I would add jumpers, like kilifish and arowanas. These fish seem determined to kill themselves. Plus, Petco/PetSmart keep small common plecos with other small fish, and will sell them to anyone. I visited a fish rescue; what did he have the most of? Common plecos that grew to 10" overnight.
That's SO True. Common plecos (a few different species) are sold OFTEN, & then get brought back cause they get so big so fast! There are a few species that do remain small - but they are not common - They are "Rare", & Therefore are Quite Expensive. Most of the 1-4inch species Are a little more delicate than the Zillions of common plecos out there, & need wood in the aquarium, helping the ph. & for them to Rasp onto. Common plecos should not B sold to beginners, & only if You have the ROOM for them. Unfortunately, they are sold small & cheap - & alot of beginners seem to think (or Be told by a seller) that these fish will not be a problem for a 25-40 gallon Aquarium. It happens far too often!! Good Point!!
@@shannonschaerer1010... second your point about Common Plecs emphatically. Plus, a number of more exotic small Loricariids, as you've mentioned, have specialist diets, and in some cases SHOULD be listed as "expert only", even if the eye watering purchase cost of some isn't sufficiently off-putting. Oddballs like Farlowella species and Sturisoma panamense should also be moved to the "expert only" list. On the other hand, while Otocinclus are excellent small algae eaters and hardy once settled, they suffer huge abuse in many pet stores, and need gentle acclimatising if they are to settle in properly. Once they do, however, they're possibly among the best small aquarium catfish in existence - one of mine lived for nine years.
I would add African Cichlids too. Huge tank required, overstocking which leads to more water changes, and most beginner fish keepers don't have a backup plan if something (like fighting) occurs 🙂
I’m happy you addressed the flowerhorn. I adopted a full grown male because the previous owner didn’t want to buy the larger tank he needed to live comfortably. He was in a tank 12 inches wide and he’s a over 12 inch long fish. To make any turns he would swim upside down. The tank was. 40 tall, So he couldn’t give more than a single tail kick and would have to turn again. These fish are aggressive as you point out, get large, and are very active. Just don’t get one unless you’re committed to it’s needs.
@@powerstar-uf7oh truthfully, if you find the flowerhorn attractive, and you enjoy a single trophy fish type tank, the fish themselves are pretty easy to keep. I’ve had this fish now for 3 years in a 75 gallon long tank. He’s very entertaining and not fussy about his food. But on another note, these fish share a feature with many fancy goldfish. The breeding for their body type has somewhat predisposed them to GI issues that you need to watch for. Otherwise I’ve found this fish to be fairly easy to care for.
@@jenniferchilton-kauffmann6280 I am not the most experienced fish keeper. Had an ex that got me into it and taught me how to take care of the tanks. The only tank I kept after our split was my flowerhorn. He is in a 90 gallon and relatively easy to take care.
@@jenniferchilton-kauffmann6280 i said either big or hard to take care of...and by hard to talk care of i mean having 0 other fish no matter what happens and yes gets very big
Nice list, the best advice I'd give to a newcomer is to embrace your water, get it tested and go from there. My water comes out of the tap at 6.4 with barely any hardness. When I tried guppies as a relatively experienced fish keeper they just never did that well for me so now I tend to keep fish that are happy in lower pH water
@@TJ-ht3jb yeah, I like a set it and forget it approach, I use aragonite and limestone to buffer my water but they only react in water below 7, I found I had to raise pH chemically every water change to keep live bearers happy, got a bit fed up with it honestly
Same for me. My tap water is as soft as yours, and some of my guppies got scoliosis because of it when I had them. When I buffered it, it almost never happened.
@@fishypetkeeping yeah, it was similar for me, even buffered to 7 wasn't enough. I was keeping them in a 500 litre aquarium, it made changing water a massive faff so I sold them on
Im raising "made hardy" rams. Ive got about 100 fry growing in a tank that hasnt seen a water change in six months. Enjoy the heart attack you just had but i set it up for this with fast growing floater plants eating the nitrates. I scoop excess plant out regularly thus removing the nitrates.
I’ve been raising my guppies the same way! They certainly aren’t as sensitive as rams but I’ve noticed that a lot of guppies die after they’re placed into their new home. I just test every once in awhile, and I keep my PH at 7 as well! Guppies love a high PH but not all fish keepers can maintain that. So guppies raised in a lower PH can tolerate it way better.
@@rileyrandall9612 drip acclimate the guppies when they move to new water. The "dirty water" raising makes them strong for someone who isnt on top of maintenance but big sudden changes in parameters still shock them.
I agree with everything said in this. I was just surprised Pacu weren't mentioned. However I feel like most stores are doing a much better job educating about them now than in the past and many just don't get them in.
What begginer would buy a pacu ppl starting out dont buy 200$ fish they probably get the 5$ redbellies also what begginer can get a permit this is one of the hardest monsters to get
Definitely gold fish because as you’ve said in other videos they are the most abused fish. They are much more work and you have to be very dedicated. Here in South Africa they are also quite expensive.
i have 6 fancy tailed in a 270 litre and they have just spawned, quite a shock since the place i bought them from insisted they were too young to begin breeding
I was guilty with the "Iridescent Shark". It wasn't my first fish (was common goldfish, courtesy of my grandma, a couple years later, I expanded to Bettas and Oscars). It's a paganasia cat. 😂😂😂 My grandma's sister had a thing for Convicts and Jack Dempseys.
....long story short, when my brother asked why I sold it back later, I explained, and he's like dang Lin, when you f up, you really f up. A catfish that gets 3foot long?! Dang
The restaurant at the hotel where I work was given an iridescent in December. After researching I found out how big they 'should' get. I rehomed her ASAP to someone with a 150 tank (the restaurant tank is 75g with an 18 y/o large goldfish). I got a lot of grief over it, the employees saying fish don't get bigger than the tank, and I do my best to dispel these myths and educate for proper care of these amazing creatures.
Haha that bala shark bit. Exactly what I thought when I first saw them and wanted one for a while. For anyone who wants a shark in their aquarium, just get one or a few petricola catfish. I've had them a long time and they're still one of my top 3 favorite fish I've ever owned. They just look so awesome, like baby leopard sharks. Kept alongside a group of pea puffers, copper rasbora and ember tetra, in a heavily planted tank I just can't get enough of! Hard to explain in words what this hobby can give you.
