Chicken and beef reign supreme for weeknight dinners, but fish is an equally nutritious low-cost protein source that delivers essential omega-3 fats for children’s brain and cardiovascular well-being.
Too many fish in a tank can create environmental issues and stress for its inhabitants, leading to water quality problems and territorial disputes among fish species, leading to fighting or fin nipping between individuals.
Neon Tetra
Neon tetras are small freshwater fish native to South America that tend to swim in schools of six or more fish, shoaling in groups. As their small size leaves them susceptible to being consumed by larger tankmates, it is wise to only place neon tetras in tanks that do not house such predatory tankmates; their bright colors add vibrancy to any aquarium environment.
These fish live naturally in soft, acidic streams and rivers in tropical areas of South America. While they can adapt to most freshwater conditions, soft, acidic water with low levels of nitrates will work best for them – usually around pH 4, with hardness between 2-5dH will work effectively for them.
Home aquarists may find it challenging to differentiate a neon tetra from its closely related cardinal tetra when young and not in breeding condition. A good way of telling them apart is observing their glistering blue stripe on the body – if it ends halfway up from the nose, then that indicates you have a neon tetra; otherwise, it indicates cardinal tetra.
As with other tetra species, neon tetras are omnivorous fish species and will feed on both plant- and meaty food items. Fine flake food, tiny granules, frozen daphnia, brine shrimp, or blood worms make good foods to provide an omnivorous diet for neon tetras. Feed two to four times daily without overfeeding, making them look bloated, lose appetites, and raise ammonia levels within their tanks.
These fish are scatter breeders, meaning that females will disperse their eggs across the tank and fertilize them; then, males will fertilize them again, often fertilizing eggs that stick to plants, rocks, or any surface they come in contact with during reproduction. They typically hatch within 24 hours after being laid, then require a nutritious diet high in proteins and fats until their fry has developed enough to feed on.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
White Cloud Mountain minnows (Tanichthys bonuses) are small fish with long bodies and forked tails, originally native to shallow mountain streams in China and introduced elsewhere, including the United States. Commonly kept as a cheaper alternative to Neon Tetras as they look similar and cost less; also recommended as first-time fish keepers as they are easy to care for and adapt well to water changes.
Fish that thrive in calmer waters should be housed with other peaceful species like bloodfin tetras, celestial pearl danios, swordtails, and zebra danios as tankmates; Odessa barbs or rosy barbs might also make suitable companions; larger aggressive species like clown loaches or tiger barbs should not be kept together due to potential eating behavior.
These fish are schooling species and should be kept together in large groups in a 10-gallon tank or more prominent. While these fish tend not to be overly aggressive towards each other in general, males may compete to show their colors and finnage to attract females during breeding behavior – increasing the size of your school may help reduce any unnecessary bickering between individuals to attract mates more effectively. Adding aquarium plants that block the line of sight may help minimize conflicts between classmates.
An ideal aquarium tank has a gentle current and slightly acidic water conditions. Substrates should be delicate and darker in hue and contain plenty of aquatic vegetation for shelter and food sources. Lighting must also be soft to ensure easy restful habitats for fish.
White Cloud Mountain minnows are egg-scattering species and will breed year-round. Mating pairs do not provide parental care to their eggs, laid on a spawning mop constructed from yarn.
Once the eggs hatch, you can transfer the young to a separate grow-out tank to be raised with infusoria or powdered food until they have grown large enough to care for themselves in their main tank. Once ready to rejoin their leading group of aquatic life.
Gold Barb
Gold barbs are an easy addition to any tropical fish aquarium and require minimal care. They’re very active yet peaceful fish that enjoy swimming around at both mid-levels and the bottom of the tank, often staying active for four to six years in captivity. Beginner aquarists might consider this species due to its adaptability; it prefers warmer water to most tropical species and slightly lower pH (6.0-8.0).
Gold Barbs are relatively straightforward to breed, although a separate breeding tank is required for this process to succeed. This tank should be heavily planted with dense foliage, air circulation, and moderate water flow rates. To provide gold barbs with adequate hiding spaces, such as rock caves and driftwood pieces. A good selection of plant species would include Java Ferns, Cryptocoryne, or Anubias, which have sturdy leaves that will withstand frequent nibbling by fish.
The gold barb is an omnivorous fish species that prefers living in larger groups; therefore, it’s ideal to house ten or more gold barbs together for optimal color displays and captivating movement. For nutrition, they can be fed flakes and live or frozen foods like blood worms and daphnia.
Gold barb pairs should be kept in a standard tropical community aquarium. However, they should not be housed with boisterous or aggressive fish that might harass them regularly. Instead, keep them with peaceful fish like Peppered Catfish, Pristella Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras Cherry Barbs, Scissortail Rasboras, Black Widow Tetras Glowlight Tetras, Lemon Tetras or Zebra Danios that won’t bother them too much.
The gold barb can be kept in any standard aquarium, though a separate breeding tank should be considered to prevent egg scattering and aggression during spawning season. Males can be identified by their brighter coloration and reddish belly during mating season, while females usually display duller features with larger bodies.
Goldfish
Goldfish are hardy fish that thrive in water environments and aquariums, making them the ideal addition. While goldfish tend to adapt quickly to temperature changes in their environment, sudden fluctuations can sometimes send shockwaves through them, and they require special care in their caretakers’ tanks – with many keeping these species for extended periods and developing emotional attachments to them!
Goldfish differs from most other fish by not using their teeth for eating; instead, they use pharyngeal plates in the back of their mouths to grind food from substrate. This makes them exceptional sifters; you may occasionally spot them grubbing around in gravel beds while taking in mouthfuls of substrate and food and expertly discarding whatever they don’t require.
Goldfish are easy to care for and make excellent pets for children, making them great pets to introduce into the home. However, their tank must be the correct size; smaller tanks may cause stress by failing to provide sufficient oxygen supply, leading to blockages and fin injuries, which hurt the overall health of your goldfish and should, therefore, be avoided as much as possible.
Goldfish Carassius auratus are domesticated versions of dark-gray/brown carp native to East Asia that have become widely distributed across ponds and garden pools worldwide. If released into their natural environments, these fish could potentially outcompete native aquatic plant and animal species for sustenance – considered an invasive species if released back into nature.
The goldfish has long been used in scientific research due to its hardy and adaptable nature, making it an excellent subject of experiments in several fields such as endocrinology (Blanco et al., 2018), cell biology (Choresca et al., 2009), immunology (Wallen & Hanson 1951) and neurobiology (Portavella et al. 2013). Furthermore, goldfish can endure environmental stresses that would usually kill other animals, such as pH fluctuations and high turbidity levels, without becoming incapacitated themselves!
