Just as trees, flowers and plants help our environment, add a food source and make our landscapes beautiful so too do aquatic plants provide the same for your aquarium.

Just like us fish like to have areas where they can swim around and nibble at, but plant life in the aquarium plays a much greater part in the aquatic environment.

Toxins in the water created by rotting food and fish excrement pollute and starve the water of vital oxygen. Remembering that the fish breathe water through their gills we know that it is vital to keep oxygen levels up in the tank. Aquatic plants will help the process and uses the phosphate created in the nitrogen cycle to help them grow.

So what is the nitrogen cycle? Just like on land the leaves, plant life and animal droppings rot and mulch down into a fertiliser. Plant roots take the fertiliser and use it as a feed. In the aquarium rotting foods, and fish waste falls to the bottom of the tank and turns into a fertiliser for the aquatic plants. In turn they produce oxygen through photosynthesis just as the trees and flowers do above water. More oxygen means that the fish can breathe healthy clean and safe water.

Aquatic plants also play an important part in the breeding process of fish. Some species lay their eggs beneath the leaves away from other predatory fish swimming around the plants to ward off fish from nearing them until the eggs hatch, the leafy plants then offer a good food source for the young fry and indeed many adult fish enjoy nibbling on the fresh leaves as much as we enjoy our garden vegetables..

Not only are aquatic plants important to the tank environment but offer an exciting landscape for you and your fish. Imagine walking through the countryside and seeing no trees, no flowers and plant life, pretty grim thought yes? In the same respect the underwater garden offers you the chance to create dramatic and stunning plant effects that will give you hours of watching pleasure as you see your fish happily swimming and enjoying the garden you have given them.

Different plants have different visual effects, look around your aquatic centre and ask for advice as some plants are hardier than others and therefore easier to look after. You will also need to ensure you have a good substrate for the roots to grow and a plant food, this usually comes in liquid form and can be added at intervals to ensure your plants get what they need to survive life in the tank.

The plants come in all shapes and sizes, various colours can brighten a drab looking aquarium, this not only creates great effect for you and any visitors to your home, but also gives the fish a greater enjoyment. When you plant your garden, use your imagination, create an effect you will truly be happy with, and if you need an extra hand there are hundreds of ideas to choose from in websites and books readily available on the net, library?s and in your local aquatic centre.

Cerianwen is a keen aquarist with many years of personal experience of tropical and cold water fish keeping. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

So many elements effect the raising of tropical fish. Choosing the right ones and making the right decisions is crucial for success. Setting up an aquarium, selecting the fish, plants and algae, feeding the fish and breeding the fish are the major aspects of this hobby.

Aquarium

The aquarium elements depend on the fish one intends to have. Many parts form an aquarium and they all need to be considered seriously before they are selected: Glass ? Gravel – Hood ? Heater ? Thermometer ? Bulbs ? Filters – Cleaning Equipment ? Nets ? Water Test Kit ? Small Container

Selecting the Fish

You can opt to have only one type of tropical fish. Problems are limited if you choose to go that way. But with tropical fish, many believe, variety is an essential element in raising fish in an aquarium.

One needs to be very careful when deciding which fish to raise in one?s own aquarium. It is obvious that not all fish get along with each other well, and selecting the right fish is a crucial decision one needs to make. Research on various tropical fish in respect of habits and behaviour is a must before hurrying to the store.

Buying the fish

Once at the store, there are many things to look for. Here is a list of guidelines:
1. Don?t buy fish which reside in dirty tanks
2. Watch out for white spots and eaten fins
3. Fish eyes should be clear
4. Movement should be linear with their fins in an upright position
5. No dead fish in the tank

Plants and Algae

By many ignored, but a very important aspect for tropical fish is to have the right plants and algae in the fish habitat. The ideal is to get rooted plants with roots already in place. This way, fish are provided with plants straight away and their survival rate is much higher. Ideally, tall plants are placed at the rear corners of the aquarium and the smaller and shorter ones at the front.

