Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: 3 Great Tropical Fish For Tanks You Can Add

Three tropical fish for tanks suitable for
tropical aquariums are described here; the Rosy
Barb, the Striped Hatchet Fish and the Swordtail.
Discover their behavioral patterns, colors and
any unusual physical features, temperature and
water requirements, feeding likes and dislikes
and optimal breeding conditions

Rosy Barb - Barbus conchonius (Family: Cyprinidae)

The rosy color is only visible when the fish is
ready to breed and goes away after spawning so
its name is a bit misleading. The color range for
the rosy barb varies from a dark green on the
back to a brown green mixture on the body. This
then decreases in intensity to an olive color on
the sides to silver underneath. This fish has no
barbels, its dorsal fin is dark and it has big
scales like mirrors.

The Barbus genus has quite a few species and many
can be found in the aquarist's aquarium. One of
them is the cherry barb, Barbus titteya, which
has red brown body with a dark stripe on the
body. This lateral band has another, a lighter
one, on top. The female has yellow fins and the
male has red fins.

The male is longer than the female and can grow
up to 8.5 cms. The female of the species is
thicker in its body and has a higher back. Cherry
barbs should have a large breeding tank with both
thickly planted areas of fine leaved plants and
open areas. A breeding trap may be useful.

Condition the breeding pair separately for at
least seven days with a 100% live food regime
before placing them in the breeding tank. Put the
female in the breeding tank a day before the
male. The fry are easy to rear following the
normal feeding route from infusoria to more adult
food.

Note that the plants and the eggs that have been
fertilized should be transferred to another
breeding tank if you have not used a breeding
trap.

Striped Hatchet Fish - Carnegiella strigata
strigata (Family: Gasteropelecidae)

This particular tropical fish for tanks has a
thin body shaped like a hatchet and will look at
its best in a well lit aquarium. You should not
have much trouble from this fish but you should
make sure the tropical fish tank has a cover on.
It will reach about 4 cms. Water should be at the
usual tropical fish temperature and amongst the
dried foods you should give it some live food
regularly.

It usually feeds at the surface and the tank will
need open areas at the surface and thickly
planted at the bottom. Differentiating between
the sexes is not easy, but the male has a slimmer
body when compared to the female. The fish is a
silver color with the back being an olive green
and the flanks have dark diagonal markings
starting from the dorsal fin.

It will be seen as an achievement of you can get
them to breed in your aquarium. The breeding tank
must have floating plants and fine leaved plants.
You will have to wait some time for spawning to
finish as eggs are laid over a prolonged period.
But the eggs will be eaten by the fish unless you
use spawning mats or their like. Feed the fry
that survive with infusoria initially followed by
tiny live food.

It is a pity that the fish is short lived. It ia
also called the Marbled hatchet fish.

Swordtail - Xiphosphorus helleri (Family:
Poeciliidae)

This is a very popular fish with beginner
aquarists and a community tank. The name comes
from the fact that its caudal fin, the bottom
part, has a shape like a sword. The original
color of the swordtail has changed from the
original green with bright red stripe along the
middle. Because of ongoing breeding taking place
you will now find double swords, albinos and
sailfins.

What is quite odd for this fish species is that
as the female ages it can change into a male
fish. A water temperature of 20 to 25 degrees
centigrade, a big tank to display their swimming
abilities and a cover as it also has a good
jumping ability. Aside from the fact it loves
algae there are no particularly specific food
needs. The male can reach a length of 8cm and the
female up to 12 cms (not counting the sword).

As a live-bearer this fish can give you up to
sixty fry due to one fertilizing operation
enabling it to have several broods. These fish
will eat their young so a breeding trap is
essential and feeding them only on live food will
reduce their cannibalistic behavior. Conditioning
them is probably not necessary due to their great
liking for breeding!

The fry are not difficult to rear. Feed them
tubed food and move on to finely sieved dried
food. You can even let the female give birth in
the community tank but you will need a densely
planted tank and keep your fingers crossed for
the young getting through the dangers in the
first week.

So, there you are. Three additional tropical fish
for tanks for you to look after.

----------------------------------------------------
Paul Curran provides a care information system
for fresh water aquariums. Get your FREE E-Course
on how to set up and maintain a beautiful
aquarium, have the healthiest, happiest fish
around AND learn more about tropical fish for
tanks at
http://www.fresh-water-aquariums-guide.com/tropica
l-fish-for-tanks/

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