Keeping tropical fish is a fascinating hobby that has been enjoyed for centuries in different parts of the world. The Romans kept live anemones in saltwater jars, but never succeeded in keeping these beautiful creatures alive for any longer period of time in captivity. They were however much more successful with keeping eels in aquariums, and some sources claim that certain types of eels reached an age of up to 60 years when kept by the Romans. In South East Asia, the first fish keepers had their fish in ponds, not in aquariums. The first domesticated species were probably carps and all of todays fancy goldfish types actually hail from a wild carp that can still be found in Asian rivers and streams.

If you want your fish to thrive like the Asian carps instead of quickly vanish like the Roman anemones, it is important that you take the time to learn the basics about fish keeping and aquarium maintenance before you set up your first aquarium. By obtaining the basic information before you go about, you will save yourself a lot of time, money and effort in the long run since you will be able to avoid the common beginner mistakes. One common beginner mistake is for instance to purchase a very small aquarium, thinking that a large one is much more difficult to manage. The truth is however that the mega-sized show aquariums that you can see in your fish store are easier to maintain than your tiny 5 gallon tank. In a small aquarium, there will be a very little amount of water. If a fish dies in a large aquarium, the pollution will be diluted by gallons and gallons of water. If a fish dies in your 5 gallon aquarium, the carcass may very well pollute your entire tank before you even notice the demise and remove the body from the water. I therefore recommend the beginner aquarist to choose at least a 10 gallon aquarium, and a 30 gallon aquarium is ideal. Avoid extraordinary deep aquariums since they are more difficult to clean. A very deep aquarium can also become a problem if you want to introduce plants to your aquarium, since you might have to install extra strong lights that are capable of penetrating the deep water all the way down to the plants at the bottom of the aquarium.

Filling up your aquarium with water and then promptly add all your fish at once is extremely unadvisable since the aquarium is ready to accommodate that many fishes. An aquarium is actually a miniature ecosystem and fish is not the only thing inhabiting it. Your fish will produce plenty of waste products (chiefly fish poop) that will eventually begin to build up in the aquarium. It is naturally not very healthy for fish to swim around in there own feces, but fortunately enough there exists a certain type of bacteria that can convert waste products from fish into compounds that are less unhealthy. Fish poop contains a high level of ammonia, and ammonia is also excreted via the gills of your fish. Ammonia is harmful to fish and also can turn extremely poisonous if your aquarium experience a sudden change in water chemistry that pushes the pH level above 7.5. If you allow populations of suitable bacteria to establish in your aquarium before you introduce all your fish, the bacteria will convert the ammonia into nitrite.

Nitrate is also very unhealthy and high levels of nitrite will kill your fish, but fortunately enough there is another type of bacteria that will love to live in your aquarium and that will change the nitrite into a less harmful compound nitrate. Nitrate is less dangerous than ammonia and nitrite, but high levels of nitrate will be unhealthy for your fish. There are unfortunately no beneficial bacteria to aid you here, and you must instead remove the nitrate by performing regular water changes. Changing 25 percent of the water once a week is a good rule of thumb, but some aquariums require more frequent water changes. When you are trying to establish your new aquarium or if you are experiencing problems with the water quality, smaller and more frequent water changes are advisable.

All those who like to start keeping tropical fish or are beginners allready keeping fish are recommended to download the free ebook Tropical Fish – A beginners guide from AC Tropical Aquarium Fish

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When you have decided what type of fish and plants you wish to keep, found a suitable tank and purchased all the necessary equipment, the next step is to actually set up your aquarium. Many people quite randomly add stuff to their aquarium without much consideration, which usually mean that they will encounter a lot more problems that the prepared aquarists. By sticking to a plan when you arrange your first aquarium you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble.

The first thing you should do is to thoroughly clean your tank. If you skip this stage simply because your new aquarium looks clean and shiny, your fish might die due to left over contaminants that become dissolved in the water. A previously used aquarium also needs a good scrub to remove unwanted parasites and diseases. Many microorganisms are remarkably resilient and can stay dormant even in an empty aquarium. Normally, it is unadvisable to use detergents when cleaning aquarium equipment, but during this first wash you can use a small amount of dish washing liquid in warm water. It is of imperative importance that you rinse away all traces of washing liquid as soon as possible. Use warm water to thoroughly rinse the aquarium several times. Fish can die from even tiny amounts of dish washing liquid.

When you have cleaned your tank, you should clean all the items that will go into the aquarium, such as equipment and aquarium dcor. If you use a bucket when cleaning your equipment, you should use a bucket that has not previously been contaminated with any form of detergents. Gravel should be washed under warm running water while being stirred. Continue to stir until the water is clear. If you plan to include bogwood in your set up, you might have to keep it in a bucket for a few weeks before you can place it in the aquarium. Bogwood can not sink until it has been water drenched. If you are lucky, your bogwood has been properly drenched before entering the store shelves.

