Where To Start When Picking Fish?

[dtaylor21184]

Ok I'm currently cycling my tank so I'm researching fish I like the look of but not sure how to find out if they get on with each other am I best getting a list of what I like and posting on here for people to explain which ones will be best to get?

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes

 

[dtaylor21184]

i know i definitely want some corys but gonna go look at some more in the shop the week i think

 

[fluttermoth]

If there was one single piece of advice I'd give that would be; pick the one species of fish that you want above all others and then build the tank around it.

For instance, if you want cories, I'd very stongly recommend a sand substrate.

 

[KittyKat]

Yes

+1

If there was one single piece of advice I'd give that would be; pick the one species of fish that you want above all others and then build the tank around it.

For instance, if you want cories, I'd very stongly recommend a sand substrate.

+1

 

[eaglesaquarium]

+1 for the sand!


Even if you don't have cories as your top option, the tank looks SPECTACULAR with sand, and economically speaking, you can get a 50lb bag for like $3. You can't get anything like that for the price with gravel. On top of that, I've seen countless threads on here where people switch after years of gravel, and they have been very good about gravel vaccing, yet there is a huge build-up of gunk that just can't be taken out of the tank! Sand will keep the detritus on the surface, and if you have enough circulation, most of it will end up in the filter, since it can't get stuck in the substrate.


Cories are a great choice, btw, and will pair nicely with almost any other peaceful fish you can think of!

 

[dtaylor21184]

We haven't got sand we currently have polished stones not the rough gravel type not sure if that would make a difference. Bought it before I joined here lol typical. I'm going to look at fish sometime this week and make a note of what we like in priority order then I can come on here and organize a list of what is possible and what isn't

thanks again for all the replies I keep asking my OH to think of any questions cos I've told him how good you lot are at replying with good advice.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

There are exceptions like Sterba's Cory, but many corys do better at slightly cooler temps than traditional tropical, in the 22-24C ballpark.

This temp constraint and the peaceful nature of corys (brochis work better in more boisterous setups) will have an impact on suitable tankmates. For example, I would not risk Kribs or Lionhead Cichlids with corys, as the corys could quite easily "intrude" on these cichlid's territory on the floor of the tank and end up with nasty injuries such as eye pecking. To a greater extent, mixing corys with loaches is another bad idea, as loaches would normally out-compete the corys for food on the tank floor.

Besides the sand floor that has already been mentioned for corys earlier, its also worth mentioning that the odds of corys settling in well are better if they are introduced to the community tank (ideally having been quarantined for a couple of weeks) 6-8 weeks after the tank has cycled.