Considering A New Tank

What are some all around good options for a beginner starting out with a 40-55 gallon freshwater tank?

I'd like a community sort of tank that doesn't need a heater. The room temperature of tank water in my current home has been 73-76° before but in smaller tanks.

I've had a 20 gallon salt water tank for housing a rescue marine hermit before (just had the hermit and brine shrimp in it from my kid tossing pinches of brine shrimp eggs in there).

I'm moving in a year and may not start the tank till after the move but would like to research and gather knowledge and feedback on what to get and start collecting supplies.

 

May I ask why not a heater?
You can get reliable ones for quite cheap and it would open up your variety....
Some good beginner fish (but would need a heater for some)

- platies
-mollies
-khulI loaches
-Cory cats
- BN pleco
- tons of types of tetras from tiny to big (most are good beginner fish)

There are all sorts... but that would give you a good top, middle, and bottom selection for a beginner tank

But first and foremost please if you are not familiar with the nitrogen cycle, research it and ask questions....
And before buying ANY fish research what type of substrate you will need for them... I generally go with sand because nearly any fish can go in sand where as not any fish can live in gravel...

Once you find fish you like please please make sure to look up or ask (on here) how many you will need and if it will be suitable for your tank... lots of fish are sold at an inch big and grow massive and you will only run into HUGE problems later on...

My suggestion would be to start the tank after you move... otherwise it will be a nightmare for a beginner... you will literally have to bag up all your fish and drain your tank and take out everything and then move it... while still preserving the beneficial bacteria the proper way... I know a year is a long time to wait but it will be easier in the long run and less stressful...
Unless you just just wanted to go bare bottom and start with a couple platies or mollies... then finish up your stock when you get moved.... but IMO it would just be easier... if your wanting a good beginner community tank I would advise in getting a heater as most tropical fish will need temps above 73 degrees... also depends on where you are moving to.... could be hotter or colder in the new place... another good reason to wait....

If you could afford a smaller tank for right now (like a 5-10g) you could get some bettas or something to get you learning about the nitrogen cycle... and then by the time you move you will have build an established tank that you can use to seed your big one and things will go much smoother...

I don’t know if you have a filter and everything yet but if not when it comes time to purchase I would advise an aqua clear or canister if you can afford a good one (the aqua clear HOB’s are one of the best you will get for a decent price)

If you have anymore specific questions please feel free to ask... also don’t waste your money on test strips... you will want to purchase an API liquid kid... the best for your money

 

I started with a juwel Rio 240. It's a good tank but you need to add additional filtration.

For fish at 73-76f in a 55 gallon here are some options.
For mid dwellers you couod do neon tetras, skirt tetras, bloodfin tetras, zebra/leopard danios, giant danios (need 55 gallons), gold ring danios, celestial pearl danios pearl danios, gold barbs, rosy barbs, odessa barbs, mollies, platies, guppies or swordtails
For the bottom of the tank you could add, three lined cories, julliI cories, panda cories, pygmy cories, bronze cories, emerald cories (need 55 gallons), bristlenose pleco, rubberlip pleco or kuhlI loaches
And as a centrepiece you could do bolivian rams, honey gouramis, dwarf gourami or umbrella cichlids.

 

I agrees with most of BottomDweller ’s suggestions... however I would still recommend a heater just in case... at least to have on hand...
Also I wouldn’t recommend rams or MOST cichlids to a beginner and if you do go with them I would add them after you get a handle on the rest first... make sure you can handle the “easier” fish before you move to fish that although small can still be aggressive and most people don’t know it can be as simple as rearranging decor to stop it....

Also you will want to find out what your water quality is going to be like... for example are you moving from a place with hard water to a place with soft water and stuff like that... if it’s just across town shouldn’t be an issue but if it’s a big move again, you may want to wait or use RO water at both places.... because it can really mess up the fish if they live a year in soft water and then you move to a place with hard water (many other factors with the water can affect them as well... but I was just using that as an example)

 

Well

 

Also I wouldn’t recommend rams or MOST cichlids to a beginner and if you do go with them I would add them after you get a handle on the rest first... make sure you can handle the “easier” fish before you move to fish that although small can still be aggressive and most people don’t know it can be as simple as rearranging decor to stop it....

