A Red-Tailed Black Shark is a stunning fish, with a velvety- black body, a bright red tail, and a lovely streamlined shape. If you are going to keep a Black Shark in your aquarium, and I highly recommend that you do, only get one, because they get very aggressive towards others of their species. When they are younger they are relatively harmless, but as they got older and bigger they can get very cantankerous.

There is a large variety of freshwater tropical fish that you can add to your fish tank but my two favorites are Mollies and fancy guppies. These fish are livebearers meaning that instead of laying eggs, they give birth to a little tiny fish and they are, in fact, quite easy to breed even for a novice aquarist.

Mollies

A Molly is a great fish for a beginner hobbyist. These fish are fairly hearty and will withstand adversity and conditions well so if you make a mistake you can have a good chance of you for surviving. You want to be sure that you have a least a 15 gallon tank and you have a good heater as these fish like the temperature to be between 70 and 82°F.

Cichlids are the most popular types of tropical fish to keep in an aquarium. It is estimated that there are over 15,000 separate species of cichlid, one of which is the discus fish (Symphysodon spp.) . Discus fish are popular with hobbyists because they have distinctive behaviors and are exceptionally beautiful (they also have dorsal and anal fins that blend into the body to give the fish the look of a discus shape). This article will discuss the things you need to consider when starting a Discus aquarium.

Discus originate from the Amazon river basin. This water and habitat in quite diverse but the most common traits tend to be slow moving, soft water of a temperature around 28 deg. Celsius (82-83F). The sunlight is generally diffused by thick plants and trees. The aquascape would include driftwood and would be of a good depth. The natural habitat can help when creating the ideal fish tank.

Proper water chemistry in your home aquarium is paramount! Many beginner fish-collectors decided to dive into this hobby because they didn’t have time for a cat or dog. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but many varieties of fish live MUCH longer then many household pets. A Black Moor Goldfish has a life expectancy of well over 30 years. A Koi named Hanako lived to be 226 years old! If you have a Koi you might want to add it to your will, it will outlive you by many years!

Let me briefly get into the topic of pH in relationship to a home aquarium. The abbreviations pH stands for potential of hydrogen or Power of Hydrogen. Actually pH is shorthand for the mathematical definition. In chemistry a small p is used instead of - log10 and the H stands for the concentration of hydrogen ions.

One of the most common mistakes which leads to the death of fish in an aquarium is improper care and treatment of diseased fish.

Disease causing bacteria is present in all tanks, but whether or not disease affects your fish depends on how strong the animal’s resistance is to the disease. Poor living conditions can make a fish more susceptible to disease, and even if you do everything right, disease may still affect your fish.

Therefore, it is necessary to understand how to determine your fish is ill and what you will need to do in the situation where your fish is ill.

Should you go fresh or saltwater? When you decide to invest in an aquarium for the first time, the decision could be quite a challenge. Knowing the difference between the two with respect to cost, maintenance, etc., could make it easier to decide.

Setting up a freshwater aquarium is cheaper and maintenance is easier than a saltwater aquarium. However, the magnificent sight when you look at the wonderful undersea life forms in your tank makes the extra cost of a saltwater aquarium worth it.

Freshwater fish are overall more adaptable than marine fish. While fresh water fish adjust easily to changes in the aquarium, marine fish need their environment just right. Temperature, nitrate, salinity, ammonia and pH always have to be at the appropriate levels.

If you’re looking for an unusual looking fish to add to your acquiring him then you might want to consider the Pantodon buchholzi or African Butterfly Fish.

This unique fish almost looks like a butterfly when viewed from above at his fins stick out like wing’s. Native to Africa, this fish lives in the slow moving rivers of the rain forest and has been sold commercially for over 90 years. This fish can grow to be about 4 inches long and can live about five years.

Do you want to know what you need to do to maintain a beautiful aquarium of freshwater tropical fish? It’s not difficult, but you must do these few basic tasks to ensure optimum pleasure from your aquarium.

Looking after your freshwater tropical fish is not difficult or time-consuming, but there are a few things that need to be attended to on a regular basis to ensure optimum health for your tropical fish, which will mean optimum pleasure for you.

Firstly, always be careful when introducing new tropical fish in to your aquarium. New fish will be stressed by the ordeal of getting to your house, and will be susceptible to disease. It is advisable to always keep new fish in a quarantine tank for a few days, just to make sure they are fit and healthy.

If you have a fish tank, than an aquarium pump is critical to the functioning of the aquarium, and must be chosen with great care. When selecting your aquarium pump, some important points to keep in mind includes resistance offered by the pump, heat generated, noise production and number of returns.

A mistake that is commonly made while buying an aquarium pump is to instantly opt for the biggest and most powerful pump available irrespective of the size of the fish tank. This of course should be avoided under all circumstances since large pumps will generate a lot of heat and can endanger the fragile ecosystem prevailing in the fish tank by raising the temperature of the water.

Snakes can make fascinating and entertaining pets, but they’re not quite the ideal pet for everyone. They require special care and requirements, and should only be kept by those willing to commit to their care.

Choosing the type of snake is your first step. Some snakes are more dangerous than others, and the types of snakes range from common, harmless garter snakes to large and dangerous pythons.

It’s important to research types of snakes before making a decision. Take into consideration its special needs and requirements, as well as the danger in handling the type of snake.