Choosing Your Aquarium Fish - 5 Important Tips

A short summary on what you should know before you purchase fish for an aquarium:
 
1. The type of the fish is extremely important. If you choose multiple fish species, make sure they are compatible. There are some predator fish species that must not be placed with calm and sociable fish for example. If you are a beginner, choose a species that doesn’t require that much care, that doesn’t need special living conditions. Also, choose a docile and friendly fish. It will be easier to have in the aquarium because it won’t cause trouble

2. Before buying any kind of fish, no matter the race, make sure the fish are healthy. Do that first by observation. Notice any change in the mood, swimming etc. check the fins and the scales, make sure they don’t have bumps or bruises. Also, buy the fish from local pet shops or from well known breeders. If you see fish that hang around on the bottom of the tank, that could be a sign that they might have an internal health problem. Besides that, if the fish is too active and jumps around all over the place, that could be an illness indication. It is better to keep away from these fish.
 
3. After choosing a species and checking the health status, also ask about the fish’s temperament. That is strictly connected to the water living conditions. Ask the breeder or the local pet store people what are the general living conditions of the fish. Stretch on the water temperature because that is very important. Keep in mind that saltwater fish prefer a different temperature than the freshwater fish.
 
4. Another aspect worthy of considering is the fish’s size. You will need to buy a tank. The size of the tank depends on the size of the fish. If it will grow to a considerable size, it is better to buy a big tank from the start rather than a small one and change it later, when the fish is adult.
 
5. Finally, make sure you know what your fish likes to eat. If you give him the wrong type of food that could seriously damage his health.  Many fish have different eating habits. Besides that, also ask about the price of the food for that fish. Make sure you can afford it before you purchase the fish.
 These are a few tips on how to become a fish owner. Nevertheless, continue to document on your self and learn as much as you can about fish caring.
 

Essential buys for starting a tropical aquarium

Once you bought the filters, floss, heaters, food, buffers, gravel, the aquarium and the fish, you should learn how to take care of a fish and how to clean the tank where they live. Actually, all the information you need should be researched before you buy the aquarium and the fish. In this article you can read a few tips that should help you take care of an aquarium and of fish.

The Heaters
These are important to have if you want to keep tropical fish. First, make sure that the aquarium can fit the heater and the filters that you’re going to buy. They shouldn’t take too much space, so a small aquarium should have equally small heater and filters.

What to purchase
When you buy an aquarium, you should also buy plants, gravel, food, water treatment, ornaments and test kits. The gravel will make sure that the natural resources are maintained. The ornaments that you place will provide the fish with a nice decor. When they have plants in the aquarium, the fish will find their surroundings more familiar. Using a test kit will allow you to make sure that the water health remains OK. Because tap water can be bad for them, you should treat the water.

Taking care of gravel
First, make sure to get a bucket and get the dirt, germs and grime out of the gravel. Once you rinse it, you can put water in the aquarium. At this point, put half of the water. Next, add the plants and the ornaments. After you added everything in the tank, pour the rest of the water.

When you bought the aquarium you probably received a manual, which should be read properly. After you fill the aquarium, get the filtration systems and the heater installed. Once you do all this, you should do the water treatment. This will get the metal, copper and any other chemicals out of the water.

When you fill an aquarium with water, it will produce natural bacteria, which should be filtered for the fish to be safe. Once the water is in the aquarium, using a test kit will tell you if the chemical levels and the water temperature are OK. After you verify that the water is OK, you can begin getting the fish inside the aquarium.

If you want a saltwater fish, you can use damsel fish. In this case, add two of them in the beginning and continue to do it gradually. If you prefer getting freshwater fish, get those that are passive, not aggressive.