Bolvian rams are hardy and very peaceful in my experience

 

A ram is probably the least aggressive cichlid I know of.



My piece of advise, is to look at your local pet store and see what interests you and then - of course - research their needs throughly to get a good idea on how to stock and suitable water parameters (mostly temp, fish can adjust to a wide range of pH levels, gH and kH).

You can easily make it a fun task by taking your 'minI me' and see what interests him. For example, he may like the look of barbs - thus increasing his interest - while you may like loaches (or something incompatible, like monster fish ^_^ )...


You have a good understanding on the nitrogen cycle since you kept marine hermies, (in which marine invertebrates have a narrow range of suitable parameters!) So a lot of the basics could easily be ignored in your case, since you would have a basic understanding.

 

Rams are great fish. But do have problem in new tanks. There best introduced into established tanks.
I’m guessing by the cactus you live in a hot area so that’s why your not getting a heater. I live in New York and because of the ac my tanks allways run colder in the summer.
My suggestion for a new tank in the near future.... a 60gal acrylic with a seachem110 hob filter and a power head with a sponge filter. You’ve got a year to put it all together. Buy your pieces one at a time. Tank first and than store everything else in the tank till your ready to start. I would get a heater. Can’t hurt. Make your own stand. Plenty of diy stuff on utube. Gravel,ornaments and all can be bought a little a a time. Just my opinion and good luck on your journey. Ps lots of reading. And welcome to fishlore!!!

 

Oh I know they are one of the most peaceful ones you can get... I have 4... but it’s just not something I would suggest to a beginner.... I would start with some more simple livebearers or something like that... until they get a handle on it... but that’s easily done... they just have to leave stocking room to add them later on...

 

Yes I agree rams later. But I’m not a fan of livebearers. Seems some beginners end up with too many fish that they just don’t want. Stick with tetras,angelfish,corys maybe barbs. When the tank is up and running for about 6 months than add those rams.

 

Yes I agree rams later. But I’m not a fan of livebearers. Seems some beginners end up with too many fish that they just don’t want. Stick with tetras,angelfish,corys maybe barbs. When the tank is up and running for about 6 months than add those rams.

You will never end up with too many babies if you just let nature take its course... just let the others eat them... problem solved... most times unless you take measures to save them that’s what happens anyway

 

May I ask why not a heater?
You can get reliable ones for quite cheap and it would open up your variety....
Some good beginner fish (but would need a heater for some)

- platies
-mollies
-khulI loaches
-Cory cats
- BN pleco
- tons of types of tetras from tiny to big (most are good beginner fish)

There are all sorts... but that would give you a good top, middle, and bottom selection for a beginner tank

But first and foremost please if you are not familiar with the nitrogen cycle, research it and ask questions....
And before buying ANY fish research what type of substrate you will need for them... I generally go with sand because nearly any fish can go in sand where as not any fish can live in gravel...

Once you find fish you like please please make sure to look up or ask (on here) how many you will need and if it will be suitable for your tank... lots of fish are sold at an inch big and grow massive and you will only run into HUGE problems later on...

My suggestion would be to start the tank after you move... otherwise it will be a nightmare for a beginner... you will literally have to bag up all your fish and drain your tank and take out everything and then move it... while still preserving the beneficial bacteria the proper way... I know a year is a long time to wait but it will be easier in the long run and less stressful...
Unless you just just wanted to go bare bottom and start with a couple platies or mollies... then finish up your stock when you get moved.... but IMO it would just be easier... if your wanting a good beginner community tank I would advise in getting a heater as most tropical fish will need temps above 73 degrees... also depends on where you are moving to.... could be hotter or colder in the new place... another good reason to wait....