Great video. One of my first fish was a sailfin pleco, he's about 8 uears old now and I love him but they get a lot bigger then most people can probably keep. Common plecos too
Many years ago (15+), someone tried to sell me Koi fish, but I was there to get my second or third Betta. So the employee in the store, tried to get someone who was brand new, the daughter (7-9) wanted an aquarium, to buy a bunch of Koi fish. And of course I had to step in, I mean 5-10 koi fish in a 10 liter fish bowl ... The look I got from the employee, Let's say, I was not quite welcome in that store anymore, while she was at work.
I commend you for educating them. When I worked at a pet store, it was a struggle to convince people not to get koi for their 10 gallon tank. The best analogy I could think of is asking if they would put a puppy in there to live out its entire life.
Good morning guys! Love ya both. Great vid. You guys have literally saved all of my fish by helping me with this hobby....I LOVE the shirt I bought and I plan on getting the hoodie. Cant wait.
John + Lisa, THANK YOU for this very informative video on worst 10 fish to start off with. Well- that kinda burst my bubble because years ago when we had a 125 gal tank, I had several of those fish, and now, many years ago, I am planning on getting into fish keeping again. OK, I love CATFISH--I had a "shovelnose catfish, Blue EYED whiskered pleco, Cory's, an Electric catfish, a Black Ghost Knife, an Arauana, 2 Clown Knives, Clown Loaches, etc, etc, etc. I won't bore you any longer. Back then, my husband was alive and he was quite knowledgeable about fish keeping. I love those species of fish, but I DO NOT want to look into my tank and see them DEAD! OK, so can you suggest some " cool, but different" fish that I could start out with??? Oh, by the way, I think those "flower heads " should go see Dr. PIMPLEPOPPER. LOL thank you both for the best videos!! 👍
I have a bumlbee catfish that hitched a ride with some aqua plants I bought. He’s in a tank with a king beta, some platis, cherry barbs, Cory catfish, ottos and snails. He never causes problems, mostly hides, and I feed the tank enough, never a problem
@@apss5736 I don’t know, as I said he hitched a ride on a plant, he mostly hides under a castle, which I’m thinking of taking out, but I figure if it’s working, why change it He does a nice job with population control I have no pest snails in the tank or unwanted fry
Thank you so much for mentioning a black ghost knife. They are my absolute favorite fish and mine is like my best friend. I've had him for four years and yes he's a big boy
I had a 10 gallon and 2 small goldfish. 4 months ago I wanted a bottom feeder type fish to go along. The store associate suggested Dojo Loaches. So cute, so tiny! Long story short, they're all moving to a 75 gallon this week 😁 I'm lucky to be able to do that for them, but most people with a 10 gallon aren't.
Thank you so much for this informative video. I sort out at least two, maybe more, fish that I maybe planned to buy in the near future. I recently had a big disaster with my new shrimp tanks so I don't think I can stand more setbacks right now. 😮💨 Thanks again! Gunilla/Sweden
I have 4 silver dollars. Got them about 3 months into the hobby ( 3 years, 10 months ago). I got 1 by accident when buying white skirt tetras - they were exact same size& mixed in a tank at a store. Imagine my surprise a few weeks later as that 1 fish got HUGE!!! I was kind of bonded to him, as he was an underdog all solo. the other fish ignored him. I bought a 36 bow front and found 3 other silver dollars locally by me. I knew the 36 was temporary, but COVID hit so they stayed in the 36 gallon for 2 years. Last August, I moved them into a 55 gallon. Anyone getting these fish - Silver dollars have HUGE eyes. they are slanted. any animal with such eyes likes it dark. I do not use a light on the tank unless I have to. I avoid it to keep them comfortable. I had 1 SDF almost jump during a water change. I could see they were upset, so I stopped , got down to where they could see me easily and spoke with them very low voice and they seriously calmed down. They are easily stressed. A soft, whisper voice like talking to an infant works really well. These are NOT starter fish. I just used some knowledge (how their eyes are shaped) and dog training techniques I already had learned. All social animals love attention and safety. As their feeder and care giver, there is that level of comfort. But as soon as I see agitation, I stop immediately and de-stress them. They are huge (6 inches around) and their skin glimmers, it's a silver, yet golden glow. It never shows up correctly on camera. It's beautiful. Oh and they will watch tv, totally. So keep their tank near a tv, they will watch it with you. it's really funny.
Can you make a follow up video for the alternatives for hard to keep fish in this video? Also, for the beginners who doesn't want to cry, here are the alternatives: Discus - Dwarf Rainbowfish or Betta Bala Shark - Neon Tetras or Boraras Brigittae Black ghost - Black Skirt tetra Large Catfish - plecos and Cory Rams - Bolivian ram, Kribensis, CPD, Badis Flowerhorn - ? Stingray - Triops, Hillstream Loach Convict Cichlid - CPD, the danio with a stripe that i forgot the name Koi - White Cloud Silver Dollar - Black Skirt Tetra
I saw a paradise gourami, the male is very beautiful, so I purchased a male and put it in my community tank. Within two days my female betta and male guppy had huge chunks of its fins missing, while the angel fish hid behind a toy all day one neon tetra was totally missing. I had to remove the paradise gourami and keep it in a bowl for the sake of other fish. Other fishes are swimming freely and happily but I have a lone paradise gourami in a bowl because of my mistake
I got back Into the hobby after almost 11 years. Due to my living space I wasn't able to have anything larger than 40 gallons. So I went ahead and got German blue rams. Everyone always talks about how delicate they are but I had gotten bolivian rams first and they were the very delicate ones and died quickly. The German blue rams have done amazing. One has reached full size the other not quite there yet. They get a little aggressive with each other at times but overall have done amazing. I've even added some gold rams recently!
I am currently keeping them as my first fish, but goldfish fall on the list. They need huge tanks, and it’s better to understock to not do multiple water changes a week. I currently have 6 in a 75, and I do 40% twice a week. However, because I love them, I’m willing to put in the work, and I’m sure not everyone is like that.
