So you’ve got your fish tank set up, and now you’re ready to fill it with a whole host of happy, playful fish, right? Well, now it’s time to plan exactly what type of fish you want and there are some important things to consider before laying down the cash and buying freshwater fish.

Do you want fish that are extremely active, so they’re always swimming around and entertaining you, or are you more interested in bright, vibrant colors and obscure patterns? Even if you want something else entirely, there are many different varieties of freshwater fish available to suit everyone.

Choosing the type of fish that you want can take some time, and if you are planning on putting several breeds together in the same tank, you need to do a bit of research beforehand. Why i hear you say? Well, the simple answer is that like every other living thing on this planet of ours, they don’t always play nicely together!

Research is essential

Any decent fish supply store/aquarium should be able to give you solid information and advice about what you need to do to keep your potential fishes happy and healthy in your tank, and also let you know what fish should not be put together in the same tank.

So before you buy freshwater fish for your aquarium, just be sure to ask the question so you don’t wake up one morning and find that there aren’t quite as many fish in the tank as there was the night before!

There are many different questions you should consider asking, including:

* Does this fish like open areas, or plenty of plants?
* Does this fish prefer alkaline or more acidic water (Lower pH verses higher pH)?
* Will this fish get along with the other fish you purchased or will be purchasing?
* What are the feeding requirements for this fish? Does he eat at the top of the tank, or is it a bottom feeder?
* How much space does this fish need?
* What water temperature does this fish thrive in?

While you could go and do research on various species of Freshwater fish right now, it’s probably going to get too confusing at this point, and you won’t really be able to fall in love with the fish this way.

This is why I would recommend a different option…

Head to a fish store, and browse what they have. Heck, go to several in your area! Take a note pad and write down the species of fish that you like, and talk to the resident expert about the needs of each individual species you have written down.

Now don’t buy any fish just yet, but take all that information home and perform your own bit of research on the various species of freshwater fish you wrote down. Use the internet or books to learn as much as you can and cross reference the information the staff gave you on that species of fish.

This really is the best way to know what fish are right for you, and ensures that you buy freshwater fish that suite your particular tastes and preferences.

Food for Thought

There is one important thing to consider if you plan on purchasing multiple fish, and that’s their food requirements.

Fish eat at different levels in the tank. Some species are bottom dwellers, which as their name suggests spend most of their time and consume their food from the bottom of the tank, whilst others are surface eaters who prefer to consume their food at the water’s surface.

Mixing these different species of fish will be just fine, but try to avoid top feeders that are known to be aggressive – pellets intended for the bottom feeders just might not get there!

Try to choose fish with similar dietary needs, and a good mix that you have learned through your research will live happily together, because happy fish tend to live a longer and brighter existence. This is good for both you and your new marine friends!

You also want to ensure that your fish aren’t going to eat each other while you’re away – and no, I’m not joking. I personally have some experience in this department where not enough research cost me with the loss of 8 tetras. Research, then research some more before you buy your freshwater fish. You will be glad you did.

Aggressive Fish

Many fish – especially males – are going to be aggressive in general, so you really do need to try and avoid pairing more than one male in the tank, although naturally less aggressive species should not be a problem.

Fish with similar colors can also occasionally set things off, so again careful planning as to what fish you pair up should be should be high on your priority list. Several females to one male usually works best, but obviously every situation will be different.

Other serious risks can include aggressive fish biting or nibbling at each other, or smaller fish that simply can’t fend for themselves. Fish that have long, flowing fins will almost certainly be a target.

Match aggression levels and you’ll generally end up with a good mix. Bullies know when to back off and can fend for themselves, so most situations like those mentioned in this article can be avoided.

What not to do!

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to just fill your tank with exotic looking fish and hope everything works out. This is sadly something that happens quite often and you will end up paying for it in the end…literally!

If you follow the guidelines here before buying your freshwater fish, I have no doubt you will end up with a great set of fish that will be around for a long, long time!

