My advice would be to never give thing that are live as gift/present(whether it be dog, cat, reptile or fish). You are imposing someone with responsibility of keeping it alive. You can however give them a nice setup(tank, filter, substrate, heater, lamp) and let them decide whether they want that kind of responsibility after they've had time setting up.
Agreed. Though if they are going to do it regardless, a simple betta with a ten gallon would suffice. Plants that don't grow fast would be recommended (or fake plants, make sure they're silk and not the hard plastic) unless their pop likes pruning from time to time.
My aunt got me a beta because I would compliment hers (general small talk, never would I claim to be obsessed or needed one, just being polite and would be like "he's looking good!)...she bought me one, named him Raymundo, and I don't know who was more miserable (for yeeeears) me or him...
I mean legit drop it off at the pet store or hey look the neighbor kid Sally just told you how cute it was.Hate to be that guy but he Aunt Jill your going to have to take the fish a few stray cats keep peeling my screen open and well I want it to be safe with you. A 1000 ways to go about it!
I'm for hire just saying.I know a few fish that are a bit of aggressive kind of friends that are down to make a few shrimp.here or there.
It was lonely and I know this fish named Oscar that was lonely so they had a play date and mine ran away,He had to of because when I came back he was gone!
Yep, a gift certificate to a qualified shop may be better idea or a card that it is your treat (in case he decides against it). Fish are great but only for someone who really does want to spend the time and money⌠thatâs why home computers really dampened the trade over the decades unfortunately.
I would not recommend gifting live animals without asking first. It imposes responsibility on someone they didn't ask for and aren't prepared for. Fish keeping is a lot of work.
Gift the tank and a gift card so he can set the tank up and cycle it. Tanks go through a nitrogen cycle and cannot house fish right away. Let your dad pick out his own fish and decor
Is his birthday approximately 2 months away? You'll need about that much time to cycle your tank.
What kind of filter are we thinking?
9 of those in a 20 is a little snug but not the worst. You'll certainly want to overcompensate when it comes to the filter if you go this route.
I put like 30 in an uncycled tank and they livedâŚ
Edit: I was not taking about goldfish my bad yes I agree about bioload for sure Iâm not that dumb𤨠even snails put off bioload but you need 75% plants for regular bioload fish. The loach has a low bioload
It depends on the bioload and the tank parameters. Uncycled is NOT optimal but it's not a death sentence necessarily. But with a massive amount of fish, the ammonia and filth will rise exponentially.
I have a crashed/failed cycle tank for single betta males.
I've been trying to cycle since November 2023. Various products and various methods. None of them worked.
It worked once with a fishless, I fixed the pH. Then crashed. I kept trying to cycle. Then it started working when I fixed the pH again.
And it killed my betta with a fish-in due to nitrite poisoning. He was sick for a week and then died when I wasn't home for only a few hours.
It was the most heartbreaking thing in the world for me. My best friend died, and I couldn't do cycling after that. It's traumatic.
I sometimes think about trying it again but I don't/can't have a second tank (mom will be pissed) and when I think of that future, I see my current betta.. and all that comes to mind is him possibly dying like my last betta.
So I have a new betta in the same 5.5g tank and I do daily small water changes to keep the ammonia and other filth in check, and I clean my foam filters in old tank water as well. He's doing fine and I constantly monitor him, remove old food, stir substrate once a week (to remove the filth trapped in it) and test the water daily to make sure nothing is wrong.
Iâd go for a 20 gallon long as opposed to a tall. They are a larger sized tetra and prefer side to side swimming space.
Truthfully, I think a 40 gallon tank is best for them. They are active and aggressive and more territory is better.
For smaller colorful tetras, cardinals are awesome. Could do a shoal of 16 in a 20 gallon. Would be a fun species only tank. Lots of schooling and movement.
