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.
 

Common Diseases in Tropical Fish And The Symptoms

Just like any other living creature, fish are receptive to diseases as well, especially to infections. Among these diseases, the most common are the infections produced by parasites like flukes, bacteria, ich, saprolegnia, chilodonella and argulus.
Here is a list of these fish illness that can happen to fish that live in aquariums, along with a short description of these diseases.

1. Fish Lice

Some of the largest parasites in the animal world are the fish lice. Their scientific name is argulus, and they can grow up to one centimeter. Unlike other parasitical forms, these parasites are easy to detect because they can be seen with eyes opened, if you do an inspection of the fish’s body. They appear along the whole body but they can be found especially in the fins area. Be careful if you want to detect them. At first site, if the lice aren’t moving, they appear as harmless dark spots. Another clue in discovering if your fish has lice is the fact that the lice make the fish agitated and he can move his body a lot.

These types of parasites are dangerous to the fish because they have the ability to suck the fluids out of it by sticking their proboscis like mouth to the fish’s small body.

2. Bacterial Diseases

Among the nastiest diseases a fish can have, the ones produces by pathogenic bacteria are the most common cause of problems for fish breeders. This is because the bacteria can attack the fish internally, entering the body through the mouth, or externally, attacking the skin. The bacteria infections are many times deadly, attacking the internal organs and causing death.

The two most common bacterial threats are the bacterial gill and the fin rot disease. These two attack the fins and the gills and they can easily infect the whole body and become a systemic infection. A well known fish specie that is known to get easily infected with bacteria is the koi fish.
Besides that, it is good to know that in many cases, the bacterial infections appear to be just some red spots on the fish’s skin, ulcerous marks or irritation of the fish skin.

3. Flukes in Fish

Diseases are mostly produced by parasites and bacteria that grow to a large number. The flukes, for example, are harmless parasites if they are in small numbers but when their number reaches a certain limit, they are fatal. The flukes are relatively small. They grow to about 2 mm in length, and quite invisible to the naked eye.
They are dangerous because they can suck the fluids of the fish host and cause them death. The flukes are parasites that needs only one fish host to complete his lifecycle and this is why many flukes attach to a fish and stay with him till the fish is dead.

The flukes have hooks with which they attach themselves to the body of the fish and they are considered, by specialists, to be the very difficult to treat. The problem is that the treatment is with malachite and formalin but given in high dosage that can sometimes cause negative side effects for the sick fish.

4. Ich

This type of parasite can infect the fish body and stay there for the rest of the fish life without causing any symptom. This happens because the natural defense of the fish body keeps everything under control. The common name of this disease is ich, costia or sometimes ichthyobodo. They only do harm when the fish’s immunity is low. If the fish has another disease, his defense is low and the ich parasites begin to multiply in a fast rate. If a fish has too many ich, you will see that they cover its body and the fish isolates himself from the others. In many cases, in this stage, the illness proves to be fatal for the fish.

Introducing Fish into the Tropical Aquarium

Many people receive fishes shipped from out-of-town sources. Often prompt and proper action must be taken upon their arrival to insure their continued life.

Examine the carton carefully before opening it. If it is wet or damaged, mark the fact on the receipt before signing it. Make the carrier wait and watch while you open the shipment. Check the water temperature immediately. Do not remove any fishes which appear to be dead, unless they are obviously decayed or physically damaged. Many tropical fish can be revived.

If the water is below 70° F., it is important to warm it to a higher temperature. Do not remove the fishes and put them into other warmer water. Instead, add warm water to the original water. Stir as you add the warm water to prevent hot water from touching the fishes. Warming the water slowly is dangerous. The fishes may die before the water gets warm enough to help them.

Once a desired temperature has been reached, change part of the water for fresh water. If the original water was foul, continue making partial changes at intervals until the water is clear. The water which is dipped out is thrown away. This process over a period of hours will give the fishes a chance to adjust to the different composition of your water.

Fishes bought from local source are usually brought home in a small container. These containers should be allowed to float unopened in the aquarium for fifteen minutes. This allows the water in the container to equal the temperature of the tank water. Remove the cover carefully. The fishes are likely to jump as soon as they see the light. Partially submerge the container slowly so that some water from the tank gradually runs into it. Pour out part of the water and repeat. Do this several times before completely submerging the container and letting the fishes swim out.

