Purchasing an artificial pond is an excellent solution to diversify the interior of a room and acquire cute pets. Having completed the preparations and arrangement of the tank, the novice aquarist is faced with a difficult task: which fish are best to choose for the aquarium. Of course, all varieties of fish are attractive, but a beginner in the field of aquarium keeping should give preference to unpretentious phenotypes, otherwise caring for aquarium fish can be difficult for novice water enthusiasts. Before going to the pet store, experienced owners recommend familiarizing yourself with the characteristics of the phenotypes included in the top list of the best aquarium fish for beginners.
Where to start
First, decide what types of fish are available, make a list of fish that you like. Of course, it will not be possible to fulfill all wishes, as everything will depend on the size of the aquarium and the compatibility of the inhabitants of the aquatic world, but a huge selection will help you easily get the final list of future pets.
Before you decide on the answer to the question of what kind of fish you should get, you should find out how many of them can fit in a home aquarium.
These calculations are carried out based on the norms of oxygen consumption in water, based on the ratio of an adult individual to the surface area of the “house”: freshwater species of pets about 2.5 cm long (excluding the tail) require 192 cm2, while for cold-loving inhabitants of the aquatic world and tropical ones - 64 cm2.
One representative of a marine species 2.5 cm long is allocated 18 liters of water in the first six months of life, and 9 liters in the remaining period of time. Nevertheless, for certain species, the density of permanent settlement depends on which place in the “house” individual species of inhabitants consider exclusively theirs. In this case, the aquarium, the dimensions of which are calculated according to the formula, will accommodate fewer inhabitants.
Simple fish
First, you need to fold a paper square diagonally to form a shape resembling a scarf.
The second step is to fold the resulting triangle in half. For four-year-old children, this may be the final stage.
One has only to complete the figure by drawing in the eyes, fins and tail with a felt-tip pen or pencils of various colors. Older children can continue working.
The final phase of our work will be cutting out the tail. To do this, you should first outline the contours of the future tail, and after that you can pick up scissors and cut off the extra pieces of paper along the lines.
It is important to note that when working with cutting and piercing objects you must be extremely careful. If a child is engaged in this activity, then parents or one of the adults must monitor his actions.
Compatibility of different types of aquarium pets
To find out what types of fish you might like, you can read the literature or visit a pet store. Make an extensive list, indicating as many species of individuals as possible. Indeed, as a result, it turns out that you can only place half of them in one aquarium, since some fish cannot live together due to the incompatibility of the species and the necessary conditions of detention. But the abundance of species presented will help you finally make your choice.
You should think about keeping different types of fish before purchasing fish. The key to the ideal choice of pets for a home aquarium is compliance with the following features:
- similarity of climate conditions: marine, freshwater and saltwater fish cannot be populated together;
- the acidity and hardness of the water should be approximately the same;
- similar temperature;
- similar conditions regarding the speed of water flow, the presence of reliable shelters, small thickets, soil quality, and a certain type of lighting.
Aquarium fish thrive in artificially created conditions that most closely resemble their natural habitat.
When moving fish into a “house,” it is necessary to take into account the existing preferences of various species regarding their location in the layers of water, trying to distribute them as evenly as possible.
Carp
Popular inhabitants of freshwater aquariums. Decorative natives of the carp family are selectively bred and are known for their varied appearance and adaptation to the conditions of an artificial reservoir.
Barbus
The size of barbs does not exceed 10 cm. Energetic schooling fish are dangerous for small neighbors with long fins. They live in a spacious aquarium with similar temperamental neighbors. The most unpretentious aquarium fish are the Sumatran barb and the cherry barb.
Danio
There are dozens of species of these peaceful and beautiful fish. Pink zebrafish and zebrafish remain popular. Maximum body size 7 cm.
Cardinal
Beautiful, reaching 4 cm in length. They keep in flocks of 6 or more. Easy to keep and breed. Cardinals get along well with other similar fish.
Types of aquarium inhabitants
In order for a novice aquarist to choose the right pets, you need to know what they can be.
Viviparous (poeciliaceae)
Representatives of this world received this name for their ability to reproduce fully formed, living fry. The eggs develop inside the female, resulting in the birth of full-fledged fish. The main species of this family live in the home aquarium: platies, funny guppies, interesting swordtails, mollies; sometimes found, but much less common: Gambusia, Formosa, Limia. A huge variety of colors, body shapes, and fins will allow you to choose the fish that will suit your taste. These individuals are unpretentious in their maintenance and can live in small “houses.” The diet consists of live and dry food. They are easily bred without the help of an aquarist.
Read more about viviparous aquarium fish.
Goldfish
Goldfish are an artificially bred breed, the ancestor of which is the silver crucian carp. A huge number of forms are known, but not all of them can be kept at home. Unpretentious fish to care for, one condition: to keep them you need a spacious, roomy aquarium. They muddy the water and eat aquatic flora. Various types of feed are suitable for feeding them. Among the aquarium inhabitants there are long-livers.
Labyrinth rocks
This variety of individuals includes such common fish species as gourami, macropods, lalius, and funny cockerels. There are many artificially bred forms of aquarium inhabitants. Individuals are not demanding in care and go well with peace-loving breeds. One exception is veiled guppies, golden beauties whose fins can be bitten by bettas and macropods. They take care of their eggs and larvae. Can inhale atmospheric air.
Barbs
Barbs are unpretentious inhabitants of the domestic aquatic world. They are interesting to watch; some types of pets reproduce freely. They eat a variety of foods. The most popular species is the Sumatran barb. There are also artificially bred forms. They coexist with various species, in addition to veiled, sedentary forms.
Cichlids
Cichlids are a huge family of individuals, most of which belong to representatives of predatory breeds. Some of them can get along with other inhabitants of the aquarium, others only tolerate the presence of their own kind. For some of them, it is necessary to create special conditions for their habitat, while others are able to reproduce and live in general conditions created for other species. The most amusing behavior of pets caring for fry. They guard the territory like real guards.
Armored catfish
Representatives of the aquatic world have interesting behavior. They choose the lower layers of water as their habitat. They can exist with other types of fish, but not aggressive, predatory species. Unpretentious fish in food, picking up food from the very bottom.
Characin family
Characin aquarium fish include a large number of beautiful medium-sized fish. Keeping some representatives of the domestic aquatic world requires certain conditions, but some of them live in a wide range of chemical and temperature characteristics. For example, thorns, neons.
The number of types of aquarium fish is huge. But for the novice hobbyist they are ideal: regardless of the variety, viviparous, funny parrots, angelfish, ancistrus. In addition, snails and crustaceans get along well with fish in an aquarium.
Viviparous
Livebearers are characterized by the birth of offspring without laying eggs. They differ from spawning ones in their endurance and unpretentiousness. Most types are suitable for beginners.
Guppy
The most unpretentious and tenacious fish for a small aquarium. For many, their passion for aquarium farming begins with guppies. They survive in an aquarium without an aerator or filter. Tiny fish are kept in schools of at least 5 individuals. Non-conflicting and playful appearance.
Swordtails
Unpretentious aquarium inhabitants with a body length of up to 10 cm. They got their name due to the characteristic shape of the tail. Kept in groups of 3–4 or more.
Mollies
Reach 10 cm in length, in different colors. Mollies require weekly water changes, soil cleaning, filtration and oxygenation.
Pecilia
Hardy fish with color options. These close relatives of swordtails grow up to 4 cm. They are unpretentious to water parameters. They are not considered to be gregarious. Content with related species is acceptable.
