Things you wish you knew about freshwater fish that you know now

[Kstauch]

This is for anyone who has advice or questions about freshwater fish care.

 

[Tetra1990]

Stocking levels. First tank was a 5 gallon with 5 cardinal tetras and 2 emerald green corys. I know better now

 

[Lunchbox209]

Stocking levies 5 gal with 7 comet gold fish

 

[Pton46]

when I first started out to get serious past a 10 gallon tank that my parents took care of...a 30 gallon when in college.....Water Changes? You mean add the water when it gets low?

 

[Tetra1990]

when I first started out to get serious past a 10 gallon tank that my parents took care of...a 30 gallon when in college.....Water Changes? You mean add the water when it gets low?

Did this with my 5 gallon also. Though this time it housed a betta, mystery snail and 2otto cats.

 

[Fishandmusic81]

When I started I wish I knew that it wasn't extremely Difficult to have tropical fish my 45 gal would be filled with them now instead of goldfish I've had for 5 or 6 years

 

[MissSmish]

Cycling.... Stock compatability!

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Years ago i assumed "rift" lake was the actual name of one lake in Africa! Lol :•}

 

[jrskater1999]

10 gal:
1 black molly
1 dalmation molly
1 gold dust molly
1 sunburst wag platy
1 glofish
1 black lace angel
Terrible mistake. Will never so again

 

[Boogety48]

Stocking levels, compatibility, any of the basic things you should know before you start a tank lol. I got suckered into taking some fish and had no idea what I was doing.

 

[Brox]

Overstocking when I was a kid I had 3 oscars 1 common pleco, 1JD, 1 blue gourami all in a 10 gal the horror lol! I feel bad but I still have the jd and pleco in 40 gal

 

[paytertot]

I agree with the stocking thing. Right now I have a 55 gal with...
7 discus
5 angels
3 bleeding hearts
4 black skirts
3 rope fish
2 bn plecos, and
2 kuhli loaches

X.x my dad won't let me get rid of anything

 

[DanS180]

Definitely over stocking, when i first started out, I had a 10gal tank and had about 20 different species in there! Lol talk about problems, never again lol

 

[fishdude25]

Stocking and water changes. When i started out I had 2 mollies (1 m, 1 fm) 2 bala sharks, and a "freshwater" fiddler crab in an uncycled 5 gallon! And I didn't know what water changes were, I would just replace the evaporated water.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Stocking definitely Ill bet most people overstocked their first tanks and I wish I new about cycling when I set up my first tank had no idea you needed to build up beneficial bacteria. My first tank was a 20 gallon with 2 variatus platies, 2 mango swordtails, 2 cremsicle mollies, and 2 black neon tetras. 1 male and 1 female of each, I put them in on day 1 and probably didn't change the water for a month, until i found a dead fish, because I didn't know any better.

 

[paytertot]

Oh yea knowing about cycling would have been good too lol. And I also wish we hadn't tried to put that starfish from Texas in there... X.x lol

 

[GodFan]

That 1 fish per gallon is NOT proper stocking, adding 10 fish to an uncycled 10 gallon tank all in one day is not good, and stunting isnt good for fish (this is the short list) The first tank I cant remember the stocking but the second was a 10 gallon with 1 common pleco, 1 red tailed shark, 1 cory, and 7 other fish I cant remember. Oh and the tank was "cycled" by running the equipment for a week.

 

[butterfly_koi]

When I first started I wish I would have known more about cycling. This is something my lfs didn't clue me in on.

 

[Fishie]

Knowing about overstocking and not all fish get along!
I had a blood parrot,3 glo-fish, 3 red wag platys in a 10G. Glo-fish died since I knew nothing about cycling and blood parrot killed one of them :/ rest are all fine today!

 

[absolutangel04]

Off topic posts have been deleted. Let's please this on topic if people wish for this thread to remain open. Thanks.