Betta Fish

Betta Fish

Betta fish is one of several genera in the Family Osphronemidae. The most famous Betta is the Siamese Fighting fish (Betta splendens). The word Betta comes from a local Siamese name for Siamese Fighting fish, “Ikan Bettah”. The contemporaryThai name for this fish is Pla-kad. Since Bettas – especially the Betta splendens – are so popular among aquarists, we have given these fishes their own section here at AC Tropical fish.

In South East Asia Betta splendens is traditionally kept as a fighting fish. The Bettas kept in Asia as fighting fishes were brown with a tinge of green and their fins were much smaller than the fins that we can see on the aquarium kept Bettas of today. 

If you keep a Betta fish in order to make the fight other Bettas, you will naturally have no incitements to breed fancy Betta fish with long and flowing fins that can easily be injured. Betta fighting is still popular in many parts of Asia and those Bettas can look very different from the forms that we find in aquariums. 

Male Betta splendens are highly territorial, and when put together in the same container they will fight until one of them dies. In the wild, a weaker male can always choose to leave the territory before he becomes deadly injured, but this is naturally impossible in a small fish bowl or aquarium.

Siamese Fighting fish is not the only Betta fish that is well liked by aquarists. The Betta genus contains more than 50 described species. Most of them can be kept in aquariums but it is only a few species that are commonly kept by other aquarists than the true Betta enthusiasts. One of the most frequently kept Betta species aside from the Siamese Fighting fish is Betta imbellis – the Peaceful Betta. 

The Peaceful Betta is native to Malaysia and can reach a maximum size of 8 centimeters (3 inches). As the name suggests, it is a docile fish compared to the Siamese Fighting fish and the Peaceful Betta can do well in a community aquarium with other tranquil and non-aggressive species. The ideal water temperature is between 24-28º C (75-82° F) and the pH should be kept in the 5.5-7.0 range. Wild Betta imbellis inhabit densely grown waters and you should therefore provide yourBetta imbellis with plenty of hiding places by decorating the aquarium with lots of plants. A Betta imbellis without any hiding places will become extremely stressed.

The Betta fish species were quite unknown among European and American scientists and fish enthusiasts until the early 19th century. The King of Siam at that time was allegedly a huge Betta fan and he loved to attend Betta fights. A doctor named Theodor Cantor was given a Siamese fighting fish, supposedly directly from the King of Siam, when the doctor was working in Siam. He became fascinated by the Betta fishes and studied their behavior for 10 years before he published an article about them. He called his fish Macropodus Pugnax. 

A few years after the turn of the century, another doctor developed a similar fascination for these interesting fishes. His name was Dr. Tate Regan and he changed the name Macropodus Pugnax to Betta Splendens.

Guppy Fish

Poecilia Libestes Reticulata, a fish commonly known as the Guppy, is a very popular aquarium fish. It is particularly suitable for novice aquarists since it is easy to keep and non-aggressive. The Guppy belongs to the Livebearer group and will give birth to free swimming fry instead of laying eggs. 

The Guppy originates from fresh and brackish waters in South and Central America, but can today been found wild in other places of the world as well, including Florida in the U.S. The Guppy has been deliberately set free in several Asian waters in an attempt to combat malaria by decreasing the number of mosquitoes. 

You can choose between numerous Guppy fish variations, differencing in the shape of the body as well as the colour of the fish. The most common colours are red, green and blue. 

Guppy variations include Veiltail guppy, Lacetail guppy, Lyretail guppy, Flagtail guppy, Bottom and Double swordtail guppy, Long fin guppy, Fantail guppy, Red tail guppy, Triangle tail guppy, Rounded guppy, Fancy guppy, Tuxedo guppy, Glass guppy, Grass guppy, Mosaic guppy, King Cobra guppy, Snakeskin guppy and Peacock guppy. 

Guppies are often kept in community aquariums since they are so peaceful. They do however prefer to be kept in species aquariums, since other fish occasionally assault them by nipping their long fins. When several Guppies are kept together they will form a beautiful school. 

