Fish 'should not be a spur-of-the-moment purchase'

Fishkeepers have been advised to plan a community tank carefully and not make any rash decisions when buying fish.

People should not make spur-of-the-moment decisions when buying fish for their aquarium, an expert has advised.

Clive Osborne Rapley, author of An Introduction to Fresh Water and Marine Fish Keeping, explained it is always better to draw up a plan when setting up a tank and stick to it.

"The cute little three inch catfish fish that catches your eye in the fish shop might well grow to 18 inches in a couple of years and totally fill your tank and make a meal of all your other fish while he is doing so," he stated.

Instead, the expert suggested doing a bit more research into the hobby and setting up a Biotope aquarium with fish, aquarium plants and water parameters that mimic a particular region, such as the Amazon or Lake Malawi in Africa.

This, Mr Osborne Rapley noted, is starting to become a more popular trend among fishkeepers than a standard community aquarium.

He offered some advice on ideal fish for setting up a new tank, recommending a shoal of tetras as they add plenty of colour and interest. In particular, Neon tetras are suited to this kind of environment, although people have to ensure there are no fish large enough to eat them.

Similarly, the expert described the Zebra Danio as a "peaceful active shoaling fish", while Mountain minnows are easy to keep as they are small and do not need any special care, but are an attractive addition to a fish tank.

There are many varieties of Corydoras to choose from and these catfish are popular among enthusiasts as they get along well with other fish and are not aggressive.

Mr Osborne Rapley recommended the Pepper Cory in particular, describing it as a "small funny little catfish which spends its time rummaging around the bottom of the tank". Likewise, Rosy or Cherry barbs are ideal for a community tank as they are also peaceful fish.

Posted by Olivia Rose
© Copyright

Tuesday, 6 Mar 2012, 4:39pm