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Article by Preston Mane

Keeping fishes inside your home is such a pleasure. Nothing is more fun than looking at the fishes swimming freely on the tank with no worries at all. The sight seems to calm your nerves and changes your bad mood. However, there is a big difference when you just buy a complete set of freshwater aquarium than making or setting up your own. Although it will eat your time and take some of you energy, the result will indeed be rewarding. Thus, instead of going straight to the pet store and paying for your ready made freshwater aquarium, why not read these tips which will tell you how enjoyable it would be to do it yourself?

First, you must make sure that you want a tank in your own home. Choose a good spot, one which is not busy so that you will not end up with shattered glasses in your floor. Then, you must make a list of the things which you need to buy. With regards to the type of tank, you have a choice between a glass and an acrylic one. The traditional glass tank can already satisfy a simple freshwater aquarium. The size must be proportionate with the number or fishes which you want to keep. The list must contain the light bulb, the substrates, a heater, a filtrating system or tool, a background and some live plants. Lastly of course, you must already be sure of what kind of fish you would want to live in your freshwater aquarium.

The tank must be cleaned thoroughly using water. Actually there are many fish keepers who say that tap water should not be used since there is a big chance that harmful elements may remain on it. However, the big no-no should be using detergent soaps or other harmful cleaning solutions which will pose a threat to the fish health.

Then, you can start by adding the substrates. The substrates are also very necessary matter in setting up your own tank. The substrates can be gravel or sand depending on the suitable type for your fishes. They must be placed on the bottom of the tank and must be spread in a right level. Avoid using colourful substrates for paint may peel off from these colroful gravels and pebbles.

Set up the heater, the bulb and the filter. The filter will keep the water clean and free from harmful elements. The heater on the other hand will keep the temperature stable on the tank. Light is also necessary for the whole being of the fishes. There are filters which can be put outside of the tank while there are others which can be placed inside. The latter however tends to eat space.

Arrange the live plants in a symmetric manner. There are patterns such as concave, triangle and convex for your live plants. You can always look for beautiful great tips on what they call “aquascaping”.

Lastly, the rest all boils down to your ability and skill to care for the fishes which you have chosen. Great fishes include those of the Cichlid and Koi family.

Article by Miftah Mcyber

About Freshwater Aquariums Tanksby : Miftah McyberPeople enjoy the wonderful hobby for an aquarium for several purposes. When he saw the underwater wonders only wonder and excitement in their eyes, the real, and never too late to close the wonderful hobby. However, you need some knowledge of the cultivation of fish in the first tank, and in this article will teach you all about freshwater aquariums tanks.Priority 1: Aquarium Shape & SizeThe surface area is nearly always important than the volume of the aquariums tanks. A good reason for this is the type of fish you intend to collect in the aquarium. More often than not, some of these fish around the level of a single depth in the water, causing water volume are ignored and will seem useless.

Priority 2: Fish Tank MaterialsAcrylic and glass are the two most common materials used in the manufacture of aquariums tanks. The aquarium has many features that are either useful or harmful, but in the end everything depends on the preference of the same hobbies.

Glass is a common material and “stereotypes” for the aquariums tanks. This composition is very resistant, scratch-free, light and stable when they work together as one piece. Tanks are heavy and difficult to be transported to another place, this material is more commonly known as brittle. Glass containers should be strong enough, but not as strong as cracks, broken glass, tap water is borne entirely, perhaps.Acrylic tanks, across old and new type of aquariums tanks. They are made of synthetic materials to replicate the properties of glass made during the removal of almost all glass “weaknesses. Such tanks are usually about half the weight of a glass container the same size and are quite robust in the sense that it can be killed, but not broken. the downside is that the acrylic tanks is easily scratched than glass (even if I cut acrylic tanks is back in its original condition is not so difficult compared to glass fragments) and you can scrape the seaweed, such as severe as in a glass tanks.Some other factor to consider is the kind of material from which the Aquarium tanks. The acrylic tanks are strong and are used in the forms available. It can also be easily adjusted, if necessary, cutting or drilling for special configurations. The glass is fragile, but is more scratch resistant than acrylic. The biggest advantage of using a glass aquarium is that they are cheaper.