@@PokemonAdventures009 I used to breed calico lion head ranchus for years, I lost them all in a weekend, I was gutted, never worked out what actually happened, fancies are not the easiest to keep, if and when stuff goes wrong, it goes fast, mine have always been very sensitive to nitrates so you do right to change water as you said. I just keep a couple of short tailed ryukins and blackmoors, gone super simple on the setup. I posted a short on my channel, have a look if you get the chance
As for flowerhorns in a "community" im looking at my tank (6x2x2) with a flowerhorn and severums all getting along. (How long it lasts i dont know) they are all rescaping my tank together :( I will add i have back up plans ready for if/when problems occur
Yes, I have one that should be added to this list PLEASE!. A LOT of people are currently buying Axolotls for their children ( or for them personally ) because the game minecraft has made them more popular than ever ( and let's face it... they are a really amazing and adorable fish with such bold personalities ). They can be quite expensive ( the cheapest one that I have personally seen is 60.00 ) and frequent water changes are a MUST as well as proper water conditions and diet. Thank you both so much for all that you do for the fish keeping community! without even knowing it y'all have brought my family closer together ( I have 2 teenagers lol which we both know it's hard to take that glue off the phones attached to their hands lol ) because the content you create is so fun, interesting, informative, and inspirational that we all gather around our television in the Living Room together and watch your videos as a family which sparks conversations about the video we watched for at least an hour after we've watched it. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so so much
Wow! Thank you for sharing 🙂 Very good point about the Axolotls! We love hearing about the youth getting more involved and we've been able to help in some way 🙂
Clown loaches, Tinfoil barbs, Pacu, Giant gourami, Arowana ... Probably many more, but those come to mind immediately due to size and/or schooling nature. When I started out I almost bought a peacock bass and a sturgeon. 15 gallon hex tank. That would not have ended well.
If a part 2 is being considered I’d %100 add Chinese algae eaters. The story is plain and simple and all to common, I got this fish when i was told it ate algae, it’s was fine for the first couple of years but then it ended up being a bully to my other fish that died due to (insert infection). Now I don’t know what to do with it because it’s so hard to keep with other fish. I personally have one that has and still is causing problems (am going to ask around if anyone can take it) and really wasn’t told it was going to be a absolute menace to me, rather I was told that it gets along well with just about everything. So to say the ‘Chinese’ ‘algae eater’ is very deceiving (I mean look it up its not even Chinese or much of a algae eater) not friendly to someone like me who is just starting to do research on fish.
Research all aspects of a species to make sure you can provide for the mature size and needs that it grows into. Do this for all pets BEFORE you buy it. My currently 5" Magma Flowerhorn is the only fish I've ever owned in 40+ years that has a personality and acts like a puppy. At current size he is in a 55 but will be upgraded to a 75 once he gets close to doubling in size. He lives solo but in a scaped planted tank that is directly under my TV so I always see him. A school of mature Silver Dollars needs a six foot tank. My seven do get aggressive with each other at times but none are singled out and get beat down. They become half black when they act up. Build your stock list and/or plan tank size upgrades based on mature size of what you want to keep.
I'd recommend newcomers stay away from most of what we consider "beginner fish" aka goldfish & live-bearers unless they're male only. I've seen so many Mom's bringing in bags/buckets of guppy/molly/platy babies it's nuts. I don't even work at a pet store, I just frequent them lol. Goldfish, people always get them for there kids in a bowl up to a 10 gallon then they either flush them, surrender them, or get a larger tank. I love my Bolivian Rams BTW. 💕
I agree with you, but I am not a beginner and love Flowerhorns. They are like having a pet dog, but so much easier. Water Changes, great quality food, 80+ gallon tank IMHO. They are awesome!
If you want a catfish that looks like and acts like a catfish, go with a hoplo. I've got two albino hoplo catfish in a community aquarium mostly stocked with nano fish and they're fantastic. They top out at around 5 inches.
Thank y'all for this! The first time I saw a flower horn all I thought was oh lawd, is that normal? I can't look at them without shuddering. Also, y'all are my go to when I need advice as a new fish keeper. Ever consider a hotline for the newbies? I'd have that on speed dial.
My friend bought 2 silver dollar and 6 discuss ,then he put 'em in the same tank . Yes,he really did it. I told him about how big the silver dollar can be and how delicate the discuss is . Silver dollar was a crazy eater, it eating like a mad glutton. There is no way the discuss can compete with it. After a month , all the discuss were dead. I wonder if he regret this. I think he is. Discuss is expensive.
I got a monster tank with 4 bala sharks and I love them there easily my favorite fish in the hobby at the moment. Mine are just starting to get stocky and are about 4 to 5 inches right now.
My first ever fish were goldfish they grew HUGE so fascinating cuz I was so shocked they got so big lol. I really miss having goldfish such great personalities and I absolutely loved growing them from babies to huge adults
Also wanted to ask! When you water change,(about 30%) should heat the water? If you do, how? Because I have been putting lukewarm water into my 20 gallon for the last water changes.
I use tap water with a water conditioner. I use a digital meat thermometer to to make sure the that the water from the faucet is the same temperature as the water currently in the tank. I hope this helps!
I have a question- Can i put 1 angelfish, a few otocinclus and a few cardinal or rummynose tetras in a 35-40 gallon tank? I'm getting a fish tank soon and need advice i need to make sure i dont overpopulate the tank and that these will be compatible with each other
The Rummy Noses might he a better choice than the Cardinals as companions for the Angelfish, as they're too big and too fast to qualify as lunch. :) Cardinals MAY work if you let them grow before adding the angelfish. Acclimatise the Otocinclus carefully when you get them home. Many suffer a lot of abuse at pet stores, and can be delicate until settled in. Once acclimatised, they're among the best small catfish you can keep. Top up their diet with algae wafers to keep them trim, and provide them with bogwood caves as hiding places, with some Java Moss growing on the wood. I had my specimens in a setup with decent plant and bogwood provision, and one lived to be 9 years old.
Team kg tropicals loved the video keep up the great work any updates on the new place? not yet o well I guess I'll have to keep watching LoL big fan 🇨🇦🐠🐠🐠🐠
This is for anyone to comment back to, but I have a planted 10gal with a heater and filter, I seem to be struggling with Cycling my tank, I have put fish food into the tank and the ammonia has gone to 1 PPM, and also seems to raise the nitrites to .5 PPM, but I can’t seem to raise the Nitrates. Does anyone know how I could help the tank cycle?
This may be a little off topic, but.....whatever fish you get , start with at least a 40 gallon tank. What?! You say. They are reasonably priced and large enough to compensate for small mistakes. Amonia , nitrates and other water parameters such as pH are more stable. Not to mention overcrowding and the fighting that will happen can be mitigated easier in a 40 as opposed to a 5 or 10 gallon. Rule $1. Bigger is better. I have 125s and a 200. But I like big fish, can't get enough. Ps I see you mentioned tank size at the end.✅
Bigger is definitely easier, but a lot of people don't have the space to accommodate a large tank. I think that's part of the reason bettas are so popular. I would encourage people to try to go with a 20 gallon size a 20 tall's footprint is only slightly larger than a 10. Just my two cents
I hate to say this but the Brichardi is another one. Not because they are aggressive but because you can quickly get overwhelmed with babies. And I add African cichlids in the Mbuna and Hap class. As pointed out by another one is they have to be overstocked and that requires a non-beginner water manager.
