40 gallon tank??? what fish???

i swim

well i want to get a 40 gallon tank. but i cant decide on the fish. i want fish around 3 inches or bigger. i dont want just small fish like mollies, tetra, and platy. i would like those but some bigger ones too. i also want a variety like 4-5 different species. any ideas? and how many too? thanks

i swim

i have decided on a 30 gallon tank b/c this will be my first aquarium. so not 40 gallons but 30 gallons

cbirk

well unfortunately you will have to find a balance between quantity, variety and size. with a 40 gal rectangle tank, you can get 2-4 varities with 5-7 fish that are small sized like tetras, etc. If you want bigger fish and variety you will have to get non shoaling fish, so they can be happy by them selves, and also pay attention to what they can and can not be with.

What I do when setting up a new tank is find a single type of fish that i really want ( that is ok to keep in the tank size I have) I then I build the aquarium around them. That is what I recommend, then come back with the kind of fish you have, and people will be happy to make suggestions to maximize your tank around it.

1077

I suggest taking a sample of your tapwater that will be used for water changes to fish store and have them test the water for pH, GH,KH. this will help you choose fish that will do well with your water.
If you are not familar with setting up a new tank, I would research the (nitrification process )or (cycling a new aquarium) BEFORE adding fishes to the aquarium.