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hi everyone im new and this is my first post!

i have always wanted a fish been never had one, i have been looking for at least a year now at fish...

i was wondering which would be a better fish to start with a small group of guppies or platies or possibly both with an algea eater as well?

i have also been looking at the 12g nano cube..

so any help is better then none thank you!

"I'm not a Guppy!" - Flounder

Welcome to the hobby! Both guppies and platies are good beginner fish, but guppies in particular will breed like rabbits, so I would try to get only males if possible (females can be pregnant at the store), unless of course you were planning to breed them In which case you should have an extra tank for the fry to grow up in. For a twelve gallon, the most obvious choice for an algae eater would be otocinclus, but they are not for beginners, as one missed water change can kill them. Instead I would suggest some amano shrimp if you can get them, as they will eat most kinds of algae. Otherwise algae shouldn't be too much of a problem if you don't place the tank near a window or in direct sunlight.

Be sure to read up on cycling the tank first if you haven't already, and be sure to invest in some test kits, like amonia and nitrIte. There are other options instead of guppies and platies though, such as white cloud minnows, betta fish (remember NEVER to mix males in the same tank), harlequin rasboras, and cherry barbs. Just make sure and research any potential additions to your tank. If you have any questions about maintenance, stocking, or whatnot, just ask ^_^, and feel free to send me a private message at any time.

~Envy
~~Your village called.. they're missing an idiot.~~

That is a small tank and if you start off with three guppies 1 male and two females very quickly you will be having problems with over loading. Going for a ferw males is an excellent idea.

There are several posts here for beginners I strongly suggest you read them and then ask as many questions as you want. Please remember we were all beginners once and no question is ever stupid or silly.
I know nothing about that tank and therefore I will not even comment on it.
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Keith

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like stated by keith,

a group of livebeares will overstock most small tanks. a single female can drop enough fry to overstock a 12 gallon.

i would try going with 5-6 all male guppies. They will be colorful and no fry to overstock a tank.

Now with an algae eatter, it depends on what type you get. The most common being the common pleco. but a pleco can get to over 24 inches and isn't good in small tanks. CAE or chinese algae eatters wouldn't work either. over 12 inches and very aggressive. Ottos would be your best bet, but since u never had a fish tank b4, it will be hard to keep the water quality in check.

So for now i wouldn't get an algae eatter as there really isn''t an purpose to have one now.

Hi there,
considering how fragile commercially
raised Guppies seem to be these days,
Id recommend Platys.
Also, male platys dont fight as much as
male guppies do in an all male tank.
Male platys are also substantially smaller than
females.
Id recommend a Group of 4-5 Male platys of assorted
colors, or whichever color strikes your fancy. I like
the blues a lot. They will reward you with about
3-4 years of color and activity!
You could add a couple of Otocinclus cats once the
tank has aged and algae has grown for them,
or some shrimps of some kind.

Remember you cant just run out and buy fish and stick
em in the tank.
Id recommend a fishless cycle, though Platies are certainly tough enough to survive a cycle.


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yesss..
i would def. recommend male platys.

from experience with both of them I have found that platys have more personality then guppies do.

i dont know why.. i have just seen that.

=]] good luck.

-kristin

~!!I lOve LiFe!!~

I disagree with ottos not being beginer fish.I am an idiot...and all of mine are fine. I have missed several water changes and theya re all fine. I think ottos are very hardy, I have even bought them from different lfs and they all seem to be cool with everything.Shrimp would be easiest tho...as long as u dun gravel vac them,move anything in your tank, or drop anything large in....ottos rock!

I like the male platy idea, too - especially variatus platys as I find them hardier and they can withstand cooler temps if you don't want to get a heater. Look for sunburst platys or ones specifically stating Variatus in the name.

One big benefit with platys is they'll munch aglae for you which I've not found to be the case with guppies.

Plus, I think platies have more personality. I have a puffer, breeding pair of kribs, have kept all sorts of high personality fish, and I still like platies...they're bright, fun, and personable fish.

Eric