I have been involved with aquariums since 1979. I have never had any interest in high maintenance fish, aggressive fish or expensive fish. I have had a few fish in this list and always found proper new homes for the ones that got bigger than I could properly care for. I like large community tanks with a very limited fish population (55 gallon and up). A 125 gallon with 25-30 fish (1½ inch or less) and nice aqua scaping is what I like.
#6 were Rams, and while describing and mentioning the Blue German Rams the footage had the most beautiful blue/orange rams I've ever seen, I looked up but I didn't get those cuties while typing Bleu German Rams, can anyone tell me which variety those blue/orange are?
Hello, hopefully you can help me with a problem, I have 2 red spotted severums in a 55G tank I have put in silver dollars to try stop the aggression , but for some reason the severums keep lip locking when the light goes on , and it’s getting more aggressive yesterday I saw a scale fall off one and I dunno what to do , I can add something else to the tank to help but putting one in another tank isnt an option because the other tanks got Oscar’s in there that aren’t fond of other fish
@@fishandfloral they continue to fight and I cannot fined a divider big enough so I’m putting one with the Oscar’s for a week then moving them back together with a rearranged tank
Catfish are one of my favourite fish . I keep Asian bumblebee catfish Pygmy corydoras Bristlenose plecos Synodontis Hastatus corydoras But those big types are monstrous. My lfs has a big one by himself called Eric who is a few decades old and so cool
👍😎 Good list, can’t think of anything you missed, or disagree with any. Flowerhorn has to be the ugliest fish I’ve ever seen. Breakfast Club love that movie.
As a convict cichlid owner, i disagree. Having a single convict cichlid in a 29 gallon tank is the BEST beginner fish. They CANNOT die. My convict cichlid has survived the apocalypse, because i was a beginner. He never showed any signs of being hurt. I swear you could put a convict in a toilet and he will survive months somehow.
i had one pass away from either ammonia or stress but the other three are thriving. they seem quite chill with the cichlids and catfish but squabble amongst each other
@@apss5736 hm, that's weird. Mine had elevated amounts of ammonia and didn't budge. Maybe he was getting beat up? It also depends how much ammonia and how long the ammonia spike has been going.
@@fletchqc9900 seems more like stress from being transported tbh. then again tat particular fish did seem a bit lethargic ad unhealthy when i got him but idk
I agree if it is one convict in an adequately sized tank. I used to work at a pet store, and unfortunately, the average beginner couldn't be convinced to get a tank that large for a single fish.
For the same reason you listed Flowerhorns • Oscars • Jaguars • Midas/Red Devils • Wolf Cichlid • Starry Night Cichlid For the same reason you listed silver dollars and Bala sharks • Tinfoil Barbs For the same reason Lisa listed ghost knifes. • Pacu
My wife bought my 3 year old kid 2 small koi fish in a bowl! We didn't even know what is their type we thought they were gold fish. I thought the bowl is small so I was thinking about getting a 20 gallon tank but now I learned that Koi is not recommended! Maybe I can just keep them until they are too big and find someone to give them to? We know nothing about fish and did not know Koi could grow that much!
I would add jumpers, like kilifish and arowanas. These fish seem determined to kill themselves. Plus, Petco/PetSmart keep small common plecos with other small fish, and will sell them to anyone. I visited a fish rescue; what did he have the most of? Common plecos that grew to 10" overnight.
That's SO True. Common plecos (a few different species) are sold OFTEN, & then get brought back cause they get so big so fast! There are a few species that do remain small - but they are not common - They are "Rare", & Therefore are Quite Expensive. Most of the 1-4inch species Are a little more delicate than the Zillions of common plecos out there, & need wood in the aquarium, helping the ph. & for them to Rasp onto. Common plecos should not B sold to beginners, & only if You have the ROOM for them. Unfortunately, they are sold small & cheap - & alot of beginners seem to think (or Be told by a seller) that these fish will not be a problem for a 25-40 gallon Aquarium. It happens far too often!! Good Point!!
@@shannonschaerer1010... second your point about Common Plecs emphatically.
Plus, a number of more exotic small Loricariids, as you've mentioned, have specialist diets, and in some cases SHOULD be listed as "expert only", even if the eye watering purchase cost of some isn't sufficiently off-putting. Oddballs like Farlowella species and Sturisoma panamense should also be moved to the "expert only" list.
On the other hand, while Otocinclus are excellent small algae eaters and hardy once settled, they suffer huge abuse in many pet stores, and need gentle acclimatising if they are to settle in properly. Once they do, however, they're possibly among the best small aquarium catfish in existence - one of mine lived for nine years.
I would add African Cichlids too. Huge tank required, overstocking which leads to more water changes, and most beginner fish keepers don't have a backup plan if something (like fighting) occurs 🙂
That and chasing down crazy parameters, nearly marine level challenging
I had my mbuna in a 3 foot with no issues…I’ve also kept marine waaaay more challenging 😓
I’m happy you addressed the flowerhorn. I adopted a full grown male because the previous owner didn’t want to buy the larger tank he needed to live comfortably. He was in a tank 12 inches wide and he’s a over 12 inch long fish. To make any turns he would swim upside down. The tank was. 40 tall, So he couldn’t give more than a single tail kick and would have to turn again. These fish are aggressive as you point out, get large, and are very active. Just don’t get one unless you’re committed to it’s needs.
yeaah just by looking at one of em i can tell they get big or are hard to care for
@@powerstar-uf7oh truthfully, if you find the flowerhorn attractive, and you enjoy a single trophy fish type tank, the fish themselves are pretty easy to keep. I’ve had this fish now for 3 years in a 75 gallon long tank. He’s very entertaining and not fussy about his food. But on another note, these fish share a feature with many fancy goldfish. The breeding for their body type has somewhat predisposed them to GI issues that you need to watch for. Otherwise I’ve found this fish to be fairly easy to care for.
@@jenniferchilton-kauffmann6280 I am not the most experienced fish keeper. Had an ex that got me into it and taught me how to take care of the tanks. The only tank I kept after our split was my flowerhorn. He is in a 90 gallon and relatively easy to take care.
@@jenniferchilton-kauffmann6280 i said either big or hard to take care of...and by hard to talk care of i mean having 0 other fish no matter what happens and yes gets very big
Great list, another fish for this list is the Clown Loach. They are cute, affordable and tiny, right? Hehehhe
Nice list, the best advice I'd give to a newcomer is to embrace your water, get it tested and go from there. My water comes out of the tap at 6.4 with barely any hardness. When I tried guppies as a relatively experienced fish keeper they just never did that well for me so now I tend to keep fish that are happy in lower pH water
I learned that with some neons
I had always kept large South African fish. I added driftwood. So far so good.
