LucyMcGillicuddy Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 We're thinking about getting fish. I've done some research and realize it's not "just buy a fish and stick it in a bowl." What are some of your tips on how to get started? Anything you wish you'd known? Any particular website you refer to? There are so many opinions for first timers, I'd rather have one or two places to refer to instead of the myriad I've found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Even if you have a goldfish you need a filter and to condition the water. Water changes and not overfeeding is key to keeping fish alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Goldfish are really dirty and need a good filter if you aren't going to be totally grossed out. They also sometimes live forever, so plan on being a fish tender for YEARS. That being said, I enjoyed watching our tiny 1 inch goldfish grow into a mammoth fish that was 6 inches tail-to-nose over the years. He finally died sadly when the tank heater shorted out and we are out of the fish business. If I was doing it again, I would get a betta and putit in a big tank to watch - they are so pretty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Fresh water or salt? Aquarium or bowl? For a fresh water aquarium (which is easier than salt, more work than a bowl) I prefer a 20 gallon or larger tank with an under gravel filter and pump. For a starter tank add goldfish and don't fall in love with them. A new system needs to build up good bacteria. That takes about 30 days. You may lose a fish or two during this time. After the first month, never wash the gravel with soap when doing a thorough clean out. Or you'll essentially start over again and potentially kill off your loved and named fish. You can keep the gold fish or perhaps trade them in for some more exotic fish. Goldfish are "dirty" fish and tend to make a huge mess of a tank. I try to have a couple of bottom feeders (catfish varieties) some middle swimmers and a couple that like to be close to the top. Ideally you'll want no more than 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. So if you have a 10 gallon tank you don't want more than three 3-inch long fish. Although I have grown some pretty large plecos (algae eaters) in 10 gallon tank without upsetting the balance. Contrary to popular belief you can put a beta (Siamese fighting fish) in a tank with other fish. Just not other male betas. They are pretty docile and will get their tails eaten if you have aggressive fish though so just keep that in mind. I worked my way through college in a pet store with the fish and had a tank for 20 years. When we moved to ME I couldn't bring it. I hope to get another when we move this last time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 We started out with a fish. Then is got out of hand. We now have a 75 gallon tank with a hole drilled behind it leading to the garage where there is a sump and some sort of UV light to rid the algae. It has live plants and rocks and dirt. I want nothing to do wtih it and it seems to be a giant PITA. However, I DO get fresh fish guts and other such goodies to water my garden with, because it leads to another tube filling up a rainbarrel so I can water with it. It's like an ecosystem LOL. It actually was a cool project between dh and ds. Now they are talking about getting another one to have Cichlids, which do not like the other tropical fishies. Gold fish suck because you have to monitor the water more, because they produce more amonia. Parrothead you should see our Plecostomos. It is the size of my arm. I think it's ugly. We also have a bright orange lobstery looking thing. You can get some cool things. And they found this other thing that swims backwards. There are no pretty fish in our tank. They find the oddest, most hideous looking things they can find. It's like the sea of misfits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Parrothead you should see our Plecostomos. It is the size of my arm. I think it's ugly. I've never had a huge tank so I'm envious. The largest I've ever had a pleco is about 8 inches nose to tail-tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyMcGillicuddy Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share Posted December 9, 2012 Fresh water or salt? Aquarium or bowl? I was thinking freshwater aquarium. We do have limited space so I've got figure out the biggest size tank that will fit and then plan the fish accordingly. Whatever size tank we get now will have to be it. There's no way we could ever upgrade to a huge size. I've already warned the kiddos that we may accidentally kill some at the beginning of our fish adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Just know that it takes time to establish the tank, and some fish will die in the beginning. The temp, lights on hours, and basically everything need to stay cosnsistant or the fish will die. If you suction out the tank, be sure to put conditioner in e water and do not change the filter and suction the ank at the same time or their will not be enough good bacteria to keep the fish healthy. Fish are much harder than we thought, but they are so much fun to watch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 If you have access to a fish store, rather than PetsMart, they will be happy to share their expertise with you. My son received a three gallon tank for his birthday in October and has told me about fifty times that it is his best present ever. He adores his fish and was devastated when some of them died. We marched ourselves into the fish store after the die-off, and they could not have been more helpful. About half of what PetsMart told us was wrong, but the fish people are not judgmental, just happy to have a little fish geek to educate. The basics that we have learned are: 1. Cycle your tank for a week before you add fish. This means letting the good bacteria get established. You can use something called "Prime," which is starter bacteria or something like that, but it really helps to let it work for a week. For a small tank, buy the smallest bottle of Prime so you can measure it in drops. 2. Always dechlorinate new water before adding it to the tank. Prime and other additives will do this. 3. A good starter kit will have a heater, filter and light. You also will need gravel (there is a formula to calculate how much--a pound per gallon, maybe?) and something for the shy fish to hide in or behind. 4. A gravel vacuum, which is just a tube with a squeeze bulb on it, is good for cleaning the gravel. Our tank is so small that I can't vacuum everything or I would pull out too much water, but I vacuum part of the gravel about every 10 days. 5. Pellet fish food. We lost a bunch of fish to overfeeding, we think. The flake food is hard to portion out, so I asked the fish people for an alternative. They suggested the pellets and one pellet per fish, every other day. This is much less food than PetsMart told us--twice a day every day. Plus, it is really hard to add a very small quantity of flake food. 6. Your fish store or PetsMart can test the water after it has cycled, to make sure it is healthy for fish. A tank will lose a lot of water to evaporation, even with the lid on it, so you may need to add water every couple of days. The fish store told me to change out a cup of water a day. That is too small of a quantity to treat with Prime or another dechlorinator, so I mix up 1.5 gallons at a time and keep it in a covered container in the bathroom. I dip water out every few days and pour treated water in. The rule of thumb is one inch of fish per one gallon of water, so my son can only have 3 fish at a time. If you buy guppies or mollies, the females are likely to come to you knocked up, so be prepared with a fish nursery or to let nature take its course. Best of luck with your aquarium. I have been really surprised at how much my son has enjoyed his. He only has one fish now, but if our water tests okay on Wednesday, he can add two more. He reminds me every day how many days are left before he can add more fish. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyMcGillicuddy Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share Posted December 9, 2012 If you have access to a fish store, rather than PetsMart, they will be happy to share their expertise with you. Thank you for all your tips and especially for pointing this out to me. It didn't occur to me to search for a fish store and after doing so, I've found several in my town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Our petsmart was very helpful when I started my tank. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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