Things You'll Need:
- Cost: Average $1 to $5 per fish
- Shopping time: 1.5 hours
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Step 1
Part 3: Get Your Fish
Choose Your Fish
As noted in Part 1, there are thousands of species of tropical fish. How do you decide which kind to get for your home aquarium? Four important things to consider when choosing between species of fish are visual appeal (looks), compatibility with others (attitude), full-grown size (inches long), and nutritional requirements (plants/meat). Their hardiness is also taken into consideration because the most discouraging thing for beginners is to loose a fish friend right off the bat.
There are endless combinations of fish that can work for you—-too many to include in this article! However, based on generalized statistics of fish sizes and attitudes, I will give you several samples of fish combinations that you could put in your new 30-gallon freshwater tank.
Only stocking your tank about half-way at first will make it more comfortable for you and your fish. Caring for too many fish could be overwhelming, plus it will make the first cycling process harsher. The general rule for how many fish can safely share an aquarium is one inch of fish per one gallon. For example, the maximum capacity of a 30-gallon tank would be 30 inches of fish. For example, 20 Neon Tetras, each measuring 1-1/2 inches long when full-grown, would be the maximum.
The sample fish themes provided here total around 15 inches, which is just right for stocking your 30-gallon tank half-way. You will want to add them in two waves, as detailed in Step 2. Once your aquarium has completed its first cycle and you feel more confident about your care-taking skills, additional fish can be introduced gradually until the tank reaches maximum capacity.
Disclaimer: Since individual fish personalities vary within its species, I cannot guarantee that any suggested combination will work for you and I cannot be held responsible. If you notice negative behavior or sickness in any fish, always seek guidance and take immediate action.
Use the following list of Fish Themes: 15-Inch Combos as a guide for selecting your first fish community. -
Step 2
Community Tank
There are many misconceptions about what is a "community" tank. Some say it means a group of fish that all get along well. Others believe it is a species who is considered "peaceful" or "non-aggressive."
For the purposes of this article, we will break this out into three different aspects: Quantity per tank, attitude and sociability. -
Step 3
Quantity per Tank
Quantity per tank describes how many fish of a particular species should be kept together. There are four general categories most fish can be put in: Loners (1), Pairs (2), Groupies (3-5), and Schooling (3-9).
Schooling fish prefer to be with many other fish of their kind.
Groupies prefer to be in a small group of just 3-5 fish of their kind.
Pairs prefer to live in a tank with only one best friend of their kind.
Loners prefer to live alone or else they will fight with others of their kind.
For example, a male Betta is a Loner because only one male Betta can safely occupy a tank. If two male Bettas are placed together, they will fight until only one remains. However, Bettas are generally peaceful toward most other fish, as you will see in the next sections, Attitude and Sociability. -
Step 4
Attitude
Attitude describes the temperament of a particular fish species. There are generally three categories of attitude: Peaceful, fin-nippers, semi-aggressive, and aggressive.
Peaceful fish will generally mind their own business and basically ignore the other kinds of fish sharing their tank. Beginners should start with Peaceful fish, also referred to as community fish.
Fin-nippers have a tendency to chase or bite the fins of other fish in the tank, especially fish with long or fancy fins. One way to resolve this problem for long-finned Schooling fish is to be sure you have at least 7 in the school so they can protect each other.
Semi-aggressive fish will sometimes chase and fight other fish in the tank, especially weaker, slow-moving or peaceful fish. In some cases, you can put a semi-aggressive fish in a tank with other peaceful fish without any problems, but you should watch them closely to catch any problems early on. The best way to resolve this problem is to keep only semi-aggressive fish together in a tank.
Aggressive fish will fight and kill other fish in the tank unless all the other fish are aggressive, as well. You must keep only aggressive fish together in a tank. -
Step 5
Sociability
Sociability describes how well the fish get along with others. There are two categories of sociability: Community and Species-only.
Community fish can live in a tank with a variety of other fish. For example, many species such as Tetras, Barbs and Gouramis can generally share a tank.
Species-only fish should only be kept with other fish of their kind. For example, Cichlids are best kept with other Cichlids only, often referred to as a Cichlid tank.
This article primarily focuses on community fish. -
Step 6
Following is a list of the Top 20 Basic Fish that are commonly purchased by beginners. Most of these species are available in your local pet store.
Anabantids: Betta, Dwarf Gourami
Catfish: Peppered Cory Cat, Pleco
Characins: Black Neon Tetra, Bleeding Heart Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Neon Tetra
Cypriniformes: Goldfish, Rainbow Shark, Red Tail Shark, Cherry Barbs, Rosy Barb, Tiger Barb, White Cloud Mountain Minnow, Zebra Danio
Livebearers: Guppy, Molly, Platy, Swordtail -
Step 7
Fish Themes: 15-Inch Combos
Fish Themes: 15-Inch Combos
There are endless combinations of fish that can work for you—too many to include in this article! However, based on generalized species statistics of fish sizes and attitudes, I will give you several samples of 15-inch fish combinations that you could put in your new 30-gallon freshwater tank.
