# First fish tank



## CarlyC123 (Feb 22, 2019)

hi everyone
I know you probably get inundated with these types of questions but I really need some advice!
We want to get some fish for our little boy to help look after he is 4.

I’ve done a lot of online research and am still completely lost in regard to the size of the tank and the amount of fish you can keep. I know pet stores can be a little misleading also so wanted some views from fish owners.

My original play was to get a couple of little cold water or temperate fish maybe a shrimp and a snail in a 30 litre tank (no goldfish) but then I started to read stuff that said you can’t keep that many in a smallish tank. Which makes me think why on earth do they sell much smaller tanks than this especially kids tanks.

Then I wondered about a betta fish with the addition of a heater? But don’t want to be taking on too much too fast.

We want something relatively easy to care for but my main concern is keeping the tank small enough without being cruel to whats inside.

Grateful of any help


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi CarlyC,

Firstly, welcome, and it's great that you're researching before getting fish 

You're correct that a 30L would be far too small for goldfish. The good news is that many tropicals are no harder to keep than goldies - some say they are easier 

A betta would be a great choice for a 30L. They are best kept alone, and 30L is a perfect size. They have real personalities, will eat from your hand and can even be taught to do tricks!  They're best suited to soft water. If you're water is hard it's not impossible, but will take careful acclimatisation.

If you can go a little larger, in a 60-70L tank you could have a small tropical community. Good beginner fish include neon/cardinal tetras, cherry barbs, harlequin/espei rasboras, glowlight tetras, various cory species, dwarf or honey gouramis, guppies, platys, endlers and a whole lot more. It's best to choose fish that suit your water type, i.e. hard/soft and acidic/alkaline.

Once you've decided on your tank, please do a fishless cycle before getting fish. This is the single best thing you can do for your fish's health and welfare. There's a sticky thread on fishless cycling in this forum that outlines the process, and we'll be around to answer any questions you may have.

Good luck and please keep us posted!


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