Good starter fish?

[Iilo]

In about an hour or so, I'm going to head out to buy an 6g with a hood and a flurescent light.

Unless of course I can find one of the same size for cheaper.

I wish I could get a betta, but my room gets really cold in the winter and my last betta died within a few weeks. I just don't get along with them well, I guess.

I'm just wondering what some good starter fish are for a 6g? Quick replies would be awesome, thanks.

EDIT to add:

Actually, comparing prices online makes me wonder if it would make more sense to get a 12g as it is only $20 more than the 6g. The brand is Marineland Eclipse that I'm looking at, if anyone is familiar with that.

[Roxyluvsme13]

Well if you got a 12 gallon you could get a goldfish. A fantail or similar. If you bought a small heater for the winter you could house a betta, easily.

[Flatcoatluver]

Well if you got a 12 gallon you could get a goldfish. A fantail or similar. If you bought a small heater for the winter you could house a betta, easily.
With a goldfish, you will need to soon get a 55 gallon or larger tank because they become very large.

[areias]

I would suggest going with the biggest you can afford. Bettas are typically able to withstand colder temps better than tropical fish. If you get a 12 gallon, you would also be able to regulate the temp better by adding a heater. (Not very expensive, they're worth it too). If you decide not to go with a heater, goldfish types are coldwater fish, although their tank can't be freezing either. Goldfish are also dirtier, so you would have to have less fish per gallon. For easy tropical fish, I would say the normal platys, mollies, swordtails, etc. I have gouramis too, I like them the best I think. :) It's up to you though.

[wolflady]

I don't mean to high-jack the thread, but this was a good question. I would like to get a fish for my office desk, and was wondering along the same lines...what would be a good, low mainenance fish? Would a beta be good since it just basically requires a bowl? Or do I need to get a fancy tank with filters/heaters...?? I really know nothing about fish :o

Good luck on getting yours, Iilo! :)

[king2005]

Flatcoatluver is correct! Goldfish get BIG!

If you ever hear anyone say that they grow to their enviroment SMACK THEM UPSIDE THE HEAD (goes for all fish)! Its a horrible myth! When you prevent a goldfish from growing to its natural size by keeping it in a tiny tank, it will become ill (its insides keep trying to grow) & die young. If you think having a goldfish for 5yrs is a long time, your soooo wrong. They live about 10-20yrs if not more.

[My Peanuts]

Why not get a betta and a heater? I have a small heater in my 5 gallon betta tank. The heater was like $6-$10.

[Chilli]

I agree to go ahead and get a betta. They make heaters for smaller tanks, and like mentioned, they don't cost that much.
Good luck on whatever you decide! :D

[Flatcoatluver]

Flatcoatluver is correct! Goldfish get BIG!

If you ever hear anyone say that they grow to their enviroment SMACK THEM UPSIDE THE HEAD (goes for all fish)! Its a horrible myth! When you prevent a goldfish from growing to its natural size by keeping it in a tiny tank, it will become ill (its insides keep trying to grow) & die young. If you think having a goldfish for 5yrs is a long time, your soooo wrong. They live about 10-20yrs if not more.
My sophmore project was on goldfish bowls. I got a A and even surprised my biology teacher with all the goldfish myths.

[binka_nugget]

A betta would absolutely LOVE a 6 gallon (12 would be heaven though!) With a 12 gallon, you could even start a betta sorority... though you do have to be careful since some get rather aggressive.

In general, bettas are pretty easy to care for. My 1-5 gallon tanks are unheated but now that it's summer, my tanks have gone from the usual 71-73 up to 79-80. The change is huge! They're much more active and non bubblenesters have started bubblenesting.

A heater for a 6 or 12 gallon wouldn't be too expensive. I paid 35 or so for a submersible one that heats up to 30 gallons I believe. My lower quality heater for the 10 gallon cost about 12 bucks.

[king2005]

My sophmore project was on goldfish bowls. I got a A and even surprised my biology teacher with all the goldfish myths.

like their 5 second memory span, HA! Myth busters proved that was a myth.

[binka_nugget]

like their 5 second memory span, HA! Myth busters proved that was a myth.

LMAO! I loved that episode!

[king2005]

LMAO! I loved that episode!

Its been so long since I've seen that show.. its hard to watch tv with no tv haha

[binka_nugget]

Its been so long since I've seen that show.. its hard to watch tv with no tv haha

LOL I don't have cable in my room so I watch in on winamp =D

(Sorry for hijacking your thread Iilo! :p)

[lute]

like their 5 second memory span, HA! Myth busters proved that was a myth.

i always thought that was stupid! my goldfish learned how to come to the top of their tank when i rang a bell. that ment it was feeding time. they had to have a memory span longer than 5 secs to remember this.

not sure on a good starter fish. i do agree that you can keep a betta if you get a heater. i'm getting a heater for my betta tanks for this winter. i don't have a heater in my part of the house.

[managemysite]

tetras are best, they live the longest, are hardest to kill and their are some pretty varieties, also zebra danios

[IRescue452]

Neon tetras are very sensitive to water conditions, aviod these as a starter. A goldfish is never ok for such a small tank even a small goldfish is not ok because a healthy goldie will grow 4-6 inches in a year. You could get female bettas, a few different colours. Three for a 6 gallon or 5 for a twelve gallon. They form a hierarchy and are very interesting to watch.

http://www.bettadreams.com/ricepaddies.html

[critter crazy]

Goldfish get huge!!! I have mine in a 75 gallon tank and they are all about 4-6 inches each, and they are about 4 years old now! I love them very much, they are very entertaining!