You should be very careful with items from the wild, since they might affect the water chemistry in the aquarium. If you still want to use aquarium decoration from the wild, you must make sure that the items free from undesired microorganisms. Place them in a bucket filled with water and chlorine bleach. All traces of chlorine bleach must naturally be removed afterwards by repeated rinsing and soaking in fresh water.

Before you begin to fill your aquarium with water you should check that the spot that you have chosen is suitable. The floor must be flat and the room should ideally not be subjected to shakings. A special type of aquarium matting can be used to decrease unevenness between the aquarium and the thing that is stands on top of. A special aquarium stand is recommended, especially for larger aquariums since they can become too heavy for ordinary furniture.

If your tap water contains chlorine, you need a purchase a water conditioner from the fish store to remove the chlorine. In many countries, chlorine is added to the tap water to reduce the growth or bacteria and other micro organisms. In an aquarium, chlorine is naturally unwanted.

Now it is time to test your aquarium for leaks. Mending leaks is much easier now, then when you have filled your aquarium with gravel, equipment, fish etcetera. Fill your aquarium with water and let it stay like that for at least half a day. If there are no signs of leaks, you can remove the water and begin to decorate your aquarium. The first thing that you should add to your aquarium is the gravel. If you want to use an under gravel filter, the necessary plates must be inserted prior to the gravel. It is popular among aquarists to add more gravel to the back of the aquarium that to the front, in order to create a sloping bottom that gives you a better view of the aquarium. Adding 1-3 inches of substrate is common, but some aquarists prefer a deep sand bed while others go for much less gravel. If you are going to use under gravel filtration, you should follow the instructions for the filter system.

The next step involves filling the aquarium half way up with water. If you fill the aquarium all the way up, it will be more difficult to add equipment and decorations. One of the most convenient ways of filling your aquarium with water is to place a place on top of the gravel and pour dechlorinated water onto that plate. With this method, you will disturb the gravel as little as possible. Try to direct the flow to the sides of the tank. By using a plate and adding water at a slow pace, you can have your water pretty clear from the start. It is normal for the water to look a little cloudy after being poured into the aquarium; it will settle after a day or two.

Attach the equipment to their proper places in the aquarium. For most beginner aquarists, this means the heater, the thermometer and the filter. A heater should be placed somewhere in the aquarium where the circulation will be potent, since this will spread the heat evenly in the tank. The thermometer should be placed where it is easy to read. Do not connect the equipment to the electrical outlet yet.

Place aquarium decoration at their desired places. Try to create plenty of good hiding spots for your fish, since this will make them feel more at home in the aquarium. A fish that is relaxed is less prone to diseases. Aquarium decoration is also a good way of hiding ugly cable cords, tubes etcetera. Make sure that the decorations are safely a secured. Caves should not be able to collapse, stones should not topple, and artificial plants should be anchored in the substrate or attached to aquarium decoration.

Live plants are a nice addition to the aquarium and sturdy plant species can be successfully kept even by beginner aquarists. If you want to keep live plants, you can add them now. If you are in no hurry, you can instead wait a few days and allow the water to stabilize since this is more beneficial for the plants. It is advisable to read more about aquatic plants before you choose plants. This way, you will find out which plants that are ideal for you and how to care for them. Some plants should be planted in the substrate; others attached to aquarium decoration, and a third type is simply left floating at the surface.

When you have gotten this far, you should turn on the equipment and make sure that they work. Always read the manuals that come with aquarium equipment before you begin to use the items. Fill the aquarium full with dechlorinated water and wait 30 minutes before you turn on the heater. Install the air supplying equipment, e.g. air stones or the air pump. Also turn on the mechanical filter, if you are using this type of filtration. Always follow the manufacturers instructions, since different equipment have different requirements. The temperature in the aquarium should be closely monitored for a day or two to make sure that everything works properly before you add any fish. The filter should run for at least one day.

Now you are ready to begin the so called cycling of the aquarium. This is an important step that should never be skipped. I suggest that you read about aquarium cycling before you add any fish, since this can save you a lot of trouble and prevent fish death.

When you have setup your aquarium you can read more about how to manage it AC Tropical Fish. AC tropical fish also offer all visitors a free comprehensive aquarium ebook and support many smaller aquarium sites such as this one about clownfish

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Betta splendens is one of the most wanted fish in everyone’s aquarium. Breeding Bettas is not hard, though you might face problems at spawning them. They are oviparous fish, the male builds a nest in which the eggs/fry are kept for few days under the strict care of the Betta male. If you follow the next advices, you have big chances to get nice results of your Betta fish spawning.

1. Reproduction tank equipment: volume of 15-20 liters, a heater, a thermometer and air pomp connected to an air rock which will spread small bubbles. You need small bubbles because the fry are very sensitive to water movements and you don’t want them to suffer.

2. The aquarium water must have a temperature of 28-29 C, a higher temperature will hurry the eggs hatching and the fry won’t be fully developed. Keep the temperature constant using the heater and check it with the thermometer to make sure it is at the right level.

