fish for beginner

[alessia55]

I have an empty 10gal fish tank in my garage at home that I want to take to my apartment and put fish inside. Besides gravel and plants, what else do I need? a filter? what kind? light? what kind of fish can I get? how many? can I combine different types of fish? I've heard a 1 fish per gallon rule, not sure if it's true. This would be a fresh water tank. Preferably some hardier kind of fish that don't need lots of special care. Thanks ;)

[Corey209]

I personally like convicts, but it's been so long since I've had fish I couldn't help you with husbandry. We had these for years with just a simple filter recommended at the fish place we went to and they lived healthy lives breeding all the time.

http://www.aquariumdomain.com/images/fish_freshwater/blackConvict2.jpg

[GarterPython]

Guppy's they just have lots of babies and you can have some cool colours. They are easy to take care of too.

[alessia55]

oh..that's something I hadn't thought about... fish breeding. I would prefer if they didn't... if possible? Is that something I can prevent? I don't want to have to deal with suddenly having a crowded tank or having to rehome baby fish.

I only have a 10 gallon tank.

[Corey209]

oh..that's something I hadn't thought about... fish breeding. I would prefer if they didn't... if possible? Is that something I can prevent? I don't want to have to deal with suddenly having a crowded tank or having to rehome baby fish.

I only have a 10 gallon tank.

You could scoop up the eggs and give them to a local fish place or just get all females/males. Others I'd recommend would be beta fish (not sure if you can house more then one together safely) and water frogs which are extremely easy to take care of. We kept them inside a small circle bowl without any filter or anything and never had any problems.

Xenopus Express Husbandry (http://www.xenopus.com/husbandry.htm)
Meet my Frogs : African Dwarf Frogs (http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/dwarfs.html)

[Jendee]

tropical community fish...barbs, tetras, Guppys unless u shop on line most fish stores carry one sex

[cossiecraig]

African Dwarf Frogs are nice to have ,but a 10 Gallon is i believe 12" high.....this may cause a little stress on them to swim for air.....( not sure but i know they stress ) ....rule of thumb is a gallon of water for each ,we have 4 and 2 our lovely Albino's ( smaller than normal ) ......i know you said fish but i thought i'd give you a option ,they very easy to keep aswell ,a tip would be that their food makes more waste than their own ,so water changes must be done

i've attatched this link for you to see if you wish okay :)

African Dwarf Frog Housing and Feeding (http://aquaticfrogs.tripod.com/id13.html)

[Gungirl]

I had 2 beta in a 10 gallon for a few years. They never bothered each other but I had it planted fairly thick. Although I have come to find this very rare..

[Corey209]

I had 2 beta in a 10 gallon for a few years. They never bothered each other but I had it planted fairly thick. Although I have come to find this very rare..

Growing up I was always told to keep my beta fish away from eachother and they were in separate housing. I just found a source online saying that you can house females together but not males. Not sure if this is true though.

[EmilyS]

I love fish! Here's a great site, if you're interested: Aquarium Fish | Tropical Fish (http://www.fishlore.com/)

Definitely don't try multiple bettas XD Multiple females can get along, but not in that small of a tank.

I find african dwarf frogs (I believe that's the kind of frog we're talking about) are hard to care for if you don't know what you're doing. They have poor eyesight and you have to spot-feed them; for this reason, it's best to keep them in species-only tanks as they can be out-competed for food.

In a 10 gallon, I'd try a small school of neon tetras or maybe harlequin rasboras, and maybe a gourami. You could also do a gourami, some pygmy or panda cories, and guppies- get all male if you don't want babies.

Edit: the one inch per gallon rule isn't an accurate tool for stocking.

You will need a filter and heater; I guess a light is optional, but I would get one. Make sure you know what the nitrogen cycle is :)

[cossiecraig]

EmilyS" are hard to care for if you don't know what you're doing"

hence me posting a link ;)

[EmilyS]

EmilyS" are hard to care for if you don't know what you're doing"

hence me posting a link ;)

Fish are a lot more work than people think they are! lol.

I love that site, there's such great people and information!

[BryanB]

tetras about 15 of them they school and are awsome

[Corey209]

I love fish! Here's a great site, if you're interested: Aquarium Fish | Tropical Fish (http://www.fishlore.com/)

Definitely don't try multiple bettas XD Multiple females can get along, but not in that small of a tank.

I find african dwarf frogs (I believe that's the kind of frog we're talking about) are hard to care for if you don't know what you're doing. They have poor eyesight and you have to spot-feed them; for this reason, it's best to keep them in species-only tanks as they can be out-competed for food.

