Start off by talking to your provider of tropical saltwater fish and ask them which fish they recommend as the easiest to care for. The following fish are the ones you are most likely to hear, and are great candidates for getting started.

Damsels – The Damsel is a very easy to care for saltwater fish but does come with one negative side. The Damsels can become very aggressive and should be limited to one or two fish per tank. The only way to keep these fish is to pair them up with other aggressive, or semi-aggressive fish which can defend themselves.

Tangs/Surgeonfish – Another very hardy variety of saltwater fish. These fish are algae eaters, not meat eaters. They are easy to keep with almost any kind of fish. They usually need to be added after your tank starts to develop algae. If your tank is kept very clean and is relatively algae free you will need to supplement their diet with lettuce.

Gobies – A small fish often used to help control algae is another great addition to your tropical saltwater collection. They are very easy to maintain and are very resistant to disease.

Clownfish – While many people believe they must add anemone at the same time, it is not true. The Clownfish does great without anemone, and will thrive. They are very territorial so limit the number you add to your tank. They are rarely aggressive towards other fish, only towards other Clownfish.

Mollies – While you can add mollies to your tank and have great luck if your other fish are non-aggressive, adding them to a tank with Damsels, or other aggressive fish, is a surefire recipe for trouble. The Mollies are a great fish to raise due to their ease of care, but they are extremely docile and will be constantly chased and attacked by the more aggressive fish in your tank.

One reason people often introduce Mollies to start off with is due to their very low cost. They are a great fish to break in a tank and help the proper bacteria balance get started. They then remove the fish once the tank has matured.

As you get a little more experience with fish you can start introducing the popular fish, like the Lionfish, Angels, Triggerfish, and other exotic tropical saltwater fish. Always make your mistakes with a new saltwater aquarium with lower priced and very hardy fish. It will save you money, and help to protect the natural resources of our oceans. With a little planning your first try at a saltwater aquarium will be a big success.

The first thought which goes through most people’s minds when they picture owning tropical puffer fish is all the fun of watching their fish inflate. They envision being able to show off the fish by giving it a little scare and watching it puff up like a balloon for all their friends and visitors. What you are failing to realize is how dangerous this is to your puffer fish.

The process of inflating their bodies is the equivalent of you taking off at a full sprint with an overdose of adrenalin while you have high blood pressure. It is intense to their bodies and in the wild is done as a means of survival. It is highly stressful to the fish.

The second big issue with getting your puffer to blow-up in a tank is the high likelihood they may inflate with air and not water. They will have a very hard time getting rid of the air, which can often lead to the death of your tropical puffer fish.

The next expectation most owners have is placing their tropical puffer fish in the same tank with all their other fish. It does not work well at all. Most times puffer fish must be kept in a tank all to themselves which has the proper amount of salt added to make brackish water. This eliminates having them with a tank filled with freshwater tropical fish.

Puffers are carnivorous. They will eat other fish and have a mouth filled with teeth. They need to have a menu which includes crunchy snails or other crustaceans to help grind down their teeth and keep them healthy. For this reason, they are almost always kept in a separate tank to other fish.

Tropical puffer fish are beautiful fish and can be very rewarding to own, but most of the time the expectations new owners have do not match reality Before you run out and buy puffer fish to add to your aquarium think very carefully. Do you have an extra tank? Do you just want them to watch them puff up? Are you prepared to buy snails and other crustaceans as food? If you are not prepared for the extra upkeep for puffers, you probably want to avoid owning them.

The puffer is one of those fish which is almost always better left to hobbyists with extremely large tanks, vast experience, and a large budget. For the average hobbyist their high costs, difficult upkeep, and high demands are hard to justify. Instead of owning them yourself, go enjoy watching puffers in a large public aquarium where they can live in an environment closely mimicking their natural world. You will save yourself enough money to expand your collection with other exotic fish which are easier to keep, and easier to combine with your existing fish.

