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Hey, Newbie (soon to be) fish keeper here!
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Welcome to Fishlore! 
Read up on the Aquarium Nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling would be great places to start!
Read up on the Aquarium Nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling would be great places to start!
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Welcome to fish lore & the adventures of fish keeping. You'll find plenty of friendly, knowledgeable folks here to help you on your journey.
A good fish keeping start would be learning about the nitrogen cycle & gathering the tank/supplies you'll need. There are also forums here about specific varieties of animals & their requirements. Lots to learn & lots to enjoy.
Welcome!
A good fish keeping start would be learning about the nitrogen cycle & gathering the tank/supplies you'll need. There are also forums here about specific varieties of animals & their requirements. Lots to learn & lots to enjoy.
Welcome!
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- 126
Go slow, be patient, in every aspect!
You will find a lot of advice here and in the "sticky" (always listed first) posts under each of the sub-forums.
Here's the things I wish people had told me before hand:
1. cycling with fish-in is not crazy, and it can be much easier than a fish-less cycle. it is worth considering, both have benefits and drawbacks. DYOR
2. don't rush to stock your tank.
watch tons of videos. learn about behaviors and interactions between species. aim to understock.
when you go to the aquatic pet store to shop, look at the fish in every single tank and try to spot diseases and injuries. if any of the tanks have visible problems, consider shopping elsewhere because any "ok" looking fish in the tanks you're browsing could very well be hiding problems that will emerge when you bring them home.
Sometimes the store is very busy and the human helpers will be stressed, this stress can be transferred to your new fish in the bagging process, setting you up for failure before they even get home! Aim to shop at low traffic times so you can take your time as well as the staff. be willing to walk home empty handed if it is not feeling just right and meeting your stocking goals. don't change the stocking plan because your significant other came with and was struck by a case of the "oohs and ahhs".
You will find a lot of advice here and in the "sticky" (always listed first) posts under each of the sub-forums.
Here's the things I wish people had told me before hand:
1. cycling with fish-in is not crazy, and it can be much easier than a fish-less cycle. it is worth considering, both have benefits and drawbacks. DYOR
2. don't rush to stock your tank.
watch tons of videos. learn about behaviors and interactions between species. aim to understock.
when you go to the aquatic pet store to shop, look at the fish in every single tank and try to spot diseases and injuries. if any of the tanks have visible problems, consider shopping elsewhere because any "ok" looking fish in the tanks you're browsing could very well be hiding problems that will emerge when you bring them home.
Sometimes the store is very busy and the human helpers will be stressed, this stress can be transferred to your new fish in the bagging process, setting you up for failure before they even get home! Aim to shop at low traffic times so you can take your time as well as the staff. be willing to walk home empty handed if it is not feeling just right and meeting your stocking goals. don't change the stocking plan because your significant other came with and was struck by a case of the "oohs and ahhs".
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I literally did that because the "I WANT THE WATERSNAKES" was so euphoric it struck the right nerve ... but the important thing was, they fit the tank! (Who knows which species I'm talking about?
)Most important thing is that you also have to be interested in the species you consider changing your plans to and, I can't stress this enough, they need to fit.
If you see something that strucks your eye while wanting to get something else, abort mission, go home and thoroughly research (or ask here) if it might be a good fit.
In my opinion a much better solution than something catching your eye, you say "Nah I'll stick to the plan", get home and figure out that they're a 100% match but can't get them anymore because now you have the other fish.
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Hello and welcome !
All fantastic advice above. I’d like to add to not always listen to fish store employee advice. Some are amazing and fully know what they are talking about, some don’t and just want to sell to you.
If you have a fish you love and want to keep but want tank mates , walk away ,then research what conditions they need too. If they don’t fit then don’t add them .
but most important of all enjoy your fish ! Give them the surroundings they need and they’ll reward you
All fantastic advice above. I’d like to add to not always listen to fish store employee advice. Some are amazing and fully know what they are talking about, some don’t and just want to sell to you.
If you have a fish you love and want to keep but want tank mates , walk away ,then research what conditions they need too. If they don’t fit then don’t add them .
but most important of all enjoy your fish ! Give them the surroundings they need and they’ll reward you
OP
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Random Great Topic!
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