Tropical Freshwater Fish Species
 
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    Popular Tropical Freshwater Fish

Catfish

There are more than 2000 species of catfish with differences in pattern, body shape, and
scale configuration. These are found both in saltwater and freshwater. These develop a
sucker mouth to attach to stones and rocks. They are avid algae eaters and therefore prove
beneficial for fish keepers in keeping the aquarium clean.

Pleco

This sucker mouth variety of catfish proves a perfect fit for aquariums. Numerous rows of
teeth within their sucker mouth allow them to pull out plant leaves from the aquarium floor.
They feed on other dried food, worms, and plant matter. These being nocturnal in nature
would need many dark spaces within the aquarium to feel at home.

Upside-Down Catfish Synodontis Nigriventris

This catfish variety proves to be a great choice for a community aquarium, as it is a bottom
feeder and nocturnal. Although they do not have scales, their beautiful colors ranging from
gray, golden-brown, and black have unique markings that make them attractive in an
aquarium.

This catfish is genetically inclined for swimming upside-down, although it would come out to
enjoy food at the surface. It eats all types of food like insect larvae, frozen bloodworm, live
food, and flakes.

Anabantids or Labyrinth Fishes

Anabantids or Labyrinth fishes are a special variety of fish that require atmospheric air to
supplement their air supply available through their gills for survival. These fish originally lived
in muddy waters lacking in oxygen. They adapted through development of an additional
breathing organ, labyrinth. This fish often come to the water's surface in an aquarium to gulp
fresh air supplies.

Giant Gourami

This fish grows to around thirteen centimeters and is found in varied colors. The predominant
color is green-brown with a red eye. The main characteristics are pelvic fins that help in
probing around and remain the most suitable for a community aquarium.

Cichlids

Cichlids are a very distinctive species with precise features. Males are more colorful than
females. These fish are present in all types of climate. By nature, they are very ferocious and
predatory in nature. However, their interesting breeding habits and range of body colors
make them very popular amongst aquarists. Their ferocious nature makes them mark
territories even in aquariums. Provide them sufficient caves and rocks in aquariums. Place
plants within pots and use other guards to secure normal aquarium fittings, as they could
pull out plants and other fittings.

American Cichlids

Most of these species are territorial especially during breeding. They have a ferocious nature
and therefore require a spacious aquarium with lots of sand, gravel, caves, and rockscape.
These thrive on live foods, although you can also feed different vegetable matter. Their huge
appetite and feeding habits necessitate frequent partial water changes.

Firemouth Cichlid

This fish is very colorful with a bright red belly and throat, speckled blue scales and grey-
colored body with black spots. It is best to keep this species with others of its kind as it could
otherwise eat other smaller fish. Although they love live food the best, they also survive on
good quality dried food.

Angel fish

This fish was once the pride of any aquarist and was aptly named as ‘King of the Aquarium’,
though not so presently. There are different varieties of Angelfish according to their colors
and fins. There are many crossbreds, which is the main cause for absence of the original
Angelfish.

Angelfish eat fish that fit into their mouth, although they have a small mouth. Fry of live-
bearers are at risk if they are in the same aquariums. It is best to accommodate angelfish
with a non-cichlid species. Otherwise, they should remain within a smaller aquarium with
members of their own species.

Discus Fish

Discus fish are the most desirable variety of aquarium fish among different Cichlids. They are
presently described as King of aquarium fishes. These fish change body color with
environmental changes. Color changes are evident through changes in diet and water
chemistry. Babies do not provide any indication of what color they would develop in
adulthood.

Lake Malawi Cichlids

The Great Rift Valley of East Africa has many lakes, which are the major source of tropical
fish, especially Cichlids. Two important lakes of this region are Lake Malawi (presently Lake
Nyasa) and Lake Tanganyika. Water in these lakes is hard and alkaline. These cichlids are
excellent spawners and require a lot of space around rocks and caves. They eat prepared
food, vegetable material, and algae.

Lake Tanganyika Cichlids

This lake houses more than 150 species of Cichlids. Most of these fish are rock dwellers with
many preferring sandy substrates and some as free-swimmers in open waters. Favorites
Cichlids of fish keepers include Tropheus moorii, Boulengerochromis microlepis being the
largest, and Julidochromis among others.