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Article by Sam Noel

How to choose Freshwater Aquarium Fish. This is a summary of the important points to be noted before choosing a freshwater aquarium fish. It will be always fun for fish enthusiasts while buying a new fish, but they must take care to consider some important details about the fish, like, what it eats, how large it grows. It is always advised not to buy a fish without knowing fully about the fish.Fish that are very specific in their habitat conditions cannot grow in home aquariums. This will affect the health of the fish. Sometimes, fish may also die, so it is always advised to buy a fish after knowing its habitat details before buying it.Your fish also must be compatible with each other. Usually aquarists have fishes of different varieties, colours, shapes and sizes. Those fishes originated from different parts of the world. So their behaviour and food habits may also be different.Different kinds of fishes prefer different types of water conditions. There are some fishes which prefer hard and alkaline water, while there are some fishes that prefer soft and acidic water. It is not possible to provide separate environment for each type of fish. Some fishes that are not compatible with the chemistry of your aquarium water may not grow well or may not exhibit their best colours.Pattern of behaviour is also very important. Fishes that swim around fastly will disturb the fishes that swim slowly. Those fast swimming fishes will have and need more food than the slow swimming fishes at the time of feeding. This is because the timid species will hold back and get only very little food to eat.Differences in behaviour can be very disruptive, conflicts can occur among fishes inside the tank itself, even when fishes have peaceful dispositions. Some of the fishes like the territorial fishes do not allow other fishes to enter their area, leaving only a little place for the other fishes in the tank.Also remember that the fishes sold in the shops are very young. They will grow in your home aquarium only. So you need to select the fish that fits the size of your aquarium after it grows well. After buying this fish, the tank might look empty for a few months. In the mean time, do not fill the tank with more fishes, as this will create a problem after the fishes grow.Healthy fishes will always be active, so do not buy fishes that have poor colour, fins that are clamped close to the body, or with odd behaviour in swimming. When you are approaching the tank, the Freshwater Aquarium Fish must crowd in the front in the anticipation that they are going to get fed. If any fish is not coming with the other fishes, then there could be a possibility it is sick. Never buy that fish.Sourcehttp://www.homefishaquarium.com

