Show me your fishtanks!

[WallyLoopey]

My daughter's 8th birthday is coming up and she has expressed interest in a freshwater tank for her bedroom. She already has two hamsters she bought with her chore money, along with their cages, food, and bedding. She's shown a lot of responsibility with them (I help her clean cages and make sure she is feeding and watering them), so I'm probably going to oblige and do a fishtank for her birthday...(which is the end of May)

I'm thinking around 20gallons, freshwater of course. She has shown interest in the 'glowing' fish and decor they have at petsmart. Anyone seen/have these? I had fishtanks years ago, but obviously I need to read up on it again.
Can anyone recommend some hardy fish species for this size tank, some 'friendly' species that go together, etc...

And just for fun, can I see some pics of others tanks?

I'm thinking of gifting her the tank, filter, etc and then giving her money to go and pick out her decor..then later let her go and pick her fish when the tank is stable.

Sorry for the long post!
Thanks

 

[Kolkri]

20 is not going to do it. You well need at least a 10 gallon tank a 20 would be better. Kits don't come with a heater so you well need that. Then you need to cycle the tank before you put any fish in it. So either get a test kit. Not strips the liquid one is better. Or keep taking water up to the pet store most well test your water for you just find one that does not use strips.
Then after about 6 weeks you can get the glow fish. I have never had much luck keeping then alive more then a couple months.
A cheaper but still more then 20 bucks way to go is to get a 5 gallon. Still need a heater. Cycle it and get a betta. Not enough room for glow fish. And don't lesson the the people that work at the store they only need to fill out an application and most know nothing about live pets.
I have been keeping fish for over 30 years. I have three fresh water tanks a 125 gallon goldfish tank, a 150 gallon oscar and a few friends tank and my 30 gallon guppy tank. I also have one 14 gallon nano reef saltwater tank.
Good luck

 

[WallyLoopey]

? 20 is not going to do it..you need at least a 10...
I said 20..
Hm?
I actually have a 29 gallon that's not being used.

 

[txdyna65]

Petco and Petsmart have starter kits you can buy that come with a light, filter and the other things you need. Its cheaper to buy the starter kit than to buy the stuff seperately.
You could always wait for their $1 a gallon sale at petco and get a 20-30 gallon tank and the stuff for it.
I went this route and got a 29 gallon and the stuff I needed for it for around $100. Im going to use it for a saltwater quarantine tank but you could still do it this way for freshwater.
I have kept freshwater tanks from 10 gallon up to 150 gallon, so it just depends on what you want to spend to start out, space for it and the stand or whatever you are going
to put the tank on. I think 20-30 gallon would be a good starter, gives you a little more options on fish you can keep in it. If she only wants one or two fish then a 10 gallon would be ok.
A betta and a couple of the glowfish or the fancy guppies would be a nice starter imo, just dont put aggressive fish with passive fish and you'll be ok.
I dont have pics of my previous tanks, Im currently setting up a 210 saltwater tank but still weeks away from getting water in it.

 

[Moshimaru]

I have a friend that is trying to get me into keeping fish - maybe an axolotl one day! I know nothing about fish, but I hope you post pictures of your tanks when everything is finished!

 

[WallyLoopey]

Wonder why the glofish don't live very long?
That's one of my main concerns, it seems like when I kept fish, they died so easily. I def don't want her to be disheartened if they start dying. Of course I know SOME die off is to be expected.
I think @Kolkri 's six week tip and the testing should minimize that. She really wants the glotank, so I will probably be heading in that direction. I expected to spend around 200 for everything or more..it's always expensive upfront getting started with animals. I do have the tank, but the kit might still come out cheaper...will have to check.

 

[Gddmsam]

This is my 30 long tank stocked with tiger barbs, neon tetras and a red tailed black shark. All the plants are live and the wood is real bogwood. The rocks are granite and substrait is standard pea gravel type. I run a 40 gallon hang on the back filter and a 50 gallon heater. I have java moss, AR, micro sword, amazon sword, and I used to have a banana plant and some water sprite.

A 29 gal. would be great for most small fish (under 4 inches fully grown). Some good stocking options are: tetras, barbs, cories (require sandy bottoms) small loaches, maybe ciclids (no drift wood, stone only and few plants. Be careful as they are diggers and can trap themselves.)
If your daughter is going to be the primary care giver I would suggest fake plants, as they require a lot of special care and some plants can be very difficult to take root.
If you do decide to get live plants anything with a rhyzome is easy to care for, also java moss grows like wild fire. Do not get goldfish or any type, they get HUGE and at adulthood require over 100 gallons each. Also avoid any "sharks" you need a longer tank at least 3 linear feet of swim space for a baby. Most "sharks" grow to over 18 inches by adulthood. If she chooses the fish, make sure they are compatible; ciclid all need high ph 7-9 where as most others need a ph of around 5.0-6.5 max. Tempatures also vary depending on species. You should check out liveaquaria.com as they have great care sheets with good guidelines for tank size and sticking options.
I hope that helps!

 

[Jaguar]

(older pic)

My 17 gallon I have a small school of ember tetras and a few oto catfish. I'd like to add a small shoal of salt&pepper cory cats eventually.