In a 10 gallon, I'd try a small school of neon tetras or maybe harlequin rasboras, and maybe a gourami. You could also do a gourami, some pygmy or panda cories, and guppies- get all male if you don't want babies.

Edit: the one inch per gallon rule isn't an accurate tool for stocking.

You will need a filter and heater; I guess a light is optional, but I would get one. Make sure you know what the nitrogen cycle is :)

We kept african dwarf frogs for years without problems but it was a single species tank.

[EmilyS]

tetras about 15 of them they school and are awsome

Tetras will only school if they have to room to- I don't think a 10 gallon would be enough room for 15. Maybe 8, depending on what kind you get and what else is in the tank.

[alessia55]

So I like the look of the tetras... they're definitely an option.

EmilyS, I'm looking for easy fish... just feed and pretty to look at. I don't want to have to deal with complex feedings (like feeding other live fish or worms or something like that) or fish that will die if the temperature of the water isn't perfect.

Heating? how do you heat a fish tank? I've always seen people keep fish in tanks without any heat source, water at just room temperature.

[cossiecraig]

We kept african dwarf frogs for years without problems but it was a single species tank.

we've kept 2 males in 1 tank and 2 females in another for the last 7 months without a issue at all ,boy do they got a stretch when their legs are extended Lol my kids love them :)

[RandyRhoads]

Good old goldfish. Idk who said one fish per gallon but if people say that it must be a very vague rule. Imagine 10 tuna in your tank. It really depends on the species. I have a lion and moray eel in a 25 and that's way too small for them... Are you only considering fresh water?

[EmilyS]

So I like the look of the tetras... they're definitely an option.

EmilyS, I'm looking for easy fish... just feed and pretty to look at. I don't want to have to deal with complex feedings (like feeding other live fish or worms or something like that) or fish that will die if the temperature of the water isn't perfect.

Heating? how do you heat a fish tank? I've always seen people keep fish in tanks without any heat source, water at just room temperature.

No fish is an easy fish, really, though many people think you can just fill a tank with water and plop in the fish. First you need to cycle the tank, otherwise your fish could die from high ammonia levels. Once your tank is cycled, you'll still have to do at least 25% water changes every week or two.

Edit: Oh, goldfish... *sigh*

One goldfish, depending on the type, needs around 30 gallons. For each additional, you need another 10 gallons. I hate seeing goldies in little bowls/tanks that are too small for them.

You guys probably think I'm crazy! But I know fish like you guys know snakes!

If you aren't looking for much work, you could do a betta and some snails/shrimp. Bettas, though, would need a heated tank. They sell aquarium heaters at pet stores, just get one rated for a 10 gallon.

[alessia55]

No fish is an easy fish, really, though many people think you can just fill a tank with water and plop in the fish. First you need to cycle the tank, otherwise your fish could die from high ammonia levels. Once your tank is cycled, you'll still have to do at least 25% water changes every week or two.

If you aren't looking for much work, you could do a betta and some snails/shrimp. Bettas, though, would need a heated tank. They sell aquarium heaters at pet stores, just get one rated for a 10 gallon.
I kept a betta fish for 4 years while in college, and is now living with a friend of mine. I was hoping for something different :p
Oh, and I don't mind changing the water and that sort of stuff. I guess what I mean is that I would prefer a hardy fish that can live off of the flakes food and not require a whole lot of specialized care.
Do all fish need a heater? my betta fish was held at room temperature the 4years I had him

[Corey209]

we've kept 2 males in 1 tank and 2 females in another for the last 7 months without a issue at all ,boy do they got a stretch when their legs are extended Lol my kids love them :)

We had males and females in the same tank, they'd breed all the time but I don't think they always made it.

[EmilyS]

I kept a betta fish for 4 years while in college, and is now living with a friend of mine. I was hoping for something different :p
Oh, and I don't mind changing the water and that sort of stuff. I guess what I mean is that I would prefer a hardy fish that can live off of the flakes food and not require a whole lot of specialized care.
Do all fish need a heater? my betta fish was held at room temperature the 4years I had him

Ok, no betta! :D Most fish will be ok with flake food, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Here's a quick list of some fish that will fit into a 10 gallon (not all at once though):

*guppies/endlers
*some gouramis
*some cories
*neon or cardinal tetras
*harlequin or galaxy rasboras
*platy

Goldfish don't need heaters

While bettas (or other fish) CAN live without a heater, they become more susceptible to disease without it. In the end, a heater would probably save money :)

Here's my 10 gallon halfmoon (sorry, I thought I had a better picture). It used I house a betta, 3 endlers, and 6 pygmy cories, but I've recently switched it up to 8 guppies.

