Igniseus

Hi all,

I just bought myself my first aquarium which is 90 litres/23 gallons.

I've been doing a lot of research on which fish to buy but I just cant decide on any fish, they all seem to have a bad side to them.

The kind of fish i'd like (but not necessarily required):

• Colourful (like guppies) or just cool looking
• Active (as in they dont just float and not move/do much)

So far the only fish that may seem suitable are neon tetra's. Their colourful, seem active, dont grow too big, easy to look after, etc.

Guppies also seemed great until i found out they breed like crazy, and i dont want new fish unless i go out and buy new fish, otherwise i'll have to regularly get rid of all the new fish that are being born and overpopulating my tank. And male guppies without females are said to be aggressive.

So, could anybody recommend me some fish please? I'd like atleast 2 varieties, and Neon Tetra's look like a good choice for one of them, so another type of fish to go with them would be good.

Oh and a recommending of which to put in first after the cycling is done.

Thanks

swords3711

i recommend platys, aka variatus
-they are very active fish
-very colorful
-very active
you shouldnt start your tank with neons
platys are very hardy and cheap so they are an excellent choice to start a tank with

Barbrella

If you want pretty, active and colourful fish who don't breed all the time like livebearers, you could get:

Cherry Barbs
Harlequin Rasboras
Tetras

For the tank bottom, you could get 3 corydoras

All of these will go nicely with neon tetras too.

For info on how to cycle your tank, you can look here:http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/fr...beginners.html

Kevin

Main Fish (all of these need to be in groups of at least 6)
serpae tetras are a really nice red color
harlequin rasboras are very peaceful and have a really cool pattern
congo tetras are very colorful
rummy nosed tetras are cool looking

Bottom Feeders
corydoras catfish come in tons of patterns and colors (need to be in group)
clown plecos are cool looking (black w/ yellow stripes)
you could try 1 red tailed black shark...but they can't be w/ other bottom feeders

this is just a list of fish that would look good in a 23 gal.
please dont try to put all these fish in your tank

Isabella

Hi, and welcome to Fish Lore

In fact, there are plenty of beautiful small fish that are colorful and peaceful, and that won't be "stationary", lol

I, for example, have Zebra Danios, Harlequin Rasboras, and Cherry Barbs - all of which are small, colorful, beautiful, peaceful, non-stationary, and don't breed like crazy. If they breed, the eggs get eaten sooner than they can make it (to survive). All of these fish - Zebra Danios, Harlequin Rasboras, and Cherry Barbs - are suitable for a 23 gallon tank, as are Neon Tetras, and many other Tetras. Plus, there are many other small rasboras and danios to choose from. And really, just look around - plenty of fish to choose from

Here are pictures of my fish: http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff62/IsabellaNY/ (click on folders with Cherry Barbs, Harlequin Rasboras, and Zebra Danios). Or just go to my Fish Lore gallery: http://www.fishlore.com/fishpicture/...500/ppuser/124

Kevin

here are 2 really good sites if you want to buy online...or just browse some cool fish
www.liveaquaria.com
www.aquariumlivestock.com

COBettaCouple

we have 3 male guppies in a divided 10g tank. they play a lot, but aren't hostile. Platys give you the same issues as guppies, but perhaps a cichlid tank would be good. they're very colorful and active.. German Blue Rams or Yellow Lab Cichlids might be to your liking?

welcome to fishlore!

Kevin

german blue rams are fine for a 23 gallon...but are difficult to take care of at times...they require very good water conditions (low pH, soft water) and frequent water changes (10%-20% every three days is what some recommend)
in other words, they aren't the best fish for a first tank...and they get a little pricey $8-$10 at least

jack11

What about dwarvf gourami, in a 23 gallon tank you could easily get 3 and still have room for a school of fish. also why not just keep male guppies? that way you wouldnt have any trouble with breeding and anyway if they do breed the fry is normally eaten by the parents or other tank mates. Good Luck!

Jack

Igniseus

I like the look of Harlequin Rasboras and Cherry Barbs. Would those 2 be ok along with Neon (or another variety of) tetra's?

If i chose those 3, how many of each would you recommend for my 23/24G tank? And what order would you suggest putting them in?

Thanks a lot for the advice all

Kevin

i would pick two of those types of fish and get 4-5 of each
with the extra couple of inches left (1in of fish per gallon of water) i would get a clown pleco or a bristlenose pleco to keep the gravel clean

Igniseus

Ok how about this guys?

6-10 Neon/Other Tetra's
4-6 (?) Harlequin Rasboras
1 Yoyo Loach

Thanks

Kevin

how about
6 neons
5 rasboras
3 yoyo

loaches like the company of other loaches

Isabella

You certainly can keep Neon Tetras, Cherry Barbs, and Halrequin Rasboras, all in one 23/24 gallon tank. All of these fish (and really almost all small fish) need to be in groups of at least 5-6 fish in order to be happy. They're schooling/shoaling fish.

If you want to have Neon Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, and Cherry Barbs, this would be a good stocking plan: 5-6 Cherry Barbs, 5-6 Harlequin Rasboras, and 5-6 Neon Tetras.