As a good starting guideline your tropical fish tank temperature should stay within a range of 22 to 29 degrees Centigrade, 72 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Some species of tropical fish require much narrower temperature ranges in the 24 to 25 degree centigrade range.

The issue which catches a few new hobbyists of guard is temperature consistency. They look at the range above, decide they do not need a heater, and let nature take its course. Their tank moves wildly from a very cool 72 degrees at night, to a very warm 84 degrees in the middle of the day. It sounds fine, since it is all within the proper ranges. For the fish it can be very distressing. They are not used to wild changes in heat, even within their preferred range.

What you really need for your fish tank is a good heating system which is controlled with a thermostat. The temperature of your fish tank is always monitored. When the temperature drops only a degree or two below your setting the heater kicks on and slowly heats the water back to the optimal temperature.

Keeping the temperature in a narrow range is the best for the health of your fish. It reduces the onset of many fish diseases.

Overheating of the tank can be an even bigger worry. Too often new hobbyists put an aquarium in an area which gets direct sunlight, turn off their air-conditioner, and then head off to work for the day. They come home to find fish floating on the surface. The direct sunlight can take the water which was sitting comfortably at 80 degrees up to 90 degrees or above very quickly. Oxygen in the water becomes depleted and fish die. Keep the tank out of direct sunlight, especially if you plan to shut off cooling on hot summer days.

If you do not want to be worried about keeping such a close eye on temperature you will need to choose fish which are very temperature tolerant. Even these fish do not tolerate rapid temperature changes. Some fish, like a goldfish, are capable of tolerating temperatures approaching freezing to nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best advice is to always check on the preferred temperature ranges of the fish you would like to own, then buy heating systems to work with your aquarium to match the volume and needs. The cost of a high quality heating system with a thermostat is very low, and a great investment in having the best aquarium possible.

The only other important note on tropical fish tank temperature, make sure you match fish which tolerate the same temperature ranges. You do not want to have fish needing a tank towards the upper temperature range, and one at the lower temperature ranges in the same tank.

Let us take a look at the essentials for setting up tropical fish tanks, and try to keep your trips to the pet store down to one.

One of the easiest ways to avoid all the extra trips is to buy an aquarium kit. It is very common for pet stores and large department stores to have kits in stock which look great on first glance. They have the aquarium, the filtration system, lighting system, a net, and many times a good cleaning system. Some kits even include a can of fish food to get you started.

What these kits often lack is proper sizing. One of the first requirements is thinking about what fish you are planning to keep. Different sizes of fish require different amounts of water. Even goldfish can require up to 10 gallons of water each with a starting point of 20 gallons in the aquarium. Many of the kits are a 20 gallon aquarium, which means you have room for only a few fish and you have reached capacity.

It is better to err on the side of an over-sized tank instead of having too small of a tank. A small tank allows the buildup of ammonia and other poisons very rapidly. This is one of the reasons you may wish to steer away from most prepackaged kits.

When you are buying each piece separately you need to make sure you are getting these essential components:

• Aquarium
• Gravel
• Plants
• Filtration System
• Air Stone
• Cleaning Equipment
• Water Treatment Chemicals
• Lighting System
• Heating System
• Appropriate Fish Food

Most of these items will need to be matched in size to the volume of your aquarium. Make sure you buy a filtration system which is equal to the volume, or rated for higher volume. You never want to under size your filtration system.

Size matching is where going to a discount store often gets owners in trouble. The staff at many of these stores have no idea what they are talking about, they were just hired to stock shelves and give you the products you ask for. Pet specialty stores have trained staff and can advise you on the proper sizes.

Even online stores are very helpful in selecting the right equipment. They are excellent at putting together custom kits to match your start-up needs matched to the types of fish you are going to purchase.

Tropical fish tanks are not difficult to setup or maintain once you have purchased all the essentials, the problem usually comes when you keep overlooking one more critical parts of the puzzle. Compare any kits or the advice of your sales person to the above list and make sure you are getting everything you need.

