# Lionheads



## ILoveMyPug (Sep 4, 2009)

As much as I want an axolotl (as per previous thread!), I am after some lionheads cos they are adorable.

However, I am not sure how many I can get with my tank size. I am not sure of the volume of water it holds but it is about 18 inches high and about 12 in depth and width. It is like a diamond shape. Hard to describe when I am not looking at it!

It is reasonably sized and I am rubbish at measurements. We have had maybe about 3 or 4 goldfish in the tank before and the remaining 2 (who sadly passed away recently) got quite large and there was plenty of room. I am just not sure how large lionheads get, I was thinking of getting 3.

Let me know what you think.


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2009)

I would reconsider goldfish, as they can grow quite large (upto 15cm/6" in length). You would ideally need a 90 x 38 x 38cm tank as a minimum for two adults, however the more the merrier.

If you added a heater then you could easily expand your options into the larger world of tropical fish, and believe it or not they can be easier to keep than goldfish, there are certainly many species that would be suitable for your tank.


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## ILoveMyPug (Sep 4, 2009)

Ooh thanks for that.

I was thinking tropical may have been complicated and they are a little more 'fragile' (i.e. easier to kill ) than their cold water cousins hehe. 

I have been brought up with fish all my life, my dad had trops when I was young so maybe he could also give me tips.

Are they more pricey to buy? How much does a heater come in at?


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## Guest (Sep 21, 2009)

The vast majority of the common species are usually about £2-3 each from good aquatic stores, for shoaling species you will usually get a small discount if you buy a group. For slightly less available species (i.e certain plecs, cichlids and rare oddballs) you would be going into the £10-30+ range. 

As for heaters, these can easily be picked up for about £15-20.


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## ILoveMyPug (Sep 4, 2009)

Thank you for your reply.

I have been to the pet shop today and saw some Calico Fantails, they look pretty small but is that the adult size? Do pet shops generally sell young ones?

I thought 3 for my tank would be ok. 

I have just done an official measurement - height: 14 inches, width: 17 inches, depth: 11 inches.


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## magpie (Jan 3, 2009)

The fantails you saw in the pet shop will have been tiny babies and are nowhere near their adult size - as Pleccy said earlier, they will grow to around 6 inches or more in length 

I know when they're small it's tempting to think that they'll be okay in a little tank, but you would have so many problems trying to keep them alive and healthy, and it really wouldn't be fair to keep them in such cramped conditions. Fancy goldfish really need a minimum of 100 litres for a pair 

Your tank works out at just over 40 litres, which would be a nice size for a tropical tank... I really think that would be the best way to go, and you'd have lots of different types of fish to choose from


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## ILoveMyPug (Sep 4, 2009)

I know this may be a swear word, but do Pets at Home sell tropical fish?

Would I only need a heater as an extra for the tank compared to cold water fish?

Also, I am looking at filters, my dad recommended an internal pump and filter - I have seen this on Amazon Superfish Aqua Flow 50 Dual Action Internal Filter NEW DESIGN 2008 for Small Aquarium Fish Tanks: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors which is a good price as you can get pump/filter/3 replacement cartridges together. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000N86YVI/ref=pd_luc_mri?_encoding=UTF8&m=A1CPTV9NDTEOYI

This may sound like a thick question but with this type of pump, do I need the hose and airstones?  I won't be using the under gravel filter tray thing.

I sound so incompentant! lol - I just want to make sure I am doing it right. Is it right I have to filter the water for a number of days before introducing them?

Better go and research tropicals then, to be honest, they didn't have much of a selection in the shop in the cold water variety. This was just an independent garden/pet centre. Where would I need to be going to get tropical fish? Is ordering online a good idea?

Ooops, forgot to ask, how many tropical ones could I get in there? I know there are so many different types but do you have any recommendations for me?

Aah just seen kissing Gouramis, does anyone have any of these? They would be cute!


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