Thought of having
you’re first aquarium and worried about which fish to start with, this article
is all about the top 5 freshwater aquarium fish breeds which a beginner in fish keeping can opt for and
will be easier for one to maintain in the long run. According to recent
studies, fish keeping is becoming more popular as these are easy to keep as
compared to a dog or a cat which requires a lot of attention and care.
Although
having an aquarium in your house gives you the ecstatic feeling of getting
close to the marine world and peeking into
the lives of these fishes giving you a glimpse of their behavior in the natural ecosystem but honestly it is not the
way, it might seem to be.
These fishes for aquarium in pet shops and farms have
been bred and raised in captivity due to which their living patterns,
behaviors, appearance is a lot different than those that exist in nature. Even
many of the breeds which are popular such Blood red parrot and others do not
even exist in the wild, in fact, these
have been artificially mutated and raised by human efforts.
Having an
aquarium in the house not only enhance the ambiance but also creates positivity around because of the feeling of
being connected to nature. Having an inhouse aquarium and maintaining it can be
a tedious task depending upon the size of the tank and type of fish you choose
to have.
Few key factors that one should
always take care of while maintaining an aquarium should be the temperature, oxygen content, Ph-level,
chlorine content and cleanliness of the water. Apart from these many
other factors are also there depending on the fish breed one chooses, which are
– type of food, filtration system, and many more.
If one is a
beginner in fish keeping, he should always go for the breeds which are most
popular because of the minimum effort these require for their maintenance.
Furthermore, not only the fish breed but he also has to decide about the
size of the aquarium, filtration system set up, marine or a freshwater
arrangement and number of fishes to start with.
But as per my suggestion and me
being in the fish keeping hobby for the last 8 years, a freshwater aquarium is the
easiest to start with as these are extremely easy to maintain. Here are some of
the top 5 most popular freshwater aquarium fish breeds for beginners-
Goldfish
Despite having
the name “GoldFish”, these come in all sorts of colours and patterns. Whether
it be gold one, Black Moor, Redcap oranda, bubble eye, lion head, and
the list is never-ending. You will find this fish in every other household
where they are kept in bowls which generally not recommended.
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bubble eye
|
For keeping goldfish it is recommended to have at least 10 gallons of water and a minimum 6 gallons is dedicated to one fish. The temperature of the water should be maintained anywhere from 18 to 20 degree Celcius. A good filtration system is needed with 15 to 20 % water changes on a weekly basis. Food for good fish should be the one dedicated to the requirements of this particular breed and not any general fish food and becareful while feeding because overfeeding can turn out to be disastrous .
Koi
carp
These
are one of the most popular freshwater fish breeds as these are considered
sacred in many cultures especially for Japanese people from where this breed’s
origin is . These are very common in household ponds and aquariums and comes in
a variety of colours and patterns such as Kohaku, Taisho Sanke, Showa and many more.
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| Kohaku |
Ideal temperature conditions for these are from
18 to 22 degree C . Temperature reaching beyong these may cause depletion of
oxygen content in water and make the fishes susceptible to diseases. This breed
is known to create lots of waste and dirt in water so one needs to have a very
efficient filter system.
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| Showa |
Minimum size requirement is atleast 20 gallons of
water as their life span is around 50 years and these tend to grow to large
sizes , so one has to upgrade the size with passing years. Food requirements
are not very specific and can be given
food with carbohydrate and protein content.
Guppy
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| Guppy fish |
These are mostly kept in groups and
are generally very sturdy being able to survive in extreme conditions.
Generally, these require minimal maintenance and can thrive in temperatures anywhere
from 10 to 21 degree C. As these are kept in groups, the minimal volume should be
at least 10 gallons per 4 fish in general. Another important factor is the
selection of male to the female ratio which is recommended around 1:2 else your
aquarium can turn into a battleground if this factor is not considered.
Although these live and thrive in aquatic plant setup community tanks still
these can sustain in simple freshwater setup and are generally very active swimmers
mostly exploring their environment around. Ph level should be between 6 -7 levels
and generally eat frozen and dried food but take extreme precautions and do not over feed them.
Molly
These are another very popular breed
of aquarium fish which is most ideal for beginners and do not require much care. These
just like guppies live in groups and are live-bearers which means that they hold
the eggs in their body and give birth to fry directly just like many other
breeds. These are generally very peaceful fish which can turn aggressive if crowded
around by other aggressive tankmates.
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| Molly fish |
There are several sub-species of Molly
such as –Black molly, Sailfin molly, lyretail to name a few. Temperature requirements for these are between 12-20
degree C and Ph level should be between 6 to 8. Size of the aquarium should be
decided keeping in the mind that at least 10 gallons of water is needed for 3-4
fishes.
Oxygen content of the water has to be maintained and along with an efficient filtration system, water change should be done around 15-25 % on
every alternate week basis. These do not have a very specific diet requirement
but should be given a good quality fish food to enhance their colours and
growth.
Tetra
These are called the rainbow fish of the freshwater fish community. These generally live in large schools of fish and
males are generally smaller than females. These are very active swimmer and
will be found mostly between the top and middle tank levels. Different species of
tetras are- Neon, Cardinal, Serpae, Glowlight and diamond tetras.
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| Neon tetra |
These are
generally, hard ones sustaining in temperature from 12- 20 degrees C. Their life
span is around 5- 8 years and breed
mostly on suspended leaves or branches in water, so the aquarium set-up should
be accordingly. Water changes and proper aeration in water is very much needed
and should be maintained.These mostly prefer food containing aquatic plants
and mineral content.