Pet fish discussion thread (and sorta cry for help)

[Zontar]

So I've just downed 360 Canadian dollars on a 20 gallon tank and fish for it

Spoiler: Image and list

Contains:

12 Neon Tetra
12 Red Tetra
1 mini angel
1 female Betta
4 Otocinclus
2 algae eaters who's name escapes me

So I have no idea what made me do this, I just spontaneously decided to get it done and looked through a list of fish that are compatible in a tank, look nice and, in the case of algae eaters, are practical.

I have no idea why I did it, I have no idea why I keep thinking about it, and I for some reason now want to build a bigger 60 gallon tank for my drawer and make both it and the modifications to my drawer so it can handle the weight.

At this point this post is half a call for discussion about pet fish and half a cry for help.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Be careful with 'algae eaters.' My mother has a big tank (50+ gallons), so she got some, and all of them, without fail, made the tank dirtier then it was without them.

Besides that, all I can say is don't get an angel fish. They WILL kill that beta, and probably bunch of other stuff.

EDIT: Also, nice tank.

 

[Zontar]

so she got some, and all of them, without fail, made the tank dirtier then it was without them.

In my experience fish waste is easier to clean out then algae.

Besides that, all I can say is don't get an angel fish. They WILL kill that beta, and probably bunch of other stuff.

I've had them a few days and neither has gotten into a fight. Though it's not a proper angel fish but some breed that was referred to as a 'mini angel fish'.

EDIT: Also, nice tank.

Thanks, wanted to give the fish enough space and an environment that they could feel comfortable in. Added an extra 80$ to the overall cost, but I think it was worth it.

 

[Death Carr]

I have a ~100 litre tank in my living room thats currently empty because the dozen or so goldfish I had in there passed away because someone was poisoning fish at the shop I bought them from and nobody found out until after everything died.
so it's sat empty for a few weeks until I hear news that they caught the poisoner cause they're the only reliable supplier of fish in my town
on the plus side, it's staying super clean

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I have a ~100 litre tank in my living room thats currently empty because the dozen or so goldfish I had in there passed away because someone was poisoning fish at the shop I bought them from and nobody found out until after everything died.
so it's sat empty for a few weeks until I hear news that they caught the poisoner cause they're the only reliable supplier of fish in my town
on the plus side, it's staying super clean

What could possibly be the guy's motivation for poisoning fish?

 

[Death Carr]

snip

What could possibly be the guy's motivation for poisoning fish?

from what gossip I've heard, the guy's got some kinda beef with the family that runs the store

 

[Catnip1024]

I wish the world would stop tempting me...

I've been thinking about fish for a while, but am not sure whether to go for an indoor tank or to dig a pond. A tank is more effort intensive, but at least you don't watch things get eaten by herons (or dragonfly larvae - those things are monsters).

Have you started to get to the point where you are adding shrimp and snails and making it a self-contained ecosystem, yet?

 

[Zontar]

Have you started to get to the point where you are adding shrimp and snails and making it a self-contained ecosystem, yet?

Nope, nowhere near that point yet. Right now it's just a community that's still acclimating to each other (one of the neons died last night, though that's to be expected given it was a tiny thing that wasn't looking too good in the first place).

Someday I hope to have snails, shrimp and real plants, but that's quite some time down the line.

 

[Just Ebola]

I have a ~100 litre tank in my living room thats currently empty because the dozen or so goldfish I had in there passed away because someone was poisoning fish at the shop I bought them from and nobody found out until after everything died.
so it's sat empty for a few weeks until I hear news that they caught the poisoner cause they're the only reliable supplier of fish in my town
on the plus side, it's staying super clean

Sounds like we have a serial kriller on our hands.

Heh.

I thought about a second pun involving ghost shrimp, but I couldn't quite nail it down. He poisons fish, I guess is the point. And that's... odd.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Fish are dumb, you might as well get a picture of some fish, or maybe a screensaver, and it would be just as good.
I mean all they do is sit there going:

I don't understand the point of a pet that you can't cuddle. Basically what I'm saying is that anything but a cat is a waste of space.

 

[Zontar]

I don't understand the point of a pet that you can't cuddle.

It's because they look very nice, and are interesting to watch (particularly the schools of tetra as they swim around).

Plus it's a hobby it itself, as they tank needs to be kept at a proper temperature, pH level, nitrogen level, have a certain amount of water cycled out each week and at certain intervals have it all replaced.

I also am a bit of an animal person (the rural guy is an animal person, shocker I know), what with my house having those fish, a dog, 5 cats and a dwarf hamster, while my garage (that's the same size as my house but is a separate two story building) has a colony of a few dozen cats living in it that we feed and tolerate for their rodent patrols in the fields.