Wrasse Hog Fish

The wrasse family is far more difficult to encompass than other families. Some of the wrasses grow to only 5-7.5 cm (2-3in), some grow to 60cm (24in); some are ideal in an invertebrate system, others would destroy the same set-up; some need to bury at nights, some need a cave, others require neither. So really the only way to examine the wrasses in a balanced way is to describe examples of each of the most popular groups.

Another marine is the birdbath (Orpheus). While the female is a brown, drab 10cm (4in) fish with a small snout, the male is a 15-18cm (6-7in) bottle green, dolphin-shaped beauty - the star character in any large tank. But the truly amazing feature of these fish is that they are hermaphrodite, bandit is quite possible to observe the drab, uninteresting females transform themselves in a feud, days.

Hogfish are closely related to the wrasses. There are half a dozen torso of this subspecies, and two or three of them are quite commonly seen. The Cuban hogfish (Bodkins) is imported either at about 5cm (2in) in its juvenile markings or, more often, asa I 5 cm (6in) adult. It is usually quite inexpensive. Although hogfish are suitable companions for virtually any other fish, they will soon mess up an invertebrate system.

Trigger Fish

Trigger fish is very famous aquarium fish. The trigger fish family is fairly small but quite widespread, one specie seven finding its way as far north as the English Channel. They are so-called on account of a locking spine at the front of the dorsal fin, which the fish uses to wedge itself into caves and openings. Triggers can be bought at any size from 2.5 to 23cm (1-9in) and their hardiness and nitrite tolerance make them suitable fish for beginners, but choose their companions with care. All the triggers grow to a large size and the family has a reputation for aggressive behavior, which is not altogether unfounded. In the wild, triggers eat crustaceans, sea urchins, etc., so never put them in an invertebrate tank. Feeding them in captivity presents no problem, as they will eat anything with their strong, sharp teeth - including your fingers if you are not careful!

Tetra Fish

Tetras are some of the smallest and most beautiful aquarium fishes; in fact, they include some of the smallest fishes in the world. Nearly all tetras are shoaling fish in nature and will shoal in the aquarium too, if given the chance. Shoaling is their form of protection. Should predator attack the shoal then the sudden movement of one fish triggers panic reaction throughout the shoal. With all the fish moving indifferent directions at the same time, the hope is that the predator will miss its prey and the tetras will escape. That is the theory, but it doe snot always work in practice. Many tetras are naturally insectivorous and appreciate being offered small live foods in the aquarium. They make ideal community fish and will live peacefully with all other fishes.They are mid water swimmers and feeders and very active - in fact, the yare continuously on the go. In a gentle mixed community, Cardiograms, live bearers and other small, non-aggressive fish make Goodman for tetras.

A typical tetra tank should contain plenty of plants, thickly packed around the back and sides of the tank, with a large clearing in the middle. Tetras do not seem to mind whether the tank lighting is bright or subdued. They are not timid, provided they are kept in small shoals of five or more. Ideally, the water in their tank should be soft and acidic, which you can achieve by filtering the water through peat and using plenty of bog wood for decor. However, tetras will do very well in all water compositions, as long as the water is kept clean by making regular partial water changes of about 15 percent of the aquarium capacity. When carrying out water changes, make sure that the temperature does not drop very much, as tetras are less hardy than some other aquarium fishes.

Synodontis Cat Fish

Synodontis are a group of catfishes from Africa. Many are natives of the great African lakes, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. They are very active fishes, but most are nocturnal. Many Synodontis are insectivorous but usually accept flake foods, very small pieces of meat and, naturally, aquatic invertebrates. Synodontis are also partial to garden peas and will often race out of their cave to feed on them. Of the many Synodontis species, about five spend more than SO percent of their time swimming upside-down. Synodontis catfishes usually do welling the average aquarium and species from the Rift Lakes make good companions for the African Rift Lake cichlids.

