Tropical Pet Fish

Maintaining an aquarium is a relaxing hobby, which you can enjoy with your family members. As per my personal opinion, there are very few indoor hobbies that are as interesting as watching fish swimming in a tank. And with a tropical aquarium, there is no comparison. Majority of the tropical pet fish, either freshwater or saltwater type, are vibrant colored and extremely beautiful to watch. For a novice hobbyist, selecting the right tropical fish and knowing the maintenance tips are of utmost importance to become a successful aquarist.

Pet Tropical Fish Types

With a tropical fish tank, you are expected to maintain appropriate environmental conditions as per the fish requirements. And, a heating system and filter system are must install equipment. When we say tropical aquarium fish types, the option entirely depends on which type of tank you have opted or constructed, either freshwater or saltwater types. Thus, the types of tropical fish vary according to the tank, which are discussed below.

Tropical Freshwater Pet Fish: A fish tank with freshwater and other suitable aquatic plants is called a freshwater aquarium. Tropical freshwater fish are basically collected from the water bodies of tropical countries like South America, Asia and Africa. Changing the water and maintaining the chemical balance are some tips for rearing tropical freshwater pet fish.

Tropical Saltwater Pet Fish: An aquarium filled with marine water and related plants is referred to as a saltwater aquarium. In comparison to the freshwater types, marine tropical fish are highly pigmented and more colorful. Nevertheless, they are very difficult to keep, mainly because of their varied food and rearing conditions. Changing water (about 10 percent once in two weeks) is a basic tip to maintain salt concentration and chemical balance.

Pet Tropical Fish Species

There are 'n' number of tropical aquarium fish species, out of which some are very tough to maintain at home. Hence, do not just select a fish by its appearance, but consider other criteria like their feeding habit, adaptability, behavior, mingling with other fish, etc. Mentioned below is a tropical aquarium fish list, which you can refer while selecting fish for your tank:

Anemone Fish: Also known as clownfish (size about 12cm), this is a classic tropical saltwater aquarium fish. It is very easy to maintain in home fish tanks. You can choose anemones from a wide range of colors - light yellow, orange, bright red, maroon, dark brown and black.

Angelfish: Angelfish is one of the most sought after tropical saltwater fish. From bright yellow to blue, it is available in different shades and shapes. The only challenge with angelfish is its large size (30-60 cm), which is not suitable for the regular fish keeper.

Betta Fish: Betta fish is a beautiful tropical freshwater pet fish with flowing fins, which you can rear with other fish species. The betta splendens, an orange beauty, is a popularly opted tropical pet fish. However, male betta fish are very aggressive, which at times harm the others.

Blue Gourami: There are several species of gourami, which are reared in tropical freshwater aquariums. The blue dwarf gourami is a beautiful fish ideal for a home aquarium. It grows to about 10-13 cm at maturity and survives in temperature between 22-28 C. It has an aggressive temperament, hence should be kept isolated from other fish.

Batfish: Batfish is a strikingly beautiful tropical marine water aquarium fish. But, the major drawbacks are its huge size at maturity (reaching to about 50 cm, requiring a 200-300 gallon tank size) and difficulty in rearing. Available in a dusky shade and brown color, batfish feeds on meaty foods and requires extensive care.

Goby: It is a hardy and peaceful variety of tropical saltwater aquarium fish. Available in different color shades, goby thrives well in reef tanks and grows to about 15 cm at maturity, depending upon the species. The care level for goby also varies based on which species you have opted.

Goldfish: Gold fish (size 16-20 cm) is listed as the most preferred freshwater aquarium fish. With a peaceful temperament, it is ideal for keeping with other fish. Rearing goldfish is very easy, which makes it a favorite for a novice aquarist. It also adapts well in a wide range of temperature (15-30 C) and prefers to swim at the bottom of the tank.

Guppy Fish: With long tails and vivid colors, guppies are an excellent option for a tropical freshwater tank. This freshwater fish is native to South America and thrives well between the temperature range 19-29 C. The Guppy fish is very small in size (about 4-6 cm length) and has a peaceful behavior. .

Oscar Fish: Oscar fish is another option for maintaining a tropical freshwater aquarium. At maturity, it grows to about 30-40 cm in length and changes its color at the time of spawning. For keeping oscar fish, you need to have a large size aquarium. It exclusively feeds on smaller fish and meaty foods.

Puffer Fish: A type of tropical freshwater aquarium fish, the puffer is a less popular fish (size reaching up to 100 cm). It is categorized as one of the most poisonous vertebrae. Thus, handling and rearing a puffer fish in an aquarium should be done with utmost care. Besides its unique appearance, puffer fish also have characteristic personalities like recognizing its caretaker.

Tetra Fish: Tetra fish is an ideal choice for a tropical freshwater aquarium. Bright colored, small size (4-5 cm), easy to maintain and peaceful in nature, what else do you want in an aquarium fish! Tetra fish is also very active in nature and I am sure you will enjoy watching this fish.

Keeping tropical fish species as pets in tanks is a challenging task, which you need to tackle carefully. If anything about the temperature or rearing condition goes wrong, the fish may fall sick or at times, die. So, to avoid such an awful situation, jot down the specific requirements for each of the tropical fish and try fulfilling them from your side. Only then, will you enjoy seeing vivid colored fish in your aquarium!