Why Care About Tropical Fish Species?
Fish are just fish, right? When you want to set up a tank or aquarium at home, why care about the many varieties of tropical fish species; just buy the ones that look good to you and that will make a good mix in your tank and everything will be fine, right?
Tropical Fish Species Varieties
In truth it's a good idea for any responsible pet owner to learn at least a little bit about different varieties of tropical fish species; this is for the same reason that you may want to learn something about dog breeds before buying a bunch of them - some breeds and species are more aggressive, some are more passive, most are somewhere in between, but the wrong mix between aggressive varieties and passive varieties can spell disaster. This is true of virtually any type of animal you own, even with tropical fish species. Before you get overwhelmed, there's no need to become a zoologist or marine biologist to come up with a good mix of species for your tank; just some basic information about a few breeds or species is probably going to be enough for you to make a good decision. Let's take a look at some of that basic information now.
There are a few varieties of tropical fish species that are very aggressive, including the auratus, the convict cichlid, the Jack Dempsey, the banded leporinus, and the pacu. These fish are very dominant, aggressive, and often like to even pick fights with other types of fish. If you must have any of these tropical fish species in your tank you should be sure that it's only in the largest tank available so that other fish have room to avoid them. There should also be plenty of plants, rocks, and decorations for other fish to hide in between when these fish are on the prowl. It's also typically recommended that you only have one of these types of fish in your tank if you're going to have any so that you don't have too many dominant fish fighting for territory and bullying other fish.
There are a few varieties of tropical fish species that are very aggressive, including the auratus, the convict cichlid, the Jack Dempsey, the banded leporinus, and the pacu. These fish are very dominant, aggressive, and often like to even pick fights with other types of fish. If you must have any of these tropical fish species in your tank you should be sure that it's only in the largest tank available so that other fish have room to avoid them. There should also be plenty of plants, rocks, and decorations for other fish to hide in between when these fish are on the prowl. It's also typically recommended that you only have one of these types of fish in your tank if you're going to have any so that you don't have too many dominant fish fighting for territory and bullying other fish.
Other Tropical Fish Varieties
On the other hand there are many varieties of the cichlid tropical fish species that are so mild and meek that they actually need to be kept away from more aggressive fish. This includes the keyhole cichlid and the ram cichlid. These fish do not do well with territorial bullies and can be physically harmed by more aggressive fish.
Most varieties of tropical fish species fall somewhere in between these two extremes and do quite well with other fish; this is just like dogs where most breeds interact well with other dogs and only a few are very aggressive and a danger to other animals. If you have any questions about whether or not you're making the right choices when it comes to tropical fish species and the mix you're selecting, speak to your pet store attendant or do some reading online and you're sure to make the right decision.
Most varieties of tropical fish species fall somewhere in between these two extremes and do quite well with other fish; this is just like dogs where most breeds interact well with other dogs and only a few are very aggressive and a danger to other animals. If you have any questions about whether or not you're making the right choices when it comes to tropical fish species and the mix you're selecting, speak to your pet store attendant or do some reading online and you're sure to make the right decision.
About The Author
John Hubert is a researcher of tropical fish and has recently published the ebook on Caring For Your Tropical Fish
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