Some people have strong ideas before they get started as far as what fish they want to get and then the tank can be “built” around that. Others know that they want a heavily planted aquarium first and foremost, and the fish are secondary. Still others are basically clueless and want some ideas of where to start.

One type of aquarium design that has grown quite popular in recent years is the biotope tank. A biotope aquarium aims to replicate a particular geographic area within the confines of an aquarium. It is a miniature version, almost a model of a specific place in the world, complete with the native plants, fish, and landscaping of that place.

A well thought out biotope aquarium can be quite impressive. Many people choose to do a tank like this if they have a particular interest in a part of the world and want to learn more about it. The more one studies and learns about the native lands that they are recreating, the better the end result will be.

With that in mind, here are just a few ideas to get you started, knowing that the only real limitation to fish tank design is your imagination.

The Amazon – This is a very popular biotope option and when done properly can be absolutely stunning. Many of the most popular fish found at pet stores are native to the Amazon basin. The cardinal tetra, cory cat, hatchet fish, and ram cichlid are all Amazonian fish, as are many others including most common tetras. One of the other wonderful aspects of the Amazon biotope is the plants. There are many beautiful species of Amazon swordplants, as well as many other plants that offer variety in leave shape, size, and color. A piece or two of driftwood helps to complete the natural Amazon landscape. Slightly soft water with a pH around 7 is best for this type of tank.
African Cichlid Habitat – The central African Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi are home to the African cichlids, some of the most interesting fish that one can keep in a home aquarium. They are colorful, active, territorial, and full of personality. The biotope aquarium for these fish is one of somewhat stark appearance. The tank is all rocks and rock formations with many caves and hiding places. There are not plants in the tank as the fish will uproot them constantly. This biotope has rather hard and alkaline water just like the lakes.
Your Homeland – That’s right, many people don’t consider their own backyard for fish tank design ideas, but most people live close to some very interesting fish. In North America there are sunfish, shiners, darters, and dace that are quite colorful and active. Native plants and perhaps a crayfish – there are a lot of options. One thing to look into before you just head out and collect whatever you can catch, is to check out your local laws on what can and cannot be kept. Usually the state fisheries department is the best place to turn for legalities as well as ideas for fish to keep.

Biotope aquariums can be an exciting challenge for the fish tank hobbyist and are a great opportunity to learn more about a specific area. When done well, the biotope tank can be one of the most impressive home fish tank designs that you can set up.

There are countless varieties of aquarium freshwater fish, and this can be both a good thing and a bad thing.  I say bad because there are some fish that either require special care or they are more temperamental.  These fish are more demanding and therefore are not the best fish for the beginner’s first aquarium.  Sometimes it is not easy for the beginner who is picking out fish to know the good (easy) from the bad (temperamental) which can lead to frustration and wasted money on new fish.

With that in mind, here is a quick starter list of fish that are ideally suited for the novice.  They are beautiful, active, and most importantly, hardy fish.  That’s not to say buying these fish is an excuse for lax care and maintenance, it just means that minor fluctuations in temperature or pH won’t cause them to be lost.