You can’t use both freshwater and saltwater fish in the same tank. If you want both, get two aquariums. If you’re a beginner, you can easily use Danios, White Cloud Mountain Minnows or Goldfish. Other nice fish are the Bristle Nose, which gets to 14cm (5.5 inches) and is passive. Another fish that grows to be 5cm (2 inches) is the Otocinclus, which enjoys areas with plants and rocks. If you want a big fish, the Plecostomas can get to 60cm (24 inches). Veitail and Marble are fish that get to 15cm (6 inches) and are of the passive type.

Caring for Catfish

The Catfish are not recommended to be kept together with other types of fish, as they might eat them. While they are a favorite of many, Catfish are difficult to keep. One of the Catfish types that are available is the Black Spotted Corydoras. A lot of people buy Catfish because they are so good at cleaning the aquarium from algae. They also clean the aquarium of dead fish and other types of debris.

This fish can usually be found in Guiana and Venezuela and it will reach a length of 6cm (2.5 inches). It’s colored silver and has black spots, just like the name suggests. You can tell which is the Black Spotted Catfish by its wedge shaped neck and the black stripes found around the eyes and head. Their behavior is good, so you can rest easy if you put them together with other fish. They will not attack other fish. They enjoy eating white worms, dried food and Tubifex.

A fish found in Brazil and the La Plata Basin, the Peppered Corydoras can get up to 7cm (2.75) inches in length. Their body is colored olive/brown and it has black marks on it. It’s a fish that belongs to the Corydoras aeneus family.

If you look at the Peppered catfish, you will notice that his eyes seem to be moving towards you. They can easily be kept in a communal aquarium.

What they eat
You can feed Peppered Catfish with dried foods, white worms and Tubifex.

The type of water
These fish will enjoy a neutral water condition. They can also stay in hard water. They will not enjoy staying in saltwater.

A relative of this fish is the Leopard Corydoras. They received their name at the beginning of the 20th century. They belong to the Corydoras julii family. They can be found in the lower Amazon areas, especially in the Tributary region. They can get up to 6cm (2.5 inches) in length. Their frame is colored silver/gray and has stripes that are dark spotted. They are peaceful fish and can easily be kept in a communal aquarium.

This species of fish can be found in South America, specifically in the central and northern parts. They belong to the family called Callichthyidae and they are armor catfish, because they have bony plates on their body. They have a flat head, with the mouth located under it. They have rounded and wide lips. They are also known as sucking fish. They will eat algae, so they keep the aquarium clean. That’s why it’s good to keep at least one of these fish in your communal tank. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean the aquarium, but they do make it easier.

Caring for fish from the Hemigrammus Family (Tetras)

Part of the Hemigrammus fish family are Rhodostomus, Erythrozonus and Flammeus.

Out of these Flammeus is considered as part of the group known as Hyphessobrycon. The Erythrozonus fish also have the name Glowlight Tetra and in the past people thought it was the Gracilis (which was wrong). The origin of the Erythrozonus is British Guiana and their maximum size is around 4cm (1.75 inches). The body of the fish is colored red. You will see their color change if the waters where they’re kept are not appropriate.

The Erythrozonus is quite friendly and you can keep him together with other fish, as long as they’re not the aggressive type. You can feed them almost anything. The Tetra are colored brightly and they’re quite small. They enjoy being kept in a tropical aquarium.

The water conditions:
Inside the tank, the temperature should vary between 78 and 80F. The background setting of the tank should be a dark one. The aquarium should have plenty of thick plants inside.

Breeding them:
Peaty water is the best type if you want these fish to breed. If you want your fish to breed, you should talk with someone from a pet shop to give you more advice. Every shop should carry some brochures that would help you. When they breed, they leave around 400 eggs and it takes 24 hours for them to hatch.

The Rhodostomus is also known as the Red Nosed/Rummy Tetra. They can be found in the Amazon and their maximum length is 5cm (2 inches). The snout of the fish is colored red. It’s quite a peaceful species, that will eat almost anything.

Water type
The temperature of the water should be around 78F. It should be either soft or a bit acidic water. It’s not a fish that will breed easily, so pick a different species if you want them for this purpose.

