New to the fish life!

[briemol12]

Hello everybody, My name is Brian and I am 20. My dream has always been to have a fish tank in my room. I recently bought a 20 gallon fish tank which I adore but since I am new to the fish life and how to take care of fish in a tank and I decided to join and get the opinion from people who have more experience with fish.
In my fish tank I have 2 Cory catfish,
A group of 5 neon tetra fish, 1 goldfish, and I added 2 female guppies yesterday.
I have my tank decorated for Christmas because it's around the corner and all my fish (specially the Cory catfish) love to play with the bubbles.
I have a quick question! What should I add next to my tank? Any suggestions??? I have a theme to my tank, I want fish with different colors and different skins. I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Delapool]

Hi, welcome to AA.

A water test kit is always useful and I think interesting.

http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=580

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...ou-get-started-with-your-aquarium-154837.html

Were you looking at a particular theme in your tank? Certain fish prefer a certain temp and ph range to do best.

 

[briemol12]

Hi, welcome to AA.

A water test kit is always useful and I think interesting.

http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=580

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...ou-get-started-with-your-aquarium-154837.html

Were you looking at a particular theme in your tank? Certain fish prefer a certain temp and ph range to do best.

Thanks for the links ... Glad to find someone who can help me out in the future.
And for my theme I just want different fish with different type of skin and colors. For example yesterday I bought the guppies and the reason I bought them was because of their dotted tail.
Been thinking I really want those fish with big eyes, I saw one yesterday as well, a small one and I felt in love.
Any recommendation on what fish I should add to my tank? And I will get those testing trip ASAP because I don't have them yet.

 

[ppo8820]

Did you set up the tank and then just add fish? If you did, the ammonia will spike and they will suffer or possibly die. Its called New Tank Syndrome and you can google it. Its not your fault, many newbies fall into this trap, usually with the advice of where they bought the tank.

If you did just fill it and add fish, you can siphon out 50% of water, add a bottle of this stuff called "Tetra SafeStart" which has bacteria you need for fish in it. This will help to cycle your new tank and keep your water levels at a normal range. Its the only product I know that actually works. Do not buy it at a large pet store, but go to Walmart as its way cheaper. Welcome to the hobby!

 

[briemol12]

Did you set up the tank and then just add fish? If you did, the ammonia will spike and they will suffer or possibly die. Its called New Tank Syndrome and you can google it. Its not your fault, many newbies fall into this trap, usually with the advice of where they bought the tank.

If you did just fill it and add fish, you can siphon out 50% of water, add a bottle of this stuff called "Tetra SafeStart" which has bacteria you need for fish in it. This will help to cycle your new tank and keep your water levels at a normal range. Its the only product I know that actually works. Do not buy it at a large pet store, but go to Walmart as its way cheaper. Welcome to the hobby!

Unfortunately I only left my tank for one week filtering with the good bacteria. After that I kept adding fish every week. I hope they don't die or else I'll upset since I've spend a lot of money now. Thanks for your recommendation of the bottle. And thanks for the welcoming!
What fish you recommend to add to my tank next???

 

[Delapool]

Thanks for the links ... Glad to find someone who can help me out in the future.
And for my theme I just want different fish with different type of skin and colors. For example yesterday I bought the guppies and the reason I bought them was because of their dotted tail.
Been thinking I really want those fish with big eyes, I saw one yesterday as well, a small one and I felt in love.
Any recommendation on what fish I should add to my tank? And I will get those testing trip ASAP because I don't have them yet.

Grr, some crashes today. A liquid based test kit (not cardboard strips) is the best for accuracy (strips will misread) and cheaper in long run.

I'd skip any more fish until the tank cycles and settles down. If you stock too much now, it will just crash the tank.

The website below allows playing around with stocking.

http://www.aqadvisor.com

I think you have a preference for smaller, tropical community fish?

In which case, alas there is a problem that goldfish do better with water temps below 24C / 74F and tropical fish like tetras and guppies do better with water temps above this. I'd suggest going with either goldfish OR tropical fish. The one consideration I will mention is that goldfish need a lot of tank space as they get bigger.

Edit - congrats on the tank and fish

 

[briemol12]

Grr, some crashes today. A liquid based test kit (not cardboard strips) is the best for accuracy (strips will misread) and cheaper in long run.

