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Anonymous
hiya /an/, I just finished setting up my fresh water aquarium, and I was thinking about what types of fish to get, maybe bela sharks? Thoughts?

Pic related.
>> Anonymous
you already posted this in /b/

how about tetras, pretty easy to keep if your new to fishkeeping
>> Anonymous
Stalker! =P

It got 404'ed on b. thought i would repost here.
>> Anonymous
My aunt and uncle used to have bela sharks. They're really hardy but the thing is they can grow up to like a foot. They had to get rid of em because they both got huge and started bumping and hitting things in the tank. They were covered in scars and cuts and became really skiddish.
>> Anonymous
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Do not get bala sharks unless you want a 15 inch long fish a few years from now. I know they're in every Petco known to man... but there are better, more interesting, fish.

How big is your tank? This'll determine what fish you can get. (Typical rule: for every inch of fish, one gallon of water. Look up how big a fish speices will get before buying, or you're going to be a sorry fucker)
Also, do you have a heater? You can defiantly get more interesting tropical fish than coldwater.
Anyway, here are some suggestions...

Neon Tetras - Really pretty schooling fish. Going to have to get a lot of them though, since they're happier in groups. They can be fragile however, so if your new to fish expect a few die offs.
Zebra Danios - Not as pretty as tetras, but sure are harder to kill. They also arn't as shy, and are ADHD in fish form. Mine never stop moving.
Corys - Lots of different kinds. Schooling bottom dwellers. Active little buggers. Pretty damn cute as far as fish go.
Guppies - Breed like craaaaazy. Pretty interesting fish and easy to keep.

Also, if you want something AWESOME, google "cichlid". Most of them get very large, and are pretty aggressive. ...but they are fucking amazing fish. They learn to recognize their owners and can be taught tricks as well.
Kribensis, Rams, Keyholes, and many other species are small and peaceable and can live with schooling fish quite fine.

Pic related. It's a Blue Acara. New world Cichlids <3
>> Anonymous
>>279423
seriously, get guppies or tetras for a start.
>> Anonymous
Words of advice:

1. replace the incandescent bulbs with fluorescent, unless you want a massive case of brown algae.

2. don't buy anything that will outgrow your tank.

Fish for a 10g:
Paradise fish are hardy and interesting. Can be mean as shit and terrorize any tankmates though... Keep it solo with something like a rubber lip or clown pleco.

Pea puffers are cool, but are picky eaters, and usually you have to feed them frozen bloodworms, which can be a pain in the ass. You can keep them with smaller algae eaters like otocinclus.

Cories are cool, especially in a school of 4 or 5. Just make sure they have soft substrate (sand or very very fine gravel is good).
>> Anonymous
>>279460

A 10G or 20G High (which is what that looks like) is way too small for any cichlids except MAYBE apistogramma or Tanganyikan shelldwellers (Neolamprologus Brevis, etc.).
>> Anonymous
>>279487
>2. don't buy anything that will outgrow your tank.
This, we had this fuckin loach that got like, the length of our tank. He was the last one that survived the many years we had the aquarium. We had to flush him though because we couldn't take the aquarium when we moved :/ He was a really cool fish though
>> Anonymous
OP here :D

Thanks folks for all the help and advice!
i just really wish that the little sharks didn't grow to be so big :(
>> Anonymous
OP here again, lol, forgot to mention it's a 10g tank
>> Anonymous
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Get a red tailed shark. They look nice, don't get overly large, and are hardy. Plus they are extinct in the wild.
>> Anonymous
>>279536

Do they sell those at a petco/petsmart type store? or would i have to find a breeder?
>> Anonymous
>>279539
Yeah you can find them at any petco/petsmart, and at pretty much any pet shop that has fish. They've got a lot of personality to. Only get one though.
>> Anonymous
>>279536

Red tail sharks are HUGE. Are you a fucking dumb ass nigger or what?

Those things grow to 6-8" and when they're larger, they have enough momentum to bust open the tank lid if you startle them. They're jumpers too.

OP, listen to someone who has been doing this shit for years. If you want big fish, get a big tank. Look on Craiglist, in newspapers, and at yard sales. Sometimes you can get 55, 75, or 125 gallon tanks that way for WAY cheap. Whenever people move and have fish, they almost ALWAYS sell it for real cheap.

If this is your first tank, get something you hopefully won't kill and won't outgrow your tank.

I'd recommend a rubber lip pleco, some tetras or hatchets, and some snails and shrimp. They're fun to watch, easy to take care of, and won't outgrow your 10 gallon.
>> Anonymous
North American freshwater fish don't get the love they deserve. There are a lot of darters, minnows, and madtoms (little catfish) that do well in small aquariums.
>> Anonymous
You will probably need a heater in that tank if you are going to get tropical fish.

There are plenty of websites with information on tropical fish species.. what PH and temperature they need, how big they get, what they are compatible with, do they school, etc. Just do a little research and you'll find something.
>> Anonymous
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>>279601
>>279614
>>279583
>>279462
Follow this advice.

If you're going to get fish from a Petco or a Petsmart, LOOK at the tags under the tanks. Pick things that will stay under 4'' and NOTHING bigger for a 10g. Find community fish. I advise AGAINST an algae eater - it's much better to just clean the tank yourself with partial water changes with a gravel vacuum and a sponge for the glass.

Here's my recommendation:
Go to Petsmart/Petco with a sample of your water to get tested. They should do this for free.
If your water is good, find some small community fish you like. If they're livebearers (platies, mollies), sex them and only get males (females will often arrive pregnant).
Only get two or three fish your first trip. This is so you don't upset your chemical balance in your tank. After three-four days, go back and get two or three more. Your tank should be at full capacity at this point. Enjoy your fish.

Don't try to stuff a zillion fish in your tank - you picked a 10 gallon. Overcrowding will ruin your shit fast.

Don't get goldfish. Don't get sharks. Don't get a pleco. Don't get cichlids.

You may also want to get a background to help make your fish feel more secure - or at least one or two plastic plants for cover.
>> Anonymous
>>279583
I rarely see them at 6" even in large well established aquariums. So long as he only keeps a couple fish in there it would be fine. And they may be jumpers, but they aren't easily startled. Maybe you're thinking of rainbow, or bala sharks. I would never recommend tetra's, or hatchet's to a beginner. Let alone tell that beginner to mix them in with some shrimp which can eat said tetra's, and hatchet's. You miss are a moron.
>> Anonymous
Get black mollies, they will help to balance out the ammonia levels, and are hardy fish so they can take a good beating.
>> Anonymous
>>279657
The shrimps available in the pet trade aren't going to eat a tetra or a hatchet, what the fuck are you thinking of?
>> Anonymous
>>279657
most freshwater shrimp are filter feeders and dont go after fish so he wont have to worry about that
>> Anonymous
OP you need a background. Here's a cool trick I learned years ago: get some large sheets of aluminum foil and wrinkle it. Not too much. Don't wad it up in a ball. Foil wrinkles real easy. Then flatten it and put it on the back of the tank, shiny side facing in. It's reflective and the wrinkles give a neat effect.
>> Anonymous
>>279744
I actually don't like backgrounds that much. I like seeing other parts of my house, even if it's just the wall, through the tank because then it's like the fish are swimming through my house and not so isolated, like a fish that's existing with me and not in a bubble I set up for it.
>> Anonymous
>>279747
YOU may not like it, but it's good stress reduction for the fish. If you're not willing to put a background on it, you need to pick out some plastic plants to bunch up so they don't feel like they're completely out in the open.
>> Anonymous
>>279856
Didn't know that o_o Will put up background next time (don't own fish currently)