I want to get some fish, and a small tank. I know NOTHING about fish, and only want small ones. Help?

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Okayyyy.
1. Get a 10 gallon to start with and if you get the hang of it and like it you can upgrade later down the road.

2. All fish need filtration and tropical fish need a filter and a heater.
You can also get some gravel and decor and put this in the tank before adding water. Before adding it to the tank rinse everything in warm to hot water. If you want gravel when rinsing it make sure that they water runs clear after your rinse it to make sure all the rock dust is gone.

3. Fill up your tank with tap water and put in AquaSafe. AquaSafe makes tap water safe for fish by eliminating the chemicals in tap water that are bad for fish and will hurt them.

4. After you fill it up and put AquaSafe in pour some water into the filter so that it isn't bone dry when you turn it on. Then Turn it on and turn the heater on at approximatly 77 degrees F.

5. Let it run for a full 24 hours before testing the water you will then need to do a fishless nitrogen cycle or a sucide fish cycle to get the water quality to where other fish will be able to survive.

--> Fishless Cycling http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html

6. After you have completed the cycling process you can get some fish.

7. I would suggest getting some neon tetras (best if they are in a school, about 4) and then get about 3 guppies.

8. When buying guppies make sure you get all male or all female. If you get females make sure they have been in an all female tank. Guppies are the easiest fish to breed they have babies about every 30 days and give live birth. They can still have babies for about 6 months without a male so make sure they haven't been with a male ever.

9. When you bring your new fish home put the bag on the top of the water and let the water temp adjust so that the bag water temp is about the same to whats in the tank. Leave them there for about 10-15 minutes and then you can out them into the tank.

10. You might also want to get a plecostomous. These are also called sucker fish they keep your tank clean and free from algae build up.

Good Luck and Happy Fish Keeping.

If you have any questions feel free to email me.


NOTE: Bettas dont belong in bowls they need to swim and have room also. They need at least a 2.5 gallon with a filter. Please don't put fish in bowls.

I agree with 'You know you love me'-- Don't buy fish at walmart. They don't take care of them and most of them are sick (At least at my walmart they are) Go to a Pet or Fish store. They know what they are doing....Show more

I agree, fish bowls are death traps and no fish will live in one for more than a few days. Unless you want to be treating a fish like they do in walmart-dont use a bowl!!

Seeing as though you want small fish, you should try neon tetras. They get about 1.5 inches and do best in schools. For a school of 5, your going to need about a 10 gallon tank.

Don't whine. They sell 10 gallon tanks at walmart for 13 dollars, but DON'T buy fish from there. Please. Buy them from an aquarium store where people actually know what their talking about.

If you get a betta, bettas do not live in bowls. I know you'll see bowls that say 'perfect for bettas!' ignore that. their DEATH TRAPS!! As I said on your other question, bettas need a 2.5 gallon tank.

Just because bettas are hardy fish don't ignore the fact that they need a filter and a heater.

Neon tetras need a filter, too. Check the tempertures reccomended for fish and DO NOT mix fish who have a different requirment for temperture for water.

DO NOT and I can't emphasize this enough DO NOT get a goldfish! "aww their so cute and tiny i could get about 4!!" no. the common goldfish typically grows up to 16"!! I don't think that would fit in whatever tank your getting. Plus, their VERY messy fish and raise HIGH ammonia levels which call for constant cleaning. They are not good time first fish.

I hope this helps, just please, keep researching fish until you think your educated enough to take one in.

