Proper water filtration is essential to successful tropical fish keeping.

Your aquarium’s water filtration system is responsible for eliminating toxic compounds and particulate matter from your fish tank.

Fish give off waste products in the form of feces, uneaten food, carbon dioxide, etc. and the water in the tank begins to degrade immediately after the introduction of the first fish, plant, live rock, or invert.

Pollution begins in your aquarium the moment you introduce the first fish into your tank.

Without proper filtration in a closed aquarium system, the tank water will degrade to the point that it will become toxic and eventually poison the inhabitants.

Three types of filtration is necessary to maintain the health of any freshwater or saltwater aquarium fish.

• Mechanical Filtration
• Biological Filtration
• Chemical Filtration

It is extremely important that you select the correct type of filtration system for your aquarium.

Your selection will be dependent on several things:

• The type of fish you are keeping
• The amount of fish you are keeping in the tank
• The water volume of your tank
• The surface area of your tank
• The amount of time you want to devote to maintenance

It is important that you understand how the three types of water filtration systems will effect your personal situation before you make your purchase.

Although there is no such thing as “over filtration”, some of the systems or combinations of systems could bust your budget.

Mechanical Filtration

Mechanical filtration is the process of removing solid particulates from aquarium water.

It is normally accomplished by forcing water through some type of media that is specifically designed to trap and hold the particles.

Many types of filter media is available to do this effeciently and each has its pros and cons.

• Filter floss
• Foam in different porosities
• Pleated paper micron filters
• Diatomaceous earth
• Gravel
• Sand

Whatever media is used to remove solid particulates from the water must be cleaned on a regular basis in order to work properly and maintain its efficiency.

Eventually, all mechanical filters will clog up with particulate matter over time. When this happens, the water flow will decrease and eventually cease. The dirty tank water will then flow around the clogged media instead of going through it. When this happens it signals that a cleaning is necessary.

Some tropical fish keepers believe that oversizing the mechanical filter will allow you to keep more fish in the system and that less maintenance will be necessary. This is a fallicy.

Although you may not feel the need to clean the mechanical filter as frequently when you oversize it to your tank, the filter loses its efficiency and will be holding a greater amount of decaying detritus that is slowly contaminating the water.

Although your tank may look clean and free of floating particles, the slowly decaying plant and animal matter in the media is breaking down and creating ammonia, nitrites and nitrates which are all toxic to the fish.

The point is that oversizing a mechanical filter to your tank can actually reduce the number of fish you can safely keep in the aquarium.

Biological Filtration

Biological filtration is simply the bacterial breakdown of toxic byproducts in the aquarium into less toxic nutrients. The bacterial breakdown process is commonly called the Nitrogen Cycle.

The Nitrogen Cycle can be explained as follows:

Waste products from fish, plants, and invertebrates and dead organisms or uneaten food, are broken down by bacteria and fungi into ammonia.

Ammonia is extremely toxic to all aquarium fish, but in the biological filter it is broken down by oxygen loving Nitrosomonas bacteria into less toxic nitrites.

Although the nitrites are not as toxic as ammonia, they are still harmful to fish and especially invertebrates in even low concentrations.

Fortunately, another oxygen loving bacteria called Nitrobacter acts like Nitrosomonas in the biological filter and changes the nitrites into harmless nitrates, which are less harmful to fish.

Low to moderate levels of Nitrates will not harm fish or most inverts but they can cause some serious algae problems in your tank. You can reduce this by performing reglar partial water changes or by including chemical filtration to your system.

To some extent, biological filtration occurs in all filters as well as inside your tank. However, for the Nitrogen Cycle to work efficiently two things are required.

A large area for the beneficial bacteria to live and grow on.
Sufficient oxygen in the water to keep the bacteria colony alive.

Obviously not all filters have the same biological filtration capacity. The most efficient biological filtration systems are those that have the greatest amount of biological surface media exposed to the air.

Chemical Filtration

As the name implies, Chemical filtration removes toxic and unwanted chemicals from the tank water as it passes through some sort of chemical media.

Activated charcoal or carbon has been used for years to provide chemical filtration however, there have been a number of new products over the years that are targeted at removing specific chemicals or excess nutrients from the water.   The most popular types of chemical media are activated carbon, ion exchange resins and other adsorbents.   Other forms of chemical filtration are protein foam skimming and ozone oxidation.

Activated carbon will remove many harmful elements from your aquarium including sulfa drugs, antibiotics, dissolved proteins, chlorine, copper, carbohydrates, etc.

For this reason it should be removed when treating your aquarium with antibiotics or other medications and replaced after the treatment is complete to remove any leftover medication or discolorants.

Ion exchange resins are used less frequently than carbon but are becoming more common.

Resins work by attracting specific mocules to them.  Some attract mitrates or ammonia and some target dissolved organics.  Some ion exchange resins strengthen the ability of carbon to chemically filter dissolved particles from the water and help biological activity by removing pollutants before they enter the nitrogen cycle.  These are sold as carbon/ion mixes under several brand names.

When used correctly, Chemical filtration can be one of the most useful tools that tropical fish keeping enthusiasts have for  improving water quality, reducing the amount of water changes needed  and the amount of tank maintenance that has to be performed in order to maintain a healthy aquarium.

This does not mean you will never have to make another water change!

Barb Aquarium

The term ”Barb” is loosely used to describe a wide range of different fish species in the aquarium trade.

The true barbs are the only species found in the genus Barbus, in the family Cyprinidae.    Most members of the Barbus genera have a pair of barbels on their mouths, which are used to search for food on the bottom.

Most all Barbs are small, lively, colorful, hardy fish that do well in community aquariums. They are a peaceful to semi aggressive schooling species that do best when kept in groups of at least six or more individuals. When kept separately, they tend to become more aggressive towards their tank mates and can become fin nippers.

When considering this family of fish for your freshwater tropical fish aquarium, keep them with other barbs or species that can tolerate highly active, semi aggressive behavior. Do not place them in with slower moving long finned fish like some tetras or Bettas.

Most barbs prefer well aerated, soft acidic to neutral water that is on the cooler side of the tropical fish spectrum.