When transferring fishes from one tank to another, the same procedure is followed. Dip some of the fishes’ own water out in a container and place the fishes in that for transferring. It is unnecessary to float the container first,

Many aquarists maintain newly acquired fishes in separate tanks for ten days or two weeks. This helps to reveal any latent disease before it might be transmitted to the other fishes. During this time strict isolation is practiced. Utensils (net, dip tube, etc.) are disinfected, water drips are avoided, and even hands are scrubbed and rinsed thoroughly before going from one tank to the other.

A fairly good isolation ward for two or three small fishes is a squat one-gallon jar floating in the aquarium. By experimenting with the amount of water in the jar you can determine the proper amount to keep it upright and buoyant. This type of jar can be used for breeding also. A breeding trap, with its perforations which permit the circulation of water, is of course valueless for isolation.

Heating Your Aquarium

Because aquarium fishes are usually referred to as “tropical” fishes, the idea has become erroneously established that they require high temperatures for survival. The truth is that 75° F. is warm enough for tropical fishes, with rare exceptions. In fact many of our aquarium inhabitants are only semi-tropical; and will thrive in even lower temperatures.

Your main concern should be with temperature extremes and temperature fluctuations. Too extreme a fluctuation, even within the favorable range, can lead to difficulty. Fluctuation even within the fishes’ range is the problem that is usually the most difficult to solve. For example most tropical fish are comfortable within a low of 70° F. and a high of 85″ F.; 75° F. is considered ideal. But suppose that the tank’s position is near a radiator, or in a sunlit area, or that the wattage of the reflector bulbs is too high. Any one of these could cause the temperature to rise to 85″ F. during the daytime. These sources of heat are not present during the night and the tank’s temperature may drop to 70° F. This gives a fluctuation of 15° F. in twenty-four I hours. Fishes continually forced to adjust themselves to such temperature changes are under a definite strain; they become weakened and subject to disease.

Considering the abuses to which they are frequently subjected by well-meaning fanciers, they are remarkably hardy. I have seen fishes subjected to such extreme cold hat they floated torpid and, to all appearances, lifeless at the surface. When warmed up - and in these cases If was a fairly rapid warming - they recovered promptly and vigorously. Moreover, fishes seem to be capable of swimming without difficulty through strata of water at different temperatures. A reflector might raise the water’s surface temperature 5° or 6° higher than the bottom temperature, yet the fishes swim up and down with no sign of discomfort.

There is a school of thought which holds that it is necessary for the temperature to fluctuate a few degrees between day and night in order to more closely duplicate f he fishes’ natural environment. This hardly seems necessary. Inhabitants of aquariums with controlled temperature fluctuation appear to be in no better condition than I hose in aquariums maintained at a constant temperature.

Feeding your Tropical Fish

Any type of fish available out there is part of one of the three main types of feeders. This is true for any type of fish, be it coral, anemone or crustacean.

The carnivores. Carnivore fish will have other fish as their main source of food. Carnivores are either scavengers or predators. A predator fish will enjoy hunting their own food, so there is a chance they will not eat what you offer them. In many cases predators will only need to eat once a couple of days. As for scavenger carnivores, they will eat pretty much anything, like what predators leave behind.

The herbivores. These are the fish that will eat algae and marine plants. They will keep moving around, getting any food they find.

The omnivores. The omnivores are a mix between herbivores and carnivores. They will enjoy eating crustaceans, plants, corals, algae and invertebrates.

When you put food inside the aquarium, you should know that some fish will not give much attention to it. If they’re used with ocean life, where they’re not fed, they will not be used to someone giving them food. Most will learn in time to eat the food you give them, but some of them will not.

Omnivores and herbivores are the fish that will adapt to an aquarium faster. Still, fish like the Angels, that are used to find food on the floor of the ocean, will take a bit longer to begin eating what you give them.

How often should a fish be fed? The best would be to give them food only once a day and the quantity of the food should be enough for them to finish it after one minute of eating. It might seem like a small quantity of food, but if they don’t eat it in under a minute, they’re probably not hungry enough.

The importance of aeration for tropical fish

Everyone knows that the natural habitat for fish is a lake or rivers. Both have large surfaces where fish can get to receive their oxygen supply. As you can guess, an aquarium doesn’t offer fish the same possibilities when it comes to water surface. The habitat has less movement and the surface area where they can get oxygen is smaller. That’s why it’s important to make sure that fish can get oxygen from other sources as well.

