# Easiest Fish & Care



## Little-moomin (Sep 28, 2008)

I have never owned a fish before but I am sort of interested in getting one, maybe not now, just one day.

I am just wandering which fish are generally the easiest to keep, and what they need and general basic costs?


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## Vamp176 (Nov 26, 2009)

Well, it all depends if you were interested in tropical , marine , cold. 

First of all if you are interested in something like Goldfish then you will need a large tank as the require large water volume . 

Have a look on YouTube at people's tank set ups and fish , learn some stuff about them , don't always go for the "pretty" fish , because they can tend to be the aggressive ones or the delicate type which don't strive well for new beginners. 

Personally I started with a 60litre tank with about 5 gold fish ( not good practise) but this was early 90s and I was a kid , but i think for a beginner you should go for around a 60 - 120 litre tank with a tropical community tank . Can have some nice Tetras , couple of small Corydoras (small catfish) . But you should visit a good Local fish shop and avoid pets at home. The LFS have a passion normally , Pets at home can be hit or miss with staff (just say local [email protected] is good with there fish some their staff are truly passionate about fish) 

If you want a tank though buy second hand as if it is not for you then you don't loose a load of cash


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

I agree a tropical community tank is the best way to go to start. 60-120 litres tank.

You will need a tank,
Filter - the bigger the better
Water liquid test kit
Water conditioner

Substrate (sand works best for plants and burrowing fish like corydorus

Plant either live or fake and decor

Fish food

Before you start please read up about the nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling of your filter.

Do not be persuaded that goldfish are suitable for beginners and in tanks of the size mentioned or smaller. Also don't believe that you can just add water for the tank, wait a few hours / days then add fish and away you go. Your fish will suffer slow and painful deaths via ammonia poisoning if you do.

