My intent here is not to present detailed information on setting up a community aquarium -- there are many good books for that -- but to emphasize the importance of gathering information BEFORE you start gathering fish and equipment.
          Many people say they have tried to keep tropical fish, but the fish always die, so they think it's hard to keep them alive. Often that's because someone will rush into the hobby without learning about it first. He or she will buy a tank and a few fish and take them home all at once, putting them together in water straight from the tap. The fish don't live very long, so the person decides fish are too hard to keep.
          
          If you want to try your hand at keeping a freshwater tropical fish tank, the first thing you should do is buy a good beginner's book (or several) and read, read, read everything about the tropical fish hobby you can get your hands on ... books, magazines, online articles!

          A few book suggestions are:
          The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freshwater Aquariums by Mike Wickham (alpha books, a Division of Macmillan General Reference).
          You & Your Aquarium by Dick Mills (Alfred A. Knopf).
          Aquarium Fish by Ulrich Schliewen (Barron's).
          The New Aquarium Handbook by Ines Scheurmann (Barron's).

          Don't buy another thing -- no tank, no fish, no plants, no equipment -- until you've purchased and read at least one of these books so you understand the basics of keeping up an aquarium. This means understanding the nitrogen cycle (you'll read about "cycling" your tank), different types of filters, tank sizes and shapes, lighting, plants, cleaning, and partial water changes, etc. You won't ever be sorry, and you'll find yourself referring to your books over and over, even though you've read them before. And don't be surprised if you find yourself adding to your fish hobby library regularly, with books on fish health, aquarium plants and specific types of fish!
          Next, check with your city water department to find out about your tap water; i.e., is it hard or soft, what is the pH, what chemicals are used to treat it, and so on. The type of water you can easily provide for your fish should determine which fish you choose to keep at first. For beginners, it's much easier to find fish that will do well in your water than it is to change your water to please a demanding species (leave that for later, after you've become experienced).

    You've probably already got your eye on some particular fish by now, so the next step is -- you guessed it -- more reading! This time read everything you can about the fish you want:
          Will they do well in your water? If it will be hard to keep the proper water conditions for a particular fish, stop right there and look for another species. There are enough beautiful and interesting fish to choose from so that you can find others you'll like. Water conditions also include temperature; for example, a goldfish is a coldwater fish and bettas are tropical fish, so they shouldn't be in the same tank.
          How big do they grow? You must consider the adult size of the fish you choose and not just the tiny size of the young fish you buy.
          Are they a solitary species or are they "social" fish that prefer to be in a group of their own kind? Even though some people keep just one of a fish species that prefers groups, and even though the fish may seem to be doing okay, it will do much better and exhibit more natural behavior when kept in larger numbers. And "loner" fish may fight all the time if your tank has more than just one.
          What are their eating preferences? You don't want to choose a fish that will grow up to eat all the other fish in your tank. Likewise, if you will not be able to provide live foods, don't choose a fish that requires only that kind. Some fish will eat all the live plants in the tank, or dig them up when rooting in the gravel. Also, algae eaters have been known to starve to death because they ate all the algae in their tank and were not provided any other food! Many algae eaters also require wood to rasp on. You must know how to feed your fish.
          Are the fish you want active or peaceful? Active swimmers need room to move and may make more slow-moving, quiet fish nervous. Some fish, such as tiger barbs, are known as "fin-nippers" and should never be placed in a tank with fish that have long, flowing fins such as bettas, angelfish and gouramis. Not always, but as a general rule, long-finned fish don't move as fast as streamlined fish.
          And don't forget decorations for your tank. Some fish require hiding places such as rock caves, hollow driftwood or clumps of plants. And contrary to what first comes to mind, you'll see MORE of these fish when they have plenty of places to hide, because that makes them feel secure enough to venture out in the open more often.
          These suggestions are just a few to get you thinking. Sure, keeping an aquarium involves some responsibility and a bit of work, but if you know ahead of time what to expect, you'll be successful, have happy fish and receive tremendous enjoyment from this hobby with minimal maintenance. So to start out right, remember to

read!
These pages have been designed by Donna VanTreese Shelby (Copyright 2001)
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Bettas are not the only fish I enjoy ... I also have four community aquariums. A community aquarium or tank contains a variety of fish that require similar conditions for water and feeding and that get along well with each other.

On this page are some pictures of my tanks and some of their residents.
First things first ...
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The 29-gal. tank at the left houses a variety of peaceful fish, including the brightly colored tuxedo platys shown above. Platys are livebearers that prefer to live in groups.
Chow Time!

In the photo to the right are several "bottom feeders" that live in the tank shown above. Clockwise from lower right are a hillstrean loach (aka gastromyzon, Chinese butterfly pleco, Borneo sucker, Hong Kong pleco), a corydoras catfish, a rubberlip pleco, another hillstream loach (partially hidden), and peeking from the cave at upper left is Foxy, a flying fox (she's shy and was waiting for me to go away). This photo was taken using flash because the tank was dark (I feed these fish their own sinking food after lights are out and before I go to bed). 
All photos taken by, and the property of, Donna VanTreese Shelby

This page was last updated on: July 2, 2003

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The three clown loaches on the right are checking out a variatus platy. Clown loaches are very playful and sociable, and should always be kept in groups of at least three. I have four, but the other one didn't want to play this game!