So, how big should my tank be?

Alright. So, there you are, pencil and paper in hand, putting the costs together for your new tank, when suddenly a question hits you - what size tank am I getting?

Well, that is a good question. After all, it's the tank that you're keeping the fish in, and it's the tank that dictates what size fish you're gonna end up putting in there. So suddenly your question turns into a multiple choice:

a) Whatever I can afford
b) Whatever suits the fish I'm planning to keep
c) Whatever I can find
d) Whatever fits through my front door
e) Whatever I'm willing to put the effort into
f) Whatever is practical
g) Whatever

In most cases, you'd only get to choose one of the choices from this list. But because I'm nice, I'll let you choose any selection of these choices.
Each one of the things mentioned will affect the size of tank you're gonna end up getting, as each one needs to be taken into consideration before you hand over a wod of cash to that smirking salesperson at your petstore. If you get the jist of what I'm saying in the above 7 points, good for you. Take that advice and head out and use it, share it. For the rest of you, read on.

a) Whatever I can afford
Sure sure, if I was to be a goody goody responsible fishkeeper, I'd say "the welfare of your pets matters more than the weight of your wallet". However, it's quite the opposite. It's YOUR money. In the end, you'll be spending quite a lot of money on this tank, and should something go wrong or the tank goes to waste, it's going to be YOUR money wasted. Take what you can afford without sacrificing your petrol/food money.

Unless you're quite well off like our friend Billy Gates, you're going to look for the best deal around. After taking all the other points into consideration, you'll be out looking for that dream tank. Go shop jumping - different shops sell different brands, and even if they sell the same brand, one shop may sell the tank cheaper than anywhere else. It'll be well worth your looking around.
Your second and often preferred option is to buy second hand (gasp!). To many, this doesn't even sound like an option, like some sorta dodgey backstreet deal that sometimes happens among the unfortunate in the hobby.

Fancy a second-hand two foot tank?

To be honest, I don't know why some people don't like this option. Their loss, really, because second hand tanks are the cheapest tank available (well, usually). So long as you keep your eye out for things like chips, cracks, bad scratches, peeling silicone, bent glass, bad repairs, and thin glass, you're set. Even if the tank has its problems, it can sometimes be cheaper to buy a second hand tank and get it re-sealed than to go ahead and buy a new tank. Keep your options open.

b) Whatever suits the fish I'm going to keep
Bingo! In the perfect world, this should be the only option you'd have to consider. But, we don't live in the perfect world, so we can shed our tears here and move on.

Now, what exactly does this crazy fish ranter mean when he says 'suits my fish'? Well, what I'm trying to say is consider the fish you would like to own before choosing your tank size based on this point. Do plenty of reading on several fish you're interested in, see what they're like. Then you think:

• does it get big?
• does it need space to swim? Is it active?
  
• does it have to live in groups?
  
• does it need space for territory?
• if so, how many am I planning on keeping, and how much space is needed for territories?
• does it need a big tank footprint (length and width of tank)?
• does it need a tall tank?

Basically, you go through all these questions for all the fish you plan on keeping ( first check if they're gonna eat each other or not), then you can think about rough tank dimensions.

And please, please, please never think that "a fish will grow according to the size of the tank it's in". Just. NO.

To some degree, this statement is true. If you keep a fish that, say, grows to 30 centimeters (1 foot), you buy it at 5cm (2 inches) and you put it into a 60cm (2 foot) tank, there is no way it'll get to 30cm (1 foot) length. It's body growth would be STUNTED. If you're still ok with that, then consider this: it's body stops growing, but its insides (organs), well, don't. Pretty much, over time its organs will grow inside its never-growing body, squishing them and causing organ malfunction. So your fish will live for 2 or 3 years instead of maybe 7 to 10 years.
In the same logic...
Do you remember back when you were a kid (or maybe some readers still are, my apologies). You'd go to a family function, and see all these people you hadn't seen since you were in diapers. Suddenly, one of your supposed relatives approaches you and tugs on your cheek, saying:
"My, how you've GROWN! Your mother should have tied a brick to your head!"
And while all the adults giggle, you blush and turn away.
You see, your mom could have tied a brick to your head. In that way, she'd never have to buy you clothing ever again, because you'd never grow! However, some would consider it cruelty...

