Which fish to choose for the aquarium?
In order for aquarium fish to please their owners and maximally reveal to the aquarist the amazing underwater world, they need to provide comfortable conditions. In this case, the fish should feel safe and not be constrained in their movement. In addition, when first bringing up such pets, it is extremely important to find out which fish to choose for the aquarium. Here is the last and will be discussed in this article.
to contents ↑Preliminary preparation before buying fish
If you have never had an aquarium and you have no experience keeping fish, it is best to start species that require minimal maintenance and are not too demanding on the conditions of detention. This will make it possible to avoid the death of your pets, as well as gain knowledge and experience in maintaining the aquarium.
Many tropical fish species need to maintain a certain amount of water (temperature, acidity, hardness) in the absence or presence of plants, a certain brightness of lighting or its absence.
In less whimsical fish, the range of comfortable conditions is much wider, which makes it possible to keep them in a lower quality environment. In addition, they are less exposed to negative factors such as untimely water changes, improper feeding, etc.
Important! Think immediately about the location of your artificial pond. Perhaps you will be comfortable and profitable in our workshops make a cabinet under the aquarium with your own hands.
There are several main factors when choosing aquarium fish:
- Dimensions of the aquarium.
- Compatibility of different types of fish.
- Temperament and size of individuals.
to contents ↑Important! If you already have an aquarium, then you should determine how many and which fish you can run into it. This will make it possible to avoid overpopulation, which can lead to unnecessary fights, eating by predators of peace-loving fish and oxygen starvation.
Dimensions of the aquarium
If you have enough free space and money to install an aquarium of any acceptable size, as well as all the necessary equipment to ensure the comfortable activities of its inhabitants, then you can move on to choosing aquarium fish.
However, if you are constrained by something, then you need to determine your desires, taking into account the fact that small aquariums are much more difficult to maintain, but large ones require much more time for maintenance.
Important! For example, a 100 liter aquarium is better for a beginner aquarist than a 50 liter tank.
A large aquarium is better and easier to maintain for several objective reasons:
- Water quality and temperature are more stable.
- The impact of negative factors on the inhabitants of the aquarium takes longer, which gives the novice aquarist the opportunity to influence them in a timely manner. For example, in the winter, the water heater broke down, the cooling process is slower, and you can have time to go and buy a new one until the fish are supercooled. Or, from old age, in the thickets of a small aquarium, an ampoule died, a smell appeared, the water became cloudy, and other fish began to die. In a large aquarium, this process will be much slower, and you can remove the dead snail from the tank without much harm to the fish.
Important! By the way, in case of such unpleasant situations, save yourself useful information on solving problems in your bookmarks:
- In small aquariums there is little room for free swimming, respectively - not every decor you like will be placed in it.
- A large aquarium can accommodate a lot of large fish or a large number of small ones, and also allows you to keep a variety of species of fish.
- Ample opportunities for decoration and design. For example, we offer you such ideas:
With all the advantages of large tanks, it happens that for some reason there is no way to install it. Small containers are perfect for country houses, apartments, dormitories or second floors of private houses. Dimensional aquariums weigh a lot, they are difficult to transport, they take up a lot of space and do more harm in unforeseen situations.
Important! The main advantage of a small aquarium is the financial issue. The tank itself, the scenery, equipment, plants, soil, as well as the costs of treating fish and electricity are much cheaper.
Before you understand which fish to choose for the aquarium, you should correctly assess the advantages and disadvantages of large and small aquariums. If finances are not too important, in the near future you are not going to move anywhere, then the choice is obvious. But if you don’t want or for some reason cannot afford a large tank, then a small aquarium is a good option for you. In any case, the main thing is to create comfortable conditions for the fish.
Selection and compatibility of different types of fish
In order to decide which fish to choose for your aquarium, you should read specialized literature, watch video materials, go to the bird market or pet store, and based on the information received make a list of the species you like.
This list should be slightly larger than what you will buy, since later it will surely turn out that not all of these fish are suitable for your aquarium: some will be incompatible with each other, others will not suit the temperature regime or other parameters. However, a wide range of fish will still allow you to create a list of pets.
The simultaneous content of different species must be paid attention to even before their purchase. The key to a good selection of aquarium fish is to fulfill the following conditions:
- The similarity of climatic conditions - categorically it is impossible to combine sea and freshwater fish, freshwater and from brackish water bodies.
- The same temperature.
- Approximately the same acidity and hardness of water.
- Similar conditions for soil quality, flow rate, lighting, the presence of thickets and shelters.
Important! Fish feel great in the conditions of detention, which are as close as possible to their natural habitat.
When populating the aquarium, it is also necessary to take into account the preferences of certain species with respect to their location in the layers of the water column and try to evenly distribute them.
Temperament and size of fish
Important parameters when choosing the right fish in the aquarium are their temperament and size. Of course, it is impossible to contain herbivores and predators in one tank, otherwise the former will simply become the food of the latter. In the natural environment, larger species eat smaller ones.