While you may think adding tropical fish tank plants is going to greatly increase your work load, you are completely wrong. They do add a bit of work to get them setup properly, but once in place they aid in keeping down the sudden explosions of algae, since they absorb the light, and reduce the available nutrients necessary for an algae explosion.

For most beginners you will need to stick with tropical fish tank plants which are designed for lower light conditions. This is due to the power of bulbs and fixtures which are bundled with most starter packs. They do not provide the high amounts of light needed to make certain more advanced plants grow and survive. Common starter plants include, microsorum, cryptocoryne, echinodorus, and vallisneria. They will thrive in lower lighting conditions and are perfect for a starter kit.

Another common failure in adding live plants to your aquarium is not getting a proper substrate in the bottom of the tank. If your tank is just filled with the common pea sized gravel it will not support plants well at all. Use sand or the clay like laterite to give you plants a substrate they can grab onto with their roots and get anchored in place.

One factor many first time aquatic plant owners miss is the necessity of a fertilizer. Check with the pet store you are buying the plants from and get a good quality fertilizer. Always start off with less fertilizer than recommended, about 50 percent, and then increase the amount if the plants appear to need more. Using too much fertilizer can enhance the growth of algae, and be harder on your fish.

Since your tropical fish plants are living and growing you must plan to do routine maintenance. You will on occasion need to trim them back. This is quite simple with a good sharp pair of small pruning scissors. You will just need to plan on getting your hands a little wet. The ideal time is to prune your plants a the same time you are changing out 15 to 25 percent of your water for normal aquarium upkeep. The water level will be lower allowing you easier access to the plants.

Two items to always keep your eyes open for is dead material and algae growth. Trim away and remove dead material from the tank as soon as possible. It increases problems with water quality. The best way to keep algae growth down is to keep the tank out of direct sunlight, do not overuse fertilizer, and add algae eating fish and snails to your tank.

Adding tropical fish tank plants will take your aquarium from ordinary to fabulous. It is the simple difference between real flowing beauty, and fake plastic green.

One of the keys to having a great looking aquarium is having a variety of color, body shapes, and levels of activity in your tropical fish species. Nothing is much more boring than an aquarium with fish just floating in place, all looking the same, staring off into space.

One of the tropical fish species you should consider is the Labyrinths. These include fish like the Betta, Dwarf Gourami, Pearl Gourami, and Paradise Fish. Most of these fish live well in community tanks, males tend to be a bit more aggressive. This family of fish can give you variety in color and body style. The Betta is best known for their gently flowing fins and tails which do not work well with more aggressive fish.

Another of the families of tropical fish species is the Characins. These include fun aquarium fish like the Dwarf Pencilfish, Neon Tetra, and Silver Dollar. The Silver Dollar is one of the most brilliant silver fish you will ever find. It flashes through the water and can grow to almost 6” in length. The neon tetra is a much smaller fish only reaching 2” long and can be in danger to larger fish mates. The Dwarf Pencilfish is another small fish which should not be kept with much larger fish. This group of fish come mainly from areas surrounding South America.

Cichlids are another very popular family of tropical fish. Especially check into the family of Dwarf Cichlids as they normally stay smaller and make great tank mates with other smaller fish. These include fish like the Cockatoo Cichlid, Ram Cichlid, or the Panda Dwarf Cichlid. These fish average around 3” long and are brightly colored. In general they are a very non-aggressive fish which make good community fish.

One of the keys to choosing your different tropical fish species is to make sure they match each other in water temperature needs, disposition, and hopefully in the mixtures of food. You do not want to get caught needing to feed multiple kinds of food to a single aquarium as this can easily lead to overfeeding and poor water quality issues.

When you are trying to mix a variety of tropical fish species you must either choose to house non-aggressive fish in your tank, or go completely the other direction and make all the fish aggressive in nature. If you choose to go aggressive, make sure you try to match fish sizes as closely as possible. You may still experience problems, but most commonly fish of similar sizes have less tendency to attack each other.

Get busy filling up your tank with a great mixture of tropical fish species to make a beautiful display in your home. It will be fun and exciting to watch all the activity as the species interact and thrive together.