@@TJ-ht3jb yeah, I like a set it and forget it approach, I use aragonite and limestone to buffer my water but they only react in water below 7, I found I had to raise pH chemically every water change to keep live bearers happy, got a bit fed up with it honestly
Same for me. My tap water is as soft as yours, and some of my guppies got scoliosis because of it when I had them. When I buffered it, it almost never happened.
@@fishypetkeeping yeah, it was similar for me, even buffered to 7 wasn't enough. I was keeping them in a 500 litre aquarium, it made changing water a massive faff so I sold them on
Im raising "made hardy" rams. Ive got about 100 fry growing in a tank that hasnt seen a water change in six months. Enjoy the heart attack you just had but i set it up for this with fast growing floater plants eating the nitrates. I scoop excess plant out regularly thus removing the nitrates.
I’ve been raising my guppies the same way! They certainly aren’t as sensitive as rams but I’ve noticed that a lot of guppies die after they’re placed into their new home. I just test every once in awhile, and I keep my PH at 7 as well! Guppies love a high PH but not all fish keepers can maintain that. So guppies raised in a lower PH can tolerate it way better.
@@rileyrandall9612 drip acclimate the guppies when they move to new water. The "dirty water" raising makes them strong for someone who isnt on top of maintenance but big sudden changes in parameters still shock them.
I agree with everything said in this. I was just surprised Pacu weren't mentioned. However I feel like most stores are doing a much better job educating about them now than in the past and many just don't get them in.
What begginer would buy a pacu ppl starting out dont buy 200$ fish they probably get the 5$ redbellies also what begginer can get a permit this is one of the hardest monsters to get
Definitely gold fish because as you’ve said in other videos they are the most abused fish. They are much more work and you have to be very dedicated. Here in South Africa they are also quite expensive.
i have 6 fancy tailed in a 270 litre and they have just spawned, quite a shock since the place i bought them from insisted they were too young to begin breeding
I was guilty with the "Iridescent Shark". It wasn't my first fish (was common goldfish, courtesy of my grandma, a couple years later, I expanded to Bettas and Oscars). It's a paganasia cat. 😂😂😂 My grandma's sister had a thing for Convicts and Jack Dempseys.
....long story short, when my brother asked why I sold it back later, I explained, and he's like dang Lin, when you f up, you really f up. A catfish that gets 3foot long?! Dang
The restaurant at the hotel where I work was given an iridescent in December. After researching I found out how big they 'should' get. I rehomed her ASAP to someone with a 150 tank (the restaurant tank is 75g with an 18 y/o large goldfish). I got a lot of grief over it, the employees saying fish don't get bigger than the tank, and I do my best to dispel these myths and educate for proper care of these amazing creatures.
I started fish keeping with the koi pond it's about 1000 gallons and it became over stocked quick just a FYI.
Love your videos! I’ve had a 55 gallon for 2 years now and truly appreciate the education ❤️
2:25
Is that a Manatee under that rock?
Thank you for bringing back some of the original music! You guys rock!
Haha that bala shark bit. Exactly what I thought when I first saw them and wanted one for a while. For anyone who wants a shark in their aquarium, just get one or a few petricola catfish. I've had them a long time and they're still one of my top 3 favorite fish I've ever owned. They just look so awesome, like baby leopard sharks. Kept alongside a group of pea puffers, copper rasbora and ember tetra, in a heavily planted tank I just can't get enough of! Hard to explain in words what this hobby can give you.
Great video. One of my first fish was a sailfin pleco, he's about 8 uears old now and I love him but they get a lot bigger then most people can probably keep. Common plecos too
Its always nice to see you guys! Thanks for all the tips!
Many years ago (15+), someone tried to sell me Koi fish, but I was there to get my second or third Betta.
So the employee in the store, tried to get someone who was brand new, the daughter (7-9) wanted an aquarium, to buy a bunch of Koi fish.
And of course I had to step in, I mean 5-10 koi fish in a 10 liter fish bowl ...
The look I got from the employee,
Let's say, I was not quite welcome in that store anymore, while she was at work.
I am SO happy you did that! I have seen someone at a fish store do that same thing. I said something as well. :) Its wrong.
@@sheilarogge2461 Agree.
And only because she had ordered the wrong type of fish.
I commend you for educating them. When I worked at a pet store, it was a struggle to convince people not to get koi for their 10 gallon tank. The best analogy I could think of is asking if they would put a puppy in there to live out its entire life.
Thanks for this video! I was thinking about a convict cichlid, but I think I’ll look at other options now
Good morning guys! Love ya both. Great vid. You guys have literally saved all of my fish by helping me with this hobby....I LOVE the shirt I bought and I plan on getting the hoodie. Cant wait.
I love the content on this channel sooooo much! Thanks guys you have helped me alot being new to this fantastic hobby 😀
and also it’s appropriate for kids
John + Lisa, THANK YOU for this very informative video on worst 10 fish to start off with. Well- that kinda burst my bubble because years ago when we had a 125 gal tank, I had several of those fish, and now, many years ago, I am planning on getting into fish keeping again. OK, I love CATFISH--I had a "shovelnose catfish, Blue EYED whiskered pleco, Cory's, an Electric catfish, a Black Ghost Knife, an Arauana, 2 Clown Knives, Clown Loaches, etc, etc, etc. I won't bore you any longer. Back then, my husband was alive and he was quite knowledgeable about fish keeping. I love those species of fish, but I DO NOT want to look into my tank and see them DEAD! OK, so can you suggest some " cool, but different" fish that I could start out with??? Oh, by the way, I think those "flower heads " should go see Dr. PIMPLEPOPPER. LOL thank you both for the best videos!! 👍
I have a bumlbee catfish that hitched a ride with some aqua plants I bought. He’s in a tank with a king beta, some platis, cherry barbs, Cory catfish, ottos and snails. He never causes problems, mostly hides, and I feed the tank enough, never a problem
South american or asian. Either way that's impressive
@@apss5736 I don’t know, as I said he hitched a ride on a plant, he mostly hides under a castle, which I’m thinking of taking out, but I figure if it’s working, why change it
He does a nice job with population control
I have no pest snails in the tank or unwanted fry
Thank you so much kgtropicals thanks to you I got my 1st aquarium up and running and my fish a happy thank you. I am 11years old 😊 😃
Good to see you’ve changed the lighting on the yellow lad tank as you can now see those amazing yellow colours
Thank you so much for mentioning a black ghost knife. They are my absolute favorite fish and mine is like my best friend. I've had him for four years and yes he's a big boy
Super Great Video John and Lisa! Totally agree with all of these fish on the list! (I’m a beginner!)
