Choosing your freshwater aquarium fish can be a daunting task. There are after all so many decisions to be made as to the type of fish you would like to keep, how much work is involved in maintaining and even the types of food that they should have. Consider the purchase of your fish as an investment and remember that time spent planning and researching in the initial stages can make a great deal of difference to the success of your aquarium going forward.

When choosing your freshwater aquarium fish it is worth you considering the following points:

1. What size tank do you have? If you have a small tank then you will need smaller fish and fewer of them. Just remember that some fish quickly outgrow their tanks so double check their average size prior to purchase.
2. If you are just starting out, make sure that you choose the largest aquarium tank that you can have within your chosen room and then make your decision on the fish that you hope to purchase.
3. There will no doubt be many freshwater aquarium fish that will appeal to you but you do need to ensure that any larger fish will not prey on any smaller ones or torment them. A little research goes a long way and can prevent the loss of any of the inhabitants through bullying.
4. Check if the fish will be territorial and aggressive or fairly passive. Again, check prior to purchase as some species simply do not gel well together.
5. Do you wish to have a species orientated aquarium or a community of fish? Try to visualize how you want your aquarium to look. A community of fish that blend well together can be lovely to watch because of the diversity of species but a small shoal of one species can also have its advantages.
6. Think of costs too. Some freshwater fish are readily available and inexpensive to buy whilst others will be much more costly.
7. In addition to buying your fish, make sure you have brought the relevant food stock as some species require different food types and ensure that your aquarium is completely prepared for the new arrivals.

Choosing your freshwater aquarium fish should be an exciting time and once you have set up your aquarium, simply sit back and observe your fish in their new environment.

Choosing Freshwater Aquarium Fish is a post from: Aquarium Nation

Banjo Catfish are peaceful and yet distinctly unusual fish that will add a sense of uniqueness to any freshwater community aquarium. They are hardy, nocturnal fish that adjust to any aquarium condition but if you wish to have fish that are vividly colored and instantly detectable, these catfish may not be the ones for you. The Banjo Catfish is a fairly sedimentary fish and can often be mistaken for dead as it lies on the unobtrusively at the bottom of the tank, if you try to touch them however, they will quickly swim away. Banjo catfish are bottom feeders and prefer to root around on the tank floor, burrowing for food at night and they prefer some light vegetation and a sandy bottom as opposed to gravel. They are exceptional at hiding away as their coloring lends to easy blending with their surroundings.

Originally from the Amazon River, Banjo catfish can grow up to 6 inches and the size of your aquarium should allow for their growth. New enthusiasts often make the mistake of buying a small tank initially not realizing that the small fish they buy can and do grow substantially. Carnivorous, these catfish need live food in the form of blood worms, tubiflex and even earthworms but they are also likely to eat frozen fish foods and scavenge for any food flakes that have sunk to the bottom.

These fish are not always readily available but are worth purchasing when the opportunity arises as they will fit in quite easily with any community fish even those that are much smaller than themselves. When purchasing, it can be difficult to establish the male and female of the species but the mature female can on careful observation usually be recognized because her belly is rounder than the males.

Banjo catfish will attempt to pinch if you try to pick them up and are known to growl in addition. They are much happier kept with other banjo catfish so where possible and if your tank size allows, purchase additional ones as they tend to move around in a pack at night. This can make for interesting viewing if you sit in a room with subdued lighting.

In their natural, wild environment, breeding would take place in groups of catfish but if you have a breeding pair in an aquarium, try to create a rock cave with a sandy base as this might prevent them from tearing up any plants and using these when they spawn. Banjo catfish will typically lay between 4000-5000 eggs and usually spawn more than once. Once hatched, the fry can be fed rotifers and progress to tubliflex worms thereafter. The fry will not eat Daphnia or any flake foods.

Catfish are fascinating creatures and if you take time and care with the layout of your tank and endeavor to provide a natural looking environment with plenty of crevices or caves, you will find that your Banjo catfish make a positive addition to your aquarium.

Banjo Catfish is a post from: Aquarium Nation

Vibrant and vivacious, gouramis are among the most popular freshwater fish for novice aquarium owners. Because gourami are relatively easy to care for, easy to obtain, and get along well with a wide range of other freshwater aquarium fish, gourami make excellent starter fish for the beginner as well as fine additions to the collection of the adept aquarium aficionado. These lively and attractive fish provide rewarding introduction into the world of freshwater aquarium ownership.

Some basic gourami facts

Gouramis belong to the Anabantoidei suborder of the order Perciformes, as do bettas. Like bettas, gouramis are labyrinth fish – meaning that they possess a specialized organ (called a labyrinth) which allows them to process atmospheric oxygen (breathe air) as well as to take in oxygen via the process of gaseous exchange in the gills. Gouramis are tropical fish, originating from southern Asia.

