New to Aquariums - Advice

[elanlove]

my father got me and kids a 3 gallon tank. fresh water. i have no idea what kinds of fish, how many fish, and where to shop in Brooklyn. Can anyone offer recommendations on any or all of these? thank you!

[rdebonis]

Originally Posted by elanlove

my father got me and kids a 3 gallon tank. fresh water. i have no idea what kinds of fish, how many fish, and where to shop in Brooklyn. Can anyone offer recommendations on any or all of these? thank you!

Go to your Local Fish Store and speak with them. I can recommend Petland Discount or Brooklyn Zoo, 2 of our sponsors. Look at the fish they recommend and pick the ones you like the best. Get a small beginners book from the Fish Store on how to set up a Freshwater tank and take care of the fish and read it. The most important thing is to not overstock the tank, no more than 2 small fish (1 to 1 1/2 inches) per gallon is safe. No more than a Total of 6 SMALL fish this includes a small catfish, no more. You will need a small filter and heater and 1 or 2 small plants.

I would also recommend 1 Blue Paradise fish (about 2 to 3 inches) in a 3 gallon tank and some plants. if you go with this fish, it is low maintenance, and is very colorful, but it is a tough fish and prefers to be alone or it may become aggressive and attack other fish. You may also want to look at the Siamese Fighting fish aka the Betta. It can be kept with other fish as long as they are not male Bettas, but remember like the Paradise fish, it is a larger fish, about 3 inches.

Good Luck and let us know what you get.

[rdebonis]

Originally Posted by mathor

Thanks for these advices, I also wan to take aquarium at my home, let me know some information about fish food and fish care..! I'll highly appreciate your answer!!

I raise Freshwater Fish only and know little or nothing about keeping Saltwater fish., but some of this information would also apply to Saltwater Fish.


1. Buy a good book from your local Pet shop on Setting up and Maintaining a fish tank and Read it.

2. Buy a 10 or 20 gallon tank with all the necessary equipment. ( Hood, Light, Filter, Heater, Gravel etc.) A 20 Gallon tank is better. A tank less than 10 gallon's is too small for a beginner.

3. You can use artificial or live plants, most fish don't know the difference and don't care. Artificial plants are much easier to maintain, while live plants when healthy are beautiful to look at, but they require at least 8 hours per day of light and regular maintenance. Also Live Plants can die and decompose in the aquarium causing changes in the water chemistry.

3. Before you buy a fish, read about it's compatibility with other fish, it's temperament, maximum size and any special water conditions. Internet websites are excellent for this.

4. Do Weekly or Bi-weekly water changes.this is the single most important maintenance that you can do to keep your fish healthy and happy.

5. Don't overstock your tank, too many fish in a tank will breed aggression and disease.

6. Don't overfeed your fish. Feed a very small amount once per day. They will not starve and uneaten fish food will pollute the water and cause all sorts of problems. After 6 months when you have the feeding down correctly, you can feed them very small amounts twice per day.

7. Read Read Read. The more you learn the better you will be at keeping fish healthy and developing beautiful tanks.

8. Go to the monthly Brooklyn Aquarium Society meetings and mingle with other hobbyists. Ask questions, our club members have an enormous amount of knowledge in keeping both Freshwater and Saltwater fish.

[baber0015]

You can find some great new aquarium advice at

Aquarium Setup

[john fox]

SURE JUST COME TO THE FALL AUCTION IN OCTOBER