[alessia55]

Ok, no betta! :D Most fish will be ok with flake food, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Here's a quick list of some fish that will fit into a 10 gallon (not all at once though):

*guppies/endlers
*some gouramis
*some cories
*neon or cardinal tetras
*harlequin or galaxy rasboras
*platy

Goldfish don't need heaters

While bettas (or other fish) CAN live without a heater, they become more susceptible to disease without it. In the end, a heater would probably save money :)

Here's my 10 gallon halfmoon (sorry, I thought I had a better picture). It used I house a betta, 3 endlers, and 6 pygmy cories, but I've recently switched it up to 8 guppies.
That was super helpful, thanks!!!! :D

[EmilyS]

You're welcome :D

If you want I can help you pick a stock from some of your favorites.

[alessia55]

You're welcome :D

If you want I can help you pick a stock from some of your favorites.
Just looked up some photos of the fish you listed. I really like the cories!

[Corey209]

Mollies Fish Gallery - Black Molly Fish, Black Moon Tail Molly Fish, Silver Molly Fish and Silver Moon Tail Moll Fish Supplier & Exporter from Chennai, India (http://www.indiamart.com/your-friend-aquarium/mollies-fish-gallery.html)

We used to have these, they're cool to have.

[EmilyS]

Cories are some of my favorite fish :D It can be harder to find ones that will fit a 10 gallon though, especially pygmies.

You could probably do something like this:

*6 pygmy or panda cories
*a centerpiece fish, like a gourami (you could do dwarf gourami, honey, or sparkling to name a few)
*3 guppies/endlers

or-

*6 cories
*6 neons/cardinals or harlequins

You could also do dario dario as a centerpiece in the first option, but those are hard to come by, and that's getting a bit advanced :)

[Jay]

Zebra Danios! Cheap, and very forgiving to slight fluctuations.

[Jay]

Or, you could do cardinal tetras.

Neon blue/red...
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m517/jay0133/IMG_0888.jpg

[alessia55]

Or, you could do cardinal tetras.

Neon blue/red...
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/m517/jay0133/IMG_0888.jpg
that tank looks fabulous! are the plants real or fake?

[Falconeer999]

I have a 10 gallon tank I've been running for 3 years. Currently I have 1 angel fish (he grew fast and really needs a 20+ gallon tank), 2 tiger barbs, 3 tetras, 3 GloFish (is a zebra fish with jellyfish DNA to make them different bright colors), and an algae eater. Tank is stocked with 3 or 4 different varieties of live plants. I have an Aquaclear filter that's good for up to a 20 gallon tank. I used to have a heater in the tank but I took it out about 8 months ago when I was having some sudden algae problems. Water temperature stays pretty constant between 73-75 degrees and all the fish are doing fine so I've kept it out.

At one point, I had 2 female bettas in there - they did NOT get along at all. One was already bigger than the other when I tried to introduce them. The larger one would chase the smaller one all around the tank and nip at her fins (but she wouldn't chase any of the other smaller fish - weird). I put a mesh divider in the tank and let them get used to each other. They would flare constantly for the first 2 weeks or so, then it petered off. After around 3 or 4 months I took the divider out and they were perfectly fine and would sometimes "school" like the other species would, though not too often.

Edit: I've had a horrible time with dwarf African frogs. They never last more than 2 or 3 months. I've had them in the 10 gallon tank and in a separate 2.5 gallon tank. I just have no luck with them.

[Aresplimpot]

get neon tetras :)) they're very striking in appearance and hardy in my opinion. And mostly are very cheap too :))

[DOBERMAN]

Its funny 'cause I was just thinking in the last couple days, and this morning in fact, of getting back into fish. I had 3 tanks going back in the day- the largest 125gallon with a mix of exotic cichlids. I don't know what types of fish superstores you have in the States, but I would recommend you go down and just check it out for fun. You really can't get a feel for how a certain type of fish looks or its demeanor by just opinion or pictures. I've found up here (Big Al's in my location), there are a few guys that work at the stores that really are hard core fish keepers with tons of expertise to ask questions and get advice from.
Most anything with great colour is going to be tropical and require heat ('cept for betas and goldfish for example)
It has been mentioned a couple times already in this thread though - neon tetras. I've had lots of different fish but I still have an affinity towards these little gaffers. And with a ten gallon you can get a few because they are small. I just like the look and colour of them and they aren't overly finicky like say cichlids and they are cheap if you need to replace.
But like I said, going down to view hundreds of tanks and selection is a fun day trip in its self.