The Flammeus species are also known as Tetra von Rio or Flame Tetra. They originate from the areas near Rio de Janeiro. Their maximum size is around 4cm (1.5 inches), which makes them one of the smaller fish of this type. The belly of the Flame Tetra is colored red and the behavior of the fish is a hardy one. It’s a species that can be kept in an aquarium easily. They don’t expect a certain type of water, so that’s another point in their favor. They will lay as many as 200 eggs, which take 24 hours to hatch.

The Lemon Tetra is a fish found in the Amazon, which is quite small, at a maximum length of 4cm (1.75 inches). Their color is a distinct lemon, with a patch colored red on the eye’s upper area.

This fish will work great when kept in a social tank, together with other fish. They will eat a wide variety of foods and they are peaceful. They like soft water, kept at 80F. They can also be kept in water that is a bit acidic. It’s a species that doesn’t breed easily, but if you want to give them a shot, they should be in peaty waters.

The Neon Tetra is a fish from Brazil, which gets up to a size of 3cm (1.25 inches). It’s a fish species that is very popular to keep in aquariums. The color of the fish is red combined with green/blue. This is a species of fish that doesn’t breed easily in aquariums.

Upside Down Catfish (Synodontis nigriventris)

The Upside Down Catfish is a fish from Central Africa, from the Congo Basin. The maximum length is 8cm (3.2 inches) and they should be in a 60cm (24 inches) long aquarium, with a 23 to 27C (73 to 81F) water temperature. They will enjoy eating insects, crustaceans, plant matter and dried food.

This fish doesn’t have scales and it’s a bit compressed on the sides. You will see three barbel pairs, two of them on the lower jaw and the third one on the upper jaw. The Upside Down Catfish has a cream/grey color, with some black or brown markings.

There are no colors on the fins of this fish, but they do have dark markings. The belly of the Upside Down Catfish is black. Because of the colors and the upside down way they usually use, the name was a natural fit for him.

They usually enjoy the night more and they are quite peaceful. They prefer shoaling with fish of the same species. Because they swim upside-down, they can pick the algae from the leaves underside.

There should be plenty of roots and rocks inside the aquarium, plus plenty of large leaved plants, to make sure that the fish has enough space to swim upside down.

In most cases, they will not breed inside home aquariums. When they do breed, they will change color from brown to white/yellow before they do it. The color of the laid eggs is pale yellow, about 2.5mm (0.1 inches) in size. It takes around a week for the eggs to hatch and another four days for the young to swim on their own.

During the first two months, the young will swim like other fish, but after that they will begin swimming upside down.

Tiger Barb (Barbus Tetrazona)

The Tiger Barb fish is native to Sumatra and Borneo and it’s also known as the Sumatran Barb. This fresh water fishes original habitat would have been a tropical area where the water temperature was fairly high, and they would be located in fairly shallow water of either medium to fast moving streams, or swampy lakes.

Puntius tetrazona is the scientific name of this fish and it can reach a length of 6cm (2.4 inches). It belongs to the Cyprinidae (minnow) family.

This is a very widely kept fresh water fish species and rates at about the 10th most popular ornamental fish species.

The water temperature in the aquarium should vary between 20 and 25C (68 to 77F). The water should be either medium-hard or soft. They can be fed plant matter, crustaceans, worms and dried food. They need a good balance of meat and vegetable matter. A quality flake food is a good start but this should be supplemented with foods such as bloodworms and zucchini.

A fish that is colorful and quite good looking, the Tiger Barb’s base color is orange. There are four stripes, colored black, vertical on his body.

This fish is great for a beginner, as long as your aquarium is big enough. You should keep a minimum of 5 fish of the same type in the tank, because they enjoy shoaling. If there aren’t enough of them, they might become aggressive with other species you might keep in the tank. In such cases, they will nibble on the fins of those fish, especially when they have fins that are long and trailing.