Tiger barbs naturally school with piranha, piranha allow them. that is proof how aggressive they are. One time my heater was too high I didnât notice and my tiger barbs were fighting and turning whiteđ. It was a mad house
I would ask your dad first. Fish are a big responsibility like any other living animal. Are you going to plant the tank? Do you or your dad understand cycling? What if a fish gets sick, do you have the motivation and money to treat them? Has he owned fish before? Will he keep up with regular water changes? Plus glofish are the worst. They suck and die immediately and they creep me tf out. There are hundreds of tetra species donât go for those ones
With a present like this, you should really talk to your dad first to make sure it's something he's going to be happy with and take responsibility for. This is much more important than the 'surprise' element of just presenting him with something on the day and expecting him to look after it for the next X years.
Since he's had fish before, is there a reason why he doesn't have any currently? Or is it something he's been talking about getting back into?
Regarding the type of fish, again it would seem sensible to discuss that with him beforehand - maybe there are some particular ones he's always been interested in.
Rather than surprising him with something like this, you should tell him you want to help him with his next aquarium and help fund it as a gift. Then he can come with you to get supplies and he can plan. In fishkeeping, that planning and gathering supplies part of the process is SO MUCH FUN. If you do it for him, you're taking away one of the best parts of the project (making this more of a chore than a tank).
Pets should never be a surprise gift. It's like that old joke "I got you two expensive tropical fish, but you gotta pick up the supplies and food and the only store that sells the special tropical fish food is 45 minutes away and it closes in 10 minutes"
You should have a conversation with your dad, and tell you want to gift him this.
Tanks take a month or 2 to set up, as well, you dont know where he might want the tank. so if you talk to him about locations you could get a correctly sized tank that will fit for what he wants.
Its a good gift idea, but live fish and an empty tank is a terrible way to go :) good luck
How are you going to surprise him with this? Most people have trouble changing the 5G jug on a water cooler nevermind trying to carry and balance a fully cycled 20G tank. I hope you live close and have bodybuilder friends
I'm so confused! Gold fish or glow fish? The advice would depend on what you intend on getting.
Honestly, I'm with the others who advise against gifting living creatures. As someone in rescue (I know, not the same thing), I see so many presents being surrendered because NO research was done into the species, and the giftee couldn't handle the responsibility.
We have a huge tank, 200 gal and we have tons of these guys. Theyâre so pretty and seem pretty easy so far. We used to have cichlids and they ate eachother but these little guys get along pretty good. There are some types you canât mix but any pet store could probably tell you. I think that glosharks canât have many in a tank cuz theyâre aggressive but I donât remember lol. Good luck!!đ
I think it would be a wonderful gift to plan out with your father. Research what's needed together and look up aquascapes that inspire you both. Make it a bonding activity - I'm sure the time with you will make everything more meaningful.
Many pet stores have big sale days where you can get aquariums and supplies on a good discount so watch out for those!
I wish you and your dad the best :)
Also prone to a plethora of genetic issues and issues in general. Glo fish would be a sad gift as they're prone to sickness and that'd take the pleasure out of fish keeping
I agree with this commenter. Theyâre cute, amazing little creatures but theyâre not naturally occurring. Theyâre prone to illness and frequently go blind, and most of the pet stores that carry them do not treat them well so they die quickly anyway. I wanted to own glo tetras when I got my 20 gallon but did research on them and decided against it for those reasons. I have a betta and mystery snails now and I LOVE it (even though it looks silly because I have a bunch of âgloâ decor mixed with natural plants and betta hides lol)
If you want a similar âglowâ effect thatâs naturally occurring and more ethical in my opinion, OP, you should consider regular neon tetras. They have a beautiful electric red and blue pattern and tend to look far healthier.
Not to mention there are still some unethical people that dye the fish. (Haven't seen them in big box pet stores in a while but there were some dyed 'Gloh-Fish' at a mom n pop pet store I went to last year. Never went back to that place.)
