subject: A Guide To Choosing Freshwater Tropical Fish [print this page] A Guide To Choosing Freshwater Tropical Fish
The days are gone when the only fish you would see in someone's fish tank would be a goldfish. Now you are able to discover many different species to choose from and a individual shop will frequently have no less than ten various types of fish to pick from.
Tropical fish are really desirable simply because of their vivid looks and ranges of behaviour. The freshwater variety is straight forward to look after since they require only tap water, providing that the temperature and acidity of the water are carefully monitored. Below is just a small selection of the wide range of freshwater tropical fish species that can be bought.
Betta
Betta fish are really popular and fairly easy to look after. Many novice fish owners start with Betta fish because of this.
Male Betta fish can be really aggressive and should be segregated. Male and female fish will also fight. Two females could be kept together, however it's required to still give them lots of tank room or fights will happen.
Betta are also easy to feed. They are carnivorous but can tolerate a broad selection of food, for example blood worms, brine shrimp. This enables you to experiment and discover over time which foods your fish prefers.
Cichlid
Cichlids are obtainable in an array of diverse shapes and sizes. They're actually a family of fishes and there are as many as 3 thousand different varieties altogether. The most popular kind of Cichlid is the angelfish - which can be recognised from its distinctive triangular fin shape.
Many of the Cichlids varieties are reasonably simple to maintain, feed and breed. Depending on the species of Cichlids, they can be omnivorous, carnivorous or herbivorous.
Discus
Discus fish, are a member of the Cichlid family, and are notorious for being particularly difficult to keep. They can't tolerate unfavorable conditions well, so it's essential to keep an eagle eye on water temperature, acidity and cleanliness of the fish tank.
They're a group fish and generally reside happily with other fish. Prior to adding more Discus fish to an existing collection, they should be quarantined in an additional tank first, in case they introduce illness.
Discus fish can be very fussy eaters. Finding out what and how frequently to feed them is essential. They're carnivorous and will eat both live and frozen blood worms and brine.
Catfish
As well recognized bottom-feeders, catfish are excellent for keeping an aquarium clean. Some aquarium owners struggle against algae but many catfish types will feed on this and assist to managing this problem.
Most other fish tolerate catfish nicely, and don't view them as a threat to their territory. Catfish are as a result best added to aquariums with other varieties of fish rather than being put in a fish tank by themselves.
There are various catfish species available and you should choose one that suits what you're looking for, for example, some don't eat a lot plant material and some are more territorial than others.