Synodontis factionists from the Zaire River and pool sin Central Africa. It is one of the smaller Synodontis species, with exceptional specimens growing to maximum of 2Ocm(8in). The golden-yellow bars seen in healthy young specimens make it a popular choice .Feeding this long-lived species is simple, as the fish avidly consumes most small frozen and dried foods, as well as flakes and pellets. It benefits from the addition of small live foods.such as Daphnia and My sis shrimp.

The stunning angel catfish(Synodontis angelic us) has a blackbody completely overlaid with white dots. The striped fins are transparent in places. Co lour varies between fishes; some have many spots, other shave thistle bars and spots. The angel catfish thrives in most types of water at about 2.5.°C(77°F). In a good-sized tank, it grows to about 20cm(8in).

Surgeon Fish

The first question to answer is what is the difference between surgeonfish and a tang? Well, the answer is that there is no difference; some of the fish in the group are invariably known as tangs, such as the regal tang, while others are known as surgeons, such as the clown surgeon, and a few are known by both names, e.g. the achilles tang or achilles surgeon. Here, we use both names, with no biological difference intended.

Surgeons are so-called because of their 'scalpels', the two sharp bony points on either side of the body at the base of the tail fin. The scalpels can give a nasty cut to a clumsy human, but are very rarely used on other fish. Perhaps being wise to the dangers, other fish are not stupid enough to tangle with the surgeons or indeed with the tangs, which also have these weapons.

Tangs and surgeons are magnificent fish, sporting the boldest and brightest markings. They are a good size, they grow steadily, they are relatively hardy, they cause very few problems with other fish and the yare easy to feed. They are safe with tiny and large fish alike, and the yare ideal inhabitants for an invertebrate tank.

Suckermouth Saltwater Fish

There are many different forms of sucker mouth catfishes, with a great deal of variety in shape and size. Leucotomy is a catch-all name foremost of the common sucker mouth fish seen in aquarium shops. The name comes from the second part of the scientific name Hypotenuse, a particular species that is probably hardly ever on sale.Most owners lump together their fish with the name `pled', usually withal prefix such as 'clown' pled or 'blue-eyed' pled. Sucker mouth catfishes .play an important role in the aquarium. Whereas most other catfishes scavenge on food left behind by other fish, sucker mouths will search allover the tank for certain algae as a food source and thus keep the tank partially free of this often unwanted plant growth.

However, there mayhem insufficient algal growth to meet their needs, so supplement their diet with peas and lettuce. Most of these catfishes eat all the usual aquarium foods, but can only manage very small particles. Any food that is put in the aquarium for them tends to be sucked up rather than chewed!Many sucker mouth catfishes are nocturnal and tend to hide behind plants or under rocks during the day, but most will make an appearance in daylight hours, especially if food is placed in the tank. Nevertheless,it is a good idea to drop some food in the tank for them just before the lights go out at night, but make sure that it will sink; like most catfishes, sucker mouths are usually bottom-dwellers. Whiptail's require well-filtered, mature water, that is high in oxygen. If the oxygen content of the water is severely depleted, these fish will rise to the surface for atmospheric air, which they are able to absorb through the hind gut. They are highly intolerant of aquarium medications containing ethylene blue and have been known to jump from the water to escape such treatments.

Siamese Fighting Fish

The infamous Siamese fighting fish (Beta slenderness) is only aggressive towards its own kind. It conies from Thailand (formerly Siam), 1,here it lives in small pools and ditches. Each male Beta has its own small territory, where it builds and repairs its bubble nest, defending it avidly from any other male Beta. If two males come together, they fight so viciously that if neither retreats then at least one will die. Male fighters are easy to keep in a tank, but never keep two males together. It is also unwise to keep females with males unless the intention is to breed them. Males are often overly aggressive to females that do not wish to spawn.