[dinosaurdammit]

these guys

http://corydorasworld.com/var/news/storage/images/brochis/brochis_splendens/610-3-eng-GB/brochis_splendens_species_large.jpg

I LOVE THEM, they are pretty interactive fish and like small groups of 3. You can get them as weeeee baby fish and they are kinda slow growers and easy to care for and in my experience almost near hard to even bother or kill.

[jarich]

I really enjoyed keeping clown loaches when I had my aquariums. They are very cute and active little fish.

[GarterPython]

I have a baby clown loach in my tank and he is awesome. Cruises along the ground I love him.

[alessia55]

I like the look of the clown loaches too! Can I have one or two of these bottom dwelling fish and other fish that swim further up?

[jarich]

Yep, they live together well. I had a bunch of blue rams with mine and they lived together very well. If you have sand substrate the loaches like to dig too

[GarterPython]

I have 1 in my tank with like 10 guppys who are having babies and are still fine. My tank is currently in my wall. I don't know how big it is but I have about 10 guppys, 1 clown loach, some panda fish that I don't know the name of and a patriot crab.And I realise that when the clown loache gets bigger I have to take him out of the tank with the guppys but he is still just a small baby.

[EmilyS]

I definitely wouldn't get clown loaches. They like schools and need HUGE tanks, like 75 gallons. I'd also stay away from the cory posted above, as they need 30 gallons. Mollies need that ads well.

I cannot think of any more fish that would fit into a 10 gallon. Most are either too active or get too big.

[alessia55]

Ok so what kind of cories (?) can I get? I like the way they look, but no clue what kind I should be looking for. How many? what other fish can live with them?

[BryanB]

Good old goldfish. Idk who said one fish per gallon but if people say that it must be a very vague rule. Imagine 10 tuna in your tank. It really depends on the species. I have a lion and moray eel in a 25 and that's way too small for them... Are you only considering fresh water?

The general rule is one inch of fish per gallon not one fish per gallon

[jarich]

I definitely wouldn't get clown loaches. They like schools and need HUGE tanks, like 75 gallons. I'd also stay away from the cory posted above, as they need 30 gallons. Mollies need that ads well.

I cannot think of any more fish that would fit into a 10 gallon. Most are either too active or get too big.

Oops! I gave the wrong name. It was Kuhli loaches I meant. They are cute and stay nice and small, around 3 or 4 inches long. They are also great bottom feeders so they keep the tank nice and clean. Here is a picture
http://tropicalfishandaquariums.com/Catfish/KuhliLoach2.jpg

[EmilyS]

Ok so what kind of cories (?) can I get? I like the way they look, but no clue what kind I should be looking for. How many? what other fish can live with them?

The only cories that'll fit into a 10 gallon are pygmies and pandas. You'll want to get around 6, as they like to school.

[Aaron_S]

The general rule is one inch of fish per gallon not one fish per gallon

That's an OKAY rule. I find it's about the bioload of the animals in the tank and how it's set up.

I had a live planted five gallon tank that was highly stocked of guppies and endlers. I think I placed 5 in there original and it was easily 20 of them within a few short months. I did remove bigger animals though to bigger tanks but still the tank thrived due to the way it was set up.

Personally, I had a 10 gallon at one time for my daughter. I tried to keep it really basic and intermix species but I found to give them the proper requirements required more room or different things. In such a small area I would stick to the most basic of animals.

Guppies, danios and some tetras or barbs. Cherry barbs pop out to me.

If I did it again, I would do a dwarf gourami, a trio of cherry barbs and 4 - 6 khouli loaches.

[Wildside]

Glofish are awesome!

[alessia55]

Oops! I gave the wrong name. It was Kuhli loaches I meant. They are cute and stay nice and small, around 3 or 4 inches long. They are also great bottom feeders so they keep the tank nice and clean. Here is a picture
http://tropicalfishandaquariums.com/Catfish/KuhliLoach2.jpg
Those are cute too! can they live with neon tetras? how many of these could I have / how many tetras with them?

[EmilyS]

Oops! I gave the wrong name. It was Kuhli loaches I meant. They are cute and stay nice and small, around 3 or 4 inches long. They are also great bottom feeders so they keep the tank nice and clean. Here is a picture
http://tropicalfishandaquariums.com/Catfish/KuhliLoach2.jpg

Ahh, that makes more sense! Kuhlis would be a good choice :)

Edit: you could do 4 kuhlis and 6 small tetras.