African Non-Lake Cichlids

These species survive well in water with normal hardness and neutral pH content. They
survive on freeze-dried live foods and prepared food. Species that are popular among
aquarists include Kribensis, P. taeniatus, Jewel Cichlids, Egyptian Mouthbrooder, and others.
Some of them are aggressive in nature.

Characins

Different species of Characins include Piranhas, Headstanders, Silver Dollars, Hatchet fishes,
Pencil fishes, and African Tetras. Characteristic features of these fish include their prominent
and large teeth. In many fish, teeth are too large and cause extreme discomfort in closing
the mouth. However, their petite size, calm nature, and attractive colors make them favorites
of every aquarist. These fish are essentially shoaling fish. Therefore, housing a shoal of a
single species with ample free-swimming space in the middle can be an ideal setting within
an aquarium. Although they are carnivorous by nature, they eat all kinds of food.

Live-bearers

Live-bearers are not any specific fish species. These fish carry growing embryos within their
body until fry stage. Thereafter, they release well-developed young ones into the water.
These young ones are well capable of fending and taking care of themselves. There are
different live bearing species. Some require a single male fertilization to deliver many broods
while some require fertilization for every brood. Popular live-bearers include guppies,
swordtails, platies, and mollies.

Guppies

Guppies are very popular aquarium fish. These peaceful fish are soft and freshwater
inhabitants. This omnivorous fish can subsist on many live foods and different insects. They
require many small feeds. With guppies in your aquarium, you should drop food in regularly,
as other fish would gobble all the food before guppies come up for their second fill.
Popular guppies of aquarists include Golden Lacetail in yellow color, Golden Guppy in bright
yellow, Red Guppy, and Blue Guppy. Attractive body colors prove to be the main attractions
of such fish among aquarists.

Mollies

Mollies are extremely adaptable fish that inhabit different types of streams and rivers in their
original habitat. Hence, they can survive varying saline content in water, although they do
well with frequent water changes. Hardened water with higher pH content provides
necessary calcium to mollies in aquarium water. Having many corals can ensure sufficient
calcium in the water.

However, it is essential to keep nitrite and nitrate levels at the bare minimum and without
any trace of ammonia in aquarium waters for successful mollies habitation. These fish survive
on minute organisms growing on plants with regular feeds of live or frozen alternative food.

Platies

Platies are often among the first fish that aquarists introduce into their aquariums. You can
see them in various color hues in aquariums, although they do not depict such color strains in
the open. They prefer minimum water movements and love to have enough swimming space.
Effective filtration can offer excellent water conditions for their existence.

Swordtails

Swordtails are favorites of every aquarist. These live in warm waters of rivers and streams
with lot of flora cover. Although swordtails adapt excellently to prevalent conditions within an
aquarium, it is best to have water with temperatures between 24º-27ºC and pH content of 7
to 7.5. These fish cannot bear varying levels of nitrate and therefore regular water checking
is essential to maintain water quality. These fish are present in many bright colors like red,
green, gold, yellow, and albino and present many different fin forms.

Killifishes

These small and colorful fish are present across all water bodies of the globe, although they
are predominant across America and Africa. Their small size helps them jump to great
heights. Further, their height and body swiftness allows them to be good catchers of food on
the move. These fish require soft acid water. It is best not to include these fish in community
aquariums or those of novice aquarists due to their strict requirement about water quality
and their aggressive nature.

Cyprinids

Cyprinids constitute the largest family of freshwater fish. Cyprinids are normally divided into
two main groups with Danios, Rasboras, and Minnows in one group and the other consisting
of Barbs. Danios are hardy fish and best suited for beginner aquarists. These peaceful fish
are omnivorous and best suited for housing in aquariums. Barbs are quick moving fish and
sport bright colors. These shoal fishes love being with fish of their own species and kind.
Their bright colors and swift movements make them an attractive sight within any aquarium.

Loaches

Loaches are timid fish and prefer coming out in the darkness of night. You can use either
floating plants or reduced lighting in aquariums to offer a favorable environment. They eat
live and prepared foods and normally look for food at aquarium bottoms. Although their body
length is around twelve inches in the wild, they grow to only six inches within aquariums.
Few varieties of loaches like Botia helodes and Botia lohachata are very aggressive. It is best
to keep these species alone in aquariums.

Selecting Your Tropical Freshwater Fish

There are many different varieties of tropical freshwater fish. You need to select a suitable
species for your aquarium.

