How and from where to buy tropical fish?

A typical answer to this question would be buy tropical fish from a local tropical store. However before you buy your favorite here are some important tips to look for.

1) Before you buy tropical fish have a look at other fish in the tank from which the owner grabs a fish for you. Look for tank cleanliness and already sick fish. It should not happen that you buy a sick fish, which can make other fish in your home aquarium sick as well.

2) When you buy new fish you can keep the new fish in a separate tank before you add them to your original aquarium. If you find any sign of disease or sickness you can treat the new fish then and there only keeping your original tropical fish aquarium safe.

3) If you are buying new fish do not buy more than 2 fish at a time. This is for the safety of the original fish in your home aquarium. Fish need their own environment and overcrowding the fish tank can be harmful to their health.

4) When you buy new fish always inform the shop owner the names of your original fish in your home aquarium. This is necessary because not all fish can stay with each other. There are certain species of fish, which can attack each other by starting a fight in the aquarium. This can be harmful to other fish and the total safety of the aquarium.

Recommended Reading

Tropical Fish Secrets - Sean LeMay in his book Tropical Fish Secrets shows how you can save more than $100 when you buy tropical fish from a pet store.

Tropical Fish Food

What is the best tropical fish food?

There is not a very straightforward answer to this because it highly depends upon the type of tropical fish you own. However here is a short list.

1) Flakes
2) Frozen blood worms
3) Live blood worms
4) Micro Pellets
5) Brine Shrimp

How often should I feed my tropical fish?

Once in a day is Ok for fish. be careful when you fed them though, this is because fish won't finish the entire food and the uneaten food normally settles down at the bottom gravel and gets rotten. This may alter the PH value of your tropical fish water and is harmful for the fish health.

Where can I buy the best quality tropical fish food?

Normally pet stores or even aquarium stores sell good quality tropical fish food in the form of plastic packets or bottles. When you buy tropical fish food makes sure that you mention the names of species you own to the storeowner. They will be more open to suggest the best food for your tropical fish.

I recommend fish food from Amazon.com if you prefer buying online.

Which is the best fish food for a goldfish?

A gold fish will happily eat all types of normal tropical fish food. Again it depends upon which species you own.

Recommended Reading

Tropical Fish Secrets - Sean LeMay in his book Tropical
Fish Secrets shows you how to buy the beat tropical fish food to avoid diseases.

Types Of Tropical Fish When Starting An Aquarium

Owning a tropical fish aquarium is a great hobby. However many people get confused while selecting the tropical fish when starting out.

Here I am going to mention a few names of the tropical fish for starting out. The tropical fish are categorized into two basic categories.


1) Tropical fish that do not lay eggs. (They directly give birth to babies)
2) Tropical fish that lay eggs.

In this article I am going to mention a few names of the tropical fish that DO NOT lay eggs.

a) Mollie

• These are normally black in color


• Extremely impatient and constantly moving around in the aquarium


• Grows till 2inch - 4 inch


• Female grows bigger than male fish
  
  

b) Guppies

• The origin of these fish is Venezuela


• Very colorful and attractive


• Grow till 1unch to 1.5 inch


• Gives birth to 25-40 baby fish at a time


• These fish are highly recommended for starting out an aquarium 


• These fish have teeth in their mouth, so they can eat a variety of food


• These fish eat mosquito eggs and hence are lifesavers for humans
  
  

c) Sword Tail Fish

• These fish have a sword like tail in the end that's why the name


• Only male has a sword like tail


• Gives birth to 25- 40 baby fish at a time


• Female swordfish sometime may eat her own baby that’s why normally she is kept in a separate tank after giving birth to babies.
  
  

d) Patties

• Like guppies these are colorful in color


• Highly recommended when starting out an aquarium


• Small in size as compared to other fish
  
  

In the next article I will write more about the second category (egg laying) of tropical fish types.

Just starting out a new tropical fish aquarium? Here is a great eBook recommendation

Tropical Fish Secrets - Tropical Fish Secrets - Discover How Easy it is to Have a Captivating, Stunning Aquarium Full of Vibrant, Happy Tropical Fish

How much does it cost to set up a tropical fish aquarium?

There is not a definite answer to this because it highly depends on how big or small you want to go for. But here are some approximate costs of the things required to setting up a very simple tropical fish aquarium. Depending upon your local market the costs may vary. All costs are in US Dollars.

