Looking after Tropical Fish?

Question

Ok so me & my boyfriend were discussing the old fish tank he & his dad had wen he was a kid & it came up that his dad still had the tank somewhere but we dont just want your regular goldfish, we want something a bit different.

Although we like the idea my boyfriend thinks anything other than your average goldfish would be hard to care for, is there anything I need to know about caring for the more tropical fish??

Answer 1

The same tank with the addition of a heater and a new filter would be fine for any type of fish. You may have to soak some paper toweling in CLR and put it on the water stains on the glass (and cover it with saran wrap so it doesn't evaporate). Here is a good site on the type of fish and what temps and size of tank they require and a compatibility chart. Goldfish are no more work then any other type of fish (excluding saltwater).
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=830
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm
A

Answer 2

I kept Tropical Fish for about 3 years, and initially, I had no end of problems, and the biggest problem of all is getting the water right. If you go ahead with this project make sure you go to a proper Tropical Fish store, not just a local pet shop, as they don't know what they are talking about.

Fill your tank up with water and put the appropriate chemicals in, make sure you have a temperature gauge, heater and a pump. After a couple of days, take a sample of water to your local aquarium shop and they will do a water test to see if it has the correct levels of Nitrates, etc.

Do not put fish in until, your water temperature, etc is correct otherwise when you put your fish in, they will only die.

Once your happy that your water is correct, put a small amount of fish in each week, but still check your water, as when you put your fish in, you have to add the water to your tank, which if from a proper fish store, should be okay, but just check anyway, until you are confident with what you are doing.

So, once your water is okay, you will be well away, just cleaning them out weekly, which doesn't mean emptying the tank, completely.

After that, they will be a doddle to look after and a pleasure.

Very relaxing to watch.

PS, there is loads to know about fish, buy a good tropical fish book, that will tell you everything you need to know.

Answer 3

Tropical fish can be more work than goldfish. You need to keep the water heated to just the right temperature. However, there's thermostats that can take care of this.

I had goldfish and tropical fish as a kid, and as I recall the tropical tank required a lot more work and maintenance, but it wasn't really overly burdensome. Just more periodic cleaning, as I recall. And a little more equipment (filter, heater, thermometer, air bubbler, etc.).

Maybe your BF is thinking of salt-water fish .... those type of fish tanks are very high maintenance!! But fresh-water tropical fish shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Answer 4

once you have read about setting up the tank and getting water quality correct, they are simple to take care of.
Read books, look on the internet and learn what species of fish get along with others. Try to avoid angel fish and other species which have vertical stripes as they tend to be a bit more aggresive to other species and if you keept things like guppies, they will bully them and bite their tails.
When you first set up the tank, let it all run for at least a week to get the heat up and condition the water. You can then test the water using a cheap kit you can get from most fish places, to test the levels of nitrates etc in it. Once the water is right and you have lots of plants to keep it healthy, go choose your fish.
I have always kept fish, mainly in communal tanks and have 2 tanks on the go now. Who needs the television when they have fish to watch?

Answer 5

I'm with Mr Peel above.
We recently had a tank bought for us by a relative. Having never kept fish of any kind before they advised us to get tropicals - we set up the tank just as Mr Peel suggests, waited a week or so for the water to settle, then went to our local retailer and bought just 4 (four) little tropicals - they are very happy little fish and have even had four babies (which they seemd keen on eating!) so we separated them and they're thriving.
I think they're really easy to keep.

Answer 6

Go to a shop specialising in fish, not a general pet store, tell them what you want to do and they will let you know what you will need to get. Any self respecting specialist fish shop will give you good advice...it is in their interests to do so as they will want you to go back to them in the future.
As well as the items such as heater, pump etc etc one of the most important things that you will need to know is what type of fish is compatible with others. When you have a tank set up ask the shops advice on which fish to go for. Some types of fish will be aggressive towards certain others.
In general, the larger the fish tank, the easier they are to care for. The more volume of water in the tank, the more stable the conditions will be.
For me, the most important piece of advice ever to impart to anyone looking to set up a tank for the first time is....always wear rubber gloves when going in to the tank. I broke the cardinal rule a couple of years ago and cleaned the tank out having just cut myself...picked up a nasty infection and was on antibiotics for five months!!! Wear gloves and all is safe!!!
Best of luck, Robin.

Answer 7

in a way, goldfish can be harder to keep alive, because they poop more than they eat. there are some tropical fish that are easy to keep alive. You will need a heater, and a filter though. Once you get that, you just have to pick out your fish. Here are some good tropical fish: Iridescent sharks(a type of catfish), clown loach, siamese fighting fish(can be agressive if you get a male), dalmation mollies, balloon mollies, and soooo much more. go to a pet store, find some fish you like, and ask the guy or lady if they are agresssive and then get it.

Answer 8

Goldfish do not require a heater like tropical fish as they are cold water fish. There are many dos and don'ts for tropical fish. Tropical fish require an oxygenator (except gouramis and bettas as they are labyrinth fish), you need a keep a check on the nitrate and ammonia levels and keep the water clean.
Bettas are hardy fish. Some pet fish stores keep them in really inhumane conditions and they still survive. I once saw a betta in a bowl which was the size of my palm ! They don't need an oxygenator cos they are labyrinth fish and come to the surface to gulp in oxygen. They are beautiful (esp males). BUT, DO NOT keep 2 bettas together or they will kill each other. You can keep one male to a bowl.

Answer 9

I think that tropical fish are much more easier to care for that goldfish. all our gold fish died cause of the temparature. and stuff. but if your getting a tropical fish make sure to get a tank big enough and a filter and a heater. oh and they like to jump too. You have to keep the tank coverd. i just bought like 4 tropical fishes and on jumped out and died. and the other one jumped out and i saved it just in time

Answer 10

It's easy to care for tropical fish. Just make sure the water is always the right temperature by using a heater. I used to put a piece of black posterboard at the rear of my aquarium. It made a very nice backdrop.