When setting up your aquarium for barbs, try to mimic their natural environment. Include plenty of plants, especially some floating plants, but don’t crowd your tank. Give them enough room to swim and roots, rocks, or water logged wood to hide around. Barbs are naturally shy fish and do not like strong direct light.

Barbs will readily accept most types of food when in captivity. They are omnivorous and should be fed a mixed diet of meat and vegetable based food flakes. An occasional treat of brine shrimp or daphnia will keep them healthy in your tank.

What are the  pros and cons of keeping freshwater Puffer Fish?

Puffer fish, also referred to as Sea Squab, Globefish, Ballonfish, Blowfish or Toadies belong to the family Tetradontidae which is in the Order Tetraodontiformes that are ancient fish over 40 million years old.

Puffer fish (Tetradontidae) are scaleless, chubby, adorable looking little fish that can be found around the world in freshwater, brackish water and marine environments.

All Puffer Fish have four fused teeth that look like a type of beak, and all have the defensive ability to gulp water or air to puff themselves up until they look like a small golf ball when they feel threatened.

The bodies of Puffer Fish are rigid and they rely on using their little fins for balance and motion. Their small rounded fins stick out from their round bodies causing them to move awkwardly. They use their pectoral fins for locomotion and their tail fin only when they need a quick burst of speed.

Puffer fish come in a variety of colors and sizes and present a comical appearance in aquariums because of their ability to independently rotate their eyes. Puffer fish are extremely active, intelligent, curious and interesting to watch, but they have a nasty temperament and are very efficient predators.

The vast majority of Puffer Fish are found in marine environments in most of the tropical oceans around the world, and fewer than 40 types of Puffer Fish are found in brackish waters.

To date, only 29 species of Puffer Fish have been found that are actually true freshwater Puffers.

This partial list of Puffer Fish and Their Water Requirements shows some of the more common types of puffers along with their water preferences.

In a community aquarium, freshwater Puffer Fish can be fin nippers if they are not well fed, and as they grow older they become more aggressive.

If you must keep them in a community tank, place them in with fast swimming fish such as Barbs, Danios or Rainbow Fish.  Puffers are particularly fond of crabs, snails and shrimp so don’t put them in the same tank  with your prized Blue Crayfish.

Novice tropical fish keeping enthusiasts should refrain from keeping Puffer Fish because of their special care and feeding requirements.

Although they will almost always adapt to aquarium foods, they require plenty of room and top notch water quality if you want them to thrive in an aquarium environment.

Puffer Fish need an adequate diet to remain healthy. They always seem to be hungry and they love to eat.

They act like little puppies waiting for you to feed them when they see you through the aquarium glass.

• Puffer Fish Care

Puffer Fish do not have scales or gill covers. Because of this they are believed to be more susceptible to nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels and many diseases.

Puffer Fish also tend to be messy eaters. They usually leave food on the bottom of their tanks which puts an excessive load on the aquarium’s filtration system.

Because they require top notch water quality, a large tank with plenty of room and a 50% weekly water change is recommended for keeping Puffer Fish.

Puffer Fish are like cats, they each have a different personality that varies greatly between species, and even within a single species. However, they are all predators and are usually aggressive to tank mates.

All Puffer Fish are fin nippers and although some tropical fish keepers report them to be good community fish, they become aggressive as they mature.

If you want to try your hand at keeping Puffer Fish, keep a single specimen tank.

• Feeding

In their native environment freshwater Puffer Fish eat a variety of sails, crustaceans, shellfish and other fish.

In your tank they will eat a variety of live, frozen and freeze dried foods. They will “beg” for food but they should only be fed daily (if under 2 inches).  Medium size fish should be fed every other day and large fish (5 inches or more) only a couple of times a week.

As Puffer Fish grow, their strong teeth (beak) needs to be worn down or they will be unable to eat.  You can do this in an aquarium setting by providing them with snails, shellfish or other hard shelled crustaceans to gnaw on.

You will eventually see the Puffer Fish in your aquarium blowing sand or gravel  around on the bottom of the tank. They do this in the wild to uncover snails or other foods.  It is not a sign that they need to be fed.

• Puffer Fish Facts

As their name implies, Puffer Fish “puff” themselves up when threatened so they are less likely to be eaten by predators however, some species have toxic substances in their skin and their flesh is poisonous when eaten.

Several deaths occur each year in Japan from Puffer Fish poisoning due to improper preparation. Powerful neurotoxins accumulate in their livers which is acquired from the food they eat.  Freshwater Puffer Fish housed in aquariums are toxin free.

Puffer Fish can live in an aquarium for over 10 years.  They range in size from less than 1 inch to over 48 inches in some marine species.

The brackish water species are found primarily around estuaries, in the mouths of rivers where they meet the ocean, and in freshwater streams where the Puffers enter periodically to feed or breed like eels.

Some species spend their entire lives in brackish water and never venture into freshwater.

The Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) is a true bony fish that has a weak electrical organ at it’s caudal peduncles that run throughout the length of their body.  The organ is apparently used for communication and to help locate and identify it’s food.

The scaleless Ghost Knifefish is predominantly black with two white rings on its tail and a white blaze on its nose. It has one long undulating fin beneath that it uses for movement. They can move backward as quickly as they swim forward.

As their name implies, all knifefish have long tapered bodies that resemble a kitchen knife. The Black Ghost Knifefish comes from the Amazon River Basin in South America, Peru, and from the Parana River that runs from Venezuela through Paraguay.

Juvenile Black Ghost Knifefish swim in small groups of 6 or more. When the get older, they separate from the school and become more aggressive.

Black Ghost Knifefish are a shy, reclusive, nocturnal species that prefer sandy or fine gravel bottomed aquariums with live plants, some water logged driftwood and plenty of rocks to hide in during the day.

Since they are a nocturnal species, they do better in dimly lit aquariums with other large, more peaceful, mid-water species but being a shy bottom dweller, they also need plenty of hiding places.

Black Ghost Knifefish are carnivores and will eat almost any type of live food.  tubifex worms, ghost shrimp, brine shrimp, small fish, chopped earthworms, insect larvae, meat, frozen and flaked foods will all be eagerly accepted.