Generally frowned upon by society.

Yup. Cruelty.

c) Whatever I can find
This pretty much applies to those who live in areas which lack pet stores, aquarium stores, or whatever. I've been to places which have only one general pet store, who have three tank sizes, and that's that. Any aquarist living in such a hell-hole, my heart goes out to you.

There isn't much that you can do about this. Ideally, get the biggest you can find. The problem is, whatever is available dictates what kind of fish you can get, not the other way around.

Wish you luck.

d) Whatever fits through my front door
Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? I'm sure that you'd be surprised to hear that some people have returned tanks to the shop because they couldn't find a place for it to fit, or worse than that, they've had to knock down their flipping wall just to get their tank into their flipping house. One word:

Planning.

Grab yourself a measuring tape and get moving. First, look at where you want to put your tank. Not all side-boards, tables and bar counters can hold the weight of a fishtank, so be sure to check up on that first. Measure the stand/table/doohickey that you're gonna use, and be sure the you'll be able to fit the tank on that. The tank mustn't stick over on any of the four sides, and the tank must be 100% level (you'll need a spirit level for this task).

Next, measure your door/doors. Height and width are important here. Also take into consideration arm and body space - arms are those things you're going to use to hold the tank, and the body is that thing that arms are attached to.

Then, do some measuring on your mode of transport (if this includes a bus and/or bicycle, you'll in for an interesting time). Door width and height, trunk size, collapsible seats, you name it. Just make sure that you can fit it in your car, you have a way to stop it sliding about, and that you can get it out afterwards.

e) Whatever I'm willing to put the effort into



Don't let this happen. People are, at first, proud of their huge tanks, but after time their interest wanes, or their tank is just too much effort to bother cleaning. Big tanks cause more problems, and should you have to wear a wetsuit to clean your tank, buddy, be ready to gear up when you have to. If it's beyond your capability to take care of the tank, go for something smaller.

f) Whatever is practical
Somewhat the same as above, but includes some other little things to consider too. For instance, if you want to start a marine tank, don't go nano instantly. The smaller the tank is, the more quickly things can go wrong simply because there's less water. Think practically.

Also, think what is practical to your lifestyle. If you barely manage to feed your children because you're on the job way too often, go for something a little smaller. Smaller tank = smaller maintenance = less time taken during maintenance.

g) Whatever

Yeah.

Just...

Don't even get a tank.

Threadfin Acara, Acarichthys heckelii

Common Names: Threadfin acara, threadfin cichlid, Heckel's cichlid, "fairy cichlid"

Scientific Name: Acarcichthys heckelii (Muller and Troschel, 1849). Sometimes referred to as Geophagus thayeri.

From Where? South America, across most of the Amazon and the main surrounding rivers, like the Xingu and Negro, as well some other arbitrary rivers thereabouts as well - pretty much wherever there are tropical rivers.

Size: Gets to a maximum of 15cm (6 inches), and captive specimens can reach this size if given proper care.

Foodstuffs: Will accept a huge range of foods, but don't take this for granted. You'll only get the best growth and colour out of these fish if you supplement their diet with frozen/live foods. Some people recommend adding some veggies to their diet, which makes sense if you want to give them an all-round meal.

Water: Try to keep the water similar to what you'd keep your 'typical' Amazonian fish in - a lowish pH (6.0 - 7.0, although they're tolerant of slightly higher), and kinda soft. You won't want to be adding any buffers or salts to you tank, or rocks that may dissolve and alter the water chemistry.
They're proper tropical fish and appreciate it when you keep the water between 24° and 28°C (75° to 82° F); raising the temperature is said to induce spawning.

Pretty fishy

Aquarium Specifics: Not particularly fussy. A three foot (90cm) tank can work for a group of 2 or 3 (1 male and a female or 2), and the decor should be somewhat 'foresty', but that definition is really up to you. Occasionally they'll make use of hiding places, and wood in the tank helps keep the pH lower, so putting 2 and 2 together, wood sounds like a good idea. The aquarium lighting shouldn't be too harsh, but not so dim either. Try to strike a balance between what suits you and what suits your Threadfin.

