Freshwater tropical fish. Tropical aquarium fish Leafy sea dragon

freshwater tropical fish, as their name suggests, occur in freshwater rivers and lakes in warmer parts of the world, especially in South America and Central Africa.

There are literally tens of thousands of freshwater tropical fish species with new ones being discovered almost every day. With such a vast variety of fish, each living in its own particular environment, it's easy to see why fish owners are never lost for new areas to learn and new challenges to enjoy.

Fish names.

All fish are classified by the "binomial system" (two names). First there is the family name or generic name - which should always be written with an initial capital letter. This is followed by the variant name/s - which should always all be written in lowercase letters, (both names are ideally all in italics).

Thus Barbus tetrason and Barbus oligolepis are two different species within the genus Barbus. Most fish do, however, also have a lighter common name. Barbus tetrazona, for example, is commonly known as the Tiger Barb or Sumatran Barb.

There are over twenty families of commonly kept freshwater tropical fish and within each family there can be thousands of species - often living in a very different environment. The family Cichlidae (cichlids), for example, is thought to have over 1,000 various varieties existing in the large African lakes alone.

main families.

While there are over twenty families of freshwater tropicals, most fish of interest to the aquarist are members of one of the following eight families.

Anabentide family.

Anabantoids are generally distinguished by the fact that they have a "maze chamber", a special organ that allows them to breathe atmospheric air, which they must have in order to survive. Native to the waters of Southeast Asia and Africa, most of the family has "probes" - modified pelvic fins - which they use to detect food in dark waters. Most also create a "bubble nest" for spawning. Examples of the family include gourami, Siamese Fighting Fish and Paradise Fish.

The Callichtiide family.

Better known as catfish, it is probably the most popular tropical fish among hobbyists. Whilst most are hardy, adaptable bottom feeders, they require occasional gulps of air to help supplement their gills.

The catfish is also nocturnal and does its best in subdued light. Corydoras, one of the most popular aquarium species, have a bony plate along the side of their body. Other catfish have tricked mouths that allow them to set on rocks in the wild, which they use to brush against algae from the side of the glass of an aquarium.

The Charekide family.

Characins are one of the largest families of tropical freshwater fish native to Africa and North and South America. All Charakins have teeth, but no barbels or sideburns. Many also have a small extra fatty fin on the main back of their body. Due to their training habit, Characins such as Tetras are often kept in numbers in single species tanks.

The Sichlide family.

Most cichlids are carnivorous and territorial and have a reputation for being aggressive. Many species, however, are very popular and ideal for the aquarium. Family occurs naturally throughout North America and South America and throughout most of Africa especially in the Great Lakes of Malawi and Tanganyika.

The Kobitide family.

Known commonly as loaches, this is a family of bottom living fish. Their mouths have probing lots to help locate food, and their bodies often have protective erectile spines. They are widely found in Asia, Europe and parts of Africa.

The Ciprinide family.

Although big family The fish, the Cyprinids, which include Barbs, Rasboras, Danios and Minnows, generally have barbs that allow them to feed the species from the bottom. The family also includes varieties cold water, such as gold fish as well as those who need warm tropical waters.

The Cyprinodontide family.

Found in Africa, North America and South America and Asia, this is a family of Killifishes or Egg Laying Toothcarps. Because they sometimes preaetorial on smaller fish, care must be taken when introducing them to a multi-species aquarium. They prefer slightly acidic water.

The Poekilide family.

This is a family of Live Bearing Tooth Carps - small fish such as Guppies, Swordtails, Mollies and swordtails. As the name implies, this family produces lively young that are capable of swimming and feeding immediately after birth.

Choosing Your Fish.

There are two main areas you need to consider. First there is a limit to the number of fish your tank can support without putting pressure on the oxygen levels in the water and the level of pollution the fish create.

You must also remember that fish grow and, as they do, will put even more pressure on their environment. best advice is to always start with just a few fish and add more over the course of a few months. As a rough guide allow approximately 20 inches of combined fish body length for each square foot surface water. Wide You should not exceed 60 inches of fish.

The second consideration is fish habit. Fish lead very different lives in their natural habitat, and these natural habits will show up in your aquarium. In a multi-species aquarium, you might, therefore, want to have fish that live and feed on all levels - top eaters such as mid-water eaters such as Barbs, and fish that live and feed on the bottom of the tank such as Catfish.

Buying Your Fish.

Buy locally if possible. Long journeys and drop in water temperature on the way home can easily stress your fish. If you later have problems, it's also much easier to resolve them if your fish supplier is nearby.