You shouldn’t keep Guppies or Angelfish in the same aquarium with Tiger Barbs. You can think of these fish as the bad boys of the aquarium as they do tend to be fin nippers and are often aggressive towards more timid fish. Ideally you should keep no less than 5 fish from the barb species, because smaller shoals will be more likely to show this territorial behavior and attack their neighbors. In fact the larger the group the better, as this will encourage them to leave the gentler fish alone.

Tiger barbs should ideally be kept in a tank with a pH between 6 and 8, and a dH of 5-19.

Breeding the Tiger Barbs is possible. They reach sexual maturity when they are around 2 to 3 centimeters at the young age of about 8 weeks. The female is larger than the male and has a plumper belly, she also has a black dorsal fin. You should let them choose their pair on their own, and once they do that, move the fish to another aquarium, where they can leave the eggs. Once the eggs are laid, take the adults out of the tank and get them back inside the community aquarium. If they are left with the eggs, they will eat them.

This species will also enjoy shoaling with Golden and Green Barbs, so you can create aquariums with plenty of variety in them. You should place enough vegetation on the aquarium edges while leaving enough room for them to swim. Pieces of wood, rocks, and plenty of plants will be appreciated. The length of the aquarium should be at least 60cm (24 inches).

Rosy Barb (Puntius Conchonius)

The Rosy Barb is a 14cm (5.5 inches) fish that lives in the Northeastern part of India. Puntius Conchonius is the genus name of this fish. It should be placed in a tank that is 60cm (24 inches) or longer, with neutral or soft water, and a temperature between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius (72 to 77F). The Rosy Barb will eat insects, plant matter, dried food, crustaceans and worms.

A fish that a lot of people used in their aquarium in the last century, the Rosy Barb is great to have if you’re a beginner. The fish has a stocky body with the male being less stout than the female. Their length can go up to 14cm (5.5 inches) when they’re in the wild, but when it’s kept in a tank they will go only to 7.5cm (3 inches).

The belly of the Rosy Barb is silver in color and the back is olive/green. The sides of the fish are red and have a silver iridescence, which becomes a bright red when the fish spawn.

The fins of the Rosy Barb male are pink, with black for the dorsal fin’s tip. As for the fins of the female, they are colorless, with a bit of a dark tinge for the dorsal fin.

The Rosy Barb is not a demanding fish, that enjoys an aquarium with little lighting. You can do that by adding floating plants in the aquarium. They enjoy burrowing, so they need a soft sand at the bottom of the aquarium.

Because they enjoy shoaling, you should have a minimum of five fish of this type in your aquarium. If you want the females not to be harassed, the aquarium should have two females for each of the males.

When the Rosy Barbs breed, the eggs will be left on the plants. One day later the eggs are going to hatch. It will take a couple of days for the fish to begin free swimming. The adults will eat the eggs and the young, so make sure you protect them.

Red Tailed Black Shark (Epalzeorhynchos Bicolor)

The Red Tailed Black Shark is native to Thailand and it’s also known as the Red Tailed Labeo. The genus name for this species is Epalzeorhynchos Bicolor and the length can go up to 12cm (4.7 inches). The aquarium should have at least 60cm (24 inches) in length and the water should have a temperature of 22 to 26C (72 to 79F). The water inside should be either a bit acidic or soft. Feed this fish with insects, plant matter, worms, dried food or crustaceans.

An elongated fish, the Red Tailed Black Shark is a bit compressed laterally. The mouth is facing downward for a bit and you can see two pairs of barbels and swollen lips on it.

In the best situations, the body of this fish has a color that is velvet black, with a red or orange tail. If you see a grey color on the fish, it’s because something in the aquarium doesn’t suit him or because the fish is upset.