But, that would be it - you couldn't add anymore fish with this plan. And what if you get algae at some point? It's always good to leave some space for algae eating creatures such as snails or algae eaters.

So, maybe you could do with only 2 types of fish, instead of 3? For example: 6-7 Harlequin Rasboras and 6-7 Cherry Barbs, or any other combination of 2 species you want. This will leave you with some space for some algae eater. Remember you shouldn't get algae eaters that grow large, as a 23/24 gallon tank is not big enough for the larger algae eaters. A good choice of algae eaters for a 23/24 gallon tank are snails or a few Otos. If you get Otos, make sure you'll keep your water very clean, as they're delicate fish.

What I'm basically saying is that: If you want some algae eater(s) in your tank, whatever fish you plan to stock your tank with, make sure there is enough space left for the algae eaters. Also, don't get any fish that will be too large for a 23/24 gallon tank. I wouldn't get anything larger than a Dwarf Gourami for this size of tank.

Igniseus

Sounds good. Maybe reduce yoyo's to 2 and resboras to 4 so i can increase neons to 8? I've heard their best in shoals of atleast 8, but i'm new to this correct me if im wrong Or maybe just reduce Yoyo's by 1 as they grow up to about 6 inches right? But if 2 isn't going to be enough for them to be happy...hmmmm

jack11

maybe opt for a small school of cories so that you arent compromising on the other schooling fish?

Jack

lyndatu

I've selected some cool easy beginner fish for you:

1 Dwarf Gourami - Gouramis are pretty close to becoming the perfect fish; Very easy to take care of, beautiful and are peaceful (except the Blue Gourami, which is a bit aggressive, but is still peaceful). They are effective algae eaters. There are different varieties of Gourami, but the Dwarf Gourami is very beautiful, and it's better to have males because they are more colorful than females. Take note, though: It's better not to keep two or more Gouramis of the same kind, for they might fight with each other, but maybe except for mating.

1 Honey Gourami - beautiful combination of Yellow Honey and Pearly White.

3-5 Barbs - choose any kind of barb except for the Tiger Barb, which likes to nip off fins of other fishes until their victims die. Barbs aren't exactly schooling fish, but it's best to keep them in groups so they won't be too shy. If you really like Tiger Barbs, you should keep them in your tank with no other kinds of fishes; they're very beautiful, especially in large groups.

3 Corydoras Cats - This is quite a must-have; they are bottom-dwellers that eats the uneaten food that falls to the ground, preventing biological problems. They are fun to watch, swimming on the substrate together, and make sure you keep at least 3 or they will have the tendency to be very timid and lonely and eventually die. They also feed on algae, reducing the algae problems. They are very easy to take care of, but they don't have to scavenge for uneaten food forever; buy some sinking pellets for them. Bronze Corydoras and Panda Corydoras are popular, but I prefer Bronze Corydoras.

3-5 Tetras - You already have them, and that's a good choice. Make sure they are in schools.

3-4 Ganthers - are quite rare, but beautiful and easy to take care of. Make sure they are in schools, or they will have the tendency to harass other fish.

I've had all these fish and they were superb. You can choose from any of these, just make sure you have the Dwarf Gourami! I love that fish!



If you need more info about easy beginner fish, go to petplace.com.

Kevin

i've never kept neons, but most shoaling fish are fine in groups of 5-6
how about this?
6 neons
5 rasboras
1 pleco

for the pleco...the only types that do'nt get to big for that size tank are the bristlenose (bushynose), clown, and the rubbernose (rubberlip) plecos

no matter what the people at your fish store say, these are the only plecos that will be okay in your tank

jack11

acyually its best to get 2 females and 1 male or just 1 male. if u get 2 males they will fight constantly until one becomes dominant and he will chase the other around the tank until he is nearl dead. if u get 1 male and 1 feamle then the male will chase the female trying to mate. But if u get two females the attention is divided between the two females and everyone is happy.

Jack

lyndatu

Oh and I forgot: Make sure you have a fish that will clean the algae on your tank. Most use pleco, but there is a much better substitute: Otto catfish or Ottos! These are like plecos because they also stick on walls, but they are smaller, more beautiful and cute, easy to take care of, friendly and nice to have in small schools in at least 3! They are the perfect algae cleaning crew and are happier in planted aquariums and they are herbivores, so make sure you give them some algae wafers! Don't worry, they won't eat your plants, but unless they are REALLY hungry and desperate for food. But if they are well fed, they will only rest on plants by sticking on staying close to them.

A word of caution: BEWARE OF CHINESE ALGAE EATERS! They are often mistaken by people as ottos because they look quite alike, but their behavior is very different from ottos! They are aggressive and can grow quite long, and can stick on your fish's skin and sometimes make a hole through their flesh! Just study and examine very carefully the fish before buying it, or your tank will end up as a graveyard of holey fishes.

Kevin

i dont recommend otos...they require very clean water (perfect conditions) and lots of algae as they eat constantly
a bristlenose pleco or clown pleco might be a better choice