Compatibility: They aren't bad characters, really. Even the males don't cause any noticeable chaos, although I wouldn't put this to the test by cramming too many males in a small tank with insufficient females. They'll get on with small to medium peaceful fish, so long as these fish aren't noted fin-nippers, like tiger barbs, or general bad-boy bullies, such as some cichlids, especially those that go nuts during breeding (convicts, jewels... )

Specific Problems: Especially at first, they're susceptible to some diseases, mostly parasites. Watch for signs of external parasites (scratching against gravel or decor) and internal parasites (not growing or gaining weight, concave belly).

Rarity: Can be hard to get your hands on, but if you know the right places to go to you'll be able to find some.

Similar Species: sometimes gets muddled up with Geophagus (earth eaters) or Mikrogeophagus (Ram cichlids), especially when younger. It's useful to carry around some form of identification if you're looking for them.

Asian Upside Down Catfish, Mystus leucophasis

Common Names: Asian upside-down catfish, giant upside-down catfish, gold-spot catfish, Sittang mystus (lol what?)

Scientific Name: Mystus leucophasis (Blyth, 1860)

From Where? A genuinely Asian catfish from Myanmar, where it can be found in several freshwater rivers in the region.

Size: Can easily attain 30cm (1 foot) in both your fishtank and it in the wild. They grow quite fast, too.

Foodstuffs: like its African Synodontis counterparts, these catfish have adapted to feed from the underside of submerged objects, and in M. leucophasis, they'll rarely turn their bellies to the gravel to feed. As such, slow sinking or floating pellets are your best option. So long as the food doesn't touch the floor, they'll take it. Will eventually learn to take from the surface, too.

Water: 100% freshwater - these guys are tough and really don't mind what kind of water you throw them in, provided that extremes in pH and temperature are avoided. Keep at water above 23 degrees C and below 30 degrees C (above 73, below 86 F), they'll be quite happy.

Aquarium Specifics: As you'll read a little later, these fish like to have a place to themselves, quite apart from everyone else. This can be done in two ways: provide a large enough tank of at least 1.5 meters length (5 feet) so that everyone can stay out of each other's way, and then adding lots of decor such as rocks, pipes, wood and caves so the Asian upside-downer can have a place to call his own. Dimmer lighting encourages daytime activity out of this fish.

=(

Compatibility: NOT VERY FRIENDLY. To start with, they don't like their own kind, and only in truly massive tanks can two ever co-exist. Even juveniles will go at each other, at best just causing some fin damage.
Secondly, they don't like other fish cramping their space. And by 'their space', I mean an area which can be quite large, covering at least one corner of the tank. Any intruders can/will be nastily chased away and given mean glances for the rest of the day.
Your best bet is to stick to larger fish which stay neat the surface - Apollo sharks or gars might work.

Specific Problems: MEAN.

Rarity: Not too rare. They come in quite often but hide very well in dealer's tanks.

Similar Species: do not confuse with African upside-down catfish, Synodontis spp. Asians have much longer barbels, are much more aggro, and almost NEVER swim the right way around, where Africans will spend at least some time being normal.

African Mono, Monodactylus sebae

Common Names: African mono, African moony, African fingerfish, poor man's angelfish.

Scientific Name: Monodactylus sebae (Cuvier, 1829)

From Where? The most westerly part of west Africa, found along the coasts of countries such as Senegal, Nigeria and Angola.
They're found in freshwater, brackish and marine environments here, mostly depending on the size of the fish - the younger fish tend to be found in freshwater, while adults and sub-adults are more often in brackish or marine water. However, this species freely moves between the three, moving to wherever it may find food.

Size: 25cm (10 inches) for fully grown specimens, which can be as tall as 30cm (1 foot). However, few fish grow larger than 15cm (6 inches), with about 20cm (8 inches) height on them.





Foodstuffs: voraciously omnivorous, there's little that these fish won't eat. A good balance should be offered; dry foods can be used as a staple diet but be sure to use some live/frozen foods from time to time. Some say that adding some greenery to their diet (eg: peas) is beneficial.

