Anything Fun

Deciding what kind of fish you want is just one of the first steps in setting up an aquarium. Your local pet store will offer a myriad of choices inside all those colorful tanks lined up on their wall. The question is, which to get?

With the many varieties of fish to choose from, it can be so easy to pick the wrong fish. You would naturally want to get the fish that you think are attractive or have a certain look that you want your aquarium to have. After you have narrowed down your choices, it’s best to try to answer these three guiding questions before you make your final decision. How large do these fish grow? What water quality do the fish need? How well will they live with the other fish that I’ve chosen?

Community fish are fish that are usually about one inch or less. Fish keepers usually choose to populate their tanks with groups of similar community fish. Some examples of community fish are sword tails, guppies, Dwarf Gourami and Platies. When you have chosen a variety, find fish that are close to the same size. Get some advice on which varieties get along well with each other if you want to mix them. Avoid getting just one community fish because they are used to swimming in schools and will just be lonely in your aquarium. As a rule of thumb, provide one gallon of aquarium water for every inch of these fish.

Other bigger species of fish can grow from 6 inches to several feet in length. They are generally best kept alone for they are known to attack or eat smaller or weaker fish. You will need a larger aquarium to keep them in. A ten gallon tank may suffice while they are still young, but eventually, you will need to transfer them to something bigger.

It’s best to just buy the appropriate aquarium for their adult size when you first get the fish. Select the species you want, and then determine the aquarium size requirements for this fish at its adult size. This is not always one gallon per inch of full-grown fish, like it is for the smaller community fish.

There are some varieties of fish that will survive almost any water condition. A popular example of these is the goldfish. They have a reputation for being almost invincible. They will most likely flourish even without lighting or filter, but this is not good aquarium practice.

Tropical fish are a little bit more particular especially with regard to the smaller range of water temperature they need. They also require high quality aquarium water. Testing the water frequently and having an excellent filter are just some of the ways to make sure that the fish are swimming in quality water. To lessen the need for constant maintenance, there are products like, EcoBio-Block, which helps to improve the quality of your aquarium water. Make sure to do some research regarding all the fish you have selected for their specific water quality requirements. There are some fish that require aquarium water to have a specific pH level, for example.

The last category of fish includes saltwater or marine varieties. These are tricky to keep, and are best left until you have fishkeeping experience with freshwater fish. In addition to temperature, light, and water quality requirements, you must also keep an eye on the salt levels in the aquarium. These beautiful fish require a lot of work to keep them healthy, and you cannot mix freshwater fish with saltwater varieties.

And lastly, examine every fish closely before you buy them. Check that they have healthy bright eyes, intact tails and fins, no missing scales or injury of any kind. Observe if they have healthy appetites and a high level of activity. Choose only bright and healthy looking fish.

Deciding on what fish to have should really be a matter of careful consideration. A well thought out selection will definitely provide you with many years of enjoyment with your pet fish and aquarium.

Leonard Boyler has been keeping fish for more than 20 years. His favorite products really make aquarium care and maintenance so easy everything from the start up to being able to clarify cloudy aquarium water. To learn more about how to keep water clear and fish healthy , please visit ONEdersave.com.