# Starter Help



## sactownking9 (Jul 31, 2008)

Okay I'm a starter and i have a 75 gallon tank, and I'm looking to have very exotic and crazy fish. My first fish is going to be a Ghost Knife Fish and I want to know what other fish I should get to get the exotic tropical aquarium


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

I wouldnt put anything else with the ghost knife fish in a 75. They get pretty large and will use the entire tank. You could get something for the bottom of the tank, like a pictus catfish or two, or something along those lines.


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## Ripley (Apr 17, 2006)

Most exotic or oddball fish usually get big. But there are some out there that are good for a 75 gallon tank. Some that I like would be:
-African Butterfly fish
-Spotted Perch
-Upside Down Catfish
-Some types of Bichirs
-Puffers ( brackish )
Thats just some of the options.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

I ask you this because I once was of similar opinion: why?

The common fish are common because they are easy to keep, relatively inexpensive, and don't need absurdly large tanks. What is so great about having the crazy exotic fish? When my non-aquarium friends come over to my house and I show them my tanks, they are far more impressed with my Cardinal Tetras then my Julidochromis ****************feldis, Vampire Shrimp, or other more exotic fare.

Embrace the common fish. They tend to be the most fun and you'll save yourself an immense amount of hassle all along.


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## sarahbellum (Feb 28, 2008)

I would think that if you are really "just starting out", the more common the fish, the better. Why spend the money on something that is easy to kill when you have no experience? You'll be lucky to keep EVERYTHING alive on your first shot, especially if its not something thats as hardy as it should be.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

here is what i suggest...............................
it is your money..do with it as you wish.put a whale in your tank if you want one..but it is also your loss.there is good advice above..i was looking at some beautiful black ghost knifefish the other day.only about 4-5 inches long but the nicest,healthiest i have seen in a long time.but i know the fish and i know my facilities..and i just don't have an empty 240+ gallon tank to raise a half dozen of these beauties.6 because my intent would be to eventually breed them..
try something more hardy for a start..then move on to the harder stuff.


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## bluegerbil (Mar 12, 2008)

Looking to get a "crazy" aquarium is a bad idea, especially if you know nothing about fish. As said, it's your money, but they'll be dead in a week- which is hardly fair on them. 

If you want an interesting 75 gallon, buy a shoal of tetras or something comparable. They look interesting and are easy to keep, without being exotic.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

I'll throw in some positives in here. If you do everything by the book, you should be ok. Make sure you let your nitrogen cycle start up before you put anything in. Check your water several times before putting anything in. If you dont know how to check your water, dont trust the people at chain petstores to do it. With a 75 gallon, 1 screw up, and replacing all the water is going to be enough for anyone to remember. Take the time to set it up right. Anyways, as for the Ghost knife:

Make sure there are places for them to hide, and get a ghost tube. It lets them feel secure in a closed environment, but lets you see them. 

Some bottom-dwellers would work, like a rope fish (common at big pet stores). Some other bichers can be territorial, but ropefish are pretty docile. 

Top water fish. In a 75 gallon you can get a single african butterfly fish(awsome!), but secure the lid, cuz they can glide. I had one glide about 20 feet away from my tank.I say a single butterfly because they are agressive to their own species. You can also look into a few needlefish. They are more docile, but require a larger area to swim. If you have a longer 75 gallon (longer than it is tall), you should be ok to have some of those. Needle fish like to be in groups, usually 3 or 4.

Bala sharks work well with Ghost-knifes. They grow at about the same rate, and can both get about 1' long. Knifes are more "reef" style(yes I know there aren't fresh water reefs), and hide and enjoy roots and plants. Bala sharks share a similar section of the water column, but are open-water fish. They should be in about the same level of the tank, but shouldn't have many problems getting along.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

Also wanted to throw this in there. Before you buy a potentially large river fish, find a local zoo or aquarium. That may seem wierd, but the fish is likely to outgrow your tank, and you are going to need a place to adopt it. Zoo's and aquariums will sometimes adopt them, depending on the number of offers they have. I know the aquarium I work at gets at least 2 or 3 people begging for us to take their Pacu's every week. Pet stores sell things saying we will take them, or lying about their size, and people don't know what to do when a 3" fish turns into a 3' monster. Ghost knifes are pretty cool fish, and I know my aquarium will take them over Pacu's, because people do like them. If you don't have an aquarium nearby that will take them, you are best off not getting one. There are plenty of awesome fish out there, a ghost knife can wait.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

Ok, I'll shut up after this. I just love knifes and have one myself, plus I'm kinda a nerd lol. If you want a real authentic tank, go online and look up a black ghost knife in the wild. Find common plants, fish, inverts, and scenery that it is use to. Having a true authentic setup is an amazing conversation piece, not to mention the total awesome-ness of it.


