Fishes,NOT for the Beginner

There are some fish that the beginning aquarist should avoid. Then there are still others are others that do quite well in a beginner’s tank. And there are even some fish that get along quite well in the "beginner tank".

What is the difference between a "beginner tank" and a beginner’s tank? A beginner’s tank is simply one owned by a beginner. But the term "beginner tank" also implies a certain stigma…for better or worse it is set up in the typical way that beginners set up their first tank. The typical way a beginner, in Calgary in the year 2000, sets up a tank is this: the tank is about 40-liters in capacity, has an undergravel filter, a semi-submersible heater, an inexpensive single tube (or incandescent bulb) light/hood, a small power filter, and plastic plants. It is usually stocked with a few live bearers, a few tetras or barbs, and a single Corydoras catfish.

However, it is not necessary for a beginner to start out that way. It is possible (however unlikely) that the beginner was introduced to the hobby by an advanced aquarist who introduced him to living plants at the same time. Such a beginner could set up a fairly advanced looking tank the very first time out…complete with living plants and the more comfortable surroundings, more stable water conditions, and increased oxygen supply that plants give to fish.

But both planted and unplanted tanks are likely to suffer from the same beginner’s mistakes: over feeding, under feeding, over crowding; incompatible species mixes, insufficient climatization, temperature fluctuations, and intermittent neglect. It’s just that the consequences of this aren’t as bad if the tank has plants in it.

So what fish are good beginner’s fish? Actually, most of them, so a better question would be "what fish aren’t". And an even better question would be "which fish, among those fish a beginner is likely to buy, aren’t". A stingray is not a good beginner’s fish, but at $140 a pop a beginner isn’t likely to buy one anyway. However, there are several fishes that are commonly sold to beginners that in my opinion should not be.

First of these is the fancy guppy. On the face of it, the guppy should be a perfect beginner’s fish: easy to breed, small, active, non-aggressive. And wild type guppies are. But fancy guppies are very often so inbred that their genetic strength is pretty much down the toilet. Fancy guppies have very short reproductive lives (often being "old" by nine months of age), they swim only with labor, and have lowered fecundity. They also are prone to "death without known causes". But wild-type guppies are often no better, as the ones available nowadays are relegated to the "feeder" tank, sold for 10¢ a piece, and subject to neglect. So if the wild-type guppies are likely to be neglected, and the fancy guppies are likely to be genetic trash, should the beginner still have guppies? Yes, but I would definitely not buy them from a pet store… go to a guppy breeder. Another option is buy "Endler’s livebearers". These look a lot like guppies, but they are almost certainly a separate species. They are endangered in the wild and being maintained in the aquarium as a genetically sound fish. And of course they tend to be very well cared for.

Another fish for the beginner to avoid is the molly, of all types. Many domestic strains suffer from the same genetic defects as fancy guppies (there is even a misshapen "balloon" molly available, shudder). And wild mollies are surprisingly expensive. Also quite surprising is that mollies are quite sensitive to changes in temperature… surprising since they live quite happily in central Florida where winter temperatures can easily drop below 15C. And mollies like some salt in the water, which is often not good for their tank mates. It is best to leave mollies to the advanced hobbyist willing to provide them with their own quarters.

Swordtails might not be such a great idea either. A much better idea than mollies, perhaps, but I would still only recommend them with some trepidation. There are several types of high-fin swordtails available that are simply genetic garbage. These fish are even unable to breed at all without artificial insemination. But even setting aside these inbred-to-oblivion fish (which I can’t imagine anybody wanting), the typical swordtail can be a fairly aggressive fish. This doesn’t seem to get mentioned much, but swordtails can be very bossy. They really need more elbow room than the typical beginner’s tank will likely provide.

Another fish that I would not recommend to the beginner is the neon tetra. Neon tetras were historically considered to be very difficult fish. Most certainly not for the beginner. But then Southeast Asian fish breeders learned the secrets of neon breeding and started mass-producing an aquarium-strain neon. They bred a fish that looked like the wild neon but was much more adaptable to the aquarium environment. The result was a fish that was inexpensive, colorful, peaceful, and hardy – the perfect beginner’s fish. So why don’t I recommend them? Well, neons don’t seem to be very hardy anymore. I am not sure why. Maybe its because their price has dropped so low that they are no longer given adequate treatment during shipping ("who cares if they die, it would be cheaper to just order another batch than package these properly"). Or maybe the aquarium neon has now become so inbred that it’s suffering from its own genetic deficiencies. Maybe they are selling poisoned fish so that the customer will come back and buy more. I don’t know. But I do know that a lot of neons seem to die within a week of being purchased.

Another fish often sold to the beginner that should not be is the Chinese algae eater. Hell, these fish shouldn’t be sold to anybody. They are also mass-produced in Southeast Asia nowadays and so are sold as inexpensive algae eaters. But they really don’t eat all that much algae. Instead, they seem to prefer to suck the slime off of other fish. And the older they get, the less algae they eat, and the more slime they suck. They are also prone to extremely hyperactive behavior (try catching one with a net sometime) and sudden death (from heart attack?). In a suitably large tank with lots of cover they might settle down to a long life, but after they reach 10cm or so in length they will mercilessly harass their tank mates. I once owned an enormous 25cm monster that was probably the most annoying fish I’ve ever met.

