The first fish in an aquarium
must be chosen carefully, and the most popular fish such as guppies and neons,
despite often being recommended, are actually some of the worst choices. To
choose the correct fish it is important to understand what the difference is
between fish that will do well in a new tank and those that may suffer.
Qualities to look for
The first fish must be able to withstand the water quality fluctuations common
in new aquaria and to resist diseases caused by stress. Equally important are
the behavioural attributes; peaceful, social fish are often best although this
does depend on the overall community. A factor often overlooked is the fish's
ability to adapt to new surroundings, not in terms of water conditions but
simply the type of décor and the present fish population.
Some fish, particularly large or active fish will quite happily settle into a
tank with little décor and no tankmates. Other fish will find this distressing
and despite perfect water quality will soon try to hide, stop feeding, and
succumb to illness. Many fish use the fact that there are other fish in an
aquarium as a sign that the environment is safe. So a good first fish species
would be one that is hardy, disease resistant, sociable, adaptable, active and
confident.
The problem with
Guppies
Now we can look at getting rid of some old habits and where better to start than
with the infamous guppy. The guppies of old were tough as old boots and would
survive almost anything, However, intensive breeding and a quick succession of
generations has led to the vast majority of guppies available nowadays having
the ability to die at the drop of a hat. Inbreeding, a lack of natural selection
and the comparatively sterile aquarium environment have all taken their toll on
the guppies natural immune system; the slightest hint of bacterial infection can
now wipe out an entire tank of guppies. All is not lost however, in a well
matured and stable tank, a good bunch of guppies should do fine for their usual
lifespan of around 18-24 months. In a new aquarium however, there are simply too
many 'triggers' for disease to consider the guppy as a good first fish. Other
popular livebearers including swordtails, mollies, and platies also suffer
similar problems and are particularly prone to skin-related diseases. Specimens
in full health however are normally fine as a first fish and the
occurrence of disease can be partially prevented by
the correct use of aquarium salt.
Neons?
A close second for popularity verses unsuitability is the humble neon tetra,
again a popular fish for new aquariums. Neons are lovely little fish, but they
do tend to be a little timid, are sensitive to fluctuating conditions and are
prone to disease problems in new aquaria. A well-established shoal of neons can
live for many years but if introduced too early, you will be lucky to get a few
months. Many other small tetras are also a little timid as first fish in new
aquaria, unless they are introduced in large shoals of ten or more, but are
ideal as a second or third introduction.
Feeding problems
Catfish are next in line; it is usually the popular Corydoras sp. group of
catfish that are often chosen for new aquariums. The reason why these are not
suitable as first fish is a little complicated as the fish themselves will
settle into a new tank with no social, disease or confidence problems. The
problem is that to keep these fish properly they need to be kept in groups and
given a varied diet of sinking foods and frozen or live foods such as bloodworm.
In a new tank, feeding a whole group on these high protein foods creates the
ideal conditions for an overdosing of waste product and a 'system crash'
resulting in high ammonia and nitrites.
Other heavily bred
species
It is worth mentioning that in recent years the Dwarf Gourami Colisa lalia
and Honey Gourami Colisa sota have undergone a change similar to that of
the guppy with new striking colour forms emerging along with all the associated
problems of intensive breeding. These small gouramies also suffer from a nervous
disposition making them unsuitable for new aquaria and best left for a month or
two before being introduced.
Popular fish not suitable as
a first fish
* Neons
* Guppies
* Small Gouramies
* Scavenging loaches, algae eaters, or catfish
So which fish are the
best first fish?
To start with the case for barbs should be fought, which always seem to be
continually tarred with the undeserved 'nippy and aggressive' brush. Without
doubt this is largely due to the Tiger Barb Barbus tetrazona that can be
very nippy and troublesome, but experience shows that this only occurs when too
few are kept together and they are mixed with the wrong fish. For instance if a
small group of tiger barbs are kept with colourful long finned fish and the long
fins get nipped beyond recovery the question has to be was it the barbs or the
long-finned fish which should not have been introduced? Excluding the larger
barb species, barbs in general are very good first fish having all the
attributes mentioned earlier and whilst not as colourful as some fish, they
certainly do have personality and style.
Colour and size
If you do want something with a little more flair then the rainbowfish family
are well worth a look. These peaceful fish have hardly any demands, although
they often prefer harder water, and will mix well with other active fish. Most
rainbowfish only develop their full colour once they have been settled in an
aquarium for a few months so its important to see their potential when they may
look a little drab at the point of purchase.
The larger Gourami species are good first fish for aquaria with plenty of plants
and hiding spots. Pearl and Moonlight gouramies are ideal for most aquaria
whilst the Opaline, Gold and Three-spots are suitable providing they are kept in
a minimum group of 5. Because Opaline, Gold and Three-spots are all the same
species the group can be a mixture but if kept in small numbers one will become
dominant and bully either all the others or pick on the weakest of the group.
Fish generally suitable as
'first fish'
* Barbs
* Larger Gouramies
* Rainbowfish
* Shoals of larger Tetras
* Danios
Tips for choosing first fish
* Choose several varieties of fish you like, make sure they will all get along
(try using the Think Fish Community Creator), and then find out which are the
hardiest. This is a better method than setting your heart on a particular fish
species when another may be a better first introduction.
* Avoid fish that have specific feeding habits, extra food types will add more
waste to the aquarium, which may affect water quality. For the first 6-8 weeks
your fish should be fed a simple flake food, after this period the diet should
be steadily adjusted to include as much variety as possible, at this point fish
with more specific feed requirements can be added.
* Don't buy to many at once. Although it can seem a little pointless looking at
an almost empty aquarium it is vital that you stock slowly, or you risk loosing
large numbers of fish to disease and bad water quality which may take ages to
sort out. The amount and frequency of fish you introduce depends on the size and
type of your aquarium and filter. A general rule is no more than six small fish
every seven days.
* Ask how long the fish you have chosen have been in the shop. Any fish that
have only been in the tank for a few days should be avoided, the extra stress of
being moved twice in the same week and entering a new aquarium is likely to
cause problems.