A Guppy fish can be kept in a 2 gallon aquarium, but the Guppy should ideally not be kept alone and larger aquarium that can house several Guppies is preferred. You will also need basic equipments: a heater and a thermometer to keep the water temperature stable, a filter to ensure good water quality, a fish net to use when you need to move your Guppy, an algae scrubber to keep the aquarium clean, and an air stone or similar to keep the water high in oxygen. Decorate the aquarium with plants, since the Guppy fish will feel better and experience less stress when provided with hiding places. 

You can also use rocks, branches and similar to decorate the aquarium. The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with gravel. You can buy a dechlorinating chemical from your fish store to remove harmful chlorine from the tap water. Your Guppies will do best if you keep the water temperature between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the aquarium, and the pH between 6.8 and 7.6. 

Guppies should be fed once or twice a day. It is very important not to over-feed your Guppy. All food should be consumed after just a few minutes. If not, you are feeding your Guppy to much food in one serving. You can buy flake food specially made for tropical fish, such as the Guppy in your fish store. A flake food diet is a good base for the Guppy, but should ideally be supplemented with live food. Your Guppy will survive on flake food alone, but the live food makes the Guppy more well-nourished and healthier. Live or frozen Brine Shrimp is a popular Guppy fish food since Brine Shrimp is very easy to produce at home. Bloodworms, Micro Worms, Fruit Flies, Mosquito larvae, Daphnia and chopped up Earthworms are other examples of suitable food for your Guppy.

Guppies are easy to breed in aquariums and they will often spawn without any extra encouragement from their keeper. If you want to ensure a higher survival rate for the offspring, it is recommended that you place the expecting female Guppy in her own aquarium and let her give birth there. The mother Guppy should then returned back to her normal aquarium. 

A lot of Guppy breeders choose to include a so called breeder net in the small aquarium. The breeder net divides the aquarium into two separate areas, and only the fry are small enough to swim through the net. As soon as the fry are born, they will therefore be able to escape from their mother. When you set up the fry aquarium, a 5 gallon tank will be large enough. The water quality in the fry aquarium must of course be kept in supreme condition. It must be kept clean and look clear, and water changes must be performed at least 3 times a week.

If you feed your fry live food you will probably have to change the water even more often. When mother has given birth, you can feed the fry Micro Worms, Infusoria, newly hatched Brine Shrimp, crushed tropical fish flakes or Liquid fry food. Guppy fry need to be fed more often then adult Guppy fish and four or five feedings a day is recommended. Wait until the fry are at least one inch long before you move them and let them and let them live with adult fish. 

Tetras

All the Tetras belong to the familyCharacidae in the order Characiformes and are small freshwater fishes. Many tropical Tetra fish species are popular among aquarists, especially the species that are brightly colored and easy to care for in captivity.

The most famous of the Tetra species is of course the immensely popular Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi). This fish is found in both blackwater and clearwater streams in Brazil, Colombia and Peru. It is a peaceful fish that is commonly kept in community aquariums. It is not hard to care for and is suitable for novice aquarists. The Neon tetra grows no larger than 5 centimeters (2 inches). You should always keep at least 10 Neon tetra fishes together, since this is a schooling species that will feel very stressed if kept alone. Your Neon tetra will appreciate a well planted aquarium, but leave a space open for swimming. Floating plants that will dim the light a bit is recommended. 

A dark substrate will also help creating a less bright environment in the aquarium since it will not reflect the light. The colors of the Neon tetra will also look more vibrant against a dark substrate. Keep the water temperature between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius. The Neon tetra can live in acidic water as well as in a slightly alkaline environment, so anything from pH 5.5 to pH 7.5 will be okay. Getting a Neon tetra to eat in captivity is definitely not hard and you should strive to avoid over feeding. Choose a high-quality flake food.

