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hey guys i am getting back into fish keeping. i used to have quiet a few fish tanks but i had to get rid of them in many moves. it has been a few years so i kindof forgot most of the "fish rules". any ways i was thinking of getting myself a 5gallon tank with a small gold fish. is this okay or do any of you have a better suggestion on how i should start?

i would not put a gold fish in a five gallon, then get to large and produce way too much waste. go with a hardier fish to cycle your tank like zebra danios.do you know what the nitrogen cycle is?

no i am not familiar with the nitrogen cycle. i however was not planning on useing the goldfish to cycle the tank. i was planning on useing this just as a well... pet, unless goldfish are not okay as 1st fish, then i will go with whatever you guys tell me.

STARTING A TANK

This is well worth reading first before you even think about starting a tank.
Depending on your previous knowledge of tanks and fish keping a 5Gl is very small and not actually suitably for many fish/groups of fish.

After you have read all this I strongly suggest you post as many questions as you want to but in "Getting Started" where this link will take you to.
While you are thinking about what to do go to as many LFS as you can with a list of questions and see what answers you get some will be helpful and other totally incorrect (they smell a newbie as soon as they walk in the door) and all they want is your money and to keep coming back to fix up all the mistakes.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info
Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

i say u get like 6 zebra danios and some shrimp.

Hi
Welcome to Fish Profile, and welcome back to the
hobby!

Like Keith, I would suggest that you read through the
various posts in the "Getting Started" Forum here on
Fish Profiles.

If you are going to get back into the hobby with something
small, a 5G tank is an idea, but keep in mind that
virtually every publication will say, in some way, to
"Get the largest tank you can afford." In today's
fish-keeping world, a 5G tank is the upper limit of what
is called a "Nano" or super small, tank.

Small tanks = small fish AND small quantities of them.
The Zebra Danio is a hardy fish, and they are frequently
used to start the Nitrogen Cycle in an aquarium. However,
they have two disadvantages that would make them unsuitable
for that small a tank. First, they need to be housed in
shoal of at least 6 and 10 is preferable. That specific
size tank is actually too small for them. Second, they
are the "hyperactive" fish of the aquatic world. Placing
them in that small a tank would be like placing 6 hyperactive
children in a closet. Most inhumane. There is no
"swimming room" in that tank for those fish as they normally
dash about. Consider those fish for at least a 15G and
more preferably, a 20G "Long" tank or larger.

If you want the 5G to start back into the hobby, you might
consider starting it without fish (see the FAQ about
fish-less cycling) and when the tank has "Cycled" after
about 4-6 weeks, then you might try a trio of fancy
guppies, and/or a Betta, or some Enders.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

hello frank,
What exactly is an endler? i searched it on this site under "profiles" but i could not find it. of any one could please give me the link to it, it would be greatly apreciated. also it seems that the FAQ's will not appear on my computer it says "url not found" so also if someone could give me the direct link to the FAQ about that i would gladly read it.

Hi,
Here are some links:

http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?p=44288

http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Endlers_W0QQugidZ10000000007090555

http://www.aquaworldaquarium.com/Articles/TonyGriffitts/Endlers_Livebearer.html

Hope this helps...
Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--