All about Tropical Fish

Fish are mesmerising; Lots of us can spend ages looking into the blue depths of an aquarium without tiring.

Both engaging and calming, aquariums are frequently lauded as one of the best stress-busting things around. It's not just a coincidence that ornate fish tanks can be discovered in offices, lobbies and doctor surgery reception areas as numerously as they can be seen in the home.

If you've never had fish before, the options and possibilities can appear too much.

Aquarium fish

Aquarium fish maintenance is broadly divided into three groups; coldwater (goldfish), tropical (freshwater fish) and marine (saltwater warm blooded fish and invertebrates).

The set-up process for coldwater and tropical freshwater fish is largely similar, except for adding a heater to the water for tropical fish. Marine fish and all similar livestock is in a class of its own, and best not worth considering for the first time fish keeper without months of research and preparation.

The first decision is where in your home your tank will be located. You'll probably want it to be prominent, but try not to place it  close to a window or radiator, as this may cause havoc in regulating the temperature. Aquariums in direct sunlight can encourage the fast growth of bad algae which can choke your fish tank and make the glass and the water dark green.

When considering buying your first fish tank, many would-be aquarium keepers are fast attracted to the brightest and very colourful and lively fish, and hope to stock their tank with lots of exotic and varied sea life. However, some investigation into the hobby soon shows that keeping a marine fish tank, the kind that almost always hosts the largest, most ornate and colourful group of fish is rather complex and time consuming, and frequently, not an aptchoice for the first-time keeper.

That said, a freshwater tropical fish established can make a good compromise, and is more straightforward to look after than a saltwater tank; and the tropical warm water tank also has appeal. There are several bright, active and interesting fish that can be homed in a standard tropical set up, and the first outlay and ongoing costs of a tropical fish tank are far lower than that of a marine set up. Data on what is needed to keep tropical fish can be discovered in our article here, and if you have gone through this article and are sure that you are ready to accept the duty involved in keeping a tropical fish tank, you may be asking what type of fish you will ultimately be able to keep within it.

We will look at the considerations to think about when stocking your first tropical fish tank, and provide some suggestions of appropriate  beginner fish that help others.