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## sactownking9 (Jul 31, 2008)

Boy do I feel like sucha loser getting way ahed of myself with this Ghost Knife thing. Thanks for the advice but now I'll change up my question a little bit. 


Ok, do you guys have any advice to me as to what fish would be good starter fish and don't look to bad either.

P.S. I now have a 56 gallon tank because the stupid people who moved the 75 ended up droping it.(they paid for it though) and with all the advice coming form here I decided to start out smaller.

Oh, and please keep the advice coming Sea Agg


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## sactownking9 (Jul 31, 2008)

oh' and I forgot to mention i would like 1 or 2 "center peice" fishes.


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

I wouldnt put balas in a 75 at all. They get too large.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

56 gallon? That's an odd size. 55 is very common...

As for what kind of fish to start out with here's my advice... go to your local fish store (not a PetSmart or PetCo, a real store) and spend a few hours looking at the fish in the store. Focus on tetras, rasboras, danios, and platys. Pick some schools of these (not all, maybe start with some hardy tetras like Serpaes). Build from there.

I also recommend that you purchase a commercial cycling agent like Bio-Spira. There is a new product on the market called Tetra Safe Start but I haven't seen it in a store yet.

Good luck to you.


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## sactownking9 (Jul 31, 2008)

Ok so get some schools. Upgrade my filter system. Seems resonable. 


Now what kind of fish should I use for a "Center peice"

(oh and whats is wrong with Petsmart and Petco)


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## karazy (Nov 2, 2007)

maybe an angel, but im not sure

oh, and most chain stores have bad ethics and there fish are not in the best condition.


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## akangelfood (Jun 26, 2008)

COM said:


> As for what kind of fish to start out with here's my advice... go to your local fish store (not a PetSmart or PetCo, a real store) and spend a few hours looking at the fish in the store. Focus on tetras, rasboras, danios, and platys. Pick some schools of these (not all, maybe start with some hardy tetras like Serpaes). Build from there.


Before choosing your first fish, it is a good idea to figure out what kind of tank you want.

All in all, what COM said is true, however if you buy a school of fish on the initial trip, you may find yourself limited in what you can add. For example, Serpaes are very cool fish, but they're fin nippers. So if it turns out that you also like fish with long, flowing tails, the Serpaes won't work. 

I agree that you should go and look at a fish store to see what appeals to you, but I would not recommend making purchases on that initial visit. _Write down the names of the fish that you liked, then go home and do some reading about which ones are compatible. _ You can even post here and I'm sure people will help you with the compatibility (and requirements like tank size, water parameters) of the fish that appealed to you.

Hope this helps!


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

Serpaes are not fin nippers in large schools. They have a bad rep. They're really lovely docile fish IME. (here comes emc with 'only fish i ever took back...')

I say not to go to one of the national chains because they never have anything even mildly interesting and they have a habit of mislabeling things or using a generic name instead of what the fish is really called. For example, I was at PetSmart yesterday and they had some Ghost Shrimp labeled as, "Critters," and pineapple swords labeled as, "Assorted livebearers." They are also notorious for their, "Assorted Cichlid," tanks which contain fish that will have adult sizes ranging from two inches to ten. Not a good place to learn about fish.


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## akangelfood (Jun 26, 2008)

Definately, the local store is the way to go 

The Serpaes were only one example. It was a mistake I made (buying on the first visit), and now I strongly recommend that people research and plan before adding anything to a tank


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

I just wanted to add for the OP that all of the fish in my 55G have been with my Ghost Knife for about 6 months and they all get along fine. My GF and Pleco had a scrap when I first added the Pleco, but they have gotten along fine every since.


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## sactownking9 (Jul 31, 2008)

So would you recomend a ghost knife as a center peice. 

I was also thinking about a Dwarf gourami as a center peice

Thanks for all the help guys it really helps please keep it coming


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

sactownking9 said:


> So would you recomend a ghost knife as a center peice.
> 
> I was also thinking about a Dwarf gourami as a center peice
> 
> Thanks for all the help guys it really helps please keep it coming


If you can get your hands on a small Ghost Knife and I am talking less than 4 or 5 inches then a 55G could work as I have done. However, by the time they get close to 12" a 55G will be too small. Mine has grown from 4 inches to about 7 inches in 6 months so when he gets around 10 or 11 I will probably trade him to my local fish shop for something more size appropriate. If you can obtain a 75, 90, 100, or 120G tank then your Ghost Knife would probably do well to at least 14".


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