Tropical Equivalent of Goldfish

sanketvaidya

Hi,

This is my first post in the forum.

I would like to know from you all that which tropical fish is equivalent to Goldfish. Can you pl. help me out on this?

It should:

1. Have long life-span.
2. Should be veggie.
3. Should be able to survive without food & water change when I go for short vacations (eg. 1 week). (Of course if preparations are done before I leave)
4. Care level should be easy as I have never had aquarium before.

I did a lot of surfing about Goldfish. But I believe that the temperature in my city will be too high for them. So tropical fish would be much comfortable over there.

My City: Ahmedabad - India
The below link will give you an idea about the temperatures in my city so that you can suggest fish accordingly.

AHMEDABAD Weather, Ahmedabad Weather Forecast, Temperature, Festivals, Best Season
Ahmedabad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I will not be purchasing the aquarium atleast in coming 3 months but just trying to get the information much in advance.

redchigh

We also need to know your PH. If your water is alkaline, then female bettas or male livebearers would work well.

I would also make the tank planted... It adds stability to the system.

All fish need a bit of 'meat' in their diet... The occasional mosquito larvae or blackworms would be relished.

Not sure what you mean by veggie... You mean plant-eater or algae eater?

sanketvaidya

Thanks for the response..

plant-eater

I have not tested that yet as there is still time for me to buy the aquarium. You can suggest the fish & their ph levels. If required I will adjust the ph level to that of fish I will go with

I just wan't to collect the information well in advance as I don't wan't any fish to suffer.. Once I get the right guidance for the fish & some tips, I will do google to get more detailed info.

Also just wan't to point out that as mentioned by the links, the temperatures of my city in summer go well above 40 celsius

1077

40 degrees C is 104 degrees f. If the tank is to be outdoors, there aren't may fishes that I am aware of that would tolerate this temp long term.Higher temps mean less oxygen available.
If you can keep temps around 80 degrees F then perhaps Severums,clown loaches would be something that interest's you.These would need fairly large tank.

Teishokue

please dont adjust the pH, check your pH that is running from the tap. since its your first aquarium you need to learn about the nitrogen cycle. a high temp would have less dissolved oxygen, i suggest a powerhead, stone bubbler and hob filter. i also suggest plants such as java ferns. this way oxygen isnt a problem in the high temp. having a strict plant diet wont do for any fish. start out with something cheap and easy, that way you can practice your maintenance until you are ready for the next level. larger fishes tolerate things better.

redchigh

So, it's 65-95 degrees F on average... As high as 104, and as low as 40 sometimes. I assume you'll have the tank inside, so at least they will be more stable. Let's assume that you'll keep it close to the average.

Still not sure why you want the fish to be a vegetarian.. You want to feed it plants? Lots of fish can be fed vegetables, but plants might be a problem.

If your water is around 7.0, you could try Bettas. Your given temps are a bit high for them, but they're native to India.. They should be able to handle it as long as the temps don't fluctuate wildly. A sorority would be relatively peaceful and easy to keep. They nibble on veggies, but not sure whether they'd eat aquatic plants. A commercial fish food would be best for them, and all of the others I mention. (in addition to the veggies)

Below 7.0, then gouramis and rasboras would be best, with perhaps loaches after the tank is established.

If your water is more basic (7.0-7.6, with a high Kh) then your best bet would probably be Danios, rosy barbs, gouramis. They are all native to India. You could also try livebearers instead.

If your PH is above 7.6, then perhaps you could try one of the african cichlids...

Research up on the nitrogen cycle... Then add a 1-2 fish that I listed first for each ph. Add 1-2 more every 6-8 weeks until the tank is stocked. Danios and Rasboras need to be in groups of at least 6.

SinCrisis

A big tank with over-powered lights and filter, a pleco, and algae wafers seems to be the best combination for what you want. Pleco will live for quite a while, they eat only algae and will graze on blanched vegetables and algae wafers, and they dont need regular feeding since they can graze on algae.

Plecos are not at all like Goldfish though, they sit on the bottom of the tank and dont swim around as much. They are just as messy though and poop like Goldfish.

fashionfobie

Betta fish are from Cambodia and Malaysia. Bettas I do agree that starting with a betta could be a nice step. They are relatively easy to care for are do not require a ton of space. They do prefer to live alone, and they are not vegetarians.

:)

Natalie

redchigh

Well, you'd have to just hope that you grow the right type of algae. Otherwise they're useless. Oh, I got it-

Set up a shrimp tank. That could work.

SinCrisis

invert =/= Goldfish. At least the pleco is a fish... Also, thats what the algae wafers are for, they can eat those. Also plecos can munch on live plants as well so that can substitute for food during vacation times.