Several types of plants and algae exist, and choosing will always depend on your likings and on the character of the fish one intends to have.

Feeding the fish

Feeding tropical fish is an art in itself. Many fish don?t die because of lack of food, but as a result of food abundance. Giving the right amount of food is important as selecting the food. The market for tropical fish food is quite large and there are foods for several types of fish.

Breeding

There is only one way fish can breed in your aquarium, that is, giving them the right environment to do so. There isn?t better proof that the aquarium is in good shape than having fish breed in it. You can see when one has done a good job by the results the fish themselves will give to the owner.

There are so many tropical fish that one can never feel completely fulfilled as there is always some species one would like to have as part of his/her collection. The other items that form part pf having tropical fish, like the aquarium itself, the plants involved, and the various accessories, make this hobby a vast and interesting one without ever getting bored.

Sandro Azzopardi is a professional author who writes several articles on various subjects on his web site and local newspapers and magazines. You can visit information about this article and others on: http://www.theinfopit.com/science/animals/tropicalfish.php

If your past attempts at beginning a cichlid-oriented aquarium have been unsuccessful, you might doubt your abilities as an aquarist. Setting up a perfect tank and watching it fail can be very frustrating and repeated failures have led many to give up on the hobby completely. This is unfortunate, because in many cases disappointing results have little to do with the hobbyist and everything to do with the health of the fish at the time of purchase. Buying healthy cichlids is one of the best ways to increase one?s chances of success. Let’s look at three things you can do to improve your odds of stocking an aquarium with hearty, healthy cichlids.

First, know your source. Many people reflexively drive to their nearest large pet store and select a few fish for the tank without doing their homework first. You can increase the likelihood of finding healthy cichlids by investigating potential sources of stock first. Visit the store repeatedly over the course of many weeks and take notice of how often (and how well) the store employees clean the tanks. Observe tank temperatures and make sure the store is treating the cichlids correctly. Investigate how many clearly sick or dead fish you spot in the tanks over time. In some cases, a nearby big box store may meet your needs. In many situations, however, aquarists have learned that it is worth a longer drive, or spending a bit more, to purchase cichlids from a professional operation.

Second, know your cichlids. Research before you buy. You should understand how the cichlid varieties in which you are interested behave and appear when healthy. Too often, buyers simply assume that the behavior or appearance exhibited in the store is natural and overlook potential signs of illness. If the fish seems to have problems breathing, appears to be limited to the upper portion of the tank or is swimming with a lilt or odd angle, illness is a distinct possibility. Before you purchase a cichlid, make sure you know what a perfectly healthy version of the fish looks like and don?t settle for less.

Third, ask questions. You will want to ask questions in order to increase your own knowledge base, but also as a means of testing the knowledge of the seller (which is a strong indicator of how well they are probably caring for the cichlids). Ask about feeding tendencies, growth possibilities and any other issue in which you may be interested. Also, ask questions to which you already know the answers in order to test the seller. It makes sense to place more trust in a cichlid seller who has a strong understanding of the fish than in someone who is merely interested in punching the clock and grabbing an hourly wage from the Mega Pet Super Store.

If you have had a bad experience with setting up a cichlid-based aquarium, don?t give up. First, make sure you understand what you need to do to be a success. Then, follow the tips outlined here to help insure that you purchase very healthy cichlids. A great aquarium featuring cichlids is possible and starting with healthy fish is an essential part of every success story.

Justin has been keeping African and Neotropical cichlids for many years; at one time having over 15 aquariums going at once. Justin contributes regularly to AllCichlids.com, a resource for hobbyists to share their experiences, and get paid to write about their cichlids!

