2024 - January - 15

From the Desk of the Tropical Fish Aquarist

Welcome to the first issue of the Tropical Fish Aquarist Newsletter

Hello, My name is Steve Pond.  I have been keeping fish my entire life, well actually since I was 10 years old when my mother purchased a 15 gallon stainless steel framed, slate bottomed aquarium that used caulking to hold all the pieces together.

I doubt many of you have eer seen a tank like that, they didn't last all that long and often leaked as the caulk dried out.  That was back in the 60's when keeping tropical fish alive was much more difficult. I am now 72 years old and have kept freshwater tropical ornamental fish for the last 62 years.

I am now retired, but am proud to say my love of freshwater tropical fish has kept me alive and young for all that time.  I was even lucky enugh to spend my working life devoted to imporving the methods of keeping fish for my entire career.  I will get into that in future issues when the past is useful for understanding the present.

For now, I want to define what I foresee this newsletter to be covering and to whom it is dedicated.  I maintain and control the website tropicalfishaquarist.com.  This website has been up and available as an information service to the internet community since the internet was made available to the public.  My first website was uploaded to the internet in 1996 and has gone through quite a few changes, hosts, renovations, site platforms, malicious attacks and replacement in the 30 or so years it has existed.

It was designed, and still is maintained, to help novice aquarists be successful with their new freshwater tropical fish tanks and help keep the fish they want to keep in them healthy and happy.  I have always been interested in keeping fish in the best possible conditions possible and believe strongly that anyone can keep fish happy and healthy with just a bit of care and the proper information.

A tropical fish tank is nothing like the environment that we live in.  As long as people undestand that, and are wiling to accept that they are 100% responsible for the habitat thier fish are given to live in, there is a great chance that their fish will thrive and live long and healthy lives with relatively little effort.

I continue to keep fish to this day, and I still love watchiing their activities as they live their lives in one of my tanks.  There were times where I had more than ten tanks in my appartment, including a reef tank or two, so I do know what I am doing with the practical tasks when keeping fish.  I am also a lazy aqarist, and try to distrub my fish habitats as minimally as posssible, so my perosnal methods are as efficient and simple as possible.

I admit I still have equipment that would be viewed as antique in this throw-away society.  I don't bother much in staying current with the newest trends.  I helped tame the wild west of aquarium keeping in the 1980's with the introduction of the AquaClear power filter and the various fitration improvements that were spawned from the technology that created them.  To be honest, the aquarium industry has matured quite a bit over the past few years.  I haven't seen many radical changes since the early 2000's that were aquarium driven.  Actually the most radical change that has happened was the introduction of the targeted aquarium LED lighting and fixtures as the incandescent bulb was eliminated from common use. 

The techniques and the equipment has stayed relatively unchanged, so I don't plan on getting on a soapbox for any new equipment other than maybe getting into aquaponics techniques for home aquarists over the coming issues.

Sit back, read or listen to this newsletter.  Please feel free to send me your comments, requests and questions to:

 tropicalfishaquarist@gmail.com

Best Regards,

Steve Pond

Preparing for a New Aquarium - Part 1

When installing an aquarium, it should always be a carefully planned action.  Simply installing an aquarium just anywhere can set you up for months of problems.  You want to satisfy a number of factors before you actually pull the trigger and locate the aquarium in your home. 

In this series of articles, the various factors that control the success of your new aquarium.  We will be looking at the following, one article at a time:

The physical requirements of the location

The requirements of the support

The preliminary lighting requirements

The preliminary heating requirements

The preliminary maintenance requirements

The social requirements of the fish

And that is just to get the tank located, installed and running without the fish being added.  It looks like a lot, and it is, but once you know it, you will see how most of it is common sense, although that seems at a premium in these modern days.

If you can't wait for the completion of this series, I suggest considering taking a look at my video course: 

New Aquarium Set-up for the Novice Aquarist    

I have a number of courses available from my MobileFirst-Personal websites Academy module.  Over time the information will be delivered here in the newsletter, but, if you are visual in your learning methodology, this might be the most complete and useful course for novice aquarists available.  If you have the patience and are willing to wait for it, simply subscribe to the newsletter and it will all be covered in time. 

Freshwater Tropical Fish of the Week

Cyphotilapia frontosa - Humphead cichlid, Frontosa

Cyphotilapia frontosa, also known as the Humphead cichlid or Frontosa, is a species of cichlid fish that is native to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. 

