Setting Up Tropical Fish Tanks - Everything You Need to Know Before You Start

 

Tropical fish, especially marine species, are an exciting addition to any tank. Whether you are just starting to add your first set of aquatic friends to your home aquarium or you are upgrading your existing collection, here are the top most preferred tropical fish. By no means is this list exhaustive, but it gives a good place to start to get started on choosing the perfect tropical fish for your home aquarium. You will have an opportunity to come across many other species of tropical fish as well when you shop at online pet stores or when you visit local shops. The important thing is to select the one you enjoy most and which complements your existing tropical fish collection.

Cichlids are by far the most common and popular tropical fish. Their vibrant colors, distinctive patterns and hardiness make them very popular with hobbyists. Most hobbyists start with a basic community aquarium and then add other tropical fish once they have experience and have had time to properly care for the initial population. Some of the most common and popular tropical fish include the banded cichlids such as the Argentine or common guppy. Other popular tropical fish include the common candlefish, the common barberry, the common firefin or Argentine or casu maria, the common fire-finned Argentine.

Many freshwater fish species are popular and suitable for tropical aquariums as well. Some of the more popular freshwater fish species include the silver eel, the common goldfish, the black or red devil fish, the common tangalooba, the common orangery fish and the common orange mouth bass. However, there are other types of tropical fish that do well in a home aquarium and these include such varieties as the common wahoo, the common Harlequin catfish and the giant squids. If you have experience and knowledge of tropical fish and coral you may want to add live plants to your tank. These will add a sense of nature to your tank and will help create an atmosphere of natural beauty. The addition of live rocks can also be an excellent idea, you can get these from a pet shop or even online.

Many hobbyists choose to start with guppies because they are easy to keep and are fairly cheap. It is important to get guppies that are healthy so that they can survive in the long term. If you have experience of owning tropical fish and freshwater fish, it will be easier to judge the temperament and general health of your new guppies. One of the easiest and best methods of selection is to buy a couple of male and female guppies and mate them together. Alternatively you can opt to purchase several females and mate them together. This will be the easiest way to obtain a successful population of guppies.

Another method of selecting your guppy tank mates is to look for certain characteristics. Some males are very difficult to mate with, for example some species of sharks are known as 'nocturnal', meaning that they do not like the light and will therefore hide during daylight hours. Other hardy species of fish are able to breed with ease and will usually pair up with each other once they are mature. Some examples of this are the White Clouds, the Moon Jellies and the White Headed Bettas.

The next step is to select the basic elements of your tank set up. These include a base tank, which should be roughly half the size of your chosen tropical fish. Then you should choose the different elements including filters, heaters and other accessories depending on what variety of marine life you have bought. Make sure that all the items you buy are of good quality and come with the appropriate credentials. This means that the water is clean and contains no foreign materials.

Saltwater fish tanks also require certain additional accessories. For example you may need to use an air pump to provide oxygen to your fish. You will also require a filter which can be either in an external tank or attached to a fitting in the lid of the saltwater tank. There are other accessories such as heaters and chillers which can be used to raise the temperature of your fish. Many people will also choose to add corals, live plants and other decorative objects.

All in all, you will find that setting up your first aquarium is not that difficult if you plan carefully. If you are planning a tank for a peaceful tropical fish species you should be prepared to spend quite a bit of money. However, once you have the basics of your aquarium set up it is a very inexpensive hobby. If you want to get more serious about the hobby, you can even take on a marine biologist who will be able to guide you through the world of tropical fish breeding.