Scientific Name: Botia macracanthus
Other Scientific Name(s): Cobitis macracanthus, Botia macrocanthus
Common Name: Clown Loach

Clown loaches are very popular aquarium fish; however they are not always easy to keep successfully since they easily succumb to ick and are sensitive to poor water conditions. This article is intended to help new clown loach owners provide a good home for their loaches. Clown loaches are found in Indonesia (Sumatra and Borneo), and almost all clown loaches in aquariums are wild caught and distributed around the world before being sold. This can put considerable stress on the fish, and a vital step in getting a healthy clown loach school in your aquarium is choosing healthy fish. But how to make sure that you get healthy fish?

- Check the general conditions in the fish store. Are there dead fish in the aquariums? Is the water clean? If some tanks are mistreated there is a good chance that there might be unfavourable conditions in others too. Only buy fish from stores that take good care of their aquariums.

- How do the clown loaches look? Clown loaches can give you an indication of their condition based on their coloration. A healthy clown loach shows clear distinct colours, while a stressed one loses its colours and becomes whiter. Only buy loaches that show their correct colours.

- Are the clown loaches well fed? Those that haven’t been fed correctly are hard to nurse back to health, and it is more than likely you will end up with a dead fish if you buy one. Look at their bodies and see if they look well fed, and ask the shopkeepers how often and what the loaches are fed.

- Are the clown loaches active? Healthy clown loaches are very active and full of energy. A healthy clown loach should be hard to catch.

- Do the clown loaches have hiding places? Hiding places are very important to relieve stress in clown loaches, and you are likely to get higher quality fish from aquariums with hiding places.

- Don’t buy clown loaches smaller than 2 inches/5 cm if you haven’t kept clown loaches before, since they are much more sensitive when they are younger.

So ideally you should look for the most coloured, most active clown loaches you can find, and buy these to have the best starting point possible. You should also consider the water conditions in the store and try to find one that keeps their clown loaches in water condition similar to the water conditions in your aquarium, to reduce stress on the clown loaches. It should also be stated that clown loaches like resting on their sides, looking almost as if they were dead. However this is completely normal and should not be seen as a sign of poor quality in the fish but rather the opposite. When you have decided where to buy your clown loaches you should buy at least 3 (preferable 8-10). Clown loaches are schooling fish that should never be kept alone!!!

Once you get home with your new clown loaches you should let the bag float on the water surface for 10-15 minutes, and then slowly every 10 minutes add a little water from the aquarium (a coffee cup). Repeat this 4-5 times before you release the fish into their new home.

Tank setup
Clown loaches can be kept in aquariums of 100 L / 20 G or more. Keep in mind that even though clown loaches grow very slowly they will get big eventually and need an aquarium of at least 540 L/ 125 G, and that should be considered a minimum.

Decorate your aquarium using a bottom substrate of sand or fine gravel that allows the clown loaches to dig . I recommend keeping your clown loaches in a planted aquarium, however the choice of plants differs greatly depending on whether you keep juvenile or adult clown loaches. Juvenile clown loaches can be kept with most plant species, while adults can be kept only with hardy plants such as Java fern and Anubias. All other plants will be destroyed and/or eaten by the adult clown loaches. I also recommend using floating plants to dim the lighting, which makes the loaches more active during the day.

Clown loaches want a setup with a lot of caves and other hiding places, preferably so narrow that they can just barely squeeze themselves into them. Don’t be concerned if your clown loaches have squeezed themselves into caves they dug under rocks or aquarium equipment. Odds are they are not stuck – they just like it that way.

Hiding places can be created with rocks, roots, PVC pipes, flower pots, coconuts and different kinds of aquarium decorations. Sharp objects should not be used to decorate aquariums for clown loaches. You can not create too many hiding places and you should create several for each loach.

Clown loaches are sensitive to poor water quality, and they require good filtration. Higher water circulation is also appreciated since clown loaches live in currents in the wild.

Clown loaches are excellent jumpers, and you should make sure that your tank is properly sealed.

Health
As I said earlier, clown loaches are very sensitive towards poor water quality and are usually the first fish that get ill or die if the water quality drops. Water changes of at least 25% a week are recommended. Because of their low tolerance to poor water qualities they are sometimes called indicator fish, since their health indicates the status of the aquarium. Clown loaches are very sensitive to chlorine, and even small amounts can cause a mass death of loaches.