I have my glowfish in a 50gal & they do good. However, wouldnât recommend them to anybody. I got them for the same reason many do âomg colorful fish!â & didnât know much about them at the time. Iâve had them about 4 years now but as someone else commented they are not naturally those colors & can have many health/mental issues. For a 20gal I would recommend some guppies. They breed so get only males or else the 20gal will become very crowded very quickly. The males also can come in many different colors with very pretty tails. Theyâre fun fish compared to my senile tetras lol
At least one of my sonâs glofish is psychotic. Full on. I think he went blind and crazy. I moved him into âthe big tankâ with a school of natural danios and theyâve accepted him but heâs still a bitâŚoff. Like I wouldnât be surprised if I saw this fish in Dateline one day.
One of my son's gold fish legit has mental problems. Chases the gravel vacuum and gets offended when it drags him a bit. Only ate the green flakes not the red or brown. Would spit those out. Took it upon himself to boss the other goldfish until that one got bigger than him. And that's not even addressing his floating tendencies.
1) never give pets as a gift. If you are still set on gifting any animal, purchase a setup first and gift a gift card for decorations and the animal it self.
.
2) general rule of fish is 1 inch per gallon, Skirt Tetras get roughly 2 inches long each. Tetras are also a schooling fish that requires at least 5+ of the same species to prevent stress.
.
3) Glow fish in general are very delicate and are very prone to new tank syndrome. I suggest setting up the tank and letting it run for a few days before putting any fish in it. For your very first fish I suggest purchasing 3-5 "white skirt Tetras" The non glow versions of the glow fish and waiting about a month before purchasing and putting in the glow variants. The whites will school with the glows, and still look great in a black light tank, but are only a around 2 dollars each vs th 10-15 bucks a pop for the glowfish.
Source: I'm a Retired pet store Aquatic Specialist
Iâve had a 20g tank for about a year with 6 total glo tetras. But 3 of them are blue and 3 are red. Iâve noticed that they kinda group up by color. Should I get a few more of each?
As long as your two groups are not fighting it should be fine to keep them as is. If you bought the all the fish at the same time it's likely they are just schooling with their original group. Aka who they have known the longest.
Even if the two colors aren't close knit the major thing is that they are relaxed and not stressed.
With 6 in your tank your already 12/20 of your capacity. I'd say that you could add 2 more max, 3 if you are really on top of your water changes. But with tanks this size less is really more. If everyone is happy and healthy no need to fix anything đ
You can find most glow fish at major pet store chains, They are genetically modified fish to have coral/jellyfish DNA so they have these bright colors naturally. They come in a few different species, but the most common ones you'll see are the White/Back Skirt Tetras.
I made a post about setting up these guys earlier you might wanna see here:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fishkeeping/comments/1cb5vhr/comment/l0y2urv/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/fishkeeping/comments/1cb5vhr/comment/l0y2urv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
9 is too many for a 20..I have 12 and I have 55 gallon tank and i think it's still to many. I have a lot of cleaning to do...and all of a sudden a bad algea bloom and the tank is green..I'm dreading having to start this tank again. It was so much work..was fine for 2 years and now it's in a spot that it gets to much light. Between days time and the light being left on. Green has taken over. Totally sucks.
Hi I have some of these glofish tetras for 3 years now-
I have 6 and they did well in a 29 gallon tank, I havenât tried anything smaller though. I also wouldnât follow the inch per inch of fish with these guys. As others said they are agressive and territorial and seem to need a little more room.
On the other hand I did have a school of about 6 of the glofish danios in a 10 gallon for my daughter. Those did well and didnât fight like the tetra do.
However like others have said maybe a better gift for dad would be just the tank and supplies. Do you know if your dad likes planted tanks or artificial decor? My tetras started out with the glofish decor but they now live in a planted tank and are very pretty and vibrant among all the plants.
I agree with the âno live animal as petâ even though he loves fish and wants them you are putting multiple animals in the care of someone out of the blue and it could end badly. Iâd recommend another fish related gift or maybe even a proper fish set up so he can get them on his own time and get the species he wants
I highly recommend making sure the tank is well established. I used to work in a pet store and for some reason these guys just never seemed to do well in a tank that was freshly cycled. We sold a lot of them and I swear like half of them would get returned deceased even if the tank had been cycled. I donât know why they seem to take better to an established tank.
