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Cherry Barb
Cherry Barbs are great tropical fish for the beginner because they can tolerate a wide range of water parameters. It
is also a very peaceful and very good community fish that will bring lots of activity to your aquarium. They stay on the small
side, usually 1.5 to 2 inches (5 cm) and should leave most of their tank mates alone. The Cherry Barb does best when kept
in a school, preferably 6 or more them.
It is interesting to note that they are almost extinct in the wild but are still
doing very well within the tropical fish hobby. This really is a pretty little fish and the photos in this profile doesn't
do them justice.
They may be somewhat picky about their food when first acclimated to your tank (should be expected) but that should soon
wear off and they'll be going after most of the commonly fed fish foods.
Put in some live plants and or artificial caves to provide hiding places to help make them feel secure. This fish should
reward you with lots of activity and will bring a splash of color to your fish tank.
Gold Barb
This is another hardy freshwater fish that is good for beginners. The Gold Barb will tolerate a wide range of water parameters,
stays relatively small (3 inches - 8cm), is quite colorful and should play nicely with most tank inhabitants. They have a
mostly gold colored body with small dark or black patches running down the lateral line of the body.
They may not do very
well in planted aquariums because they may nip at the plants. If you have a heavily planted tank you may be able to keep a
few of these, but if your tank is sparsely populated with plants they may rid you of your plants.
Behavior wise, they do best when kept in a school of 5 or more and they may bicker among the school about the pecking
order. Avoid keeping them with long finned fishes such as Bettas, some of the long finned tetras and Angelfish because they
may nip at their fins.
The Golden Barb is a good eater and if they aren't eating it may be safe to assume that something is wrong with the water
paramters in your tank. A flake food can form the main part of their diet, but supplement with other foods.
Goldfish, Fancy Goldfish
The Goldfish is a favorite fish for many. How many of us didn't keep one at one time or another? They are usually very
hardy fish and can live in temperatures ranging from 40°F - 90°F (4°C - 32°C). It is important to note that Goldfish have
an extremely long lifespan if cared for properly, so getting one can become a long term commitment. Many varieties are available
with many different markings, fancy varieties and colors including gold, orange, white and black.
The can sometimes come
down with swim bladder disease and occasionally freshwater ich. It's very important to provide your fish with frequent water
changes and quality, nutritious fish food.
You can also make life much better for your fish by getting some form of filtration, such as a box or corner filter with
a small air pump. These small filters are fairly inexpensive and the filter media can be changed out easily when you do a
water change.
To increase your chance of success with goldfish keeping, try not to keep them in a tiny goldfish bowl. A tiny bowl will
become polluted quickly and you'll have to perform maintenance all of the time. Instead, get them at least a 10 gallon tank
with a filter and heater. Also, if you want to keep multiples, try for a minimum of 10 gallons per goldfish for better long
term success with this fish.
Harlequin Rasbora
The Harlequin Rasbora is a long time favorite for many hobbyists. It has the signature black triangle shape that starts
at the dorsal fin and continues to the caudal fin. These Rasboras are fairly hardy but they should only be added to tanks
that have completed the aquarium nitrogen cycle. This is a schooling fish and will be happy with 6 or more of it's own kind.
They make a great addition to heavily planted tanks and community tanks.
The Harlequin Rasbora is sometimes confused with
the Lambchop Rasbora (Trigonostigma espei) but the Lambchop Rasbora's black region starting at the mid-section (dorsal fin)
is not quite as large at the beginning of the black region and is shaped more like a "lamb chop" instead of the black triangular
shape of the Harlequin.
It's always a good idea to keep any new fish in a quarantine tank for a few weeks for monitoring before introducing them
into your main tank.
They will accept smaller fish food including flakes, frozen, freeze dried and live foods.
Koi
The Koi is a carp that was selectively bred originally in Japan for desirable colors. They can get to be very large with
2 feet plus being a common size for adult fish. Because of their large size, they do best in large outside ponds. Each fish
needs several hundred gallons of water to adequately care for them. A common mistake is to buy too many fish for your pond.