Choose an aquatic retailer with good stocks and a wide variety of fish - they are more likely to have specialist knowledge. Check that the fish have been properly isolated before being sold. The disease often takes several weeks to show, and fish not isolated can easily introduce diseases that infect all of your fish.

Look at the fish carefully. Check that they swim peacefully and do not rub against the glass of the tank - often a sign of infestation.

Pleasing to the eye with their bright colors, freshwater tropical fish have firmly established themselves in the hearts of both amateurs and professional aquarists. But if you are a beginner, then how not to get lost among such a variety of shapes, colors and requirements for keeping conditions? Let's talk about everything in order.

The main groups and the most popular types of tropical aquarium fish

Among the popular representatives of the characin-like order, one should single out such as distichoid, kerry, congo, nanostomus, phylomena, chilodus, etc. This group also includes piranhas, but not every professional decides to keep this type of tropical fish in his aquarium.

Popular representatives of the catfish order are species such as the so-called grumbling catfish (armored family), mohokiella, hiloglanis, hoplosternum, dianema, and others. Such tropical fish in an aquarium are valued for their functions - cleaning the bottom and walls of their habitat.

A detachment of perciformes in the tropical group are represented. Depending on the variety, the size range of individual fish can vary from 2 to 90 cm, and those belonging to this species have been consistently popular for many decades.

The most common tropical representatives of the carp order can be called,. Basically, these tropical fish are schooling, so it makes no sense to keep them alone.

Order carp-tooth-like: spawning pachypanhax, jordanella, and cinolebias, as well as viviparous, molly and known to almost every aquarist. Viviparous tropical fish of this order are considered an excellent option for beginners.

Video - tropical aquarium fish

And finally, the labyrinth squad: gourami, fighting fish, macropods, iris, atherine family. A feature of tropical fish of these species is the ability to breathe atmospheric air.

General conditions for keeping tropical fish

The main features of tropical fish are the demands on the temperature of the water in the aquarium and its oxygen saturation. An exception to the plan temperature regime are macropods that can tolerate a significant drop in temperature, while labyrinths can do without aeration at all, but for other species of tropical fish, these rules remain relevant. Therefore, it is better to immediately purchase an automatic heater with the ability to control the temperature and organize proper aeration.

Otherwise, freshwater tropical aquarium fish do not require anything extraordinary. What can not be said about their marine and oceanic counterparts. That is why only 1-2% of the entire large army of tropical fish fans are engaged in them, while the rest prefer freshwater ones.

The seas and oceans are full of creatures that amaze the imagination.
Some of them can be seen in US aquariums. The editors present a selection of the 10 most bizarre species of tropical fish.

Lives in tropical latitudes, in the western part Pacific Ocean. The mandarin fish is one of the most colorful fish in the world. Its bright stripes and spots scare off larger fish, and it also secretes mucus for this.
If you want to see this sparkling fish without diving into the waters of Asia, then you can do it at the New England Aquarium Tropical Gallery in Boston.

Scorpion fish, being one of the most poisonous species fish on the planet, also perfectly mimics.
These fish are very beautiful, but it is better not to touch them - their spines secrete a poisonous secret that can sting badly. They can be viewed at the World Aquarium in Dallas.

leafy sea dragon

Sea dragons are one of the strangest groups of fish, and in this group, leafy sea dragons are one of the most bizarre species.
The leaf-like outgrowths that cover their bodies help this species of fish to camouflage themselves in the surrounding seaweed. Their habitat is the southern coast of Australia, you can see them in the "Aquarium of the Pacific" in Long Beach.

The Longhorn cow fish got its name from the horn-shaped outgrowths protruding from the head. When this fish is hungry, it sinks to the sandy bottom and catches its prey. You can see the Longhorn cowfish at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

Sea needle, belonging to the group of sea horses, is a very bizarre fish. She has a long, tube-shaped muzzle with a tiny mouth at the end. There are more than 200 species of this fish in the world. You can see some of them at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans.

The chest fish has a cubic shape, and it is both very strange and very attractive. Most species of this saltwater fish rarely grow more than a few inches in length and are therefore a favorite in aquariums. You can see the fish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.

Stone fish - one of the varieties of scorpion fish, is the most poisonous known fish on the planet. She lies at the bottom of the ocean, stalking her prey. If you want to see this fish without the risk of being bitten, you can do so at Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg.

