# What fish should I get?



## Aquarium (Jan 17, 2012)

Just joined and thought I'd say hello. I've always liked fish and aquariums but I've never actually owned one. I was planning on buying a nice sized tank and have a salt water setup. After doing some research i decided a small fresh water tank would be best for me to start out with considering the fact that I've never owned one before. I never realized how much effort goes into keeping fish especially salt water fish. I found a nice 6 gallon tank called the Fluval Edge at petco that was originally $150 marked down to $27. 

Here is a stock picture of the tank. I haven't gotten a chance to take a picture of my setup yet.










So far I bought a small Pleco and 2 silver tipped sharks as per the advice of the Petco associate. I've been trying to figure out what else i can put in my tank that won't jeopardize the other fish. What ever it is, I would like it to be unique. Any suggestions? Initially I was hoping to get some puffer fish and some crabs but that would require a brackish setup. I was told brackish is not as hard to maintain as a full saltwater setup but it's still harder than a freshwater. I don't really know much of anything when it comes to this so that's why I'm here. I hope to learn a lot from you guys.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

Hi and welcome  

How long has your tank been set up? If you bought tank and fish at the same time, please read up on the nitrogen cycle and if you havnt already, invest in an API master test kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. 

The pleco you got, is it a common pleco? If so, it will get way too big for your tank. Working with only 6 gallons isnt going to leave you much space for fish, and the sharks you got are more than likely going to get too big as well. The best thing you can do is research the fish you are inerested in and see how they will fit into your set up. Check out aqadvisor.com for a rough estimate on your stocking capacity.


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## Aquarium (Jan 17, 2012)

Summer said:


> Hi and welcome
> 
> How long has your tank been set up? If you bought tank and fish at the same time, please read up on the nitrogen cycle and if you havnt already, invest in an API master test kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels.
> 
> The pleco you got, is it a common pleco? If so, it will get way too big for your tank. Working with only 6 gallons isnt going to leave you much space for fish, and the sharks you got are more than likely going to get too big as well. The best thing you can do is research the fish you are inerested in and see how they will fit into your set up. Check out aqadvisor.com for a rough estimate on your stocking capacity.


In total the tank has been setup for about 5 days, its been about 2 days since I put the 3 fish in the tank. When the fish do grow, what are my options if I decide not to get a bigger tank for them? Will petco or some place similar buy them back or will I have to sell/give them away? Another reason why I bought a small tank right now is because I really can't afford a big one at the moment. I'm a big car guy so most of my disposable income goes to that hobby.

It's funny you mention the nitrogen cycle. This afternoon I noticed the tank getting a bit foggy. Did a quick search and I stumbled upon the nitrogen cycle. I understand whats going on a little more and I will definitely invest in API master. I was actually planning on getting a couple more fish but I think I will hold off on that till the cycle is over.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Aquarium said:


> So far I bought a small Pleco and 2 silver tipped sharks as per the advice of the Petco associate. I've been trying to figure out what else i can put in my tank that won't jeopardize the other fish. What ever it is, I would like it to be unique. Any suggestions? Initially I was hoping to get some puffer fish and some crabs but that would require a brackish setup. I was told brackish is not as hard to maintain as a full saltwater setup but it's still harder than a freshwater. I don't really know much of anything when it comes to this so that's why I'm here. I hope to learn a lot from you guys.


In a tank that small, that's going to be a very big load. A 6 gallon tank simply can't hold many fish- at most I'd say a betta and a few small tetras. Chances are the pleco is a common, and can grow to be 18" long, and needs a huge tank, if not a pond. The sharks, according to a quick online search, can get over 12". If possible, I'd return all the fish ASAP, and continue the cycle fishless, then when that's finished, consider a single betta, or a few small fish. Adding plants is always a nice addition. 

I don't blame you for your fish or getting things started quickly, it happens to a lot of people. Petstore people, especially those from chain stores like Petco and Petsmart are notorious for not giving a s**t about anything more than making a buck and giving terrible advice. From now on, I strongly suggest doing at least a bit of research into what fish and plants you might plan on having. That way, you'll know better next time they try to talk you into a fish that grows over a foot long!


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## KCBear (Jan 16, 2012)

I am with Kehy. I would try and return the fish if you can. They will be too big for that tank in the very near future and you will have to try to sell them yourself or give them away. I am not sure any major pet store has a buy back program. 