Guppies – These fish are hardy, inexpensive, and come in many beautiful varieties.  The males have long, flowing, multi-colored fins and they are generally quite active in the upper and middle water levels in the tank.  As a bonus, they may be one of the easiest fish to breed, so you may end up witnessing the wonder of live-bearing fish without any effort on your part.
Plecostomus – Commonly just called the pleco, there are actually a number of pleco species that are available to the aquarium keeper.  Most are very hardy fish and belong to the group of “algae eaters”.  They will indeed eat algae in your tank, but they do need to be fed over and above that.  The pleco will occupy the lower level of your tank and with his less than beautiful looks (OK, they’re ugly), he will definitely add a bit of personality to your tank.
Gouramis – Including the Dwarf, Blue, and Kissing Gourami.  These fish add a nice element of size (they are not huge, but a blue could grow to 4+ inches) and color to any community tank.  Most people that are interested in aquariums are familiar with the Kissing Gourami and a pair  will make a great addition to most any tank.
Swordtails – With their deep orange color and the male’s namesake sword-shaped tail, these fish mix in well with a community tank.
Cory Cats – Short for Corydoras, this is another group of fish with many varieties.  They are fine as a single, but as a group they will school together exploring and scouring the bottom of the tank, and they are a fun fish to have patrolling your aquarium.
Danios – This is another fish with many varieties.  I include them because they are good, hardy fish that are extremely active and never seem to tire out.  The zebra, leopard, and giant danios are all popular fish and will add a lot of activity to your tank, although some people find their constant activity level almost a bit too much, so keep that in mind.
Goldfish – Talk about endless variety!  Goldfish have it and more.  Colors, fins, size, eyes, scales…there are enough to write many books on them.  As such, they are a popular choice for a species tank, which is an aquarium with only different types of goldfish.  They are very tolerant of a wide range of temperatures but that doesn’t mean they will tolerate bad water.  They do produce a lot of waste and may require a bit more water changing than some other fish, but they still make a great choice for someone who is just getting into the fish keeping hobby.

This list is only a small sample of fish that are well suited for the beginner, but it covers a good cross-section.  There is variety in color, size, activity level, and water column level (from surface to bottom).  It is certainly a good start and hopefully it will lead you toward many other wonderful fish for your new aquarium!

 

Basically, you can find two categories of freshwater aquarium fish. The fist one is livebearers that give birth to their young in their reproduction process, such as guppies and mollies. The second category is egg-layers fish such as gold fish and neon tetra. This kind of freshwater fish releases their eggs once they are fertilized by the male fish. You can choose one among those categories.

Since freshwater fish also have attractive colors and have different sizes and shapes, people often choose more than a certain type of fish for their aquarium. The most popular type is goldfish, and you can also find them in wide varieties. If you want to have the common ones, you can choose black moor, fantail, or veiltail. If you want to have the exotic ones, you can have oranda or ranchu. However, goldfish release a lot of waste, so you have to change the water regularly and install a good filtration system to maintain a good quality of water.

The next popular type is guppies. If you are a beginner in keeping aquarium fish, you should start with this certain fish. They have great endurance and strong enough to survive in some water changes. You can also find easiness to differentiate the male and the female fish from their colors. Male guppies are very attractive and colorful, while the female ones are dull and look so ordinary. If you want to breed them, you have to be really careful because they tend to be overcrowded in your aquarium tank. So, matching the size of the tank with the number of the fish will be very important.

Then, you can also get neon tetra in your tank. They are well-known as schooling fish because they move in groups. Do not put them together with aggressive bigger-size fish because neon tetra fish are small. Their size often makes them become good preys or victims for aggressive bigger-size fish.

If you want to get other attractive schooling fish, you can choose Leopard Danio. They are very tough in many different water conditions so taking care of them will be easy enough. If you are a new fish breeder, Leopard Danio fish are great to be chosen. You just need to make sure that the water in your tank is quite shallow and well-planted. This is the best condition to support those fish breed well.

There are still a lot of types of freshwater aquarium that could be your perfect choice, such as archer fish, swordtails, platies, and many other beautiful and attractive fishes. Just learn about their characteristics and the proper care they need, you can determine the best freshwater fish for your aquarium fish for your aquarium.

Brown Acara – Aequidens portalegrensis (Family: Cichlidae)
The main body color of the adult is reddish-brown, the scales are large and the fins are greenish and marbled with a range of colors. A horizontal line of dark colored bars runs from the eye to near the tail at which there is a dark area surrounded by yellow or green dots.

Although timid, it can grow to more than 15 cms so you need to consider if it is ideal or not for your community tank. The difference between the sexes is subtle. The anal fin of the male is longer and less rounder than that of the female and the colors of the fins are less bright. After mating the pair stay together for life which is a particular feature of the species.

The breeding tank must have rocks and similar stuff removed as the fish can be injured during the vigorous courtship. The pair should be about the same build and be fed on live food. Place a piece of slate in the tank so eggs can be laid on it and when the fry are hatched and able to swim remove both the parents. Feed the fry on infusoria, micro-worms and daphnids.

