getting some fish

Question
Hi!
I just bought a 10 gallon freshwater tank.  This is my first time with a fish tank so i have a few questions.  I have got my tank set up with gravel, water, a heater, and a filter but no decorations.  That is all the equipment i have and I am going to buy those things that sucks up water from the tank.  Do i need anything else?  Also, are decorations needed?  My tank has been sitting there for about a day now and going to buy some fish.  I'm thinking of buying a male guppy and then a female and then breeding them.  Do i need another tank to do that?  Will guppies be a good fish to have or are there any other good fish to have?  Well, that's it.  Can you give me any tips that will make keeping fish easier

Answer
Hi Bob,
Looks like you got everything pretty much figured out. Decorations are not an absolute necessity but its really best to have them to provide hiding places for your fish to help them feel more secure. Plus it will help the tank look more natural and make the fish feel at ease plus give them an interesting environment to explore.

A few guppies would be fine. Just remember when you add your first few fish. That's all the fish you should add for at least several weeks. This is because your tank will begin going through its "Cycling phase" where ammonia will start to build up and bacteria will begin to start colonizing. This can be a tricky time because sometimes ammonia can build up to dangerous levels. But usually this won't happen if you stock very lightly in the beginning and you are careful not to overfeed. With time the bacteria will colonize in your filter and gravel bed and convert the ammonia into what's called nitrite. Nitrite is another chemical which is still toxic but not as much as ammonia. Later more bacteria convert nitrite into nitrate. Nitrate is not toxic unless it builds up to very high levels. And it is easily maintained by your regular maintenance water changes.

*It really helps to test your water regularly for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate during tank cycling to monitor how far along your tank is. Plus to make sure the water is safe for your fish. It's very important to do 30-50% water changes if the ammonia ever goes above safe bounds. Most test kits indicate what is considered the "safe zone"

Guppies are great fish. Very colorful, quite hardy, easy to care for but unfortunately short-lived. Maybe a year or two for some. Some guppies can and do live longer however, I know it depends upon their genetics and care. The next drawback to guppies is their tendency to reproduce like rabbits. If you start with even just one pair of guppies, expect a tankful of guppies in several months. If you are able to thin out the population and give the extra fish away to a reliable source then raising guppies is great. Its a Really fun and interesting part of fishkeeping. Just making sure you have extra homes for the babies the female guppies have so often is kinda the hard part. Some petstores are willing to buy your extra guppies but some want them for free. I happen to get lucky with a locally-owned petstore that would give me pretty decent money for any extra baby fish I brought.

You won't generally need to have an extra tank for breeding guppies and raising a few extra fry. That's only if you are breeding for show and trying to keep your strains pure.

A simple way to get out of this problem is to buy only male guppies. A group of 6-7 male guppies would be very beautiful with a few cories in the bottom. Or maybe a dwarf gourami  as a "centerpiece" fish. Try to stock your tank light.

As a good guideline, look here for more stocking suggestions to give you a general guideline:
http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwater-aquariums/tankmate-tips/10-gallon.aspx?cm_...


Other good fish for a 10-gallon are small tetras such as:
*Black neons
*Black phantom tetras
*Neon Tetras
*Lemon Tetras
*Glowlight Tetras
*Pristella Tetras
*Bleeding Heart Tetras
*Head and Taillight tetras
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*Harlequin Rasboras
*Cherry barbs
*Ottocinclus catfish
*Small Corydoras Catfish
*Dwarf Gouramis
*Kuhli Loaches
*Snails
*Ghost Shrimp,
*Other shrimp species
*Platies
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*These are just a few of the fish that are suitable for 10-gallon tanks. Just make sure to cycle the tank beforehand before you start stocking it. Even then try to stock the tank slowly and gradually. A few fish per week is best.

Best wishes and Happy fishkeeping!
Karen~