This section of AC Tropical fish have articles that are addressed to the beginner aquarists, as well as articles that will be more useful for the experienced aquarium
keepers. If you are in the process of setting up your first aquarium, or if you have encountered problems with aquarium keeping in the past that you wish to prevent
this time around, we have several articles where experienced aquarists will provide you with comprehensive guidelines and share their favourite tips for successful
fish keeping. We also provide helpful tips about how to choose the right fish store and purchase healthy fish.
The more advanced aquarists will find articles about less basic subjects, such as why, when and how you should stimulate seasonal changes in your aquarium. Simulating
seasonal changes is sometimes used by fish breeders that keep fish species that rarely spawns in captivity. The lack of seasonal changes can be one of the reasons
behind a fish’ reluctance to reproduce even in a large aquarium where the water conditions are superb and it is fed a nutritious diet. Tropical fish that inhabit
regions subjected to seasonal drought will for instance usually breed only once a year, and that is at the start of the rainy season.
There is also a lot of hands-on information to be found in this section of the articles library, e.g. guidelines regarding basic filter management, how to test for
toxicity in aquarium ornaments and how to make your aquarium electrically safe. Combining water with electricity is always risky even though our modern aquarium
equipment is much safer than the old types of electrical appliances. It is important to understand that even a comparatively small amount of current can hurt you. If
you use a 240 volt supply, a 10 milliamp current that flows through your body will be enough to give you a severe electrical shock. This should be compared to the
current in a standard 200 watt aquarium heater, which is usually around 800 milliamps. Currents stronger than 50 milliamps can be lethal to humans.
Some of the articles in this section cover controversial subjects where there really is no right or wrong answers. How do you feel about snails in the aquarium? Do
you see them as appalling plant eaters and strive to keep your aquarium as snail free as possible? Or do you view them as helpful scavenger that will eat any rotten
plant material or left over fish food before it begins to decompose and pollute the water? Perhaps you find your Mystery Snails just as fascinating as your fishes? If
you disagree with any of the authors, or if you have information or ideas regarding aquarium maintenance that you wish to share, please contact us. We will be happy to
publish articles written by our readers. You can also share your opinions, experiences and ideas in the forum.
Aquatic Plants
This section of the articles library aim to help those interested in planted aquariums, and also discus the pros and cons of plants in the aquarium. This section has
two subcategories; the “Care” category contains more general information about plants and their maintenance, while the “Species profiles” is where you find detailed
information regarding popular aquarium plant species. Please note that we also have a larger species database for plants, with basic information about more than 300
different aquatic plants. You will find this plant species database in the menu to the left.
Some fish species will require plants to do well, while others will harm the plants and are best kept in an unplanted aquarium or with artificial plants. With a number
of fish species it doesn’t really matter and keeping plants is instead an aesthetical choice or a way of keeping the water quality up. In order to find out what is
best for your particular species it is always a good idea to visit the articles library here at AC Tropical fish or look up your fish species in the species database.
A planted aquarium will usually require more light than a fish only aquarium, since plants depend on photosynthesis in order to produce their own energy. Some plants
have developed in waters where light is scarce and will survive even in a poorly lightened aquarium, while other have extremely high demands and require the very
strongest forms of aquarium lighting. Generally speaking, a planted aquarium with moderately demanding plant species will require twice as much light than a fish only
aquarium. A commonly used rule of thumb is 20W for each square foot of tank surface area. Another guideline is 2W per gallon. In order to provide their plants with
enough light, many aquarists use fluorescent lighting instead of ordinary aquarium lights. If you want to have a densely planted aquarium or keep very demanding plant
species, metal halide lights or mercury vapour lights is an even better solution. These types of light are stronger and will penetrate the water better. If your
aquarium is deeper than 24 inches, these forms of stronger light are almost always required.
Your plants will also need nutrients and CO2 in order to live and thrive in the aquarium. Balancing light, CO2 and nutrients can be a complicated task at first, but
you will soon get the hang of it. Nutrients are seldom a problem in the aquarium since nutrients will be present in the substrate and produced by the fishes. Some
aquarists prefer to add extra nutrients to the aquarium, but this is a risky choice since excess nutrients can pollute the water. Before you add any extra nutrients to
your planted aquarium you should ideally read more about it in order to provide your plants with exact amounts. You will find more information in the articles library.
