How To Choose The Most Suitable Fish For An Aquarium
To have a beautiful aquarium in your home, a little planning is required. Will it be freshwater or saltwater? What kind of items will it need? What will be the most suitable fish ?
Try to conceive your aquarium as a community, so abandon the idea of filling it with random fish. There are thousands of species of fish and not all of them can live together in harmony. So let’s see how to choose the most suitable fish for an aquarium.
Prepare the setting
If you can afford it, buy a large aquarium; lack of space hinders the relationship between fish. Also, the bigger it is, the easier it will be to clean it, as well as insert filters, temperature timers, lighting systems and so on.
Choose the type of water for your aquarium. Whether it is sweet or salty, it must always be in excellent condition: clean and free of toxic substances that can compromise the health of your fish.
It is best to get a test to check the status of the water – one of the easiest to find on the market is the pH test to measure the acidity of the water, or the nitrite test to measure the level of waste present.
How to choose the most suitable fish for the aquarium?
Once you have decided on the type of water, you can devote yourself to choosing the fish to buy. Keep in mind the importance of choosing compatible species for habits and needs, so that they can coexist peacefully.
It is advisable to choose fish that swim at different altitudes in the aquarium, so as to avoid competing for available space. Also, avoid mixing fish that are too large with very small specimens.
A great option is also to choose living plants: in addition to decorating your aquarium, they will act as a refuge for your fish and oxygenate the water in your aquarium.
Freshwater fish
One of the most suitable fish for an aquarium is the common goldfish; it is resistant, lives long and can measure up to 30 centimeters. They come in various colors and are not very sensitive to changes in temperature.
The diet of this species is varied and they eat both fresh and frozen foods. In the goldfish family we find the Shubunkin, with marvelous bluish tones, or the Wakin with the double tail.
The Eastern Pond Cobite, a fish of Japanese origin, is another excellent option. An expert digger with a peaceful temperament, it has a characteristic eel shape and can measure up to 20 centimeters. It is very resistant to temperature changes and has a mixed diet.
Tropical fish
Among the tropical fish it is possible to mention the Danio Perla fish; he is very active, tolerates cold water very well and has a very varied diet. Specimens of this breed come together in groups of six and are very peaceful, ideal for living in community.
The Danio Zebrato has bluish-white streaked scales and, just like the Pearl, it is very resistant, does not require much space to swim and adapts quickly to coexistence with other fish.
Platy fish are orange with a black tail and also tolerate temperature changes well. The only precaution is to maintain the proportion of two females to each male.
Exotic fish
If you have opted for a saltwater aquarium, clownfish will be a great option. They are very disease resistant, peaceful and adapt to coexistence with other fish. To avoid quarrels between them, get them in pairs for each species.
Damsel fish have similar characteristics to the previously mentioned species: they resist disease and temperature changes very well. In addition, they have a varied diet and are compatible with a large number of different fish species.
The cleaner shrimp is yellow-red or white in color. Because it feeds on bacteria, it will keep your fish and aquarium clean. They come together in groups of three or four and are active all day.
Recommendations
The success of your aquarium, regardless of whether it is freshwater, exotic or tropical, will be achieved if you keep in mind the particular characteristics of each species, choosing similar specimens in terms of habits, needs and behaviors.
Another important fact to remember when choosing the most suitable fish for an aquarium is to opt for specimens that swim on different levels: surface, bottom and intermediate zone fish. In this way their coexistence will be peaceful and balanced.