They need a large aquarium and can be kept with many other larger non-aggressive species however, they have been known to eat smaller fish if they can get them into their mouths.

Most tropical fish keeping enthusiasts find Black Ghost Knifefish an interesting and friendly species.  Although they are listed as being “aggressive”, most people who own them will argue the point.

After they settle into their aquarium surroundings, Black Ghost Knifefish become unbelievably tame.  Their owners can hand feed them and most fish even like being “petted” by their owners.  This fact belies their “aggressive” reputation.

Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons)

Minimum Tank Size: 75 – 150 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Semi Aggressive
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Water Conditions: 72 – 82° F, KH 0 – 10, pH 6.5-7.0
Max. Size: 20″
Color: Black
Tank Compatability: Bottom swimmer, sometimes aggressive to smaller fish
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: South America,
Family: Apteronotidae
Lifespan: Up to 15 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Advanced

African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) are uniquely interesting predator species common to many lakes throughout West Africa.

Tropical fish keeping enthusiasts have been housing butterfly fish for over 90 years, but they have never been available in large numbers.

Butterfly fish are surface dwellers and spend most of their lives on or near the water’s surface foraging for other surface dwellers and insects that fall into the water.   They have large eyes that sit high on their heads and a very large upturned mouth like their distant cousins the Arowanas.

They will usually ignore mid water and bottom dwelling fish unless they venture to close to the surface.  Butterfly fish will eat almost anything they can fit into their mouths, but with a few exceptions are a good community fish.

African Butterfly fish are strange looking, yet strikingly beautiful fish.  Their gossamer looking pectoral fins resemble a butterfly’s wings, hence the name and they have a dark brown to black body, speckled with lighter brown to black coloration that give them a camouflage appearance.

Butterfly fish are jumpers and should be provided a large well planted tank of at least 30 gallons that with some open areas free of vegetation and some sparse floating plants.

Plants that reach almost to the water surface will provide them with places to hide and make them less likely to jump.  A tight fitting cover is a must for these fish to stop them from jumping out of your tank.

African Butterfly fish do best in soft, slightly acidic, tannin stained water at about 80 degrees F.  You can place peat bags in a box or a canister filter to achieve the desired results or add driftwood to your tank.

Butterfly fish eagerly accept flake foods and some floating pellets, but being carnivorous they prefer live foods (crickets in particular), freeze dried or frozen floating foods.   They have been known to eat small tetras that get too close to the surface.

To breed African Butterfly fish, lower the water level in the aquarium to a couple of inches for a few weeks.  Then re-fill the aquarium using soft acidic water.   Males will climb on top of the female at the water’s surface to spawn and after about a day, the eggs will turn dark and float back to the surface.

It’s best to remove the eggs to a separate aquarium with the same water until they hatch. The eggs will normally hatch in two days at which time you can feed the fry baby brine shrimp, daphnia or any other small live foods.

Feed adult African Butterfly fish a steady diet of crickets, flies, brine shrimp, insects, freeze dried foods or flake foods to keep them healthy.

African Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi)

African Butterfly Fish

 
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Relatively Peaceful
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Water Conditions: 75-86° F, KH 1-10, pH 6.5-7.1
Max. Size: 4″
Color Form: Green, Tan
Diet: Carnivore
Origin: West Africa
Family: Pantodontidae
Lifespan: 5 years or longer
Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner

The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) is a spectacular delicate beauty that has been described as “one of the most popular aquarium fish ever”  by many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.

The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) like it’s peaceful cousin the Neon Tetra is a charming little schooling fish that is in both appearance and behavior awesome. Although it is slightly more delicate than the Neon Tetra, it thrives in large schools with it’s own kind and should be housed in densely planted, dimly lit aquariums of at least 15 gallons. The larger the aquarium, the easier they are to take care of and the healthier they stay.

Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)

The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) has a distinctive color pattern with a brilliant neon blue stripe above it’s center line and a bright (Cardinal) red stripe extending through its entire body length below. It is often referred to as the “big brother” of the Neon Tetra and the two color patterns are similar. The difference is that the Cardinal Tetra has the red coloration extending through it’s entire body length and in the Neon, the red is limited to the back half of the fish.

The brilliant contrast of the Cardinal Tetra’s colors is startling when viewed in low light conditions and their colors improve when they are housed together in large schools. The bigger the school; the more radiant their coloration becomes.

Plant their tank heavily with shrimp pellets, water sprite, etc. in a dark substrate, provide them with a lot of swimming space, some driftwood (bogwood) to hide in, keep their water soft, the pH acidic, and their colors become even brighter.

Cardinal Tetras cannot tolerate harsh light conditions, so don’t leave the hood lights on without providing them with some places to hide.

In the vegetated slow moving tributaries of South America where they were originally collected, Cardinal Tetras travel in huge shoals and live in very low light conditions under the rainforest canopy.

This is why they should be kept in groups of 10 or more with other equally peaceful tank mates like pencil fish, hatchet fish, small rasboras, dwarf cichlids, small Loricariids, and anabantoids.

Although native to the upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers, like the Neon Tetra they are being bred in captivity for the aquarium trade.

Breeding the Cardinal Tetra is similar to breeding Neon Tetras.  You need to provide the adults with soft water in the 1-2 dH range, a pH of 5-6, a temperature of 82 degrees F. and low lighting.   Female Cardinal Tetras will lay as many as 180 eggs at which time the parents should be taken from the tank.  The eggs are photosensitive and will die if exposed to bright light.  Consequently, after spawning, the aquarium should be covered to darken it and provide the developing eggs the conditions necessary for a successful hatch.

At 82 degrees F.  the eggs will normally hatch in as little as 24 hours, to as long as  3 days .  The fry remain waterborne and photosensitive for approximately 5 – 7  days.  During this period gradually increase the light in the tank.  The The fry should be fed newly hatched baby brine shrimp or water Daphnia after their egg sacs are absorbed.  After 8 to 12 weeks the fry reach adulthood and full coloration .

