Sandra Gaffney asked: Aquariums are a good stress relieving alternative. They give that soothing ambiance when you walk into a room. Aside from the fish tank and the water inside the fish tank, one very important thing that you need to have before you start running your own freshwater aquarium is, of course, none other than the fish themselves. You need to have good freshwater aquarium fish that are compatible with your ability to raise them as a hobbyist. For beginners, there’s a lot of things to choose from.
General Good Fish FactorsWhen choosing your starting fish, you don’t just look at how good the fish looks. It is also important to analyze a number of different things that you still have to consider during the early days of taking care of that fish. Any good fish should be sturdy enough to tolerate many changes that might take place in your fish tank, especially during the startup cycle, where the fish tank is still regulating all of the water chemistry to support life.
It is also recommended that you choose a fish that can tolerate a number of different kinds of food, and have relatively easy feeding methods. This, in order to help the beginner familiarize himself or herself with the responsibility of regularly feeding their fish at proper intervals and at a proper amount.
The fish should also be able to get along well with other varieties of fish. Fish that can actually interact with other fish, or ones that won’t do any harm to the others. They should not try to “bully” other fish, or worse, try to make them their next meal. Keep fish that are a lot less aggressive, and would not attack or pick a fight with others fish easily.
General Fish TypesIf giving certain good fish characteristics is not enough, then maybe you can be able to get your choice out of the four major kinds of aquarium fish that are used in aquariums.
Catfish are probably the most commonly used aquarium fish regardless of function and appearance. Although mostly identified as the usual bottom-dweller stereotype, there are actually many fish that fall under this category, and the general characteristic of all catfish is that they don’t have scales. Catfish are quite known because they’re very easy to feed, although there are a few exceptions, like nocturnal feeders. You should also take note of the substrate that you are using in order not to irritate the mouth of certain catfish bottom-feeders.
Cichlids are a type of fish commonly found in Asia, Africa and in the Americas. Their main features are their varied habitat tolerance and use of vibrant pigments in their coloration, which make them good aquarium fish. They are, however, quite hostile when it comes to caring for their young, and should be separated from the main tank during these seasons. The angelfish and other similar cichlids are an exception, because they are sociable enough to mingle with other fish even during those seasons, as long as they’re provided with the right tank conditions.
Labyrinth fish are the prime fish for professionals. They are quite adaptable, despite their smallness in size, and can also mix well with other fish of different species peacefully. As with the other types of fish, there are exceptions, and the fighting fish, as its name suggests, tends to be a little too much of a war freak towards the other fish, picking fights all over, especially with a male fish of the same species.
Cypriniforms are low-maintenance when it comes to socialization with other fish. Some of the fish under this category are considered as the most well known fish in or out of the hobbyist scene, as some of the fish that fall under this category are the goldfish and the koi fish.
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