Best Regaurds,
♥Nichole♥...Show more

The very first thing you need to do is to go to your local pet store, book store, or public library, and get some beginner's books on aquarium keeping. It is impossible to tell you everything you need to know here. A good beginner's book will get you off to a good start. To answer your specific questions, a pump pumps oxygen into the water, and operates those cute animated decorations like the scuba diver that goes up and down, etc. Some people say fish benefit from the extra oxygen being pumped into the water, others disagree. I like the bubbles, so I do it. A filter helps keep your water clean. Every fish produces waste, so every fish can benefit from use of a filter. Most require it. A well cared for fish kept by a knowledgeable fish-keeper can live for years. Mine tend to average about 5 years per fish. However, if you just buy a fish and throw it in some water without knowing what you're doing, that will usually result in the fish dying in weeks if not days. The main groups of fish are cold water, tropical, and marine. Cold water fish are goldfish and minnows, for example. Goldfish need no heater but very good filtration, and at least 10 gallons of water per fish. They are huge waste producers. Tropical fish require a heater and filter. Most fish you'll find at the fish store will be tropicals. These fish are what most people keep and are easiest to care for, if you learn the basics of aquarium keeping. Marine fish are salt water fish, and are only for very experienced aquarium keepers, as they are a lot harder and more expensive to care for. Most places (including Walmart) sell starter kits, with the tank, filter, heater, etc, all in one package. These aren't usually top-of-line systems, but they're okay to get you started. I'd recommend a 20 gallon tank to start with, or at least a 10 gallon. A bigger tank is usually better, because a common mistake people make is to over-stock a tank. A rule to follow is "one inch of fish per gallon of water." This is relevant to the size the fish will be when it's full grown, so if it's only one inch now, but will be 3 inches when it's full grown, you have to allow for the 3 inches. So, a 10 gallon tank will not allow you to have very many fish, when most fish are 1-2 inches when grown. Please, get some books on the subject, and you'll end up with a very successful first attempt at aquarium keeping. Good luck!...Show more

1. All fish require filtration. Bowls are death traps. Fish may survive in them, but the point of keeping pets is to have them thrive.

2. All aquariums need to be cycled before you add fish. Cycling means that you have allowed the tank to run for a few weeks and have added a source of ammonia (fish food, or pure ammonia) twice a day. The ammonia mimics fish waste to that when you do add fish they won't die of an ammonia spike because bacteria has built up to break the waste down.

3. By taking care of the water you take care of your fish- Aquariums should be maintained weekly by performing weekly water changes of about 25%. Test your water at least weekly. You can buy your own test kit (which I recommend) or many pet stores will test water for free.

4. Tank size dictates what fish you may keep. Buy the largest tank within your budget....Show more

Get guppies. They get no bigger than 1.5 inches. They live 2-5 years. heres what everything for them would cost


Tank kit(5 gallon, comes with filter and a light installed, i suggest getting the MARINE LAND corner five).........$45

NOTHING BELOW COMES WITH THE TANK KIT
Heater (a nice 25 watt, keeps it warm for the 5 gal) $20
Gravel and decorations (gravel, youll need about 5 pounds, and get a few plants for them to hide in) $20
Thermometer and Net $5
Water conditioner (mix it with the water to make it chemical free) $3
Food ( i suggest tetramin flakes) $3

(a sample of food and water conditioner come with the tank i suggested, about enough for a month)

guppies cost 3-4 dollars a piece, and you can fit 4-6 in the 5 gal tank. i curently have 2 in mine, buti getting 3 more.

you will also need some cartridges to go in your filter. this come with 1 already. an cartridge is just a little sponge like thing u put in the filter that soaks up the dirt. u have to change it about 1 time a month



GUPPY CARE

Feeding

Feed them 2-3 times a day. feed them about as much as they will eat in 5 minutes. if they start eating slow, stop feeding them. TETRAMIN FLAKES

Cleaning

about once a month, change the filter cartridge, change about 25% of the water, and clean the gravel a bit.

Heating and lighting
Keep heat on 75-80 keep heater on all day and night. keep light on 10-12 hours a day. it enhances their color, but makes algea growth

Health

If you want, you can add a little aquarium salt. this helps them fight infections. u put about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons in. it costs around 2 bucks for a pack thatll last you a year or more. its cheap and worth it





EVERYTHING ELSE YOULL EVER NEED TO KNOW COMES IN A BOOKLET WITH THE TANK KIT I SUGESTED.





adding fish

add fish 1-2 at a time in once a week. ex. every tuesday add a guppy untill u get to ur goal






HERE IS THE LINK TO THAT TANK.
Note: it doesnt come withthe decoraations


http://www.petco.com/product/13809/Marineland-Eclipse-Corner-5-Aquarium-Kit.aspx?&cm_ven=ShopZilla&cm_cat=Fish&cm_pla=Marineland&cm_ite=420107...Show more