The Molly family of tropical fish has great variety with over 30 separate species within the family. There are a few very common varieties of tropical fish mollies you may want to explore for adding to your aquarium.

Silver Molly – This is the sparkling jewel of the molly family. With a bright silver suit of scales and a long dorsal fin with just a touch of blue at the base, this Molly is very easy to spot in your tank. With a maximum length of 3” they work well in small to medium sized tanks starting off with sizes around 10 gallons.

Cremecicle Lyretail Molly – When you are ready to liven up the tank with a shot of sunlight add the Cremecicle. These fish are a brilliant gold flash in the tank with a tall dorsol fin which normally is a deeper gray color. The Cremecicle is similar in size to the Silver Molly at 3” long.

You may think someone spilled ink on your Silver Mollies when you see the Dalmation Molly. They look very similar to the Silver, but have black spots running the entire length of their body. They make great aquarium mates with both the Silver Molly and the Cremecicle Lyretail.

The Black Molly has obvioisly found the source of the spilled ink and completely coated their body. With their deep black coloration they make a great contrast to the flashing colors of the Silver and Cremecicle Mollies.

The Balloon Belly Molly will allow you to get a little different body shape into the tank while still maintaining the ease of care. Their bodies are taller, with a much more pronounced stomach. Their backs arch higher. They Balloon Belly Mollies come in a variety of colors ranging from solid black to spotted orange and white.

For another flash of silver, but with a more pronounced, taller dorsal fin, you can try the Silver Lyretail Molly. It gives you then same flashy silver look but with a deep gray fin towering over its body.

The great thing about having a tank filled with a mixture of tropical fish mollies is the ease of care. They all are around 3” in length, interact well in the tank, and share similar feeding needs. The are happy to eat a mixture of tropical fish food flakes, freeze dried, frozen, and fresh foods. Mix in a little fresh spinach, lettuce, or even peas to give them some vegetable matter to consume and they will stay healthy and energetic.

The tropical fish mollies are live bearer fish. This means if you mix males and females you are almost certain to see tiny fry swimming around in your tank at some point in time. If you do not separate the fry and adults you can expect the mortality rate to be very high. The adults, including the parents, will eat the fry. Mollies are a great addition to any tank, and can even make a beautiful tank all by themselves.

Older aquariums often came equipped with a single screw in bulb socket. These sockets were intended for having an aquarium light which was of the proper power, and provided the proper spectrum of light. The first problem which many un-knowledgeable fish owners created was by replacing the bulb with a standard incandescent light. Suddenly their is too much brightness, and far too much heat.

Today the best advice in tropical fish lighting is to use fluorescent light strips. They produce less heat and provide the proper spectrum of light. Make sure to replace your light strips every 6 to 9 months to keep them producing the best quality of light. As the gases in the tube dissipate the spectrum of light narrows providing less efficient lighting.

Tropical fish lighting should be cycled on and off for day and night. You can accomplish this by simply turning it on in the morning, and off when you go to bed, or you may want to get a timer so you do not need to worry about it. A timer will help on setting up a variable lighting time for summer and winter times, too. The breeding cycles of many fish are predicated by the amount of daylight time.

Your tropical fish lighting is not only for the benefit of your fish, but for the benefit of your aquarium plants, too. Since you are using artificial light it is important to have live plants. They help use up the light and deter the growth of algae. If you do not have enough live plants algae is almost certain to grow rapidly making your tank a green mess.

Sometimes the biggest challenge in fish tank lighting comes from the tank itself. Most tanks include a cover which gives you room for only one light. Often this one light is not adequate to fully illuminate the tank. You can then choose to add additional light strips over the tank, or to the rear of the tank just below the outer edge of the tank glass.

One word of warning on lighting. It is a real balancing act to get enough light to have a bright tank, but not enough to create an algae bloom. If you keep having too much algae growing consider reducing the wattage of the bulbs, or add more live plants to the tank.

