Tropical Fish

meepmeep

I am thinking about buying a big fish tank and getting some tropical fish. Now I know all about tanks because i have a snake, so i have all the bits and pieces like heatmat, lamps etc, so i don't need any help on that kinda stuff. What I wanted to find out was what kind of fish could i get so that they wouldn't all eat each other? Budgets not much of a problem. My godson loves nemo so i was thinkin of getting some clownfish for him, but i have no idea where to get them. I'd also like a shark, but would that eat everything else?

Help appreciated!

Nala

meepmeep wrote:

I am thinking about buying a big fish tank and getting some tropical fish. Now I know all about tanks because i have a snake, so i have all the bits and pieces like heatmat, lamps etc, so i don't need any help on that kinda stuff. What I wanted to find out was what kind of fish could i get so that they wouldn't all eat each other? Budgets not much of a problem. My godson loves nemo so i was thinkin of getting some clownfish for him, but i have no idea where to get them. I'd also like a shark, but would that eat everything else?

Help appreciated!

1. You don't use a heatlamp with a fish tank! You use a heater.
2. Most tanks come with a light built in to the hood.
3. Clownfish are marine fish, which are not recommended for beginners!

You should get down to the library and get out a good book about tropical fish. What you're looking for is what's known as a community setup, which is where all the fish can co-exist peacefully.
Bear in mind that the fish you see in the shop are usually babies and will have a lot of growing to do. A good book will tell you how big they will grow and how to work out how many fish you can put into your tank without overcrowding it. It's also good to know your stuff before going to the pet shop as unfortunately some pet shops will try and sell you anything. I've heard people being told that it is perfectly OK for two Syrian hamsters to live together! (they'd fight).

I'm sure Falkorre will have some sound advice for ya too.

Best of luck!

FranknFurter

god,
NEVER use a heatlamp OR heatmat with a tank full of water! Unless u want to burn down your house lol

clownfish, ur kidding right?
They are MARINE fish, put them in ur tank they will be dead in two hours.
i recommend you buy a small self contained tank, about 100yoyos in pet-stop and a few guppies, now, u do realise, that no matter what fish u buy, you have to leave the tank for 3 weeks to cycle, fully set up and full, but with NO fish, before u add them, right?

meepmeep

FranknFurter wrote:

god,
NEVER use a heatlamp OR heatmat with a tank full of water! Unless u want to burn down your house lol

clownfish, ur kidding right?
They are MARINE fish, put them in ur tank they will be dead in two hours.
i recommend you buy a small self contained tank, about 100yoyos in pet-stop and a few guppies, now, u do realise, that no matter what fish u buy, you have to leave the tank for 3 weeks to cycle, fully set up and full, but with NO fish, before u add them, right?

First of all, thanks Neev .

Now FranknFurter. My comments about having all the bits and knowing about tanks was just to let people know that i don't need help with what size of tank and stuff to get. As i said i already have a pet thats in a tank (snake). I wasn't planning to boil the fish ffs. As for clownfish, I said money was no object, and I am planning to get a huge tank (like the ones i saw in an aquarium in england, in which the clownfish were very happy). I even spoke to some of the people there who said it was possible to keep them at home. All I asked for was if someone could tell me what kind of fish i could get so that they wouldn't eat each other. So your answer was no help whatsoever, but thanks for the sarcasm.

Raam

meepmeep wrote:

I'd also like a shark, but would that eat everything else?

we have a fish tank at home, used to have loads of tropical fish living in perfect harmony - guppies, angel fish, one of those 'cleaner' fish, an upside-down-catfish and some others. Then my brother decided to buy a shark (not sure which type). And then a few days later we no longer had any fish, but just one shark and lots of floaty bits. He was an angry fella

KR

FranknFurter

Meep,
Sorry if my reply came across as overly sarcastic, but I must tell you, over the years, I have come across people who *have* tried to use things such as heat mats for a fishtank, *always* with dangerous consequences. And as somone who used to keep many reptiles over the years, some of these were long time herp keepers too.

Im not trying to be picky, but if you re-read your initial post it does seem like thats what you are thinking of, and I wasnt the only one who thought it.

You also gave the impression you were thinking of a tropical tank as opposed to a marine tank, *vastly* different things.