I had a 10 gallon and 2 small goldfish. 4 months ago I wanted a bottom feeder type fish to go along. The store associate suggested Dojo Loaches. So cute, so tiny! Long story short, they're all moving to a 75 gallon this week 😁
I'm lucky to be able to do that for them, but most people with a 10 gallon aren't.
Great video!! thanks for doing all you do to educate the newbies in the hobbie ....have a great day!!
I appreciate your honesty and the thoroughness of your information. You make becoming a new fish keeper very exciting.
Thank you so much for this informative video. I sort out at least two, maybe more, fish that I maybe planned to buy in the near future. I recently had a big disaster with my new shrimp tanks so I don't think I can stand more setbacks right now. 😮💨 Thanks again! Gunilla/Sweden
I would add arowana, pacu and large puffers
You should make a video called... "fish that are bigger than you think" and include plecos on there.
I have 4 silver dollars. Got them about 3 months into the hobby ( 3 years, 10 months ago). I got 1 by accident when buying white skirt tetras - they were exact same size& mixed in a tank at a store. Imagine my surprise a few weeks later as that 1 fish got HUGE!!!
I was kind of bonded to him, as he was an underdog all solo. the other fish ignored him. I bought a 36 bow front and found 3 other silver dollars locally by me. I knew the 36 was temporary, but COVID hit so they stayed in the 36 gallon for 2 years. Last August, I moved them into a 55 gallon.
Anyone getting these fish - Silver dollars have HUGE eyes. they are slanted. any animal with such eyes likes it dark. I do not use a light on the tank unless I have to. I avoid it to keep them comfortable.
I had 1 SDF almost jump during a water change. I could see they were upset, so I stopped , got down to where they could see me easily and spoke with them very low voice and they seriously calmed down. They are easily stressed. A soft, whisper voice like talking to an infant works really well.
These are NOT starter fish. I just used some knowledge (how their eyes are shaped) and dog training techniques I already had learned. All social animals love attention and safety. As their feeder and care giver, there is that level of comfort. But as soon as I see agitation, I stop immediately and de-stress them.
They are huge (6 inches around) and their skin glimmers, it's a silver, yet golden glow. It never shows up correctly on camera. It's beautiful.
Oh and they will watch tv, totally. So keep their tank near a tv, they will watch it with you. it's really funny.
Can you make a follow up video for the alternatives for hard to keep fish in this video?
Also, for the beginners who doesn't want to cry, here are the alternatives:
Discus - Dwarf Rainbowfish or Betta
Bala Shark - Neon Tetras or Boraras Brigittae
Black ghost - Black Skirt tetra
Large Catfish - plecos and Cory
Rams - Bolivian ram, Kribensis, CPD, Badis
Flowerhorn - ?
Stingray - Triops, Hillstream Loach
Convict Cichlid - CPD, the danio with a stripe that i forgot the name
Koi - White Cloud
Silver Dollar - Black Skirt Tetra
Tinfoil barbs are another one, they grow quickly and large. They're my favorite especially when they have a black trim around their red fins.
I saw a paradise gourami, the male is very beautiful, so I purchased a male and put it in my community tank. Within two days my female betta and male guppy had huge chunks of its fins missing, while the angel fish hid behind a toy all day one neon tetra was totally missing.
I had to remove the paradise gourami and keep it in a bowl for the sake of other fish. Other fishes are swimming freely and happily but I have a lone paradise gourami in a bowl because of my mistake
I had this very thing happen in my community tank, except it was a male Blue gourami. Separated it, and all was well again.
I got back Into the hobby after almost 11 years. Due to my living space I wasn't able to have anything larger than 40 gallons. So I went ahead and got German blue rams. Everyone always talks about how delicate they are but I had gotten bolivian rams first and they were the very delicate ones and died quickly. The German blue rams have done amazing. One has reached full size the other not quite there yet. They get a little aggressive with each other at times but overall have done amazing. I've even added some gold rams recently!
Okay...what is that cute thing sticking it's head out of the cave at 2:25? omg it's so cute I can't stand it!!!
Excellent points. I love qualico goldfish. I may keep one or two in my large tank someday.
I am currently keeping them as my first fish, but goldfish fall on the list. They need huge tanks, and it’s better to understock to not do multiple water changes a week. I currently have 6 in a 75, and I do 40% twice a week. However, because I love them, I’m willing to put in the work, and I’m sure not everyone is like that.
Nice, what variety do you keep?
I keep fancy goldfish! I have 4 Oranda, 1 Ryukin and 1 Ranchu.
@@PokemonAdventures009 that's great, fancies are super rewarding aren't they
@@matthewsmith22 absolutely! They have great personalities. I can’t wait to get more eventually
@@PokemonAdventures009 I used to breed calico lion head ranchus for years, I lost them all in a weekend, I was gutted, never worked out what actually happened, fancies are not the easiest to keep, if and when stuff goes wrong, it goes fast, mine have always been very sensitive to nitrates so you do right to change water as you said. I just keep a couple of short tailed ryukins and blackmoors, gone super simple on the setup. I posted a short on my channel, have a look if you get the chance
As for flowerhorns in a "community" im looking at my tank (6x2x2) with a flowerhorn and severums all getting along. (How long it lasts i dont know) they are all rescaping my tank together :(
I will add i have back up plans ready for if/when problems occur
Yes, I have one that should be added to this list PLEASE!. A LOT of people are currently buying Axolotls for their children ( or for them personally ) because the game minecraft has made them more popular than ever ( and let's face it... they are a really amazing and adorable fish with such bold personalities ). They can be quite expensive ( the cheapest one that I have personally seen is 60.00 ) and frequent water changes are a MUST as well as proper water conditions and diet.
Thank you both so much for all that you do for the fish keeping community! without even knowing it y'all have brought my family closer together ( I have 2 teenagers lol which we both know it's hard to take that glue off the phones attached to their hands lol ) because the content you create is so fun, interesting, informative, and inspirational that we all gather around our television in the Living Room together and watch your videos as a family which sparks conversations about the video we watched for at least an hour after we've watched it. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so so much
Wow! Thank you for sharing 🙂 Very good point about the Axolotls! We love hearing about the youth getting more involved and we've been able to help in some way 🙂
First thing to learn is they are not a fish. They are salamanders. But everything else you said is true.