To breed Siamese fighting fish, set up a tank with a low water level -about I5cm(6in) - and no filtration to cause movement at the water surface. Add some hiding places for the female and a tightly fitting lid to trap a layer of warm air. Place the male and female in the tank with divider between them and feed them heavily with live food. Raise the temperature to 28°C(83°F). The male will build a nest of bubbles in one of the top corners and then go in search of the female. At this point,carefully lift the divider and, if all goes well, the female will be enticed under the nest, where the fish embrace, with the male wrapped around the female. She then expels her eggs and the male fertilizes them. As they fall to the bottom, the male catches them in his mouth and places them within the bubble nest. The female lies motionlessly on her side under the nest, and the sequence is repeated until all the eggs are laid .Remove the female at this stage. The male tends the nest, and the fry hatch out after about two days. Remove the male three days later. The free-swimming fry need microscopic live food, such as infuser, to begin with, graduating to newly hatched brine shrimp. After another week, the labyrinth gland starts to develop and there may be many losses at this point. After a further two weeks, the males start bickering,and you can safely separate them into their own little jars.

Sharks

Although these fish are often referred to as sharks, there is no chance of losing an arm or a leg to any of them! The word shark has become assigned to them because they have a very active and similar swimming pattern to the marine terror. These sharks are relatively peaceful, although they can chase the odd tank occupant about a little. Other fishes may find their activity disruptive.



The red-finned shark (Labor earthnuts) is a close cousin of the red-tailed black shark and also stems from Asia. The body shape is virtually the same, except that this species is slightly more slender than its cousin. The body co lour is a deep and all the fins are orange or red. This fish grows to about 15cm (6in) or little more and requires the same care and feeding as the red-tailed black shark.

Piranha Fish

It may seem hard to believe that piranhas should be related to the gentle little fishes that make up the majority of the characin group, but it is true. At up to 30cm (12in) long, piranhas are very much larger than tetras, but do not deserve the nasty reputation they have acquired over the years. In the aquarium, at least, the piranha is a relatively shy, retiring creature. Stories of piranhas in the dark Amazonian rainforests reducing cattle to skeletons in minutes are true, but this occurs in a river system where piranhas live in great shoals of 300 fishes or more and become very hungry. Many people keep piranhas with a sort of morbid fascination for what might happen, and give the impression that they would be quite pleased if the fish bit them as evidence of their macho capabilities! Keep young piranhas in a tank at least 120cm (48in) long, but provide a larger aquarium as they grow. Similar in shape to piranhas and also from northern South America, the Pac us can also be kept in a large tank.

Neotropical Cichlid

Neotropical Cichlid are fish that range in behavior from pacifist to antagonistic; in fact, the names angels and devils are particularly appropriate. These cichlids require Allaire aquarium and plenty of food. They make a lot of mess and need large, regular water changes. Their real attraction is that many of them have an intelligence lacking in nearly all other fish - and most theatricals for that matter. These fish will move gravel and rocks with purpose - usually to stake out a territory and entice a mate. They recognize their owner, rushing to the tank glass for food when ever hoer she approaches, and often shun strangers. Some can be taught to perform simple tricks with the inducement of an extra meal, something these greedy beasts always appreciate. When these cichlids breed, they care for the free-swimming young for quite some time, defending the minute babies from all potential predators, often regardless of the predator's size. Unfortunately, most of the larger neotropical cichlids are much bigger and more aggressive than, say, the gentle angelfish. These brutes can fight and remove scales from each other with ease, and yet they are very popular in the home aquarium and, indeed, very easy to keep, provided their requirements are met. Firstly, they need an appropriately large tank, at least 90cm(36in) long, and even a tank this size will not house many specimens. Within this space they can exercise their normal territorial behavior; these fish become very possessive particular patch and will guard it fiercely from all rivals. Large cichlids eat a great deal of food and often make quite a mess wit hit. Large, regular water changes are therefore essential and a good mechanical filter to assist the biological filter is a help. Lastly, it is ago od idea to stock fish of varying sizes and co lour patterns if you want them to live together in relative peace, as these fish tend to be most aggressive towards loyalties.

