good fish info websites???

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screaminbuckeye

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
78
Location
Ohio
A new lfs just opened in my town and they specialize in freshwater fish. I have seen several (5) different types that I like. The problem is that I don't know anything about them. I am afraid of getting advice from the clerks as most of them look like highschool students and not particularly knowledgeable. What websites do you use to get acurate fish info? I have found so many but I don't know which ones to trust. This has been the best site I have ever visited for info.
 
I will take a notepad with me and write down the scientific names and then just do a google search ('Scientific name' profile) and I have usually found some good info.

Never take just one source's info as the last word, the truth is usually somewhere in between everyone's opinions :D
 
As harsh as it sounds. There fish may not be the best for the first few weeks. They need to cycle their aquariums just as you would have to do. But after that I would support them like crazy. Local stores are usually the best there is as far as fish and information. So they need to be suported even in their more expensive products. Sometimes you need to pay for the help they offer.
 
They have been setting up the store for almost a month and I have seen fish tanks cycling since Thanksgiving (I got nosey and peeped in a window). I would much rather support a local place as opposed to a Walmart or other chain. I am looking for info on Tetras , knife fish, and red belly pacus among others. I have never seen something as beautiful as the ghost and clown knife I saw and the tetras have been highly recommended to me. The store has at least 7 tanks of them. My parents are buying me a tank for my birthday (2 weeks) and they want to know what kind to get me so I am looking at the types of fish I want.
 
Stay away from pacus unless you have a 500 gallon tank. These can grow extremely large. They have one 3feet around at Shedd aquarium in Chicago.
Knifefish are awsome I have a 8inch black ghost knifefish and he is so cool to watch. But some can be picky about food. I have got mine to eat flake food after much work. I still give him the occasional bloodworm though.
 
what size tank do you need for the black ghost knifefish?
I just saw one at my lfs today he was about 5 in long.
How big do they get?
THANKS
 
screaminbuckeye said:
My parents are buying me a tank for my birthday (2 weeks) and they want to know what kind to get me so I am looking at the types of fish I want.

I recommend that you ask for a gift certificate to that new lfs. You'll need to cycle your tank and get it all ready for fish. Then you don't have to rush and put the fish at harm with new tank syndrome. You can get the fish when your tank is all set up and ready to go :D

fish_doc said:
Stay away from pacus unless you have a 500 gallon tank. These can grow extremely large.

I second that!

oscarbreeder said:
what size tank do you need for the black ghost knifefish?
I just saw one at my lfs today he was about 5 in long.
How big do they get?
THANKS

Pretty big! Check it out here: http://aquadex.info/fish/Apteronotus_albifrons.cfm
 
black ghost knifefish are bad news i guess... i wanted one for the LONGEST time, but they just get HUGE; they'll also eat anything that their jaws will fit around.. i recommend an elephantnose fish if you want a black, sleek, awesome fish in your tank!
 
Thanks for the warning about the pacu. It looked like a small piranha and I liked that it seemed to be ok in a cichlid tank. As for not rushing about the tank or the fish, my parents said I can have any tank up to an 80 gallon so I am trying to figure out what fish I want so that I can choose an appropriate size. If I get something under a 30 I can keep it in my dorm this quarter , otherwise it will stay at home and I'll sneak it into my single room summer quarter. I didn't plan on rushing out to get fish in a hurry to plop into it, I'm getting the tank and I'll start cycling it. After my first debacle I try to research fish and just how big they will get. For my first fish I received an arrowana as a gift and only had a 10 gallon tank!

Thanks for the info about the elephantnose fish. I love "odd ball" fish that don't look like normal fish. How difficult is a elephantnose? I'm still a beginner and I can't handle a temperamental fish.
 
screaminbuckeye said:
A new lfs just opened in my town and they specialize in freshwater fish. I have seen several (5) different types that I like. The problem is that I don't know anything about them. I am afraid of getting advice from the clerks as most of them look like highschool students and not particularly knowledgeable. What websites do you use to get acurate fish info? I have found so many but I don't know which ones to trust. This has been the best site I have ever visited for info.

well not that I would suggest looking anywere other than here, as this site seems to be pretty accurate, but I know a few sites with good info.... I wonder which ones they are :lol:

seriously though, I reccomend checking any info you are given, http://www.excite.com is a great search engine, and if you use scientific names you should usually find some good info :wink:
 
Just another bit about the knives... The clown knives are even worse than pacu's, with an adult length of over 4 feet .
 
Thanks for all the advice! I ended up with a ghost knife in a 60 gallon tank. My mom absolutely loves this thing...she calls it a feather fish and she is really interested in it which is rare because she isn't a big fish fan. I just saw a clown knife on national geographic and that thing was freaking huge. Why do I always find huge fish? Seriously I always fall in love with giant fish. First arrowanas (had a small one in a 10 gal tank for about a month before realizing the lfs made a big mistake) , then tire track eels , koi , pacus.
 
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