I'd skip any more fish until the tank cycles and settles down. If you stock too much now, it will just crash the tank.

The website below allows playing around with stocking.

http://www.aqadvisor.com

I think you have a preference for smaller, tropical community fish?

In which case, alas there is a problem that goldfish do better with water temps below 24C / 74F and tropical fish like tetras and guppies do better with water temps above this. I'd suggest going with either goldfish OR tropical fish. The one consideration I will mention is that goldfish need a lot of tank space as they get bigger.

Edit - congrats on the tank and fish

Well the goldfish was a fish to test if it was safe to place more fish since I don't have anything to test the water. It has survive so I can't really just dump it. But at the moment the water is at 76 F and 24 C ... They are swimming ... Except a tetra that is hiding behind the submarine decoration ... I think it might be dying??


Thank you ... Hope I do well in the long run

 

[Delapool]

I'm sure you will

A test kit is needed asap. First up would be to check the water conditions are all suitable. That may be why the fish is off sulking (hopefully).

What sort of water conditioner are you using to treat the tap water used for water changes? Also as a rule of thumb, water changes should be 20 to 40% of the tank each week (using temp matched tap water).

Tetras are hardy when established but may have trouble in new tanks. If I buy a dozen fish, I allow for one or two not making it past 6 months in tank.

Was it a comet goldfish? I'd take him back if you can.

http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88441

 

[briemol12]

I'm sure you will

A test kit is needed asap. First up would be to check the water conditions are all suitable. That may be why the fish is off sulking (hopefully).

What sort of water conditioner are you using to treat the tap water used for water changes? Also as a rule of thumb, water changes should be 20 to 40% of the tank each week (using temp matched tap water).

Tetras are hardy when established but may have trouble in new tanks. If I buy a dozen fish, I allow for one or two not making it past 6 months in tank.

Was it a comet goldfish? I'd take him back if you can.

http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88441

The conditioner that I use for the water it's call prime
They told me at the store that it's really good and work in high amount of water. I haven't change my water ... They told me to do monthly to change 40% of it and I'll be okay.
Can you tell me the best way to change the water I have a pump that I bought to clean the gravel and everything. My goldfish is those 15 cent fish that they buy to feed the bigger fish and it has survive ... He gets along with the rest of the fish.

Looks like my tetra is back swimming with the group woohoo.

 

[Angela1108]

Yeah if he was a .15 cent feeder he's most likely a comet.

My suggestion like others said is to return him or give him to someone with a gold fish set up. He will get much too large for that tank and he does need different water parameters (temp)


Once you have everything cycled you should probably add more Corey's. They are shoaling and like to be in bigger groups too like the tetras


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[briemol12]

Yeah if he was a .15 cent feeder he's most likely a comet.

My suggestion like others said is to return him or give him to someone with a gold fish set up. He will get much too large for that tank and he does need different water parameters (temp)


Once you have everything cycled you should probably add more Corey's. They are shoaling and like to be in bigger groups too like the tetras


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Okay will do! Thanks for all the info! For fresh water what should be the reading of a good water???

 

[Angela1108]

0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and under 40 nitrates, and ph around 7 are the main ones. The lower the nitrates the better though and with the ph it is better to keep it stable than try and move it around a lot. Anywhere from 6-8 is fairly decent. It depends on the fish types in the tank.

I think someone mentioned it previously but the liquid tests instead of the test strips tend to be a little more accurate


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[briemol12]

0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and under 40 nitrates, and ph around 7 are the main ones. The lower the nitrates the better though and with the ph it is better to keep it stable than try and move it around a lot. Anywhere from 6-8 is fairly decent. It depends on the fish types in the tank.

I think someone mentioned it previously but the liquid tests instead of the test strips tend to be a little more accurate


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Thanks so much! Just order them online and should be here by the 12 ... Once I have those reading I'll add another group of fish!
Angela, what would you recommend to add next? Tropical fish that you recommend

 

[Angela1108]

It all depends what you like- given that it is a 20 gallon and you will have the group of neons and then if you add the cories I would stick with anther smaller tetra or maybe a single flame dwarf gourami as a centerpiece.