Keeping gourami

In an aquarium setting, gouramis tend to keep to the top of the tank, both to eat and to augment their oxygen intake by means of their labyrinth organ. Gourami are usually docile fish, however they can become aggressive with some colorful, long-finned species. Because the long fin of the gourami is one of its notable secondary sex characteristics, it is thought that aggression toward other long-finned species is an extension of the aggression male gourami show toward one another when competing for a mate. This aggression most often takes the form of fin nipping, often continued until the fin of the perceived competitor is shredded, leaving the victim immobilized – a terminal condition for a fish. For this reason, caution should be exercised when keeping male gourami together, or other long-finned fish in an aquarium with gourami

Common gourami for aquariums

There are approximately 90 species of gourmai recognized today. Of these, only about a dozen or so are commonly kept in aquariums. The most popular among the gourami commonly kept in aquariums are:

• Three-spot gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) – also known as the blue or opaline gourami – this is one of the most popular gourami breeds and was among the first gourami species to be kept domestically. Can grow up to 8 inches.
• Kissing Gourami (Helostoma temminchkii) – another highly popular species of gourami. Their name stems from the way that they flair their lips when eating or signaling to other gourami. Can grow up to 8 inches.
• Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri) – best known for its shimmering iridescence and delicate, ephemeral fins. Can grow up to 5 inches.
• Snakeskin Gourami (Trichogaster pectoralis) – silver in color with a black stripe down its side
• Talking Gourami (Trichopsis vittatus) – also known as the croaking gourami – the males produce a croaking breeding call. Can grow up to 5 inches.
• Moonlight Gourami (Trichogaster microlepis) – silvery with a blue-ish tint. Notable for its wisp-lke ventral fins. Can grow to be 6 inches.

Gourami are excellent fish for beginners who want to get the feel for aquarium ownership before moving on to more expensive, exotic, and delicate species. Gouramis are fairly rugged and can survive in much wider temperature range than most other tropical fish (between 67° – 86°). They do not require expensive food and can live well on simple fish flakes. The gourami’s ability to breathe air by means of its labyrinth guards it against oxygen deprivation from poor aeration, one of the common causes of deaths owing to novice aquarist error.

Gourami Species Selection and Care is a post from: Aquarium Nation

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LED aquarium lighting is starting to gain popularity with both fresh water aquariums and salt water aquariums. There are a few major reasons for this like an LEDs wider color spectrum than other light bulbs. LED lights for aquariums are much safer and efficient than other types of aquarium lighting. And LED light bulbs last a lot longer than other aquarium lights.

To better understand aquarium LED lighting, it is best to first learn a bit about LEDs. LED is short for light-emitting diodes. This sort of light performs to produce white light. An LED lighting apparatus contains a number of diodes that project several different colors. The variation is a product of diverse wavelengths. They usually have the basic colors (blue, red and yellow). The combination of these diodes produce white light.

Light-emitting diodes are preferred over its phosphorescent and fluorescent counterparts. They are used for aviation and automobile indicators or signal lights. They owe their popularity to their compact size and longevity. These newcomers to the illumination business have proven to be a reliable source of lighting. Manufacturers have also used them in DVD players, cellular phones, televisions and sensors.

The difference between LED lights and other sources is their ability to produce a variety of lighting effects when paired with diodes of the same color spectrum. This means that if you combined yellow and orange diodes, you would get a beautiful warm color. With the variety of colors available, it is understandable why most people prefer this instead of other lighting counterparts.

LED lights have been used for many appliances and it has become a fixture in aquariums worldwide. They provide illumination to the marine life in a tank. They are long and thin in shape. They are usually placed atop an aquarium or behind it. Most hardware stores sell them in spotlight form or as separate lights. They can even customize a lamp with the colors you request.

Aquarium LED lights are very energy efficient in comparison to other forms of artificial illumination. They may be more expensive than other lighting variants but they are bound to outlast them and will not take a toll on your electricity bill. This product is safe because they have no mercury content and are not made of glass tubes. Should they fall into your aquarium, your marine life will not suffer major damage.

Since their colors are caused by different wavelengths, you can enjoy a greater variation of color. In comparison to other illumination methods, LED lights provide a richer hue and are beneficial to marine plant life. They stimulate the photosynthetic process in plants. This is important to ensure that they remain healthy and last longer.

LED lights produce better results when they are placed atop an aquarium. They should be elevated at a safe distance away from the water level. To simulate normal day lighting, only keep your lamp on for a maximum of twelve hours each day. Leaving it on for longer periods will alter the patterns of your marine life.

Marine life aficionados prefer this lighting because it accentuates their collections more than other types of lighting. Aside from adding vibrant tones to an otherwise boring aquarium, light-emitting diodes also prove to be an excellent stimulator of photosynthesis. Those that use this source of illumination have reported that their marine life thrived better with it. Other bulbs and lamps project a harsher glare that most fish and plants do not like. And those are the reasons that LED aquarium lighting is really beginning to take off. Do you have yours yet?

LED Aquarium Lighting is a post from: Aquarium Nation

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One of the most interesting fish and, consequently, one of the most popular aquarium inhabitants on Earth is the Betta. It’s not hard to understand why. Just watch one next time you visit your local pet shop and it will not take you long to discover what all the fuss is about.

