There are obviously many aquarium fish species, and which ones you choose to keep will depend on many factors. Firstly and most importantly this will depend on whether you have a freshwater or a marine aquarium. Secondly it will depend on the size of your tank and after that it will depend on which fish you can successfully keep together and your personal preference.
Before choosing the aquarium fish species you want to keep it’s important to do some thorough research and ask the advice of experts. Choose a reputable store to buy your fish from and ask the experts that work there what will go well together in the size of tank that you own.
If you are going to buy your first aquarium don’t expect to buy your fish on the same day as you will need to set up your aquarium first, check there are no leaks and make sure all your equipment is working. Then you will need to monitor the water for a while to make sure it is free of pollutants before introducing any fish.
You probably have some idea in mind of the species you’d like to keep before buying your tank so you can choose an appropriate size and equipment for these species, but it is a good idea to keep reading and researching as you go along.
You may have heard that fish grow to the size of their tank but it is important to bear in mind that this is not true; it is in fact a dangerous myth. While a few species may become stunted when kept in an overcrowded aquarium but most do not.
Some examples of species that do not become stunted and therefore shouldn’t be bought unless you have enough tank space are Oscars, Tinfoil barbs, Silver dollars and plecs.
Goldfish and Clown loaches are some of the very few ornamental fish species that do become stunted, but fish species in general in overcrowded conditions are going to be more prone to diseases, such as finrot and fungus, caused by poor water quality and pH instability.
If you have a marine aquaria it makes sense to consider keeping some scavenging fish species, such as catfish, loaches, and shrimps. These are like a clean up crew as they keep the sand turned over, get rid of uneaten food and even eat other dead fish.
If you have a freshwater aquarium you do not need such a clean up crew as cleaning up is easier. During water changes you can remove decomposing matter without fear of damaging plants or moving rocks.
Many fish species fall under the banner of “community fish” but this just means that they are fish that get along with other fish of similar sizes. Not all community fish can be kept together, as most large fish will see smaller fish as potential prey. Therefore keeping different species of different sizes is not a good idea.
Examples of generally good community fish species that cannot be kept together are Angelfish and Neon tetras. Angelfish are naturally predators and large ones will happily eat smaller fish, such as Neons. Some other predatory community fish species include Giant danios, Pictus catfish and Asian killifish.
If you want to breed tropical fish in hard water some species to consider are Livebearers, Tanganyikan and Malawian cichlids, Central American cichlids and brackish water fish, as they all naturally prefer hard water.
Whichever type of aquarium you decide to buy there are many aquarium fish species to choose from to populate it with, and how you choose depends on many different factors. From the size of tank, type of water and your own personal goals to the social behaviour and diet of the fish, the most important thing to do is research a species before you buy it to make sure it will thrive in your aquarium.