When Cardinals are kept in favorable conditions, they are easy to keep and resist diseases. However, when housed in unstable conditions they quickly decline in color quality and will die.   Neon Tetra disease is a primary concern for tropical fish keeping enthusiasts who keep Cardinal and Neon Tetras.   It affects many species of fish, is highly contagious and to date is incurable.

When purchasing Cardinal Tetras, look for commercially bred specimens with good color and that are in good condition.    Whenever possible,  purchase larger specimens, especially if they have been caught in the wild.

The wild caught specimens have more vibrant colors than commercially bred fish but are not as tolerant to unstable water conditions that inevitably occur in freshwater aquariums.

When available for purchase, Cardinal Tetras are usually 3/4″ to 1-1/2″ in size.

Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)

Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallons
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Hardiness: Less hardy than Neon Tetras
Water Conditions: 73-81° F, KH 2-6, pH 5.5-7.5
Max. Size: 3″
Color Form: Iridescent Blue, Red
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: Peaceful, keep with other small tetras
Origin: Farm Raised in Europe, Indigenous to South America
Family: Characidae
Lifespan: Up to 8 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Moderate Experience

Crayfish are also referred to as crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs, or freshwater lobsters.  They are freshwater crustaceans that resemble their saltwater cousins, lobsters, to which they are closely related.  There are well over 150 different species of freshwater crayfish worldwide which can live an average lifespan of 2 to 6 years,  some even longer.

Crayfish breathe through feather like gills and are found in both slow and fast moving bodies of water.   The majority of species are found in streams and small brooks in fresh running water.  Other species thrive in swamps, ditches and in many areas are cultured in rice paddies.   Most species of crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water however, some invasive species like  (Procambarus clarkii ) are much hardier.

Crayfish are fascinating creatures that come in a variety of colors and can be quite entertaining to watch.  Many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts eventually wind up keeping Crayfish in their tanks. Their color variations range from brown (the most common), red, yellow, green, blue, albino and several other combinations.

Mexican Dwarf Red Crayfish

Blue Crayfish

White Clawed Crayfish

White Crayfish

Most people acquire their first specimens by collecting them from a local stream, a slow moving area in a river or from a backwater in their local lake.   The more colorful specimens can be ordered online from almost anywhere in the world if your local aquarium store cannot get them for you.

Before you bring your crayfish home, make sure you have a separate tank set up for them.

Crayfish Tank

Crayfish require at least a 10 gallon tank if you are keeping only one specimen. Because crayfish are very territorial, they will do much better and demand less care when housed in a much larger (30 to 55 Gallon) tank.

Crayfish are “diggers” and love to burrow, so set up your tank with the smallest size gravel you can get or just use sand as a substrate. Include some rocks, a hollow log or cave decoration, or a clay flower pot for them to hide in.

They are active but naturally shy creatures and you can expect your tank decor to be rearranged withing a day or so after introducing them. Most activity occurs during the evening hours or during low light conditions.

Do not use live plants in your tank. Crayfish are omnivores and will enjoy eating them. Use plastic plants for decorating. Your crayfish tank should be set up just like your tropical fish tank. Use a good filter and heater if necessary, NO NOT use an underground filter.

Since most North American species are cold water, you can probably do without a tank heater.  You will need one if you purchase any of the Australian, Tasmanian, Asian or South American varieties.

Care

In the wild, Crayfish feed on living and dead animals and plants.  They are scavengers and will leave uneaten food on the bottom of your tank.  A 25 to 50% weekly water change will take care of this problem and keep your specimens healthy.

Like their saltwater lobster and crab cousins, crayfish molt and shed their exoskeletons as they grow.  They need an alkaline environment a lot of calcium in their diets.  Add a few drops of liquid calcium to their water on a daily basis during the molt to help them along with the process.

Crayfish are great fishermen. They will perch themselves with their claws wide open and wait for a passing fish to swim by. Unless you don’t mind having your tropical fish eaten by them, don’t mix crayfish with other tropical fish.

Foods

Crayfish are scavengers and will eat animal and vegetable matter. Feed them commercial foods such as shrimp pellets, that you give your Plecostomus, freeze dried or most large flake foods.   High calcium foods like fresh spinach, raisins, zucchini, leaf lettuce, squash, etc. should also be fed occasionally, but be sure to remove any uneaten food after a few hours to ensure water quality.

Molting

As your Crayfish grow they will shed their old exoskeletons and in a couple of days grow a new replacement.  During the molting process they will also replace any legs or claws that were lost during friendly skirmishes.

During this “soft shell” stage they are extremely vulnerable and will hide in your tank.   Don’t think you lost your specimen when you see what looks like a dead crayfish on the bottom of the tank; it’s just the old exoskeleton. Most Aquarius pull it out of the tank but the crayfish will usually eat it when their new skeleton hardens up.

As noted above, adding a few drops of liquid calcium to their water on a daily basis during this period will help them along and speed up the process. After the molt, don’t be surprised if your crayfish looks bigger or it changes color, this is perfectly normal.

The life cycle of Crayfish is fascinating to watch and given the proper care, they will reward tropical fish keeping enthusiasts with years of enjoyment.

Tasmanian Giant Crayfish A. Gouldi

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Aggressive
Aquarium Hardiness: Relatively Hardy
Water Conditions: 68-77° F, KH 4-8, pH 5.0-7.0
Max. Size: 2″to over 31″ (Tasmanian, Astacopsis gouldi)
Color: Varied
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: Territorial, better housed alone
Origin: Worldwide
Family: Superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea
Lifespan: 2– 40 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner

The diminutive Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)  is  frequently described as the “Jewel of the aquarium hobby” by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts for several reasons.  These popular little freshwater tropical fish are adorned with beautiful iridescent colors and when kept in large schools provide a beautiful addition to any South American community tank.

Neon Tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) are native to the clear water streams of South America.  They have an iridescent blue body with bright red tails and when kept in schools of eight or more, create a startling splash of color to any aquarium.

Neon Tetras prefer a setting similar to their natural habitat.  A densely planted aquarium that  has a few rocks, some driftwood nestled between the plants, some floating plants and plenty of low light areas for the fish to hide in, will keep your Neons healthy and happy.