Loach Fish

Loaches are a small group of scavengers that make up the Coincide family of fishes. They are very active, nocturnal bottom-dwellers. The booties and some colitis possess a spine in front of the eye that they can raise to inflict considerable damage on other fishes or on the unwary Aquarius. Most of aches seen in aquariums are from Southeast Asia, where they live in muddy, oxygen-depleted waters. They gulp air at the surface and absorb oxygen in the gut lining to compensate.

The weather loath (Misogynous) comes from Asia -from Siberia, China, Korea through to Japan. Although the gold form has the normal coloration Lisa light brown background with dark brown blotches, giving the fish mottled appearance. The common name derives from the fish's alleged sensitivity to changes in air pressure.

The rangefinder (Bootie modest) is identical in care and feeding requirements to the clown load,. It does not grow qui teas large, 13cm (Sin) being an excellent size. This peaceful little bottom-dweller is an undemanding tank occupant and an ideal scavenger. It chases greedily after all foods and becomes charged with life at meal times!

Malawi Cichlid

The cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika in Africa are overcool, highly aggressive, hardy, easy to breed and make a superb display. They require a good under gravel filtration system, as they ar every intolerant of nitrite and soon react adversely if any waste matter disallowed to build up in the tank. These fish tend to dig into the grave land excavate down to the under gravel filter plate, unless there is gravel tidy to prevent this. Rift Lake cichlids need plenty of rocks among which to establish territories. Unfortunately, many Rift Lake cichlids are fond of nibbling vegetation and this, coupled with their digging habits, does not encourage healthy plant growth. Plastic plants are an alternative, but anchor them into the gravel with rocks to prevent them being uprooted. Keep the water in a Rift Lake cichlid tank at about 25.5°C(78°F) and make sure it is well aerated, hard and alkaline. Carry out regular water changes of 25 percent to keep the water free of any waste build-up. Most of these fish like to graze on algae on the rocks in the tank; good lighting encourages algal growth.

Lion Fish

Lion fishes, turkey fishes, scorpion fishes, call them what you will, these fish are both dangerous and very poisonous to human sand must be handled with care or, more accurately, not handled at all. The first seven spines of the dorsal fin carry an extremely toxic poison - verging on lethal - and only a foolhardy Aquarius would try to touch the eighth spine. However, lion fishes are hardy and nitrite-tolerant, long-lived, slow-moving and quite good aquarium fish. The lionfish rarely attacks other aquarium fish, as long as these will not fit readily into its open mouth, and only uses its spines in de fence, whether against human or fishy predators. Do not put lion fishes with mobile invertebrates, which form their staple diet in the wild. Sometimes they are difficult to feed in captivity. In the wild, they gorge themselves periodically, so once imported they must be weaned off live food and onto frozen lance fish and similar foods. In the wild they 'hang' under ledges, and are happier if given similar protection in an aquarium.

The best-known lionfish is Terrorism volitions, usually seen at 10-15cm (4-6in). Its finn age is longer than that of other lionfish antenatal and P, sp hex, are often referred Taos the spot fin lionfish. The regal lionfish, P. radiate, is also popular. There are two types of dwarf clingfishes rarely grow to more than 7.5-10cm (3-4in) in captivity, Encroachers and D. brachyurous.

Labyrinth Fish

Anabaptism are a very popular group of fishes from Asia and Africa, most of which are known as georamas. These fish have a special extra breathing organ called the 'labyrinth',which is a bunch of folded tissues with many blood vessels within it. This organ enables the fishes to extract the oxygen from air taken in at the surface, which is very useful in water with low oxygen levels. However, georamas have evolved to depend so much on this organ that now they cannot exist without regularly taking air from the surface, regardless of the water's oxygen content. The air is also used to construct what are usually described as `bubble nests'. The male fishes build these nests on the surface of the water with air and their saliva and attach them to any floating debris. Most anabatic are undemanding and relatively peaceful compared to other fishes,although often they do not get along too well with their own kind.

