Freshwater Aquarium Fish

Freshwater tanks are a lot easier to maintain than a saltwater aquarium. The fresh water fish may not be easy to keep but the set up is a lot less complicated, you do not have to be chemist to run one of these tank set ups. Basically in your tank should be your filter, your heater and your lights. You will also need a thermometer. After the tank has been sitting for a few weeks getting the bacteria to cycle then it is ready for some freshwater fish!

There are different kinds of fresh water fish that you can get. There are of course large and small and different species of each. If you are just starting out and your tank is only for decorative purposes then stick with small fish, but if you see this as becoming a great hobby and you are going to stick to it then don’t bother with small fish as they are a waste of money, it is better to get the bigger fish! Bigger species of fish aren’t harder to keep than smaller ones, just different. When I say bigger species I don’t mean that they are bigger to start of with, but most of the “bigger species” can grow to at least half a foot long. Cichlids and Malawi's are the usual favourites of fish enthusiasts, although they are both freshwater fish they both need different types of fresh water.

African Malawi's prefer hard water, and a lower PH. American cichlids like to have a different temperature and PH level. Also there is a certain type of fish, known as Discus which is very, very expensive and hard to keep. There PH level has to be maintained almost exact throughout their tank life or it can result in death, they also like their temperature higher than most fresh water fish, nearly thirty degrees.

When choosing your fresh water fish make sure that they are fish that you like! Not to mention make sure that the fish that you choose are going to be relatively easy for you to keep, there is no point in purchasing hard to keep fish if you are not going to spend the time and take on the responsibility to look after them! Fish are living creatures to and they need a lot of looking after, so don’t purchase them if you are not prepared to do so.

Aquarium Tank

Your aquarium tank is something that you should choose wisely. It is not something to be bought on a whim. The tank has to be suitable for what you are planning to put in it. Aquarium tanks can be used for several things, decoration, fish, amphibians or corals. All these different things need different tank types and different types of things in the aquarium. Fish are the easier thing to keep whereas corals are a lot harder than the others.

Corals require a marine setup aquarium tank, this means saltwater basically. It needs to have intensive hard lights, a saltwater level of around 0.7, this is the optimum level for fish and corals that need saltwater. Corals are like beautiful rocks, they are different coloured and also available for this type of set up are anemones. Anemones are like lots of little fingers sitting on a plant that wave around in the water and are absolutely stunning. Saltwater fish can also be incorporated in a coral tank aquarium.

Amphibians don’t really need a lot of taking care of, just make sure that they have adequate water and surrounding objects that they can associate with their natural habitat. Some amphibians need water baths so that they can bath in them such as turtles and snakes, it is important to make sure that these animals have enough room and space to move around because if they don’t then they may suffer from the effects of disfigurement and growing problems.

Fish are like I said the easiest to keep in a tank aquarium; they need a full tank of water, obviously. They need a filter, heater and proper lighting equipment. There are several different types of fish that can be put in an aquarium and they all need different types of habitats, so make sure that your aquarium tank suits the type of fish that you have purchased.

Aquarium tanks are of course the most essential part of any tank set up; you have to make sure that the tank suits the type of animal that you are keeping in, otherwise you animals won't live very long! Tanks are quite expensive, because they are made of reinforced and safety glass to stop the glass breaking when you fill it with water!

Aquarium Supplier

Tanks and tank stands are not hard to come by. They are usually available at your local aquarium supplier. Always try to measure up the size of the tank that you are getting as you need to have a decent place to put it, try to purchase stand at the same time for the tank this way you won't be stuck for a place to put it! Not only do aquarium suppliers stock tanks and stands but they also have every other thing that you will ever need for setting up and supporting your tank.

Aquarium suppliers should stock all the equipment that you will need for setting up your tank and keeping it tidy and clean and full of fish, of course! They don’t just sell accessories they also sell a huge variety of fish. They tend to get one or two deliveries a week so make sure that you go in the day after a delivery to get the best of the bunch! Some aquarium suppliers often sell amphibians, things like turtles, frogs, newt and lizards. Some even stock spiders!

As well as the equipment and the animals they also sell food and water solutions, things that you can put in your tank to keep the water the way it should be. Some kinds of solutions you get are ones that will lower the level of nitrates and ammonia and get rid of the chlorine in the water. When setting up a tank always fill it with the water first then add some of these solutions and leave your tank to cycle for a little while before adding any fish. You can also add some artificial bacteria which then knocks time of the time that you have to wait before adding any fish!

Aquarium suppliers are available locally and they can also be found on the internet. The great thing about the internet is that it is usually cheaper and you get it delivered to your door so you don’t have to spend all day trailing fish shops! Shop online for a quicker and more efficient purchase.