Cardinal Tetra – Cheirodon axelrodi (Family: Characidae)
One of the most popular tetras and great for a community aquarium as it is active and peaceful. Slim, it grows up to about 7 cms, ideally should be part of a small shoal and giving them live food now and again will keep them fit and healthy.

From the mouth and eye to the tail runs a reddish-brown coloration covering most of the lower body. Above that runs a green fluorescent band. The dorsal and anal fins have no color. The male is less thicker in the body than the female. This species is not easy to breed. Suitable pairs are picked by observation and kept apart feeding with live food to get them ready.

The female is placed in the breeding tank in the morning and the male in the evening. The tank will be thickly planted at one end with nylon breeding mops scattered about. The next day spawning should take place and semi-sticky eggs will be placed in the breeding mops which are then removed to a separate tank at the same temperature. After five days left in darkness you should find fry swimming about which can then be fed on infusoria till they are ready for bigger food such as micro-worms.

Chocolate Gourami – Sphaerichthys osphromenoides (Family: Belontiidae)
Although it can be put in a community tank this fish is quite susceptible to disease so be warned. But once it gets through any illness and gets used to the environment it is then quite hardy. Its aquarium requirements are soft water, a temperature of 26 to 30 degrees centigrade and a densely planted area.

The body color is from dark brown to black and it has several vertical silver white stripes of different shape. The mouth shows tiny teeth and the pelvic, dorsal and anal fins are black. As bubble-nest breeders the eggs are produced by the female after mating, the male puts them in his mouth and blows them into the bubble nest he previously built floating on the surface.

Remove the female after she lays the eggs. The male looks after the eggs; he will replace eggs that fall from the nest, he will maintain the nest structure with additional bubbles and aerate the eggs by swishing his tail near them. Remove the male after the fry start swimming.

Fish’ General Well Being
It is a must to consider a number of essential things when raising a fish not only its physical appearance but its total well being as well. Though physical appearance of the fish is important but it should be strong and sturdy also to withstand the changing aquarium conditions especially during the start up cycle.

Choose fish that can feed on a variety of foods and can be easily fed too.  This is a great help especially for those newbie in terms of aquarium set up.  In this method beginners are guided to easily fed fish themselves during regular intervals efficiently. It is suggested to get fish that can easily adjust to other varieties so that they can move freely inside with a variety of companions thereby preventing any harm amongst each other.  Separate those aggressive ones from the weak group to prevent them from bullying each other thus no harmful things can be done.

Different Fish Types
There can be good types of fish to choose from for our fresh water aquarium but these are the common classifications of fish such as:

Catfish
These are probably the most common types of aquarium fish regardless of function and appearance. Generally they don’t have the scales which other fishes have and mostly identified as the usual bottom dweller stereotype.  A number of fish falls into this kind and are widely known because they can be easily fed except for few nocturnal feeders.  Be mindful of the number of substrates you use so as not to irritate the fishes as they move around the fish tank from time to time.

Cichlids
These types of fish are commonly found in Asia, America and Africa and are one of the few good picks for freshwater aquarium because of their varied features.  They have great skin colors and can adapt to environment changes easily but they can become hostile at times especially to small fish there for should be separated especially during the hatching seasons.  Angelfish is a good cichlids type of fish because they can mingle with others without posting any traces of harm to the young fish. Proper tank conditions are one of the great factors for a lasting fish existence.

Labyrinth
Fish that are quite adaptable to other species, small in size and are the prime choice for professionals. There are fighting fish as well which can make troubles with any other types of fish picking fights at times especially with the males of the same species.

Cypriniforms are low-maintenance when it comes to socialization with other fish as they can go with almost all of the other species together. Some of the fish under this category are considered as the most well known fish among the fresh water aquarium lovers namely koi and goldfish.

For more great information on aquarium freshwater fish.