As far as marine fish / inverts go, my knowledge is minimal, mainly because after 10 years of fishkeeping, I wouldnt dare have that kind of a setup, partially because of the complexity involved, (about 70% of new first time marine setups fail horribly within their first year), but also because 99.9% of marine stock are wild-caught, and this is causing amazing damage to coral reefs around the world, purely for the pet trade.

B

meepmeep

Hiya,

Fair enough - i read the initial post again and i realise thats what i came across as. The reason I am gonna get a fishtank is for my 2 godsons, who are both very ill and i think it would cheer them up. I think I will go for tropical fish rather than marine because of the advice i have gotten here. And if most marine tank setups fail then i'm sure it would be more upsetting tellin them the fish had died, than tellin them now that they won't be able to get "nemo's". I'm sure they won't mind too much! And to be honest, I wouldn't have a clue about looking after the fish so the simpler the better.

Thanks

whiteshadow

you can get freshwater sharks.
like the bala shark
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/barb-pictures/bala_1.jpg
or the red-tailed black shark
http://www.eheim.com/db_img/fische/f023.gif

i'd go tropical(freshwater)
why? :
less maintenance,
cheaper and can be just
as colourful and lively.

i currently have this tank
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/tanks/displaytank.php?tank=5897&group=owner

(the fish types are "african cichlids")

meepmeep

Nice one, whiteshadow. thanks.

Nice setup you got there btw

whiteshadow

thanks...
had always had small tanks before which are more managable
but then came second in a poker tournament and splashed out!
they're my babies.

Nala

Hey meep meep look at these!

Neon Tetras






Guppies











Both are readily available and reasonably priced. Guppies come in loads of different colours, I've seen some with leopard patterns on their tails!

Mantel

or the red-tailed black shark

I had two of them awhile ago, lovely fish. One died a few weeks after I got it the other one was quite shy but they where always my favourite.



Platies are a good alternative to guppies, they're a bit larger but can have the same colours as guppies. I got them because for some reason I just hate guppies, I don't know why, they're just.... guppies. One other thing they have in common is they breed. You'll probably spot some new fish swiming around after a few months.

Nala

Thing with guppies is you can't keep them with anything that might be prone to nipping the fins of other long-finned fish, e.g. a male Siamese Fighter.

Check them out!!!








Is it true that they can adapt to a coldwater setup? I have heard of people keeping them in vases. Google "betta vases".

fjon

This set up would work, and would look colourful enough for your godsons:

Two Platies (the gold/ orange ones look good)
6 Guppies (4 Female, 2 Male) The Males look nicer, but you need two or more Females to each male as they get frisky and anooy the other fish.
2-4 Mollies

Get these fish first to build up the bacteria in the tank like FranknFurter said - leave for about 3 weeks. Chances are a few may die so don't get too attached to them.

After three weeks you can add few Angel Fish, which should grow quite big and give your tank a bit more of a tropical feel. Also get a shoal (or should tha be a school?) of Tetras. You may also want to get something to do go around the bottom of the tank - some sort of catfish. Also, a plecko is good for cleaning algae off the side of the tank.

I have a few crabs in my tank, which are really cool. However, they don't lke plants too much and snip the leaves off them. Also, one of them started killing fish when they were sleeping so I had to give him back. Prawns would also look good.

fjon

neev wrote:

Thing with guppies is you can't keep them with anything that might be prone to nipping the fins of other long-finned fish, e.g. a male Siamese Fighter.

Check them out!!!


Is it true that they can adapt to a coldwater setup? I have heard of people keeping them in vases. Google "betta vases".

I have seen them in tiny bowls used as desk decorations - they look really good! A bit cruel though - not too much room to move. But then again, fish are stupid aren't they?

whiteshadow

i wouldnt mix angel fish with guppies, they are agressive and will nip the tails off the guppies if not swallow them whole. also guppies are quite weak and sensitive to water conditions so i'd get something a bit hardier to build up the bacteria/mature the tank with... such as tiger barbs or platys/mollys

as for bettas. you cant keep them in coldwater.
betta vases are usually kept in hot climates or
fish houses where they are being breed.

bettas don't need much room as they breath air instead of filtering oxygen
through the water through their gills. They basically grow up in puddles in the wild so like fast moving water. so space isn't really an issue. they are transported in bags of water barely bigger than a teabag.

i used to have one in a vase with a small
heater. you can train them to hand feed and jump out of the water to bite worms
from your fingers... pretty cool.

but they are seriously sensitive and i changed the water DAILY

whiteshadow

Mantel wrote:

I had two of them awhile ago, lovely fish. One died a few weeks after I got it the other one was quite shy but they where always my favourite.

as far as i remember the red tailed black sharks are very territorial so
you should only have one per tank or inevitablely one will kill the other one.
(bully him until he gets sick and dies.)

scheech... it's complex init! dont mean to scare you meep meep.
any GOOD fish shop will advise you on what fish to keep.
pick you favourite type and ask what others can i keep with them
and what order to add them.

