7 Tips For Choosing Aquarium Fish

Buying the right aquarium fish for your tank is key to the success of your aquarium. When selecting fish, you may not simply be able to pick out the fish that catch your eye in the pet store as not all fish can live in the same environment. Additionally not all fish get along with each other so you will have to be careful to choose the types of fish that are compatible.

If all this seems like hard work, don’t worry, you will soon become familiar with the types of tropical fish that work well in your tank and even have some favorites that you like to keep. When choosing fish for your aquarium, here’s some tips to keep in mind:

1. Fish appearance. Observe the particular fish you are interested in carefully to make sure he is active and swimming around properly. Make sure his fins are not chewed and he doesn’t have any growths or white fuzzy patches.

2. Tank condition. Dealers tanks can have parasites and disease that might not be apparent in your fish right away so you need to observe the other fish in the tank and take a good look at the tank conditions. Is the tank clean? If not that is an indication that the dealer probably doesn’t care for the tanks well. Make sure the other fish in the tank are alert and swimming around actively. Avoid buying a fish from a tank that has dead fish floating in it. Even if your fish appears to be healthy, he could already be infected with something that might not show up until days after you get him home. By then it might be too late and you could risk infecting your other fish.

3. Water Conditions. The condition of your water is important as well as the number of fish you already have in the tank. If your water condition is poor then adding more fish will just make things worse and endanger the health of all the fish in the tank. Also, you should be careful not to overload your tank with too many fish as this will cause stress on all the fish as well as cause your water quality to degrade. The general rule of thumb for freshwater tropical fish tanks is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. If you add too many, you will have to spend more time changing the water and will need really good filtration in order to keep your tank healthy.

4. Water Temperature. Not all tropical fish like the same temperature water. While most will do well with temps in the mid 70’s some do better in cooler waters while others like it on the warm side.

5. Fish size. Before you buy a new fish you might want to find out how big he can be expected to eventually grow. Since your tank can support about 1 inch of fish per gallon, you wouldn’t want to put a fish that might grow to 5 inches in your 5 gallon tank or he might be the only one you can have!

6. The type of fish. Is your new fish aggressive or does he play well with others? Is he OK being the only one of his kind in the tank or will he do better in a school. Make sure you only put fish that will get along in the tank or the more aggressive fish will pick on the others. Also, some fish are territorial and you should only keep one per tank.

7. The food. Find out what type of food your new fish likes to eat. Most eat flakes, but some like freeze dried worms or other types of food. When you bring home your new fish be sure to also take home some of his favorite dinner.

Breeding Aquarium Fish

How To Properly Transport Live Tropical Fish ?

Tropical fish are among the highlights of many aquariums. This is because they are usually varied in both color and appearances.

Due to this high demand for them, many sellers and fish breeders guarantee that they can send they to wherever you are in the United States of America.

Transporting

Tropical fish are sensitive to climate changes in the water they belong to. These changes in the water temperature can affect the fishs health and living condition up to a point that it can cause death.

Some pet store owners recommend transporting live fish in a plastic bag. The bag should be filled halfway with water. They shall then be placed in the plastic and then the plastic must be filled with oxygen and sealed.

They come from the tropics are often transported in this way as well. The only difference is that the plastic bags are stored in Styrofoam containers that help to regulate the temperature.

Lowering the temperature can help to lower the metabolism of the fish and enable them to survive better through the long and arduous journey.

They are always transported in this method when they are just being brought to the United States from Asia. What usually happens is that one fish is put in one plastic bag and then they are packed into a Styrofoam container.

The reason why only a single fish is placed in an otherwise roomy bag is to isolate deaths. If there are three fish in a container and one dies, the water will stagnate and poison the other fish in it.

Ice is often placed at the bottom of the plastic bags under some insulation so as not to have any direct contact with the plastic bag to lower the temperature of the entire container.

They being transported usually have a long way to go before they reach their destination.

The transportation of they plays a big role on the prices of the fish. Since these fish are usually transported by air to their destinations, the price of their cargo and handling along with the shipping costs are included with the fish prices in the pet stores.

They are difficult to propagate and breed so breeding them is not such a feasible idea. Tropical fish seldom live long in an aquarium unless they are in a really large tank with the right kind of water and conditions.

Breeding Aquarium Fish

Feeding Your Tropical Fish

In the last couple of articles I shared with you the great tips on selecting good aquarium fish and how to transport and acclimatize them to there new surroundings. Today I’m going to tell you about the right way to feed your tropical fish because it is very important.

Did you know that overfeeding is the most common cause of death in aquarium fish? I know this is hard to believe that something so simple could cause the death of more fish than all the diseases and problems with water quality but it is one area that people overlook when is comes to tropical fish.

You need to make sure you don’t over feed your fish but on the other hand they need to get enough food to be able to survive and grow healthily. Here are a few tips on how you should feed your new tropical aquarium fish.

1, Feed often but sparingly. This will cut down on uneaten food that will turn into ammonia and could harm or even kill your fish.

2, Watch at feeding times and work out how much the fish can eat within five minutes. Then never feed more than that. This again will create less waste.

3, Try feeding other feeds than don’t pollute the water as much. Only feed meaty foods twice or three times a week as these tend to create the most waste.

4, Think about buying a more powerful filter. If you over feed then, the extra waste will cause a strain on your existing filter. Look into upgrading your filter if you keep having problems with ammonia.

