Choosing Aquarium Fish

It is a good idea to pick a mixture of fishes that will share different areas of the tank. Some species resurface-dwellers, others are mid-water swimmers, while others stay near the bottom. A mix of fishes from each of these groups gives a nice balance to a tank. Fish that normally shoal in the wild are best kept in small shoals and are happier like that, whereas fishes that are antisocial are best kept on their own .Obviously, fishes that have a taste for vegetable matter are best kept in tanks with plastic plants or no plants at all, whereas carnivorous fishes are best kept away from other fishes altogether or at least not with smaller,more vulnerable species.

When you buy your first fishes they will probably be from your local dealer .Always check beforehand that the fishes in the shop are healthy. So what does healthy fish look like? A healthy fish has good fins held erect and with no splits or white edges to them. The skin should he free of any pimples or white spots and there should be no sores or damaged areas. Avoid fish that hold their fins clamped to the body and closed up. Unless they are bottom-dwellers, fish should he swimming actively in mid water, but not with their heads up or down. Healthy fish do not swim with their mouths near the surface the whole time.

The fish definitely should not be gasping for air. There should be no other dead or sick-looking fish with the ones you intend to buy and there should also be no pieces of food or waste lying around in the tank.

Somebody in the shop will catch the fish for you and place them in plastic bag with a little water in it. There only needs to be enough water to cover the fish completely and there should be a good pocket of air trapped in the top of the bag to keep the water oxygenated. The dealer should wrap this hag in paper to help keep it warm and dark on the journey home. If the fish you have bought are particularly small, then ask him to tie up the corners of the bag with rubber bands so that the fish cannot get trapped in them. You should take your fish home bassoon as possible. If you have an insulated bag or a polystyrene box,place them in this for the journey to keep them warm. If you have other shops to visit while you are out, make your call to the aquarium shop the last stop before you start hack home.

Once home, you need to acclimatize the fish. The water in your tank is likely to be at a slightly different temperature to that in the hag, so to equalize them, float the hag in the aquarium, unopened, for 10-15minutes. After this period, open the bag carefully, and with a small cup pour some water from the tank into the hag. Wait another five minute sand then gently release the fish into the tank. If you feed the original fish in the tank at the same time, this will attract their attention and avoid them bothering your newcomers. All this helps to prevent sudden changes and reduce stress on the new fish.

Setting up a mixed community of fishes provides co lour and variety in the aquarium. It is vital to mix compatible species and to create a balanced effect by choosing fishes that will occupy all levels within the tank. Many of the catfishes,for example, can create interest at the lower levels to counterbalance the more usual mid water subjects.

If possible, set up another tank equipped simply withal heater/thermostat, a box or sponge filter, thermometer and an air stone and use this as quarantine aquarium. Place any new purchases into this tank first. Here, you can monitor new fishes forma week to ten days before adding them to your already established tank,thus reducing the chances of introducing any diseases.