Neon Tetras have a tendency to swim or remain suspended in the water column in large schools. This trait creates a breathtakingly colorful display in any aquarium.

Neons are peaceful little fish and should be housed with other similar South American tetras of the same size.  They belong to the family “Characidae” and thrive in slightly acidic (pH 5.0 to 7.0) water.

Neon Tetras can be successfully bred in captivity by placing a pair into a dark or dimly lit breeding tank.  Increase the lighting in the tank until breeding occurs.

Breeding can be induced by keeping the water hardness at less than 4 dH and providing daphnia, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae or other live foods to the spawning pair. After spawning occurs, remove the parents to their original environment.  The parents will usually eat their eggs if kept in the breeding tank.  The eggs usually hatch within 30 hours or so.

Neon Tetras will eagerly accept many small foods such as live brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, tubifex worms, bloodworms, freeze-dried products, micro pellets, and high quality flake foods.  Vary their diet to keep them healthy and happy.

Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)

Neon Tetra

Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Hardiness: Hardy
Water Conditions: 68-77° F, KH 4-8, pH 5.0-7.0
Max. Size: 2″
Color: Iridescent Blue, Red
Diet: Omnivore
Compatibility: Peaceful
Origin: South America, the Paraguay River basin; Rio Taquari, Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, and Brazil
Family: Characidae
Lifespan: 5 – 10 years
Aquarist Experience Level: Beginner

What are the pros and cons of keeping a freshwater or saltwater aquarium?

Tropical fish keeping can be divided into two primary categories.  Maintaining the care of freshwater fish or caring for their saltwater counterparts.

Both types of tropical fish keeping will provide you with a great deal of enjoyment and add some living color to your home.

Children and adults have been bringing home fish and other creatures from their local waters since the beginning of time. It could be crayfish, minnows or baby bluegill from a stream or a small octopus or Blenny from a saltwater pool at low tide. Regardless of what you bring home, you will need to take care of it, or eat it.

Assuming that you don’t want to eat your catch, your next step is to decide how to keep it alive. Aquariums fit the bill nicely and can be set up for either freshwater fish or saltwater specimens.

• Freshwater Aquariums:

Freshwater tropical fish are beautiful to look at and many species are adorned with unique color patterns akin to their more colorful saltwater cousins. Some are more exotic looking than others but if you have never dealt with freshwater tropical fish before, you will be mesmerized by them.

Colorful Freshwater Aquarium

Each species of fish may have have different requirements for their living conditions but many species can be housed together in a “community tank” setting and peacefully coexist with each other.

Beginning tropical fish keepers usually start with freshwater aquariums because they are easier to take care of and are more “forgiving” if you make a mistake. De-chlorinated tap water can be used to fill your tank and make periodic water changes, and test kits are readily available to ensure that everything is in order.

Fish that thrive in freshwater are not necessarily too particular about where they swim. Most will thrive in a neutral pH water environment however the water temperature IS important.

As their name implies, tropical fish like to have their water a bit warm. You can monitor and adjust this with a good heater placed in the tank. The emphasis is on GOOD one. A cheap heater could cause you to lose all your fish.

Freshwater aquarium setups are normally less expensive than the saltwater variety. The cost of the tank and stand is usually the same but the lighting, filters, protien skimmers, etc.can set you back a bit.

You can get a 30 Gallon acrylic show aquarium combo these days for around $225.00. This may sound expensive but it will save you money because you won’t have to spend more on additional equipment.

Freshwater tropical fish are also less expensive than saltwater fish unless you get into the really exotic species like Discus, Arrowanna, freshwater rays, etc.

• Saltwater Aquariums:

Saltwater aquariums are awesome in their beauty and will give and your friends hours of viewing pleasure, but they do require more work. This is why most beginning tropical fish keepers choose a freshwater aquarium to start with.

Saltwater Reef Aquarium

However, if you are a dedicated person willing to learn everything necessary to keep a saltwater aquarium running smoothly, saltwater fish keeping may be for you.

Saltwater tropical fish are a little more delicate than the freshwater fish you may be used to keeping. Setting up their environment correctly is critical to their survival and well being, at least in the beginning. Once they settle into their tank environment, their activities becomes what you would expect to see in a small part of the ocean.

Everything revolves around keeping the water salinity correct.

When keeping saltwater aquariums, monitoring of salt levels is crucial. Too much or too little salt will kill your fish and because saltwater tropical fish cost substantially more than freshwater tropicals, you will probably want to keep your fish alive as long as humanly possible.

Maintaining marine tropicals costs more than it does to maintain freshwater species, but do you know why?

Unless you live on the coast where you can easily collect fresh seawater to conduct periodic water changes, you will have to mix your own “sea water” using synthetic sea salt mixtures. Commercial sea salt for the aquarium trade has come down in price but is still expensive.

In addition, protein skimmers are needed to keep pollutant buildups out of your tank water and special lighting is needed if you choose to keep corals alive and healthy.  These can initially be quite expensive however, if you don’t mind paying a bit extra and you have the dedication necessary to maintain a saltwater tank, you can literally move a part of the ocean into your home.

Once you decide to take on the responsibility of tropical fish keeping, your next decision is whether to invest in a freshwater or saltwater tank.

Hopefully, the above information will help you make your decision.

Tropical fish keeping enthusiasts the world over covet freshwater angelfish as “the fish to have” in their aquariums.

Freshwater Angelfish are cichlids common to the Amazon region of South America and are one of the more popular species used in starting up new single species aquariums.

Although they add a lot of grace and beauty to a new tank,  they are not the easiest fish to care for unless you have already educated yourself about their needs.

Because they grow up to be over 6 inches in length,  Angelfish require a large tank preferably planted with live plants and furnished with a piece of driftwood to maintain the soft, slightly acidic water they require.

Angelfish thrive in soft (0.6 to 1.2 dH), slightly acid (pH 6.5 to 6.9) water but have successfully bred in water with a pH of 6.8.  Their preferred temperature range is between 74 F to  78 F,  but for spawning the water temperatures should be raised to 80 degrees.