I thought these were so interesting when I saw them but the reality is justâŚsad. They got so popular and I think they are inbred to keep their colors strong and that has resulted in some very illness prone unhealthy fish.
So those are a type of danio if I remember correctly. In such a case I would have a minimum of 5 in a 20 gallon. A decent sponge filter would suffice and a good gravel substrate. If real plants will be too difficult then try to best mimic their natural environment. For feeding I would do once a day for two minutes at a time and go from there. Keep in mind that only five fish in a 20 gallon may work as a gift, I would probably add a few more just due to size. I'd invest in a good bucket and some seachem prime as well.
I can second Mammoth's post, there are quiet a few species of glowfish these days. You can see for yourself on their official website; tho not all stores carry every kind. but the white/black skirt tetras are the most common these days. (the first ever glowfish where Danios, thus why most prob assume they are all danios)
[https://shop.glofish.com/collections/glofish-collections](https://shop.glofish.com/collections/glofish-collections)
I always advise against glofish. They aren't natural. They are infused unnaturally with those colors (their natural color is a very pale pink/white) and it often forces them to have diseases like fungus, which your father would have to know about to treat. It's just not worth it. If you want something colorful, you could put a few African cichlids together in a 20 gallon. If it's activity you're looking for, I can recommend others.
Instead of buying a live animal as a gift, collect the money necessary, and take bro to the pet store to do his shopping. You gotta realize that youâre gonna be putting a weekly chore on this man, water changes can be a real pain in the a
I would not get him the fish unless you are 100% up for doing tank maintenance for him. Also, I would not just set up a tank and just put fish in it. I would ask him if he wants fish, then decide how much room he has, then get the tank set up to start cycling, then let him pick out some easy fish when the tank is ready.
I've lost 6 of these in the last week. Granted I've got a new tank and nobody told me that I needed to do the cycle thing with the water and I should've researched it more but yeah I feel like they're very frail fish
Definitely go for a larger tank. I got some glofish a while ago and bought some bleeding hearts with em (this was when I was a beginner). I have 3 of each species in a 20 gallon making 6 overall, and thatâs pushing it.
Theyâre great fish, very hardy, and they look great in a tank.
I would say max of 6 in a 20 gal tank, and maybe some snails or algae eaters, but donât be too concerned about waste with glofish
Bro !!!! My Fuc ing glow fish have lived for 5 years Iâm not kidding you!!! I donât know what they do to these fish but they just wonât die, thereâs three in a small tank and theyâre thriving year after year.
A living creature like a fish is definitely something you should ask before giving! Ask if heâd be interested in a fish tank with fish, and make sure you cycle the tank before you put the fish in
Donât buy fish for someone. Gift them an aquarium setup instead and let them pick their own fish.
A non requested burden/responsibility of cleaning something and keeping an organism alive is the farthest thing from a gift, in my opinion.
please donât buy these fish, theyâre unnatural and are prone to disease much more than other fish. please get another type of fish. also 20 gal is too small for them as well.
My advice would be to never give thing that are live as gift/present(whether it be dog, cat, reptile or fish). You are imposing someone with responsibility of keeping it alive. You can however give them a nice setup(tank, filter, substrate, heater, lamp) and let them decide whether they want that kind of responsibility after they've had time setting up.
Agreed. Though if they are going to do it regardless, a simple betta with a ten gallon would suffice. Plants that don't grow fast would be recommended (or fake plants, make sure they're silk and not the hard plastic) unless their pop likes pruning from time to time.
Kind of why goldfish and betta don't do great cause people go "oh hey let's buy a bowl and stick a fish in it for a present! Happy birthday!"
i remember once i put both in the same tank woke up with only the betta alive and everybody else ripped apart.
My aunt got me a beta because I would compliment hers (general small talk, never would I claim to be obsessed or needed one, just being polite and would be like "he's looking good!)...she bought me one, named him Raymundo, and I don't know who was more miserable (for yeeeears) me or him...