Goldfish

The goldfish is usually found in slow, flowing dwellings. They are capable of adapting to different water temperatures. Goldfish are usually found open pools. They are colorful fish who originate from eastern Asian waters. Common in many homes and are usually kept in tanks, ponds or kept in aquariums.

Cold water fish like the goldfish can adjust to cool waters. This means it may not be necessary to purchase a heater given that you are only housing fishes of this nature. Goldfish thrive in tropical environments. However, you still have to strike the correct water balance in accordance temperature. They need oxygen; this is why most goldfish swim to the surface to get air into their systems.

A happy Goldfish

Reed fish

Reed fish also known as rope fish thrive in well planted tanks, and require the temperature of the water to be set between 73° to 79°F. As a result of this they sometimes find it hard to settle in Goldfish water. Before purchasing a reed fish make sure you read the manuals about them and position questions at your local pet shop in order to find out more about the environment they thrive.

Good Luck

Here’s why: Saltwater tanks are more expensive and more complex. You have extra things to worry about such as the salinity of the water, water conditioning, and temperature. Because of this, freshwater fish are much easier to care for if you’re new to keeping tropical fish.

Here’s a few other things to keep in mind when buying an aquarium:

Location

When you’re deciding on a location for your aquarium, remember that it can’t be placed in direct sunlight, or anywhere else that could result in changes in temperature.

Also remember that your aquarium, when filled with water, can be very heavy. As an example, a filled 20-gallon glass tank will weight about 225 pounds. Bear this in mind when you choose on a location for your aquarium…as it will be impossible to move afterwards.

Level floor

You will need a level floor for your aquarium, as this will reduce stress on the tank and reduce the chance of any cracks forming over time due to the floor being uneven.

Electrical outlet

Make sure your new tank is located near an electrical outlet so you can plug in the heaters, lights and pumps.

Accessible

You’ll need to have easy access to your tank so you can use the heater controls and air valves. You also need to have room for a net, and room to move decorations around.

Shape

When you’re choosing the shape of your aquarium choose short, longer shapes over tall, thinner shapes. This way there will be more surface area at the top of the water, which is much better for your fish.

Size

It is best to choose an aquarium over 10 gallons. Why? Because it’s just easier to take care of a fish in a larger tank than a smaller one. Whatever aquarium you choose, it is going to, over time, have a build up of waste material. In a large tank these toxic materials have more room to be dispersed. This means the water stays cleaner for longer, and will require less cleaning than a smaller tank.

Material

Aquariums can be made from glass or acrylic. Both have there pros and cons, but I recommend beginners to start with a glass aquarium. Why? Firstly, they cost less, secondly, they don’t scratch so easily, and thirdly, they only need to be supported by the edges.

As you can see, you need to put some time and consideration into where you choose to place your aquarium. All these things will play a part in which aquarium you choose to buy.

Freshwater aquarium fish, as opposed to their bright and flashy cousins of the saltwater variety, can be a good experience for people who have never cared for fish before. Saltwater aquarium tanks can be quite challenging to set up and properly maintain. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that those new to fish keeping, look first at starting with freshwater fish. After you have been able to master the challenges of keeping freshwater fish alive and their aquarium in good order, at that point you might want to broaden your fish keeping horizons and branch out into the saltwater aquarium realm.

Ultimately, it does not matter what kind of aquarium or tank that you choose for your freshwater aquarium fish, as far as care and maintenance is concerned. However, if you cannot keep to a regular, weekly schedule of cleaning and maintaining the tank, then perhaps you should not even bother setting up an aquarium.

In addition, you will also need to monitor your tropical fish tank on a daily basis. You need to be sure that the water is always properly in balance for your freshwater aquarium fish and that the correct and comfortable temperature is constantly maintained. The other daily task that you must remember to perform is to make sure that your fish receive the proper amount and type of food as needed.

