Keeping Tropical Fish

Fresh water tropicals are probably the most popular type of fish to be kept in the home aquarium. This is due to the diversity of species that are available. Unlike coldwater fish you will need a heater in your tank as well as a filter but I will go into greater lengths about aquarium equipment on later pages.

Unfortunately not all tropical fish will get on with each other, some will attack, kill and then eat their tank mates. Therefore it is crucial to know which fish to add to your existing community. There are always exceptions, but I find there are two main rules to follow. The first is to make sure fish are a similar size, if tiny fish are introduced to large fish they will probably assume they are dinner! Also there are two main types of fish, community fish and hostile fish.

Community fish such as neons, platties, guppies etc. will live together with minimal problems. They are all fairly small and won’t attack each other. Hostile fish such as barbs and cichlids grow larger and tend to be more aggressive and territorial.

However there are always exceptions to the rule and it is best to discuss which fish you already have in your tank with an experienced staff member at the retailers before buying more.