Frogfish are a favorite of divers and come in many shapes, sizes and colors. A total of 45 species are known. All of them have interesting features. For example, their ability to mimic a changing environment, change their shape, and hunt using a worm-like, writhing outgrowth on their head as bait. There are many of these fish in different aquariums around the world. For example, they can be viewed at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

The predatory eel is not really an eel; it is a type of catfish.
These very pliable fish can bite hard if disturbed. They also grow up to 8 feet in length. The fish prefer to spend time in caves and rock crevices, and you can look at them without the risk of being bitten at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

Ocean Sunfish

Sunfish or Mola Mola is the heaviest bony fish in the world and one of the most unusual. Watching these strange tailless fish is often the ultimate goal of diving in tropical waters. You can see them at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

According to USA Today newspaper

Tropical fish are quite popular in home aquariums due to their exoticism and bright colors. There are species that even a beginner can contain without much difficulty. Tropical inhabitants are quite thermophilic, they can be kept in fresh and salt water. Consider the main species that are often found in home aquariums, the conditions of keeping, feeding and breeding.

Kinds

Due to the huge species diversity, tropical fish are very attractive to aquarists. It is difficult not to get confused, seeing a variety of bright colors, sizes and body shapes of fish. Therefore, it is worth highlighting the main features of the most popular types.

• Helostoma. This is a fairly peaceful fish that lives in fresh water. They grow up to 15 cm. main feature- movable lips that hide hundreds of small teeth. This fish is able to breathe atmospheric air.
• Neons. These are tropical freshwater fish popular in aquariums. They got their name from the bright blue and red stripes that run along the body. These are small fish that reach a length of 2.5 cm. They usually move in small flocks.
• Melanochromis auratus. Another name is the Malawian cichlid. Fish that attract the eye with their beautiful color, but they have a rather fighting character. In captivity, they often grow larger than in nature.
• Apistogramma ramiresi. Another member of the cichlid genus. fish small size, quite peaceful, therefore they can get along well with others. Suitable for keeping in a small aquarium.
• Surgeon fish. These are quite peaceful fish that can live in reef aquariums. They got their name due to the fins, which look like a surgeon's scalpel. They have a huge variety of bright colors.

Tropical fish are very sensitive to the temperature of the water in the aquarium. Most often, it needs to be maintained in the range from 21 to 28 degrees. To keep the fish, you need an aquarium of a size suitable for the selected species, as well as special devices: a filter, a heater, an aerator, a thermometer. It is advisable to place the aquarium in a place that will not be reached by direct sunlight, vibration or noise.

For a beginner, it is better to choose unpretentious, error-forgiving types for content. When settling in one aquarium different types fish should be guided by their compatibility with each other, since not all tropical fish are equally peaceful.

It is worth paying special attention to the internal arrangement of the aquarium: the choice of suitable soil, plants and shelters (depending on the species you like to keep). Also important is the lighting necessary to maintain the correct microclimate in the aquarium.

Fish that live in salt waters are much more difficult to care for and maintain. They need large aquariums that require more careful and long-term care.

Feeding

Tropical fish need both protein and vegetable food. Fish can be fed live and dry food. It is necessary to feed the fish several times a day, while not overfeeding. Feed should be given exactly as much as the fish can eat in 3-5 minutes. If the remnants of uneaten food float on the surface or sink to the bottom, then the next time it is worth giving it less, and catching the rest in order to avoid contamination of the aquarium.

Feed must be selected depending on the type of fish. Predatory fish are fed live food, insects and fish. For some popular fish species, special ready-made balanced feeds are sold. Food for fish should be varied and of high quality, meet the recommendations for this species.

reproduction

The easiest to breed are viviparous tropical fish. From special conditions they are demanding only on food, it is also necessary to provide a fry nursery or spawning ground, as many fish are not averse to eating young. Young animals are transplanted into a common aquarium only when they reach a certain size.

A little more complicated is the case with oviparous and incubating fish in the mouth. For oviparous, a special container is needed, where they are deposited for the spawning period. The female is placed back in the aquarium after she lays her eggs.

In the case of fish incubating in the mouth, such as cyclids, after spawning, it is advisable to separate the female from the male so that he does not harm her. Sometimes eggs are taken from the female and artificially incubated.

Thus, tropical fish are frequent inhabitants of home aquariums due to their diverse colors and shapes. There are many types of heat-loving are quite easy to maintain. There are also species that are more demanding in terms of maintenance, which will suit experienced aquarists. Therefore, choosing a type of tropical species for an aquarium is based on your own experience and the conditions that you can create for them.