starter fish for freshwater aquarium

A quick and simple manual to start freshwater aquarium with minimized mistakes that aims to reduce beginners quitting this hobby.

How to Choose Starter Fish for Freshwater Aquariums. When you're trying to establish a healthy freshwater aquarium, it's important to stock a new ...

Start up your nitrogen cycle! Learn types of starter fish for a freshwater aquarium in this free instructional video clip. ...

Learn about new methods for cycling your freshwater aquarium without fish.

Freshwater Aquarium Fish that are Low Maintenance and Compatible ... Choosing fish for an aquarium can be a difficult task because some are sensitive to water conditions and ...

Freshwater Aquariums - Great Fish For Starters ... ( Meaning they are not particularly territorial) These traits make them easy to care for. ...

aquarium supplies, decoration, reefs, tropical fish disease, saltwater & freshwater ... Starter Fish Tank is considered an ideal all-in-one setup kit suitable for ...

Today, lets have a look at 4 very effective way to cycle an aquarium. ... Here we use "starter fish" as a source of ammonia for the bacteria. ...

Yesterday, I purchased my first aquarium from PetSmart. It is a top fin 20 gallon tank that came in a starter kit with a filter, chemical conditioning, ect. I set the tank up easily, conditioned the water, added the gravel and decorations and put in the thermometer that came with it. I ran the tank through the night with the light off. Now the thermometer which is a thin plastic one that lights up numbers in multiples of 2 depending on the temperature. When I checked it the numbers 80,82,84 where all lit. From what I've read, for freshwater tanks it should be anywhere from 72-80F. The tank is near a window, which is always closed a no light gets through, a ceiling fan that runs fairly fast, and an air conditioning vent. I live in Texas where it gets very hot during the summertime like this, but I guess I just need to know how to cool it down and keep it cool. By the way, when I do get fish I plan on getting a rubber lip pleco, a ghost shrimp, a mystery snail and maybe one other fish. Also should I probably go buy a new thermometer because this one is kind of a cheapie. Thanks in advance :) Oh and I'm not using a heater because I was told not to by the person at PetSmart because of the already high temperature. Okay thanks for all the answers, I got a new thermometer and it turns out the temp is at 79, so the old thermometer must have just been crappy :)

My tank still has 0.5 ppm ammonia despite me conducting a 30% water change this afternoon. However, my tank is NOT completely cycled and is in the process of cycling. I have added Stress-Zyme in order to boost the cycle and make it faster. However, under the "Starting the Nitrogen Cycle" section of the book "Freshwater Aquariums for Dummies", it says "About 2 weeks after you add starter fish to your aquarium, the ammonia build-up in your tank begins to peak.........You're probably wondering what to do with the ammonia, right? Well, just sit back, because your friendly neighborhood bacteria will take care of everything." Is the last sentence of that paragraph "....Your friendly neighborhood bacteria will take care of everything" true? So if it is, that means I've been conducting all these 30% water changes and adding Ammo-Lock for nothing? But if I don't do anything, won't the ammonia become dangerously high? Please answer the questions for me because I really am lost between the text of the guide and my instincts... I forgot to say that this is NOT a fishless cycle, I have blood parrot cichlids. To the first answerer: What do you mean by "let your biological filter catch up"?

**yes I asked this question before, but no answers so im asking again (for a 30 gallon tank) well I bought the book "the new marine aquarium" a step by step setup and stocking guide. (this will be my first saltwater tank, but I have had freshwater tanks and they were/are successful) They have a "Starter guide" giving me options on fish... what do you think? 2 percula clownfish 1 orchid dottyback 1 canary wrasse (or 2?) 1 brittle star 2 feather duster worms am I over stocking? Thanks! *P.S. I know about cycling, and I wont actually be buying any fish for about 4-6 weeks 1 hour ago oh gosh i ended up getting 55 gallon tank =| ohhhh

I'm just curious to know what opinions people have on this topic. I've heard/read two different sides of it. 1. Some people seem to believe that waiting only a few days after dechloriding your tank and then inserting your starter fish is enough to get your tank up in gear and nature will go its natural course between 4-6 weeks. With the knowledge that you may have chemical spikes and lose a fish or two along the way, but that's why they suggest to get harder fish that aren't to picky. 2. Other people believe that cycling your fish tank a full rotation as a fishless cycle is absolutely necessary. I've read all different sources on both sides of this, even Freshwater Aquariums for Dumbies doesn't even suggest the fishless cycle, they go with the starter fish theory. I'm curious to know what the community here thinks. I've heard that about goldfish - not having to cycle a tank. Two coworkers have goldfish tanks from their kids winning them at fairs... now their goldfish are like 5 years old. I'm starting to think that for my first tank I may be should have went with goldfish. Their stories just seem so much easier then what I've had to do for Mollies.

my husband and i would like a freshwater aquarium (maybe 30-40 gallon) and we're guessing it might cost us about $300 to get it started up. we're thinking about $200 for the tank and stand (pretty big tank)and then $100 for the supplies and starter fish. anyone with experience with freshwater tanks that might be able to shed some light on this??? thanks!

I am purchasing a wall aquarium and because it is flat 17 inches long and 69 inches wide it holds up to 10.5 gallons? I do not know a thing about fish. Should I buy saltwater or freshwater? which will live longer and be easier to maintain?

Very new to the real aquarium world but I am making substantial bounds in my learning. Fake one being just putting fish in a bowl(aquarium) and hoping for the best. Just now really got the whole cycling process down and have a really good freshwater aquarium right now. Four neons and a small frog. So now I have a few questions about live plants in my tank/future larger tanks. What are good starter plants? What kind of plants do well in gravel/low light? Do plants, besides dead/decaying parts, give off harmful chemicals that will hurt my tank? Basically if I have good upkeep on the plants will they naturally hurt my tank/fish? On top of this, if there are any advice/tips for live plants in freshwater tanks just let me know. Thanks everyone for all the help I have been receiving.