Stocking Your Fish Tank

It's good to hear about the beauties of an aquarium and learn how to maintain proper pH, keeping nitrate and phosphate levels balanced, and all the other technical details.

But then you need to add the actual fish. How do you choose the species? How can you know whether they'll grow too large for the tank when they're adults and if they will be compatible with other fish? How do you learn how to stock your aquarium?

Here is a quick summary of the things you'll need to consider when choosing fish for your aquarium and a brief description of a couple of the more common types of tropical fish. It will give you a good place to get started!

Freshwater or Saltwater

Of course, the water is different, but what does it mean in terms of the type of aquarium you will have?

Beginning aquarists, especially children are better off with freshwater tanks. Freshwater fish are much easier to maintain, and are generally more adaptable to less-than-perfect water quality and fluctuations in temperature.  Typically, freshwater tanks are both cheaper and easier to maintain than saltwater aquariums.

Saltwater tanks can often have more colorful fish, but maintaining the precise chemistry necessary for a saltwater aquarium can be tricky, and is best undertaken by someone experienced in fish-keeping.

What to Consider When Choosing Your Fish

Selecting Live Aquarium Fish for an aquarium isn't as simple as you may think. You can't just go to a pet shop and pick out random fish that you find the most appealing – you need to put some research into your aquarium plan to ensure that your fish lead happy, healthy lives.

Be Sure to Think About...

• Fish size. When you buy fish, they are usually juveniles. Some will remain about the same size, but others will grow much, much larger, so you'll need to consider the size of your aquarium! This is really important, because fish are sensitive creatures - if they're subjected to overcrowding because they have grown too large for their environment, they can get so stressed out that they die.

• Fish Food. Not all fish eat the same food. Some fish need live food, some eat frozen food, some eat flakes, and some will eat most anything (but don't rely on the last one). Because different species of fish eat different diets,  it's best to buy fish that eat the same thing. Otherwise you will need to measure out the accurate quantities of various fish foods each day. It'll make it easier and less expensive for you to care of your new pets (and will make it possible for children to participate).

• Compatibility. Despite what many people believe, fish do have personalities ,with some being quite aggressive. Many tropical fish have a well-deserved reputation as bullies. They may nip the fins of other, more submissive fish, they may ram smaller fish, and they can get into fights which can be quite vicious. To eliminate the probability of your fish getting into scraps, you should plan to buy fish that have mutually compatible personalities. In other words, no territorial fighting fish in with a school of peace-loving roamers!

• Water temperature. Just because the species of fish in the tanks of the pet store are all labeled 'tropical fish', doesn't mean that they're all  from the same region. Different fish require different temperatures. It's best if you choose fish that are comfortable in the same temperature range.

• Life expectancy. Some fish will live for up to ten years which may be more than you want to commit. Consider how long you will want to keep your aquarium.

Recommended Reading

For a complete compendium of information on all the problems that tropical fish are subject to, take a look at:

Katy’s Tropical Fish - A Complete Guide

You’ll learn how to keep your fish happy, healthy, and beautiful, how to keep your aquarium to professional standards, how to troubleshoot health problems as soon as they occur, and learn valuable insider tips and tricks for keeping your aquarium looking spectacular.

So What Types of Fish Should You Buy?

Shopping for your tropical fish is fun! As long as you know your aquarium dimensions and have a budget in mind you are ready to head to the pet store or fish breeder. One of the best aspects of keeping tropical tank is that the beauty of the fish doesn't need to depend on the size of your checking account!

Some Common Breeds That You Are Apt to See:

• Clown Loach. Clown loaches are lively, colorful, lively, and entertaining fish with plenty of unique personality traits (such as lying on their side when resting, and making loud clicking noises when they feed!) Clown loaches do best in schools, so be sure to get at least three or four. These fish will grow quite large - up to 6 to 12 inches and prefer to eat meaty food.

• Congo Tetra. These gentle fish are a popular choice for beginners. They're very brightly colored and like to flash around the tank in attractive schools. Here again, you'll need to get more than a few of these to keep them happy. They are a medium-sized fish, generally growing to about 5 inches in length, and require a minimum of 30 gallons of water for adequate swimming space. Tetras need clean water, and lots of live plants to swim around and hide behind, but otherwise they're pretty easy to keep.

• Elephant Nose. These are really unique looking fish. They have a long, protuberant 'trunk' which they use to hunt small live prey - although they will eat frozen and flaked food also, if that is all that's available. They will grow to about 8 inches long and need sandy or gravel on the bottom on the tank. These are somewhat territorial fish, but will do fine as long as the aquarium isn't overcrowded.

• Tiger Barb. These fish get their name from the distinct black barring on their flanks. They are very attractive fish, but   can be quite aggressive toward other species (they're known for fin nipping). Aggression can be minimized by keeping them in schools, where they'll be preoccupied with working out the hierarchy among themselves. Tiger Barbs grow to about 3 inches and need plenty of space to school. They're omnivores, so they will eat all kinds of food. But they do need to be fed regularly, to avoid aggression!

Additional Reading

To learn more about the technicalities of keeping a tropical fish aquarium, check out Katy's Tropical Fish - A Complete Guide. As the title promises, it's a complete manual for the responsible fish-keeper of any experience level, and is full of valuable gems of relevant, detailed, and easy-read information.