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What about the different kinds of fish tanks?

• coldwater freshwater fish
• tropical marine fish
• coldwater marine fish
• keeping reef tanks

Why go with Tropical Fish?

• 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 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).

• 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

• 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

Popular Tropical Fish

• Guppy (Poecilia reticulate). The Guppy is a great first time fish because they're easy to feed and care for. They provide some nice color and variety with their tail shapes. Guppies are also relatively easy to breed in aquariums.
• Green Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri). The Green swordtails can hybridize with other fish so think twice before putting them into a community aquarium.
• Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus). This is another good first fish; they like to eat algae and they bear live young.

Planning your Tropical Fish Aquarium

• Community Aquarium is where you'll have a number of different varieties of fish in as harmonious a setting as possible, including plants to give the aquarium a very natural look.
• Dutch Plant Aquarium uses lots of plants in a much designed style (it should look like the aquatic equivalent to a formal garden). Very intensive and some critics believe that the fish take second place to the plants!

• Heater. The most common type of heater for aquariums is a submersible heater that includes a thermometer. Design your tank so that you can place the heater close to an area where the water is circulated to help spread out the heat. Wonder how large of a heater you'll need? It depends on how much water you're trying to heat. As a rule of thumb, you'll need 5 watts per gallon of water.
• Thermometer. There are two basic kinds: the internal that is meant to be submersed in the tank and the external that sticks to the outside of the tank. The internal submersed thermometer is usually a little more accurate. REMEMBER: You're keeping TROPICAL fish so the temperature of the tank water is of utmost importance.