If you could afford a smaller tank for right now (like a 5-10g) you could get some bettas or something to get you learning about the nitrogen cycle... and then by the time you move you will have build an established tank that you can use to seed your big one and things will go much smoother...

I don’t know if you have a filter and everything yet but if not when it comes time to purchase I would advise an aqua clear or canister if you can afford a good one (the aqua clear HOB’s are one of the best you will get for a decent price)

If you have anymore specific questions please feel free to ask... also don’t waste your money on test strips... you will want to purchase an API liquid kid... the best for your money

I have an API liquid kit. I am currently caring for a friend's axolotl and my son has 2 goldfish that were rescued from a festival about 3-4 years ago.

I am moving to Arizona and live in Texas currently.

 

My main tank is a 20 that's been running for almost 14 years now. It's a good size, a little limiting for some of the really awesome species, but absolutely perfect for 'nano' fish, especially schooling types. Those are getting easier to find, though you'll probably have to look at moms & pops for good options. I was at Petsmart the other day and they only had a handful of species that would really do good. Sometimes it comes down to what you can get your hands on.

I'd still recommending picking up a heater as insurance, even if you want room temp species. Fish don't do well with temperature swings, as adjustments in nature tend to be slow. You don't have to set it high, just have it so it kicks on in the event of something happening.

72 degrees tends to be absolute lowest for commonly available tropical fish. There are species like white cloud minnows and hara catfish that can be even cooler, but it depends on what you want in a tank. Do you want bright and flashy? Calming and schooling? A bunch of different kinds? Bigger fish (there would be less)? Tiny fish (there would be more)?

 

Oh I know they are one of the most peaceful ones you can get... I have 4... but it’s just not something I would suggest to a beginner.... I would start with some more simple livebearers or something like that... until they get a handle on it... but that’s easily done... they just have to leave stocking room to add them later on...

They have kept marine inverts... they aren't really beginner IMO, and can easily keep slightly more challenging fish without issue.
Even then, I wouldn't go on to suggesting a angelfish - which is more likely to cause issues than a ram ever would, in fact my angels tend to be more finicky then my rams - which I find is more robust than many species of tetras.

 

Are you housing the Axolotl and goldfish together?? If so I’d be very careful and wouldn’t do that...

 

Are you housing the Axolotl and goldfish together?? If so I’d be very careful and wouldn’t do that...

Nah, OP is doing it seperately from what I believe. The axie is a temp resident, where the OP explained that they 'fish sitting' the axie for a couple of weeks.

 

They have kept marine inverts... they aren't really beginner IMO, and can easily keep slightly more challenging fish without issue.
Even then, I wouldn't go on to suggesting a angelfish - which is more likely to cause issues than a ram ever would, in fact my angels tend to be more finicky then my rams - which I find is more robust than many species of tetras.

It all depends on the fish itself really also... I have had angels that caused no problems at all and others that were terrors lol
The same with rams...
I was just giving suggestions to the OP because they asked for a list of good “beginner” fish... that’s why I said they were a beginner... because they themselves referenced them as just that... besides rams shouldn’t go into a tank for several months after cycling anyway... usually like 3-4 months so it’s more mature

But especially since they are not moving down the street.... I still think it would be easier to wait until they move... see what the natural water is like and then decide on some stock

Nah, OP is doing it seperately from what I believe. The axie is a temp resident, where the OP explained that they 'fish sitting' the axie for a couple of weeks.

Ok I hope so!! That could get dangerous lol
I have 3 Axolotls and they shouldn’t be housed with anything but Axolotls... can be dangerous for both the fish and the axie’s lol

 

Yeah the goldfish are permanent residents and have their own tank in the kid's room.

The lotl is in a temporary tank in our living room till he goes home.

I definitely will wait for the move. It's a 14-16 hour drive and not one I'd want to attempt with a lot of fish. Moving the crab tank is going to be enough for me. And the cats. And the gecko.

I'll probably take the kid to a local fish store and see what he likes.