Read the stickies too


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

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the toughest part of keeping fish [or other water-pets, such as turtles] is water quality & water chemistry.
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Most novice fish-keepers quit b/c of frustration with water chemistry or keeping tanks clean.
pH, ammonia levels, etc, are all-important to fish - or turtles, invertebrates, etc.
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One species i can suggest for novices is a *Betta splendens* AKA Siamese fighting-fish, either a single male or ONE male & several [2 or 3] females, in a smallish tank with LOTS of surface area. These fish are air-breathers as well as gilled, so they are fairly hardy - fresh water, not salt, but be **very** sure to remove all chlorine from the water B4 adding it to the tank, or before putting the fish[es] in it.
Bettas do not need a heated tank, so long as the room-temp is above 60'F. They will not breed at such low temps, tho - if U want them to make babies, they need either a warmer room, or a little auxiliary heat.
Don't park them in direct sun, the water can overheat - indirect sunlight on a northern or eastern window is fine. Western facing windows in the afternoon / evening are especially ferocious for heat - definitely avoid the "westering" sun side of the house.
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A banana-plant, or 2 or 5, to generate O2 is a nice addition; they are floating plants with deep-green leathery leaves similar in shape to water-lily pads. The banana-shaped roots are flotation devices. When U change the water or pour off some / add some fresh, WASH the plants 1 by 1, rubbing each leaf & root gently with Ur fingers, individually, till they're not slick & slippery with algae; then rinse off the residual algae, & return them, squeaky-clean, to the clean tank.
Banana plans will bud off baby plants if they are happy. The new plant can be separated from the parent when it has its own roots.
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If Ur water-system uses chlorAMINES to purify the tap-H2O, U must use a de-chlorinating chemical to remove the chlorine - it will NOT "gas off" when left open to the the air, as chlorine will. If U are in any doubt as to how the local water is treated & with what chemicals, ask town or city officials.
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Also never use "softened" water for fish, it contains added salts which can be in far-too high concentration for their health. So if Ur house has a water-softener, DO NOT use Ur home's tap-water for fish; U can buy bottled water with no added salt, or buy distilled water by the gallon.
Distilled H2O contains no chlorine whatever, nor any salts.
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I kept a male Betta for 3 years during college, before he died [old age]. He went back & forth to school with me, by bus or by car; i had a traveling bottle, a well-washed quart that used to contain milk, & his banana plant went IN it with him, to make O2 for him while the jug was sealed during the journey [to prevent spills en route].
He had identical small tanks at both ends, my parents' home & my dorm / apt. I just decanted him from the tank, popped him into his already-filled bottle, squeezed in his oxygen generator, & capped it - we were off! 
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At the time, Penn State / State College, PA, used simple chlorine in their water systems, so i could keep "safe" water on hand all the time with a gallon jug, 2/3 to 3/4 full, open to the air. The reason U don't FILL the jug is to provide loads & loads of surface-area to exhale the chlorine - but again, chlorAMINES will not gas-off. They require chemical dechlorination to remove the chlorAMINE.
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I bought 3 supposed Fs to keep him company, a year or so after i bought him; 2 of the 3 "females" developed into Ms, all 3 had been UNSEXED juveniles that the aquarist deliberately sold to chumps like me, overpriced, as "female". So be sure to look for mature traits in any Betta that's sold / listed as F - undersized body, a super-simple body shape with no belly curve, etc, are telltales of babyhood; it's probable that they are fry / juveniles, too immature to be reliably sexed, yet.
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I had to re-sell my now undeniably MALE fishes back to the aquarist, & of course, he did not pay me what he'd charged me for the infants - let alone cover what i'd spent on food, care, etc, in the meantime.  My single remaining F was a sweet creature, but she lived only to 2-YO & they never bred; he made bubble-nests, but no eggs were laid nor fertilized.
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*NO MORE THAN ONE male Betta can live in a tank -* they can live with fish of other species, but not same-sex / same species. They'll rip each other up, & massive stress, if nothing else, can kill them - either or both.
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A solo M Betta is not unhappy - just provide him with interaction, they can be fed from Ur fingers, they love small beetle-larvae that develop in spices, they enjoy maggots & other soft, small insects such as fruit flies. Buy good-quality flake food with colorful pigment-enhancing ingredients, fruit, vegies, protein. And as always with fish - don't overfeed & dirty the water!
Rotting food sucks up O2 quickly & produces ammonia.
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Once weekly or up to 3X per week, give him a thrill with his own reflection in a small purse-sized mirror - credit-card sized is fine. He will flare his gills out like a lion's mane, parade threateningly back & forth with his fins extended to look enormous, & charge the glass with his mouth open.
15-seconds of this is plenty; 30 secs is too much stress / too long exposure. He needs to feel safe in his home [tank]. Brief exposures are exciting; long ones are upsetting.
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I changed the whole tank once every 7 to 10 days, putting him in a smaller container of clean-ish water from the TOP of his "used" tank, while I dumped out the tank, washed it well with plain water [No soap!] till it was squeaky-clean / no algae slickness, & refilled his tank with safe, dechlorinated H2O. A gas-permeable cover for any small tank / bowl is a good idea, Bettas can & will jump out, & can die even if quickly rescued, from gill injuries, internal damage, etc. Something as simple as cotton gauze or nylon mesh fabric with an elastic to keep it on the tank or the bowl's rim, can allow the fish to breathe & prevent suicidal leaps.
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The water in the 2 containers should be the SAME TEMP to prevent shock. If in doubt, use a thermometer to check before transferring the fish[es].
My Bettas were beautiful, interesting, & had tons of personality. Their care was simple.
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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

Little moomin, I see you are UK based (London) so further to what leashed for life has stated your tap water will contain chloramines and there will need to use a tap water condition designed to treat chloramines.


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## 3dogs2cats (Aug 15, 2012)

The first thing you will need to consider is your water type, soft of hard? You can get your water type from your water authority website, Many fish are fairly adaptable but some do require soft or hard water and all will be happier in water that suits them. Second, consider where you may be situating a tank It is no good setting your heart on fish that require 50 gallons but you only have room for a 5 gallon! Larger aquariums are generally considered easier to keep stable than the smaller type. Together with the usual rules on where to place an aquarium, not in direct sunlight or in a draft etc. consider power outlets and ease of access for maintenance.

Once you have an idea on water type and limitations on tank size, then you need to consider what sort of aquarium you wish to have, cold, tropical or marine, personally I can not imagine marine would be easy for a beginner but I have never had marine it seems to complicated for me, but maybe someone with experience would tell you different. Tropical fish are usually recommended for beginners because most cold water fish need very large aquariums. I have White Cloud Mountain Minnows which are temperature, small and beautiful but you will find a far greater range of fish if you decide on tropical.

Regarding general care, all fish have different requirements on diet and environment, some like lots of flow, others still water, some open water spaces, others lots of plant cover, all need maintenance of weekly partial water changes. Fish keepers don`t keep their fish, they keep the water that keeps the fish, we do that by creating a healthy nitrogen cycle through fishless cycling, regular water testing and partial water changes.

The initial cost of setting up an aquarium can be high but the running costs are fairly low.

