Choosing Fish for a Freshwater Aquarium

Shannon Frye
When it comes to picking out a fish, you will want to make sure that you purchase fish which are easy to care for. You will want to purchase fish which are peaceful in nature and not aggressive or territorial. You do not want to purchase fish which are aggressive or territorial because they will chase your other fish around until they get stressed out and sick. Sick fish will get the rest of your fish sick as well. Goldfish are a great choice for a beginner fish in a freshwater fish tank. Tetras will also make a good choice because they stay very small and they are peaceful in nature.

Different live-bearers such as Fancy Guppies will also make a good choice as long as you have a 3-1 ratio with the males and the females. You will want to purchase 3 females to every male. If you place a lot of fish into a community tank you might run into problems because some of these fish like to chase eachother around. They are not aggressive or territorial but they are bored. They will chase eachother around and peck at eachother in a community tank. Some of these fish would include guppies and other smaller fish.

Goldfish and Koi can live in temperatures around 50 to 60 degrees as well as higher temperatures such as 70 degrees. To make your water drop in temperature you will need to purchase a chiller for your aquarium. Goldfish will also do well in temperatures around 70 to 77 degrees. A Goldfish is a very popular choice when it comes to picking out a new fish for your freshwater tank. They are excellent for beginners and they are very peaceful. You will never have a problem getting your Goldfish to get along.

You will want to make sure that you choose fish which will fit into your aquarium in the long run. Do not buy a Goldfish and place it into a 2 1/2 gallon tank. The Goldfish will out grow this tank within the next year because Goldfish can reach up to 8 inches in length. You will want to place a 2 inch fish into a 2 1/2 gallon tank. Tetras work well for small tanks because they are so small. They will reach about 1/2 inch in length when they are full grown. They are very small and peaceful and a great choice for somebody who wants a new pet fish.

Published by Shannon Frye

I am a stay at home mom. I have a 2 year old daughter.  View profile

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