You just don't want to add aggressive fish with neons - so I would avoid barbs, and black skirt tetras and other more aggressive fish. And also you don't want fish that get really big - I would definitely avoid clown loaches, plecos, and rainbows. The rainbows don't get as big but they are super fast and need a lot of space.


I really like guppies - lots of variety but then you get into the possibility of babies if you have both male and females. If you do add both males and females make sure there are at least 2 females for every male, if not 3. They will chase them to death



Micro rasboras are pretty cool. I don't have a ton of experience with them though


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[briemol12]

It all depends what you like- given that it is a 20 gallon and you will have the group of neons and then if you add the cories I would stick with anther smaller tetra or maybe a single flame dwarf gourami as a centerpiece.

You just don't want to add aggressive fish with neons - so I would avoid barbs, and black skirt tetras and other more aggressive fish. And also you don't want fish that get really big - I would definitely avoid clown loaches, plecos, and rainbows. The rainbows don't get as big but they are super fast and need a lot of space.


I really like guppies - lots of variety but then you get into the possibility of babies if you have both male and females. If you do add both males and females make sure there are at least 2 females for every male, if not 3. They will chase them to death



Micro rasboras are pretty cool. I don't have a ton of experience with them though


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Love love love this thanks for taking the time and writing this paragraph! Really do help me decide what to add next! Thanks bunches

 

[Angela1108]

Ember tetras are pretty neat too. You could add more of them because they are small

You just don't want to add too many and over stock the tank. That's when diseases show up as you can get more spikes in ammonia/nitrite and nitrates can build up quickly and it tends to stress fish out in an over stocked tank


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[briemol12]

Ember tetras are pretty neat too. You could add more of them because they are small

You just don't want to add too many and over stock the tank. That's when diseases show up as you can get more spikes in ammonia/nitrite and nitrates can build up quickly and it tends to stress fish out in an over stocked tank


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Sounds like a plan to me I sure do want to add more tetras and at least 2 or 3 more Cory catfish.
I absolutely don't want to deal with pregnant guppies ... It would be too much for me and more since I am new :/ ... But I do like flame dwarf ... It would actually fit in with the theme of my tank.

 

[Angela1108]

Yeah babies can be tricky. Guppies breed like crazy too.

The one thing to keep in mind chain stores especially sometimes give really bad advice. If you have questions or doubt something definitely check here

Aq advisor and live aquaria are good sites. I always buy from local stores or the classifides on here but I often double check live aquaria for compatibility and basic info on a fish - suggested tank size, size of the adult fish, ph and temp


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[briemol12]

Yeah babies can be tricky. Guppies breed like crazy too.

The one thing to keep in mind chain stores especially sometimes give really bad advice. If you have questions or doubt something definitely check here

Aq advisor and live aquaria are good sites. I always buy from local stores or the classifides on here but I often double check live aquaria for compatibility and basic info on a fish - suggested tank size, size of the adult fish, ph and temp


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Thanks. I sure will use those sites! Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[emilygupps]

Alright! Congrats and welcome to the hobby. It's addicting and gets even worse when you take the leap into planted tanks. That's where I started.

You have two female guppies. Bad news: females are practically born pregnant. Nearly every female from the LFS will join your tank full of babies.
Worse news: they don't even have to breed every time they drop a clutch!
Good news: there isn't much room to hide in your tank. So babies will be exposed.
Better news: neons and guppies LOVE to eat fry. I've seen my guppies pop out fry and turn around and eat them.

I admire that you didn't do the trendy thing and buy males. I don't have an answer for your comet issue. If you can return him do it. Other wise.... Sigh. Water changes will need to be a mandatory weekly thing, maybe biweekly depending on your water readings. As you're cycling it's going to be a delicate thing.

Plus 1 for prime! Prime is your best friend.

After the tank runs for several months I say more cories! Preferably the same markings as the ones you already have. I have 6 in my tank 3 like you're, 2 peppered, 1 albino and they pretty much stuck with those who look like them, they'll mingle some times but I rarely see the peppered apart and the false juli stay pretty close too.

As for a center piece I bet a dwarf gourami would be okay.

Once you get the hang of this, come to the dark side and learn about planted aquariums. Good luck.


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