CO2 on the other hand is frequently added to heavily planted aquariums in order to promote plant growth. You can by a special CO2 injector or use the so called yeast
method.
Barb fish
The term ”Barb” can cause some confusion, since it is used for a wide range of different fish species. Strictly speaking, it is only the species found within the genus
Barbus in the family Cyprinidae that are considered true barbs. A lot of species belonging to other genera within this family are however also referred to as barbs,
since they look similar to the Barbus-species. To make things even more confused, a lot of species that used to belong to Barbus has been moved to the genera Puntius.
In everyday speech they are naturally still referred to as barbs and their common names often include the word barb.
Many different barb species are kept by aquarists and even a beginner aquarist can find barbs that are beautiful, hardy and easy to care for. Generally speaking, barbs
are tolerant to varying conditions, peaceful enough to keep in community aquariums and easy to breed in captivity. There are of course exceptions and it is therefore
always advisable to research the specific species that you are interested in before making a purchase.
Examples of well known barb species include Puntius tetrazona (Tiger barb) from South East Asia and Barbus brevipinnis (Shortfin barb) and Barbus callipterus (Congo
barb)from Africa. Puntius tetrazona (Tiger barb) is one of the species that were moved from Barbus to Puntius.
Most barbs should be kept in groups or large schools, since they are schooling species. Keep at least 5-8 individuals together, preferably more. Peaceful barbs should
not be combined with more aggressive aquarium fish, since aggressive species may harass the docile barbs. A few Barb species, including the popular Tiger barb, is know
to be fin nippers and should not be kept together with fish equipped with long and flowing fins.
When you set up an aquarium where you plan to keep barbs it is always a good idea to mimic their natural habitat. Include plenty of plants in the set up. Floating
plants are recommended, since strong light can make the barbs shy. Strong light can also affect their coloration. Plants are not the only type of aquarium decoration
appreciated by barbs, they love al sorts of hiding spots, including roots and cleverly arranged stone formations. Do not crowd the aquarium since barbs needs at least
one open area for swimming.
Most barbs prefer a neutral or slightly acidic pH-value. Barbs are known to be hardy and able to adjust themselves to other circumstances, but there is a difference
between surviving and doing well. Unsuitable water conditions can cause dull colours and prevent spawning.
If your barbs have been kept in unsuitable water conditions, they must be allowed to gradually acclimatize themselves to better conditions. Rapid changes are not
recommended.
Barbs accept most types of food in captivity. Ideally research you particular species to find out more about its diet in the wild and the right proportions between
meaty food and vegetable based food. If you are unable to find any information, high-quality flake food for omnivores will most likely be a good base. Make the diet
more varied by giving your barbs occasional surprises in the form of Artemia or similar food.
Betta Fish
Betta fish is one of several genera in the Family Osphronemidae. The most famous Betta is the Siamese Fighting fish (Betta splendens). The word Betta comes from a
local Siamese name for Siamese Fighting fish, “Ikan Bettah”. The contemporary Thai name for this fish is Pla-kad. Since Bettas – especially the Betta splendens – are
so popular among aquarists, we have given these fishes their own section here at AC Tropical fish. If you want to read about the other genera in the Family
Osphronemidae, you will find a lot of useful information in the Gourami section of the articles library.
Siamese Fighting fish is not the only Betta fish that is well liked by aquarists. The Betta genus contains more than 50 described species. Most of them can be kept in
aquariums but it is only a few species that are commonly kept by other aquarists than the true Betta enthusiasts. One of the most frequently kept Betta species aside
from the Siamese Fighting fish is Betta imbellis – the Peaceful Betta. The Peaceful Betta is native to Malaysia and can reach a maximum size of 8 centimeters (3
inches). As the name suggests, it is a docile fish compared to the Siamese Fighting fish and the Peaceful Betta can do well in a community aquarium with other tranquil
and non-aggressive species. The ideal water temperature is between 24-28º C (75-82° F) and the pH should be kept in the 5.5-7.0 range. Wild Betta imbellis inhabit
densely grown waters and you should therefore provide your Betta imbellis with plenty of hiding places by decorating the aquarium with lots of plants. A Betta imbellis
without any hiding places will become extremely stressed.
