TROPICAL MARINE FISH GUIDE – KEEPING TROPICAL MARINE FISH

FIRST THING.

Before choosing your fish, make a trip to the pet store and see what fish appeal to you. Make a list of the names of the fish. Now, go home again and look up these fish on our website (www.africanaquaticsexport.com). Confirm their growth rate; For example, most big fish are beautiful and fascinating, and the little ones are the cutest fish ever, and maybe confirm if you have enough space for adult school fish. If you plan to have more than one kind of fish in your tank, check how many you will need per species and whether the water requirements are compatible and whether the fish themselves are compatible. Left to their own devices, your fish will get enough exercise simply swimming around attending to their fishy activities. The slim breeds are much more active than the rounder, long-finned varieties.

To have beautiful aquarium tanks, consider the following steps:

• Start with a freshwater tank of 20-50 gallons;
• Set it up with the gravel, filter, plants, “cycling” fluid, rocks, and so on before choosing your fish;
• Allow it to sit and “age” for at least a week;
• Choose an appropriate number of small river fish; and
• Do routine maintenance regularly, instead of waiting for something to go wrong.

APPARATUS.

The essentials for keeping tropical fish looks like quite a list, but any pet store that deals in pet fish will have almost everything you need:

• Tank and canopy with light, usually sold as a set;
• Gravel, enough for a depth of at least an inch (2.5cm) in the front and three inches (7cm) in the back;
• Water filter and filter media (which might or might not need a separate water pump), often sold as part of a set with the fish tank;
• Water thermometer and water heater;
• Rocks or ceramic tank ornaments for the fish to hide in or behind (you’ll see them more often if they know they can hide);
• Fish food;
• “Cycling” fluid, which sets up the essential bacteria in the water before the fish move in;
• Water conditioning fluid, which “takes out” the chlorine and chloramines from tap water;
• Fish net of appropriate size for your fish;
• Siphon and hose, to “vacuum” the gravel, and a clean bucket that has never had soap in it (traces of soap will destroy your fishes’ gills) for water changes.

FEEDING OF TROPICAL MARINE FISH.

If you have chosen your preferred fish, feeding will not be a problem. A high-quality package of bloodworms or tubifex worms will keep your fish fed. Start by giving them just enough to gobble down in two minutes. It is safer to give them too little than too much. You can always add more.

MAINTAINING THE TANKS.

Siphon out some water each week, using the siphon to pull up the debris that accumulates at the bottom of the tank. Count on changing at least two gallons per week. For larger tanks, more is better to a point, but do not change more than a quarter of the water at once. It is important to make sure the water you put back in is not too cold and does not have chlorine in it. Filling the bucket and letting it sit overnight will usually do the trick. Otherwise, use some water conditioner, and let it sit half an hour before pouring the water into the tank. Let the waterfall onto your hand or a clean bowl (remember: no soap!) in the tank water, to keep the flow of falling water from disturbing the gravel.

Rinse or replace the filter media each week, as well. The filter package will tell you how to clean the particular type you have.

Several sources have the information of suitable fish for beginners, semi-beginners and hobbyists but for a sure accurate information and to know what’s in our stock, you can contact us:

marketing@africanaquaticsexport.com / sales@africanaquaticsexport.com.