While young, the volume of water in the pond may be fine, but as these fish grow they will need larger volumes of water to
prevent growth stunting.
There are many varieties available with some fetching ridiculous prices. The names of various
koi are based on the patterns and colors exhibited by the fish. The Tancho variety is highly sought after having a primarily
pure white body with an orange colored pattern on the top of the head. It is a beauty.
People often confuse goldfish and koi. These fish are similar, both being carps, but koi get much larger and have barbels
on the sides of the mouth that they use for foraging and finding food. They also have similar care requirements such as feeding
and temperature but Koi need much larger living quarters than goldfish.
The great thing about keeping them is that they can and will develop personalities which makes them great pets. This
fish lives for a very long time with a life span of 20 years or more if cared for properly. Proper care means providing large
enough volumes of water, feeding high quality foods and keeping the water clean. Clean out the pond filter media often and
remove debris from the water surface and the substrate on a regular basis.
Overall, this is a fantastic fish for the properly sized pond. Keeping them in climates where it drops below freezing
or gets above 90 °F (32 °C) for extended periods of time will be difficult. If you do live in an area like this, you will
need a deeper pond, that is if you're even able to have one.
Odessa Barb
For a freshwater fish, the Odessa Barb can rival the colors of most saltwater species. They are considered hardy and
will tolerate a wide range of water parameters but will thrive in well planted tanks that are slightly on the acidic side
of the pH range. They may be difficult to find at your local fish store, but ask your store to order some for you. You may
be required to leave a small deposit but it will be well worth getting a school of these beauties.
The male Odessas are
usually the colorful ones while the females become plumper when developing eggs. If you want to try your hand at breeding
them you will need a bare bottom tank and you will have to remove the adults after they have fertilized the eggs. It should
take 3 to 5 days for the eggs to hatch. Be ready to feed them infusoria for the first few weeks and then baby brine shrimp.
Frequent partial water changes (daily) are required during the grow out stages as well.
They are not picky eaters and they should eat most fish food that hits the tank water. Give them some live or frozen
fish food ocassionally and they will reward you with great coloration and lots of activity.
If you get a school of these barbs, you might see some territorial aggression or tests of dominance among the males.
These little battles shouldn't last long and they really should not be cause for concern. If it gets out of hand though, be
prepared to separate the weaker fish. They should play nicely with the other fish in the tank but watch for fin nipping. Fin
nipping may be dimished if you keep a school of Odessa Barbs in your tank.
Rainbow Shark
This freshwater cyprinid originates in Thailand and may not be a good choice for a community tank. They like to stake
out their own territory in the tank. This territory can be in the form of small caves, rocks and even plants. They will become
aggressive with smaller fish that invade this territory. Only keep one Rainbow Shark in your tank because they will not tolerate
another Rainbow or Red Tail Sharks in the same tank. They may exist together for awhile, but one will end up chasing the other
relentlessly until the other succumbs.
The Rainbow Shark will eat most fish food including flakes, pellets and frozen
foods. They will eat algae wafers as well.
Breeding this freshwater shark is rare in the home aquarium. This is most likely because of their intolerance of each
other in the small confines of the home aquarium.
You will need a good tight fitting hood with no escape points because this fish has been known to jump out of the tank.
Red Tail Shark
The Red Tailed Shark has a black body with a red tail (hence the name). It is best to keep one of this species in your
tank because they will become very aggressive and territorial towards each other. Avoid the temptation to keep them with a
Rainbow Shark or other Red Tailed Sharks.
Many hobbyists mistakenly add multiples to a small tank only to find out that
one of them will soon become the dominant "shark". The dominant one will chase and pester the others relentlessly. Any time
the submissive sharks try to get to food the dominant one will chase it away. They really can become quite obnoxious which
is why we recommend keeping only one unless you have a much larger tank.
Provide them with many hiding places to help make them feel secure and have a tight fitting hood because they are also
known to be excellent jumpers.
They love to scavenge all over the tank looking for food and will accept most fish foods including flakes, frozen, freeze
dried and live foods.
