Fishy Pets?

Question

What's the kind of fish would be fun to have as a pet? Piranha's are scary and jelly fish might be too much of a challenge. What do you think? It would be nice if you gave me links to see what they look like too please.

Answer 1

koi

www.geocities.com/

koiphilippines/

index.html

www.geocities.com/

koipage/index.html

Answer 2

i think you should get a dragon fish alot of them are ugly but they move around ALOT and they are really intresting to watch like if it was in your room and you did not have a t.v it would be like a mini t.v.

sorry i couldn't find a site just go to google and type in dragon fish

Answer 3

Before going to a fish store and stocking it with pretty fish you see, go to google and do LOTS and LOTS of research. Since it's your first tank (or so it seems) get a freshwater tank, because they are cheaper to set up than a saltwater or brackish tank, fish are cheaper, and much more hardy. Freshwater fish has a large variety of species, and loads of different personalities. :)

Also, if you don't know about the nitrogen cycle, look it up before something bad happens to your fish! Basically, when you put fish in your tank they let out waste (ammonia) which is toxic for your fish and will kill them if kept in high levels. The ammonia later gets broken down into nitrite, also toxic, and at the end of the cycle into nitrates, which are toxic only if kept in large amounts. You can try cycling with a few hardy fish, or you can try cycling your tank before adding any fish. If you're impatient, purchase BioSpira or Tetra SafeStart (same thing as BioSpira, but under a new label) and that will help your fish survive. More on the nitrogen cycle:

http://www.fishlore.com/FirstTankSetup.h...

How to set up a freshwater tank: http://www.fishlore.com/FirstTankSetup.h...

The hardiest fish are probably zebra danios, but they are very active and would do well in a tank of 20 gallons or more, and in schools of 6, because they tend to be nippy if kept in small schools or alone.

But other than that, it's really up to you! We can't really tell you the perfect fish for you, since there's so many. Do you like colorful fish? Oddball fish? Aggressive fish?  Here's some links to pictures to commonly available and hardy freshwater fish that will do well in a community tank:

Zebra danio:

http://www.fishforever.co.uk/images/zebr...

Neon tetras:

http://www.thefishguyandpetsupply.com/im...

Dwarf Gourami:

http://www.kristenbmiller.com/pix/dfg222...

Panda Cory catfish: (your tank janitors!)

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishind...

Here's a website with different community tank setups -- it was very helpful for me when I started my first tank, mostly because it introduces you to new species and it takes care of the compatibility research for you:

http://elmersaquarium.com/h701elmers_fre...

Answer 4

Where to start.... oh yes...

The best place to start is with your local library, or any of the fish sites on the net. That way, you can get an idea of what the fish look like, as well as what it takes to care for them.

Figure out what's the largest size tank you can afford and have room for, and get that. Larger volumes of water are better, as they're not as vulnerable to wide swings in temperature or water quality (which can be lethal to some types of fish).

Before you get any fish, read up on the nitrogen cycle and decide what type of aquarium you want: planted, or rocky. Some fish (cichlids, among others) are destructive to plants, or are diggers, and prefer rocky environments. Lots of smaller fish appreciate plant cover.

While your tank is cycling, decide what type of fish you want. Start off with hardy species, and slowly stock the tank over a few months.

My favorites? Gouramis are very nice (try the 'pearl' or 'snakeskin' varieties for compatibility with others), as are angelfish but those require a larger tank and more skill as a fishkeeper... they'll also eat smaller fish like neon tetras.

Speaking of tetras, there are many varieties and shapes. They're actually related to piranhas, and have tiny teeth.

Danios come in several varieties and most are very hardy. The Zebra is usually a staple.

It all depends what you want: a passive, quiet tank will contain different fish (not danios) from one filled with active, energetic fish.

Zebra Danio:

http://theaquariumwiki.com/Zebra_Danio

Angelfish:

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Pterophyl...

Pearl Gourami

http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Pearl_Gou...

Do *not* get anything labelled as 'Giant Gourami' or a brown-beige fish labelled just 'Gourami' :S

Answer 5

either a betta fish, or a goldfish. theyre fun, and not too hard to take care of!

Answer 6

i would say guppies livebearers are interesting to watch especially if there are boys and girls in the same tank

Answer 7

I think koi should be suitable for you but do take note that they can grow to a ENORMOUS size and they live extremely long lives. So please be commited to it. Why don't you like piranhas? I think there fine. My cousin keeps piranhas and they real beautiful but they WERE BIG.

Answer 8

actually picture this goldfish are very messy which produces high ammonial levels which means good filteration and bigs tanks are a must! What about a tropical community tank? tetras other neons gouramies all sorts of combinations you can have!

Answer 9

Some fish can be "trained" to eat out of your hand.  Large cichlids like an oscar, or the common plecostamus are a couple.  However, a large tank is necessary for them.

Answer 10

....chaaaaa, so many fish, so little space in our tanks

....starting with fish that are easy to care for

...consider the tetras and add a Betta, maybe the small, dwarf gouramis too

...the website is great and provides many compatibility options for various fish schools

....how big is the tank you are filling?.....

....the tank size, filtration, water change time and living plants all are part of the total tank environment where we keep fish, snails, frogs, etc, etc.

....little Afican Dwarf frogs are also easy to keep with a few fish....do not get the type with claws...they can scratch the Betta because he swims so slowly (live plants like java moss provde a nice resting place for everyone)

Answer 11

☺

Answer 12

Here are some Salt water fish the link in the sorce list will help!! xoxo Princess

Answer 13

i would get a goldfish and dont listen to ppl saying they r messy i have 2 and i am gointg back for another one they r fun pets and r very cute

Answer 14

cichlids are great,livebearers are good too.