Hello- Beginner to fish, wants tips

Livelifelaughlove

First of all hello to all.

alright i am am trying to get a basic aquarium going in my bedroom. I was going to just get a beta and put it in a 1 gallon aquarium, but i started to feel bad about doing that... yea i know i am giving fish feelings now...
So i am now in the process of looking for a 10ish gallon tank.
Since my room is pretty cold, usually from 60-68 F, i also realize i will have to invest in a heater and filter.
and i figured that if i was going to invest in all that, i might as well start exploring other types of fish rather than just beta's and their few tank companions...
So my question is what would you guys reccomend for fish? and is there anything else i need to know?
also, is there a possibility that i could not leave the light on during the night? i am a pretty finicky sleeper and the light would drive me nuts all night long.

Please keep in mind i am 15, so i am do have a fairly limited budget :(

onefish2fish

welcome to the forum.
google "fishless cycle" or search here for it. if your still confused ask!

after the tank is cycled neon tetras are nice colorful fish. a school of 6 would look awesome. theres also guppies,mollies,swordtails but if males/females are together your going to have babies no questions asked. they are live bearers meaning they give birth to live babies rather then eggs. Just to name a few, find out which ones appeal to you and post there names so someone can assist what would be best.
Fish do have feelings/personalities and i actually here bettas are one of there better examples of freshwater fish.
A heater, net ,de-chlorinator, filter, thermometer and test kit should all be considered. API makes a decent test kit called the "master test kit" which goes for about $25-35 in stores and about $20 online.
The light shouldnt have to be kept on all night. Infact fish sleep too, or have a "resting period" regardless keeping a light on too long will result in algae issues so about 6-8 hours of light will work. If your not keeping live plants you can have it on less.
Hope that helps, feel free to ask anymore questions.

Livelifelaughlove

I don't have any real attatchments to the Neon Tetra, i prefer things a little more...strange, but they certainly could do.
I would like to have alive plants if possible, not to terribly big on fake ones... they look so...fake... lol
The light could be left on from oh, 7 AM to 10PM so there would be alot of time for it on just not all night.

i would really like angelfish, but i have the sneaking suspicion that my tank won't be big enough for them...

thanks alot of the input. if you have any more, let me know! ( or anyone else for that matter)

Livelifelaughlove

For the record, i have not researched these fish at all! i just google/imaged them.

But for looks i like the:
Lemon Cichids
Black-banded Leporinus
mainganos
midnight peacock
congo/cardinal/emperor tetras are kinda cool,
i <3 anglefish!
Cherry/Tiger Barb
German Gold Ram
Apistogramma Agassizii
and Pencil fish

Sorry if these are not the common names of them, they were the names i got from the website..
also i realize probably none of them are what i can have, but they are a physicaly appealing to me.

Another idea i had, is that maybe getting a few small ones, black, and then get one BRIGHT blue or red or yellow one... (my room is black and red so i could make it match...)

Also i love the... show or fancy guppies (can't remember what they are called?)
But i don't want to have to take care of babies for the most part. not now at least maybe in the summer when i have more time.

onefish2fish

im not a cichlid person so i cant help you there.
but sadly angels need a larger tank then a 10 gallon. they prefer taller tanks as well due to their shape
pencil fish? as in needlenose gar? they grow huge and prey on live fish!

keep in mind planted tanks cost more money so you may want to stock your fish first while you save up money for lights, substrate, ferts, and the plants and have time to research their care.
your going to want to keep the light on less then the time between 7am -10pm again 6-8 hours is a good time frame for your light as algae problems will arise. Dont put the tank by a natural light source either as that causes big algae issues.
fancy guppies are always a great starting fish, you can get all males (which generally are more colorful anyways) to prevent having little ones.
I think a nice start off stocking list would be 4-6 male guppies in different color variations and cherry red shrimp since you like the color red.

Twistersmom

If you have not already bought a tank, you may want to look for a used one on Craigslist, or a local search on Ebay. Sometimes you can come across awsome deals! May be able to find a tank large enough for that Angel fish you want for the same price as a new 10gal in a store. As many fish that you are interested in, the biggest tank you can afford would be a good idea!

Cody

I know what it is like to be on a budget... 14 years old here.

But as to your question...

-Lemons: I have no idea. Not a cichlid person either.
-Lepornius: I love this fish too, but they are very aggressive and can reach more than a foot long. I would say 55/75G minimum.
-Mainganos: Not sure:
Peacock: As in Cichlid? This is know. It won't work in a 10G, though.
Congos: Too large and need a lot of swimming space. 55G minimum.
Cardinals: Great
Emperors: Should be ok
Angelfish: Get too big.
Cherries: Great
Tigers: I would say at least a 24" tank, better yet 30". They are very active and aggressive.
Ram: One be fine.
Apisto: Again, not sure.
Pencil fish: Are you talking about the dwarf kind, or the regular kind?

Livelifelaughlove

I figured i couldn't get most of those.

I am currently looking for one on both craigslist and ebay. The main problem isn't money at the moment, it is space.

I also realized that i couldn't get angelfish, i just decided to throw out there that i love them

Um sorry i can't help with the types or whatever, i just looked in a fish gallery and typed in the name that it gave me...

onefish2fish

try www.liveaquaria.com in the freshwater fish section

veganchick

I would say no too everything exept for the rams, cherry barbs, cardinals, emporers