Yea they're certainly quite tricky to maintain with their low temperature requirements and maintenance needs.
Clown loaches, Tinfoil barbs, Pacu, Giant gourami, Arowana ... Probably many more, but those come to mind immediately due to size and/or schooling nature. When I started out I almost bought a peacock bass and a sturgeon. 15 gallon hex tank. That would not have ended well.
If a part 2 is being considered I’d %100 add Chinese algae eaters. The story is plain and simple and all to common, I got this fish when i was told it ate algae, it’s was fine for the first couple of years but then it ended up being a bully to my other fish that died due to (insert infection). Now I don’t know what to do with it because it’s so hard to keep with other fish. I personally have one that has and still is causing problems (am going to ask around if anyone can take it) and really wasn’t told it was going to be a absolute menace to me, rather I was told that it gets along well with just about everything. So to say the ‘Chinese’ ‘algae eater’ is very deceiving (I mean look it up its not even Chinese or much of a algae eater) not friendly to someone like me who is just starting to do research on fish.
Research all aspects of a species to make sure you can provide for the mature size and needs that it grows into. Do this for all pets BEFORE you buy it.
My currently 5" Magma Flowerhorn is the only fish I've ever owned in 40+ years that has a personality and acts like a puppy. At current size he is in a 55 but will be upgraded to a 75 once he gets close to doubling in size. He lives solo but in a scaped planted tank that is directly under my TV so I always see him.
A school of mature Silver Dollars needs a six foot tank. My seven do get aggressive with each other at times but none are singled out and get beat down. They become half black when they act up.
Build your stock list and/or plan tank size upgrades based on mature size of what you want to keep.
I'd recommend newcomers stay away from most of what we consider "beginner fish" aka goldfish & live-bearers unless they're male only. I've seen so many Mom's bringing in bags/buckets of guppy/molly/platy babies it's nuts.
I don't even work at a pet store, I just frequent them lol. Goldfish, people always get them for there kids in a bowl up to a 10 gallon then they either flush them, surrender them, or get a larger tank.
I love my Bolivian Rams BTW. 💕
I agree with you, but I am not a beginner and love Flowerhorns. They are like having a pet dog, but so much easier. Water Changes, great quality food, 80+ gallon tank IMHO. They are awesome!
I have a question so I’m my LFS has a 125 gallon Aqueon reef ready tank. For 650$ is that a decent deal . Or should I wait for a sale. For a new tank?
What lights do you have on your 240? I currently use shop lights but want to upgrade to something nicer!
If you want a catfish that looks like and acts like a catfish, go with a hoplo. I've got two albino hoplo catfish in a community aquarium mostly stocked with nano fish and they're fantastic. They top out at around 5 inches.
Thank y'all for this! The first time I saw a flower horn all I thought was oh lawd, is that normal? I can't look at them without shuddering. Also, y'all are my go to when I need advice as a new fish keeper. Ever consider a hotline for the newbies? I'd have that on speed dial.
Okay I agree to this I had a Flowerhorn when I was little it was fun but it was a bit hard to keep it died 4 years 😮
My friend bought 2 silver dollar and 6 discuss ,then he put 'em in the same tank .
Yes,he really did it. I told him about how big the silver dollar can be and how delicate the discuss is .
Silver dollar was a crazy eater, it eating like a mad glutton. There is no way the discuss can compete with it.
After a month , all the discuss were dead. I wonder if he regret this. I think he is. Discuss is expensive.
I got a monster tank with 4 bala sharks and I love them there easily my favorite fish in the hobby at the moment. Mine are just starting to get stocky and are about 4 to 5 inches right now.
My first ever fish were goldfish they grew HUGE so fascinating cuz I was so shocked they got so big lol. I really miss having goldfish such great personalities and I absolutely loved growing them from babies to huge adults
You guys are up early on a Sunday. Okay, grab popcorn, soda, Sunday morning fishkeeping.
Could you do a video about piranha or gar? Just got a marble gar just want to make sure I'm doing everything right.
Also wanted to ask! When you water change,(about 30%) should heat the water? If you do, how? Because I have been putting lukewarm water into my 20 gallon for the last water changes.
I use tap water with a water conditioner. I use a digital meat thermometer to to make sure the that the water from the faucet is the same temperature as the water currently in the tank. I hope this helps!
Ideally make sure the ingoing water is the same temp.
What are hood fish for beginners that aren’t tiny? Hopefully active and maybe even some breeding? I’m getting back into the hobby with a 75gal tank
Hi, just want to ask if its okay to keep honey gourami with shrimps in a community tank?
BGK usually grow to a max size of 16in in the aquarium.
They can potentially reach 20in but that's quite rare like a 30in Asian aro.
Can someone tell me the fish at 2:32 (not the Bala sharks)
Thank you alot guys this list was so helpful
I’m new to this channel and absolutely love love love your content can’t thank y’all enough for all of your information
4:55 : my angelfish eat constantly too but I still love them lol
Flowerhorns are just hate wrapped in sparkle.
My texas cichlid smashes his algae wafers on wood and decor to break them into smaller pieces. Cool
imo texas cichlids are the better flowerhorn. mine is seven inches and is surprisingly severum like in shape but he might change as he grows.
Lisa... do you have Blue-Black hair? Lucky...! My late friend had it in her youth, and being a hair designer, she was quite proud of it. =X)
I have a question-
Can i put 1 angelfish, a few otocinclus and a few cardinal or rummynose tetras in a 35-40 gallon tank?
I'm getting a fish tank soon and need advice i need to make sure i dont overpopulate the tank and that these will be compatible with each other
dont angels and tetras need different water temps though?
@@SilverSkyCloud angelfish is 78-84F, cardinal tetras is 73-81F and rummynose tetras is 75-85F, so i think they can go together at aroung 79-80F
The Rummy Noses might he a better choice than the Cardinals as companions for the Angelfish, as they're too big and too fast to qualify as lunch. :)
Cardinals MAY work if you let them grow before adding the angelfish.
Acclimatise the Otocinclus carefully when you get them home. Many suffer a lot of abuse at pet stores, and can be delicate until settled in. Once acclimatised, they're among the best small catfish you can keep. Top up their diet with algae wafers to keep them trim, and provide them with bogwood caves as hiding places, with some Java Moss growing on the wood. I had my specimens in a setup with decent plant and bogwood provision, and one lived to be 9 years old.
