Advice on what fish to keep?

[Cheery]

Hi all!

I'm a new member in this forum and also new to keeping fish.

So I would like to seek advice on what kind of fish do you tink I should keep as a first timer? *i hope this is not a stupid qn *

As a first timer, I would probably be prone to some carelessness in caring for it.. so pls give recommendations!

Thanks!

[Giant]

Will depend on your set up.
How big your tank is?
The kind of deco you intent to have.
etc

Maybe easier for people to advise accordingly if you can provide some details.

Or do u have a tank yet?

[Cheery]

Oh er, actually I do not have a tank yet..

Do people usually buy a tank first? I tot I could have a rough idea first before buying a tank.

But anyway, I am looking for smaller fish not those big kinds like luo han..

[juggler]

[quote:daaa621109="Cheery"]Hi all!

I'm a new member in this forum and also new to keeping fish.

So I would like to seek advice on what kind of fish do you tink I should keep as a first timer? *i hope this is not a stupid qn *

As a first timer, I would probably be prone to some carelessness in caring for it.. so pls give recommendations!

Thanks! [/quote:daaa621109]

Welcome to AQ!

Why not take a trip down the fish shops and see what you like?
I mean different folks like different kinds of fish so very hard to recommend. Most of the fish are easy to keep. So see what you like, find out more about them and then deciding what to buy depending on your budget.

For a start, why not look at some on-line fish database like:
http://www.fishprofiles.com/
http://www.fishbase.org/

Happy fish-keeping.

[Cheery]

Hey juggler,

Thanks for ur advice and the 2 sites given.

I have had a quick look at them. Personally like this fish: Holacanthus ciliaris. Looks really pretty from the photo!

[vinz]

Talk to the shop owners too... but talk to a few or more. As usual, some may not give the best advise out of pure ignorance or greed. Always follow up with research on the web and talking to hobbyists, like those on AQ.

Also, please post in the relevant forums... I'm moving this thread to Freshwater Fauna.

[loupgarou]

what sort of tank do you want?

a) habitat based (more or less), eg: tanganyikan, amazonian, african, madagascan, malawi , planted, fish only, marine etc

b) rojak community blend of above.

[ranmasatome]

isnt Holacanthus ciliaris a saltwater species?

[Enda]

Welcome to the hobby!

Most first-timers start with cheap, easy and common fish, e.g guppies, tetras, goldfish, etc. These are also the more well-known fishes, even among non-fishkeepers. The most common first-time set up is a general freshwater community tank with small, peaceful fishes, decorated with some plants and rocks. However, as you dive deeper into the hobby, you'll discover hundreds of different fish species and many different tank designs you can explore and experiment with. For example, brilliantly coloured African cichlids in an all-rock design tank. Many fishkeepers nowadays endeavour to replicate biotopes, that is the natural environment their fish came from. Hence, only fish and plants from a certain habitat are kept together in a tank where water conditions (pH, hardness, temperature) are tailored to be similar to that environment.

You can decide whether you just want a basic community tank, i.e with several fish species, or if you would like to try planted tanks, or if there is a particular group of fish you would like to keep (e.g arowana, African cichlids).

Holacanthus ciliaris is a marine angelfish, unrelated to freshwater angelfishes, which are cichlids. Marine tanks are a totally different ball-game. They are generally less forgiving and more expensive than freshwater setups, but just as interesting. Many people are drawn to marine fish by their bright colours. If you're interested in marines, visit ww.sgreefclub.com, the Singapore Reef Club. BTW, Holacanthus ciliaris, the Queen Angelfish is a goreous fish, but difficult to keep, very expensive and rare in Singapore. Just so you don't get disappointed...

Explore the Internet and local fishshops (lfs) or fishfarms to get a better idea of what you want to keep. Several good websites for you:

www.petfrd.com Singapore Cichlid Community
www.aquahobby.clom
www.wetwebmedia.com
www.cichlid-forum.com
www.arofanatics.com Singapore Arowana Community

All the best!

[akoh]

and

www.plecofanatics.com - Singapore Pleco Community