I would say not to listen to most of the people at Petco or Petsmart as they are there just to sell items and most are not knowledgeable. There is a rare occurrence where someone actually knows something about aquariums though. However, it doesn't seem like you ran into one of those employees.


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## ProudWitch (Dec 6, 2011)

Aquarium said:


> In total the tank has been setup for about 5 days, its been about 2 days since I put the 3 fish in the tank. When the fish do grow, what are my options if I decide not to get a bigger tank for them? Will petco or some place similar buy them back or will I have to sell/give them away? Another reason why I bought a small tank right now is because I really can't afford a big one at the moment. I'm a big car guy so most of my disposable income goes to that hobby.
> 
> It's funny you mention the nitrogen cycle. This afternoon I noticed the tank getting a bit foggy. Did a quick search and I stumbled upon the nitrogen cycle. I understand whats going on a little more and I will definitely invest in API master. I was actually planning on getting a couple more fish but I think I will hold off on that till the cycle is over.


You definately need to find out what kind of pleco you bought. My daughter bought one at PetSmart that turned out to be a common pleco. They will grow to be 24" in length and 2"-4" across the head and main body. I don't know about the sharks, but you might ought to check on those too. Liveaquaria.com has a compatibility chart on their website that I found when I was looking at platies. You should be able to find what kind of fish that would be good companion fish for the ones you have.I'm not pushing any ads for that website, it's just that they have a really good compatibility chart that you can click onto.


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## Aquarium (Jan 17, 2012)

Kehy said:


> In a tank that small, that's going to be a very big load. A 6 gallon tank simply can't hold many fish- at most I'd say a betta and a few small tetras. Chances are the pleco is a common, and can grow to be 18" long, and needs a huge tank, if not a pond. The sharks, according to a quick online search, can get over 12". If possible, I'd return all the fish ASAP, and continue the cycle fishless, then when that's finished, consider a single betta, or a few small fish. Adding plants is always a nice addition.
> 
> *Thanks for the info. I called petco today and they said they would take all three fish back because I'm still under the 30 day return policy. I thought the nitrogen cycle needs fish? Doesn't the fish's waste help move the cycle along? I really liked the fiddler crabs at the store but I read that they need some dry land along with the water? The ones at the store were completely submerged. I like the betta fish but can I have more than one? I like the tetras, especially the ones that glow. *
> 
> ...







KCBear said:


> I am with Kehy. I would try and return the fish if you can. They will be too big for that tank in the very near future and you will have to try to sell them yourself or give them away. I am not sure any major pet store has a buy back program.
> 
> *I'm going back tomorrow with the fish. Not really sure what to get honestly. Have any suggestions, cichlids or aquatic frogs??*
> 
> ...


This is a picture of my tank, don't mind the cloudy water.


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## dante322 (Jan 15, 2012)

I'd go with a Beta, Red would look cool in that tank.
With 6 gallons you might have room for a small cory cat as well. I like to keep some sort of a bottom scavanger in my tanks to clean up any food the other fish didnt get. overfeeding is a common problem and it will cloud up your water and screw up the chemistry.


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## Aquarium (Jan 17, 2012)

dante322 said:


> I'd go with a Beta, Red would look cool in that tank.
> With 6 gallons you might have room for a small cory cat as well. I like to keep some sort of a bottom scavanger in my tanks to clean up any food the other fish didnt get. overfeeding is a common problem and it will cloud up your water and screw up the chemistry.


Can I keep more than one beta in the tank along with maybe a fiddler crab? My local petco has small flounders as well.


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

Bettas are an aggressive fish and it is suggested that it should be one in a tank with nothing else, they also like higher temperature water than most tropical fish (72- 78 for most fw tropical compared to 82 - 86 for a betta). But fish are like people and you could find an exception. 

It is possible you could get away with having a snail or some shrimp with a betta as well, but it depends on its temperament. I do not know about the crab however.


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## KCBear (Jan 16, 2012)

Your tank has an adjustable filter that ranges from 30-100 GPH. I personally would recommend keeping it on its highest setting no matter what, as there is no such thing as too much filtration. With that size of tank you are really limited due to footprint size that each fish requires. Here are some ideas I have come up with for your tank.