• Tank Size

If you plan on breeding angelfish, the minimum size tank needed is 20 gallons, but if you plan to leave the fry with the parents after a successful hatching, you should up-size to a 30 gallon, or better yet a 55 gallon tank setup.   A mature breeding pair of angels with several hundred fry to care for would be severely cramped in anything less than a 55 gallon tank, so get the largest tank you can afford.   A large tank also provides a sense of security to the fish and minimizes the possibility of the parents eating their offspring.

Well Planted Angelfish Tank

• Live Plants

Whenever possible, live plants should be included in all freshwater tanks except for those housing African cichlids.   Live plants act like a canary that miners used to bring into a mineshaft.  They monitor water quality and will die before the fish become ill and when the water quality in the tank becomes inferior.   Live plants also help keep the water clear, hinder the growth of unwanted algae and add Oxygen to the water.

Angelfish love to swim around and lay their eggs on Amazon Sword Plants but any broad leaf aquatic plant will do.   Amazon Sword Plants (Echinodorus) are indigenous to the flood plains of South America and are in a genus that includes more than fifty hardy and adaptable species.  They do well in soft, neutral to slightly acidic water which is what your angelfish require.

Java Moss (Vesicularia dubyana), Water Sprite (Ceratopteris) and Java Fern (Polypodium pteropus) are some other beautiful plants that adapt well to aquaculture and compatible with South American Angelfish.

• Diet

Angelfish are naturally carnivorous in the wild and should be fed protein rich foods to help them grow to optimum size and stay healthy, especially if you plan to breed them.    Angelfish can survive on a diet of flake food but will reach breeding condition more quickly if you supplement their diet with bloodworms (tubifex), daphnia,  or newly hatched brine shrimp.   An occasional sprinkling of shrimp pellets, mosquito larvae, chopped beef heart or earth worms will also be appreciated.   Most pet shops sell frozen tropical fish foods for saltwater fish that you can also feed to your freshwater angels.  Most commercial breeders are set up to hatch out brine shrimp eggs to feed the parents along with live baby guppies.

• Compatibility

Being a cichlid, angelfish are naturally aggressive to other fish and even their own kind.

When starting a new aquarium, most people will begin with a “community” tank of more than one species.  Although angelfish are sometimes included in the mix, they grow quite large and will usually start picking on their tank mates causing other problems.   Angelfish are more suited to a single species tank or to a tank with other species (such as Discus) that coexist with them in their natural habitat.

In a community tank it is true that almost any species can adjust to their environment and to their tank mates if they are introduced together, but unless you are accustomed to caring for their special needs, angelfish are one species  that should be housed by themselves.

• Breeding

Many varieties of angelfish are now being bred in captivity in several new color variations.   If you get the urge to breed angelfish, the most economical way of assuring that you get at least one mated pair is to buy at least six specimens from a tank of young angels.   Choose your fish carefully and select only active, strong healthy fish with perfectly formed fins.  The top and bottom fins should be straight and their long “feeler fins” should be intact.  If possible buy fish that are actively feeding.  These grow more quickly and will usually have a higher rate of egg production when they reach maturity.  DO NOT buy any fish from a tank with dead fish in it or that show signs of disease.

Once you select your fish, place them in at least a 20 gallon planted aquarium to grow up in.  Feed them the high protein diet mix listed above and they will quickly reach maturity.

As the fish mature, they will begin to pair off with each other.  At this point you can separate the pair and place them in a breeding tank set up with a clean piece of slate or flower pot and leave them until they commence breeding activity.   Breeding can be stimulated by a partial water change and increasing the temperature in the tank to between 80 and 82 degrees F.

The female will begin to show a prominent little nipple like projection (ovipositor) that is a sure sign that spawning is about to commence.    The ovipositor at the vent area is where the female deposits her eggs from and in the male, where he fertilizes them.

The pair will start cleaning a spawning site a couple of days before actually laying eggs.  When the area is thoroughly cleaned by the fish, the female makes contact with the the slate, flower pot, leaf or whatever and deposits her eggs while the male immediately moves in to fertilize them.   After several hundred eggs have been deposited the pair will hover over the eggs and continuously circulate water over them to insure fertilization.  Unfertilized eggs turn white and are quickly removed by the parents.  Depending on the temperature, egg hatching occurs 36 to 48 hours after fertilization.

If you see some eggs fall off the slate or a leaf where they were laid, you can pick them up with an eyedropper or a turkey baster and squirt them back to where they were or just leave them alone.  They will eventually hatch out.

• Egg Hatching and Rearing Fry

If you decide to leave the parents with the eggs, let them alone as much as possible and feed your fish as you normally would.   Set up a “seeded” sponge corner filter in a separate bare tank with plenty of aeration for the fry to live in when the eggs hatch.  Do not place them in a tank with a conventional side filter or an undergravel filter.  Both will suck up the fry and an undergravel filter, despite how clean the tank water looks, is filthy underneath.  You can “seed” a corner filter by letting it run in an established tank for a few weeks before you need to use it in the tank for rearing the fry.

After the eggs hatch, drop the fry into the bare aquarium and do not feed them until their egg sacs are absorbed.  This usually takes anywhere from 3 to 6 days.  Feeding them before then only fouls the water and could create fungus problems.  There is a period of time after hatching and before the free swimming stage when the fry will stick together.  When this happens increase the aeration in the tank so all the fry have sufficient oxygen.  When the egg sacs are absorbed and the fry are free swimming, you can start feeding the fry with newly hatched brine shrimp.

A scrupulously clean aquarium is essential for the health and growth of your Angel fish fry so when the sponge corner filter starts to discolor in the bare tank, rinse it out in a container of tank water, NOT TAP WATER.  Clean any sediment from the bottom of the tank daily to prevent ammonia spikes that can kill the fry.

• Types Of Angelfish

Although most mutations of angelfish are lost in nature, tropical fish keepers have been selectively breeding new strains of angelfish for years.    The following is only a partial list of what is available today in the tropical fish market.

Silver Angelfish

Silver Angel

The Silver Angelfish is the normal coloration of the wild Angelfish that are collected from the Amazon River basin in South America.