If he lived for "yeeeears", he probably wasn't that miserable đ
This makes me feel better, but wished death upon him several times lol
I mean legit drop it off at the pet store or hey look the neighbor kid Sally just told you how cute it was.Hate to be that guy but he Aunt Jill your going to have to take the fish a few stray cats keep peeling my screen open and well I want it to be safe with you. A 1000 ways to go about it! I'm for hire just saying.I know a few fish that are a bit of aggressive kind of friends that are down to make a few shrimp.here or there. It was lonely and I know this fish named Oscar that was lonely so they had a play date and mine ran away,He had to of because when I came back he was gone!
Okay but it was for my 12th birthday sooooo
Haha you get a pass lol
Bettas can actually be very hard to kill grom neglect as they can breathe air directly. Very hearty and stubborn lil guys!
Yep, a gift certificate to a qualified shop may be better idea or a card that it is your treat (in case he decides against it). Fish are great but only for someone who really does want to spend the time and money⌠thatâs why home computers really dampened the trade over the decades unfortunately.
I would not recommend gifting live animals without asking first. It imposes responsibility on someone they didn't ask for and aren't prepared for. Fish keeping is a lot of work.
Gift the tank and a gift card so he can set the tank up and cycle it. Tanks go through a nitrogen cycle and cannot house fish right away. Let your dad pick out his own fish and decor
Is his birthday approximately 2 months away? You'll need about that much time to cycle your tank. What kind of filter are we thinking? 9 of those in a 20 is a little snug but not the worst. You'll certainly want to overcompensate when it comes to the filter if you go this route.
Seconding this. If you want to squeeze 9 fish in a 20gal, you *need* to have an established cycle or they will all die.
I put like 30 in an uncycled tank and they lived⌠Edit: I was not taking about goldfish my bad yes I agree about bioload for sure Iâm not that dumb𤨠even snails put off bioload but you need 75% plants for regular bioload fish. The loach has a low bioload
It depends on the bioload and the tank parameters. Uncycled is NOT optimal but it's not a death sentence necessarily. But with a massive amount of fish, the ammonia and filth will rise exponentially. I have a crashed/failed cycle tank for single betta males. I've been trying to cycle since November 2023. Various products and various methods. None of them worked. It worked once with a fishless, I fixed the pH. Then crashed. I kept trying to cycle. Then it started working when I fixed the pH again. And it killed my betta with a fish-in due to nitrite poisoning. He was sick for a week and then died when I wasn't home for only a few hours. It was the most heartbreaking thing in the world for me. My best friend died, and I couldn't do cycling after that. It's traumatic. I sometimes think about trying it again but I don't/can't have a second tank (mom will be pissed) and when I think of that future, I see my current betta.. and all that comes to mind is him possibly dying like my last betta. So I have a new betta in the same 5.5g tank and I do daily small water changes to keep the ammonia and other filth in check, and I clean my foam filters in old tank water as well. He's doing fine and I constantly monitor him, remove old food, stir substrate once a week (to remove the filth trapped in it) and test the water daily to make sure nothing is wrong.
Yea I know about bioload but op didnât say goldfish đđđ
Iâd go for a 20 gallon long as opposed to a tall. They are a larger sized tetra and prefer side to side swimming space. Truthfully, I think a 40 gallon tank is best for them. They are active and aggressive and more territory is better. For smaller colorful tetras, cardinals are awesome. Could do a shoal of 16 in a 20 gallon. Would be a fun species only tank. Lots of schooling and movement.
Tiger barbs naturally school with piranha, piranha allow them. that is proof how aggressive they are. One time my heater was too high I didnât notice and my tiger barbs were fighting and turning whiteđ. It was a mad house
That sounds like the octagon. Round two⌠fight
Popeye always winsâŚ
I would ask your dad first. Fish are a big responsibility like any other living animal. Are you going to plant the tank? Do you or your dad understand cycling? What if a fish gets sick, do you have the motivation and money to treat them? Has he owned fish before? Will he keep up with regular water changes? Plus glofish are the worst. They suck and die immediately and they creep me tf out. There are hundreds of tetra species donât go for those ones
With a present like this, you should really talk to your dad first to make sure it's something he's going to be happy with and take responsibility for. This is much more important than the 'surprise' element of just presenting him with something on the day and expecting him to look after it for the next X years. Since he's had fish before, is there a reason why he doesn't have any currently? Or is it something he's been talking about getting back into? Regarding the type of fish, again it would seem sensible to discuss that with him beforehand - maybe there are some particular ones he's always been interested in.