5, Buy a few catfish or pleco’s. These bottom feeding fish eat the waste food that is left by other fish and will cut down on the end waste. Pleco’s also eat algae and keep the tank cleaner.

I hope you look into trying a few of these tips to try and avoid over feeding and ammonia problems caused by food. If you do try them out then I’m sure you will see good results and less fish deaths if you’re having problems with ammonia and nitrate levels in your tank water.

Breeding Aquarium Fish

Choosing the Right Fish for a New Fish Tank

Once you pick out your new fish tank and get it all set up your biggest decision is going to be what type of fish to put in it. One of the biggest factors that will determine the type of fish to buy is the size of the tank. If you have a small 5 or 10 gallon tank then it just doesn't make sense to buy fish that may grow to be 6 to 12 inches long.

One of your best resources when it comes to purchasing fish is the people who work at the local pet store. They can point you in the right direction, making the learning curve much easier. There is also a wealth of information across the internet about fish and fish tanks, so much so that it may take a little time to research the type of fish you think may work in your new aquarium.

If you are looking for a more decorative tank with lots of color then smaller more brightly colored fish such as tetras, neons, and even angel fish are a good choice. There are hundreds of small fish varieties to choose from and most of them will school, making for a constant display of flashing colors in your tank. Smaller fish are easier to care for as well, eating simple flake food and keeping aquarium maintenance to a minimum.

If you bought a large tank then your choices increase. For the truly adventurous large fish such as cichlids can be a fun choice. They are much hardier then smaller fish so there is less chance of them dying after you get them home, which is good considering they will cost more. Cichlids do have something of a mean streak though, so you have to be careful with the other fish you wish to have in the tank. They will attack and kill other fish and even those of their own species.

Cichlids will also grow to a rather large size, some large enough that they can eat feeder goldfish. Once you get them to this size there is little else you can put in a tank with them. They can also be quite messy, creating large amounts of waste material and they will push the gravel and any other decorative rock or items you may have in the tank around, creating piles of gravel and other debris wherever they see fit.

In the end choosing new fish for your aquarium will come down to the type and size of tank you have and your own personal preferences. Obviously the larger the tank to more choices you will have but even the smallest of tanks can add decorative warmth to any room.


Breeding Aquarium Fish

Surpluses of fish care and aquarium info

On the market, you will find a wide array of freshwater fish, including the tropical and coldwater fish. Saltwater or seawater fish are also

available. Many people who write articles related to fish care and aquariums speak of the damsels (Saltwater fish) as being on of the top

starter fish, however, what they do not tell you is that 22,000 species of tank fish are available, which some are more suitable for starters

than the damsel. Saltwater fish require a different strategy in maintaining water conditions, as well as feeding. Therefore, we can learn

more about the types of fish to decide which fish are more suitable for starters. This article will focus on freshwater fish, since the

tropical and coldwater fish are more desirable for starters.

Labeo Bicolor is the Red-tailed Black Shark fish. This fish comes from Thailand and grows 4 ?? inches in size. The fish is popular for its

appearance, which includes a torpedo shaped figure. The fish augments its silvery colors with flag-like dorsal, like that of a shark. These

velvety black fish have reddish toned tail, which makes it one of the better specimens. The fish also has a trait that indicates he is not

suitable for tank water. For example, the caudal fins are yellow and orange. However, the fish has a friendly nature, which makes him

suitable for communal aquariums.

Labeo Bicolor has a mouth similar to a sucker, which makes this fish suitable to maintain purity of tank glass and plants. Labeo Bicolor tend

to function well in communal waters, yet he is a bully to the lesser family affiliates. Labeo is a forager. That is this breed will feed off

algae, as well as any choice of foodstuff. The upside about the Labeo is that he will help keep your aquarium clean, as well as the fish

does not place a high demand on water conditions. Still, if you are choosing this breed, it is wise to select other fish that will adapt to

the same living arrangements. It depends on the fish, however some will adapt to soft acidy waters, while others will adapt to hard

alkalinity waters. This fish will propagate, yet very little instructions are available, therefore read all details at the pet shop before

purchasing this fish for breeding purposes.

White Cloud Mountain Minnows or Tanichthys Albonubes originated in White Cloud Mountain Rivers, China, and Canton. The fish grow 1 ??

inches in size, and have olive/brown bodies, which brilliant gold top and bottom stripes. The stripes extend to the roots and snout of the

caudal or tail peduncle. The White Cloud fish will feast on all foodstuff and have a peaceful nature, making this fish one of the better

communal tank species. The fish prefers reasonably hard or neutral water conditions. The temperature should be set at 50 degrees

Fahrenheit. Moreover, not to succeed a temperature above 70 degrees Fahrenheit: Many fish prefer temperatures at 80 degrees

Fahrenheit. As you can see, the White Cloud Mountain Minnows are more along the Coldwater (Freshwater fish) lines. The females are

slightly plumper than its male counterpart is.


How to breed the White Cloud
White Cloud fish breed in the same fashion as that of the Brachydanio. To breed Brachydanio, including the Rerio, it is suggested that you

supply one half-inch in diameters of pebbles, which equals out to 1 inch coating of pebbles at the lower surface of the aquarium. The

depth of water should not go beyond three inches. Furthermore, the fish prefer to breed in longer aquariums.


Breeding Aquarium Fish