Tropical Starter Fish...

[gagaforfish]

I have decided to use my heater and have a tropical tank.

I am now trying to decide on what type of fish to get. The tank is 34l? Its an AR-380 anyway! I really want a Siamese Fighter. What kind of community type fish should i get? and How many? I am thinking not too expensive (like under $4 a fish) My Fighter is my splurge. lol. I'd love colours too!

Thanks!!

[BikBok]

yay, I think you'll have much more choices with tropicals.

Once you've got gravel etc in , the water is about 32L. Just measure the buckets when you're filling up so you'll know how much you've got. Will come in handy at a later date if you ever need to medicate.

Cheap, hardy colourful fish? Guppies, Danios, Platys

[DennisP]

Tetras also.

I suggest getting more of a small variety, than getting a few of each.

When you (I did anyway) start off, you always end up unhappy about the fish selection.

[gagaforfish]

What is a good number of fish for the tank? Do maybe, Platys, tetras and a fighter worlk together? Or a similar combo?

God, i feel like such a noob! Bear with me!!!

[John Rimbauer]

Siamese fighters have nice long flowing fins, which some fish (especially tetras in my experience) like to nip bits off. Eventually you end up with a stressed raggedy fighter, and the torn fins are an excellent place for various infections to set up shop. One I kept in a community tank lasted about a year before the glowlight tetras started nipping it, and once 2 or 3 started, all of them joined in. I ended up taking out the tetras to protect him.

I'm sure other folk will weigh in with some suitable combos of fish. There's a lot of knowledge on here.

[gagaforfish]

the guy in the pet shop said that happened with their serpae tetras? i think thats what they were called....

[John Rimbauer]

I'd treat any tetra in a tank with a fighter with great suspicion. I've seen glowlights, rummynose and neons snacking on fins. I was told once that you can prevent it by feeding high protein food but I suspect that was wishful thinking, not verified fact.

Fish have quite variable personalities as such, you may find that you have some that are as good as gold together. You could always chuck them in together, and then keep an eagle eye on the fighter's fins. Any sign of trouble and you hook the tetras out and re-home them.

[JazzyJeff]

OR...

Skip the schooling fish - just have a fighter and maybe a Bristlenose then fill the blank spaces with a variety of plants.

Later on, after you have trolled the LFS many times over - there may be a small school of fish that you fall in love with. With me it was celestial pearl danios

[Ice222]

I remember posting in your other thread saying I have the same tank, my own setup is 6 ember tetras, a male betta and a golden bristlenose. Like others have said, I'd vote against putting most tetras with a betta as well. Ember tetras aren't well know to be nippy, and yet mine still nip the betta. I only have one particular tetra that's nippy (yes I can tell them apart) and only during meal times if I feed the betta first, but if you're unlucky you may end up with several nippy ones while I was lucky that my single nippy fish is manageable.

I think any small non-nipping schooling fish would be fine, small rasboras should be good, harlequin rasboras are popular and should be easy to find. Otherwise Emerald eye rasboras is one I know you can get from Hollywood Fish Farm that would also work. I know there are many more options, but I don't remember what else is easily available.