If you want a bigger "centerpiece" fish you might be able to do something like a pair of apistogramma or small ram cichlids - depends on your water and commitment to care. Dwarf gouramis are another pretty option, but they aren't the most hardy. Espei rasboras, chili rasboras, ember tetras, and green neon tetras are a few of my favorite schooling fish for a small tank. Pygmy cories are very fun bottom dwellers, or you could go with a small pleco like a clown or rubbernose. Lots of options Shrimp are awesome too if you want to try something different!

 

[Jaguar]

Also, be sure to check local classified sites before you buy. Fish stuff is extremely overpriced in stores. People tend to "upgrade" pretty fast and sell their old stuff. I've scored some really awesome equipment for dirt cheap, including a canister filter and Flourite substrate. Bit of bleach gets everything nice and clean

 

[Gddmsam]

Definately check out local ads. I use diluted 1:10 vinegar water for fish related cleaning, just like with Boba. I find it's a safe alternative to bleach.

 

[Kolkri]

? 20 is not going to do it..you need at least a 10...
I said 20..
Hm?
I actually have a 29 gallon that's not being used.

Sorry had not had my coffee yet thought you mean 20 bucks. lol I have a couple pictures of my smaller planted tank.
14 gallon planted with easy to grow plants.

6 gallon low light low tech planted tank.

30 gallon low light low tech planted tank. Most of my small tanks were all pretty heavly planted with cheep easy plants.

 

[WallyLoopey]

Hehe, my husband actually ran to the store this morning cause I was out of coffee.

 

[itzjbean]

I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank, have had it set up for about 5 years now. Once you have the tank established and the pH levels right, it is very easy to maintain, in my opinion. I do a 25% water change about every 2 weeks. It stays pretty clear and clean otherwise. If you're a novice, I suggest looking for the kits, they'll be at most pet stores and I'd expect to pay $150-$300 for all supplies needed. Here is my tank, I apologize for the whispering but I made this video a few years back for ASMR relaxation purposes, but it looks about the same today. I keep guppies, angels, a pleco, tetras and a betta. They all do well together.

My tank

 

[WallyLoopey]

Beautiful tanks! So excited to get started. I love the live plants. I'm going to look up the fish everyone mentioned..right now I only know what a beta and tetra are, lol
They look so good with just a few fish too...less is more.

 

[camelotshadow]

I have a 29 gallon freshwater tank, have had it set up for about 5 years now. Once you have the tank established and the pH levels right, it is very easy to maintain, in my opinion. I do a 25% water change about every 2 weeks. It stays pretty clear and clean otherwise. If you're a novice, I suggest looking for the kits, they'll be at most pet stores and I'd expect to pay $150-$300 for all supplies needed. Here is my tank, I apologize for the whispering but I made this video a few years back for ASMR relaxation purposes, but it looks about the same today. I keep guppies, angels, a pleco, tetras and a betta. They all do well together.

My tank

Are you hypnotizing the fish?

Never thought angels would go with guppies but I see your angels are small babies.
A betta is OK with other fish? I know they will fight other betas.

 

[camelotshadow]

Beautiful tanks! So excited to get started. I love the live plants. I'm going to look up the fish everyone mentioned..right now I only know what a beta and tetra are, lol
They look so good with just a few fish too...less is more.

Not sure what these glo fish are but maybe your daughter can get interested in a fish that can be more hardy.

Angelfish are really nice & a 29 gallon will work for a pair. The veiltails are very graceful. Angels need a more acidic ph water are can be sort of aggressive.
Its not recommended to put them with smaller fish as they can eat them.

This place says ph 6.5 which is slightly acid to 7.5 which is slightly alkaline. A guppy can be fine in 6.8 to 7.8 PH as well as a angel fish so they can live in the same water but a angelfish if its big enough may nibble on the guppy. You would have to have lots of places to hide. I guess a few guppies in the tank could work.

Freshwater Angelfish Care | ThatPetPlace.com

Seems glofish are a genetically mutated zebra danio. They are small fish & live about 2 to 4 years if well cared for.
Genetically modified things always seem to have shorter lifespans.

I guess they flouress under certain lighting & were hoped to be bred to flouress in polluted water. Interesting.

Try to get her to look at different fish & see the differences. She might get more joy out of a bigger pair of fish then a few small colorful fish.

I just read that glofish can't be sold in California.

I do like a nice fishtank. Its can be very relaxing.

 

[Jaguar]

A betta is OK with other fish? I know they will fight other betas.

Depends on the betta and the setup. You want a decently sized tank with lots of hiding spots, and a placid betta with no other nippy inhabitants. I had a betta in my tank for a while and unfortunately the tetras picked his fins.

 

[WallyLoopey]

Thank you for so much information. I did not know that about the glofish, very strange. I know they advertise everywhere as being naturally born that way..but that's very hard to believe. Yes, they (along with their 'glo' brand decor, etc) glow under a black light.
We are heading out today and might pop in a pet store to have a look. Of course I'll forget what she likes so I'll have to write it down. Lol

 

[WallyLoopey]

Oh and we use well water here so I guess I'm one step ahead, no water conditioning needed.

If I let the tank run 4-6 wks with nothing in it, will it be able to go through a nitrogen cycle?
Shouldn't something be put in to start 'pooping'?

 

[Gddmsam]

If you cycle it without fish "feed" the tank. A small pinch of flake food every other day works well. I suggest cycling, without fish, for at least 4 weeks.