Consider these important factors before selecting:

Tank Capacity

Different tanks have different capacities. Fish within your tank should have sufficient space
for easy movement. They should not come in the way of one another. Normal space
allocation is one inch of fish per gallon of water. A ten-gallon tank can house ten 1" fish or
five 2" fish. This ensures sufficient supply of oxygen to all fish within your aquarium. You
should be aware of the size your baby fish would grow into while purchasing them. Your tank
should be able to accommodate such full-grown species.

Community or Species Tank

A community tank has a mixture of many different species of fish like Barbs, Tetras, Clown
Fish, Dainos, and Corydoras. A species tank contains a single species of fish like Discus or
Cichlids. These fish remain in harmony in the company of their species and therefore are best
suited for species tanks.

Educate Yourself

Gather all possible information about the different varieties of fish you purchase or intend
purchasing. You should know their eating habits, living habits, their nature, whether gentle
or aggressive, their spawning habits, and everything else. You can read relevant books or go
through information available on the Internet.

Purchasing Fish

While setting your aquarium, treat your tank initially through proper water cleaning and
treatment. Allow water to reach necessary levels with ideal pH content and proper air
circulation. This could take around four weeks. It is essential to purchase fish from your local
shop. This avoids any long journeys for your fish. Further, you can find easy help if any
trouble crops up anytime.

Selecting Your Fish

Fish selection is an important job. You should select compatible species to prevent any
aggressive behavior within your aquarium later. Fish could belong to different categories like
aggressive fish, docile fish, active fish, and similar others. Choosing species that get along
well together is most essential.

    Buying Your Fish

Purchasing fish for your aquarium requires focusing on certain basic principles:

Assess fish lengths of adult fish and purchase according to the size of your aquarium.
Select from a wide variety of fish so that your aquarium houses fish swimming at different
water levels. Similarly, choose from fast swimmers, slow movers, paired fish, peaceful fish,
active fish, and solitary fish.

Choose healthy fish with bright colors and erect fins. Fish rubbing against rocks and with
sunken bellies indicates the presence of disease.

Purchase compatible species of fish for harmonious living.

If any fish in the fish tank of an aquarium shop seems thin and diseased, avoid purchasing
anything as all fish could carry prevalent disease.

Purchase fish from local or nearby aquarium shops to avoid long travels.

Handle fish gently. Place polythene plastic bag containing fish within a polystyrene lined box
to retain heat.

Do not pour out fish immediately into aquarium water. Dim the room lights and switch off
aquarium lights. Allow the open polythene bag containing the fish to float over aquarium
water for around twenty minutes. Natural mixing of water allows even spread of water
temperatures and prevents shock.

Fish feel out of place in new surroundings and hide behind plants. Leave them alone for few
hours to acclimatize to new surroundings. Drop a few food morsels later at a clear spot in the
aquarium tank. Remove uneaten food after a reasonable time to prevent decay of food
particles.
 
 
DO you like what you have just read?  The above is an extract from the ebook Tropical
Freshwater Fish Aquarium.
 
Have you ever wished you could wave a magic wand and transform the goldfish bowl
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Or, maybe your last vacation included a visit to Sea Word and you delighted in the
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First things first.  You do realize that you gotta' have a plan, right?  You know, kind of like
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"Fish keeping?"  Yep,  that's right, "fish keeping."  Or, in a more eloquent description,
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First things first.  Here's a little sample of what you'll find inside of the 100+ fishy pages:

  • Basic Fish Anatomy - learn to distinguish between the different types by their body
    configuration.

  • Planning Your Aquarium - what size do you require, is there any design you find more
    favorable,  where you should place it and do you need an aquarium stand?

  • Furnishing your aquarium - first the basics, light, heat, filter

  • Then comes the fun stuff - how to select gravel, plants and other interior design
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  • Water quality is very important - learn how to "keep it clean."

  • Adding the fish - learn all about the most popular tropical freshwater fish - how many
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  • Selecting aquatic plants for your aquarium and how to care for them to insure
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  • Do you want to add non-fish species like snails, shrimp or crab?

  • Feeding your fish - what to feed and when.

  • Be on the alert for disease - what to watch for and how to treat them.

  • How to use antibiotics to control disease.

  • Are medicated foods the answer?

  • Cleaning your freshwater fish aquarium.

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Get your copy now and happy fishing!
 
 
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