Tips on Caring for Tropical Fish for Beginners: Choosing Your Fish

So now that you have your tank set up (if you haven't gotten that far, please read my article on Tips for Starting Your Own Aquarium), and it has cycled through, it is time to start adding some fish.

Before you go shopping, however, make sure that the tank has cycled through the Nitrogen Cycle and that the water is no longer cloudy. This process will take a couple of weeks.

Check out the store

When you shop for fish, it is wise to ask lots of questions at the beginning. Also, be sure to be very observant. Check out the store you are planning to purchase from. Are the tanks clean? Do the fish look healthy and colorful? Are there a lot of dead fish in the tanks? Are the salespeople knowledgeable about tropical fish?

If you feel that the store is in question - move on. There is nothing worse than coming home with a new fish only to have him infect the rest of your tank with a disease. If you feel that the store checks out ok, then by all means start shopping.

Resist the Urge to Buy All the Fish at Once

The other thing you probably shouldn't do is to buy all your fish at once. You might go to another store and find a gorgeous tropical fish that you really want and you've already used up all the room in the aquarium. Try to pace yourself. I always enjoy "going fishing", which is my way of saying "fish shopping" and I can't do it if my aquarium is bursting at the seams. Since you have a new fish tank, you will want to add the fish slowly. Maybe a couple of newbies a week. Don't forget that the water has to age and build up beneficial bacteria, otherwise the ammonia that the fish excrete will build up to dangerous levels.

How Many Tropical Fish Will Fit in My Aquarium?

A good rule of thumb to use when determining how many fish you can have in your aquarium is one fish per gallon. So, if you have a twenty gallon tank, you can have about twenty fish. Keep in mind, though, that that does not mean twenty huge fish. If you are planning to keep fish that will grow large, you should have fewer fish.