Freshwater Aquarium Fish
The concept of aquariums has been around for thousands of years, providing enjoyment and health benefits to both their owners and visitors. You may think that starting a freshwater aquarium is expensive. You may be unsure as to which types of fish food are best for certain types of fish. You may not even know what types of fish are available!
Aquarium Life is deeply related to regular water life. Fresh water fish originate from lakes, rivers and streams. Naturally occurring fluctuations in their environment make these creatures remarkably adaptable. As such, they are more likely to adjust to variances in the aquarium. Pet stores carry an abundance of plant life of the freshwater variety. The same cannot be said for invertebrates, which fare better in salt water setup.
There are several fishes available for your fresh water aquarium -
Popular Fish Name Fish Family Scientific Name
Angelfish Cichlids Pterophyllum
Bengal Danio Cyprinids Danio devario
Black Ghost Knifefish Knifefish and Eels Apteronotus albifrons
Black Ruby Barb Cyprinids Barbus nigrofasciatus
black tetra Characins Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Bristlenose Catfish Ancistrus sp.
Cardinal tetra Characins Paracheirodon axelrodi
Cave tetra Characins Astyanax mexicanus
Checker Barb Cyprinids Barbus oligolepis
Cherry Barb Cyprinids Barbus titteya Deraniyagala, 1929
Clipper Barb Cyprinids Barbus callipterus
Clown Loach Loaches Botia macracanthus
Common Carp Cyprinids Cyprinus carpio
Common Dace Cyprinids Leuciscus
Common hatchetfish Characins Gasteropelecus sternicla
Cory catfish Catfish Corydoras sp.
Discus Cichlids Symphysodon
Dwarf Suckermouth Catfish Catfish Otocinclus
Electric Yellow Cichlids Labidochromis caeruleus
Giant Danio Cyprinids Danio aequipinnatus
Glass catfish Catfish Kryptopterus bicirrhis
Gold Barb Cyprinids Barbus semifasciolatus Guenther, 1868
Goldfish Cyprinids Carassius auratus auratus
Green neon tetra Characins Paracheirodon simulans
Horseface Loach Loaches Acantopsis choirorhynchus
Koi Cyprinids Cyprinus carpio
Kuhli Loach Loaches Pangio kuhlii
Liposarcus pardalis Catfish Liposarcus pardalis
Malabar Danio Cyprinids Danio malabaricus or Devario malabaricus
Neon tetra Characins Paracheirodon innesi
Oscar Cichlids Astronotus ocellatus
Pearl Danio Cyprinids Danio albolineatus
Pentazona Barb Cyprinids Barbus pentazona
Queen Danio Cyprinids Devario regina
Red Empress Cichlid Cichlids Protomelas taeniolatus
Red Line Torpedo Barb Cyprinids Barbus denisonii
Rosy Barb Cyprinids Barbus conchonius
Sailfin Catfish Catfish Liposarcus multiradiatus
Siamese Fighting Fish Labyrinth fish Betta splendens
Silver Dollar Characins Metynnis argenteus Ahl, 1923
Spotted Danio Cyprinids Danio nigrofasciatus
Suckermouth Catfish Catfish Hypostomus plecostomus
Suckermouthed Catfish Catfish Hypostomus punctatus
Ticto Barb Cyprinids Barbus ticto
Tiger Barb Cyprinids Barbus tetrazona
Tinfoil Barb Cyprinids Barbus schwanefeldi
Turquoise Danio Cyprinids Danio kerri
To keep freshwater fishes alive and healthy, wash the tank thoroughly with hot water. Dry the tank, and apply the background paper to the outside of the tank. Position the tank. If an underground biofilter will be used, establish it. Wash the gravel in hot water to remove fine particles and add it to the tank. Wash and add the ornaments, filters, and heaters - do not plug in any accessories at this time. Ornaments made of wood should be boiled, as they can discolor water. If tap water is used, treat the water with an anti-chlorine/ chloramine solution before or during the addition of the water. The prescribed dosage may not be enough if your tap water contains an excessive concentration of chlorine; most conditioners designed for aquarium use can be used at concentrations higher than what is prescribed, but check the label to make sure. Do not use distilled water, and use a limited amount of hot water if from the tap. Hot water often contains many impurities not present in the cold water. Allow the faucet to run until a consistent room-temperature water is obtained. Slowly add the water so as not to disturb the gravel and ornaments. Use a net to remove small particles of gravel that remain suspended in the water.