Water: despite the Monos adaptability with regards to water conditions, overall it's best to stick to brackish water during their juvenile/sub-adult stages, moving them on to marine once they're adults.
You'll probably buy the fish from the shop in freshwater, so slowly increase the salinity at home by an SG of 0.002 per week until you're at about 1.006. This should be fine until the fish gets larger, where you can move it into water of anything between 1.010 and 1.018 before moving it into marine.
Keeping the pH above 7.5 and the temperature between 24° and 28°C (75° and 82°F) is good; otherwise water conditions aren't critical, but because they're such eager feeders you should probably keep an eye on water quality. A decent filter is recommended.

Aquarium Specifics: Monos are large, open-water schooling fish, using their ridiculous height to make the most of the space that they're given. As such, the tank's length, breadth and height are important to consider. For a group of 3 or 4 adults you'll want a tank of about 5x2x2 feet (150x60x60cm), but bigger is better, especially if you want a bigger school.
Keep the tank space relatively open to avoid you fish having their style cramped, keeping the decor to the back and the sides.

Compatibility: one of the more even mannered brackish fish available, they get on well with practically anything that they can't eat and whatever can't eat them. Stick to this rule, avoid bumblebee gobies (expensive breakfast for Monos) and brackish morays (expensive breakfast for morays), and choose the other brackish schoolers, such as other mono species, scats and silver shark catfish.
Oh, and it's important to note that bigger monos sometimes pick on smaller monos, and because of this you'll want to buy specimens of roughly the same size.

Specific Problems: needs plenty of space. Not a bad choice for a slightly larger brackish tank.

Rarity: kinda common. Most good stores should be able to get them for you.

Similar Species: besides the other monos, which are significantly more rounded than this fish with no bars on the body, the African mono is only ever confused with Pterophyllum scalare - the freshwater angelfish. The freshwater angelfish has much longer finnage, and its scales don't extend onto the dorsal and anal fins.

If he had turned to face me any more, he'd be invisible.

Undulated Moray, Gymnothorax undulatus

Common Names: undulated moray, undulate moray, mottled moray

Scientific Name: Gymnothorax undulatus (Lacepede, 1803)

From Where? The general Indo-Pacific area, from south-eastern Africa right up to southern Asia, then down along the Indonesian islands to the Great Barrier Reef. Is also found around Hawaii, the Red Sea and the eastern Pacific.
The younger eels are found in slightly shallower water along coasts, favouring crevices and lurking between rocks. Adults are found somewhat deeper, preferring to stay inconspicuous and remaining by a preferred lair.

Size: Adults are reported to reach a maximum length of 5 feet (1.5 meters). They aren't often kept in aquaria, so it is unknown if they assume a smaller maximum size in captivity. It'd be best to house them as if they'll reach 1.5 meters,

Foodstuffs: In the wild they'll hunt fish that are approximately their mouth size, as well as octopus and other smaller cephalopods. In your tank they might need to be weaned off live foods at first, but once you've conquered that problem they'll happily accept frozen fish, chopped squid, octopus tentacles and prawn pieces.
Hand feeding is NOT RECOMMENDED.

Water: Keep it within the 'typical' range of tropical marine conditions; an SG of about 1.020 to 1.026, pH between 8.0 and 8.3, and the temperature between 23°C and 26°C (74° and 78° F).

Aquarium Specifics: first and foremost, make sure you have a large tank on hand. G. undulatus is one of the largest morays around, and as such, need more space than most of the other morays you'll encounter. At a bare minimum, an adult will need a tank with a footprint of about 2 meters by 1 meter. The bigger the better.
These fish prefer to have a tank with lots and lots of hiding places, mainly in the form of rocks (live and artificial), pipes, and corals if you want. The substrate should be sandy for smaller specimens, as they like to sometimes dig under certain structures to create extra hiding places - on this note, make sure that all rock structures are secure. A young moray may undermine certain rocks while larger eels can knock-over piled up rock structures.
Try to keep the lighting toned down as this will help to make the fish more comfortable, and if you're lucky they'll eventually come out during the day.
Current isn't important but efficient filtration is - these carnivores produce a lot of waste from what they eat, and a good filter and even a protein skimmer are recommended. Water changes should also be frequent.
NB: as with pretty much any other eel, you need a good heavy lid and/or an equally good cover glass. They'll exploit even the smallest holes in the tank as escape routes, including those intended for wiring or filters.