[Wildside]

Be sure to get yourself some Cory Cats and chinese algaa eaters

[Aaron_S]

Those are cute too! can they live with neon tetras? how many of these could I have / how many tetras with them?

10 gallon?

I'd go with 3 loaches and a dozen tetras. Neons school hardcore and need the numbers.

[Squirtle]

My friend has a lot of female Beta Fish (Siamese Fighting Fish) in a 75 gallon aquarium. It's extremely easy to tell the difference between male and female, and you won't have to worry about fighting because only the males fight. They're very pretty and come in a bunch of different colors and are very easy to care for. I can try to get a video next time I go to his house.

[Wildside]

Those are cute too! can they live with neon tetras? how many of these could I have / how many tetras with them?

jsyk Neons shouldn't be put in a new tank. If it's the looks you like go with the Cardinals. They look very similar and are much more hardy.

[alessia55]

jsyk Neons shouldn't be put in a new tank. If it's the looks you like go with the Cardinals. They look very similar and are much more hardy.
.......why not?

[EmilyS]

Neons can be pretty sensitive to water conditions, and I've found that they die easier than other fish. Cardinals look VERY similar, and are much hardier than neons.

[Aresplimpot]

Neons can be pretty sensitive to water conditions, and I've found that they die easier than other fish. Cardinals look VERY similar, and are much hardier than neons.

Ohh, the people in the petshop here in my place said that they were just the same in care when my brother got a tank before... They lasted quite a while for my bro too until he decided to change his tank into a monster fish aquarium :D

[EmilyS]

Ohh, the people in the petshop here in my place said that they were just the same in care when my brother got a tank before... They lasted quite a while for my bro too until he decided to change his tank into a monster fish aquarium :D

Oh, that's terrible! XD

[Gungirl]

This is making me want to set up one of my spare tanks.... Hrmm... lol

[alessia55]

10 gallon?

I'd go with 3 loaches and a dozen tetras. Neons school hardcore and need the numbers.
I think this is what I'll go with....

[EmilyS]

A dozen tetras might be a bit much... I'd go with 8 max, unless you want to be doing lots of water changes.

[jarich]

I agree, especially until your cycle is set up. You can add more later if you get ambitious, but better to start on the lower side.

[Aaron_S]

I meant end game would be a dozen and 3 or so loaches. I'd just have the loaches in first for awhile.

[Reptaholic]

look into german blue rams, they dont get large so you could easily house a few in a ten gallon and have very nice colors. i have a male and female in a 6 gallon tank along with a couple corys.

[alessia55]

Well I have the tank, substrate, and fake plants. If all the sand settles tonight I'll take a photo. No fish yet :)

[EmilyS]

We'll be waiting! ;D

[Wildside]

Well I have the tank, substrate, and fake plants. If all the sand settles tonight I'll take a photo. No fish yet :)


You need to get your tank cycles before adding fish, not just set up. The problem with neons is that they succumb to new tank syndrome easily. I wrote a caresheet on owning a fish tank once. I'll see if I can find it and post it. It might help.

[Aaron_S]

You need to get your tank cycles before adding fish, not just set up. The problem with neons is that they succumb to new tank syndrome easily. I wrote a caresheet on owning a fish tank once. I'll see if I can find it and post it. It might help.

Yeah just run it for 5 - 7 days without any fish in it.

[alessia55]

I won't be putting any fish in it until the end of the month.

[EmilyS]

I won't be putting any fish in it until the end of the month.

That sounds like a good plan, and it will give you time to plan out what you want to do.

Here's a link explaining the nitrogen cycle, if you're still not sure what it is: The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle (http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm)

[beardeds4life]

Yeah just run it for 5 - 7 days without any fish in it.

You would need to full on cycle the tank which involves a lot more that just running the tank for 5-7 days with no fish in it.

[alessia55]

You would need to full on cycle the tank which involves a lot more that just running the tank for 5-7 days with no fish in it.
Correct. It'll take a few weeks for me to run a full cycle before the fish get put in :)

[Deva]

The hardiest fish I have kept - black neon tetras, cherry barbs, tiger barbs, zebra danios, black tetras. Plain guppies (not the long tailed ones), black sharks, platys. Keep all of these in groups of 5 or more, except the black shark.

Some of the small catfish also do well. If you want a larger catfish, the Rafael catfish. But then you need more than a 10 gallon.