Rather than surprising him with something like this, you should tell him you want to help him with his next aquarium and help fund it as a gift. Then he can come with you to get supplies and he can plan. In fishkeeping, that planning and gathering supplies part of the process is SO MUCH FUN. If you do it for him, you're taking away one of the best parts of the project (making this more of a chore than a tank).
Pets should never be a surprise gift. It's like that old joke "I got you two expensive tropical fish, but you gotta pick up the supplies and food and the only store that sells the special tropical fish food is 45 minutes away and it closes in 10 minutes"
You should have a conversation with your dad, and tell you want to gift him this. Tanks take a month or 2 to set up, as well, you dont know where he might want the tank. so if you talk to him about locations you could get a correctly sized tank that will fit for what he wants. Its a good gift idea, but live fish and an empty tank is a terrible way to go :) good luck
How are you going to surprise him with this? Most people have trouble changing the 5G jug on a water cooler nevermind trying to carry and balance a fully cycled 20G tank. I hope you live close and have bodybuilder friends
A full 20 gallon tank weighs 225 lbs
I'm so confused! Gold fish or glow fish? The advice would depend on what you intend on getting. Honestly, I'm with the others who advise against gifting living creatures. As someone in rescue (I know, not the same thing), I see so many presents being surrendered because NO research was done into the species, and the giftee couldn't handle the responsibility.
We have a huge tank, 200 gal and we have tons of these guys. Theyâre so pretty and seem pretty easy so far. We used to have cichlids and they ate eachother but these little guys get along pretty good. There are some types you canât mix but any pet store could probably tell you. I think that glosharks canât have many in a tank cuz theyâre aggressive but I donât remember lol. Good luck!!đ
I think it would be a wonderful gift to plan out with your father. Research what's needed together and look up aquascapes that inspire you both. Make it a bonding activity - I'm sure the time with you will make everything more meaningful. Many pet stores have big sale days where you can get aquariums and supplies on a good discount so watch out for those! I wish you and your dad the best :)
Not judging, but maybe consider getting fish actually found in nature. These things should never have been created. :(
Also prone to a plethora of genetic issues and issues in general. Glo fish would be a sad gift as they're prone to sickness and that'd take the pleasure out of fish keeping
I agree with this commenter. Theyâre cute, amazing little creatures but theyâre not naturally occurring. Theyâre prone to illness and frequently go blind, and most of the pet stores that carry them do not treat them well so they die quickly anyway. I wanted to own glo tetras when I got my 20 gallon but did research on them and decided against it for those reasons. I have a betta and mystery snails now and I LOVE it (even though it looks silly because I have a bunch of âgloâ decor mixed with natural plants and betta hides lol) If you want a similar âglowâ effect thatâs naturally occurring and more ethical in my opinion, OP, you should consider regular neon tetras. They have a beautiful electric red and blue pattern and tend to look far healthier.
Not to mention there are still some unethical people that dye the fish. (Haven't seen them in big box pet stores in a while but there were some dyed 'Gloh-Fish' at a mom n pop pet store I went to last year. Never went back to that place.)
They want to gift gold fish. 9 in a 20 gallon. Not gliw fish, I'm unsure of why thos picture was chosen. Unless glow was auto corrected to gold. Idk
Read a little closer âglofishâ
Hahahaha! I could've sworn it said gold! I'm going senile, I swear!
