Month: January 2018

Freshwater Tropical Fish Wholesale Supplier – Aquarium Advice

Aquarium admin

East Coast Tranship makes the following information available to pet store trade and consumers to help you give your fish friends a better home to live! For more information, call us at (301) 782-1025 or visit the links at the bottom of this article.

East Coast Tranship, Inc. is a freshwater tropical fish wholesale supplier that sells to the pet store trade only. We are a direct importer which means you save 50 to 70% over wholesale prices.

Very small delicate fish get lost, or are often eaten by larger fish in a normal sized aquarium (30-125 gallons.) But, in a small 5-10 gallon tank, sitting on an office desk, there really are a large variety of small freshwater tropical fish and invertebrates that can be added to make a display that’s every bit as interesting and aesthetic as a big tank.

Here are some interesting freshwater tropical fish wholesale additions for the smaller tanks. Most do well in a planted tank.

Fork Tail Rainbows – Popondichthys furcata (Indonesia code 4764) average 1″

Fork Tail Rainbow

The rainbowfish found in river systems east of the Great Dividing Range of Queensland Australia are schooling and do not do well or show off their best colors if kept singly. Your freshwater tropical fish wholesale tank should include at least six individuals from the species.

The tank can be well planted along the back and sides, but leave plenty of open area as these fish are lively swimmers and require lots of swimming room. Use drift wood and bog roots only sparingly as they tend to acidify the water. A good plant to use is the java moss as it is native to the region and can also serve as a spawning medium.

Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid – Apistogramma cacatuoides (Indonesia code 4003) Average 1-1.25″

Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid

Apistogramma cacatuoides is a species of South American cichlid fish usually known under the common name cockatoo dwarf cichlid. The cockatoo dwarf is one of the best suited cichlid species for the planted aquarium. As the male is highly territorial however, it should be kept in pairs, trios (1 male, 2 females) or harems (1 male with many females), and in the company of peaceful tank mates like tetras. Water conditions should be in the pH 6.0-pH 7.5 range.

Agassizi’s dwarf cichlid – Apistogramma agassizii (Indonesia code 4688) Average 1-1.25″

Agassizi’s Dwarf Cichlid

Apistogramma agassizii is the scientific name for the Agassizi’s dwarf cichlid, a fish that occurs in many southern tributaries of the Amazon river. Male Agassizi’s dwarf cichlids are territorial by nature. Just like all dwarf cichlids the Agassizi’s dwarf cichlid requires weekly partial water changes in order to keep the nitrate levels as low as possible. The Agassizi’s dwarf cichlid grows to 4 inches (10 cm.) in length. It prefers a hardness level of 50 – 10 m/gl and a pH of 6.0.

Apistogramma pandurini (Indonesia code 4240) Average 1-1.25″

Apistogramma pandurini

A freshwater fish from South America. It is a dwarf cichlid, closely related to Apistogramma nijsseni.

Apistogramma Panduro, are sometimes referred to as Apistogramma pandurini. The name is derived from the Peruvian fish exporters who first collected the fish. Their native Peruvian waters are soft and acid with a sandy substrate. pH in their native waters is usually below 6.0. They are not fussy eaters and will adapt to most high quality foods.

Blue Killifish – Aphyosemion gardneri (Indonesia code 4629) Average 1.25″

Blue Killifish

A killifish is any of various egg-laying cyprinodontiform fish. All in all there are some 1270 different species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species. Members of this order are notable for inhabiting harsh environments, such as saline or very warm waters, water of poor quality, or isolated situations where no other types of fish occur. They are typically omnivores, and often live near the surface, where the oxygen-rich water compensates for environmental disadvantages.

Clown Killifish – Epiplathys annulatus (Indonesia code 4186) Average 1.25″

Clown Killifish

The Clown killi or Banded panchax is a type of killifish, and is not related to a clownfish. It is a rather rare fish and is marked with brown and yellow with vivid blue and red.

