Usually when people see or think about an aquarium, their only thought is on the fish in the tank.  A glass tank filled with water, fish, and maybe a plant or two.  However, there is quite a bit more to it than that.

The most successful people with their tanks consider the whole ecosystem of a freshwater aquarium.  They understand that the aquarium is not just water, fish, and plants but rather all of the contents are one single living system.

Approaching the set up and maintenance of a freshwater aquarium in this way makes you to treat each component like a part of the whole picture.  When it is time to add some fish, stop and think about how that may affect the other fish, the plants, and the water quality.  Everything that gets added or taken out of an established aquarium can have a compound effect that bears consideration.

A healthy aquatic ecosystem will strike the right balance of fish and plants.  It will be receiving the proper amount of light.  The filter will be keeping dirt in check and the all important nitrogen cycle will be operating smoothly.

The nitrogen cycle is a sometimes overlooked but crucial aspect of any healthy aquarium.  The key to the cycle is the beneficial bacteria that live in the filter as well as in the gravel on the bottom of the tank.   These bacteria “eat” the fish waste and leftover food converting harmful ammonia and nitrites into harmless nitrate that feeds the plants.  The plants use the nitrate and with proper lighting, photosynthesize thus releasing oxygen into the water.  The fish use the oxygen to breathe and they in turn release carbon dioxide that the plants use in photosynthesis and the cycle continues.

Knowing about this cycle and the importance of keeping it in balance can then help you decide what to add to the tank.  It should be obvious that it would be potentially very bad to add too many fish at one time, it would create too much waste, the bacteria couldn’t handle all of it and the ammonia levels in the water could shoot up.   A sudden spike in ammonia levels could kill both the new and the old fish so it is very important to do things slowly when it comes to adding more fish to the tank.

Every inhabitant in the tank uses one substance to create another that is in turn used by something else and so on through the cycle.  So with a healthy aquarium ecosystem, all living things are in balance, the water chemistry is optimal, and the whole aquarium benefits.

The plants that you  place in the fish tank should be similiar  to the fish’s original habitat. This is true even though your individual probably has never “seen” or experienced his native habitat first hand.

Typically , five types of plants can be  planted   in your fresh water aquarium.

The first type of plant is grown by bulbs. These for the most part produce rather large plants, most of which are far too large to use in a normal sized fresh water aquarium. These plants, such as the water lily and the aponogeton,  do much better in a koi pond or outdoor setting. 

Considering the fish that you have picked for the fresh water aquiarium , you may want to include plants that float. Floating plants make a great place for the young fry who need to shield themselves for protective purposes in a fresh water aquarium. Some examples of floating plants are Fairy Moss an driccia.

You may also want to  the group  of live plants called Rhizomes. This plant has a thick, horizontal stem with leaves sprouting on the top. The roots to this plant are located on the bottom . The rhizome is used as a “runner” over the surface of the substrate. As it spreads, it grows new sections of leaf and root.

The anubias and African Fern are two variations of rhizomes. These are pretty easy to setup.  You merely tie these to the driftwood you  have already in the tank. 

You’ve probably seen the type of plant that looks like a crown with roots growing beneath it and leaves growing above. This is called a rosette. They cover the water by sending out runners and growing new plants as they go. Many times these plants, which include the Amazon Sword and the Sagittaria, tend to also produce lovely flowers. 

A stem is the plant you find in aquariums with leaves growing from the nodes of a single stem (forget where the name comes from now?). The end of the plant is firmly rooted in the substrate. The leaves come in several varieties, including single, paired or even multiple.

One of the most common of aquatic plants is the Java Moss. Also called the java fern, this particular species is a great starter plant. It’s a hearty plant that can thrive in a range of different types of water and pH levels.

Another plant that’s perfect for your first aquarium is the water wisteria. Like the Java Fern, this plant grows quickly. It’ll also help to keep the algae content in the tank low.  But be careful. It has the ability to use many of the same nutrients from the water.

You’ll want to check out another hearty plant, the anubias nana. This remarkable plant has the uncanny ability to thrive in just about any condition you place it in. It’s a very pretty plant, too. It flowers underwater. And any of your fish that are herbivore won’t eat it. For the anubia nana to truly do well, though, you’ll want to attach this plant to a tree root or a stone.

The grass-like lillaeopsis is another good choice for your tank, especially if your tank is near sunlight.

If you’re truly ambitious at trying your hand at plants, consider purchasing the cryptocoryne beckettii. This is an amphibious plant – meaning it grows both underwater and on land. It does remarkably well underwater and it has the added advantage of being available in a variety of gorgeous colors.

Then there’s the Amazon sword – technical name is the echinodorus bleheri, if you’re interested. This is, without a doubt, the most popular of all aquarium plants of all time. It’s an easy plant to care for, even if you’re only beginning your journey in aquarium keeping. It grows fast. And it’s great because it helps to control the algae content of your tank as well.

Live fresh water plants can add another, more enjoyable dimension to your fresh water aquarium. They may require a little more care but the rewards are definitely worth it. You can start out slowly. And as you gain experience, you can expand the types of plants you use. Not only will you enjoy the experience, you’ll be making sure your fish feel right at home!

