Freshwater - Fish
You can buy fish at the specialty store. These stores can give you excellent advice on which fish can be put in the same aquarium together.
You cannot just put any fish together in an aquarium at random. Some fish are too large, or will eat the plants, whereas others can turn from cute little fish to gluttonous raiders. You should also be sure to get good advice on the right number of each type fish for your aquarium. Some fish live as couples in nature, whereas others live in schools. When choosing species of fish, do not only consider what you think is beautiful, but be sure to pay particular attention to the needs and wishes of the fish - choose the healthy option! Fish must be able to swim around, remain alert, and be at their optimum colouration. If you see dead fish in the store aquarium, it would be better not to choose any fish from this tank. The aquarium must get the chance to develop a biological balance. This is why it is best not to place too many fish in the aquarium for the first 14 days, nor to give them too much food. Gradually increase the quantity of food. Check the water quality every day, and add several useful fish first, such as bottom dwellers and algae eaters.
Recommended combinations of fish
In a community aquarium, it is best to keep fish that have more or less the same requirements in terms of water values and temperature. Match your choice of fish to top, middle and bottom dwellers. This will create a beautifully filled aquarium, without you having to worry about the fish getting in one another’s way. In choosing the quantity of fish, use the following rule of thumb: 1 cm of adult fish for each liter of water.
Releasing fish into the aquarium
Adding fish to your aquarium requires a great deal of care! Let the bag you bought the fish in float on top of the aquarium for about 20 minutes. This will allow the temperture of the water in the bag to adapt to the temperature of the water in the aquarium. To prevent differences in the composition of the water, take a cup of water from the bag and pour it down the drain. Next, replenish this same amount in the bag with water from the aquarium. Repeat this 4 or 5 times, waiting 5 minutes between each exchange. Now carefully allow the fish to slowly slide out of the bag into the aquarium. Always check to make sure all of the fish are out of the bag. With a bit of luck, the fish will feel good right away, and the fun can start! For the first 2 to 3 days, do not give the fish too much food. There are not enough bacteria present yet to break down the nitrite in the water which can result in a toxic concentration in the water. It is advisable to add HS aqua Procell or HS aqua Gold Protect to the water again to provide extra protection for fishes’ slime layer.