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There are several types of small aquarium fish that do better in the smaller environment. Here are a few that are great for starters.
Tetras are great small aquarium fish due to their like of cold water. They are best in a small school.
A guppy is a very small fish, and also does well in colder water
A platy is a very colorful fish, and it also adapts well to various small aquarium environments.
The Danio is a very hardy small aquarium fish.
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First off, cichlids is pronounced “Sick-Lids”. African Cichlids are fish found in Three lakes in Africa; Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria. The Victorian Species are less numerous and usually less colorful than the others. These fish usually grow to about six or seven inches long, with the exception of the Frontosoa Species, which grow to about twelve to fourteen inches in length. Fortunately, these fish are freshwater, and easy to raise in a home aquarium, the only requirement being that they have water with a higher pH level and plenty of hiding spots (they can be quite aggressive!). There are also species of Cichlids that live in the Amazon Basin, but these get much larger and are much more aggressive than their African relatives.
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A small angelfish, usually available at your local pet store, they really are a fish one needs to see in person to have a full appreciation of their color. These fish are usually keepable in any marine aquarium and are very hardy.
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For hundred of years, the Siamese Fighting Fish or Betta splendens, has been kept and cultivated by people in Thailand (Siam). Today, the Betta is popular throughout the world – though not for the purpose of fish fighting but as a peaceful aquarium resident. Through years of selective breeding, pet store Bettas look vastly different from their original, wild-caught ancestors. Instead of just a few colors, they can now be purchased in an array of hues including red, blue, turquoise, black, white, yellow, and brown.
In addition, their fins have greatly increased in size and are much more elaborate; among the different types of hybrids available are the Veil Tail, Delta Tail, Half Moon, Double Tail, and Crown Tail. Of course, it is only the males that have the long, elegant fins and do all the fighting. Females have much shorter fins and are not as vividly colored as the males. Interestingly, Bettas are air breathers; they use a unique organ called the labyrinth to process the oxygen in the air and they will die if they are unable to reach the waters surface.
The Betta’s native habitat is the warm, still ponds, swamps and rice paddies of Southeast Asia. There, among the leaves and branches of the dense undergrowth, these carnivorous fish hunt for small insects and larvae.
Although the Bettas found in pet stores today have been captive bred, they should be kept in conditions that mimic their ancestor’s natural environment. Therefore, an aquarium (minimum size of 10 gallons) that is decorated with several plants and that has gentle water movement will suit them best. A cover, with a few small openings to allow air circulation, should also be provided to prevent them from jumping out.
Bettas like warmer temperatures so the water in the aquarium should be kept between 76-85 F with a slightly acidic pH of 6.5-7.0. Their diet should consist primarily of meaty foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, freeze-dried tubifex worms, etc. Bettas can grow to 3 inches long and live for up to 3 years if cared for properly. As far as tank mates are concerned, Bettas get along fine with most fishes; but do not keep them with aggressive species or any that are prone to pick at their beautiful fins. Male Bettas can be kept together in the same tank only if they are partitioned off from each other – otherwise you can expect some shredded fins, missing scales and not-so-nice looking fish
5:10 PM
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The Twin Spot Wrasse or Coris aygula is just one of the over 500 different species of Wrasse fish on the planet! This saltwater fish can be differentiated from other species by the two dark spots that adorn its dorsal fin when it is young. It will also have a silver coloration with dark spots on its head. As it grows older, it will turn a dark bluish green and develop a white or green band around its body. They will look like a totally different species to tell you the truth.
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The Cave Transparent Goby or Coryphopterus glaucofrenum is a saltwater fish that makes a great addition to most aquariums. This fish is considered to be very easy to take care of, and is certainly interesting to watch. As you can imagine with a name like the Cave Transparent Goby, this fish has a body that is partially transparent along with a series of orange spots that cover its entire body, including its head, fins and tail.
Cave Transparent Goby fish are known to spawn in an aquarium setting. Giving them a cave will increase your chances of success. This saltwater fish will lay its eggs on the ceiling of the cave and before you know it, you will have little Cave Transparent Gobies swimming around.
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The Emperor Red Snapper or Lutjanus sebae is yet another saltwater fish that changes its colors over its lifetime. When this species of Snapper is young it has a series of red and black stripes set against its white body. As it grows larger, these stripes tend to fade, and eventually disappear. By the time it is all over, the fish is a reddish pink and looks completely different then it did when it was younger.
Also known as the Sebae Snapper, this fish grows quickly, reaching about 2-1/2' in maximum length over its lifetime. Even though they get this large, people still try to house them in an aquarium. One of 200 gallons or more is highly recommended with the following water conditions, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4 and sg 1.020-1.025. They are not considered to be very easy to care for and should be kept alone with plenty of room to swim. This fish should be fed a meal of meaty food chopped up like shrimp, fish and scallops daily to keep it healthy and happy.
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The Bartlett's Anthias or Pseudanthias bartlettorum is a very colorful fish that originates in the waters off of the Marshall Islands. Also known as the Bartletts Fairy Bass or Christmas Island Anthias, they can grow to about 3-1/2" in maximum length. These fish are made up of purples, oranges and tend to have a yellow on their backs and down into their tales. One crazy fact about this fish is that they can change sexes over their lifetime! If the dominate male dies, the largest female will actually morph into a male!