Most Killifish are territorial to varying degrees. In the aquarium, territorial behavior is different for every grouping, and will even vary by individuals. In a large enough freshwater tropical fish wholesale aquarium, most species can live in groups as long as there are more than three males.

Pencilfish – Nannostomus beckfordi (Indonesia code 4663) Average 1 -1.25″

Pencilfish

Nannostomus thrive in home aquaria when provided with soft, moderately acidic water, low nitrate levels and temperatures in the range of 72 degrees F to 82 degrees F. The addition of aquatic plants, including floating varieties, is recommended. The latter will reduce the likelihood of the fish jumping, which is a common occurrence for some of the species, especially N. espei and N. unifasciatus. They should be kept in schools of at least six in a freshwater tropical fish wholesale tank.

If kept in a community aquarium, the best tank mates are other species of Nannostomus, small peaceful characins and corydoras. Aquaria with strong water current, large tank mates, or swift-moving species are contraindicated. If kept in a thickly planted single-species aquarium with the above water parameters, most species will spawn, eggs will not be eaten, and the fry will be found among the floating plants. Baby brine shrimp, live or frozen, and other small-sized foods are required for both fry and adults.

Nannostomus are also avid biofilm grazers and, for most of the species, algae is an under-reported staple of their diet. In most species the males will establish small territories and defend them. Their defensive actions are usually harmless but, in two species, N. mortenthaleri and N. trifasciatus, antagonistic behavior directed at conspecifics can have deleterious results if sufficient space and plant cover are not provided.

Once acclimated to the aquarium, and provided with conditions to their liking, Nannostomus are hardy and have a firm grasp on life, often living for five or more years.

Threadfin Rainbow – Iriatherina werneri (Indonesian code 4650) Average 1.25″ – 1.5″

Threadfin Rainbow

The threadfin rainbowfish or featherfin rainbowfish: In aquaria they are usually peaceful, they live preferably in groups of six or more. Because of their long fins they should obviously be kept in a tank without fin-nippers. They breed best in tanks without other species.

Threadfin Rainbowfish do well in aquariums of 20 US gallons (76 L), however 30 US gallons (110 L) is preferred. They are best housed in a “species only” tank; meaning that the tank is reserved for the Threadfins alone. Because of their tiny mouths, they can be difficult to feed. They do well with live foods, such as baby brine shrimp, and the micrometre larval diets. They prefer water that is soft to moderately hard, slightly acidic (pH 6.0 – 7.0), and with a temperature of 23 – 29 degrees C (73 – 84 degrees F).

Marble Hatchet fish – Carnegiella strigata (Brazil Code 6117) Average 0.75 – 1″

Marble Hatchet fish

The Marbled Hatchet fish, is a small, freshwater ray-finned fish native to South America and is common in the aquarium industry. Like most Amazonian fish, the species prefers softer, acidic water. Hatchets usually occupy the top portion of the freshwater tropical fish wholesale tank and like many other aquarium species may be shy at feeding times just after they have been introduced. However, given some time and proper water conditions, they will be less hasty.

As with most Characins (see Characidae), they are omnivores and prefer a varied diet, including live or frozen food, and vegetables. However, they will not swim to the bottom to eat so all food must float. Hatchets have a tendency to be shy fish and are easily intimidated by larger or fast moving fish, so they are only appropriate for very peaceful communities or species tanks.

They will also be happier if they don’t have to share the top portion of the tank with any other fish and if kept in schools of at least three. They like plants with long trailing leaves to hide under. It is absolutely necessary for tanks inhabited by these beautiful fish to have a tight lid, as they can and will jump when startled.

Cardinal Tetra – Paracheirodon axelrodi (Brazil Code 6102) Average 0.5″ – 1″

Cardinal Tetra

The cardinal tetra, is a freshwater fish native to the upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers in South America. Given the origins of the cardinal tetra, namely blackwater rivers whose chemistry is characterized by an acidic pH, low mineral content and the presence of humic acids, the species is adaptable to a wide range of conditions in captivity, though deviation from the soft, acidic water chemistry of their native range will impact severely upon breeding and fecundity.