Aeration is the artificial oxygen providing process. The process consists only of re-oxygenating the aquarium water. The system used for aeration usually consists of airstone, regulator diffusers or tubing clamp that pumps air.

There are plenty of types of air pumps, of different sizes and shapes. The one that most people use is a Taiwanese one, called tecax air pump. Another popular choice is the super 555, fabricated in India. They cost less but they’re not as resistant. You can also find versions built in France and UK, but they’re usually a bit more expensive.

The air pump should be hooked to a material that doesn’t vibrate and it’s above the level of the water. The aeration materials that I mentioned before can work well to aerate the aquarium. If the tank is small, you only need to use a simple air pump, through an air tube made of rubber, to an air stone. The air will be blown into the water by this system and provide fish with the oxygen they need.

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.

Considering the Individual Needs of your Fish

Each type of fish needs a special type of care. For example damsels need saltwater and that’s why they need marine tanks or large reef tanks to live. These are resilient fish and they don’t fuss over what they eat. Sometimes the damsels can be aggressive even if usually they are not in distress. That’s why two damsels in a single tank are more than enough otherwise you’ll simply lose your money.

Aggressive creatures can only live together with other aggressive creatures. If you plan on growing delicate fish also, it’s recommended that you use another container.

Before purchasing saltwater fish you might want to take into consideration some less aggressive fish types such as blue damsels and yellow tail damsels. The most aggressive types of damsels are the Domino and the 3-striped damsels.

Usually people buy damsels because these fish are very easy to care and the maintenance is rather cheap.

A well-maintained tank must provide balanced water hardness all the time. pH is used to determine the concentration of waters alkali. The alkalinity balance is highly influenced by the silicates, carbonates, borates, hydroxides and bicarbonates dissolved in the water.

Any standard test kit includes a special device that using the PPM – parts per million - indicates the hardness of water, the alkalinity and obviously the pH. Hard water starts at 100 PPM and it can go as high as 200 in alkalinity and hardness. Hard water is very important for fish and that’s why you might want to buy both a test kit and a pH buffer for the aquarium.

The mollies can get along just fine with salt water but freshwater fish need only pure water. Mollie fish are not that expensive because they can tolerate both high and low pH balanced waters.

If you want your fish to adapt to saltwater it’s recommended that they stay bagged in water and drenched slowly in saltwater in an 8-hour period. Pay attention to the bags so that it won’t overflow. Now the mollies are ready for the tank water but in order to keep them alive you might want to keep them away from any aggressive fish types.

The resilient clown fish is like a cousin to the damsels but sometimes it finds it hard to live in new environments. Clownfish are known to be protective and they live well in reef tanks with underwater ridges, coral and rocks.

Next, we have the shrimp. The shrimp fish comprise a large number of fish each needing a special care type. Shrimp fish are pretty inexpensive to take care of because all they need is a low capacity fish tank. It’s recommended that you keep only 4 fish in a single aquarium.

Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchos Kalopterus)

The Flying Fox is a fish that can be found in Borneo and Sumatra, and it belongs to the Epalzeorhynchos Kalopterus family. The length that can be reached by the Flying Fox is 14cm (5.5 inches) and it needs a 60cm (24 inches) long tank to live in, with a soft water and temperatures between 22 and 27 degrees Celsius (72 to 81F). It likes to eat dried food, plant matter, worms, insects and crustaceans. It doesn’t usually breed when kept in aquariums.

It’s a Barb fish and its name is called Flying Fox because it swims through it at high speed. The appearance seems similar to that of a fox. It uses the pectoral fins to balance itself when it’s on the bottom inside the aquarium.

The body of the Flying Fox is a bit compressed and mostly elongated, with its mouth facing down. You will notice that the color of the underparts is white and the back is a mix between olive-green and brown. Under the back of the fish you can see a band, colored yellow-gold.

Right under the band you can see a black stripe, which goes from the caudal fin central rays to the snout. The color of the Flying Fox eye is red.

In most cases, people buy the Flying Fox because it eats algae, and a lot of people think it’s actually a Siamese Algae Eater. While the Fox actually eats algae, its main job isn’t actually to do that, so it shouldn’t be bought for this purpose. As he ages, he actually stops eating this type of food.

Quite a hardy breed, the Flying Fox should be in a tank that has plenty of roots, rocks and dense vegetation. You shouldn’t keep more than one fish of this type together, since they like to fight each other. They prefer having their own territories, formed among tree roots and dead branches.

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