Tots Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Heya! :smokey: Just got my own place and wanting to get a pet fish! My friend mentioned that I should try getting a betta so I'm doing some research on them first. I've never had fish before so I need something low maintenance first. Suggestions anyone? :well: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catshanon Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 It all depends on what kind of fish you want. I suggest you pick up some aquarium books from the public library and then see what fish you like. Some low maintenance fish are white cloud minnows, zebra danios. If you can settle on the type of fish you like, then find out about its natural habitat (freshwater : hard water or soft water, temperature, rocky areas or planted regions). There is a lot to learn and its an ongoing process. If you like bettas, you can keep them, but personally I don't like keeping a betta in a single bowl. I try to mimic the natural habitat of the fish as much as possible, so that they will be healthy and happy. A healthy and happy fish will translate to a happier pet owner. I suggest you start off with a small tank, between 10 - 30 Gallons. Compared to a betta bowl, a 30G will look huge, but trust me, after a while, a 30G will look puny. Better to start off with some cheap setups (look at the BuySell forum) and don't hesitate to ask questions. By the way, I am also in downtown and I have 3 tanks in my condo. If you want, you can come over and take a look at my setups. Welcome to fishkeeping. Raj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingin' It Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll enjoy it here! Bettas are a great starter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strayner Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 My first fish was a Betta (he's still kicking around). Definitely forgiving fish for newbie fishkeeping mistakes... as I made a few . I recommend you get at LEAST a 2.5 gallon, preferably a 5 gallon or larger. I started out with 2 gallons and it was hard to keep the water quality at optimum and your filtration options at that small a volume are extremely limited. I quickly bought a 5 gallon tank to move my betta into and he's been doing a lot better since (he had some serious mystery fin break-offs). Don't forget they need a heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hybrid Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 welcome tots.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tots Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 It all depends on what kind of fish you want. I suggest you pick up some aquarium books from the public library and then see what fish you like. Some low maintenance fish are white cloud minnows, zebra danios. If you can settle on the type of fish you like, then find out about its natural habitat (freshwater : hard water or soft water, temperature, rocky areas or planted regions). There is a lot to learn and its an ongoing process. If you like bettas, you can keep them, but personally I don't like keeping a betta in a single bowl. I try to mimic the natural habitat of the fish as much as possible, so that they will be healthy and happy. A healthy and happy fish will translate to a happier pet owner. I suggest you start off with a small tank, between 10 - 30 Gallons. Compared to a betta bowl, a 30G will look huge, but trust me, after a while, a 30G will look puny. Better to start off with some cheap setups (look at the BuySell forum) and don't hesitate to ask questions. By the way, I am also in downtown and I have 3 tanks in my condo. If you want, you can come over and take a look at my setups. Welcome to fishkeeping. Raj Thanks much for the reply, Raj. I've been looking more into bettas and found out that they're "puddle-fish?" Anyhow, a lot of sites say that you could keep them in little vases or bowls but other people say you shouldn't So I'm gonna go find myslef a betta book. :P Thanks for the invite too by the way. I work evenings though which kind of doesn't work for a lot of people. Maybe I can come by on a weekend? Tots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tots Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 My first fish was a Betta (he's still kicking around). Definitely forgiving fish for newbie fishkeeping mistakes... as I made a few . I recommend you get at LEAST a 2.5 gallon, preferably a 5 gallon or larger. I started out with 2 gallons and it was hard to keep the water quality at optimum and your filtration options at that small a volume are extremely limited. I quickly bought a 5 gallon tank to move my betta into and he's been doing a lot better since (he had some serious mystery fin break-offs). Don't forget they need a heater. Haha! All that's definitely good to know. No better way to learn than first hand experience, right? :smokey: Thanks much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tots Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Welcome to the forum! I'm sure you'll enjoy it here! Bettas are a great starter! Thanks! A friend of mine showed me a bunch of pictures of halfmoon bettas. They are out of this world amazing! :w00t: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nighthawk Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Welcome! I have learned immense amounts from this forum, and found some really good mentors. Bettas are wonderful fishies, and they can and will live in just about anything. That doesn't mean they'll be happy, though; my cat can live for a long time in her carry-on bag, too! My wife's setup is a corner tank, about 40gal, and the betta who lived there was king of the block. He had a lot of room to explore, and really enjoyed the plants. Putting one with rasboras or similar fish gives a nice variety to the tank, and 40 gal is a nice amount of water to keep fairly stable chemically. It's also not so large that it's super expensive or a lot of work to keep clean. Planted tanks are a little more work to start, and have different requirements for equipment than simple tanks, but they have a natural life-support mechanism, and most fish live in places where plants abound, too, making it more realistic. Definitely true for bettas... Welcome to a hobby that is a pile of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catshanon Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 It all depends on what kind of fish you want. I suggest you pick up some aquarium books from the public library and then see what fish you like. Some low maintenance fish are white cloud minnows, zebra danios. If you can settle on the type of fish you like, then find out about its natural habitat (freshwater : hard water or soft water, temperature, rocky areas or planted regions). There is a lot to learn and its an ongoing process. If you like bettas, you can keep them, but personally I don't like keeping a betta in a single bowl. I try to mimic the natural habitat of the fish as much as possible, so that they will be healthy and happy. A healthy and happy fish will translate to a happier pet owner. I suggest you start off with a small tank, between 10 - 30 Gallons. Compared to a betta bowl, a 30G will look huge, but trust me, after a while, a 30G will look puny. Better to start off with some cheap setups (look at the BuySell forum) and don't hesitate to ask questions. By the way, I am also in downtown and I have 3 tanks in my condo. If you want, you can come over and take a look at my setups. Welcome to fishkeeping. Raj Thanks much for the reply, Raj. I've been looking more into bettas and found out that they're "puddle-fish?" Anyhow, a lot of sites say that you could keep them in little vases or bowls but other people say you shouldn't So I'm gonna go find myslef a betta book. :P Thanks for the invite too by the way. I work evenings though which kind of doesn't work for a lot of people. Maybe I can come by on a weekend? Tots Sure you can drop by on a weekend. This weekend will be a little busy for me as I have some fish coming in from Calgary. I will make some time on next weekend and if you are free, you are welcome to drop by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cgy_Betta_Guy Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 :welcome: I agree bettas are a good first timer fishy. They are what got me started in this 'cheap' hobby. I was kinda wrong about that but havent regretted it and have since been inflicted with that fish hobbyist disease known as MTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Agreed, bettas are an excellent fish to start with. Just like potato chips, you can't have just one!! IMHO, 50 is a nice number.You can never have too many bettas or shoes. HMs can be pricy but beautiful!! Welcome and good luck!!We're here to help you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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