Throw away the idea of having a naturally lit tank. Tropical fish lighting is a necessity to reduce the growth of bacteria, increasing fish colors, spurring breeding, and helping your aquatic plants to grow. Choose high quality fluorescent fixtures and they will last the life of your tank.

The problem comes when you start looking online for your information. There are many great sites filled with high quality information about tropical fish, but there are an equal amount of really horribly written articles filled with substandard, and sometimes very misleading information. They provide sketchy ideas of what you need, where to get it, and leave you feeling confused.

One of the first things you should do when you are going to start keeping an aquarium filled with tropical fish is to buy a few great books to have on your shelf. Then when you have a problem you grab the book and just look up your answer. The difference is in the reliable quality of the information. The author of the book has gone to a considerable amount of time and trouble to create a book. It has been edited by professionals, and you can check into the customer reviews of the book before you buy it.

A great example is a book like “What Fish? A Buyer’s Guide to Tropical Fish”. This book gives you solid tropical fish information to help you choose the best fish to keep in your home, which fish live happily together, and which fish to keep out of your aquarium. You probably want a variety of fish, but making a single mistake can have you watching your fish ending up with missing fins, holes in their tails, and possibly dying as an aggressive tropical fish goes on the attack.

Another great book is “The 101 Best Tropical Fish”. This book covers how to keep your fish healthy, happy, and well maintained. It explains in details about what is needed for each of these 101 varieties of fish.

What if you really want to find your information online? Then you need to make sure you look at the sites carefully and consider their information. Does it sound reasonable, and well thought out? Do not always judge by the appearance of the site. The best tropical fish information comes from avid breeders and hobbyists, they are not normally webmasters, but normal everyday people who have decided to put together a quick site to share their passion. These are the true experts of tropical fish.

Always take the time to create a solid relationship with pet store owners, and avoid buying your fish in mass merchants. You want to talk to people whose business relies on maintaining their fish and their customers. They will give you high quality tropical fish information, too.

Use a variety of sources for your tropical fish information and soon you will be an expert. Your tropical fish are important to you, and the information you gather needs to be accurate.

Guppies are livebearers which makes breeding much easier than dealing with an egg laying species. Livebearers do not lay eggs, they release live fry right into the water. Anyone who has owned guppies before can tell you your tank can go from being a few guppies to many guppies very fast.

There is one very strong warning about breeding guppies, though. When the female is plump with fry you need to move her to a separate tank or bowl. When the baby guppies are released they suddenly discover their mother and father are voracious eaters of their own young. They do not see these tiny fish as offspring, but as a delectable meal which has suddenly entered their tank.

It is usually advised to have two females to every male. The reason behind this is quite simple. Males are always courting and chasing the females. The ladies need a rest. You might even want to keep the number of males lower in comparison to females. Keep in mind, the more males, the faster guppies will be born, and you may find yourself with an overwhelming number of fry very quickly. The females take approximately 28 days between mating and releasing fry.

Tropical fish guppies are not only great for their reproductive behavior, though. The males are very colorful adding to the beauty of your tank. The females are a little larger, and a very shiny silver, and often has nice coloration in the tail.

Guppies are very easy to care for, which is one of the reasons for their tremendous popularity. They can be fed a wide variety of foods ranging from live mosquito larvae, white worms, bloodworms, and others, to freeze dried foods, and even some flake tropical fish foods. Adult guppies can easily survive a full week without eating if they have been properly fed in the upcoming days. This makes them great for people who skip away on vacations.

The one thing most parents love about guppies is their low cost and their resistance to missed meals. Since they bought the aquarium to satisfy demanding children who promised to take care of them. Rarely do children manage to do all of the feedings on time, or even remember. With their hardiness guppies still continue to thrive.

Tropical fish guppies should be one of the first fish you consider in your adventure into owning fish. With their resistance to disease, ease of feeding, prolific nature, and fun disposition they are a safe fish for adults and children. Even if disaster strikes you have not spent the high amounts of money found with many other more exotic tropical fish. Your children and you can learn about the care of tropical fish easily with a tank filled with guppies.