LOL, thanks for the warnings. I'm still learning on the "easy beginner" fishies. 😂
Team kg tropicals loved the video keep up the great work any updates on the new place? not yet o well I guess I'll have to keep watching LoL big fan 🇨🇦🐠🐠🐠🐠
CONVicts! I love them but I’m careful. I have ONE in with four Oscar’s and the convict is tank boss !
This is for anyone to comment back to, but I have a planted 10gal with a heater and filter, I seem to be struggling with Cycling my tank, I have put fish food into the tank and the ammonia has gone to 1 PPM, and also seems to raise the nitrites to .5 PPM, but I can’t seem to raise the Nitrates. Does anyone know how I could help the tank cycle?
I’d say maybe tiger barbs. They’re so cute and colorful, but can be really aggressive if not kept in larger numbers.
Yeah i have lost a few fish because a single barb without even realizing it
Please, can I keep a bare bottom? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Thanks
This may be a little off topic, but.....whatever fish you get , start with at least a 40 gallon tank. What?! You say. They are reasonably priced and large enough to compensate for small mistakes. Amonia , nitrates and other water parameters such as pH are more stable. Not to mention overcrowding and the fighting that will happen can be mitigated easier in a 40 as opposed to a 5 or 10 gallon. Rule $1. Bigger is better. I have 125s and a 200. But I like big fish, can't get enough.
Ps I see you mentioned tank size at the end.✅
Bigger is definitely easier, but a lot of people don't have the space to accommodate a large tank. I think that's part of the reason bettas are so popular. I would encourage people to try to go with a 20 gallon size a 20 tall's footprint is only slightly larger than a 10.
Just my two cents
I hate to say this but the Brichardi is another one. Not because they are aggressive but because you can quickly get overwhelmed with babies. And I add African cichlids in the Mbuna and Hap class. As pointed out by another one is they have to be overstocked and that requires a non-beginner water manager.
About stingrays - just get hillstream loaches and pretend they're mini stingrays.
Just got a dwarf polka dot and reticulated...freekin' adorable
I have been involved with aquariums since 1979. I have never had any interest in high maintenance fish, aggressive fish or expensive fish. I have had a few fish in this list and always found proper new homes for the ones that got bigger than I could properly care for. I like large community tanks with a very limited fish population (55 gallon and up). A 125 gallon with 25-30 fish (1½ inch or less) and nice aqua scaping is what I like.
Live bearers are the best fish for beginners. Guppies, sword tails, mollies and platies are among the best and popular ones.
#6 were Rams, and while describing and mentioning the Blue German Rams the footage had the most beautiful blue/orange rams I've ever seen, I looked up but I didn't get those cuties while typing Bleu German Rams, can anyone tell me which variety those blue/orange are?
Hello, hopefully you can help me with a problem, I have 2 red spotted severums in a 55G tank I have put in silver dollars to try stop the aggression , but for some reason the severums keep lip locking when the light goes on , and it’s getting more aggressive yesterday I saw a scale fall off one and I dunno what to do , I can add something else to the tank to help but putting one in another tank isnt an option because the other tanks got Oscar’s in there that aren’t fond of other fish
You may need to put in a tank divider to separate them if it gets out of hand.
@@fishandfloral they continue to fight and I cannot fined a divider big enough so I’m putting one with the Oscar’s for a week then moving them back together with a rearranged tank
Have a dimmer on your light so it doesn't come on bright.
@@billastell3753 I moved the aggressive one in with the Oscar’s , seems to be going ok atm but I have bad anxiety so I keep checking on them
I’d love to see a worst nano fish for begginers!
Keep it up guys
The flowerhorns featured in the video.. wow!!!!!!! 😍
Is a 60 gallon tall aquarium large enough for one red devil
Catfish are one of my favourite fish . I keep
Asian bumblebee catfish
Pygmy corydoras
Bristlenose plecos
Synodontis
Hastatus corydoras
But those big types are monstrous. My lfs has a big one by himself called Eric who is a few decades old and so cool
Rams, totally agree, never been able to keep them. And flower horn just WHY?
My second set of fish were koi and they are doing just terrific
I cant keep a goldfish alive but i bought a parrot fish from walmart and lived 5 years and it got so big I adopted it out to Petco
👍😎 Good list, can’t think of anything you missed, or disagree with any. Flowerhorn has to be the ugliest fish I’ve ever seen. Breakfast Club love that movie.
Very surprised you never said “Oscars” lol or Arrowana or Common Pleco I was waiting for them and they never came haha good vid tho.
As a convict cichlid owner, i disagree. Having a single convict cichlid in a 29 gallon tank is the BEST beginner fish. They CANNOT die. My convict cichlid has survived the apocalypse, because i was a beginner. He never showed any signs of being hurt. I swear you could put a convict in a toilet and he will survive months somehow.
i had one pass away from either ammonia or stress but the other three are thriving. they seem quite chill with the cichlids and catfish but squabble amongst each other
@@apss5736 hm, that's weird. Mine had elevated amounts of ammonia and didn't budge. Maybe he was getting beat up? It also depends how much ammonia and how long the ammonia spike has been going.
@@fletchqc9900 seems more like stress from being transported tbh. then again tat particular fish did seem a bit lethargic ad unhealthy when i got him but idk
@@fletchqc9900 have you ever fed one small mealworms. surprisingly one of mine enjoys them
I agree if it is one convict in an adequately sized tank. I used to work at a pet store, and unfortunately, the average beginner couldn't be convinced to get a tank that large for a single fish.
I once had a customer tell me they were going to put an alligator gar in a 20 gallon tank. I thought I was on an episode of Punk'd.
I keep a pair of convicts.. well they always breed and they eat older babies..
For the same reason you listed Flowerhorns
• Oscars
• Jaguars
• Midas/Red Devils
• Wolf Cichlid
• Starry Night Cichlid
For the same reason you listed silver dollars and Bala sharks
• Tinfoil Barbs
For the same reason Lisa listed ghost knifes.
• Pacu
I had a flower horn for 30years . it was a simple fish to have. it got big 15inches
Lisa should've said "you should stay clear, for the first year" lol
My wife bought my 3 year old kid 2 small koi fish in a bowl! We didn't even know what is their type we thought they were gold fish. I thought the bowl is small so I was thinking about getting a 20 gallon tank but now I learned that Koi is not recommended! Maybe I can just keep them until they are too big and find someone to give them to? We know nothing about fish and did not know Koi could grow that much!
Agreed, redtail catfish isn't good ig you're trying to keep a good about of fish in a 125, mine sadly ate a lot of my cool fish ):
Deformed little alien mutants. Hahahaa you got me there. Great video