Tropical Fish and Beyond
So many elements effect the raising of tropical fish. Choosing the right ones and making the right decisions is crucial for success. Setting up an aquarium, selecting the fish, plants and algae, feeding the fish and breeding the fish are the major aspects of this hobby.
Aquarium
The aquarium elements depend on the fish one intends to have. Many parts form an aquarium and they all need to be considered seriously before they are selected:
Glass – Gravel – Hood – Heater – Thermometer – Bulbs – Filters – Cleaning Equipment – Nets – Water Test Kit – Small Container
Selecting the Fish
You can opt to have only one type of tropical fish. Problems are limited if you choose to go that way. But with tropical fish, many believe, variety is an essential element in raising fish in an aquarium.
One needs to be very careful when deciding which fish to raise in one’s own aquarium. It is obvious that not all fish get along with each other well, and selecting the right fish is a crucial decision one needs to make. Research on various tropical fish in respect of habits and behaviour is a must before hurrying to the store.
Buying the fish
Once at the store, there are many things to look for. Here is a list of guidelines:
1. Don’t buy fish which reside in dirty tanks
2. Watch out for white spots and eaten fins
3. Fish eyes should be clear
4. Movement should be linear with their fins in an upright position
5. No dead fish in the tank
Plants and Algae
By many ignored, but a very important aspect for tropical fish is to have the right plants and algae in the fish habitat. The ideal is to get rooted plants with roots already in place. This way, fish are provided with plants straight away and their survival rate is much higher. Ideally, tall plants are placed at the rear corners of the aquarium and the smaller and shorter ones at the front.
Several types of plants and algae exist, and choosing will always depend on your likings and on the character of the fish one intends to have.
Feeding the fish
Feeding tropical fish is an art in itself. Many fish don’t die because of lack of food, but as a result of food abundance. Giving the right amount of food is important as selecting the food. The market for tropical fish food is quite large and there are foods for several types of fish.
Breeding
There is only one way fish can breed in your aquarium, that is, giving them the right environment to do so. There isn’t better proof that the aquarium is in good shape than having fish breed in it. You can see when one has done a good job by the results the fish themselves will give to the owner.
There are so many tropical fish that one can never feel completely fulfilled as there is always some species one would like to have as part of his/her collection. The other items that form part pf having tropical fish, like the aquarium itself, the plants involved, and the various accessories, make this hobby a vast and interesting one without ever getting bored.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
any one now whats the smallest tropical fish that doesnt really grow huge?
i want to get more fish and i tend to always add neon tetra and other similar fish, i like small fish, mainly cos u can have more of them and when they die they are easier to remove from tank.
whats the smallest breed of tropical fish on the market?
i mean one that don't really grow beyond a inch or so. and also that look good
September 11th, 2008 at 4:32 am
guppys are a nice small tropical fish and they are pretty hardy, there are some really colourful ones out there and they don't really grow more than an inch
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Great white shark.
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:36 am
have you tried black tetras?
or plattys be carefull with guppys they could breed alot very heavy and you could end up with a tank full of them
you can always visit forums such as http://www.fishforums.net/
you will find anyything and everything on there
all the best
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:38 am
what size tank do you have? even small fish need lots of space to swim.
small tetras include the ember tetra. there are also small rasboras and endlers livebearers.
References :
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Poecilia_wingei
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Heterandria_formosa
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Hyphessobrycon_amandae
http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Boraras_maculatus
September 11th, 2008 at 4:40 am
Panda cories don't get bigger then an inch
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:42 am
There are a few you could get from your pet shop, all tetras are small be it neon tetra, or black tetra or the red tetra. Guppy is also small and could breed easily in tank, apart from those you could get the bumble bee or mosquito fish, molly, sword fish, and many others.
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:44 am
Ember tetras/fire tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae) are about the smallest fish you can buy in the store. They're about 2cm 3/4 inch long, but still need lots of open swimming room. They're a shoaling fish and do best in groups of at least 6.
Watch out though, because they're small they may perfect bite sized snacks for larger fish.
http://www.thinkfish.co.uk/fish/Ember_Tetra
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:46 am
Personally I would get a few Glofish.
They are breeds of zebra danios that have the jellyfish florescent gene placed into the eggs to show their beautiful colors. Check out these sites for more information:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.petfish.net/pix/glofish_010_std.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/757/&h=347&w=396&sz=26&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=YgbTMde1tIfTBM:&tbnh=109&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dglofish%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den
You can get them at local pet stores and they look pretty awesome under a blacklight, plus they are small like neon tetras. Won't grow any more than an inch at tops.
Do a little research.. I think you will like them.
The smallest fish you can purchase is an Ember tetra or fire tetra. They are tiny and if you have larger fish they will get eaten so be careful.
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Research and saw them at Petland
September 11th, 2008 at 4:48 am
how about cherry barbs they are the exception to the barb rule and are fine with tetras we have about a dozen and there is such a variation of red/brown people mistake them for different breeds but they shoal together beatifully a real asset.
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September 11th, 2008 at 4:50 am
i like the idea of panda cory's
but you could get many
platties breed just as fast as guppies
also there is mollies and swordtails
all 4 are livebearers and will almost definately breed
phantom tetras are good as well
theres actually lots you could choose from it depends if you want them to be top middle or bottom feeders?
once you know that then you can choose the type of fish
although not the smallest of fish glass cats could be a great addition in a small group
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