How to Set Up an Ideal Fish Community

The ideal aquarium fish community is composed of different varieties of fish that thrive in the same water chemistry, quality and temperature. Compatibility, therefore, is paramount in sustaining a healthy and stress-free aquarium. Here are the basic considerations in setting up and maintaining an ideal fish community.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Aquarium
• Fish

1. 
    
   Buy the largest tank you can afford.

   Buy the biggest aquarium you can afford. With large tanks, you can arrange versatile landscapes with adequate space for a good number of fish. It also allows you to manage a growing community more easily.

2. Research the various species you want to keep. You want your fishes to belong to the same type of environment in terms of water quality and temperature. You also want them to have similar feeding habits, behavioral tendencies and landscaping preferences. The more similar their requirements, the easier to keep them all happy and healthy.

3. Plan your community. You can choose to bring together a harmonious combination of peaceful fishes that include surface-feeding labyrinth fish, middle-feeding schooling fish, and bottom-feeding substrate sifters. With the presence of both diurnal and nocturnal species, you will have the pleasure of watching fish activity even under a nightlight.

4. Set up the tank with your community plan in mind. Cycle the tank for about a week or so before introducing your chosen fishes.

5. Purchase a few fish at a time. Build your community gradually so that the resident fishes can acclimatize to their environment before new tankmates disrupt their harmony. Give the fish time to settle down by keeping disturbances to a minimum.

6. Be attentive to the nuances of the community. When particular fishes display aggressive behavior, remove them immediately. Isolate those that show signs of sickness before they contaminate the others.

7. Always maintain the best water conditions, feed regularly and clean the tank as necessary. Remember that the community can only thrive in the best environment that you can provide.

Tips & Warnings

• A large tank will give you more options in terms of the types of fish you can keep. For example, schooling fish need open space, territorial ones need landmarks like rocks and driftwood, and nocturnals need dark, cave-like places to protect them from daylight. With a large tank, it would be possible to provide for all these needs.
• Avoid mixing fishes that have opposite temperaments. Aggressive and hyperactive types will harass the slow and nonchalant varieties, and even beat them to the feeding zone.
• Always take into consideration the feeding preferences of all the members of the community. A thriving community means the whole population is able to eat well.
• Compatibility should also be considered in terms of fish size. Mixing large fishes with small ones can be risky, even if the large ones are not carnivorous.
• Some fishes grow faster than others, and if they are also territorial, they would not be good for a community aquarium because they will dominate the tank and cause an imbalance in the habitat.

Resources

• LiveAquaria.com Freshwater Compatibility Chart
• AquariumPros.com: A Guide to Fish Compatibility
• RightPet.com: Fish

[gpcs]

on 1/5/2008 A good rule of thumb: if Fish A can fit Fish B into its mouth - it's not a good idea to house them together!
LOL-
-George