It has a silver white body with four black vertical bars running through it.  The first bar always passes through the eye.

The picture to the left depicts this common variety but some specimens have black freckles over the top half of their bodies.

Zebra Angelfish

Zebra Angelfish

Zebra Angelfish have more vertical stripes on them than the Silver Angelfish.
The stripes continue through the tail.

Black Angel

Black Angelfish

These angels are a solid, velvety black variety bred by mating a Black Angel to a Black Lace Angel.
The offspring will be 50% Black and 50% Black Lace.   If you mate a Black Angel to another Black Angel you will get 100% Black offspring.

Black Lace Angelfish

Black Lace Angelfish

The Black Lace Angels are the steppingstones to the solid black variety.  The primary difference between a Black Lace and a Silver Angel is the intensity of the colors, especially on the fins where you see the lace like effect that gives them their name.  When you mate two Black Lace Angels, you can expect to get 25% Black, 50% Black Lace and 25% Silver offspring.  The Black Angel fry are very fragile and usually don not survive to the free swimming stage.  They should be immediately transferred and cared for separately if they do make it to the free swimming stage.

Half Black Angel

Half Blacks

As their name implies, Half Blacks are just that.  The forepart of their bodies are white and rear is black.  The black cuts right through the top and bottom fins and goes right through the tail.

Pearlscale Veiltail Angel

Veiltail Angels

Veiltail Angels come in all color varieties and all have very elongated fins.   Veiltail Angels are bred by mating a Veil Angel with a Silver Angel.  The offspring will be half Veil and half Silver.  If you breed two Veiltail Angels together, you can expect half of them to be Veil Angels, 25% ordinary Angels and 25% Long Tailed Veil Angels.  The Long Tailed Veil Angels will have noticeably longer fins and tails than the Veil.     Breeding two Long Tailed Veil Angels together will produce all Long Tailed Veils but they will not be as hearty and they will produce fewer eggs when they spawn.   Some Veiltail Angels have fins so long that they become bent and are often broken.

Marble Angels

Marble Blushing Angel

Marble Angels have a broken pattern of black and silver that can only be described as Marble.

There may be undertones of golden around the head and back areas but the fins usually have rays of black and white.  If you breed a Marble Angel with a Black Lace Angel, some of the offspring will be Black Lace Marble, with the traits of both parents.

Golden Angel

Golden Angel

Golden Angelfish can be all golden in color with no other markings or from a solid silvery white to a gold color.  There is usually a gold mantle over the head and back areas.

Blushing Angel

Blushing Blue Angel

Blushing Angels due to selective breeding are the most delicate of angels.  They have a red cheek area with no obvious pattern on a white body.

Pearl Scale Angel

Pearlscale Gold Marble Angel

Pearl Scale Angels are absolutely beautiful fish.  They have bumpy almost rough looking scales on their body and come in many color varieties.  The are outstanding when shown under suitable lighting.

Don’t let the beautiful delicateness of angelfish fool you. Pairing them with bettas, tetras or guppies in a community tank is not recommended unless you want a bloodbath.  Because most beginners start tropical fish keeping with only one species of fish, keeping angelfish may be your best option.

Remember that Angelfish lay lots of eggs and are great parents.  They will usually live with their young without fear that they will eat them in their infancy.  But, unless you don’t plan on selling angelfish to pet shops or other breeders, you will need a larger tank or tanks to keep all the fish.  Despite the challenges they present, Angelfish are less difficult to manage as their other cichlid relatives like Discus.

Provide them with a large well planted tank, keep their water clean, feed them a carnivorous diet and you will have and amazing tropical fish tank to enjoy for a long time.

Tropical fish selection is one of the most important things you need to educate yourself about if you plan on being a successful  at tropical fish keeping.

Super Red Arowana

Out of the hundreds of thousands of fresh and saltwater fish species found around the world, how do you know which ones are adaptable for life in your aquarium?

If you have ever visited your local aquarium you already know that tropical fish come in all sizes, shapes and colors.  Although they are all beautiful, not all fish can be successfully housed in an aquarium regardless of it’s size.

When purchasing your fish online or from your local pet shop, you need to be discerning about which fish you put together in your tank.  So, here are some tips to help you choose just the right mix of fish for.

• Know Your Fish

Tropical fish selection becomes much easier when you know your fish. Your fish tank can be a literal work of art of living colors or a “dead zone” if your tropical fish selection skills are not up to par.  Like any other pet species, tropical fish have different temperaments and “personalities”.

Fortunately many books have been written about freshwater and saltwater tropical fish that can educate you on fish compatibility, heartiness, delicateness, difficulty to keep, feeding, danger to humans, etc.  You should educate yourself enough to be knowledgeable about the type of fish you want for your home before visiting your local pet shop.  Most pet shop owners are happy to guide you in your tropical fish selection but there are some unscrupulous vendors who will sell you any type of fish or a sick fish just to make the sale.

• How healthy are the fish you are looking to buy?

Purchasing tropical fish is a long term investment that can become quite pricey, so you need to be armed with as much information about fish health and fish compatibility as possible.

When you decide to populate your tank with fish, your best bet is to buy them from a fish breeder or a reputable pet store.  These individuals already have the knowledge needed to help you make the right choices for your aquarium.

What signs do you look for?  Do the fish have any discolorations outside of their normal pigmentation?  If so, don’t buy them.  Do the fish have any white spots or fluffy white tufts on their bodies?  If they do they probably are infected with ick or a fungus.  Are the fish wagging and listless?  Don’t buy them.

Watch the fish a little while before you decide to purchase one.  If the fish is aggressively attacking it’s tank mates, it will almost certainly do the same to other fish in your tank when you bring it home.

• Saltwater or freshwater? –

One major decision you need to make before even setting up a tropical fish tank, is if you want to keep freshwater or a saltwater fish.

Freshwater fish are much less expensive than saltwater fish.   And, you can get started keeping freshwater tropical fish for a lot less money.  In addition to their cost, saltwater fish are more labor-intensive when it comes to maintenance.   The temperature, salinity, pH and bacteria levels in a saltwater environment require constant monitoring to maintain the proper levels.   Generally, freshwater fish are heartier than their saltwater cousins and are more tolerant to conditions that would kill saltwater fish in a closed environment.