I have given fun names to each themed combo listed below.
Salt and Pepper: 5 Dalmatian Mollies, 1 Black Molly, 1 White Molly
Peacock Tails: 7 Guppies, various colors
Northern Lights: 9 Neon Tetras
Jungle: 5 Tiger Barbs, 3 Zebra Danios
Snow White: 7 White Cloud Mountain Minnows
Rainbow Ice Cream Sunday: 5 Bleeding Heart Tetras, 1 Beta
Firestorm: 2 Red Platties, 1 Swordtail, 1 Rainbow Shark
Blue Sunset: 3 Cardinal Tetras, 2 Yellow Platties, 1 Blue Dwarf Gouramis, 1 Swordtail
Metallic: 7 Black Neons or 5 Cherry Barbs
Polka-dots: 5 Dalmatian Mollies, 3 Cory Catfish -
Step 8
Each of the above sample fish themes total around 15 inches, which is just right for stocking your 30-gallon tank half-way. You will want to add them in two waves, as detailed in Step 2. Once your aquarium has completed its first cycle and you feel more confident about your skills, additional fish can be introduced gradually until the tank reaches maximum capacity.
Disclaimer: Remember, individual fish have different personalities. Therefore, not all fish follow these rules. Feel free to experiment and find out for yourself which fish can get along together in your tank. -
Step 9
Buy Your Fish
Time: 1.5 hours
Now that you have done some research in Part 2, and you have decided which fish kinds of you would like to put in your tank, it is finally time to go to the store!
But wait, how many fish should you buy? Remember, you should always buy just a few fish at a time. If you have chosen the Salt and Pepper fish theme, for example, you should only buy five Mollies for now. Once those fish have settled into your tank for a couple weeks, then you can go ahead and buy a few more fish. You can buy a few fish at a time every few weeks until your tank reaches maximum capacity of 30-inches of fish. -
Step 10
Go Shopping
Cost: Average $1 to $5 per fish
Visit several local pet stores to see the fish available in your area. There are a couple things you should look for when shopping for new fish: Tank condition and fish health.
Tank condition: Take notice of the water in the tanks at the pet store. If it looks dirty or there are dead fish, beware. Make sure the tank filters look like they are operating properly, as well.
Fish health: You want to buy fish who look like they are healthy and happy. Watch out for fish that look lethargic, sick, or have a dull color. Also, some stores have a 14 day return policy if the fish gets sick or dies.
As you look around, choose the fish you would like to purchase and a salesperson will net and bag them for you. Most good salespeople will allow you to point out the specific fish you want and take time to net it for you, rather than persuade you to take home any random fish that was easy to net.
Don't forget to buy the fish food! Refer to my Fish Profiles companion guide to find out what kind to get, or ask the store salesperson. -
Step 11
Settle In Your Fish
Okay, so you have brought home a few new fish in some plastic bags. You are already getting a little attached to them and feel like friends.
Now, the fish are probably sitting very still or swimming around frantically after enduring that bumpy car ride and sloshing around. Although you feel like releasing them into their new tank promptly, it would make them feel worse to be forced into a new habitat without first adjusting to the water temperature. -
Step 12
Float the Fish First
The best way to allow your fish to adjust to its new home is to "float" it for 10 minutes. Simply place the fish in its unopened plastic bag in the tank, allowing the bag to float on the surface. You may need to scoop out some tank water so it doesn't overflow when the bag is introduced. After 10 minutes, the water in the fish's bag should have slowly adjusted to the tank's temperature, and the fish will have acclimated too. -
Step 13
Transfer to the Tank
Now that the fish are ready, you can carefully transfer them from the plastic bag to the tank. However, if you don't want that strange bag water from the pet store to get in your tank, you will need to net the fish. But, how do you net the fish when it is in a plastic bag?
1. Place your 5-gallon bucket next to the tank.
2. Hold the fish net in one hand and the plastic bag in the other directly above the bucket.
3. Quickly pour the water from the bag into the net, allowing it to drain into the bucket. The fish will be caught in the net.
4. Quickly place the net in the tank and allow the fish to swim out of the net. -
Step 14
That's it! Now your fish are free to swim around and explore their new home. Some fish will be in shock and find a quiet place to chill out, while others will be excited and might energetically swim every square inch of the tank.
Keep a good eye on your new fish for the first few days to make sure they are healthy and happy. Find out how to check your fish in the next section, Part 4.
Part 1: Setup
Part 2: Learn
Part 3: Get Your Fish
Part 4: Care for Your Fish
Part 5: Maintenance
