Also known as the mystery snail, apple snails are a popular addition to the freshwater tank. Read on to learn more about common species and their care.
Keeping the water quality in your aquarium is one of your most important responsibilities as an aquarium hobbyist. Your fish require clean, clear water and that means removing detritus from the tank before it can negatively affect your water quality. Rather than performing daily water changes, consider adding a cleanup crew to your tank to do the work for you – apple snails are a great choice.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the apple snail and its role in the home aquarium. We’ll explore some of the more popular species and provide tips for how to care for them.
The Basics About Apple Snails
The apple snail is the largest freshwater snail species and a popular addition to the home aquarium. Unlike pond snails which are a nuisance, apple snails are welcomed by aquarium hobbyists for their scavenging habits. Often included in an aquarium cleanup crew, apple snails feed on algae and other detritus in the aquarium, helping to keep the tank clean.
Though apple snail is the most common name, these freshwater snails are also known as mystery snails. They belong to the family Ampullariidae in the class Gastropoda. The snails in this family are unique because they have a lung and a gill, so their mantle cavity is divided to separate these two respiratory structures. To put it more simply, apple snails have unique anatomical adaptations which allows them to be amphibious – they can live both on land and in water.
Cichlids are some of the most beautiful fish in the world, but they can also be the most aggressive. Keep reading to learn about the best and worst cichlids for your community tank.
Part of the fun of having a fish tank is stocking it. The challenge of finding the ideal combination of species to make your tank look its best without putting your fish at risk for predation or bulling is something every aquarium hobbyist loves. When it comes to keeping the peace in a community tank, many hobbyists assume that they are limited to placid species such as livebearers and tetras when that may not be true.
A community tank doesn’t have to be boring. With a little research and careful planning, you can find a group of species that will live together in harmony and turn your tank into a thriving aquatic paradise. Don’t assume that because many cichlids are aggressive that they must be omitted from the community tank. Keep reading to learn about the best cichlids for a community tank.
The Top 10 Cichlids for a Community Tank
When it comes to choosing fish for a community tank, you need to think as much about the size of your tank as the fish you plan to keep in it. Many cichlids grow to be fairly large fish, so keep that in mind when planning your tank. Here are the top 10 cichlid species for a community tank:
1. Agassiz’s Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma agassizii) – A carnivorous species, Agassiz’s dwarf cichlids do well in community tanks as long as they aren’t kept with other Apistogrammas or fish small enough to be seen as prey. They prefer planted tank with open areas for...
Catfish are an extremely diverse group of fishes and many of them fare well in the home aquarium. Keep reading to learn about the most popular catfish for freshwater tanks.
When you think of catfish, you probably picture the big river fish you fry up and serve with a side of cornbread. When it comes to aquarium catfish, however, there are many different species. In fact, catfish can be found in almost every ecological niche around the world (except Antarctica). Some catfish live in oceans but, of the more than 2,400 varieties, most of them are freshwater fish.
If you’re looking for a bottom-dwelling species to add to your tank, catfish might be a good option. Keep in mind that because there are so many species, they come in different sizes and have different preferences for tank parameters.
Keep reading to learn about the most popular species of freshwater catfish and how to care for them.
What Makes Catfish Such a Popular Choice?
There are many reasons to love catfish in the freshwater aquarium. For one thing, they are an extremely diverse group of fishes with many unique colors and patterns. Catfish also tend to be very hardy and, for the most part, easy to keep in the home aquarium. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but most of the popular species are peaceful fish that get along well in community tanks.
Catfish belong to the order Siluriformes which is a varied group of ray-finned fish. Most catfish have barbels on their faces which look similar to a cat’s whiskers. Because catfish have very small eyes, they rely on these barbels to navigate and to find food – they also...
When you see signs of stress in your fish, you can then take steps to identify the source of that stress and then to resolve it before it becomes a major issue.
If you've ever seen those fluorescent fish at your local pet store and wondered what they are, you'll learn everything you want to know in this article.
FRESHWATER AQUARIUM ARTICLES
STOCKING THE TANK
The fish you choose to stock your tank is not a decision that should be made lightly. The articles in this category will help you understand the basics of fish compatibility and will provide you with other information you need to make an informed decision when stocking your tank.
Most of the gobies kept in the home aquarium are saltwater fish but there are still a few freshwater gobies that make excellent additions to the home tank.
Cultivating a freshwater aquarium can be an enjoyable experience but there are also a number of safety concerns to be aware of when keeping a fish tank.
Cultivating a freshwater planted tank is hard work and the last thing you want is to have all of that hard work destroyed by adding the wrong fish to your tank.
You may be aware that there are over 30 species of betta fish in existence but did you know that these species can be divided by their breeding habits?
