It can be difficult when you first get an aquarium to decide precisely what fish you want, or need.
Nature has provided a rich variety of tropical fish, of both marine and freshwater varieties and whilst this is testament to the diversity of the planet, it can make choosing tropical fish a troublesome task.
When you first get your aquarium your focus should not be the animals within but should be instead getting the balance right so that you are creating an environment that is suitable and also stimulating for your new pets.
The first step is to decide whether you are going to create a freshwater or marine environment.
You will then need the right type of heater, filter and food, and will also have to buy substrate, ornaments and may even want to consider plants, both live and artificial.
Once these key decisions have been made you need to give your tank time to settle so that it is a stable environment for your pets.
With all these tasks carried out you can then focus upon the tropical fish you are planning to add to your aquarium.
At this stage it is important to remember that choosing fish along the lines of colour and appearance may be the easiest way to go, but will often result in a collection of fish that is mismatched and unlikely to thrive.
The considerations you should make are as follows.
The size of any fish you are planning on buying, not just at the time of purchase but also the size they are likely to reach when they are fully grown.
This size will affect the number of fish you will be able to have in a tank and in extreme circumstances may lead to your fish becoming far too large for its habitat.
It is also essential to look at the attitude of the fish, whether it is aggressive or has specific character traits to its species which make it unsuitable for living with certain other fish.
Such traits could be territoriality, a persuasion to eat other fish or bullying other fish by nipping their fins.
It is also important to consider whether the fish in question will be suitable to live with the other fish you have chosen, if you have live plants whether it is likely to eat them and obviously how much it costs.
As a beginner it is rarely worth buying expensive fish just in case you have problems maintaining a healthy aquatic environment.
Finally, when shopping for fish it is vital that you find fish that are healthy; this means taking a close look at their physical appearance and demeanour.
Ultimately when looking for a healthy fish you should look for white spots or lumps on the body, ensure that the fins and tail are complete (taking notice of signs of disease such as fin rot) and also try to notice any missing scales.
If you see any of these the fish is rarely worth buying.
Hopefully this brief introduction to the world of fish keeping will provide the first stepping stones towards owning and keeping a healthy tropical fish population and aquatic habitat.
Nature has provided a rich variety of tropical fish, of both marine and freshwater varieties and whilst this is testament to the diversity of the planet, it can make choosing tropical fish a troublesome task.
When you first get your aquarium your focus should not be the animals within but should be instead getting the balance right so that you are creating an environment that is suitable and also stimulating for your new pets.
The first step is to decide whether you are going to create a freshwater or marine environment.
You will then need the right type of heater, filter and food, and will also have to buy substrate, ornaments and may even want to consider plants, both live and artificial.
Once these key decisions have been made you need to give your tank time to settle so that it is a stable environment for your pets.
With all these tasks carried out you can then focus upon the tropical fish you are planning to add to your aquarium.
At this stage it is important to remember that choosing fish along the lines of colour and appearance may be the easiest way to go, but will often result in a collection of fish that is mismatched and unlikely to thrive.
The considerations you should make are as follows.
The size of any fish you are planning on buying, not just at the time of purchase but also the size they are likely to reach when they are fully grown.
This size will affect the number of fish you will be able to have in a tank and in extreme circumstances may lead to your fish becoming far too large for its habitat.
It is also essential to look at the attitude of the fish, whether it is aggressive or has specific character traits to its species which make it unsuitable for living with certain other fish.
Such traits could be territoriality, a persuasion to eat other fish or bullying other fish by nipping their fins.
It is also important to consider whether the fish in question will be suitable to live with the other fish you have chosen, if you have live plants whether it is likely to eat them and obviously how much it costs.
As a beginner it is rarely worth buying expensive fish just in case you have problems maintaining a healthy aquatic environment.
Finally, when shopping for fish it is vital that you find fish that are healthy; this means taking a close look at their physical appearance and demeanour.
Ultimately when looking for a healthy fish you should look for white spots or lumps on the body, ensure that the fins and tail are complete (taking notice of signs of disease such as fin rot) and also try to notice any missing scales.
If you see any of these the fish is rarely worth buying.
Hopefully this brief introduction to the world of fish keeping will provide the first stepping stones towards owning and keeping a healthy tropical fish population and aquatic habitat.
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