oliverar
Member
Can someone recommend some good starter fish for a small 1 foot cube tank? Preferably colourful and easy to breed. I also keep shrimp so it would be good if they don't eat shrimp!
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Biginner fish?
- Thread starter oliverar
- Start date
Garuf
Member
Just to add to that if you get into a good stride with your maintenance and knowledge of parameters most tropical fish with the exceptions of large cichlids, tangs etc can be good beginners fish. The other thing is in a planted tank context fish that would normally be over looked come to the fore and some that are often recommended are unsuitable, chinese algae eaters straight of the top of my head are one such fish that a lot of shops still recommend but are brutes and don't really eat algae.
Also tank size and your scape will dictate what you can keep.
Good fish I would strongly recommend are:
Neon rainbow fish M. Preacox
Guppies (good quality ones, I can't highlight that more with livebearers and some other fish.
Platies
Otocinclus
The more common Corydoras
Stockier tetras like black widow and bleeding heart.
Danios (same as livebearers try to get the best quality ones you can afford)
White cloud minnows
Cherry barbs
black ruby barbs
Ones commonly recommended but I'd suggest you avoid:
Gouramis, all kinds, the quality of them has dropped so they suffer high mortality rates
Slim bodied tetras are best avoided initially as the best quality ones will be wild and a bit more sensitive cardinals and the like.
Tiger barbs
anything albino
All plecs.
Also tank size and your scape will dictate what you can keep.
Good fish I would strongly recommend are:
Neon rainbow fish M. Preacox
Guppies (good quality ones, I can't highlight that more with livebearers and some other fish.
Platies
Otocinclus
The more common Corydoras
Stockier tetras like black widow and bleeding heart.
Danios (same as livebearers try to get the best quality ones you can afford)
White cloud minnows
Cherry barbs
black ruby barbs
Ones commonly recommended but I'd suggest you avoid:
Gouramis, all kinds, the quality of them has dropped so they suffer high mortality rates
Slim bodied tetras are best avoided initially as the best quality ones will be wild and a bit more sensitive cardinals and the like.
Tiger barbs
anything albino
All plecs.
Hi
Bearing in mind its only a 1 foot square tank avoid all barbs as they need more room than this in fact I'd be very careful about putting many fish at all in such a small tank and seriously I still think that a few Guppies would be your best bet. They definitely fit your remit,no special requirements (i.e. fine in tapwater), hardy, colourfull, easy to breed and won't eat shrimp although they probably will eat the babies as will all other fish.
Regards, Chris.
Bearing in mind its only a 1 foot square tank avoid all barbs as they need more room than this in fact I'd be very careful about putting many fish at all in such a small tank and seriously I still think that a few Guppies would be your best bet. They definitely fit your remit,no special requirements (i.e. fine in tapwater), hardy, colourfull, easy to breed and won't eat shrimp although they probably will eat the babies as will all other fish.
Regards, Chris.
Garuf
Member
I'd missed that it was a cube. Yeah guppies/endlers and not much else if you want to breed them.
oliverar
Member
Ok, great thanks
oliverar
Member
where might I look to get some of these?
I would recommend Endler's Livebearers. As a beginner i have gone with these little guys, and i am very pleased. They are very small, 1-2cm, but really colourful, active and not shy. They shouldnt be kept with guppies as they will interbreed. Also i would probably avoid breeding them as you will quickly run out of room in a 1ft cube tank (same as me). I went for 6 males (males are more colourful). Look at Tri-Mar (cornwall mail service online supplier) for N-Class Endlers. Or just ask in your local fish shop, they will get some for you.
oliverar
Member
I think I will go for a few guppies, any recommendations? I don't have a LFS so if you know any one on here that is willing to sell me a few then please let me know!
Garuf
Member
Where are you based?
oliverar
Member
Sussex, UK