Physical appearance: Cyphotilapia frontosa is a large and distinctive fish that is characterized by its hump-like head and vibrant coloration, which can range from blue to black. Males are typically larger and more brightly colored than females.

Size: Cyphotilapia frontosa can grow to a maximum length of around 40 cm (16 inches) in an aquarium setting.

Habitat: Cyphotilapia frontosa is native to the rocky habitats of Lake Tanganyika, where it feeds on a variety of small invertebrates and algae.

Behavior: Cyphotilapia frontosa is a peaceful and social species that is best kept in a community aquarium with other similarly-sized cichlids or other peaceful fish species. However, it can become aggressive towards other fish if it feels threatened, so it is important to provide plenty of hiding places and adequate space.

Diet: Cyphotilapia frontosa is an omnivore that will feed on a variety of foods, including high-quality dry pellets, frozen or live foods, and algae. It is important to provide a varied diet to ensure good health and vibrant coloration.

Water requirements: Cyphotilapia frontosa is a tropical species that requires a temperature range of 22-26°C (72-79°F) and a pH of 7.5-9.0. It is also important to maintain good water quality by performing regular water changes and monitoring levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

Compatibility: Cyphotilapia frontosa is a peaceful and social species that is best kept with other similarly-sized cichlids or other peaceful fish species. However, it can become aggressive towards other fish if it feels threatened, so it is important to provide plenty of hiding places and adequate space.

Lifespan: Cyphotilapia frontosa has a lifespan of around 15-20 years in an aquarium setting if properly cared for.

Reproduction: Cyphotilapia frontosa is a maternal mouthbrooder that is relatively easy to breed in an aquarium setting. The female will lay her eggs on a flat surface, and the male will fertilize them. The female will then pick up the eggs and incubate them in her mouth until they hatch. After the fry are born, they can be fed a diet of small live foods such as newly-hatched brine shrimp.

The Community

Beginner's Guide to

Harmonious Tropical Fish Communities

I started my first fish tank in the 60's, a time when the selection of fish was nowhere close to what is offered in live fish stores these days.  The standard type of aquarium used the fish that were available at the time, mainly livebearers that seemed to live together reasonably well. Mine included guppies, a swordtail trio and a few platies.  

You are in a much better position to select a much wider variety of compatible fish that will live together well and be able to withstand the problems all new aquarium systems undergo for the first couple of months or so. 

Livebearers, like the ones I had as my very first tank, are not the very best species to select, in many cases, but they are quite possible if that is where you want to go. I was lucky, and with no outside help, was still very successful and became enchanted with the underwater world ever since.  A livebearer tank like this is very informative for young children interested in the way life proceeds. They are extremely easy to breed and give birth to live fry.  That is not the normal way of fish, who much more commonly lay eggs, but it is a true learning experience for all.

If keeping fish is not primarily teaching life lessons, there is a wide array of other fish that can be considered.  As a new aquarist, one of the most exciting yet daunting tasks is selecting the right mix of fish to populate your vibrant underwater habitat. The key is striking a balance between compatible species that can thrive together in a cohesive community. While the options may seem endless, there are several go-to tropical fish communities that are perfectly suited for the novice enthusiast.

A perennial favorite for beginning aquarists is the peaceful community tank. There are so many possibilities in this single type that it has been given this column as a regular feature.  Too many new aquarists make a mistake with the right selection that it is best to expand on these habitat concepts to help understand what the true factors may be in selection.

This classic setup often features a harmonious blend of schooling fish, such as neon tetras, cardinal tetras, or some trios of guppies. These vibrant, active swimmers will dance gracefully through the water, captivating you with their iridescent colors and natural behaviors.  However, one of the most important things you can do right from the start is find a reliable live fish store with experienced experts to help provide advice in your initial fish purchases. While these bright fish are often the main components of community tanks, they are rarely strong enough to survive the rigors of the first couple of months after the tank is established. 

I recommend much hardier fish, such as black skirt tetras, and zebra danios, I have often found that neon and cardinal tetras are not strong enough in the beginning and should only be added after the biological filter is firmly established.  The advice of seasoned aquarists is invaluable in determining the type of fish you want to keep and the ones that are able to handle the local area water conditions.  The initial success is matching the requirements of the fish, their general personality and the ability to weather the initial changes in water chemistry over the first couple of months.