Bettas are the very epitome of beauty, elegance, and style. With their dazzling colors and long flowing fins, Bettas are the very epitome of grace and splendor. Just taking a moment to sit and watch one as it floats through an aquarium, trailing its wispy, fan-shaped fins slowly back and forth through the water can spark the imagination and transport the mind to exotic and fantastic locations.

Bettas arrest our interest with more than just their dazzling colors and delicate appearance, though. In fact, it is what lies beneath that delicate façade that, more than anything makes the Betta unique. For lurking just below the Betta’s shimmering scales beats the heart of a ferocious warrior. Yes, the Betta is a spectacular floating contradiction, the likes of which could only come out of Asia.

The Betta species that we are most familiar with, Betta splendens, got its start, domestically speaking, as a Siamese fighting fish in and are still raised as fighters in Southeast Asia. The wild Bettas that are bred to fight, though technically the same species as the ones we keep as pets, aren’t as flashy as the ones we know. On the other hand, they are definitely just as feisty. The difference in appearance comes from years of Europeans and Americans selectively breeding Bettas for beauty while Southeast Asians continue to breed them for battle.

Betta breath

Here in the United States, Bettas are appreciated more for their aesthetic appeal than for their fighting skills. Because of their ability to breathe out of water, Bettas make the perfect pets for office desks, sales counters, and many other places where keeping a pet would otherwise be impractical, if not downright impossible.

Bettas are able to pull off the trick of breathing out of water because of a highly specialized organ called a labyrinth. This is a small lung-like organ that allows them to draw air from the surface of the water. Their gills are still their primary means of respiration, but the labyrinth is what allows them to survive in the small plastic containers that one often sees them in and in small fishbowls that can be kept on office desks.

Ease of care

The Betta’s ability to breathe air is not the only feature that makes it a valuable pet. These fish also have a strong resistance to illness, making them durable pets. They are content with simple flake food, so are inexpensive to feed. The truth is, Bettas just make all-around great pets. They have so many endearing qualities and almost no negative ones.

The catch

Almost. Bettas do have one notoriously bad habit, though, and for aquarium keepers it can be a big one. It would seem that you can take the Betta out of the fight, but you can’t take the fight out of the Betta. Despite generations of breading for beauty over brawn, the male Bettas (the pretty ones) are still highly territorial and intolerant of any fish that they view as competition for the attention of female Bettas. Truth be told, a male Betta will view almost any other fish, including other male Bettas, as a threat to be immediately eradicated. On this count, it is good that they can get by with so little and can survive in small containers, because they are far too obnoxious for any other sort of living arrangement.

A Bit About Bettas is a post from: Aquarium Nation

Many people purchase freshwater aquariums and fish as a starter tank. Though these do require less involved set ups than salt water tanks, there are still yet many things to consider with a freshwater aquarium setup. Well meaning parents often purchase these tanks for their children without considering the true level of responsibility that actually comes along with owning freshwater aquariums and fish only to find disappointment later on. There are a few key ways that new fish friends can enjoy not only longer lived freshwater fish, but a healthier, happier tank.

Before we go into the actual set up, let’s talk a little bit about the equipment you will need to start out with. It is important to have everything necessary, whether your freshwater aquarium was a gift or something you purchased. The first thing you will need to determine is the size of the aquarium you would like to have. This is actually a matter of knowing what sort of fish will be inhabiting the tank and how many you intend to keep. Most beginners find it is best to begin with either a ten or twenty gallon set up, and go with smaller, more resilient species.

After you have decided on the size of the aquarium, be sure that you have the following on hand:

•Fish food

•Fish net

•Heater

•Filter and replacements

•Gravel and other decorations

•Aquarium test kit- this will test for nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, and pH.

•Fish net

•Aquarium glass cleaning tool

•Large bucket

The next thing to consider would be the location. Where you put your freshwater aquarium matters. If you place the tank near a sunny window, for instance, it can elevate the temperature of the tank. This could not only lead to problems with your fish, but algae issues as well. Place your aquarium in an area that will not be impacted by outside light and on a stand that can fully support the weight of the full tank. Remember, for every gallon of water, the weight goes up by roughly ten pounds.

When washing the tank, gravel and other aquarium decorations- only use water. Soaps and other additives can leave residues that will be harmful to the fish. Once all of this has been done, you can then fill your tank. Always use room temperature water that has had the chlorine removed. To avoid making a mess as you arrange your decorations to your specifics, only fill the tank part way, arrange, and then fill completely. Set up your heater and other equipment, turn them on, and you’re all set- allow the aquarium to cycle at least once before you begin to add the fish. The safest way to add fish is one or two at a time, after allowing the bag to float in the tank for ten to fifteen minutes. This will help them to get used to the temperature of your tank and help to prevent stress to the fish.

Keeping freshwater aquariums and fish is a rewarding hobby, but an ongoing responsibility. Through regular care and maintenance a freshwater aquarium is an excellent choice for beginning and experienced hobbyists alike.

Freshwater Aquarium Setup is a post from: Aquarium Nation

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