This species are very prone towards getting ick if the water quality isn’t good enough, and are sensitive to most ick medicines and salts. So keep an eye on your clown loaches and only use half the recommended doses of medicine, otherwise you risk the medicine killing the loaches.

Food
Clown loaches are carnivores and only eat vegetables to complement their diet. It is therefore recommended that they are given food that reflects this. To get your clown loaches to grow, optimal feeding 3-5 times a day is recommended. (They still grow slowly). Their diet should contain a variety of foods, and can include almost any carnivorous food. A good base may be shrimps, different sinking wafers, different frozen foods, and as they grow older, fish slices. Clown loaches can make a clicking sound, and they will do this when they are content. Therefore you will soon find out what is your loaches’ favourite food by them clicking when they receive it. Like most other fish, clown loaches might need some time to accept new foods, however once they do it might become a favourite. Clown loaches are one of the few fishes that eat and like snails, and can therefore be of good use in snail control.

Breeding
Clown loaches have been bred in aquariums, however it is very rare. Sexing clown loaches externally is hard, but possible by looking at the tail fin. The tail fin tips on the male are slightly bent inwards, making the fin look a little bit like a claw. The tail fin tips on the females aren’t shaped like this.

Clown loaches have to be quite old and at least 7 inches / 17 cm before they are sexually mature. In the one good account of clown loaches spawning they spawned under the following conditions:

- Temp: 84F
– pH: 6.5
– Ammonia & Nitrite: 0
– Nitrate: < 25

Four large clown loaches (over 25 cm /10 inches) were kept together in a planted aquarium, and a few weeks before spawning they changed their behaviour and started eating live fish as their only accepted food. The females in the group grew very fast on this diet, and had doubled in girth by the time of spawning. The night during which the spawning took place, two clowns were swimming close beneath the surface entwined in each other and clicking. The next morning, 450 eggs were found spread about the aquarium. Clown loaches eat their own eggs, so it is recommended moving the parents if you wish to succeed in spawning them.

The fry were fed liquid fry food for the first two weeks, after which they accepted crushed flakes. They grew relatively fast, to 2.5 cm/ 1 inch in 6 weeks. After that the growth rate slowed down.

It’s suggested that older fish are essential for breeding since this fish might have to be quite old to be sexually mature. Clown loaches live to be about 50 years, so it is quite feasible that they may spawn later in life than many other species.

William Berg has over 20 years of aquarium experiences and runs an aquarium website with a lot of information about aquarium decoration and all other aspects of aquarium keeping aswell as different fish species such as cichlids, bettas, catfishes and even crayfish.

This article was originally written for a site about clown loaches.

The Comet goldfish is ideal for novice goldfish keepers since it is tough and adaptable and do not require a lot of pampering to do well. It can be kept in outdoor ponds as well as in big cold water aquariums. The Comet goldfish can grow quite big as an adult and a length of 14 inches is not uncommon.

There exists several different variants of the Comet goldfish, but they all have long and slender bodies and a big and elongated single tail fin. The large tail fin gives the Comet goldfish a very stylish streamlined body shape. The name Comet is probably derived from how they resemble comets in the sky with long and flowing tails. You can find multicoloured Comet goldfish variants as well as specimens with single coloured bodies.

The home of a Comet goldfish should contain densely planted regions as well as big open areas where the Comet goldfish can swim around without being entangled in aquatic plants. If you keep your Comet goldfish in an aquarium, you can for instance use Elodea and Java moss. Keep in mind that many popular aquarium plant species can not tolerate the low temperatures in a goldfish aquarium. In an outdoor pond, you must select aquatic plant species suitable for your particular part of the world and it is therefore difficult to provide any general recommendations.