The pearl, or lee ri, Agoura(Trichinas lee ri) grows to 10cm(4in). Its long, compressed body is blue-brown with a smothering of pearl spots. Maintain the water at 2.5.5°C(78°F) and carry out regular water changes. The fish accept all foods, but relish lire food. They spawn in a bubble nest; raise the fry on liquid fry food or brine shrimp.

In the three-spot Agoura(Trichinas tricksters) the body is light blue with several darker vertical patches. There is a black spot in the middle of the body and at the base of the tail, and the eye makes up the third spot. There are several other variants of this species,including light blue specimens with no spots or even gold specimens.Take care when keeping this species in pairs, as male scan he very aggressive towards females and may bully them to death if there is no escape. Provide plants for cover and some open space for the fish to swim around in. These fish accept all foods, but prefer live food.

Killi Fish

Killifish, or egg laying tooth carps as they are sometimes described, are a very colorful group of usually small, fishes. Most come from Africa, but some are found in the Americas, Asia and Europe. Unfortunately, they do not make very good community fish and are certainly not the best choice for beginners. Killifish usually come from very soft-water regions,which also tend to be acidic in composition, although a few are founding more alkaline and harder water areas. The fish often live in shaded areas of rainforest, trapped in small pools, where water temperatures may fall as low as 2.19C(70°F) or lower. If you wish to keep Killifish inane aquarium, you must provide the appropriate water conditions,otherwise they are unlikely to survive for very long. This being so and because most other species (apart from some tetras and a few others) do not really thrive in such conditions, it is easy to see why Killifish are usually kept only with their own kind.

Another problem is that they are naturally short lived. In fact, some species may live for less than a year in the wild, so if these fish are kept in poor conditions, their life span can be shortened dramatically, all of which could be disheartening for someone who is keeping aquarium fishes for the first time.

Hawk Fish

Hawk fishes are smallish predators that readily adapt to aquarium life. Most species rarely grow more than 7.5-10crn (3-4in) in length, so as long as they are not housed with tiny fish or smallish shrimps, they can be put with most other available animals. Hawk fishes spend most of their time perched on rocks and ledges watching the world go by - the yare not 'dozy' like lion fishes, for instance, but alert and upright, even though they are stationary. When something takes their interest, whether it be food or a threat, they dart off the rock in a saw like in order to investigate, hence their common name. These excellent community fish never cause problems with other inhabitants; if regularly fed they can live for tn any years in captivity.

The most spectacular is the langouste (Boyishness typhus), which can be housed safely with almost anything except shrimps. It is quite expensive. The spotted (Cirrhotic) is more reasonably priced; it probably embodies the ideal, typical beginner's fish better than any other.

Hatchet Fish

Several types of hatchet fish form another little group of very popular fishes. The main apparent difference between them is their coloration, otherwise they require much the same in terms of care and feeding are surface-feeders and dwellers. They can rise progressively above the surface in much the same way as a hydrofoil and often skim over the surface of the water for up to 2m (6.5ft). This is because they have developed long pectoral fins that they can 'beat' like wings. Be sure to attach a very tightly fitting cover over any tank containing hatchet fishes. The most commonly seen species in the aquarium hobby is the silver hatchet fish (Gastropod stencil). It grows to about 6.5cm (2.6in) and thrives in soft, slightly acidic water Bata temperature of about 26°C (79°F).

The three-lined pencil fish (Monotonous trifocals) is a small, very peaceful fish from South America that grows to about (2in). The body shape is very long and slim, with a pointed snout and tiny mouth. The water should be kept at about 26°C (79°F) and he soft and very slightly acidic. The fish enjoys live foods, but it will eat frozen, as well as freeze-dried and flake food. Small tetras, linebackers Cordovans catfishes are ideal partners for this pencil fish.