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Article by Sandra Gaffney

Aquariums are good stress-relieving alternative; they give that soothing ambience when you gaze at the fish that swim about in the fish tank. Hobbyists often have a good time with their fish. Like with other domestic pets such as cats and dogs, fish are even given names by their owners. Keeping an aquarium at home is such a wonderful hobby that anyone at any age can enjoy it, and we’re going to give you a few tips and some helpful freshwater aquarium information to help you get started.Big Aquariums = Easy MaintenanceSmall aquariums should never be used by beginners. There are a lot of factors to consider when maintaining the water in your aquarium suitable for life, and small aquariums tend to spread the changes in the water chemistry far too quickly because of the small volume that they have to cover, leaving a very small room for errors. Thus, keeping small aquariums is absolutely not recommended for beginners. Big aquariums, however, tend to extend the changes in water chemistry over a large volume of water, so these changes are actually “diluted”, making it easier for the beginner to observe and maintain these water chemistry factors.Make Fish Population proportional to Tank SizeDon’t try to sardine-pack the fishes on a small space. If you can’t help having a large number of fish in an aquarium, then try to purchase an aquarium that can surpass the overall “fish mass” of about 50% when the net water volume is measured. Otherwise, reduce the number of fish that you plan to raise. This is very crucial, because you don’t want to end up having to lose all of your fish in one day, just because you didn’t pay enough attention to the space that the fish need. Learn About Your Aquarium’s Water ChemistryThis is considered as the vital freshwater aquarium information: monitoring the different levels of impurities or composition of the water. There are four general levels that you have to observe when maintaining your fish tank, and these are the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and the water’s pH levels. Ammonia is beneficial ONLY during the startup cycle. In different circumstances it is quite toxic, and at uncontrolled levels it can instantly kill your fish. Nitrites are also quite toxic, and should be kept as low as possible to support marine life. Nitrates are a lot less toxic than the other two, and are in fact the by product of algae breaking down the two previous substances, but you can’t keep too much of them in your tank either. Water pH levels refer to the acidity and alkalinity of water, and are mostly controlled by applying the appropriate substrate to your fish tank. Most of the times, pH levels are controlled by your filtration system, although they are best managed by controlling the substances in the water that cause them to rise or fall.Do a Full Maintenance of your Aquarium at Regular IntervalsThis is perhaps the most challenging, if not the most tedious, thing to do when setting up your fish tank. Filters need to be changed once in a while (around 2-3 weeks at best), and if you don’t do this, your fish tank is in big trouble. Also, you need to change the water of the tank periodically. Don’t forget to put your fish into hospital tanks before doing this. NEVER EVER use soap when cleaning the articles that you put on the substrate (such as decorative corals, etc.). Instead, soak them in a tub filled with hot water mixed with salt for a few hours, and scrub them with a clean sponge. If you need to change substrates, then you have to test them again for water pH level changes.  

Article by Sandra Gaffney

Good and clean aquariums are the pride of the aquarist. But in order for these proud aquarists to have, sparkling clean fish tanks, they have to do regular maintenance. But doing freshwater aquarium maintenance can be a bit demanding, and so these aquarists have come up with an array of different tools right from the aquarist armory, to ensure that dirt and its minions can never win over the cleanliness of these prime enthusiasts.

Gravel VacuumsSpecifically called aquarium gravel vacuums, for a more defined naming convention, these machines work exactly like your ordinary vacuum cleaner: they suck off excess dirt in the aquarium that you can’t get your hands on, such as excess food and waste materials.

Algae Pads/Scraper/ScrubberAs the name suggests, they are specifically used to remove the algae from your aquariums, keeping them free of these green monsters. The softer pads are commonly used for acrylic tanks, which are scratched very easily due to their flexible composition.

Fish NetsThese nets can be utilized as a separation bay, much like how fish farmers grow their fish in the sea using nets. You can also use these fish nets as transportation devices, when moving dead or large fishes from the main tank. The size of the holes determines their use, and obviously, the smaller-holed ones are for small fry.

Forceps or TongsPrimarily useful for picking out certain obstructions in the aquarium, as well as removing dead fish. Apparently, they can also be used as planting sticks.

PailsAh yes, the ever so faithful water container. Bet you’re unsurprised? Yep, pails are also good aquarium maintenance tools to use, because they carry water that you can use for partial water changing, full water changing, and many other things.

Siphon TubesThese are commonly used to drain the water out of the aquarium without you having to literally lift the aquarium and tilt it sideways (which is quite difficult if you know what I mean). This is the reason for the minimum length of a siphon tube: it should at least be able to reach to floor from the rim of the aquarium.

Water pH Testing KitsAs the name states, is used to check the water pH levels in an aquarium. It can generally be used as a pH testing kit for almost anything (yes, even if it not even about aquariums), which is why it can also be used to test certain kinds of waters, like tap water, if they’re safe to use for an aquarium (of course, after following the correct procedures in testing pH levels of tap water).

These tools give the aquarist the edge against all kinds of dirt that can desecrate his or her sacred aquatic sanctum. And in using these tools, you can now conduct your freshwater aquarium maintenance with maximum proficiency. For best results, however, a combination of some of all of these tools would be necessary, along with the proper maintenance procedures.

