetra.

Corys are great little fish, Bronze's are the easiest to come by (and also come in Albino), Pandas tend to be quite sensitive so I'd avoid them for now. Sterbai & Trilinaetus (usually mis-named as Julii) are super cute too. They love to be in groups of their own kind, so a group of 4+ is great. They'll swim ALL over the tank and snuffle in the gravel (make sure you have very small gravel or sand if you consider these) they like to cuddle up at night together and play during the day.

If you want a centre piece fish consider a Dwarf Gourami, or Honey Gourami. They make good community fish and also very easy to come by.

always watch your stocking levels, understocked is far better than overstocked. if your tank looks empty, fill it with plants (fake or real depending on your preference) not more fish! a well planted tank with a reasonable happy group of fish is a good tank

 

[mikster]

yeah i was going to do a fishless cycle first and then add something like neon tetras to start. I was thinking like about 4 tetras? then add like a pair of corydoras catfish and a pair of dwarf gourami. Do you think rasboras would be easier than tetras or the same?

Also i was thinking of getting one of those blue cobalt lobster things in the distant future, would that have any problems with stuff like catfish because they both inhabit the lower part of the tank and would that tank be big enough for a lobster that can grow to 10cm - 12cm with the other fish i suggested?

 

[catxx]

i personally would never keep anything with claws with fish. if they have big claws, they'll eat your fish! or at least put in a good effort.

schooling fish like tetras or rasboras should be in groups of 5 or more really, the bigger the group the better they look and the more they'll be out and about.

and 3+ corys are better too rather than a pair.

gouramis, make sure you don't get two males (the LFS is likely to push you towards 1m 1f anyway).