3. The water depth mustn’t excel 10-15 cm because the Betta eggs are denser than water and they fall down from the nest. The male picks them up in its mouth and brings them back in the bubble nest, but a water column over 15 cm will tire it after few repetitions.

4. Cover the reproduction aquarium with a lid in order to keep the same temperature for the air inside the aquarium. The fry develop their labyrinth after about 30 days and they are very sensitive to temperature changes. The lid also protects against air flow which could ruin the bubble nest.

5. Select a compatible pair of Bettas. At first attempts you’ll only want to get some fry and you won’t be interested in colors/fins, but after some successful spawns you’ll be more pretentious. So you’ll chose same colored Bettas or even more, you’ll look for developing some nice fins (double tails, crown tails, half moons, etc) but this is another discussion…

6. Introduce the male in the evening and only next morning introduce the female, considering that the male has already built the bubble nest. During the night keep the female in a jar near the aquarium and assure some light in order to make eye contact between the male and female; this will stimulate the bubble nest building.

7. The next day, after introducing the female, the Betta male will brutally chase her. That’s why you have to put some plants in the corners of the aquarium in order to assure hiding places for the female. Also make sure you add some floating plants in order to help the bubble nest building.

8. After the first successful egg evacuation, the male (sometimes the female too) will take them (in the mouth) from the bottom of the aquarium and bring up in the bubble nest. You don’t have to panic because this is a natural thing, so don’t take the fish out thinking they eat their eggs

9. A good pair of Bettas can spawn up to 400-500 eggs, after which the female has to be taken out from the aquarium because the male will brutalize her in order to protect the nest. Put the female, for a few hours, in a jar with water where you added some metilen blue in order to prevent eventually infections caused by the wounds.

10. After about 48 hours the fry will hatch and the Betta male will assure they stay together in the bubble nest. After another 2-3 days the fry will swim free. Now it’s time to take out the male and start feeding them with Paramecium and/or Artemia salina (Baby Brine Shrimp).

This is it 10 tips for a successful Betta splendens reproduction. You can find advanced information on specialized websites, books, etc, but following this article should familiarize you with the Betta splendens reproduction needs.

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If you are a beginner and you love animals and other living things, tropical fish is a rewarding, challenging, but sometimes pricey hobby. If you dont like a challenge and just want something easy to care for, I imagine a goldfish is a good bet. A Beta is a nice choice also. They are pretty, colorful fish and easy to care for. Theyre also fun to watch when they see theyre reflection in the aquarium or bowl. They puff up and try to charge and attack their own image. Sometimes it looks like theyre marching back and forth like sentry. You can only keep one in an aquarium or bowl, however, or they will try to kill each other. Another name for the Beta is Siamese fighting fish. Putting other tropical fish in with the Beta isnt a good idea either. The Beta will bite off chunks of the other fishes fins and otherwise terrorize them.

I have had aquariums on and off through my life since 1977 and now have three. Tropical Fish are found in tropical surroundings around the world, including both freshwater tropical fish and salt water species. Freshwater tropical fish are the more popular of the two and the freshwater tropical fish themselves are very inexpensive. Due to their often bright coloration, salt water fish are admired by hobbyists because of their exotic appearance. However they are more expensive and a great deal more difficult to care for.

It can be extremely enjoyable building and sustaining a cozy environment for your fish. It can give you much satisfaction making sure, for instance, that the water hardness, ammonia, ph, and nitrate levels are all normal. Sometimes I feel like a scientist using the test kits and test strips to monitor the water. If you find a good water siphon to do your water changes, it can be a piece of cake. An inferior water siphon can make a mess.

Another significant part of the aquarium environment would be the ornaments. Placement of the ornaments is important not only for aesthetic purposes, but also the fish need a place to hide. Sometimes fish are shy at first or they become stressed by being chased by aggressive fish. The same is true when you introduce new fish. Also, I find they like to hide for a few hours after a water change which must seem very invasive to their world. I have three aquariums and I always place the ornaments in a corner with the plants behind it. You can still see the fish weaving in and around the plants and peaking through any opening in the ornament(s).

To avoid killing your new freshwater tropical fish, it is essential that you set up your aquarium days beforehand. Creating and maintaining a virtual natural environment within the aquarium should not be a problem as long as a balance is being maintained. Most of the aquariums you find in pet stores have everything you need. Just follow the directions. The directions dont, however, tell you what you need to do with the water. You will always need a water conditioner. After you have given your aquarium a few days to set up, some pet stores will test your water for free and advise you on what you need to do to correct any problems. The aquariums in this website are also worth considering. These aquariums are quite unique and aesthetically pleasing. Once your simulated environment has been achieved, the fascination of watching your fish develop and interact is a reward in itself and well worth the time and effort taken.

I clearly state here that I am not an aquatics expert; I am a hobbyist and love animals. The subject of this article is not exhaustive. The documents herein are based on my experience and research. Therefore I am not liable in any way for how this information is used. There are lots of articles on the web or talking with your local pet store might be a good idea if you have any questions.

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