Dwarf gouramis. There has been an explosion of new color strains of dwarf gouramis around lately, again thanks to Southeast Asian breeders. And so nowadays pet stores will have several tanks of colorful dwarf gouramis at low prices. But I would not recommend them to the beginner. They are very shy fish that really can’t compete with the barbs and tetras the beginner will likely put them in with. Give them their own well-planted tank in a quiet corner and they are wonderful fish. In a tank without much cover (but with lots of tiger barbs) they will be thin, pale, and unhappy.

The most common fish purchased by the beginner is the goldfish. There are two things that could be wrong with this. First of all, many beginners try to mix goldfish and tropical fish. This is never a good idea, and goldfish should not be kept at temperatures above room temperature. And the second problem is that practically all beginners fail to give their goldfish enough room. Adult goldfish need at least 100 liters of water per fish. Not even one can be housed in the typical beginner’s sized tank for the long term. But for the beginner who keeps goldfish at a suitable temperature in a suitably large tank or pond, goldfish are very good fish indeed. Just stay away from those grossly malformed varieties that can’t even swim properly anymore. Like all fish that have resulted from such misguided breeding programs, their genetic soundness is absolutely miserable.

That’s everything I would recommend the beginner not get. But what should they get?

Horses Deadly Equine Virus

Northern Virginia's first-ever confirmed case of a rare mosquito-borne disease that is fatal to most horses is spreading concern among health officials who worry that the virus is somehow moving beyond its normal stamping grounds.

Eastern equine encephalitis, a noncontagious virus spread by mosquitoes, not unlike West Nile Virus, was diagnosed last month in a 28-year-old mare from Middleburg in eastern Loudoun County's vaunted horse country. The mare -- which had been riddled with health problems, including kidney disease -- was euthanized Aug. 6. Brain tissue samples sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, were examined, and three weeks later the lab confirmed the encephalitis diagnosis.

"Frankly, no one expected for the test to come back positive. This is a very unusual case, and a lot of us have been saying to ourselves, 'Gee, what does this mean?' " said Elaine Lidholm, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. "We don't know if it's an isolated case or there's more out there in the environment."

What makes the case so unusual is that the horse had not traveled outside Loudoun County, its owners told state officials. The disease -- which more commonly goes by the name "triple E" -- largely has been concentrated in southwestern Virginia, especially the Tidewater region, where mosquitoes are plentiful.

"Up here, we certainly have mosquitoes, but not the same as the marshy areas," said Martin O. Furr, a professor of equine medicine at Virginia Tech's Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg. "I suspect it's a random outlier case. But I suppose it could be the tip of the iceberg ready to hit us."

Sandy Vine, a Middleburg horse trainer and show-jumping judge who owns three horses, said her animals receive annual encephalitis shots. Vine said the Loudoun case is worrisome, especially because most horse owners in the area have little knowledge of the disease and its symptoms. "You don't know if the horse was by itself or with others or if the owners traveled a lot," she said.

Virginia's agriculture department began tracking equine encephalitis cases in 2000. Since then, it has found 50 cases in horses, goats, emus and alpacas, none north of Madison, a small community between Culpeper and Shenandoah National Park, about 75 miles from Loudoun.

Although there are effective vaccines for the disease, there is no cure. And although many horse owners vaccinate their animals every six to 12 months, with recommended booster shots in the interim, others have forgone the $10 shots. In horses, the Eastern strain of the disease is 75 percent fatal, health officials say.

About 240 cases have been reported in humans in the United States since 1964, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with fewer since 1984 because of the decreasing number of people living near marshland. Since 2003, there have been five human cases in Virginia. The fatality rate for humans is lower than that for horses, but those who survive the disease can be left with mild to severe brain damage. Transmission of the virus is most common in and around freshwater hardwood swamps in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states.

The report of triple E so far from its home base caught many Loudoun veterinarians by surprise.

James Joyce, a veterinarian at Blue Ridge Veterinary Associates in Purcellville, said the case is "concerning because it's a reminder that it's now here." But Joyce cautioned that the disease is not contagious and is "very uncommon to this region."

William H. McCormick, a Middleburg veterinarian who has been practicing in Loudoun since 1974, said that he had never seen a case of triple E in Loudoun but that an older horse with a weakened immune system could be more prone to the virus. He added that the diagnosis, taken by itself, was no cause for concern.

"I've seen West Nile over the years, but never triple E. You certainly don't want to vaccinate horses for something they aren't going to get, but I would do it if they're traveling to Florida or the Eastern Shore," McCormick said.

Furr agreed, saying the horse, due to its age, could have become more susceptible to viruses because of cortisol-secreting tumors. "Still, in the years I've been here, this is the first case I've heard about," he said.