Are you considering getting a tropical fish tank? Keeping tropical fish is a pleasurable hobby for families around the world. While keeping fish as pets has been a tradition going back to ancient Egypt and China, keeping tropical fish as pets is a much more recent hobby. Why? Because tropical fish are fish that live in warm water. For tropical freshwater fish, ideal temperatures revolve around 76 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24.5 to 26.7 degrees Celsius). Tropical marine (saltwater) fish enjoy their temperature a little bit warmer at 80 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 to 27.8 degrees Celsius). This article will be focusing on tropical freshwater fish tanks.
What about the different kinds of fish tanks?
Tropical freshwater fish aren't the only kind of fish that you can keep in an aquarium in your home. We already mentioned tropical saltwater fish. Your other options are:
coldwater freshwater fish
tropical marine fish
coldwater marine fish
keeping reef tanks
Coldwater freshwater fish are also popular with fish hobbyists. The ubiquitous goldfish is a good example of a coldwater freshwater fish. Tropical marine fish are also kept by fish hobbyists. A clownfish is a good example of why they're so popular with their bright colors. Not all Marine fish are tropical; however, a popular coldwater marine fish is the Blenny. Marine fish tanks are challenging to maintain, namely because the water chemistry is hard to manage (and we're not just limited to the salt levels here). Marine fish are usually more sensitive to changes in their environment because out in the open water they aren't usually subjected to big changes.
Not content to just keep fish in their tanks, many hobbyists will keep planted aquariums. Some hobbyists keep living coral in their tanks; we call them reef tanks. An in-between tank (in between fish-only (FO) and the reef) is called the FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock). Sounds like an oxymoron, but the FO basically means that they aren't trying to grow live coral. Keeping reef tanks are extremely hard to manage and therefore are the bane of novice fish hobbyists but the holy grail for those up to a challenge.
Why go with Tropical Fish?
People decide to go with tropical fish for the following reasons:
More choices and typically more brightly colored fish than coldwater freshwater fish
Easier to care for than either tropical or coldwater marine fish
Much simpler than having a reef aquarium
The Pros and Cons of Keeping Tropical Fish
There are many positive outcomes to keeping a tropical fish tank:
There is the aesthetic appeal of keeping a tropical fish tank in your home. You get to design and decorate your own tank and little ecosystem.
Keeping a tropical fish tank is an educational learning experience. You'll learn all about fish biology and the ecosystem that fish live in.
Tropical fish don't eat much and don't require a lot of money after you set up the aquarium and buy the fish. A small dog or cat will eat about $150 in food a year whereas fish should cost you about $25 a year to feed.
Tropical fish are good pets for kids in teaching responsibility at a much reduced cost than it would be to take care of a dog or cat.
Keeping tropical fish is a relaxing and enjoyable hobby.
Tropical fish can provide you the satisfaction of taking care of a pet without stressing you out over concerns that other pets require.
You can leave tropical fish alone during the day, at night, on weekends, or on short trips.
Your tropical fish will (usually!) stay put inside the tank where you left them.
You don't have to walk them, wash them, groom them, brush them, take them in for check-ups, clean up after them (or keep your slippers away from them).
Just like keeping any pet in the house, there are things you'll need to watch when keeping tropical fish:
Tropical fish can die very easily when something goes wrong with the tank. Often by the time you notice something is wrong with the tank or the fish, it will be too late for you to do anything for them (although you can take you lessons learned for the next aquarium you set up).
Tropical fish do require more care than a plant; you must know how to change the water, clean the tank, and what to feed them.
As opposed to bringing other type pets into the house, set up costs for fish keeping can be expensive. You'll need to put in an investment in terms of the tank and the accessories. Plus many fish are not cheap!
Tropical fish are living creatures. Things happen to them, even when you're not paying attention. So they aren't just design features and will require your frequent attention and care.
If you keep your tropical fish tank without doing any research, things can get ugly! For example you can have algae blooms or snail infestations that are very hard to eradicate.
Keeping Tropical Fish
In terms of keeping tropical fish as pets, you'll need to consider the following:
housing them properly in an aquarium
keeping their water aerated and clean
feeding the fish
feeding the fish
helping fry (baby fish) grow if your fish mate and reproduce