The Red Tailed Black Shark is a bit aggressive sometimes, especially when they’re older. You should be able to keep them in a community tank, but take care. They are known to be aggressive with fish from their own species, so they should be kept alone. If you put new fish inside the aquarium, take care, as they are known for chasing new additions to the tank.

Another name for this species is Red Tailed Labeo, which is better actually, since “Shark” can be misleading in some cases. This fish isn’t actually related to sharks.

Because they are so aggressive, keeping them in groups is not advised. For the same reason, this fish doesn’t breed usually in home aquariums.

This species is quite hardy and it can have a long lifespan if treated well. Make sure that the tank has enough hiding spots for the fish. You can use a coconut shell or a flowerpot (on its side) to create those hiding spots.

Peppered Corydoras (Corydoras Paleatus)

Known as the Corydoras Paleatus genus, the Peppered Corydoras is also known as Peppered Cat, Peppered Cory or Salt and Pepper Cory. It can be found in the La Plata Basin and Southeastern Brazil. It will go up to 7cm (2.8 inches) in length, so the tank should be at least 45cm (18 inches) in length. Make sure the water temperature varies between 19 and 26C (66 to 79F). Their food should consist of dried food, insects, worms, plant matter and crustaceans.

The Peppered Corydoras has a pair of short barbels and it has a tall body. His lower lateral armor has between 20 and 22 bony plates, with the upper part having between 22 and 24. The ones from the bottom have a pale yellow color while the ones from the upper part are either olive/brown or dark olive/green.

This species is the most kept species out of all the Corydoras fish. This happens because it’s the least demanding of them, living in all kinds of water types. Still, it would be nice if you placed some plants inside their aquarium, as they enjoy hiding sometimes. The bottom of the aquarium should be made out of sand, so it’s soft and fish can burrow in it.

The female of the species can be recognized by the body, which is a bit longer and more robust than the male. The spawning will happen in a place chosen by the female, usually on a rock or on some plant leaves.

The male clasps the female and will deposit the sperm. Next, the eggs will leave the eggs in the place they chose, touching them with the mouth quickly.

The spawning process will take place a few times, taking three hours sometimes. In some cases, there will be two males taking part in the process, since the number of eggs can make it difficult for just one male to manage. It takes 5 or 6 days for the eggs to hatch.

Oscar Fish (Astronotus Ocellatus)

The Oscar fish is also known as Tiger Oscar, Albino Oscar, Velvet Cichlid or Marbled Cichlid. The genus name for this fish is Astronotus Ocellatus and it can be found from Rio Paraguay to Orinoco, in South America. The maximum length reached is 35cm (14 inches) and you will need a tank that is 120cm (48 inches) in length if you want this fish. The temperature of the water should vary from 22 to 26C (72 to 79F). You should feed them chopped meat, insects, worms, dried food and crustaceans.

Plenty of people have Oscar fish in their aquariums, as they have a long lifespan (10 years) and their personality is quite distinct. This fish is very intelligent and they are even able to learn tricks. They can learn who gives them food and they will react differently to them. Since each of them is unique in their own way, it’s a pleasure having one.

There are a number of patterns and colors on an Oscar fish, so they have names like Albino, Red Fire, Tiger, Zebra and Red.

While the reputation of the Oscar fish says that he’s quite aggressive, this isn’t true. They got this reputation because they enjoy eating anything that fits in the mouth. If you compare these fish with other Cichlids, they’re actually a bit mellow and in plenty of cases they will be bullied by other fish. Since they are territorial fish, they might become aggressive when the pair is spawning. You might also have issues when the tank is too small for them.

Oscar fish should be placed only together with bigger fish, because smaller fish will get eaten by them.

Because Oscar fish enjoy digging, you shouldn’t place rooted plants in their aquarium. If you do, the fish will keep digging and moving the gravel.

The Oscar pair will clean a site for them to spawn, usually on a rock. After the eggs are released, they will adhere on that rock and the parents will guard them both. A few days later the eggs will hatch and they will be moved to a sand pit for another week.

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