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.
The all-time favorite Carp fish include the Genus Aphyosemion African Tooth Carp. What a name. The Genus Aphyosemion species do not house well in communal tanks, yet these fish are some of the prettiest fish on the market. The fish will die quickly; therefore, it is recommended that you provide the fish their own separate aquarium. The hiders will fold their fins and conceal themselves in corners of aquariums. The male counterparts, i.e. the larger breeds are highly aggressive and will not habit with other male fish of its kind. Therefore, only house the male carps with females.
Tank recommendations: You should provide the Genus Aphyosemion African Tooth Carp with floating plants and a shady environment. Cover the bottom section of the tank with purified overcooked peat. The water condition should be moderately hard, or else slightly acidy. You can also add 1 teaspoon of table salt to a gallon of water to produce alkalinity water for particular carps that prefer to breed in such water conditions. Since these fish do not tend to live long, it is advised that you place these fish in separate aquariums and categories. The fish include surface breeders, midlevel breeders, and the bottom breeders. The first spawn should be provided floating plants, which the eggs will stick to. The second breeders should be provided fine leaf plants, which the eggs will also stick to. The third breeders should be provided peat, which is situated at the bottom area of the aquarium.
The fish rate in two separate categories, which include bottom and surface spawners. The fish prefer to live in glass tanks. You can use nylon mops, insert it into the tank to preserve fry. After the eggs arrive, you want to prepare to remove the parent fish to a different tank. Carp will eat their own kin. The water temperature should remain at 25 degrees Fahrenheit; unless the fish are in peaty waters then the temperature should be set at 65 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to avoid drying of peaty, since the eggs will not survive. To avoid fatality refresh the tank with soft water, while shaking the peat. Raise the water temperature to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bottom breeders require sterile peat at the bottom of the tank. The fish also require plants, which float. You can breed the bottom spawners in smaller tanks. After the eggs are delivered the parent fish demand removal from the tank, as well the water must be siphoned. You can use a small tube to siphon the water. You want to avoid siphoning the eggs and peat. The water temperature should be at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature should remain constant for a couple of weeks. After the weeks are finished, break the peat up into lumps. You can now adjust the temperature to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. During egg transfer, occasionally you want to adjust the temperature to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are a beginning in fish care and aquarium, it is wise to avoid this species until you become better skilled and knowledgeable to fish care. Other types of fish kin to this Carp family may be more suitable for starter kits.
For instance, the Brachydanio Rerio or Zebra Danio is less demanding than the Carp. The fish derived from the Eastern regions of India. Rerio has a small slim body, and grows around 1 ? inches in size. The fish are shaped like cylinders and have attractive colors, including gold, silver, blue, and black. Rerio is one of the smarter fish available, which these fish prefer to habitat in peaceful waters. Rerio is not demanding that is the fish will eat most foods, and do not expect catered water conditions.
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