Starter Fish

[Bobbylovesfish]

Hello, I have been doing a fishless cycle and I think (THINK) I am a little over half way through the cycle (Nitrites & Nitrates are growing FAST!) and I am beginning to think about our first fish!! I have NO idea where to even begin. We have 20 gal tank in my son's room. He is 8, so I want to make sure they are not aggressive in any way. Any ideas or types of fish I should research would be great!!! Thanks!!

 

[fishyfriends3]

There's so many to choose from, does he like bright colours ? Or less colourful but more interesting fish ? Does he want fish that shoal together or something that could be kept alone ? Does he want fish that prefer the bottom, middle or top of the tank or all three? There's a lot of narrowing down needed before I can give you exact fish names.

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[Bobbylovesfish]

To be honest, I don't really know. We are totally new to all this. But I would guess and say fish that are colorful would be nice. Some that swim together and towards the middle of the tank. I don't want fish that are going to spend all their time hiding or not swimming around much. He loves to just sit and watch the fish swim around. Thanks for responding!

 

[Plantaholic]

Try liveaquaria.com. They have a good site with lots of info (and pics!). I like to use that site to get ideas on what I like, then use aqadvisor.com to make sure my ideas are plausible!
Then once you have your stocking plan, head to the pet store! Stock your tank slowly(1 or 2 fish at a time) this will allow all that bacteria your growing now to keep up with the waste your fish produce and keep the tank healthy!
I will say, always do your research BEFORE you bring something home, pet stores don't always give the most sound advice...

 

[Bobbylovesfish]

Thanks! I will definitely check that website out. I am doing a fishless cycle right now, so that should help.

 

[Plantaholic]

Thanks! I will definitely check that website out. I am doing a fishless cycle right now, so that should help.

No problem! Meant to say, after your tank finishes cycling then head to the pet store...
The other site I mentioned aqadvisor.com is a "calculator" for aquarium stocking. You enter your tank size and filter type into the fields at the top, then find the fish you are interested in and add the number you want. It will tell you if certain fish are compatible, the proper number of fish to buy if a schooling fish, and lots of other things that a fish needs to be happy/healthy! Good luck!

 

[jamesyboy11]

I know you said you dont want an aggresssive fish, bug if you son likes colours, african cichlids are great, i too have a 20gal, i have a blue cobalt, yellow lab, and a white scofley(not sure how to spell it), they are really active fish, and like attention so your son should like them, they are also quite curious and thry only get about 3-5 inches when they are fully grown, they breed alot so if you want lots they are good fish.

 

[mikem691]

I know you said you dont want an aggresssive fish, bug if you son likes colours, african cichlids are great, i too have a 20gal, i have a blue cobalt, yellow lab, and a white scofley(not sure how to spell it), they are really active fish, and like attention so your son should like them, they are also quite curious and thry only get about 3-5 inches when they are fully grown, they breed alot so if you want lots they are good fish.

The 3 africans u have should be in a 55G min.

 

[jamesyboy11]

No, they are small

 

[mikem691]

No, they are small

Im sorry but yellow labs need a 50 gal min. Look them up


QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Water Conditions: 72-82° F, KH 10-15, pH 7.8-8.5
Max. Size: 5"
Color Form: Yellow
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Farm Raised
Family: Cichlidae

Blue cobalt

QUICK STATS
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Water Conditions: 76-82° F, KH 10-15, pH 7.8-8.6
Max. Size: 6"
Color Form: Black, Blue, White
Diet: Herbivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Africa - Lake Malawi
Family: Cichlidae

 

[threnjen]

I would strongly advise against any cichlid because a) they need a bigger tank and b) they can be aggressive.

I'm working on a 20 for my kid's room too!

Have you taken your kid to the pet store to look? Mine really liked platys, which are a very simple fish to keep.

My favorite thing when I was first starting was to go to the store and look at the fish, and write down the fish that I liked, then I took the list home and researched the fish. I did this a few times at different shops and it really helped me learn about fish. Since the tank is for your son's room, it might be nice to do this with him, then you can get an idea of what he likes and figure out if it will fit.

http://www.seriouslyfish.com and Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums have excellent fish databases.

 

[threnjen]

I might go with something like this:
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

I don't really want to add the guppies, but my main tank just made a bunch of guppies =| I'm separating all the males and females though.

 

[Bobbylovesfish]

Thanks!! That's a great idea!

 

[Brookster123]

I know you said you dont want an aggresssive fish, bug if you son likes colours, african cichlids are great, i too have a 20gal, i have a blue cobalt, yellow lab, and a white scofley(not sure how to spell it), they are really active fish, and like attention so your son should like them, they are also quite curious and thry only get about 3-5 inches when they are fully grown, they breed alot so if you want lots they are good fish.

this is bad advice.. Period.. The only cichlids that should be kept in a 20 are dwarfs, rams, maybe a pair if kribs. This tank if for an. 8 year old, your tank will most likely erupt one night and result in two floaters.
For the Op, depending on your water parameters perhaps some mollies? They are fun colorful, relatively easily cared for fish..

 

[Bobbylovesfish]

Cichlids are out then, I will look into the mollies. Thx!

 

[CPryor]

Hey! I'm new to having a tank myself, but I work at a pet store, so one thing we tell people to keep a "full" looking tank is to get fish who stay in different areas.

For example, cory catfish are small, active fish that stay at the bottom of the tank. They love living in groups, so two or three will put on the best "show" for your son.

Danios and tetras come in many colors, and are active middle swimmers. They like to school as well. They can become aggressive or shy if kept in groups smaller than three, but depending on the type you get, having four or five should not be a problem.

Guppies come in MANY colors and don't have to school. They stay very small, so you can keep a small army They are prolific breeders, and the males are most colorful, so keeping males-only is preferred. They are separated at the pet stores.

White clouds and Hatchetfish stay to the top of the aquarium. Both are schooling.

One word of advice I'm telling people at the store: Unfortunately , the dwarf gouramis (which are BEAUTIFUL fish) have a virus going around....it's VERY widespread and coming from the breeders. It's untreatable and fatal, but it does not spread to other fish. I'd stay away from them for now though....hate to have your son get a dud if it can be prevented.

Good luck!

 

[CPryor]

Oh, and just so you know, all the fish i mentioned are compatible with one another. With a 20 gal, you want about 20 inches of full-grown fish (some will likely be much younger/smaller at the store, but they should have the full grown size on the info tag).

I have not done a fishless cycle, but I think you want to aim for 50% stocked when you first add fish....add the rest later when your sure your water parameters are good. Get someone to confirm that for me!

Hope I didn't tell you too much you already knew

 

[Bobbylovesfish]

No, that is great advice!! Thanks! I am so excited that my fishless cycle almost complete!

 

[FWFishTanks]

White or black skirts are nice. I know they are not that colorful, but they are very interesting to watch, if they are in a 20 gallon tank or larger. There is also an albino variant called white skirt tetras. White skirt tetras are fine, but stay away from the colored white skirts commonly labeled as "fruit tetras" because these are dyed by dipping on dye injection, and these fish are more prone to illness and they have a drastically shortened lifespan. I hope i helped!

 

[Bobbylovesfish]

Ok, thanks!!