Best Beginner Fish

[rascalbo]

I am new to fish keeping and have never owned an aquarium before. I've been doing a lot of research on the topic but I would like some guidance on what fish I should be choosing. I don't want a fish that will be extremely easy to take care but I also don't want it to be extremely hard. I'm thinking of getting a 75 gallon - 90 gallon tank.

Criteria
- Easy - intermediate to take care of
- Looks good
- Active

 

[krull]

Community tank of Malawi cichlids
not too easy not too hard.

 

[davemal]

Get an Oscar ... one of the best fish I have ever had the pleasure of keeping.

 

[esoxlucius]

You'll not get much mileage out of asking other people to choose fish for you. The choices that all the posters will come up with would just give you a huge headache leaving you none the wiser. If i was you i'd go to the nearest LFS and just have a mooch around and make a note of fish YOU like. You'll probably end up with a dozen or so fish that you really like. Make a note of them and then research them at home before purchasing (it's not always a good idea to talk to shop personel because in my experience, although they mean well, they haven't got a clue). That's why i suggest doing your homework on them yourself. Look at compatibility issues, any special requirements, growth rates, diet, max adult size etc etc. That would be how i'd go about it anyway.

I presume when you say you've already researched the hobby, that by this you mean basic nitrogen cycle knowledge etc. Because if you haven't researched the very basics then it dosen't matter if you get the most hardiest and simplist fish in the world to keep, chances are they'd be dead within a week.

 

[krull]

In all honestly most fish are pretty easy to keep as long as your fundamentals are all good. (Water parameters and temperature, ETC).
Some fish are more sensitive to water changes and some aren't,
and some fish require different ways of keeping them. E.G. Arowanas need strong fitting lids as the can jump out if scared (is a truly scary feeling) and Cichlids need to be watched to make sure ones not being bullied to much or being to much of a bully.
Best thing you can do is decide 100% what kind of fish you want in your aquarium and go from there.

 

[duanes]

I agree with essoxlucius, fish keeping is not like stamp collecting, its more like a science project, that if you don't have the research down, will end up a smelly dead mess.
And I will be the first to disagree with one of the previous posts. I believe a 75 gal tank is too small for an oscar, especially for a beginner fish keeper, I believe any fish that gets larger the 7.5", is too big a fish for that size tank.

 

[rascalbo]

You'll not get much mileage out of asking other people to choose fish for you. The choices that all the posters will come up with would just give you a huge headache leaving you none the wiser. If i was you i'd go to the nearest LFS and just have a mooch around and make a note of fish YOU like. You'll probably end up with a dozen or so fish that you really like. Make a note of them and then research them at home before purchasing (it's not always a good idea to talk to shop personel because in my experience, although they mean well, they haven't got a clue). That's why i suggest doing your homework on them yourself. Look at compatibility issues, any special requirements, growth rates, diet, max adult size etc etc. That would be how i'd go about it anyway.

I presume when you say you've already researched the hobby, that by this you mean basic nitrogen cycle knowledge etc. Because if you haven't researched the very basics then it dosen't matter if you get the most hardiest and simplist fish in the world to keep, chances are they'd be dead within a week.

Thanks for the suggestion I will make sure to do that soon.

 

[davemal]

duanes brings up a good point ... where do u draw the line ? My Oscar was kept in a 48" x 18" x 18" I had him for about 6yrs had to give him to a friend coz I went to uni. When you keep fish you are making them live in a smaller space than they would in nature, you could argue your tank is too small for any fish so choose carefully. Very active fish need a lot of space, shoaling fish need even more.

 

[Backfromthedead]

on the extremely easy note:

rainbowfish are very hardy and pretty fish and you could keep a nice variety in a 75.

a solo jack dempsey or green terror works well in a 48x18 in my experience. ive kept oscars in this size tank before but would advise against it. theyre just too much mass.

one or two severums might be your best bet. very hardy, not extremely aggressive, can be very pretty.

if i ever free up one of my 75s, im gonna try either a cuban cichlid or chocolate cichlid.

 

[Adictd2Fsh]

In all honestly most fish are pretty easy to keep as long as your fundamentals are all good. (Water parameters we and temperature, ETC).
Some fish are more sensitive to water changes and some aren't,
and some fish require different ways of keeping them. E.G. Arowanas need strong fitting lids as the can jump out if scared (is a truly scary feeling) and Cichlids need to be watched to make sure ones not being bullied to much or being to much of a bully.
Best thing you can do is decide 100% what kind of fish you want in your aquarium and go from there.

I agree with this dude. Just stay away from Electric Blue Jack Dempsey's, Discus, German Blue Rams. These fish are either week, sketchy and or prone to disease. Flowerhorn and Dovii need to be alone they are murders, but very beautiful, LOL.Oscars are hardy but not easy to keep they get huge, eat alot and poop alot, they will also beat the crap out of any smaller fish you put in with it. Must have larger meaner fish with fat hungry Oscar.
GOOD LUCK DO YOUR HOMEWORK!