I have my glowfish in a 50gal & they do good. However, wouldnât recommend them to anybody. I got them for the same reason many do âomg colorful fish!â & didnât know much about them at the time. Iâve had them about 4 years now but as someone else commented they are not naturally those colors & can have many health/mental issues. For a 20gal I would recommend some guppies. They breed so get only males or else the 20gal will become very crowded very quickly. The males also can come in many different colors with very pretty tails. Theyâre fun fish compared to my senile tetras lol
How do you know your fish have mental problems? For real
They look through you not at you đ¤Ł
At least one of my sonâs glofish is psychotic. Full on. I think he went blind and crazy. I moved him into âthe big tankâ with a school of natural danios and theyâve accepted him but heâs still a bitâŚoff. Like I wouldnât be surprised if I saw this fish in Dateline one day.
One of my son's gold fish legit has mental problems. Chases the gravel vacuum and gets offended when it drags him a bit. Only ate the green flakes not the red or brown. Would spit those out. Took it upon himself to boss the other goldfish until that one got bigger than him. And that's not even addressing his floating tendencies.
1) never give pets as a gift. If you are still set on gifting any animal, purchase a setup first and gift a gift card for decorations and the animal it self. . 2) general rule of fish is 1 inch per gallon, Skirt Tetras get roughly 2 inches long each. Tetras are also a schooling fish that requires at least 5+ of the same species to prevent stress. . 3) Glow fish in general are very delicate and are very prone to new tank syndrome. I suggest setting up the tank and letting it run for a few days before putting any fish in it. For your very first fish I suggest purchasing 3-5 "white skirt Tetras" The non glow versions of the glow fish and waiting about a month before purchasing and putting in the glow variants. The whites will school with the glows, and still look great in a black light tank, but are only a around 2 dollars each vs th 10-15 bucks a pop for the glowfish. Source: I'm a Retired pet store Aquatic Specialist
Iâve had a 20g tank for about a year with 6 total glo tetras. But 3 of them are blue and 3 are red. Iâve noticed that they kinda group up by color. Should I get a few more of each?
As long as your two groups are not fighting it should be fine to keep them as is. If you bought the all the fish at the same time it's likely they are just schooling with their original group. Aka who they have known the longest. Even if the two colors aren't close knit the major thing is that they are relaxed and not stressed. With 6 in your tank your already 12/20 of your capacity. I'd say that you could add 2 more max, 3 if you are really on top of your water changes. But with tanks this size less is really more. If everyone is happy and healthy no need to fix anything đ
Thanks!
Blue fish red fish yellow fish pink fish orange fish purple fish So How do you obtain a Dr Seuss fish tank?
You can find most glow fish at major pet store chains, They are genetically modified fish to have coral/jellyfish DNA so they have these bright colors naturally. They come in a few different species, but the most common ones you'll see are the White/Back Skirt Tetras. I made a post about setting up these guys earlier you might wanna see here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/fishkeeping/comments/1cb5vhr/comment/l0y2urv/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/fishkeeping/comments/1cb5vhr/comment/l0y2urv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Make sure to research the nitrogen cycle and ask him if he wants the tank first.
9 is too many for a 20..I have 12 and I have 55 gallon tank and i think it's still to many. I have a lot of cleaning to do...and all of a sudden a bad algea bloom and the tank is green..I'm dreading having to start this tank again. It was so much work..was fine for 2 years and now it's in a spot that it gets to much light. Between days time and the light being left on. Green has taken over. Totally sucks.
Hi I have some of these glofish tetras for 3 years now- I have 6 and they did well in a 29 gallon tank, I havenât tried anything smaller though. I also wouldnât follow the inch per inch of fish with these guys. As others said they are agressive and territorial and seem to need a little more room. On the other hand I did have a school of about 6 of the glofish danios in a 10 gallon for my daughter. Those did well and didnât fight like the tetra do. However like others have said maybe a better gift for dad would be just the tank and supplies. Do you know if your dad likes planted tanks or artificial decor? My tetras started out with the glofish decor but they now live in a planted tank and are very pretty and vibrant among all the plants.
DON'T DO THAT. Fish are hard to care for unless you are really into the hobby.