Nala

Do you know what your godsons would probably think was dead cool.
A glass catfish!
Look



I don't know how easy they are to care for though.

PS Yeah we should have a Tropical Fish forum!
Has anyone suggested it to admin yet?

meepmeep

Excellent guys,

Thanks for that

Yer all lovely!

Neev, those guppies are sweet, I think they'll more than make up for the fact that there will be no "nemos"

cajun_tiger

dont get a balla shark they sometimes carry an infection that kill all your other fish ps they eat them once they die

whiteshadow

afaik all fish can carry infection.

Zulu

I highly recommend the Clown Loach (Botia macracanthus). Good sturdy fish - and funny fu(kers aswell.
For pics see: clicky
I also had a fresh water crab. These guys rock - but it's unbelievable what they can escape from. I foyu get one - you need to seal off the filter top (I put a CD case lid over it (the WILL crawl up the glass and into the filter for an all-you-can-eat hide), and cover the cable holes on your lid. (the crab WILL escape the tank). ...but they are worth the inital hassle.

FranknFurter

I love guppies, and iv bred so many variants
(Guppies will breed like rabbits lol).....

As soon as I find a good home for Hannibal (Hes a lovely Oscar, comes to top for petting, takes food from ur hand, will even jump to take it, and loves pushing a table tennis ball along the surface lol), I will be getting back to my babies, problem with an Oscar is they have to have a large tank to themselves, they will eat other fish and grow to 12-18 inches long eventually, (Hannibal is 6" long),... they will eventually need a 4 foot tank to themself,.....

Poor old hannibal, hes had a hard life, an now hes happy an healthy, hes gonna have to move again, Just no way I can keep him, hes a real high maintainance pet, needing to be amused an played with........... believe it or not, if u dont, he will bang on the glass, an when hes hungry, he will spit water at u lolol so u gotta feed him every day, fish pellets, the odd bit of chicken, the odd pellet of dry dog food (expanded).... and if poss a few guppies as a treat every month or so, ....lol....see why hes such a commitment? so be carefull what u buy.

I took him in from a well-meaning friend who had "rescued" him from a pet shop (never a good idea), got him back to full condition, and now *im* left with a pet who will live 15-20 years to rehome lolol

B

heres a (bad) mugshot of the man himself so you will know what they look like lolol -> (had to find one online, but hes a mirror image) -> http://www.seremban.net/fishcorner/images/Oscar.jpg

The_Conductor

A good starter tropical tank might be about a dozen platties with a lot of natural vegetation (e.g. elodia)
They are very easy to take care of, difficult to kill, eat very little (when there is natural vegetation there), and are excellent community fish.
They look cute too!

S.

whiteshadow

a second hand setup for sale here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=203683

KoNiT

platties are an easy fish to look after - your godsons will be surprised when they start breeding - I was and I only had them for 3 months.

Your godsons would possibly prefer the "faster" fish - bala sharks & clown loaches & red tailed sharks - (only buy one red tail- unless your tank is over 4ft)

Bettas (siamese fighting fish) are easy enough to look after, a pretty fish but not exciting unless you get two......(don't do that!)
I transferred mine to a glass jar -10" diameter- as it was being hounded by Tiger barbs. I've got rid of it since - but it was in the jar for about 4 months, her indoors wanted the jar back...

Clowns loaches are easily looked after as are tiger barbs. Get a pleco, the bigger & uglier the better - the kids will love him.

Stock the tank slowly by a few fish every couple of weeks, get the pleco last - he'll be bored otherwise with nothing to clean.

Hannibal sounds lovely - how does he react to strangers?

fjon

Zulu wrote:

I highly recommend the Clown Loach (Botia macracanthus). Good sturdy fish - and funny fu(kers aswell.
For pics see: clicky

I agree - they are cool fish. The only problem is I don't often see them. They like hiding around rocks, and will only really come out when the light is off, or when they're being fed.