*Option #1:*
1 Male or Female Betta
4 Panda Cory

*Option #2:*
3 Female Betta
1 Panda Cory (Most Cory Cats like to be in groups of 4+ though)

*Option #3 (My personal favorite of the choices):*
5 Cardinal Tetra
1 Dwarf Gourami

If you decide to go with 0 Cory Cats like in option 3, you will just need to make sure you do weekly 25-30% water changes maybe even a bit more often than once a week, where the other 2 options will just be 25-30% every week. and not overfeed your fish. Also, in any of those options you will need to have a heater for your tank.


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## Aquarium (Jan 17, 2012)

KCBear said:


> Your tank has an adjustable filter that ranges from 30-100 GPH. I personally would recommend keeping it on its highest setting no matter what, as there is no such thing as too much filtration. With that size of tank you are really limited due to footprint size that each fish requires. Here are some ideas I have come up with for your tank.
> 
> *Option #1:*
> 1 Male or Female Betta
> ...


Thanks for the suggestion! I really like the cardinal tetras but I'm honestly not a fan of the gourami. I would like to get something that will clean the bottom but I don't know how I feel about the panda cory. Can I get another species of cory fish?

Would 5 tetras and 2 corys overstock my tank or will i be able to get away with it?


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Aquarium said:


> This is a picture of my tank, don't mind the cloudy water.


Sorry i couldn't your quote in my quote...But anyways, you don't need fish to finish your cycle. Here's a great thread about it here: http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html

Glad you returned the fish and they took them back!


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## KCBear (Jan 16, 2012)

Aquarium said:


> Thanks for the suggestion! I really like the cardinal tetras but I'm honestly not a fan of the gourami. I would like to get something that will clean the bottom but I don't know how I feel about the panda cory. Can I get another species of cory fish?
> 
> Would 5 tetras and 2 corys overstock my tank or will i be able to get away with it?


With that small of a tank there aren't even many Corys that will work. Panda and Skunk are the 2 smallest. I like them both but I personally don't have an LFS that carries Skunk corys. If you do thats great. As for having 5 cardinal tetra and 2 corys, I wouldn't recommend it but you could possibly get away with it as long as you do 25% water changes every 4-5 days.


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## Aquarium (Jan 17, 2012)

So I returned the fish today. I spoke to the GM of the store and he told me I should have gotten zibra danio's to cycle my tank. He said I should get 5 now and the 5 next week, let the water cycle for another 2 weeks and then I can return all of them in exchange for something else.

I really like the cardinal tetras, 5 is the absolute max I can have in the tank correct? I would love to have a couple more if that was possible maybe have 6-7 in there with a couple ghost shrimp to clean the bottom?


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

The 1" per gallon of fish is a rule of thumb for a reason. It is often incorrect in many cases and depending on what you do with your tank you can have more than 1" of fish per gallon or less.

In your tank because it is so small I wouldn't get more than 5 of any schooling fish. I am of the opinion that your tank is too small for anything except african dwarf frogs, a betta, snails, or shrimp. There are more than likely other options I am not thinking of, but you are limited because of your tank size. I made the mistake of getting 2 white cloud minnows and putting them in a 3 gallon based upon bad advice from my petsmart. If I could have gone back and done it over I would have started with a 10 gallon tank and just avoided anything smaller to begin with. If it wasn't for the 10 gallon max rule at my school I would have gone bigger too.


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Aquarium said:


> So I returned the fish today. I spoke to the GM of the store and he told me I should have gotten zibra danio's to cycle my tank. He said I should get 5 now and the 5 next week, let the water cycle for another 2 weeks and then I can return all of them in exchange for something else.
> 
> I really like the cardinal tetras, 5 is the absolute max I can have in the tank correct? I would love to have a couple more if that was possible maybe have 6-7 in there with a couple ghost shrimp to clean the bottom?


*Again, do not follow the store's advice.* They'd have you almost doubling the max stocking for your tank! As I said earlier, there's a thread on here about fishless cycling, check it out ( http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html ). Fishless cycling will help prevent your fish from dying from cycling problems, and for more sensitive species like cardinals, you really should finish the cycle before adding them. 

As for the shrimp, I don't really see too much of a problem with them, I just wouldn't crowd them. I'd say about 4-6 would be fine. And yes, 5 cardinals is probably as many as you should put in there. 

Thought about live plants though? They add a lot of life to a tank, especially smaller tanks. Many are very easy to grow, and a few can do wonders for keeping a small tank healthy.


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## f1shy (Jan 21, 2012)

this has probably been answered with this same answer a million times but bettas and mystery snails work miracles for that tank


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