Rawr.

Compatibility: As an out-and-out fish hunter, smaller fish are probably not the best tank mates for the Undulated Moray. Larger fish (excluding other morays, which will fight for hiding spaces) are fine though - bigger angels and butterflies normally do well. However, there are no promises with morays, so always keep an eye out if the moray is bothering or being bothered by anyone.
Almost completely suited to reef systems... the shrimps and smaller crustaceans are at some risk.
G. undulatus is almost completely incompatible with your hands. Beware when carrying out feeding or maintenance, as they have have sharp teeth and very bad eyesight - your hand will look just like food to them...

Specific Problems: large size, predator, escape artist, tank-polluter. One to carefully consider before adding to the tank.

Rarity: fairly rare. While they do have a decent range, they're not especially well known, and you may have to look for a specialist dealer who can help you.

Similar Species: Gymnothorax fimbriatus is often confused with this species (or vice versa). They have similar mouths I suppose. At times, shipments of G. fimbriatus may come in with a surprise of a G. undulatus as well.

All in a day's work...

I love these little guys - always jumping in and out of danger, and all for some food. But it's all in a day's work for Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, here at uShaka Marine World.

Dwarf Cichlid Craze

Some people understand it... I don't.

Ok, sure, cichlids are appealing fish. They've got colour, personality, appetite - why wouldn't you want one as a pet?

And then everyone has some sort of fish craze developing after a while - some become pleco fanatics, others delve into the dark world of catfish, others love their puffers; the cichlidophiles have their sects too: Malawis, Central Americans, but most emphasised in this post, Dwarf Cichlids too.

I took a little look into the world of Dwarf Cichlids to see what the hype was all about - and lo and behold I was surrounded by Apistogramma! Hundreds of different species, colours, fin forms, you name it! Further poking around revealed that the term 'dwarf cichlid' is also loosely applied to several other South American genera as well, among the most popular were Mikrogeophagus and Nannacara. And if you took it to a further stretch (as the dwarf cichlid enthusiasts look at me with scorn), dwarf cichlids are found in Africa and Asia too, in the forms of Etroplus (the lone Asian genus) and a decent handful of Africans, Kribensis and Nanochromis topping that list.

What I found sad was that the further away from South America these little guys were found, the less popular they were under the term 'dwarf cichlid', despite the fact that they are indeed pee-wees among their cichlid brethren. In any other case they're popular fish, mind you, but surely they too should hold at least a decent place among the other cichlid toddlers.

I was told that, before I even begin to judge those who drool over undersized (feeder) cichlids, I should keep them myself. And, of course, if I'm going to ever keep any kind of dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma is the way to go. Just like everybody else.

In rebellion to this trend, I decided to get my own AFRICAN DWARF CICHLID (please don't kill me). Anyways, I actually got 4. And they're cool so far. Although they can be righteous tossers to whoever they share the tank with. I present to you:

Pseudocrenilabrus philander: the Southern Mouthbrooder.

Ok, so either the picture doesn't do the poor bloke justice or this species is the rear end of the dwarf cichlid group, but regardless, I'm having fun keeping them. Hopefully I'll get at least one pair out of these guys and just maybe get some fry out of them. And if in the end it was worth it, then you cichlidophiles can rest peacefully as I join your ranks.

Cheers
Salmon

We're in business!

Hi there!



Yes, indeed you are correct! I'm just another one of those random aquarium blogger types that wastes his time posting pictures of his 'dearly beloved' fish all the while talking about how great he is.

On the other hand, I could multitask that while putting up some really cool links, writing up my own articles to help both the average and just-slightly-beyond-average hobbyist get through the trials of keeping fish alive. I'll also do some other random cool stuff for you guys because, let's be honest here, I've got nothing better to do.

Oh. I almost forgot. I also love photography! Therefore we can combine my two hobbies into the equation:

aquarist + photographer = amateur fish porn :D

Which I'm sure would please you greatly. I'll also let you know about any other good fish photos so you can use them for your PC desktop/slideshow screensaver like I do.

Cheers
Salmon