An example of a less well-known tropical Tetra fish species is the Congo tetra, Micralestes interruptus. This Tetra is not as sturdy as the Neon tetra and frequent water changes are very important since this species is sensitive to poor water conditions. The aquarium where you house your Congo tetra must also be equipped with sufficient circulation. The Congo tetra is peaceful but can be a little skittish and nervous. You can make your Congo tetra less shy and decrease the stress by decorating the aquarium in a way that creates plenty of hiding spots. 

The Congo tetra should be kept with at least five other Congo tetras, preferably even more. Aggressive and bullying fish can make the Congo tetra very stressed. The Congo tetra will stay stronger in slightly acidic water, but can tolerate anything from pH 6 to pH 7.5. Wild Congo tetra is found in the warm waters of the Zaire river basin on the African continent, and your Congo tetra will therefore appreciate a water temperature in the 23-26° C (73º -79º F) range. Soft water is best, but a healthy Congo tetra will usually adapt to harder conditions as well.

A third example of an interesting tropical Tetra fish species is the Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques). This fish has a very beautiful red coloration and is therefore also known as Blood characin, Jewel tetra, Red serpa and an abundance of other names that all alludes to the decorative red color. 

The red shades vary from reddish brown to a vivid bright red. The main body is red, and so is the all the fins except for the dorsal fin which is black with a white fringe. Behind the gill cover, the body is decorated with a dark marking that is shaped like a comma. 

Cichlids




Cichlids are fish species belonging to the Family Cichlidae. Some of the most well known cichlid species are Angelfish, Oscar, Jack Dempsey and Discus. You will find more detailed articles about these species and about a wide range of other cichlid species as well, if you scroll down this page. 
The Family Cichlidae is an extremely diverse family and cichlids inhabit a multitude of different environments. The different cichlid species have developed in order to fit their own specific niches and different cichlid species can therefore vary significantly when it comes to size, temperament, feeding habits, preferred water quality, etcetera. Cichlids live in fresh and brackish waters and can be found in Asia, Africa and south of 30 degrees N in America.

Aquarists usually divide the cichlid species into three main groups: African cichlids, Central and North American cichlids, and South American cichlids. In Africa, the Great Rift Valley region is home to a wide variety of different cichlids that have been extremely popular among aquarists since the 1960s and a lot of the species are endemic to the lake where they live. African cichlids are accordingly divided into four subcategories depending on which lake they live in; Lake Malawi cichlids, Lake Tanganyika cichlids, Lake Victoria cichlids, and Other African cichlids. Dwarf cichlids are sometime counted as a special group even though they technically belong to one of the African or American cichlid groups. Today, there are more than 2000 described cichlid species and this number will most likely increase significantly in the future. Cichlids inhabit waters that have not been thoroughly researched by scientists. Some cichlid species might unfortunately become extinct before we have a chance to find them. The introduction of new food fish in African lakes has for instance severely disturbed delicate ecosystems.

As mentioned earlier, cichlids have adapted to a life in a wide range of different habitats and their degree of specialisation can be astonishing. This also means that some cichlid species will be more difficult to keep in aquariums than other. The mere sizes of some cichlids make them unpractical or impossible to keep for most aquarists. The largest known cichlid species can reach a size of 50-100 centimetres. An example of such a large cichlid is the Boulengerochromis microlepis. This can be compared to the smallest cichlids - the dwarf cichlids in the Apistrogramma group – that never grows larger than 3 centimetres. Dwarf cichlids are popular among aquarists since they do not require very large aquariums, but dwarf cichlids are more sensitive than their larger counterparts and crowding a small aquarium with dwarf cichlids simply because the “fit in the box” is therefore not a good idea. These small cichlids can actually benefit from a larger aquarium, since it is easier for the aquarist to keep up the water quality in a big aquarium with plenty of water.

Even though the different cichlid species can look and act very differently, they all share some common anatomic characteristics. All other known fish species have small intestines that leave the stomach from the right side, but with the cichlid species the small intestine leaves the body at the left side. The cichlids are also equipped with no more than one nostril. This is a characteristic that they share with the Damselfishes. Another interesting fact is that cichlids have teeth in both the upper and the lower jaw – and in the throat!