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If
we define a good beginner's fish as one that is easy to feed
and care for, hardy, able to live in a variety of water conditions,
and attractive, then there are a number of widely available
fish which fit the bill nicely. Many of these are regularly
sold as beginner's fish. But watch out! Many of the fish sold
as beginner's fish really are not well suited for that role.
Many
of the smaller schooling fish make ideal first fish. These
include White Cloud Mountain Minnows, the several commonly
available species of Danios and Rasboras, and most available
species of Barbs. For those with a slightly larger tank, Rainbowfish
make a great schooling fish. Corydoras Catfish are ever popular
schooling catfish.
While
many beginners are tempted to get just one or two of each
of several different schooling fish, this should be resisted.
Schooling fish do better if there are several of their own
species present for them to interact with. A minimum of six
of each of the midwater schooling fish is recommended, while
four is the bare minimum for Corys. In the long run, a school
of a dozen fish showing their natural behavior will be more
pleasing than a mixed group of fish unhappily forced to share
the same tank. (``Mom, why is that one fish hiding behind
the heater and that other one just hanging in the corner?'')
Of
course, as mentioned in the introduction, the population needs
to be built up slowly, two or three fish at a time. The aquarist
might, for instance, build up a school of eight Rasboras of
a certain species, then turn to building up a school of six
of a species of Cory Cats.
Some Cyprinids
White
Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are all Asian fish related
to the Carp and the Minnow. All of these fish belong to the
family Cyprinidae. White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs
are small, active, hardy, and colorful.
"White
Cloud Mountain Minnows" - Tanichthys albonubes
Found in mountain streams in China, White Clouds can be kept
in unheated tanks (down to 55F). Some people advise against
putting these fish in tropical tanks but I have found that
they do fine in heated aquaria as well, as long as the temperature
is not kept above the mid 70s. They can be fed any small food
and they spawn often but fry will not be seen unless the parents
are removed to another tank. White Clouds are brown with a
red tail and a silvery white line down the side that shines
in the light. They get to be 1 1/2" long.
Danios
Several species of Danios are often found in pet stores, including
the Giant Danio - Danio aequipinnatus, the Zebra Danio - Brachydanio
rerio, the Leopard Danio - Brachydanio frankei, and the Pearl
Danio - Brachydanio albolineatus. These fish are fast swimmers
and are always in motion. Different patterns of blue markings
allows one to tell these fish apart. Most Danios stay under
2 1/2" long, although Giant Danios can get up to 4".
Rasboras
The most popular Rasbora is the Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora
heteromorpha. A very similar looking species, Rasbora espei,
is also available, as is the Clown Rasbora - Rasbora kalochroma
and the Scissor-Tail Rasbora - Rasbora trilineata. Orange,
brown, and red are usual colors for Rasboras, and their stop-and-start
swimming makes them interesting to watch as a school. Scissor-Tails
can get up to 6" long and Clown Rasboras up to 4"
while Harlequins stay under 2" long.
Barbs
By far the most commonly seen and commonly cursed Barb is
the Tiger Barb - Capoeta tetrazona. It nips the fins of other
fish if not kept in a large school of its own species and
because it is over-bred it is susceptible to diseases. Several
aquarium morphs are also available (such as the greenish ``Mossy
Barb'' and an albino variety) but these are even more sickly
and often deformed.
Don't
give up on the Barbs too fast though, as many are well suited
as first fish, especially for those with moderate sized tanks.
Capoeta titteya, the Cherry Barb, is a terrific little barb
- up to 2" long and with a wonderful orange-red color.
Mid-sized barbs (up to about 4 1/2" long) include Clown
Barbs - Barbodes everetti, Rosy Barbs - Puntius conchonius,
and Black Ruby Barbs - Puntius nigrofasciatus. The artificial
morphs (long-finned, albino, etc.) of the Rosy Barb should
be avoided though, as these tend to be sickly. Checker Barbs
- Capoeta oligolepis and Spanner or T-Barbs - Barbodes lateristriga
are large, peaceful barbs (Spanner Barbs up to 7" long).
Unless you have a very large aquarium avoid Tinfoil Barbs
- Barbodes schwanefeldi. They grow to be over a foot long!
Note
that many barbs don't school as ``nicely'' as do Danios or
Rasboras, but most should be kept in schools nonetheless.
Also note that many authors may put all of the above mentioned
species in the genus Barbus.
Corydoras
Catfish
Cory
Cats are members of the family Callichthyidae, a family of
armored catfish from South America. Corys are small (generally
2 1/2" long or less), schooling fish that are always
searching the bottom of the tank for food. There are at least
140 species of catfish in the genus Corydoras. Some of these
are quite delicate and die quickly even in the hands of experts.
The fragile ones, however, are rarely seen in pet stores and
are high priced when they can be found. The Corys you will
see for reasonable prices are hardy and can even survive in
a tank with low oxygen as they can swallow air from the surface
and absorb it through their intestines. Some Corys you may
encounter are the Bronze Cory - C. aeneus, the Spotted Cory
- C. ambiacus, the Leopard Cory - C. julii, the Skunk Cory
- C. arcuatus, the Bandit Cory - C. metae, and the Panda Cory
- C. panda.
Corys
generally feed at the bottom of the tank and special sinking
foods should be fed. These include sinking pellets like Tabi-Min
and frozen blood- worms. Care should be taken to insure that
all frozen foods are eaten quickly as they decay rapidly and
can foul the tank. Don't overfeed!
Rainbowfish
Rainbows
are extremely colorful fishes native to Australia, New Guinea,
and Madagascar. Like the Cyprinids described above, Rainbows
are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of six or
more. Larger, somewhat more expensive, and harder to find
than many of the schooling fishes already discussed, Rainbows
are easily cared for, active, and make good first fish for
those who want to try something a little less common. Look
in your dealer's tanks for the Australian Rainbow - Melanotaenia
splendida, Boeseman's Rainbowfish - M. boesemani, Turquoise
Rainbows - M. lacustris, and the Celebes Rainbow - Telmatherina
ladigesi.
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Information
and advice contained on this site is for your consideration
only. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice
concerning the care and treatment of your pet.
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[Information
compiled by PETsMART.com staff and PETsMART Inc.]
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