Getting a Comet goldfish to eat is not difficult and they will accept a wide range of different food types, including flakes and pellets. A varied diet is recommended to make sure that your Comet goldfish receives all necessary nutrients. Vegetables should always be included in the diet of a Comet goldfish, and you can for instance feed it lettuce, zucchini and peas. The amount of food must be adjusted according to season, since the metabolism of the Comet goldfish is affected by the water temperature. Feeding your Comet goldfish the same amount of food year round in an outdoor pond that is affected by seasonal temperature variations can result in obesity or starvation.

Comet goldfish are not only bred in outdoor ponds; they frequently reproduce in large aquariums as well. They are naturally inclined to spawn in spring when the water gradually becomes warmer and warmer after the winter. If you do not live in a region where this happens, or if you keep your Comet goldfish indoors, you must usually simulate a winter season and a subsequent spring to coax your fish into spawning. Decrease the water temperature for at least 30 days before you gradually allow it to become warmer and warmer. Professional breeders will often separate the fry from the adult fish to ensure a high fry survival rate. If you keep your fish in a well planted pond or aquarium where the bottom is covered with large grains, at least a portion of the fry will however survive even when kept with adult fish.

Allen Jesson writes for several sites including two sites that specialize in salt water and fresh water aquariums and the aquarium site and Seapets, a leading source for aquariums and fish tanks.

Goldfish Healthcare

You would think that it?s unfair that such a small little creature that brings you so much joy can actually fall sick. But it?s a fact of life that all living things are susceptible to illness, infections, and diseases and will ultimately die. Goldfish too are a species with its own set of health problems that will leave you feeling helpless. The best way to deal with this issue is to familiarize yourself with common health issues that goldfish face and the reasons for their sickness. Knowing the kinds of ailments will empower you with the knowledge to be alert to symptoms and take the appropriate steps to deal with if you can.

Through many hours of research, I have been able to come up with the answers to some the most important questions that have plagued me for so long. Such questions as -

1. Why do Goldfish suddenly turn on their sides before dying later on?

2. Why do goldfish sometimes attack eachother?

3. What exactly is that white growth that appears on their body, known as Ichtyopthirius(Ich), and how do you treat it?

4. What other health threats do Goldfish face?

5. How many fish can you fit in a tank without it being overcrowded?

I was able to find the answers to several hundred questions in total, which I documented in an ebook that I called ‘Goldfish Secrets Revealed!’ You can check it out at my site by Clicking Here

Dane Stanton is an expert on goldfish health care. To visit his website visit http://www.goldfish-secrets.com for more information on Goldfish care and other aquarium related topics. *Recommended*

So you?ve decided to keep tropical fish! Welcome to this unique and fascinating hobby. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to realize that aquariums can be a lot of work. You have to keep the water in your aquarium clean and aerated, the fish have to have enough food, if you use live plants they will need light and nutrients, and you have to keep the algae under control.

It may take a lot of work sometimes, but this hobby is very rewarding as you?ll soon see.

Okay…enough talk, let?s get to the point: If you?re just starting out, you need to know what you need to buy to get started. Here?s a list of the essentials that you need, no matter if you keep saltwater or freshwater fish:

An aquarium ? To keep you fish in.

An aquarium stand ? To support your new aquarium.

Filtration equipment ? Filters can be chemical, mechanical and biological.

Lights ? To help live plants grow, and to enhance the colors of your fish.

A tank hood ? To reduce evaporation, and stop anything (such as a cat?s paw) from getting in.

Decorations ? These can be anything you decide. There are a wide range of decorations available nowadays, so you can decorate your tank however you like. You?ll also want a background to hide the wires.

Substrate ? This is basically the sand or gravel you use for the bottom of your aquarium.

Plants ? There?s a wide range of plants you can choose for your aquarium nowadays, including live and plastic plants.

Heater ? Tropical fish require a water temperature that is slightly higher than most people?s room temperature.

Chemicals ? By chemicals, I mean chemical filtration, which gets rid of harmful gases that the water picks up as it passes through a carbon filter. It?s not always needed, but it is very easy to use and it?s better for your fish.

