How to Choose Aquarium Fish

A carefully decorated aquarium with an interesting variety of fish brightens the atmosphere in any home or apartment. Choose the appropriate fish for the aquarium, keeping in mind the basic rules and working with a reputable aquarium dealer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Know how many fish can healthily live in your aquarium. Squeezing too many fish into a smaller aquarium causes deadly toxins to build up in the water.

2. Note the adult size of the fish you consider buying. Most fish in pet stores or aquarium shops are juveniles. Fish may change, sometimes doubling or tripling in size.

3. Ask the clerk at the store if the fish you want to buy are compatible. Remember that territorial fish species may attack and kill other fish in the tank. Certain types of fish form schools in nature, so buy enough fish that they can form a school in your aquarium.

4. Choose your fish based on your level of experience. Beginning aquarium enthusiasts should stick to fish that are easy to manage. Wait to start obtaining fish that require specialized care such as live food or a marine environment.

5. Purchase fish that require the same pH level. Most freshwater fish generally prefer a pH of 7 while marine and brackish species require different water conditions.

6. Determine whether the fish are bottom, mid- or top-dwellers. A mix of fish who prefer different water levels creates an attractive and balanced aquarium.

Tips & Warnings

• You can choose to keep an aquarium with just one species of fish. For example, cichlids do well in a tank without other types of fish.
• Buy from a reputable store. Shop at a store that specializes in aquarium fish if you can. The employees are more likely to have specialized knowledge about different fish and aquarium setups.
• Don't buy from stores that carry fish with folded or bent fins and sores or irregularities on their scales. Healthy fish should keep their position in the water while swimming and feed readily.
• Don't buy from a store if you see dead fish in one of its tanks.