Aquarium Fish

Many aquarium hobbyists, especially those who are still new to the trade, may be overwhelmed with the huge number of selection of beautiful fish to choose from. There are more than 25,000 species of fish that have already been identified and you can choose from more than 2,000 species that are readily available from pet stores and other fish hobbyists who breed and sell.

It may be a challenge trying to determine the type of fish to consider for your aquarium. It is important that you base your decision on matters such as the size of your tank, whether you would like to keep freshwater of saltwater fish, what type of filters, lights, and heater to use, how many fish you would like to keep in your tank, how much time and maintenance you can devote to your hobby, and the appearance and color of the fish you would like to keep.

You can narrow down your choices of fish based on appearance then you can do a bit of research to check on their characteristics and if the fish you have chosen will thrive when living together in one tank.

To help you decide on the type of fish to keep, you can consider a few key questions such as:

How big will the fish grow?
Is the fish territorial?
Does the fish prey on other fish?
What type of water do the fish require? (pH, temperature, hardness)
What do the fish require in terms of care and maintenance?
Are they bottom feeders or top feeders?
Are the fish readily available in your area?
Do the fish eat live plants?
Are the fish aggressive or shy?
Are the fish raised domestically or are they imported?
Do the fish like living in groups?

These basic questions will help you decide on the type of fish that would suit the time and effort you are willing to devote to the hobby, as well as the aesthetic value of the fish. Knowing the answers will help you have a successful hobby and minimize any future problems that may arise when caring for the fish.

Categories of Aquarium Fish

There are seven main categories of aquarium fish to choose from. Each category has fish with similar traits and would get along in a tank.

Characiforms (tetras, characins, pencilfish, splash tetras, hatchetfish) - many of these fish are caught in the wild and are from Africa and the Americas. They are wonderful in community tanks.

Cypriniforms (danios, sharks, barbs, rasboras,  loaches, goldfish, koi) -  these types of fish come from all parts of the world. Some come from tropical waters and others from cold waters. These types of fish are hardy and breed easily.

Labyrinth Fish (fighting fish, gouramis, paradise fish, combtails) – these are small and hardy fish that are relatively peaceful and are wonderful community fish.

Cichlids - these fish have bright colors. They are territorial and aggressive but they thrive in a community tank as long as you provide the right conditions.

Rainbowfish (silversides, rainbowfish) -  these types of fish have a diverse type of habitat. They can change colors. They are small and colorful.

Cyprinodonts ( killifish, toothcarps) – these are small types of fish that prefer to live in the surface of the tank.

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