Thermometer ? the plastic strip one with liquid crystals are best.

A net ? For scooping things out of your aquarium.

Cleaning supplies (such as a scrubby on a stick, a small round brush and a bucket reserved solely for aquarium use)

Fish food ? to feed your fish, obviously.

And last, but not least? you?ll need the fish!

Learn more about keeping tropical fish here: tropical fish

Thanks to Disney’s Motion Picture ‘Finding Nemo,’ almost everybody is familiar with clownfish.

Clownfish, or Anemonefishes, from the family Pomacentridae, are one of the easiest tropical marine aquarium fish to breed. Clownfish regularly lay eggs in aquariums. They have quite large eggs and larvae, and since the larvae easily eat cultured live foods, raising them is somewhat simpler than it is with many other marine species.

You need to get a pair if you want to breed clownfish, and that’s quite interesting – believe it or not, clownfish are all born as males! When they are adults, the largest and the most dominant fish of the group will undergo a sex change and become a female. The second largest usually becomes the breeding male, while all the other fish remain juveniles and gender-neutral. If the breeding female disappears, the breeding male will change to a female, and so on. Buying an established pair may be a reasonable way to go, but it is often better to have a group of juveniles growing up together. If you choose to buy a pair you should look for a pair that goes around together. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to get a pair already spawning. Anyhow, establishing an adult pair can be a little tricky; and you need to keep your eyes on them to make sure that the female doesn’t kill the male.

The next thing is to set up the tank. The tank should be large enough, approximately 200 liters for the breeding pair. It is better to keep a pair alone in an aquarium when trying to spawn clownfish.

The aquarium should be furnished with a nice anemone, a few live rocks and other rocky substances with a vertical surface, a layer of coral sand on the bottom, bright lighting, good filtration, and a protein skimmer. Your clownfish should be stress free, which means no aggressive tank mates and good water quality. As for feeding, clownfish need a mixed diet of fresh raw seafood and vegetables. A good diet includes prawns, mussels, and squid. It is best to feed small bits at regular intervals.

Spanning can begin 1 to 12 months after the fish have settled into their new home. When the fish are ready to spawn, they become very aggressive. The male clownfish will dance up and down in front of the female (also known as clownfish waggle). They will also start to clean their selected rock by robustly biting it. The spawning itself usually occurs in the afternoon or early evening. Once the spawning is complete (within several hours) the male takes on responsibility for attending the eggs, whereas the female acts as protector of the eggs and supervisor of her male.

Spawning is likely to occur again at intervals of 12 to 18 days. The eggs should be left in the care of the parents and not removed, unless the parents are known to be egg eaters. At first the eggs are a bright orange colour, but after several days this diminishes and the eyes appear. Hatching usually takes from 6 to 15 days, depending on temperature.

The most critical stage of the fry is the first 10 days of their larvae span. If you can get your fry to survive this period the rest of their raising should be easier.

About The Author

Article by William Berg writer for Aquatic Community with more then 20 years of aquarium experience. Find more of Williams articles about Piranhas or maybe something completely different like a Clown loach

Article may be reproduce as long as it is not edited and this resource box is included ?as is with live links? on the bottom of the page.(Java links and PHP links are not allowed, I.e. SE friendly links only)

The Black clown fish is also known as the Yellow tail clown fish, and can be obtained in several colour variations. The most common form of Black clown fish is black and yellow with white vertical stripes. Just like the other clown fishes, Black clown fishes form a symbiotic relationship with anemones and are therefore also known as Black anemone fishes.

The Black clown fish is one of the most frequently kept clown fish species and you can find these fishes in numerous saltwater aquariums all over the world. The native region for the Black clown fish is the warm West Pacific Ocean. Populations of Black clown fish are found from the Persian Gulf to the Western coast of Australia. They inhabit the Australian archipelago, the many reefs of Melanesia and Micronesia, and you can also find Black Clown fish up to north Taiwan and south Japan.

