# How to Pick Fish For Your Aquarium



## GlennT (Oct 25, 2012)

How to Pick Fish For Your Aquarium
Posted on October 25, 2012 by Glenn	

How to pick the best fish for your Aquarium? Choosing fish for your aquarium can be a difficult task because there are so many different types of fish out there. Do you choose to have a freshwater water aquarium or a saltwater aquarium. Do you want to have peaceful fish or some aggressive fish? Note this is entirely my guidelines yet I have done some research, posted a former list to a forum to see what people thought. I got some good advice from people on the forum and this is the final project. Enjoy the list and I hope it helps.

Five Guidelines of Choosing Fish for a Freshwater Aquarium
1. First of all it is wise move to go to the store and look at the fish you would like to get an idea. Then go home and research the fish you are interested in by looking up the fish in books, online aquariums forums (aquariumforum.com is a good one) this way you know about the fish.

2. Some fish will be happy in a smaller tank, yet others do well in a larger tank. Do not be fooled by the age old rule that some pet stores tell you, it is better to put less fish in an aquarium then putting many fish in a tank just because you can. The old saying the more the merrier does not work in aquarium.

3. If buying aggressive fish, be careful to buy the same type of fish and do not combine the fish with other types of aggressive fish. Pick Fish that are community fish or aggressive fish but do not combine the two types of Fish in the same aquarium. Some fish are aggressive fish which include Tiger barbs, many cichlids, some gouramis, sharks, and eels.

4. Find out if the fish you are buying is a Schooling fish. Schooling means that a fish is very happy swimming with other fish of the same type. I would buy at least six of these types of fish.

5. When Buying Community fish make sure that you are buying only community fish. As stated above do not add aggressive fish into a community tank. Community fish are peaceful and go well with other peaceful fish, but not all community fish do well in the same water temp that is why it is good to research a fish before buying it.


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## goldie (Aug 4, 2012)

Glenn,I agree 100% on 'your idea' as to how to decide what fish to buy but, personally i would'nt always go by what sales clerks would tell me. Some are A1 but, then some would say the fish will be fine just to get a sale. Personally if i wasn't sure that my seller knew what they were talking about i would read a lot and also ask on Fish Forums.


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## Dustin86 (Sep 22, 2012)

Agreed with goldie. Also, I've found that the inch of fish per gallon rule isn't totally reliable. Theoretically that means I could keep an oscar in my 14G tank, which would be terrible for him. *td 

Size (and shape) of the tank can be very important when choosing fish - longer tanks better for faster swimmers, wider tanks better for bigger fish, etc.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I'm always a party-killer, even if I really like the initiative in this posting. There are some points I disagree with. Here goes....
I would change step one, from my experience.
Identify the fish you like, Write down the names. Then go home, and look them up. Ideally, use a fish book, as this will also show you related species. Read up on maximum size, water needs, feeding needs and behavior. Look at the other fish that will happily coexist with it. Wait three days, then go back.
Do the fish still appear healthy? Be familiar with the symptoms of common diseases as shown in any good aquarium book. Study the pictures, and look for the signs. If you have any questions about their health, and if even one fish in the tank looks shaky, go elsewhere.
Consider that the clerk is probably a really decent person who took a minimum wage job because he/she needed it. This person may have no more knowledge than you, but is probably told to never show that. He/she may have no interest in fish, and have no motivation to really learn fish sizes or needs.

Point 5 - one inch per gallon is a dangerous myth. Weigh a one inch zebra. Then weigh a four inch goldfish. Is it four times the bioload? Nope - more like twenty times... One inch per gallon is a recipe for disaster. There is no formula, and each species is case by case for stocking. Less is always better, and nothing is harder to stick with.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Glenn ,not all LFS have the litttle info signs about fish(like petsmart).
Sales clerks are usually the fish version of "used car saleman"
Not all community fish get along,or have same water requirements(temp,ph...)
And the 1" rule is bunk that is passed out at petsmart and unknowledgableLFS.(check 1" rule thread on sight)
It would be nice (in a perfect world) if all the info we needed was available/or provided by the fish store,but to many times this is nowhere near the case.
As mentioned before reading about fish is the safest way to learn what is appropriate/acceptable for particular fish along with the fishes true potential.
I hope you don't have 39 1" goldfish in your tank!