The preferred temperature range of the fish is 21 degrees C to 28 degrees C (70 degrees F to 82 degrees F). The water chemistry of the aquarium water should match that of the wild habitat – filtration of the aquarium water over peat is one means of achieving this.

Scarlet Gem Badis – (Singapore code 1863) Average 1″

Scarlet Gem Badis

The Badis is a small, predatory fish that feeds on tiny invertebrates. Males normally display stronger coloration and females may appear more rounded when gravid. Coloration is extremely variable and changes with mood, though typically the fins are blue and dark vertical bands are apparent on the flanks.

Galaxy Rasbora – Celestichthys Margaritatus (Singapore code 2153) Average 1″

Galaxy Rasbora – Danio

Danio are native to the fresh water rivers and streams of Southeast Asia, The Danio is an ideal species for any planted or community aquarium as they add color and will get along with other community species well. They are quite easy to care for as they will tolerate a variety of water temperatures and conditions, although they would prefer a water temperature around 78 degrees F with a slightly alkaline pH.

Danio are a small schooling species that should be kept in groups of at least 6 individuals with 8 or 10 individuals in the group being ideal. It is best to duplicate their natural environment in the freshwater tropical fish wholesale aquarium with an abundance of live plants and with some drift wood and rocks. In the wild this species lives in very calm water that is often spring fed or formed from overflows of other waterways, thus they should be kept in aquariums that do not have constant strong direct currents.

They live in shallow water in the wild that has strong direct sunlight, so they do very well in strongly lit planted aquariums, and will use heavily planted areas in the aquarium or driftwood and rocks to retreat to if they feel threatened.

The Celestial Pearl Danio is an omnivore that will eat virtually any standard topical fish foods available within the hobby. They will readily accept flaked foods, frozen preparations, vegetable or algae flakes and wafers along with freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex worms and brine shrimp. Essentially they will eat the same foods that would be being fed to the bulk of tropical freshwater species found in a tropical community aquarium.

Harlequin Rasbora – heteromorpha (Singapore code 2159) Average 0.75″

Harlequin Rasbora

All of the Rasbora species are unaggressive, peaceful, and can be kept with fish of similar temperament. They are strong swimmers and in nature prefer to be in small schools. They like to stay in the upper areas of the freshwater tropical fish wholesale aquarium. Your tank should provide plenty of open space for swimming as well as some dense plantings to serve as shelter. The water temperature should be kept around 76 degrees F.

Rasboras prefer soft water and if possible you should use a peat filter bag in your filter, (Tetras will benefit also.) They will eat flake, frozen as well as live food.

Many species of Rasbora will breed without too much difficulty, spawning freely in soft, neutral or slightly acidic water. Unfortunately Rasbora Heteromorpha is not one of these. The water should be very soft with a hardness of 1.5 to 2.5 DH and a pH of around 6.0.

For information on ordering these freshwater tropical fish wholesale for your pet store, call East Coast Tranship, Inc. at 301-782-1025.

Closed Loop Water Circulation And The Reef Aquarium

Aquarium admin

Water circulation within a reef aquarium is important for many reasons. It allows for food to be provided to corals, waste to be removed from corals, oxygenation of the water at the air interface, delivery of water to live rock as well as making the aquarium a more natural habitat for the aquarium inhabitants.

The easiest way to describe closed loop is using an external filter as an example. With an external filter there is in inlet pipe which delivers water to the filter. The filter pump then pushes the water through the filter and it is delivered back to the aquarium via a single outlet.

Closed loop circulation is exactly the same as this with the exceptions that there is no filtration involved and the water velocity is greater.

Sounds very simple and in reality it is. With a closed loop the water inlet to the pump is located underwater as is the outlet so effectively you have a ‘closed loop’ of pipe work which is connected to an external pump.

