What supplies do I need to care for fish?

Question

I need to know what kind of supplies I need before I get my fish? What size aquarium, how to clean it, ornamental ideas, what kind of fish are compatible with each other, and fish names. Can anyone help me with this one???

Answer 1

If it’s your first tank, I cannot recommend starting with goldfish.

When considering fish look at these factors:  adult potential size (for bio-load/stocking, as well to keep fish stress, and eating other fish to a minimum); Preferred temperature, PH, Hardness; preferred tank swimming levels; and aggressive/community social behavior of fish.

1)  A tank big enough that meets the needs of your chosen fish, usually with a hood/lid and light an appropriate sized filter to the tank and fish, substrate (usually gravel, dragon-tears, or marbles).  Something to note- bigger tanks (29+) are easier to keep balanced.

2) Some kind of ornament for the fish to swim around and duck behind to feel safe and less exposed, can be a clever statue or ornamental plants.  Read up on your fish- some really need plants, some eat live plants.

3) If over 15 gallons, some kind of air-stone is usually beneficial to help keep the oxygen levels up in the tank

4) Basic Cleaning supplies:  Dedicated bucket, gravel vacuum, ornament and filter cleaning brushes, tank cleaning sponges bought from pet store (grocery store sponges are pretreated with chemicals toxic to fish).  I also recommend a cheep turkey-baster; it helps suck the air out of the gravel vacuum to get the siphon started.

5)  Chemicals & Additives:  When starting a tank, many get an additive of beneficial bacteria to get the filter started.  But the most important thing to get is a good water dechlorinator that also deals with chloramines.

6)  Additional things to consider:  An underwater thermometer, a good water testing kit including nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, water hardness, and PH.  A varied diet for your fish beyond just flakes.

7)  Good info on types of fish and their needs can be found here:

- http://www.fishlore.com/

- http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/beginn...

- "What Fish: A buyers guide to Tropical Fish" ~Nick Fletcher

http://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Buyers-G...

8)  Last but not least- read up on the "Nitrogen Cycle" and cycling your tank.  Many fish need the tank/filtered settled before they can be added, also add fish slowly to the tank to prevent water-shock.  Adding a few fish at a time to the tank allows the filter to build up its beneficial bacteria gradually.  Taking time with the project at the beginning will help insure the long life of your fish and success of your fish tank.

Good luck with your new tank!

Answer 2

If you're just starting out, I would start with goldfish.  They are pretty easy to care for and they are hardy fish.  The size of the aquarium depends on how many fish you plan to buy.  You will find different opinions on how big the tank should be.  My husband and I go by the "one gallon per inch of fish" rule.   You will want to purchase the aquarium, a filter/pump, perhaps an airstrip/bubbler, gravel, decorations for them to hide among, maybe even live plants.  You will have to "cycle" the tank before you actually put fish in.  You should look this stuff up online, but basically you have to let some bacteria start to grow in the tank before you add in fish.  It helps with the natural process with nitrites, nitrates, etc.   We also bought "testing strips" so at first we could monitor the water quality pretty closely to make sure the PH, nitrites, nitrates, etc. were in an acceptable range.  You can just do "partial water changes" about once a week--dipping out about half the water and replenishing it.  (Make sure the water sits out long enough to get rid of chlorine.)  My husband and I also have bought various products to help with the water quality, like AquaSafe, Cycle (to promote good bacteria growth), aquarium salt, etc.  We have three gold fish in our 29-gallon tank.  You would want to research individual types of fish.  There are just too many different types to go through what gets along with which types and doesn't get along with other types.  You should pick a type you're interested in and research it.

Answer 3

don't start out with a goldfish.

one goldfish requires 20+ gallons and are huge waste producers.

start out with little fish, maybe neon tetras or something along those lines. most tetras or danios prefer to be in large groups.

20g tank is a good size to start with.

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