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Now that the tank is running smoothly, the temperature should be around seventy-eight degrees. I would suggest adding two products that I use in my tank to aid in the breakdown of waste and improve cycling. They are called “Cycle” and “Waste Control” from Hagen. I have been using them since day one and they work wonders.

OK time to use our test kit to test several components of your aquarium water. We will test the “PH”, “Nitrites”, “Nitrates”, “Ammonia”, “Iron”, “Phosphate”, “Carbonate Hardness” and “General Hardness”. There are several different test chemicals out there but I use the Hagen test kits and find them very reliable. You’re saying to yourself, I don’t have any fish in the tank, why test the water.

The simple answer is we need to know where the water is because in order to get a nitrogen cycle going and for it to complete a cycle, fish need to be introduced.

Before we go on I will take the time to explain what a nitrogen cycle is. Nitrogen cycles happen continuously in nature on it’s own, but in a Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium ecosystem we need to control it.

In stage one, ammonia is produced in the aquarium via tropical fish waste, dead plants and uneaten food. This waste will break down into either ammonium (NH4) or ammonia (NH3). Ammonium is not harmful to tropical fish but ammonia is. If the PH is under seven, you will have ammonium. If the PH is seven or higher you will have ammonia. Most home aquariums unless they are home to fish that need low PH will be above seven.

In stage two, bacteria called nitrosomonas will develop and they will oxidize the ammonia in the tank, essentially eliminating it. The byproduct of ammonia oxidation is Nitrites.

Nitrites are just as toxic to tropical fish as ammonia.
In stage three, Bacteria called nitrobacter will develop and convert the nitrites into Nitrates. Nitrates are not as harmful to tropical fish as ammonia or nitrites, but nitrate is still harmful in large amounts. The quickest way to rid your aquarium of nitrates is to perform partial water changes.

A new Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium without anything in it will not start a nitrogen cycle on it’s own. There are several ways to start a cycle but since this is a new setup I will will discuss the first two. The safest and least expensive method is to add a few flakes of fish food every twelve hours. This replicates uneaten food which will decay and become ammonia and the cycle begins. The downside to this is approximately two more weeks without any fish.

The second way and the one I have used is to add fish. I started with six neon tetra and a couple silver-tip tetra. Danios are hardy as well. This is quicker but remember ammonia and nitrites are deadly to fish and this can kill them. Daily water tests must be conducted and water changes preformed if the levels climb to high.

Water testing is a very important part of having a freshwater tropical fish aquarium. If we don’t know what the water is doing we will not know why we have cloudy water, our plants and fish die or maybe algae is growing. Earlier in the article I listed the main items that needed to be tested for. I will now give you the range that each should be on average for a community tank.

* The PH of my tank is generally in the range of 7.0 to 7.6. It is more important to have a constant PH rather than the so-called ideal PH.

* Nitrites should be kept below .3 mg/L. Nitrites are toxic to fish so if the nitrites climb above this level do a minimum 20% water change.

* Ammonia should be kept below 1.2 mg/L. If the level is above this mark follow the instructions in the test kit to determine the level of toxic ammonia and if a water change is necessary.

* Nitrate levels should not climb above 50mg/L. Levels above this will contribute to the growth of algae. I try to keep my levels around 25 mg/L as this supplies the plants with food but not enough for algae growth. There’s a fine line between the the balance of nitrates with the number of plants in the tank.

* Phosphate levels should remain below 1.0 mg/L. Phosphates are a result of poor maintenance or overfeeding. If the levels climb above 1.0 mg/L do a 20% water change.

* Iron levels should be kept as close to .1 mg/L as possible. Iron is a necessary element if you have live plants in your freshwater tropical fish aquarium. A lack of iron will result in poor plant growth and even plants dieing. Excessive levels of iron on the other hand is toxic to fish. A case where more is not better.