We recommend  that you start your tropical fish keeping efforts with freshwater fish until you gain the experience to migrate into saltwater fish keeping.

• Fish Size

Fish size is also a factor in tropical fish selection.  –Tropical fish come in a variety of sizes.  They may start out in your tank less than an inch long, but they grow just like any other animal species.   The cute little fish that you selected for you 55 gallon tank may be small  now but could quickly outgrow your tank.  The South American Red Tail catfish is one such fish.  They are beautiful fish and fun to keep when small, but they quickly become aggressive and can reach 50 pounds in weight.

• Overstocking

Another common problem with tropical fish aquariums is overstocking.  When you purchase your fish, keep in mind how big they will grow in your tank.  Buy fewer fish initially and add fish later, if you still care to.  An experienced tropical fish keeper may successfully keep a school of twenty small fish in a ten gallon aquarium, but it could be disastrous for a beginner to try it.

There is some debate over the one inch per gallon rule but it is a good place to start.  We recommend taking 80% of the net gallon capacity of the tank as the minimum number of fish to keep, especially with saltwater specimens.  The 80% number represents the actual amount of water in the tank when displacement from gravel and decorations are factored into consideration.

• Food

Another consideration in tropical fish selection is food.  All tropical fish do not eat flakes or pellets.   Some like “elephant nose” fish need heartier food like tubifex worms.   Baby fry have their own specialized diet until they grow old enough to eat what you feed the rest of your fish.  Many saltwater fish have specialized diets that can put you in the poor house, so if you don’t want the food bill to bust your budget, select fish that have simple tastes.

Before you invest a lot of money in tropical fish, know what to look for when selecting a species and aim for the most peaceful fish.

Here is a simple guide to setting up your first tropical fish aquarium:

Most people eventually tire of watching the same old goldfish swimming around in the bowl that they won at the local Fair and will start looking for something a little bit more exotic.

If you know where to go and what species to look for, you will be able to find many brilliant gems from the deep that will brighten up your home and provide your family with hours of enjoyment.   There are more types of brilliantly colored exotic tropical fish available to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts than you could ever imagine.   Many exotic fish have strange body shapes, weird breeding rituals, odd colorations and are found in sizes that can be kept in an aquarium environment with very little effort.

Exotic fish are hard to define.  There are so many fish species that are different from what we are normally used to seeing that we often refer to them as “exotics”.   Usually fish that are rare or hard to find have this distinction.  But, fish that are interbred to keep certain specific characteristics (like Discus, show Koi, Guppies or Angelfish) are also placed into this category.

Here are a few freshwater species you might want to check out.:

Discus – Discus are a flat, wide, brilliantly colored freshwater fish named after the discus used in the Olympic Games in Greece.  These shy fish come from the Amazon River Basin and easily get along with others of their kind in an aquarium setting.  They come in a variety of colors and patterns and are tank bred to enhance these characteristics.  Discus are sensitive to water quality changes, prefer soft water (pH level of 6) and temperatures at a constant 82 to 86 degrees F.   Discus fish thrive in deep water and because they can grow up to 7 inches long, they are not usually found alone in community tanks but in rather large aquariums.

Betta – Betta fish are beautiful and quite aggressive.  Bettas are VERY territorial toward any fish that they think is another male Betta and they will fight other male betta fish to the death if left unattended.  Their beautiful coloring extends to their feathery fins and as they swim, their fins will open up to an even more beautiful show.   Betta fish come in a variety of colors (primarily blue and red) are because of their coloring, choosing betta fish that are healthy can be a challenge.  Look for fish with no bruising, scarring or white spots which is an indication of ich.

Guppies – People have always loved keeping guppies.  These small hardy fish with brightly colored tail fins resemble a bride in a tight dress with a flared bottom.  The various types (Tuxedo, Cobra, Mosaic, Grass,  Metal, Platinum) come in almost  every color of the rainbow, are easy to care for, easy to breed and do especially well in community aquariums.  Female guppies generally grow larger than the males, sometimes by about two or three inches.   For the fish keeper on a tight budget, they do well in a 10 gallon aquarium, will eat almost any type of fish flake and thrive with minimal care.  Guppies are another exotic tropical fish that have been interbred to achieve specific skin and color patterns.  A true rare beauty from the deep.

Platy – Platys are a hearty tropical freshwater fish that thrive in community tank conditions.  Platy fish have dark colored fins that outline their beautiful red, yellow and orange colored bodies.  Because Platys can tolerate wide changes in nitrate and nitrite levels, they are a good fish to use for stocking and cycling a new aquarium.  They thrive do best with tank vegetation planted to hide their eggs when they breed.

Goldfish –  Goldfish should not be counted out of the exotic tropical fish category just yet.   There are goldfish species that are very exotic and bring a high price, especially in the Chinese and Japanese markets.  Consider the Black Moor, the various types of Koi and other inbred goldfish varieties.  The Black Moor is a round bodied goldfish with bulging eyes and long velvety tail fins.  It is a telescope-eyed variety of fancy goldfish that has a characteristic pair of protruding eyes.  It is also referred to as popeye, telescope, kuro demekin in Japan and dragon-eye in China.  They can grow up to a length of 10 inches and have a lifespan of 6 to 25 years.   Black Moors are a cold water fish and may revert to a metallic orange color when exposed to warm water temperatures.

Angelfish – Angelfish are a tropical freshwater and saltwater species prized by tropical fish keepers.  The freshwater Angelfish is a cichlid that comes from the Amazon Basin of South America and is one of the most commonly kept freshwater aquarium fish.  They are prized for their unique shape, color patterns and behavior.  Angelfish were not successfully bred in captivity in the United States until the late 1920s to 1930s, but now are frequently bred to enhance their distinct fin patterns and unique color markings.

Regardless of what type of exotic tropical fish you like, there is a variety that will liven up your tank for  beginners as well as those more expert in Tropical Fish Keeping.