Even if you only have herbivorous fish, you should make sure that the smallest fish are larger than the largest mouth of the fish that are in the same aquarium with them. This will make it possible to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Certain species are territorial and do not allow fish of other species close to their habitat. There can be many reasons for this:
- Arrangement of spawning grounds (the couple, which carries out the masonry, jealously guards their housing).
- Suitable feed base.
- The presence of water vortices with the most optimal temperature parameters.
Differences in species may occur in the methods and modes of feeding. For example, catfishes eat food from the bottom, and pitsilievidnye - from the surface. Some kind of more agile and fast, and some - unhurried and slow. Different fish need different feeds, and if this does not suit you, then it is worth choosing pets that have the same way of eating.
Important! If you do not follow a certain feeding regime, then some species will be overfed, while others will be hungry all the time, which will certainly lead to a reduction in the life of all inhabitants.
As a rule, fish are acquired that have not yet reached puberty, which can lead to incorrect judgments about their temperament. Therefore, in order to understand whether this or that fish is suitable for you, it must grow and be in conditions comfortable for it.
Important! If a representative is unnaturally pugnacious, clogs other fish or cuts off fins, he should be isolated.
Fish that are best for beginners
So, many beginner aquarists are wondering: which fish to choose for the aquarium? There are masses of species that need minimal care. This makes it possible to choose the most suitable pet for the aquarium beginner, both in color and size. The aquarium can be decorated with plants and a beautiful relief, and the originality will give a contrasting color to the fish.
Often, beginners choose viviparous fish such as Pecilia, Swordfish, Mollies. And this is a very good choice, because they have good survival, are active, easy to care for, have a long life span and do not need strict conditions of detention.
Among all the varieties, there are several types that will be ideal for beginners.
Guppy
Belong to the Petsiliev family. They are peaceful in nature, unhurried and calm in behavior. They can have a beautiful and most diverse color. There are no requirements to the composition of the water - just periodically the water needs to be replaced. Viviparous and very easily distinguished by gender: males are much more beautiful, brighter and smaller. They are omnivorous, but it is undesirable to overfeed them. No problem tolerate a drop in water temperature to 15 degrees.
Swordsmen
Representatives of the Petsiliev family. They have more than 25 decorative varieties. Males have a tail fin in the shape of a sword. Beautiful fish that do not require special conditions and any specific size of the aquarium. Easily reproduce, viviparous.
Important! When fry of parents appear, they should be placed in another container, in order to avoid eating children.
Gourami
Very mobile and curious, they are distinguished by an interesting spotty color. They tolerate other inhabitants of the aquarium. They are able to breathe not only air, which is dissolved in water, but also oxygen from the surface. Spaying.
Somiki
They are especially distinguished by their external originality. Peaceful, unpretentious, eat any food from the bottom. They clean the remnants of food that has not been eaten by other inhabitants - they are also called the orderlies of the aquarium. They get along easily with other species and prefer a bottom lifestyle.
Neons
There are more than 150 species, representatives of characins. The most common among beginners are blue and red. Easy to maintain and undemanding to water. However, they love space - the length of the aquarium should be at least 50 mm.
Important! They jump well, so the surface of the water needs to be covered with a lid or glass.
Danio
Bright, schooling, very beautiful fish. For her, you need an aquarium of at least 55 cm. They like space and are very mobile. They need regular water changes and good aeration. Jump, so you need an aquarium with glass or a lid. They prefer clear, clear water and good lighting.
Barbs
Schooling fish have a huge variety - more than 200 species. In flocking, they are very active and peaceful. It is undesirable to keep them with fish in which the tail has a veil or filamentary shape. They like floating plants very much.
Goldfish
Representatives of the carp family. Very popular, but need a large volume of an aquarium (35 liters of water per adult). They prefer clean, clear water; they need regular changes. They are very voracious, so you should be extremely careful with feeding, as they are prone to overeating.
Important! If you decide to choose just such aquatic pets, then use our detailed guide, how to care for a goldfish.
Antsitrus
Herbivore, catfish. An excellent nurse, as he nibbles small shoots from the inner surfaces of the aquarium. The mouth opening is like a suction cup. Males have a large number of antennae. Peaceful. It is advisable to feed with vegetable tablet spirulina.
A few tips:
- When buying, it is recommended to choose healthy and young individuals (active and without any external signs of disease).
- Before you start them in the aquarium, it is worthwhile to withstand for 3-5 days days in a separate container.
- It is better to purchase 5-10 pieces to avoid same-sex.
- It is desirable to choose 2-3 species of fish, among which 1-2 are the main ones, and the third one will be additional. For example, gourami with mollinasia as the main species, and ancytrus as an additional. The first two species are mobile and active, contrast excellently, and ancythrus will play the role of orderlies.
- It is better to buy fish, an aquarium and equipment for it at the bird markets from one seller. In the future, you can consult with him on any issues.
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We presented the most common and unpretentious types of fish that will be suitable for those who first decided to equip the aquarium. But this does not mean at all that they do not need to be monitored, to control the temperature of the water, to know their preferences. We hope our article will help you choose the right fish in the aquarium and enjoy this hobby.
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