* Carbonate hardness should be kept at or slightly above, 80 mg/L. Carbonate hardness (commonly called alkalinity) is the capacity for the water to neutralize an acid. I maintain a level of 80 – 90 mg/L.

* General Hardness is the hardness of your water. A level of 40 – 80 ppm with give you a slightly hard water which I find works great in my community tank.

We now wait until the first cycle completes and the tank settles in and we are ready to start maintaining our tank. I will discuss this in my article titled Maintaining a Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium.

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How Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Hobbyists Are Adding The Blue Bee Shrimp

According to wholesale tropical fish supplier Gary Smith, of East Coast Tranship, the Blue Bee shrimp is a species that is becoming quite popular with owners of small aquariums. The Blue Bee Shrimp is comparatively new to the shrimp hobby, having first been introduced around March 2008.

This shrimp can be many colors and is occasionally hard to get because it is caught in the wild and is just recently starting to be bred by hobbyists in significant numbers. The Blue Bee is a species found in freshwater streams in China. So far most all of the Blue Bee Shrimp obtained by hobbyists from the pet store trade are wild caught. However, since breeding has begun, captive bred specimens should not take long to hit the hobby shelves.

Breeding the Blue Bee Shrimp

Successful breeding has been reported in a pH range of 6.5 to 6.8 with a temperature of 74 Fahrenheit. These parameters are very similar to the factors required for the Crystal Red Shrimp or Bee Shrimp. Since this is a close relative of those two species, Gary recommends that the same care should be applied to the Blue Bee Shrimp.

Feeding the Blue Bee Shrimp

It is best to do feeding once per day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Because shrimp are scavengers in the wild, they will eat anything they can find and are not accustomed to a constant food source.

Most freshwater tropical shrimps are undemanding in their care requirements. They should be kept in a well-established aquarium with no predators. The most important factor for water parameter is stability and as long as none of the water parameters are in the extremes they should be happy and healthy.

Because of the shrimps’ non-aggressive manner and their algae-eating habits, they are also widely popular in natural/planted aquariums. If there is not enough algae present, foods intended for aquarium fish and invertebrates can be used as a supplement to their diet. Another fine supplement is vegetables that have been boiled just until they are soft.

There are a good number of other distinct and colorful species of shrimps that can bring interest to small aquariums such as the Black Crystal Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp and the White Spot Shrimp.

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Article by John Thomson

What Tank Should You Buy?

Firstly you need to decide on a place for your tank in the house. Find somewhere out of direct sunlight and away from vibration and drafts. You will have a good idea of its possible size once you have decided where it’s going. Do not look at any tank which is less than 30 galls capacity that is 36″ x 18″ x 12″. The reason for this is that larger aquariums are much more stable and easier to maintain than smaller ones which can go wrong very quickly.

You will find fish tanks made of either glass or the more expensive acrylic. Acrylic tanks are much stronger than glass but they do scratch fairly easily. Acrylic is a better insulator than glass so electrical costs may be less. Acrylic is a good choice if children are afoot but under normal circumstances glass is fine.

What Other Equipment Do You Need?

An aquarium will weigh a lot so make sure that whatever you support it with is man enough for the job.If you are going to have live plants you will require a substrate of some sort. Filtration is a major consideration as well. There are several kinds of filters ranging from under gravel through external filters to power filters. Water treatment equipment is completed with one or more heaters and thermostat and two or more aeration blocks and pump.

If you are going to have live plants then you will need a timer and high K value lighting. If you’re not clear what that means then you would be well advised to seek advice from your fish man.Finally you will need a few extra things like a siphonic gravel cleaner, small net and a rubber glass scraper.

How Do You Setup The Tank?

Position the under gravel filter if you are using one and then add the substrate or gravel, finally to it up with freshwater. Put in place everything else that you need like rocks, ornaments, filter system, heater, thermostat and aeration blocks. As your fish supplier’s advice about plants if you are a beginner because they can be a complex subject. Then leave your tank for about a week to allow the water chemistry to stabilise and give the important micro-organisms time to grow.