Bartlett's Anthias fish are kept in an aquarium setting on occasion, although they are not the easiest to care for. They require at least a 80 gallon tank with the following water conditions, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4 and sg 1.020-1.025. These saltwater fish are best kept with their own species, but also will work in a reef aquarium. They are normally seen around the middle on an aquarium, but like most other fish they love to have a few spots to go and hide in.
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The Dalmatian Molly or Poecilia latipinna is also known as the Marbled Molly and has the ability to survive in freshwater or saltwater. This species of Molly is a hybrid version of the Sailfin Molly which has the same scientific name. As you can imagine, this hybrid version is black and white, much like a Dalmatian Dog.
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The Shy Hamlet or Hypoplectrus guttavarius is a saltwater fish that is found in the Atlantic Ocean around reefs in waters of up to 30 meters deep. This colorful fish has a yellow head that has iridescent blue lines in it. Its body is normally brown or black with its fins yellow to match its head.
Also known as the Bad Lucks, Golden Hamlet and the Vaca Bicolor these fish are often found in pairs near the bottom. They are not very large, only growing to about 13cm in maximum length. Sky Hamlet fish are kept in an aquarium setting, but it is rare to find them in a pet stores.
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The Squareback Anthias or Pseudanthias pleurotaenia is a saltwater fish that goes by a few different names including the Purple Blotch Basslet, Squareblock, Mirror Anthias, Square-Spot Fairy Basslet and Squarespot. Females of this species are yellow with a purple underside. Males are mostly pink with a purple underside and a lighter colored rectangle on their sides. They are not particularly large, only growing to about 4" in length.
6:01 AM
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The Blue Sapphire Damselfish or Chrysiptera springeri is one cool looking saltwater fish. This species of Damselfish has a striking pattern of blue up against a dark body that really makes it stick out from the crowd. When the Blue Sapphire Damselfish is in trouble though, they can actually make their blue disappear to help blend in to their surroundings. These fish originate from the Solomon Islands and only grow to about 3-1/2" in maximum length.
5:58 AM
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The Jackknife Fish or Equetus lanceolatus is one of the oddest shaped fish in all of the world. These fish originate from the Caribbean and have very long dorsal and caudal fins. As you can see, these fins almost resemble a jackknife, hence the name, the Jackknife Fish.
6:26 PM
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The Jardini Arowana or Scleropages jardini is one of the few different species of Arowana fish. These freshwater fish are often called Gulf Saratoga Barramundi, or Northern Spotted Barramundi. They have the classic elongated Arowana body with a bony tongue and markings on their tails and fins. Once very hard to find in the wild, these fish have been successfully bred in captivity, and have since become a popular aquarium fish. You can check out the Jardini Arowana in the video below...
Jardini Arowanas are carnivores that should be fed a variety of foods including krill, small fish and insects.
6:21 PM
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The Goo Obo Gudgeon or Mogurnda nesolepis is a beautiful freshwater fish that gets its name from the Goo Obo Falls in Papua New Guinea, where is was first discovered. These fish are often kept in an aquarium setting and come in a variety of colors. Females of this species will range from yellow to a dark orange with a red underbelly. They tend to be larger than their male counterparts who can be green or orange with red spots on their body.
The Goo Obo Gudgeon are omnivores that should be fed pellet foods, flake foods, brine shrimp and daphnia. They prefer to have a few hiding spaces and if you want them to breed you can do so by raising the temperature a couple degrees and providing them with a small cave. After the pair spawns, be sure to remove them from the tank because they are known to eat their own eggs! It only takes a couple days before the Goo Obo Gudgeon eggs hatch.
10:23 AM
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The Freckled Hawkfish or Paracirrhites forsteri is just one of the over 30 species of Hawkfish on the planet earth. As you can see in the pictures, this species gets its name from the freckles that cover their faces and heads. These saltwater fish go by a couple different names as well including the Forster's Hawkfish, and the Blackside Hawkfish.
These fish can become quite large for an aquarium, growing to about 9" in length, so an aquarium of at least 80 gallons is highly recommended. Freckled Hawkfish must have gotten picked on a lot in their past lives, because this fish will harass almost all other fish, even ones much bigger than it! If you are keeping it with other aggressive fish be sure to introduce it last to the tank. The following water conditions are recommended for this type of Hawkfish, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4 and sg 1.020-1.025.
9:59 AM
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The African Butterfly Fish or Pantodon buchholzi is an odd looking freshwater fish that is found in many lakes in Africa. As you can see, this fish has a series of strange fins that look like a birds wings, a lot like the Flying Fish of the ocean. African Butterflyfish are speckled with a dark black or brown body. They are not very large only growing to about 4" in maximum length.
This fish's strange appearance makes it fairly popular in the world of aquatic pets. They only require an aquarium of about 40 gallons with the following water conditions, 75-86° F, KH 1-10 and pH 6.9-7.1. Be sure you provide them with plenty of plants to hide in and a tight lid to keep them from jumping to their deaths. In the wild, you will often see these fish toward the surface awaiting their prey to swim by or an insect to fall onto the surface. In an aquarium they are almost always found near the surface as well and should be fed brine shrimp, small fish, insects and other freeze-dried foods.
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