After you have determined that you will be able to keep up with the regular required maintenance of freshwater aquarium fish, then you can start deciding on what kind of fish you want to include in your tropical aquarium. The tropical fish tank that you choose must be large enough so that it can properly accommodate the number and types of fish that you plan to purchase. The overcrowding of a tropical fish tank can be a deadly mistake because it can cause polluted tank water and can lead to diseased fish. Before making your final decision, make sure you ask how large the selected fish will be at maturity, as size can vary a great deal depending on the species. A newbie to fish keeping might want to start with a 10 to 20-gallon tropical fish tank and fill it with the smaller and heartier freshwater fish varieties.

In order to maintain a healthy environment for your freshwater aquarium fish, you will also need to have a quality water filtration system, a reliable heater and some nice aquarium decorations and accessories. When setting up your freshwater tropical aquarium, be sure to choose a location in the house where light and temperature can be controlled so that it remains constant. And, remember that once your tropical fish tank is set up and filled, it will be very heavy, so be sure that it is on solid footing with flooring that can handle the load.

Based on the material it is possible to get 3 types of aquariums each with its own benefits and disadvantages. The first type of aquarium for fresh water fish that is available on the market is the acrylic aquarium. Acrylic aquariums are available in various sizes ranging from 2 gallons to 50 gallons. Acrylic aquariums are ideal for freshwater fish that are smaller in size, or for a pair of large fish. The benefit of an acrylic aquarium is that it is extremely lightweight and does not break easily. The disadvantages of an acrylic aquarium are that acrylic aquariums scratch very easily and special materials need to be used to clean and maintain the aquarium.

The second type of aquarium for freshwater fish is the glass aquarium. Glass aquariums are available from 5 gallons to 100 gallons and larger tanks can be made if there is an order. The benefits of glass aquariums are that glass aquariums are easy to find and are cheaper than acrylic aquariums. The disadvantages of glass aquariums are that glass aquariums are very heavy and can break easily.

The third type of aquarium for freshwater fish is the one piece glass molded aquarium. The main benefit of one piece glass aquariums is that since these aquariums are molded using a single piece of glass, there are no ugly edges. Another advantage of one piece glass aquariums is that since silicone has not been used to make these aquariums, algae does not accumulate on the edges of the one piece glass aquarium. The disadvantages of the one piece glass aquarium is that it is not as light as acrylic aquariums and can break easily like regular glass aquariums.

While choosing an aquarium for freshwater fish it is important to keep all the pros and cons in mind before making a decision. If you have a child in the house, or other pets it is recommended to opt for manufactured acrylic aquariums since acrylic aquariums are sturdy and can prevent mishaps to your fish and family.

Some people find taking care of fishes as a pet difficult. The reason behind this maybe is that they lack familiarity or they were not given the right information on the proper ways on taking care of the aquarium as well as the fishes inside, but the truth is, it is not that much difficult at all.

There are several steps to be considered in order to become successful on taking care of freshwater fishes. First step is to have all the equipments to be used on the aquarium or fish tank. One is the filtration equipment, which is responsible for keeping and maintaining the cleanliness and freshness of the water on the tank and you need an air pump to keep the water on the tank aerated and to produce oxygen for the fish or plants inside the tank.

Decorations such as gravel, sand, and plants that can be plastic or real ones, depending on your choice, are great ideas as well. There are also some decorations nowadays made of plastic such as a fortress, vessel, shells and other fancy garlands and some aquarium backgrounds, which are commonly underwater views. Lights also give a very desirable effect on the enhancement of color in the aquarium and gives real plants inside chlorophyll for them to grow. However, beware of putting different decorations inside the tank because it may just pollute the water or just muddle the water inside. Always remember that fishes needs space for them to swim.

There must also be a cover on the aquarium to protect dust or other materials going into the tank. A stand for the aquarium also plays a vital role in keeping the balance of the tank. Other cleaning materials is also important such as a net, chlorine remover, heater for keeping the right temperature of the water and most importantly, fish food.

Some of the best advices is to be careful in feeding the fish because over feeding of fish may result to harm. There are also some people who put too many fishes on their aquarium, do not forget that some fish fights and it might cause inadequate supply of oxygen for the fish and real plants inside the tank if there are too many fishes on the tank.