The world of aquarium hobbies is exciting , and among the types of fish that we can care for, tropical fish are undoubtedly the most striking, due to their exotic shapes and colors.
What are tropical fish?
The name tropical fish encompasses all those species of fish that come from the warm regions of the globe , usually between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. These areas of the world are subject to relatively high temperatures throughout the year, and have good sun exposure.
As you can imagine, in these areas we find various aquatic environments: rivers, lakes, lagoons, seas … The tropical fish that we can raise in a home aquarium can be of two types, freshwater tropical fish and saltwater tropical fish or marine.
The choice of one type or another of fish should not only depend on whether they seem more or less attractive to you, each of the two types of fish requires different knowledge and dedication.
You have no idea? Don’t you know which tropical fish are the most suitable for you?
I hope that throughout this article you understand the advantages and disadvantages of having a freshwater tropical fish aquarium, or a saltwater tropical fish aquarium.
The best tropical fish
Most aquarium hobbyists go for freshwater aquariums. They clearly have some advantage over marine aquariums.
The best thing about having tropical freshwater fish
I am going to list some of what I consider the greatest advantages of having a freshwater tropical fish aquarium :
- The variety of tropical freshwater fish that we can have in an aquarium is enormous.
- Trade is widespread, prices for freshwater tropical fish are relatively low
- We can have a freshwater fish aquarium in very little space, there are very small fish that can live in tanks from 50 liters or less
- A community aquarium can be created with great ease, having a great variety of different species
- Aquarium plants can be introduced into freshwater aquariums , creating environments of maximum naturalness and showiness
- There are many varieties of freshwater fish, which are very hardy and easy to care for by a hobbyist.
Problems that a freshwater aquarium can give
Although the advantages of owning a freshwater tropical fish aquarium are many, we can also find disadvantages:
- Because it is easy to introduce many fish, we can over saturate the aquarium with specimens and species. This problem is very typical in the newest
- Freshwater fish tend to get sick easily
- Sometimes it is difficult to keep the balance, fish-aquarium plants
Selection of tropical freshwater fish
These are some of the most popular freshwater tropical fish that you can find in your usual fish store:
Advantages of tropical saltwater fish
Although maintaining a freshwater aquarium is quite simple (more than a marine aquarium), I will not deny that owning a marine tropical fish aquarium also has its advantages:
- The showiness of marine fish is usually higher than that of freshwater fish
- A marine aquarium is a challenge, they are difficult to maintain, but they are worth the effort
- For those who like minimalist environments, they are very attractive
- You can have very original fish at home, much more than the typical ones that you will find in most freshwater aquariums
Disadvantages of tropical marine fish
Just as they have advantages, owning an aquarium with tropical marine fish is accompanied by its disadvantages:
- Fish are more expensive and sometimes hard to come by
- Many fish adapt with difficulty to the aquarium, they are very delicate to care for
- They require very wide spaces. It is difficult to consider a marine aquarium of less than 100 liters, and some species require much larger aquariums
- Most of the marine tropical fish do not reproduce well in an aquarium , or it is very difficult to get it
The largest selection of tropical fish for marine aquariums
It is evident that the fish for marine aquariums are much less, but surely you will find in this selection some that are of your interest:
What do you have to do to have tropical fish at home?
Having a tropical fish aquarium at home is relatively simple, whether they are fresh or salt water.
Regardless of the type of fish that we are going to have, there are a number of factors to consider:
The aquarium
The most important thing in the aquarium is the aquarium . Without the aquarium, everything else will be secondary, because we will not be able to reproduce the biotopes from which the fish originate.
The aquarium must be of the right size, for the species and the amount of fish it will house.
In any case, it is always better to have a larger aquarium than a small one. If we make any mistake in the quality of the water, it will go more unnoticed and will have fewer consequences in a good-sized aquarium than in a small one.
Other considerations to have about the aquarium are the location, lighting and equipping it with the necessary accessories to maintain the quality of the water.
Water quality
The quality of the water is very important so that life inside the aquarium is possible.
There are parameters that must be controlled on a regular basis, such as water temperature (essential for tropical fish), pH and, in the case of marine fish, density.
In the stores specialized in aquariums and the sale of fish, we will find accessories of all kinds, which will help us to maintain balance within the aquarium: thermometers, filters, lighting accessories, tests to measure the different parameters, etc.
Aquatic plants and decoration
In freshwater aquariums, plants are essential to maintain water quality and balance within the aquarium.
There is a huge variety of plants . The choice will depend on several factors, such as their location within the aquarium, the size of the aquarium itself and, of course, our ability to care for them.
Some have a very positive impact on the quality of the water, introducing them into the aquarium ecosystem will help us achieve a better balance within the aquarium and will have a positive impact on the health of the fish.
Marine aquariums do not usually have plants, in any case some algae, corals, rocks and anemones .
The choice of decoration is not only aesthetic, it also fulfills other practical and necessary functions, such as offering protection to the fish.
Feeding the fish
Each species comes from a different ecosystem and consequently has different feeding habits.
These differences are very noticeable between freshwater and saltwater fish. While among the former we find many omnivores, in those of salt water, many feed on smaller fish.
In any case, the food that we provide will have a very positive impact on the health and balance of the aquarium.
I hope you liked this introduction to tropical fish , and that it helps you decide between the different types and species of fish that exist.
