A New Fish Lover - Beginner

[twoluvcats]

the shop that sells goldfish have either them or tropical fish, of which i can't have.

when you say tropical, do you mean 'saltwater'? I would double check on your LFS not having any other fish but goldies for you...those could be freshwater tropicals.

Really, its been said before, and i'll say it again...8gallons will not be an appropriate home for even 1 goldfish...even 10 gallons is pushing it...goldfish live for decades and are poop machines.

 

[Chazwick]

They might be freshwater tropicals... i guess - i doubt it though. I'll check in...

 

[ashleigh]

since you said you wanted to start with small fish- have you looked at neon tetras, harlequin rasboras, or zebra danios? We have a fish profile section, it has tons of listings of fish that would work in an eight gallon tank.

 

[Chazwick]

I've heard the Danios have great personalities! But, as i said, the problem comes with where to get them! If you give me some names of GREAT fishes! Then i'll jot them down then in a few days go and see if they have any and reserve them!

 

[FroggyFox]

If you were going to get danios I wouldn't try to mix any other fish with them in a small tank. You should look and see what your local store has available (I'd be willing to bet that those are Freshwater Tropicals) and then pick a few you really like....and do some research about them online...and then pick the ONE you really like. Danios are a schooling fish (like most other fish that stay small enough for your tank) so you need to get at least 4 or 5 of them. You should also look and see if they have apple snails, sometimes called mystery snails. They come in all colors...and are really good for keeping a small tank clean.

 

[Chazwick]

yeah - i have always been a big fan of snails as a small child i loved them - i know the apple snails are different to the common garden snail and i will look out for some nice ones for my tank, but i heard they are messy! :S

 

[FroggyFox]

I've never noticed them to be particularly messy. Just be sure to only get ONE. If you got more than one and they had babies your tank would be overrun and you dont want that to happen They actually have some personality...I kinda like the little guys.

Edit: www.applesnail.net has every piece of information you could ever want to know about apple snails The most popular varieties here in the states are black and gold.

 

[TradeWinds]

I am happy with all the replies, thank you. I brought my tank today - it's not massive, but a great reasonable size and i've "decorated" it to match the enviroment to the fish i've chosen, I don't remember the fishes types... but i know one is a black moore or something, not so interesting, i know - but i want to start of small. I've done the tank, and it says to wait TWO WEEKS before putting the fish in, as i have a small does of some sort of conditioner that will make the water better.

PS: And, yes, i did this all on my own! lol - plus i did the filter.

You need a much bigger tank for goldfish I believe, which the black moore is. To really keep golfish I think you need a pond. Those guys get to two feet or so. Threre are several ponds at my college, and they're pretty cool... But black moors get big! Don't get any for your tank.

 

[Fish Friend]

Goldfish are pooping machines.. they need massive tanks and good filtration

 

[seastaar88]

you have to keep a really good eye on your ammonia readings ifyou keep goldies for that reason.

 

[Chazwick]

If you read my other post then you'll know some pretty darn good news! My dad is driving me out to a BIG pet shop that specialises in just fishes, theres LOADS! Unlike my LFS that is just a pet shop and is more into the rodent theme, Therefore i've decided to get some small schooling fishes instead like neon tetras or something, and am getting the equpiment for their arrival tomorrow!!

 

[Chazwick]

I have read up about cycling, and i've purchased a PH test, etc, so tomorrow i will do all that. At the moment i'm concentrating on getting the water perfect for the new arrivals, which i obviously wont get till everything is set to go.
PS: I got confused at first because here we call it "Maturing" a tank...