• 2.5-gallon tank for - $10


• Water filter - $10


• Water heater - $7 (MINI HEATER Aquarium Heater 7.5W for Tanks up to 5 * Gallons UL B0006JLPFE)


• Water conditioner (for de-chlorination) - $5-$7


• Tropical fish food - Most kind of food bottles will cost between $3 - $5
  
  
  
  

I recommend tropical fish aquarium kits from Amazon.com to save some good money.

The most important part in setting up a tropical fish aquarium is the types of tropical fish you choose to have in the aquarium. it is not enough to just choose the most beautiful and colorful looking tropical fish and just placing them in the tank water.

Not all types of tropical fish will survive and be healthy in the aquarium. Also they vary in using the kind of fish food you give them to eat. Some tropical fish will only live with certain types of fish in a n aquarium tank.

Resources On Setting Up A Tropical Fish tank

Here you will find information on setting up your own beautiful tropical fish aquarium. It is an ebook with all the information in step-by-step manner.
Tropical Fish Secrets


This information is for setting up any type of aquarium big or small. It shows you how to keep your freshwater fish from killing. All the information for growing healthy fish in an aquarium.
New Aquarium Setup


If you are fan of goldfish then this is the right website for you. All the great information from buying to taking care of all sorts of goldfish.
Goldfish Secrets

Learn to set up a beautiful Betta fish tank 
Betta Fish facts

The A to Z information about tropical fish and their care. Also grate amount detailed information about setting up, taking care of freshwater and saltwater tropical fish aquariums.
The Everything Tropical Fish Book


As the name suggests this has a database of more than 1000 species of freshwater tropical fish. Great if you are ready to buy tropical fish for your aquarium.
Encyclopedia Of Exotic Tropical Fishes For Freshwater Aquariums


Is your tropical fish sick with disease. Then this book has a special section devoted to tropical fish diseases. You will also find great information on setting up a healthy aquarium and feeding the fish so that they remain healthy.
Tropical Fishlopaedia: A Complete Guide to Fish Care

Tropical Fish care

If you are trying to take better care of your tropical fish tank then the biggest problems you may face are.

* You don't know about what kind of fish food is best for your fish.
* You don't know how to clean a fish tank and how frequently.
* You don't know what to do when your fish become sick.
* You don't know how to add new fish to your tropical fish aquarium.
* And many more...

You can eliminate all these problems once you know what kind of basic necessary equipment is required to set up a tropical fish tank. Once you understand how and why a certain appliance is required it becomes a very easy task.

So here are a few steps to get started with tropical fish care

1) Aquarium - of course you have this with you. If you are new to owning a tropical fish tank then I recommend you start with a 2.5 gallon capacity tank for your tropical fish. This size of tank is small in size (approx 12inchX6inchX8inch) and is easy to maintain and clean.
2) Water heater - tropical fish like a little warm water and a water heater is must if you want healthy fish in your aquarium. Click here for a good recommendation.
3) Water filter - this is required for keeping the water clean for a healthy environment.
4) Aerator - This is required to blow fresh air into the water because fish require oxygen present in water for breathing
5) Gravel and other decorative material - This greatly add to the beauty of the aquarium.
6) Tropical fish - You can buy these from your local store.
7) Water conditioner - This is a solution required to remove chlorine effect from water otherwise your fish will die.
8) Tropical fish food - This you can buy from local store.

This is what you require to primarily set up a tropical fish tank. Once you set up a tropical tank all you have to do is follow a simple schedule to maintain it.

1) Feed the fish tropical fish very little everyday. If you put too much food the fish won't eat it and the remaining part gets settled down at the bottom of the tank. This settled food gets rotten and water quality becomes poor.

Note - Sean LeMay in his book Tropical Fish Secrets shows you a secret technique to keep the aquarium water crystal clear.

2) Clean the tank once in a week. Never use a soap or detergent to clean the tank from inside. Soap or detergent is dangerous for tropical fish.

3) Keep an eye for any sort of diseases your tropical fish may catch up. If you find any kind of abnormal fish movement remove the fish and keep him in a different tank for a few days under observation.

Recommended Reading

Tropical Fish Secrets - Discover How Easy it is to Have a Captivating, Stunning Aquarium Full of Vibrant, Happy Tropical Fish!