I am very slow at typing and I see someone has recommended Betta Splendens , I too would recommend them, they are beautiful, interactive and do not require large tanks, although please don`t be tempted by those ridiculous small Betta tanks you see in pet shops. The smallest tank I would be prepared to go is 30l. They are tropical they need temperatures over 75f, you will need a heater. They prefer lots of plant cover, can be silk plants not plastic they can be a little to sharp for the betta beautiful long fins. They like to rest at the top of the tank so floating plants are great for them. They sometimes struggle with a strong flow from a filter, I have the filter outlet covered with filter sponge to slow down the flow.
I would not recommend a sorority ( all female tank) you would need a large tank, loads of plant cover, several females and keep your fingers crossed that they don`t kill each other, hardly a nice gentle introduction to fish coming home one day to find half of them all ripped to hell! I would also recommend not doing 100% water changes, it is stressful to the fish and if you have been doing regular maintenance there is really no need to. I do approx. 30% water change on both my tanks weekly.
Do not use distilled water unless you are going to re-mineralise it, unless you have really awful tap water there is no need.

The best advice with fish keeping is do the research, it can be confusing and slightly overwhelming but the rewards are great. I adore my fish, my husband reckons I love my Betta more than him if I had to room I would have more, they are a bit addictive.


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## Little-moomin (Sep 28, 2008)

What thorough replies! Thank you!

My water is: Slightly to moderately hard

Funnily enough I though cold water aquariums were simpler! If I do this I am looking for a simple aquarium with just a few fish as I have never done it before. How big is a 60-120 gallon tank in size? I was thinking of something around 1 by 2 ft, is that normal?

I shall have a proper read through


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## 3dogs2cats (Aug 15, 2012)

Little-moomin said:


> What thorough replies! Thank you!
> 
> My water is: Slightly to moderately hard
> 
> ...


60-120 gallon is big  probably in region of 4-6ft if long not tall. 60 -120 litres are more in the 2ft-3ft long region. tanks do come in tall and long but I would recommend long. Cold water aquariums are no easier than tropical all it means is a heater is not needed, most cold water fish grow very large and tend to be huge producers of waste meaning extra filteration is required. There are many smaller tropical fish that would go fine in 2ft long 60 litre.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Definitely the Siamese Fighters; I LOVED keeping them, I could even hand feed my last one, and if a foodstuff wasn't to his liking he would take it and literally spit it out which would make me chuckle. I never thought a fish could have character but these really do, I was gutted when he popped his clogs!


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## Little-moomin (Sep 28, 2008)

So I've read up a little, and this is my basic understanding.

Because a fish tank is a closed space, feaces, urine and uneaten food remain within the tank. These begin to break down to ionized and unionized ammonia. Ionize (ph below 7) is not toxic, but inionized is. Nitrosomonas bacteria oxidize the ammonia, which is good as it eliminates the unionized ammonia BUT produce nitrate whilst doing so which is toxic to fish. Then Nitrobacter bacteria break down the nitrite into nitrates which in low to moderate levels are safe.

Am I ring in thinking this is the normal and natural cycle that happens when you introduce fish to clean water (where would I buy this water if London tap water is not suitable). I understand that by testing the water regularly (daily) to monitor the natural cycle you can take action if things don't go as they should (ie ammonia isn't dropping or nitrites aren't lowering).

I will read up more but could someone let me know if I am understanding this properly.

From what I've read, I fill the tank with water (as asked, is this bottled water/ tap water/ special water?). Then once the fish are introduced the nitrogen cycle begins. The levels will change until I assume everything settles down? Is cleaning the tank just for preventing algae build up or is it also to affect the cycle?


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## 3dogs2cats (Aug 15, 2012)

Little-moomin said:


> So I've read up a little, and this is my basic understanding.
> 
> Because a fish tank is a closed space, feaces, urine and uneaten food remain within the tank. These begin to break down to ionized and unionized ammonia. Ionize (ph below 7) is not toxic, but inionized is. Nitrosomonas bacteria oxidize the ammonia, which is good as it eliminates the unionized ammonia BUT produce nitrate whilst doing so which is toxic to fish. Then Nitrobacter bacteria break down the nitrite into nitrates which in low to moderate levels are safe.
> 
> ...


Yes fish expel ammonia which is converted by bacteria to nitrite which in turn is converted into nitrate. This is a natural cycle, in the unnatural and enclosed environment of the aquarium this cycle needs a filter to promote it but it still happens as a natural process.

