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Which Fish Can I Keep In My Tropical Tank? Tropical or Cold Water Fish?The first decision to make is whether you want to keep fish which require a heater in the tank, or not. Most tropical fish must be kept in temperatures ranging from 25° to 27°C, although a few species require their environment to be slightly warmer or cooler than this. Cold water fish are happy at normal room temperature for most homes, being quite comfortable at 15°C. No matter which you choose, it is important to have a thermometer attached to the tank, in order to monitor extreme water temperature changes, whether this is caused by a fluctuation in the environmental temperatures, or a heater malfunction.  Cichlids or Community Fish? The easiest way to divide the commonly kept tropical fish species is into cichlids and community fish. Cichlids are one of the largest vertebrate families, with over 1600 different species found in Africa alone, and as a general rule should only be kept with other cichlids from similar localities due to their propensity for aggressive, territorial behavior and need for ideal water conditions. Community fish, on the other hand, can live happily with other species from all over the world, often from wildly different habitats. The key to a happy community tank is hosting fish which neither predate on one another or act with hostility, and possess similarities which allow them to live in harmony. For ease of understanding to the new fishkeeper, we will give information on community fish on this page, and a separate information page can be found in our fish advice section on cichlid care. Community Fish Tetra Tetra are one of the most common small fish kept by budding aquarists, with over 150 species from Africa, Central America and South America. They are amongst the most popular tropical fish, as they tend to be fairly small, hardy and calm with their tankmates. Tetra enjoy soft water and temperatures of 24-26°C, and most tetra species will live for up to 10 years in ideal water conditions. Most tetra are social fish, such as the ever popular Neon tetra, and should be kept with at least 5 fish of the same species.  Mollies & Platies Mollies and Platies should be kept at a steady temperature of 26°C and although they are small fish, growing to around 2" in length, they enjoy their food and create plenty of waste, so a filtered tank is a necessity. They are a fairly mild tankmate and can happily live with a selection of calm community fish, such as Guppies, Tetra and smaller Gourami. Mollies and Platies should be kept in a ratio of 3 females to 1 male, and as livebearers will breed readily in a well maintained aquarium.  Rasbora Rasbora is an Eastern Indian word that describes a fish, leading to much confusion surrounding the Rasbora fish type. The most commonly found Rasboras in the trade include the Harlequin Rasbora and the Scissortail, both of which lend themselves very well to being ideal tankmates for a selection of similarly sized fish. They don't tend to be shy fish, especially when allowed to shoal with others of the same species, so should be kept in groups of 5 or more. Rasbora enjoy heavily planted aquariums with temperatures of around 25°C.  Barbs Barbs tend to be lively, hardy fish, who are best kept in groups of 5 or more as they enjoy schooling. They are a busy fish, who can be a little too boisterous for some tankmates, and can be nippy so shouldn't be kept with any long finned species. The common species include Rosy Barbs, Tiger Barbs, Golden Barbs and Odessa Barbs, who will grow to a maximum size of 4". Although they are an excellent fish to watch, with their interesting stand-offs and behaviours within the shoal, they can quickly become known as the tank Terrier if kept with incompatible species such as Guppies.  Guppies Guppies are perhaps the most popular aquarium species, mostly down to their small size and particularly low bio-load. It is important not to abuse this species, they should be kept in properly filtrated tanks at a temperature of around 26°C. They are no longer the hardy fish that some may remember fondly from their childhoods, and although they have an incredible capacity to deal with changing water parameters, they are easily stressed by boisterous or nippy tankmates. They should be kept at a ratio of 2 females per male, and are fantastic additions to the right tank, readily reproducing in correct conditions.  Danio Danio are a very hardy little fish, producing a low amount of waste and are therefore perfect for the smaller aquarium and the new fishkeeper. These very active fish are ideal tankmates for a huge variety of other community fish, and happiest when kept in shoals of 5 or more. They are happiest kept at slightly lower temperatures than other tropical species, between 24°C and 25°C.  Corydoras Corys are hyper little fish who will shoal unselectively with any fish that look similar, either in pattern, size or shape. There is a suitable Cory for every sized tank and tankmate, with the most common being the Bronze or Albino Corydoras, often nicknamed Cats due to their whiskers. Unfortunately, due to their hardiness, these fish have been victims of the cruel practice of 'dying', so beware of brightly coloured specimens who may have been subject to this. While Corys can withstand rather large changes in water parameters and temperatures, care should be taken to avoid high Nitrate levels, as they are particularly sensitive to Nitrates. Regular use of sinking food pellets will ensure your Corys receive their essential nutrients.  Sharks The most commonly kept aquarium sharks include the Bala Shark, the Rainbow Shark and the delightful Red Tailed Black Shark. Although the shark species are incredible fish to watch, each of the popular species has its problems. The Bala Shark can, and will if properly cared for, grow to an incredible 13" in length. The Rainbow Shark will not tolerate others of the same species, and a tightly fitting lid is a necessity as they will jump out of their tanks, given the opportunity. The Red Tailed Black Shark is an omnivorous scavenger, who will eat anything that fits in its mouth. All three common shark species are territorial, and should be treated with respect - they are sharks after all!  Plecostomus Plecos are an attractive fish in that they will do a little work around the tank for you, being opportunistic feeders they will clean up any algae as they travel around their aquarium. They can, however, grow extremely large, often growing to well over 12" in a well maintained environment. A varied diet should be offered, including fresh vegetables and sinking algae wafers. It is important to provide them with driftwood or bogwood to gnaw on. They are a fish which exudes personality, often they know their owners and will respond to their favoured person entering the room they live in.  Gourami While Dwarf Gourami are very commonly kept, some of the slightly larger Gourami are all too often overlooked. The Gold Gourami will grow to an impressive 6" but is a calm and peaceful tankmate for similarly sized fish, the Pearl Gourami is a very pleasant fish with a maximum size of 4" and the very bright Opaline Gourami will grow to 6" but can happily coexist with other medium sized fish. Interestingly, Gourami are also known as Labyrinth Fish, as they possess an additional respiratory organ which closely resembles mammalian lungs. For this reason, all Gourami should have easy access to the air surface in their aquarium, allowing them to breathe atmospheric air.  Loach Commonly kept loach species include the Golden Zebra Loach and the beautiful Clown Loach. Both tend to be peaceful with a selection of tankmates, although they can cause damage to slow moving fish such as Gourami as they will latch on and suck at their scales. Loaches should not be kept with snails as, although they are poor at containing unwanted snail outbreaks, they may see larger pet snails as a quick snack. Sinking Pellet foods should be regularly offered to loaches to ensure optimal health, as scavengers they often being malnourished. Loaches have incredibly interesting hierarchies and dominance structures, and should be kept in groups of at least 4. |