Guppy Fish

The guppy must be one of the best-known tropical aquarium fishes, as well as one of the most beautiful and prolific. It is not aggressive to any degree and can be kept with any other fish that will not be aggressive towards it or grow big enough to eat it. Guppies make no special demands regarding care and will survive in less than perfect conditions(although this is no excuse to neglect them). The guppy originates from Central America and the northern part of South America. In its natural state, it is a relatively uninteresting fish with very little coloration, but over the years, fish breeders have developed various highly coloreds and forms with greatly elaborated fins. This breeding work has been concentrated on the male fishes, which even in the relatively drab wild specimens show more co lour than the females. Depending on the particular aquarium-bred strain, the dorsal fin may either be small or massively flowing, but the male's tail will always be like a long flowing scarf. The tail may he one of several different shapes, depending on the breed, and will also have various names, such as 'delta tail', `velar or`fantail', and so on. The colors of these fish are absolutely stunning.Agai, depending on the particular strain of guppy, it may be red, blue,green, black or any combination of these and any other colors, too.The colors may extend across the body right up to the head. Females

Grouper Fish

Groupers are another of those misnamed fish, since in the wild they live completely alone, one per cave - the original hermit! In an aquarium, you should not attempt to keep two of the same species together, and it is also unwise to try and keep two of any sort of groupers together. They are exceedingly hardy, nitrite-tolerant, easy to feed and disease-resistant. The grouper likes to lurk at the cave entrance, just darting out occasionally to warn off intruders or to grab a passing meal. Feed this carnivorous fish on solid chunks of food, such as mussel meat and lance fish, and make sure that its tank mates are larger than the grouper's mouth. Furnish the aquarium with an overhang large enough to accommodate your chosen fish. Groupers grow quite rapidly - in the tropics they are regarded as a prime food fish.

Closely related to the groupers are the snappers, another very large food fish. Snappers are shoaling fish that swim very powerfully and with great agility, making them difficult to catch, even in a tank. They are very hardy, nitrite-tolerant and easy to feed. Snappers grow very quickly and are capable of doubling their size in a few weeks. They are not particularly aggressive, but their very size precludes them from the average home aquarium. Avoid buying juvenile emperor snappers (Lufthansa seabed), for example, because they soon outgrow their tank.

The panther fish, Coronado, grouper (Chronicle hive) is suitable for an aquarium containing triggers and lionfish. It is a little less solitary than other groupers. Another untypical grouper is the marine beta (Calliopes & veils), a beautifully marked, lowbrow swimmer.

File Fish

The file fishes are closely related to triggers and often included in the same family but, superficially at least, they are quite different. Filefish not particularly hardy, they are not nitrite tolerant, they do not have hard trigger, their scales are quite different, they grow very slowly in captivity, they are shy and retiring and not very easy to feed. In that they are peaceful, they make good aquarium fish, but they have small mouths and do not eat vegetable matter, so feed them little and often.

There are a number of comparatively peaceful species that, although not suitable for an invertebrate aquarium, would normally fit in with smaller fish. The best-known is the blue trigger (Odon us Niger), a fish with a lovely swimming action; the pink-tailed trigger (Melichthys vidua) and the white-tailed trigger (Suamen chrysoptera). Mostly file fishes grow up to 6 inches.

Colored Filefish

The head of the Colored File fish is black in color therefore the file fish is also known as Blackheaded file fish. File fish’s body color can be red or orange therefore it can have a red tail or orange tail depending on the body color of the file fish and the head can be gray to black in color. This fish is very quiet in nature and she doesn’t show any aggression towards other fishes. It requires 30 gallon tank or even more than that and the aquarium should not contain invertebrates. Initially it is difficult to feed the colored file fish. In the diet of the file fish the aquarium owner should include squid, scallop, mysis shrimp, freeze-dried krill soaked in a vitamin supplement, frozen marine algae etc. Colored file fish should be fed three times a day.