The inlet, pump and outlet when connected together are known as a loop

In this type of system normally one pump is used per loop however one loop can contain numerous outlets. For example the inlet is under water in the aquarium. Water is provided to the pump which, when turned on pushed water back up into the aquarium. As the pumps output is connected to pipe work this is run up to the aquarium and then inside the aquarium.

Once in the aquarium there is a run of pipe which can be located anywhere in the aquarium as long as the outlet(s) are under water. It is normally recommended that a loop has no more than 3 outlets however it does need to be noted that the more outlets the loop has the more the power of the water force will reduce.

Therefore from one loop you could have three outlets which can be located in different areas of the aquarium, therefore providing more areas of flow from one pump.

One consideration is the physical size of the aquarium. The bigger the aquarium the more water there is and therefore more water to move around.

The first thing you need to consider is the physical power of the pump. The pumps are rated at zero head height with only one outlet. If you only plan on using this outlet then this will be the output you can expect from the pump. There are no head height restrictions in a closed loop system but I will go over that shortly.

The second thing to plan for is the amount of outlets per loop. It is recommended that you do not go above three outlets per loop as the reduction in flow may be too much. Pumps are rated in accordance with the size of the outlet coming out of the pump and with a pump there is only one outlet. If you put three outlets onto a closed loop then effectively the output from the pump per outlet will reduce. Normally in a loop this reduction is staged with the last outlet having the weakest route.

The physical plumbing is also an area which requires consideration. With a closed loop system you will have one pipe for the inlet and another for the outlet. With this plumbing running down to where the pump is located there may be a fair few pipe, especially if you install more than one loop! The run of these pipes will need to be roughly planned for and it is wise to ensure that they are located in an area where they are accessible. If a leak was to occur then you want to be able to get to the pipe work to rectify the issue.

Once everything is in place the next step is to get water into the pipes and all the air removed. If you have drilled holes in the aquarium for the inlet/outlet(s)s then water will already be in the pipe and as soon as the pump is activated any remaining air should be pushed out. To check if there is any remaining in the pump simply rock the pump gently to remove any trapped air bubbles.

A benefit of closed loops is that a very un-natural looking device is removed from the aquarium. Power heads etc are very good devices at moving water around however they are, in my opinion, quite intrusive. With a closed loop system the physical device is removed from the aquarium, out of view with only the outlets being visible.

With the pumps being external to the aquarium a heat source is removed from the aquarium. Whilst this heat source may be valuable during the colder months it is certainly an issue during the warmer months. With the heat creating source being physically removed it can, at times be easier to provide stability in relation to temperature.

A very valuable benefit of a closed loop system is that there are no head height restrictions. The rating of the pump is what you should get – even if the pump is three feet lower than the display aquarium. Head height is effectively due to gravity where the water when rising up a tube has to fight against this natural force. The pump can only pump the water so high and then simply runs out of power.

If a pump has a four foot head height then at four foot above the pump the water flow will stop, at two foot above the pump the flow will be halved etc. With a closed loop aquarium head height does not exist. The reason for this is that the water does not have to fight against gravity as no air is allowed into the pipe work. The inlet pipe is continuously full of water as is the outlet therefore with no gravity to fight against you get full use of the power of the pump!

The first consideration is that of water flow and friction. Water will always find the easiest route and follow it which is one of the reasons you need to plan your plumbing. If you implement a tee piece for example the water in the pipe will travel down the easiest route and therefore water flow down the secondary path may be severely impacted. Friction is also the same – although the inside of the pipe feels smooth to the touch it will create friction when in contact with the pipe.

When in a straight line this friction is not a problem however bends are another kettle of fish altogether. If you need to go around a bend it is easy to install a 90 degree bend however this is quite a bend for the water to go around and the flow will be severely impacted as well as creating back pressure within the pipe which over time may damage the pump itself. If you need to go around a corner then it is better to use two 45 degree bends instead of a single 90 degree bend.

The Best Kind Of Betta Fish Tank Water

Aquarium admin

Oftentimes tropical pet fish lovers think that if their aquarium water isn’t a green or brownish looking color that their betta fish couldn’t survive and thrive.