The vibrant coloration of the Black clown fish makes it very easy to spot for predators, and it would not survive long in the wild if it was not protected by the tentacles of the stinging anemone. The Black clown fish will keep the anemone clean by eating left over food. When a Black clown fish is kept in an aquarium without any natural enemies and is provided with food by its keeper, it does not need an anemone to survive. You should however make sure that the aquarium set up provides the Black clown fish with suitable hiding spots, since it can be very stressed in a barren aquarium, especially when no anemone can be found.

In the wild, the Black clown fish is known to co-habit with a wide range of different anemone species. If you keep your Black clown fish with an anemone species that it has not encountered before, the Black clown fish must gradually acclimatize itself to the anemone to avoid begin injured.

The Black clown fish can be kept in a comparatively small aquarium since it grows no bigger than 5 inches (13 centimetres) and claims a very small territory. A 20 gallon (75 litres) aquarium will be enough. You should however keep in mind that the Black clown fish requires supreme water quality and keeping the levels of soluble waste down will be much easier in a bigger aquarium. In the wild, the territory of a Black clown fish group is limited to the immediate area around an anemone. The Black clown fish is however known to occasionally leave its host anemone to attack nearby fish. This habit makes it more aggressive than the other clown fish species. Since the Black clown fish is native to warm, tropical parts of the world it can only be kept in tropical aquariums. The temperature must be in the 75-82? F (24-28? C) range for the Black clown fish to do well. The pH should be around 8.3-8.4. Your Black clown fish should be provided with a meaty diet in the aquarium, since it is used to feeding on the scraps left by the predatory anemone. Chopped fish and shellfish is usually appreciated. The Black clown fish will also require some vegetables and algae to stay healthy. You can usually get a Black clown fish to accept flake food, but keeping it on nothing but flakes is not recommended.

Allen Jesson writes for several sites including two sites that specialize in salt water and fresh water aquariums and the aquarium site and Seapets, a leading source for aquariums and fish tanks.

Freshwater sharks can give your aquarium a bit of interest as these unusual looking fish normally create a lot of motion by gliding back and forth in colorful schools. Prior to introducing any fish into the aquarium, it is smart to do a little research to make sure that your environment is ideal for the fish and to be sure your new fish is compatible with the old.

Below is some advice on freshwater aquarium sharks you might consider for your aquarium.

White Tip Shark Catfish

These fresh water aquarium sharks are sleek in body with a head like a catfish ? kind of ugly if you ask me! The white tip shark catfish is a very mellow fish that consistently vacuum the bottom of the tank for food. White tip shark catfish can dwell in brackish, salt or fresh water. These sharks are best in groups and grow big so they should be kept in large sized tanks. The best climate for the white tip shark is between 78 and 82 degrees.

Rainbow Shark

If you want to keep these sharks you ought to settle for only 1 fish per aquarium, or put in more than 6 as they can get a bit cranky with each other in small numbers. Rainbow sharks need to have tubes to move in and out of. These light colored freshwater aquarium sharks have a raspberry – orange color on the fins and tail. Rainbow sharks are sturdy but rather aggressive to other sharks but will do well with other fish. These sharks can develop to 9 and need to be housed in larger aquarium tanks with a water temp between 76 and 80.

Red Tail Shark

These sharks must have a pipe, tube or cave to be their happiest and can get as big as 5. Like the rainbow shark, red tails should be kept alone or in schools of more than 6. The red tail shark has a gray body with a red tail and does not get along with sharks. The best water temp for the red tail shark is between 76 and 80 degrees.

Bala Shark

Bala sharks are even tempered and hyper. Balas require a water temperature between 78 and 82 degrees. These sharks will do best in a sizeable fish tank with an external power filter. These sharks are silver in color with black tipped fins and tail. Including numerous Bala sharks to your tank will give you a vivid group of fish gracefully swimming in your tank.

Lee Dobbins writes for Topic Genie where you can learn more about your favorite topics.