Salt Water Aquariums: Choosing Your First Fish

Choosing the first fish for a new aquarium is not as difficult as one might think. Just remember to keep it simple in the beginning - you don't want to spend $60 or more on a fish and have it die in a few days. In the beginning, your new aquarium is being populated with necessary algae and microscopic organisms (amphipods, copepods and etc.) that some fish will only eat and perish without. To establish your aquatic environment does take some time and a lot of patience. When selecting a pet fish there are signs that will tell you if the fish is sick or not. You would think that your local pet stores would only sell healthy fish, but wrong. Most pet stores out there are out for profit and if they had to eat the cost of any fish they received sick as well as others made sick by the diseased fish, they would eventually go out of business. Don't get me wrong, there are reputable pet shops out there, you just need to do a little homework to help you find these diamonds in the rough. The following is a list of some general characteristics of healthy fish:

-Clear Eyes (not cloudy).

-Undamaged fins.

-No scales sticking out, all laying flat on the body, and no red blotches.

-Active, lively, normal swimming pattern. Do note that some species are shy and reclusive, just make sure that your fish does not "lay" on the bottom of the tank.
-No white spots (salt grain size) or white cottony growths on the body or fins.

-Gills should be red inside, not faded or discolored, and not appear to be puffy or swollen.

-No holes, ulcerations or lumps.

-Respiration rate should be steady and not stressed when not disturbed.

-Active feeding - before you purchase any fish from a store insist that the fish be fed in front of you. Do not accept "we just fed him" or "he must be shy" as an excuse. A fish that does not want to eat is most likely sick.

-Do not ever buy a fish from a tank that has visibly sick fish in it. Notice patterns in your favorite fish stores, you should be able to find a few local places that won't try to sell sick fish.

1. Damselfish - they are a hearty fish and easy to maintain. They help to cycle the tank when you are ready to add fish. These fish are the best choice because they come in colorful assortments like bright royal blues with a canary yellow tail, black velvety with royal blue dots, and "domino" damsels which are black with either 2 or 3 white spots. They add color to your tank and are the least expensive in case something goes wrong.

2. Clownfish - These fish are actually a very close relative of the Damselfish. Yes, it's Nemo! Any parent that has looked at the salt water section of a pet store knows that kids love these fish because of the Disney movie "Finding Nemo", but once you get to know these guys you'll have more reason to love them. They are very active and inquisitive fish, and quite comical to watch swim around alone or play with a group of other clowns. After time they can recognize their owners and come swimming up to the top of the water when you walk in the room. Most don't mind being petted for those more "hands on". But always wash your hands before and after touching your fish or their water. You don't want to pollute their water, and get the chemicals in their water on your hand.

3. Smaller or pygmy angel fish from the genus Centropyge such as the Coral Beauty, or the bi-colored Angel are colorful and easy to maintain for a new hobbyist. Other species like Any size should be safe as long as you stay below six inches fully grown. Not only are these fish beautiful but they are somewhat necessary to help in the overgrowth of algae. Excessive algae growth will rob the aquarium of oxygen and eventually kill your fish and coral. These fish do eat algae, but some species also pick at certain types of coral. Do some research and don't be afraid to ask questions at the pet store. As the old but true saying goes, "your better safe than sorry".

4. Blennies - each seems to have a personality of its own like most other small fishes, making it comical and interesting to watch, but on the down-side, this fish can become extremely territorial and aggressive towards other fish and should be introduced with caution. It is a good idea to introduce these fish after introducing a few other fish to the tank first. It helps lessen their aggressive behavior while they are acclimating.