However, if you take a look at a natural water environment you’ll notice that it has some unique ways for providing small tropical fish just the right type of conditions needed to sustain abundant fish life. And it’s amazing ability to cleanse away harmful materials lurking in the water.

WHY TAP WATER IS HARMFUL

Domestic tap water may be nontoxic (in a small quantity) for humans to drink, but rest assured, it can be toxic for a betta fish to exist in. Almost all domestic tap water contains chlorine and a sufficient concentration of iron along with poisonous elements such as lead and copper. In addition, tap water can also be too hard (or even too soft) for your pet betta fish. And oftentimes it may have abnormal pH levels.

Fortunately, there are a variety of products in the marketplace you can use to make domestic tap water completely safe and suitable for a beta fish tank aquarium.

The very first thing that you need to do (when using domestic tap water) is to remove ALL traces of harmful chlorine. Your local pet store will usually sell several brands of products designed for this purpose. In most case, all that’s required is to follow simple instructions and place a few drops of a special liquid in the tank water, and then let it stand for up to 24-hours so that the chlorine actually dissipates completely.

Once you’ve removed all of the chlorine it will be safe to place your betta fish into their new water environment.

WHY REMOVE ALL ELEMENTS?

It’s also extremely important that you check the levels of copper, lead concentrates, and especially traces of iron in the water. While these elements are generally okay for a human to drink in small doses they can be harmful to your betta fish and sometimes will end-up killing your fish. Another area you should NOT overlook is the “alkalinity and pH” of the water.

Side point: You need to regularly check and test the water so that you can provide a safe and stable water supply for your betta fish.

The necessary items required to do this are reasonably inexpensive and available from most pet stores. By using these products it’ll allow you to “increase or decrease” the water alkalinity and pH levels.

ALTERNATIVE TYPES OF WATER

There are other alternatives when it comes to using water for your betta tank. (1) You can buy purified and pre-treated water. And (2) you can use clean rainwater. However, purified and pre-treated water is the most expensive choice, but it does guarantee you water that’s been prepared properly.

Side point: Purified and pre-treated water is BEST used when setting up a saltwater aquarium.

Generally speaking, rainwater is free of chlorine and heavy metals and is harmless for betta fish. Although rainwater is usually considered clean (without containing any harmful elements) you will still need to check it before use. Why? Because the very life of your pet betta fish depends on a water environment which is totally unpolluted and free of any harmful contaminates.

REMOVE ALL FISH WASTE

It doesn’t matter what type of water that you decide to use you’ll need to maintain it. One important reason for doing this is that fish eliminate waste, and it’s that waste which consists of ammonia. In addition, bacteria in the aquarium will convert the ammonia into nitrite. However, nitrite is still harmful and especially to small betta fish.

Side point: An increasing build-up of bacteria will keep converting nitrite into nitrate, and is considered to be MUCH less harmful.

Another interesting thing in this ongoing process is… this cycle helps maintain an equilibrium in your aquarium. But there’s still enough good reasons to regularly examine and change the tank water if necessary. Remember that the ammonia generation created by your betta fish could exceed the ability of the bacteria to convert this. And many times this can happen with new aquariums that haven’t had time to produce sufficient bacteria in the water.

The ammonia generation also inceases any time you add new fish to the tank and/or increase the amount you feed your fish. Also, always remember that nitrates are harmful to betta fish especially in big doses. So, you should always regularly **TEST** the aquarium water, and change it often to help in keeping the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates under strict control. By doing so, you’ll wind-up having an aquarium of healthy and happy betta fish bringing you hours of fun and enjoyment.

Choosing the Best Fresh Water Aquarium For your Marine Life

Aquarium admin

When thinking of interior design, very few elements are as beautiful and culturally versatile like a fresh water aquarium. A proper population of fresh water marine life and plants, however, does not happen without proper professional materials and design. Take notice in the fundamentals of aquarium design prior to making any purchases or determining whether or not to do it yourself or seek professional help with set-up and maintenance.

