Choosing Fish

You are now equipped with all the important details on how to get a good aquarium up
and running smoothly. So, how about some fish? After reading so much on how to go
about providing the best surroundings for the fish, it is finally time to go shopping for
your first fish. Whilst this is the most exciting part of the whole adventure for many
aquarists, it is also one that is fraught with a little anxiety for most beginners. It is hard
not to feel tempted by all those beautiful, colorful fish swimming so happily at the store.
Should you get them all, one of each species? Which would be the best, the easiest, the
hardiest? Here are some pointers that will help you to start in the right direction.
A beginner's best choice is naturally a fish that is easy to feed, hardy, can adapt well to its
new surroundings, and that is generally not too sensitive or too "picky". Many a time,
though you have all these points right at your fingertips, you get duped at the fish store.
Sellers will swear by the hardiness of their fish, but unfortunately many of the fish that
are sold as beginner's fish are really the least suited for a beginner.
There are certain precautions that need to be taken right at the store where you are buying
your fish. When you get to the store, you should ideally already have decided which
species you are going to buy. Depending on the salesman to point you in the right
direction is always risky, unless you know for sure that he or she is knowledgeable and
has a good reputation. It is also important to look at the adult size of the fish you are
going to get. If you have a small aquarium, the fish may soon outgrow the size of the
aquarium and that would be a pity after all the trouble you have taken to acclimatize the
fish.
Make sure that the species you are getting comes from a good stock. Examine all the fish
in the aquarium and look for the healthiest of the lot. These should be the ones you take
home. DO NOT go for fish that seem to be gasping for breath or just plain tired. Fish that
are unhealthy in the store rarely recover from their lethargy. One good test is to put your
hand against the glass on the aquarium, and see which fish will try to peck at it. These are
generally the best fish in the lot. DO NOT knock on the glass. Imagine how stressed the
fish will be by and endless amount of customers that keep banging on the walls of the
aquarium.
Once you have spotted the fish you like it is advisable to ask the salesman to take them
out gently. Put them into a big bag with enough water in it. Since the bag is much smaller
than the aquarium, the fish will get stressed. You should therefore carry them home as
soon as possible. Remember to keep the temperature in the bag stable while you carry it
home. Reduce the amount of water in the bag to give room for more air and oxygen if
you know there will be some time until you get home.When you start out, it is best to get a small school of a small schooling fish. Some of
these include the White Cloud Mountain Minnows, and several species of Danio and
Rasbora. You should always get a school when buying schooling fish. You should not get
less than 6 specimens of a schooling fish, and at least 10 is preferred.
Here is a brief list of some other hardy fish for the beginner:
􀂾 Guppy fish is a species that has been domesticated for
many decades by fish keepers and Guppies are therefore well
adapted to a life in aquariums. They are also quite inexpensive,
have very sociable temperaments and are pretty. They are a
somewhat schooling fish, and you will need to get a group of at
least 4-6 guppies for them to do well. Don’t buy the most elaborate
types of guppy since these are more sensitive than the more basic
types.
􀂾 Swordtails are very handsome and are easy to recognize.
The mail fish has a 'sword'; a long point at the very end of the tail
fin. You can get Swordtails in a variety of colors, like vibrant
orange and deep red. Swordtails can be slightly aggressive, and the
males tend to fight each other for dominance. For this reason, you
should purchase only one male and 2-3 females if you have a small
aquarium.
􀂾 The Platy are distant cousins of the Swordtails, but are not
aggressive. They also come in a large variety of colors. Platy fish
should always be kept in schools.
􀂾 The Molly can be jet black, marbled or pure white. Mollies
are quite peaceful by nature and are therefore great aquarium fish
for beginners. Some of the males can get aggressive towards each
other. Only keep Mollies if you keep an aquarium white a pH of
above 7 and preferable some salt in the water.
􀂾 The Barb fish are also favorites among beginners. They are
fast swimming schooling fish that brings life to the aquarium.
Barbs are very easy to feed.
􀂾 The Danios is another fast swimming group of fish. They
are very easy to keep, breed and feed and are therefore ideal for
beginners.