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## goldie (Aug 4, 2012)

Hello again Glenn
Sorry but i missed the part about 1" per gallon,not unusual for me,i'm always in too much of a hurry lol
No, i don't agree with that but, your Paragraph 2,3 and 4 IMP is excellent advice as in being very careful mixing the right species to avoid any aggression in the tank


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## GlennT (Oct 25, 2012)

Thanks for the input all of you. *Navigator black* I agree with you, Identifying the fish you like, Write down the names and go home, and look them up in a fish book is a great idea. I would like to do that the next time I get fish. 
*Coralbandit,* no I do not have gold fish, yet I do have freshwater fish. I go very light on the amount of fish in my aquarium, I would like my fish to be happy and not stressed out. I would like my fish to have room to swim. 
*Navigator Black* I also agree and will change that point in my guidelines that the sales people at places like Petsmart and other pet stores that carry fish are technically not the best places to buy fish because the sales people do not really know about fish. Yesterday, I asked the clerk at Petsmart how big a rainbow fish will get? All the guy did was look at the sign under the tank and then tell me. I would have easily found that out myself without asking. There is a Petsmart very close to me so that is one of the only places I get fish right now. I would like to go to a real marine fish aquarium store and see what type of fish they have.


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## goldie (Aug 4, 2012)

Hello again Glenn

I can't help wondering but, have you changed the guidelines about 1" of Fish per gallon on your blog
The reason i'm asking this is just maybe real newcomers to the hobby may take that on board and put far too many fish in their tanks


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## GlennT (Oct 25, 2012)

This is the new list, just updated my blog

How to Pick Fish For Your Aquarium
Posted on October 25, 2012 by Glenn	

How to pick the best fish for your Aquarium? Choosing fish for your aquarium can be a difficult task because there are so many different types of fish out there. Do you choose to have a freshwater water aquarium or a saltwater aquarium. Do you want to have peaceful fish or some aggressive fish? Note this is entirely my guidelines yet I have done some research, posted a former list to a forum to see what people thought. I got some good advice from people on the forum and this is the final project. Enjoy the list and I hope it helps.

Five Guidelines of Choosing Fish for a Freshwater Aquarium
1. First of all it is wise move to go to the store and look at the fish you would like to get an idea. Then go home and research the fish you are interested in by looking up the fish in books, online aquariums forums (aquariumforum.com is a good one) this way you know about the fish.

2. Some fish will be happy in a smaller tank, yet others do well in a larger tank. Do not be fooled by the age old rule that some pet stores tell you, it is better to put less fish in an aquarium then putting many fish in a tank just because you can. The old saying the more the merrier does not work in aquariums.

3. If buying aggressive fish, be careful to buy the same type of fish and do not combine the fish with other types of aggressive fish. Pick Fish that are community fish or aggressive fish but do not combine the two types of Fish in the same aquarium. Some fish are aggressive fish which include Tiger barbs, many cichlids, some gouramis, sharks, and eels.

4. Find out if the fish you are buying is a Schooling fish. Schooling means that a fish is very happy swimming with other fish of the same type. I would buy at least six of these types of fish.

5. When Buying Community fish make sure that you are buying only community fish. As stated above do not add aggressive fish into a community tank. Community fish are peaceful and go well with other peaceful fish, but not all community fish do well in the same water temp that is why it is good to research a fish before buying it.


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## GlennT (Oct 25, 2012)

here is the link to the post AQUARIUM BLOG.ORG


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## GlennT (Oct 25, 2012)

Sorry, that is a post I got from a articles site so it was not me who wrote it. I am not a expert also yet it time and sometimes money to get to be a expert. for Thanks for the help.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Didnt read it all but would like to add that people need to research adult size for the fish they buy.


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## dime1aotk (Oct 27, 2012)

hey i really need some help, i have a dinosaur bichir in a 80 gal with a torpedo barb a rainbow shark and an angel fish and i want a colorful scool of fish but cannot find any fish that the bichir will leave alone, i have found they should be at least 3" or over and i was thinking tiger barbs but im afraind theyre not quite large enough.
PLZ HELP ANY ADVICE IS APPRECIATED


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## goldie (Aug 4, 2012)

GlennT said:


> Sorry, that is a post I got from a articles site so it was not me who wrote it. I am not a expert also yet it time and sometimes money to get to be a expert. for Thanks for the help.


Glenn, no need to say sorry.Take no notice of my weird sense of humour. I've been reading a bit more and i see you've changed a lot on your Blog.I enjoyed the shrimp vid(their cute) but, i know nothing about them or Saltwaterbut lots on here do.
When you wrote about them being good companions for say anyone lonely I agree they would most likely perk someone up as their so lovely to look at. I hadn't really thought about that before. Anyway I hope you reach the goal your aiming for.Good luck


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I like what you are doing Glenn. I always feel snotty when I jump in and say I disagree with a point a person makes, because while I've had fish since I was a kid, I have a lot to learn. More experienced aquarists may question points you raise, but to me the key thing is that you are raising them, researching them and trying to share what you learn to aid others. I think that's what we're all doing, whatever point on the 'learning about fishkeeping curve' we're on. I was corrected last week on a point I made about Ich, and I really appreciated that - I hate believing in things that are wrong and I like having to question ideas when people politely point weak statements out.
If people question some details in what you write, that is a sign of respect for your work, not a put down. No one wants to help polish garbage, but when you see someone onto something good, you get the urge to add your little bit to try to make it even better...


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