It is the ammonia a fish produces that starts the cycle but it is far better to do what is known as a `fishless cycle` that is instead of using fish to cycle its own tank, cycle it before adding them so they may live in lovely cycled environment and not have to swim around in their own toxic waste. This is easily done by either using a source of pure ammonia ie Jeyes kleen off or using fish food, personally I believe the pure ammonia way is by far the easiest method. There are lots of fishless cycling guides on the internet and we can guide you through it stage by stage here if you want, but I would urge you not to use fish to cycle but go down the far kinder and frankly much less work for yourself, route of fishless cycling.

Unless your water has something nasty added to it, has either very low (bad for cycling) or very high levels of PH, very high levels of nitrate or you do want to keep fish more suited to soft water I can see no reason why you should not be able to use your own water supply. Ask around locally, if fish keepers are happily using tap water you may assume it is safe. If for some reason you can not use tap water you are best using RO either bought from aquatic centre or install your own RO meter. You will need to re-mineralise it to make it safe for the fish. I don`t use RO water so know little about it, again if you do need to use it then some one with knowledge will no doubt ne able to help you but as a first time fish keeper attempting to keep things simple I would if at all possible stick with good old tap water. Tap water does need treating to remove chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals, this is very easy there are lots of water conditioners on the market that do the job, all you need to do is add the required amount per litre and the job is done

Tank maintenance, via vacuuming the substrate, doing partial water changes and rinsing the filter sponges in old tank water all help to keep the tank healthy, as long as you do not overstock or overfeed the nitrogen cycle once established should be stable but it is definitely worth doing regular water testing to keep an eye on things.


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

Hopefull


3dogs2cats said:


> Yes fish expel ammonia which is converted by bacteria to nitrite which in turn is converted into nitrate. This is a natural cycle, in the unnatural and enclosed environment of the aquarium this cycle needs a filter to promote it but it still happens as a natural process.
> 
> It is the ammonia a fish produces that starts the cycle but it is far better to do what is known as a `fishless cycle` that is instead of using fish to cycle its own tank, cycle it before adding them so they may live in lovely cycled environment and not have to swim around in their own toxic waste. This is easily done by either using a source of pure ammonia ie Jeyes kleen off or using fish food, personally I believe the pure ammonia way is by far the easiest method. There are lots of fishless cycling guides on the internet and we can guide you through it stage by stage here if you want, but I would urge you not to use fish to cycle but go down the far kinder and frankly much less work for yourself, route of fishless cycling.
> 
> ...


I fully agree with the above post.

Fishless cycling is the way to go. It takes 3-4 weeks to build up enough bacteria in the filter to deal with the fish waste but the advantage is that the fish added do not get harmed.

I did a fishless cycle with fish food but pure ammonia is better and quicker. There are lots of recipes / methods about how to do one on Google but they are roughly the same.

You can use the time to plan your tank layout and the fish you will keep.

Most of the common tropical species will do fine in your London water. My Cambridge shire water is not too disimilar.

You need to aim for fish occupying the lower, middle and upper surfaces of the tank for maximum effect. Also you need to consider that some fish need to be in groups of 4-6 or more to behave naturally. So when working out stocking you need to take this into account.

As an example I have a 180 litre 4 ft tank.

For the lower layer fish I have had in the past corydorus but current have khuli loaches. Middle layer I have a pair of kribs and some golden barbs and for upper movement I have some Danios. In the past I have had various tetras occupying the upper and middle layers over time.

I also have a rehomed angel fish and a couple if bristlenose.

If you are having a smaller tank most of the above at be too large but there are lots of smaller fish to chose from.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

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I frankly cheated with my Bettas - i had no heater, they had room-temp water, & I didn't use gravel for the 1st year. I had a bare floor, banana plants, & fish, with a well-glazed aquarium safe pottery hidey-hole, which he never used but it looked nice. 
Plus of course, the fish - later, fish*es*, which after my F died, once again was 1 fish.
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I fed them from my fingers, taught him to come when i tapped the surface with my fingertip, led him around the tank with my moving finger outside the glass, etc.
They were great fun, & very pretty - even the girl, tho she was more subtle in color & lacked long silky fins.
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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

A good guide to the nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling: http://www.tropicalfishforums.co.uk/index.php?page=setting up your new aquarium

Good 'beginner' fish for a 2ft tank with moderately hard water include platys, guppies, endlers, cherry barbs, x-ray tetra, bristlenose pleco, amongst others.


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