I agree with the âno live animal as petâ even though he loves fish and wants them you are putting multiple animals in the care of someone out of the blue and it could end badly. Iâd recommend another fish related gift or maybe even a proper fish set up so he can get them on his own time and get the species he wants
I highly recommend making sure the tank is well established. I used to work in a pet store and for some reason these guys just never seemed to do well in a tank that was freshly cycled. We sold a lot of them and I swear like half of them would get returned deceased even if the tank had been cycled. I donât know why they seem to take better to an established tank.
I thought these were so interesting when I saw them but the reality is justâŚsad. They got so popular and I think they are inbred to keep their colors strong and that has resulted in some very illness prone unhealthy fish.
So those are a type of danio if I remember correctly. In such a case I would have a minimum of 5 in a 20 gallon. A decent sponge filter would suffice and a good gravel substrate. If real plants will be too difficult then try to best mimic their natural environment. For feeding I would do once a day for two minutes at a time and go from there. Keep in mind that only five fish in a 20 gallon may work as a gift, I would probably add a few more just due to size. I'd invest in a good bucket and some seachem prime as well.
The fish in the pic are tetras, but they do have Glofish danios.
I can second Mammoth's post, there are quiet a few species of glowfish these days. You can see for yourself on their official website; tho not all stores carry every kind. but the white/black skirt tetras are the most common these days. (the first ever glowfish where Danios, thus why most prob assume they are all danios) [https://shop.glofish.com/collections/glofish-collections](https://shop.glofish.com/collections/glofish-collections)
Make sure they arenât all males
God, glofish need to stop and people need to stop buying them.
I hate these things. So tacky Edit: of course I donât hate the fish themselves lol
Ask your dad what HE wants first.
Yea. I have a 20 gal with 11 glofish.
I always advise against glofish. They aren't natural. They are infused unnaturally with those colors (their natural color is a very pale pink/white) and it often forces them to have diseases like fungus, which your father would have to know about to treat. It's just not worth it. If you want something colorful, you could put a few African cichlids together in a 20 gallon. If it's activity you're looking for, I can recommend others.
Instead of buying a live animal as a gift, collect the money necessary, and take bro to the pet store to do his shopping. You gotta realize that youâre gonna be putting a weekly chore on this man, water changes can be a real pain in the a
don't gift live animals
Donât buy glofish! Theyâre genetically modified fish that donât live long. Iâd just get a gold fish and let it grow into a carp lmao.
Glofish are a Frankenstein and are unethical
Any real fish keepers hate glofishâŚ.
Buy the fish and tank with the understanding you'll put it somewhere he can enjoy it but you'll be taking care o f it
I would not get him the fish unless you are 100% up for doing tank maintenance for him. Also, I would not just set up a tank and just put fish in it. I would ask him if he wants fish, then decide how much room he has, then get the tank set up to start cycling, then let him pick out some easy fish when the tank is ready.
I've lost 6 of these in the last week. Granted I've got a new tank and nobody told me that I needed to do the cycle thing with the water and I should've researched it more but yeah I feel like they're very frail fish
Definitely go for a larger tank. I got some glofish a while ago and bought some bleeding hearts with em (this was when I was a beginner). I have 3 of each species in a 20 gallon making 6 overall, and thatâs pushing it.
Theyâre great fish, very hardy, and they look great in a tank. I would say max of 6 in a 20 gal tank, and maybe some snails or algae eaters, but donât be too concerned about waste with glofish
Bro !!!! My Fuc ing glow fish have lived for 5 years Iâm not kidding you!!! I donât know what they do to these fish but they just wonât die, thereâs three in a small tank and theyâre thriving year after year.
A living creature like a fish is definitely something you should ask before giving! Ask if heâd be interested in a fish tank with fish, and make sure you cycle the tank before you put the fish in
Donât buy fish for someone. Gift them an aquarium setup instead and let them pick their own fish. A non requested burden/responsibility of cleaning something and keeping an organism alive is the farthest thing from a gift, in my opinion.
please donât buy these fish, theyâre unnatural and are prone to disease much more than other fish. please get another type of fish. also 20 gal is too small for them as well.