How to Raise Tropical Fish

An aquarium filled with colorful, lively fish brings beauty into a home and can provide hours of entertainment for adults and children alike. If you have started with a few fish, you may want to raise tropical fish in your own aquarium.

Things You'll Need

• Baby fish food
• Breeding net

Instructions

1. Choose what kind of fish you are interested in raising. They should be a breed with which you are already familiar. Beginners should choose hardy fish breeds, such as guppies or goldifish. Those who have experience and can raise tropical fish easily could choose more delicate varieties, such as angelfish.

2. Research spawning styles. Fish reproduce differently, and some give birth to live fry, such as guppies, while others deposit or bury their eggs or even let them hatch in their mouths. If you want to raise fish to reproduce, it is a good idea to do some reading to avoid surprises.

3. Determine the gender of the fish. This is obviously an important step in the breeding process and involves research into particular breeds to determine the distinguishing traits of each gender. Size and color are usually the main factors. In some breeds, the males are bigger and more colorful, and in other breeds, the males are smaller and have a duller shade.

4. Select a breeding tank. You will want to put the male and the female together in the tank and remove them at the first sign of eggs or fry, or the parents will eat the young. Many people choose plastic breeding tanks, while others prefer nets suspended at the top of the tank.

5. Have fish food handy for the young as soon as they appear or hatch. They are usually quite hungry when they are born, and you will want to have worm or shrimp cultures to feed them.

6. Find homes for your fish. Before breeding your tropical fish, you will want to find homes for them. Put out ads in the paper or consult your local pet shop.

7. Know the signs of a healthy fish (bright appearance, fins that "fan" out) and unhealthy fish (dull color, lack of movement and appetites, fins that are crumpled.)

Tips & Warnings

• Try raising tropical fish according to breed. Don't try to deal with more than one breed at a time if you are new at raising tropical fish. Hardier breeds, such as guppies, should be attempted before more delicate breeds such as angelfish.

• Consider breeding fish once you have some experience working with tropical fish.

• Do not try to raise fish in water that is very hard. If you have hard water, you will need to treat it with chemicals.

• Avoid putting the fry in a plastic breeding trap which exposes them to too much light and can reduce valuable circulation. Try a net instead.

Resources

• Aquarticles.com brings together aquarists of the world.
• This Tropical Fish Forum provides a forum for tropical fish fanciers.