new to fishes

does anyone know a good beginner fish? i was thinking about a convict. i am going to get a 29 or a 26 long. thanx

 

Very first aquarium then? Welcome to an addictive hobby :lol: Soon you'll find your wallet shrinking inexplicably while you make yet another trip to the fish store :lol:

Anyway, for a first tank go for the largest you can afford length wise. Tall tanks don't offer as much versatility. So I suggest you take the 26 long instead of the 29 if that is the largest tank you can get.

For good beginner fish I highly recommend platties, danios, and black skirt tetras. They are very hardy and can withstand the cycle you'll have to do with the tank should you choose to buy fish right away and not to a fishless cycle. Before researching any stock at all I suggest you read up on cycling as much as possible and be sure you know it better than the back of your hand Cycling a tank typically takes 4-6 weeks, don't make the same mistake lots of people do and think it means just running a tank for 24 hours.

A couple of good links to get you started:

The basic cycle: http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Cycle.htm

Fishless cycle: http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Fishlesscycle.htm

You've got a golden opportunity here to plan ahead before the tank comes so that you can avoid many newbie pitfalls. Make the best of it and please post back with any questions you might have

 

good starter fish are danios. they are cheap and very active.

 

Danios, Platies, Mollies, Guppies, and tetras are good starter fish, the cichilids are more on the advanced levels.

 

convicts are actually pretty good start-fish...i dont know iof it would go in a your size tank, but i think it would...especially if it would be solo....these fish are very hardy and are readily available due to how fast they breed.

 

so id be able to get 1 con in a 26 long?

 

idk, ill go checkup on that real quick...would any other fish be in there with it? and is the tank already cycled or what? also, i woulnt reccomend live plants, or even some artificial plants b/c cichlids are known to destroy them (some of my africans have ripped apart the fake plastic ones i have had)

 

Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Tank Conditions: 68-73°F; pH 6.5-8.0; dH 9-20
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 6"
Color Form: Black, Gray
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Central America
Family: Cichlidae
got that from liveaquaria.com

in a 26 long, i dont see why you couldnt house one.....just make sure you keep up on your water changes and dont overfeed.....so, any ideas yet on whetehr you are going to get a normal or a pink convict?

 

the tank is actually my bros. He said i can have it as soon as he gets his new 84L. It currently has 4 sm reds in it. or i might get a 29 g set up.
I prolly wont have any other fish in.

 

what would you recomend?

 

sounds good if it would be solo.....and what do you mean by what do i reccomend?

 

a pink or a normal one. are they pretty much the same?thanks for your help.

 

yea, they are the same, just 2 different color variations....the pink stays more of a pinkish-white color. anyt other questions you might have?

 

filtratration? my bro says i could have his magnum 350 i dont realy know what that is. Is it too much filtration? He said he also has an emp 400.
what is the better filter? thx

 

hmmm, i have no idea about filters but i think the 350 sounds right for the tank.

 

oh and is sand good or should i stick with gravel?

 

i would go with gravel...sand is more of a hassel to clean espcially with a gravel vacuum

 

hey how much bigger of a tank would i need if i
had gotten two convicts and breeded them?
then sold most of the babys?

 

what chat? do u have AIM? if so, IM me at grnlemonade i will be back in about half aan hour

 

sorry i thought they had a chat on here