Cheap Pet Insurance

November 22nd, 2009 by Leonard Boyler

Deciding what kind of fish you want is just one of the first steps in setting up an aquarium. Your local pet store will offer a myriad of choices inside all those colorful tanks lined up on their wall. The question is, which to get?

If you are new to fish keeping, this can be an overwhelming task. But before you choose what particular fish you like, consider these three important questions. One, exactly how big can this fish get? Two, what quality of water does the fish require? And three, will the fish peacefully coexist with the others I want?

You can choose to get small fish, about an inch or less, usually called community fish. Many fish keepers prefer to populate their tanks with several groups of community fish like Platies, swordtails, guppies, and dwarf Gourami. Refrain from putting different varieties of fish in one tank unless you have it on good authority that they will get along well together. Community fish are used to swimming in schools, so remember to buy more than one so they don’t get lonely. A gallon of aquarium water for an inch of fish is the rule of thumb for small fish.

Most other species of fish will grow much larger, anywhere between six inches and several feet. With a few exceptions, these are best kept alone, as they will attack smaller or weaker fish. If you do select one of these larger species, you’ll need an aquarium size to match. Keeping one of these species in a ten gallon tank is possible when they are very young, but you will need to upgrade eventually.

It will be better to just purchase the aquarium that can accommodate their adult size, when you first get your fish. Once you’ve selected the kind of fish you want, find out the maximum size they will grow to, then buy the appropriate aquarium.

A few varieties of fish can live in almost any water condition. The most popular of these is goldfish. They are known to be almost indestructible, and will probably survive even without lights or a filter on the tank, although this is not recommended.

The slightly more picky tropical fish need a narrower water temperature range, as well as high-quality water. To achieve the water quality these fish need, test your water frequently, use a good filter on the aquarium, and consider products like the EcoBio-Block, which improves your aquarium water quality and reduces maintenance. Some fish need a specific pH, or have other water quality requirements. Be sure to do your research so that the fish you choose have similar water requirements.

The last category of fish includes saltwater or marine varieties. These are tricky to keep, and are best left until you have fishkeeping experience with freshwater fish. In addition to temperature, light, and water quality requirements, you must also keep an eye on the salt levels in the aquarium. These beautiful fish require a lot of work to keep them healthy, and you cannot mix freshwater fish with saltwater varieties.

And lastly, examine every fish closely before you buy them. Check that they have healthy bright eyes, intact tails and fins, no missing scales or injury of any kind. Observe if they have healthy ap petites and a high level of activity. Choose only bright and healthy looking fish.

As you can see, choosing your fish is an important factor when creating your aquarium and good choices will mean many years of enjoyment to come.

Leonard Boyler has been keeping fish for more than two decades. His favorite products make aquarium care and maintenance so easy from start up to clearing up cloudy fish tanks. To find out more about keeping the water clear and having healthy fish, please visit ONEdersave.com.