Ok, so I’ve recently given my old 90 litre tank to my sister who is planning to have a tropical community type set up. I don’t know much at all about tropicals so I need a bit of advice for her!
What she wants is a shoal of something small (like tetras maybe?) and then a couple of different-looking fish - she has 2 small children and she would like for them each to have a fish that they can easily identify as ‘theirs’.

So... any suggestions?

btw, my niece has already decided that she wants to call her fish ‘Ariel’... someones been watching The Little Mermaid, methinks!

Mollies, platies, guppys, black tetra there a little bigger than the neons. barbs but ask as a few breeds are a bit nippy.

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Banner By Smudge.

Ok, thanks for that.

Any suggestions for the two 'individual-looking' fish that she wants for the children? I was thinking maybe a betta for one of them, but I'm not too sure how good they are in community tanks?

edited to add - yeah, thanks Fishyfins, I've already sent her loads of links on cycling the tank. Probably overwhelmed her with information actually!

Think there fine with other fish but not with males of the same species.

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Banner By Smudge.

"unique" looking fish is a difficult subject.

With live-bearers, I'd suggest NOT to have Betta splendens, as they tend to eat newly born live-bearers (of course, that can be a GOOD thing for population control, as live-bearars CAN and WILL often get out of hand). Definitely not good with (male) guppies, but Mollies, Platies are ok.

An all-time favourite of mine is the common bristlenose, an excellent algae eater - a little bit shy, but given the right amount of cover and feeding, they will show themselves. Do NOT get one of the larger growing common pleco's for algae duties - they grow too large for most people to keep (I'm unhappy to keep mine in a 200 liter tank that has an unusually large base for a 200 liter tank!)
http://www.planetcatfish.com/scripts...s+cf_cirrhosus

Corydoras (little catfish, up to about 2"/5cm, most of them), hardy and interesting (and eats any food falling to the bottom). Best kept in a group of 5 or more.
http://www.planetcatfish.com/scripts...hp?q=corydoras

I would also suggest avoiding the temptation to buy 1 or 2 of several different shoaling fish (typically tetras and danios) - they do MUCH better in a group of at least five, preferrably bigger groups (in nature, they often shoal in the thousands).

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Mats

Thats very helpful, thanks matsp


Don't worry, I've already warned her that certain fish have to be in shoals - she knows she'll get a telling off if she ignores me!