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/mjones77/100_0001.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/mjones77/100_0007.jpg

Goldfish do not Make good starter fish!

[lute]

your goldfish are beautiful! i couldn't have a tank that big in my room. it's hard enough keeping the cats from drinking from my other tanks. :rolleyes:

[Roxyluvsme13]

Someone told me they needed at least 10 gallons, but okay..

[Suki Wingy]

Hey! Just wanted to stop by and say good luck! I agree a betta with a heater is good.

[Iilo]

Well, I got a fantail goldfish and a 10g.

I realize perhaps that this isn't the best choice, but if Ghettoblaster survives and grows in the 10g, I might have to invest in a bigger aquarium.

I kind of want to get him some fishy friends (which I'm sure none of you will be very pleased with, considering the advice I've already gotten). Petco says he won't get along with anything but Koi, but I really don't believe that -- would he get along with a guppy/guppies?

[bckrazy]

A fantail in a 10g is fine! The basic rule for Goldfish is 2 gallons per inch of fish. =0)

I would be very sparse with adding anything. Guppies would not do too well, IMO, because they need warm temps while Goldfish like cooler water. I'm trying to think of a good Goldfish-friend, but I can't off hand. Maybe adding a few little things, like a pair of mystery snails or ghost shrimp?

[Iilo]

I think the problem I'm forseeing is that I've read fantails can grow to be 12"?
That's what the tag on it at Petco said and that's what the internets say.

And 12" x 2 = 24g, which is a LOT more than what I have. Of course, right now, he's got a lot of space.

I'd really prefer a fishy companion for him, because snails, frogs, and those fish that suck on the side of the tank creep me out hardcore. I've never seen a shrimp, so I dunno about those... I'll google them. :D

[IRescue452]

He'll hopefully stay healthy in that tank. He needs to be by himself or maybe with a platy. There is no room in that tank for more fish because of how much ammonia and wastes he will produce. With more fish the water chemistry will be unstable and possibly kill them. Guppies are also a tropical fish. They need tropical temperatures and prefer a slightly less alkaline water than goldies. You shouldn't mix them. Platies are a tropical fish, but they can thrive in colder temperatures than the average trop. Never put algae eaters with goldfish because it is risking the life of both species. Plecos and other sucker fish can kill slower fancy goldies, and goldies can try to eat the plecos and get them stuck in their throat. You might find people who say they have both species together, but these people are playing a deadly roulette with the fish and they obviously don't care if something happens.

[IRescue452]

The general rule for goldies is 20 gallons per fish. Goldfish produce so much ammonia and nitrates that they can die quickly of toxic poisoning in a small tank. The 1" per gallon rule (or 2" as you say) is also old and outdated. Its like all the other old wives' tales you still hear. Different species have different biological loads on the water chemistry and each need different amounts of space. The 1 inch per gallon rule is rarely correct.

Sorry. You need to get a test kit (liquid only, no strips) for the water and read this article. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21 You didn't cycle the tank before adding the fish so you will need to test the water daily. Many goldies do not survive the tank cycle because of the fast and large spikes in toxins in the water.

[Iilo]

If you read it correctly you would see it said per INCH of fish?

[bckrazy]

Honestly, the advice of 2" per gallon came from members of the Silicon Vally Aquarium Society, so I do trust their advice. =/ It's heaps & heaps better that she is keeping her fantail in a 10g, as opposed to the majority I have seen being kept (usually in multiples) in unaerated, 1-5 gallon bowls. Being a Betta lover, I understand, and I would love to see everyone keeping their Bettas in 2.5-10 gallons each. Do most people? Not at all. And I'm happy seeing people keeping their adult Bettas in 1 gallon, even.

Iilo (Erica) ;), if you are worried about Ghettoblaster out-growing his tank, you can always exchange him for fish that you're more comfortable with. For instance, you could get a couple male Guppies and 4 female Guppies... I love guppies! Or Platys, or Swordtails. You can keep several of these in the 10 gallon together peacefully. (just keep the 1":1 gallon rule in mind). I really like his name, btw!!! ^^

[king2005]

Honestly, the advice of 2" per gallon came from members of the Silicon Vally Aquarium Society, so I do trust their advice. =/


If I understand correctly, its ok to keep a 12" fish in 6g of water :confused:

What people need to understand is that those rules are BS! It "might" work for a full grown small sized Tetra, but not other types of fish. heres a good example.. A foot long Oscar needs 100g of water to stay healthy, where a foot long Red Devil only needs 55g to stay healthy. They both come from the Cichlid family, but they each produce different amounts of waste, therefore requiring different tank sizes.

Another thing what people need to realize is that if you place a baby fish in a small tank when its young, BUT its still the proper size according to your " method, you are still stunting its growth. It need to be in the proper sized tank off the bat so it grows properly.

Thats why when you see most adult Oscars in pet stores, their bodies look all F'ed up. As in 1 side of the body sticks out further, their faces are just ICK looking (not talking about HITH) & they have messed up Jaws & sometimes messed up backs & eyes.

[bckrazy]

Actually, I meant 2 gallons per 1" inch. I was just tired and messed that up. And that does not apply to every species... that is specifically recommended for Goldfish.

*goes to bed*

[king2005]

Actually, I meant 2 gallons per 1" inch. I was just tired and messed that up. And that does not apply to every species... that is specifically recommended for Goldfish.

*goes to bed*


Thats still not better. A foot long goldfish only needing 24g is not correct!

75-100g is the correct answer... Pet stores should be banned from selling Goldfish. So many goldfish not even living 1/2 their lives :( Remember goldfish live to 20+yrs old..