## Selecting an Aquarium

Several factors are essential in the option of aquarium, including size, volume of water and material. Aquariums are available in glass or acrylic with various benefits and drawbacks for every. A glass aquarium is heavier and more prone to shatter, however they generally are less expensive and therefore are more resistant against scratching. Acrylic aquariums are stronger and lighter. Different color tints and shapes are possible with fresh water aquariums produced from acrylic.

The option of material may hinge around the budget. Typically, each inch of seafood requires about 24 square inches of area or one gallon of water. A 55-gallon tank that has 48 by 13 inches of surface area supports 26 inches of freshwater marine life. Smart choices of marine plants along with other species may increase this possible quantity of marine life.

## Lights, Hoods, Heating units and Filters

Many items are essential for insure the health and durability of the fresh water aquarium. Selection of devices are frequently not straightforward. Incandescent lights, for example, really are a less costly option, but fluorescent lighting is essential for fresh water plants. Non-submersible heating units really are a low-cost choice for more compact tanks, but they ought to be modified regularly and therefore are less reliable. ## Aquarium Stands and Positioning

Positioning is a critical a part of design. Poor positioning will cause rapid temperature changes and harms marine life. Movement of huge aquariums after set-up is difficult. General rules will be to avoid positioning near home windows or exterior walls. Sunlight and positioning near vents ought to be prevented to help keep temps from altering quickly.

An important and frequently overlooked device for effective establishment of the fresh water aquarium is the stand. One gallon water alone weighs in at over eight pounds; therefore the base weight of the 55-gallon tank is 459 pounds. Adding the load from the aquarium along with other equipment takes this to more than 500 pounds. Clearly, a stand should be sturdy enough to aid the whole weight.

Specialist with set-up and maintenance guarantees a proper fresh water aquarium. Significant time should be spent researching the requirements of different species, kinds of equipment and toughness for brands.

For more information about a fresh water aquarium and good tips to use when maintaining an aquarium visit our website.

A Freshwater Tropical Fish Experience In An Aquarium

Aquarium admin

The vast rainforest, steppes, deserts and savannas or regions of grassland lying between equatorial forests and dry deserts is home to thousand species of tropical fish. This refers to all cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates that breathe through their gills or by special breathing system that allows them to take oxygen from the air instead of in the water. As years went by and with the boom of fish-keeping as a hobby, the term now specifically means freshwater fish. By adopting fish at home, people may get to experience and understand the tropics even though one does not live near the equator where all year round, climate is typically warm with only slight variation in temperature due to the combined effects of direct sunlight exposure and the presence of. Species from the wild have become an aquarium collection favourite because of their bright color and unique appearance. Some are even really rare and for their certain features, many have been selectively bred. Others are hybrid of even more than one species.

Some are even really rare and for their certain features, many have been selectively bred. Many are hybrids of multiple species and that includes intentional man-made mixes.

Birchirs and redfish are common tropical fish in a freshwater enviornment among others like; catfish; cichlids, loaches and related cypriniforms, some pufferfish, rainbowfish and many, many others and some can do both freshwater and saltwater depending on species and sub-species.

Some fish are to aggresive to be in the fish tank with others. A good example is the Discus fish which are great by themselves because they are rather shy and are clearly not compatible with aggresive fish like an Oscar or some varities of Ciclids or Jack Dempseys. Green Swordtail, Variable Platy, Southern Platy, Bala Shark, Red-Striped Rasbora, Malabar Danio, Tiger Barb, Rosy Barb, Gold Barb, Cherry Barb, Marbled Headstander, Serpae Tetra, Garnet Tetra, Glowlight Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Blue Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Iridescent Shark, Upside-Down Catfish, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies, Killifish and some types of Labyrinth Fish can live in a community.