Keeping cichlid fish in your aquarium could be pleasurable because they’re exotic, colorful and lively in their environments. However many novice aquarists are having a tough time learning the best way to keep these fish like the African cichlids and the American cichlids because these fish species come from an extremely diverse family and cichlid tropical fish inhabit a multitude of different environments. The completely different cichlid species have developed so as to fit their very own particular niches and totally different cichlid species can therefore differ significantly when it comes to size, temperament, feeding habits, and preferred water quality. They are also recognized for being simple to breed.

If you’re caring for these distinctive tropical fish in your aquarium, probably the most essential issues to remember is that African cichlids and American cichlids should not be kept in the same aquarium. So many fish owners and even pet shops make this error, and if this happened, the poor fish are barely surviving. They’ve completely different water requirements that is why they can’t be blended together.

Another frequent mistake that even seasoned aquarist makes is that they do not make regular water changes in their aquariums. It doesn’t matter what species of tropical fish that you keep, regular water changes are actually the life-blood of all aquarium fish.

When caring for cichlid fish, another thing to consider is the dimensions of your aquarium. Depending on the species, some cichlid tropical fish develop to about 8-9 inches that’s why you have to foresee their aquarium environment after they become full adults and reach their normal length. Additionally, do some thorough analysis concerning the cichlid fish you own or are about to purchase because different varieties of cichlids require totally different ph levels, feeding and breeding techniques, and different environments.

Keeping cichlid tropical fish might be extremely rewarding, particularly because caring for them is a continuous learning process for the owners.

Cichlids are said to be the most attention-grabbing tropical fish that one may put of their aquariums-with the cichlid’s vivid colors and extremely unique look, these tropical fish are sure to make your aquarium come alive.

This household of tropical fish is unique to its diversity, for size, shape, swimming levels and even behavior. The body shapes of cichlids vary from the disc-like Discus, to the lengthy and pointy Checkerboard. These tropical fish may be very colorful, although many fish in this family get very massive-some species even up to three feet long.

Probably the most irritating issues about cichlid fish – though you may get them to breed without hassle is that they can be very, very territorial when spawning. Regardless of this, cichlids are highly sociable fish and they’re believed to be intelligent and this is what makes them rewarding to interact with.

There are quite a few varieties of cichlid tropical fish. There are the Blue Texas cichlids, which are a good species to start out as they are adaptable, the Convicts which develop to as much as just four to five inches long and are very easy to breed, the Red Devils which are highly attractive for his or her good colors, the African cichlids which have beautiful patterns and colors, the aggressive Jaguars which are the most exotic and the Slender Cichlids which are non-aggressive and finest stored in pairs.

If you wish to care for cichlid tropical fish in your aquarium, it’s essential to have a lot of space as a result of as mentioned, they can develop huge and mainly as a result of they’re community fish. You need to additionally be taught about the form of cichlids you might be about to look after as a result of some species come from environments with uncommon water chemistry and will find it exhausting to survive in a neutral aquarium.

In conclusion, cichlid tropical fish are one of the most stunning fish that can grace your home aquarium, and because they’re active and show interest to their environment, they’re positive to charm you with plenty to watch.

The Discus fish is a large cichlid from the Amazon River, its tributaries and flood plains, in South America. Discus and the many varieties were first described in 1840 by Dr. Heckel as Symphysodon discus, this name is used now for the Heckel discus variety. The three original color varieties were green, brown and blue, but now a much wider choice are available.

The discus is a social fish and forms large groups in their native waters, and has ahighly advanced social behaviour; they are one of the few real schooling cichlids. Be sure when setting out to care for discus; always buy a number  of them. They need the social interaction to grow their character to its best potential.

Right now , it is hard to find the original color variants in pet shops, only the Heckel is sometimes imported. Most of the discus fish you see today are captive bred color varieties. Some of the discus have lost their stripes and thereby their natural ability to communicate in the school. One of the advantages of the captive bred discus is that they are now much easier to maintain than the imported ones.

It is getting increasingly simpler to keep Discus Aquarium Fish with the new technology improving water quality and Discus Fish health, which may explain the increase in demand. The number of new dealers and breeders is growing quickly and even small aquatic shops are stocking a range of Discus. They are beautiful, but still remain a challenge to keep and breed, with the breeding being very rewarding and will even cover costs for the hobby. Most people that keep Discus will sooner or later want to breed them as it is a great experience, though breeding Discus Fish can be challenging

Discus Fish are very shy fish and tend to hide when they are not confident so keep the tank away from loud and busy areas mostly near doorways and passages . The only other component to take note of is the height of the tank, as high as possible as Discus are distracted by movement above and this may cause them undue anxiety .

Discus should be given a varied , vitamin and protein rich diet, therefore it is important to use a number of different types of food: Fish flakes provide a complete diet, though Discus prefer to eat lower in the water, even at the bottom, so soak and squeeze out the flakes before introducing to the tank. Frozen brine shrimp, defrosted and rinsed, makean ideal supplement and the carotene helps enhance colors. Frozen irradiated bloodworms are a good daily addition, although the flakes contain them already. Do not over feed, Discus fish are grazers, and will eat a little at a time , so allow them time.

Although not easy to keep, these beautiful fish are a very rewarding hobby, if you have the patience and time for them: The exquisite colors are a wonderful addition to any tank or aquarium.