03 Good First Fish
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Good (and Bad) First Fish; Breeding FAQ, by Dean Hougen and Elaine Thompson
03 Good First Fish
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 to 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 fishes 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.
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