Highly recommended for first timers are Goldfish, Siamese Fighting Fish, Gray Bichir, Ornate Bichir, Reedfish, Amazon Sailfin Catfish, Walking Catfish, Black Phantom Tetra, Black Tetra, Buenos Aires Tetra, Cave Tetra, Emperor Tetra, Glowlight Tetra, Neon Tetra, Serpae Tetra, Sunshine Peacock Cichlid, Eureka Red Peacock, Blue Dolphin Cichlid, Afra Cichlid, Electric Yellow Cichlid, Malawi Eyebiter, Auratus Cichlid, Chipokee Cichlid, Blue Johanni Cichlid, Aurora, Red Zebra Cichlid, Cobalt Blue Cichlid, Kenyi Cichlid, Giraffe Cichlid, Julie Cichlid , Masked Julie, Lyretail Cichlid, Jewel Cichlid, German Ram, Texas Cichlid, Cherry Barb, Gold Barb, Rosy Barb, Sumatra Barb, Malabar Danio, Pearl Danio, Zebra Danio, Striped Panchax, Guppy, Black Molly, Sailfin Molly, Dalmatian Molly, Variable Platy and Green Swordtail.

Having been successful in taking care of the types mentioned above, for the next challenge, you might want to try adopting the following species which have special needs: Spotted Raphael, Black Neon Tetra, Bleeding Heart Tetra, Congo Tetra, Green Neon Tetra, Rummy-Nose Tetra, Blue Lyretail , Dwarf Gourami and Black Ghost Knifefish that are sensitive with their environment and are prone to diseases.

and the fish that enjoy their meal live like the Brown Ghost Knifefish; Some fish can jump completely out of your fish tank like the Marbled Hachetfish and the Black-Winged Hatchetfish so watch it; male Three-lined Pencilfish that tend to really defend small territories; Marbled Headstander that fight among each other especially in small groups; Two-Stripe Dwarf Cichlid that are more comfortable in pair in a 40 gallon tank; and the beautiful and mysterious Angelfish that can tolerate many fish except the tetras which they get easily aggravated.

Meanwhile, the types of Red Bellied Pacu, Blue Discus, Red Discus, Threadfin Rainbowfish, Congo Pufferfish, Giant Freshwater Pufferfish, Green-spotted Puffer, Chinese High Fin Banded Shark and Electric Eel are quiet difficult pets in terms of feeding, breeding and maintenance.

Remember that some fish are as small as i inch while others as large as 35 inches and know that the extremes are not compatible in the same fish tank. Tetras, hatchetfish, pencil fish, danios, rasboras, headstanders, guppies, mollies, rainbowfish and Angelfish American Cichlid can grow from 1.5 inches to 5.9 inches.

Beechers, Redfish and the Two Spot Glass Catfish can be 14 to 18 inches. On the other end, Lake Tanganyika Cichlid Boulengerochromis Microlepsis can be as large as 35 inches while a bagrid catfish like the Asian Redtail grows 51 inches. When choosing what size fish tank that you want, make sure that you consider the final size that your fish will reach at maturity.

Fish tanks require tropical elements fairly needed by the fish such as water temperature, lighting and plants. Most species of fish in their natural habitat live in regions with water temperatures of up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

It would be safe to maintain water temperature between 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the variety of fish. For example, while goldfish is a well-known freshwater aquarium, it actually is a kind of cold-water cyprinids that it requires cooler temperature than the ideal tropical temperature of 80 degrees.

Variants of goldfish include the Black Moor, Bubble Eye, Butterfly Tail, Calico, Celestial Eye, Comet, Common, Fantail, Lionchu, Lionhead, Oranda, Panda Moor, Pearlscale, Pompom, Ranchu, Ryukin, Shubunkin, Telescope Eye and Veiltail.

Lighting in a fish tank should be monitored as it emits heat and is influential in the biological cycle in the new habitat. It is advisable to turn-on the light for at least eight hours a day for a healthier fish. Also many of the fish will need the plants as both shelter from more aggresive fish and a spawning area for their young and possibly their diet.

To not provide the tropical feel in an aquarium has its consequences like discoloration of fish, abnormalities in fins and gills and worse, fish disease or expiration.