Rosy Barb
Also known in certain circles as the Red Barb, the Rosy Barb is a popular freshwater tropical fish that will bring a
lot of activity to your tank. They are generally peaceful but like many barbs, can become fin nippers if they are not placed
in a small school of 5 or more. They are also very aggressive eaters and will accept flake fish food with gusto.
Many
have reported breeding success by using broad leaved plants on which the female will lay it's eggs. Adults will eat the eggs
so you must separate them if you want to raise the fry.
The Rosy Barb will accept nearly all foods including flakes, frozen, freeze dried and live foods.
Scissor Tail Rasbora
The Rasbora trilineata or Scissor Tail Rasbora is also called the Three Lined Rasbora in some places. They have a forked
tail (caudal fin) that has black and white markings on it that are similar to the dorsal fin on the pristella tetra. There
is a horizontal black bar on the mid section that runs the length of the body. The forked tail gives them a unique swimming
style that is the reason for the common name. Their tail makes an opening and closing scissor like motion while swimming.
If you're looking for a nice, easy going community fish for the top parts of your freshwater fish tank this fish may be
for you. They will bring lots of activity to the top levels of your aquarium and should not bother any of their tank mates.
Feeding them should not pose a problem since they will take flakes, frozen and freeze dried foods. They especially like
freeze dried blood worms, but don't over do it. A little bit of the freeze dried bloodworms goes a long way and only give
them this food as a treat every once in a while. A good quality flake food should serve as the main part of the Scissor Tail
Rasbora's diet.
Tiger Barb
The Tiger Barb has black bands that run vertically on an orange/gold body. There are also a few different varieties of
this Barb such as the Albino and the Green.
Stocking this species in a community tank can be risky. They are a very active
tropical fish that has a reputation for nipping the fins of its tank mates. This fin nipping behavior is most often attributed
to not having enough tiger barbs in the tank. With that being stated, they do best when kept in schools of 6 or more. Given
thier somewhat aggressive nature, it might be a good idea to think twice before adding them to a community tank.
The Tiger Barb will take regular tropical fish flakes but you should try to supplement their diet every once in a while
with brine shrimp or krill.
Tinfoil Barb
The Tinfoil Barb is a fish that is often available in pet shops and sold to the beginning aquarist but it is not the
best choice for those beginning in the freshwater hobby. The tinfoil barb requires a very large tank, at least 75 gallons
(284 liters) because of its potential adult size of 13 inches (32 cm). They like to have lots of space for swimming and they
are indeed fast swimmers. They also like to jump out of tanks that don't have tight fitting hoods.
The sides of the Tin
foil Barb resemble tin foil (hence the name) and the fins on the this barb will become more red as they mature. Juveniles
(pictured below) lack the red on the fins.
Tin foil Barbs will accept most fish food, including flakes, pellets, frozen and freeze-dried foods. They will also go
after your live plants and any smaller fish if given the opportunity.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
The white cloud mountain minnow is an extremely hardy fish that can withstand a wide range of temperatures. They can
be kept in an aquarium without a heater as long as the temperature does not drop below 45°F (7°C). They are peaceful and are
suitable tank mates for a community tank as long as the aquarium temperature doesn't get too high. Many keep them in small
desktop tanks.
The White Cloud Mountain Minnow will eat flakes, frozen, freeze dried and live foods.
Zebra Danio
The Zebra Danio is one of the most popular tropical fish for many reasons. They are very hardy, attractive to look at
and they usually do well in groups of 6 or more. They are a good first fish for beginners to the tropical fish hobby because
of their tolerance of a wide range of water parameters.
Because of their hardiness, many will use zebra danios to cycle
their new tanks. This is not a recommended practice because it can be very traumatic and stressful to the fish. They are frequently
used as dither fish in aquariums since they are constantly out swimming all over the tank. Dither fish are used to help calm
other fish that may be skittish. The scared fish will see the danios out swimming and may become more comfortable with their
environment.
Behavioral problems with this fish, such as fin nipping, can usually be attributed to not having enough of these schooling
fish in your tank. To prevent this fin nipping behavior try to keep a school of 6 or more in your tank.
They will eat vitamin enriched flakes, frozen, freeze dried and live foods.
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