In South East Asia Betta splendens is traditionally kept as a fighting fish. The Bettas kept in Asia as fighting fishes were brown with a tinge of green and their fins
were much smaller than the fins that we can see on the aquarium kept Bettas of today. If you keep a Betta fish in order to make the fight other Bettas, you will
naturally have no incitements to breed fancy Betta fish with long and flowing fins that can easily be injured. Betta fighting is still popular in many parts of Asia
and those Bettas can look very different from the forms that we find in aquariums. Male Betta splendens are highly territorial, and when put together in the same
container they will fight until one of them dies. In the wild, a weaker male can always choose to leave the territory before he becomes deadly injured, but this is
naturally impossible in a small fish bowl or aquarium.
The Betta fish species were quite unknown among European and American scientists and fish enthusiasts until the early 19th century. The King of Siam at that time was
allegedly a huge Betta fan and he loved to attend Betta fights. A doctor named Theodor Cantor was given a Siamese fighting fish, supposedly directly from the King of
Siam, when the doctor was working in Siam. He became fascinated by the Betta fishes and studied their behavior for 10 years before he published an article about them.
He called his fish Macropodus Pugnax. A few years after the turn of the century, another doctor developed a similar fascination for these interesting fishes. His name
was Dr. Tate Regan and he changed the name Macropodus Pugnax to Betta Splendens.
Breeding Fish
At AC Tropical fish breeding you will find a lot of information and guidelines that can be useful when you attempt to breed your aquarium fish, or when you suddenly
realize that your aquarium is filled with eggs or fry. The level of the articles varies from very basic introductory articles to more advanced accounts regarding the
breeding of more difficult aquarium species. If you do not find what you are looking for on this page, we suggest that you take a look in the species database as well
since a majority of the species profiles contain breeding information. It is also advisable to look in the article category of the type of fish you want to breed since
you often can find breeding information in the articles in other sections too.
Some fish will readily spawn in aquariums while others are very difficult to coax into breeding in captivity but this is on of the things that make fish breeding so
interesting. There are also many aquarium species that have never been bred in aquariums and where each specimen has to be caught from the wild. Fish are either
livebearers or egg layers. Livebearing fish give birth to free swimming fry and the offspring develops inside the female fish. Egg layers will instead release eggs
that are fertilized outside the female fish. Eventually the eggs will hatch and fry will emerge. If you are a beginner aquarist and want to try breeding fish,
livebearers are usually a better choice than egg layers, since there are several livebearing species that will happily spawn in aquariums even without any
extraordinary care or treatment. Molly, Guppy and Platy are three examples of commonly kept livebearers.
Livebearers give birth to fry that look like tiny copies of adult fish. It is however common that the fry is protected by a duller and more camouflaging coloration and
that they lack extravagant features that are found in mature fish. During the breeding period, the male will use his gonopodium to fertilize the eggs inside the
female. The gonopodium is actually the anal fin of the male fish that has developed into a reproductive organ. After fertilization it will typically take four weeks
before the fry is born. The fry is not born until it is developed enough to survive without any help from the parents.
Different egg laying species have developed different breeding strategies. Some are devoted parents that build advanced nests for their offspring or even carry them
around inside the mouth, while others will simply release the eggs and let the current sweep them away as soon as they have been fertilized. Marine fish species will
often release eggs that can float and stay hidden among plankton.
Egg laying species are usually divided into four basic groups: egg scatters, substrate spawners, bubble nest builders and mouth brooders. Fish species that live in
rivers and streams are often egg scatters and they will typically let the current transport the eggs away and distribute them over a large area. The egg can also fall
down to the bottom where the fry develop. Since egg scatters hardly ever encounter their offspring in the wild, they are likely to eat them in the aquarium since the
enclosed space is an unnatural living environment. Substrate spawners will instead attach the eggs to some type of substrate to make it impossible for currents to
carry them away. Some species will only use one specific type of substrate, and sometimes also vigorously clean it beforehand, while others are less selective. It is
common for the male and/or the female to create a form of nest in the substrate. Bubblenest breeders will instead create a nest that is floating far away from the
substrate. In most bubblenest building species it is the male that is responsible for building the nest and he will blow out tiny bubbles that he carefully glues
together with saliva. Mouth brooders carry eggs and/or fry inside the mouth of a parent. Some species are maternal mouthbrooders while others are paternal
mouthbrooders. Mouthbrooding will often be combined with substrate spawning.