It is absolutely essential that your aquarium has stabilised before you add any fish to it. It is the most common mistake made by beginners so be warned.

The pH level should settle to an acceptable level and the temperature should be normal for all the fish in the tank. Make sure that everything is in place including rocks, ornaments and plants before you stabilise the tank.

What Fish Do You Buy?

Now that the aquarium is stable and has been running for about a week, you can go back to the pet store and buy your fish. You need to make sure that the water conditions (temperature, pH, hardness) suit the fish that you buy. It is also important to check that your selected fish will live in peace together. Lastly you should use the rule of thumb ‘no more than 1 inch of fish to each gallon of water’. Remember that your fish are babies when you buy them and they will grow quite quickly so you should take this into account when applying this formula. The higher your fish population is the more frequently you will need to clean the tank.

Never just tip your new fish straight into the tank. Fish usually travel in water filled plastic bags pumped up with oxygen, float these in the tank for 20 minutes to equalise the temperatures then add some tank water to the bag water for another 20 minutes before gently tipping the newcomers into your tank. Don’t be worried when your new arrivals huddle together at the back of the tank for a day or two, this is perfectly normal.It is true to say that fish are cannibals and if a fish is of a size that will fit into the mouth of another then it will be eaten. The consequence of this is that you should not add small or baby fish to an established aquarium, the larger fish are going to eat them.

How Do You Maintain It?

Unlike ponds and lakes which reach an equilibrium, your aquarium is not large enough to do this so you need to clean it out regularly. Roughly about every two weeks is usually enough. A siphonic ‘hoover’ should be used to clean the gravel and you should remove roughly 1/3 of the aquarium water which should be replaced with treated freshwater. In other words, tap water which has had its chlorine removed by the addition of a small amount of chemical.

So. in conclusion. To have a relatively trouble free start with your home freshwater aquarium do what I have described above.

Article by Renske Buursma

A freshwater aquarium can be a great idea. Fish are relatively easy to care for but there are a few things to bear in mind before deciding which fish to get. Remember, first of all, that your aquarium should be left running for two weeks before introducing any fish, to let the good bacteria in your filter mature to a safe level for the fish.

Fish should be purchased from a reputable dealer or pet store. Fish won at fairgrounds rarely last! If the fish in the dealer’s shop tank look happy and there are no dead ones floating on the surface, they should be fine.

Try to get compatible fish. School fish tend to be compatible with one another. Examples include catfish, loaches, barbs, pearl and zebra danios, cardinal tetras or neons. A pair of catfish can control the algae but can also grow to be large fish, so ask in the pet store how big that particular breed can get. Also, they can be predatory and eat your other fish. Killifish can be hard to find but are good in a freshwater aquarium, especially for beginners. Oscars eat other fish and make a lot of mess, as do knife fish. Goldfish can suffer from many health problems and need a lower water temperature than many other fish so might be best avoided.

Some fish like a lot of greenery and plants so if your aquarium is to amuse a child, for example, it might be better to opt for the type of fish who prefer a few rocks, else you will not see much of the fish. They hide a lot.

Do not overcrowd your tank. Two inches of fish to every gallon of water is a good rule of thumb to bear in mind. Fish prefer square or rectangular tanks to spherical ones. Angel fish need a tank larger than ten gallons.

Do some research on the freshwater fish you prefer. You should find out about their special needs, whether chemical, temperature, compatibility-related or dietary.

You can get cold water aquariums, sub-tropical and tropical freshwater aquariums so make sure you know what temperature of water your fish likes and do not mix different species of fish if they like different temperatures.

Before adding a fish to your tank, you will need to quarantine it for a short period, to make sure it is healthy and not going to pass any illness to your other fish. Adding more than four fish at once can cause a chemical imbalance so add fish gradually, checking they remain healthy and settle in well, before adding more.

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