While we will go into this phenomenon in future columns - under the regular equipment or filtration columns, it is important to remember that the water matures in a new aquarium and changes radically in the first month.  The fish you select to ride this process must be quite hardy as they are dealing with problem that many fish cannot tolerate.

You are certainly not saddled with just a couple of species, especially since the aquarium industry has matured and rapid transportation of live fish by airplane from their native habitats has increased the chances of survival well over what it was in my beginning days.  The variety of species that can be delivered to your local live fish store has increased radically, today we all have so much more choice in species that it takes more and more expertise to understand what fish can be compatible, that or long experience with keeping and mixing fish.

Not all is lost, however.  Another rewarding option is to establish a passive, but vibrant community centered around the iconic betta fish - Betta splendens. Often referred to as "Siamese fighting fish," these gorgeous specimens come in a dazzling array of hues and fin types. While male bettas are famously territorial and should never be housed together, they can make peaceful tankmates with compatible community fish. Consider pairing your betta with schooling species like rasboras or danios, as well as tranquil bottom-feeders like Corydoras catfish. Just be sure to provide ample hiding places and a densely planted aquascape to allow your betta to claim its own space.

Many people will tell you that you require some bottom fish right from the start.  Rounding out the community, you might add a few peaceful bottom-dwellers like Corydoras catfish or Otocinclus algae eaters to keep the substrate clean. The key is to choose fish with similar temperaments and environmental needs to ensure a thriving, low-maintenance ecosystem. 

The reasoning is somewhat misguided in most cases.  While bottom fish are excellent in well established aquarium habitats, they are not as necessary in brand new set-ups.  A new tank is truly sterile, if properly installed, the water is able to support fish, but it is not the best environment for weak fish. Bottom fish are often quite strong, but they do need to eat, and a new aquarium has very little food in it, and should have no algae either.  Like many other fish, it is best to wait a few weeks before adding bottom fish such as Corydoras and Otocinclus, or even Plecostomus to the fish population.

Q: What is the recommended water temperature range for most freshwater tropical fish?

A: The recommended water temperature range for most freshwater tropical fish is between 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Q: How often should I feed my freshwater tropical fish?

A: Typically, freshwater tropical fish should be fed small amounts 1-2 times per day. It's important not to overfeed them as it can lead to water quality issues.

Q: What is the best way to acclimate new fish to my aquarium?

A: The best way to acclimate new fish to your aquarium is by floating the bag in the tank for 15-20 minutes to allow the water temperatures to equalize. Then, slowly add small amounts of your tank water to the bag over the course of 30 minutes to an hour before releasing the fish into the tank.

Beyond the Basics:

Advanced Aquarist Adventures

Not the Social Type?

This regular column is not for the beginning aquarist.  In many cases the difficulty level can increase by a huge amount when starting to select special species. Often it is the maintenance of the aquarium that increases.  

Many aquarists can become bored with watching a few cardinal tetras chasing each other in a school.  The actual interests that can bloom in keeping fish are quite varied, some may be interested in breeding fish, watching a species reproduce is a captivating activity, others want to create different habitats, either replication of local habitat, or imaginary Aquascaping using creative addition of plants that are used to make an aquascape that often overtakes the beauty of the fish and blend into a stunning living picture with natural movement.  

This has only recently become viable by the introduction of specific lighting sources that can actually help the live plants to grow in the right light spectrums.

The art of creating communities is not simply regulated by matching passive fish to live happily together as the majority of novice aquarists are initially interested in.  Many more experienced aquarists enjoy keeping more aggressive fish together in working communities that can be sustainable for extended periods.  

These Semi Aggressive fish are not usually a smart choice for the novice aquarist, but should be attempted only by aquarists who are more seasoned with keeping fish.  Otherwise the tank will rapidly become a species tank with only one fish left living, as it has stayed within its nature and killed all the other that were originally added with it.

Andinoacara rivulatus - Green Terror - Juvenile 

This is the focus of this column, to help build a semi-aggressive or even extremely aggressive community of different species if that is what the aquarist is looking for.

Add variety to your fish's diet by offering a mix of live, frozen, and dried foods.

This will help ensure they receive all the necessary nutrients for optimal health and vibrant colors.

Kid's Nook

Aquascpaping the freshwater tropical fish aquarium

Flowerhorn Cichlid -Photo by pvproductions on freepik.com