Fish, like other animals, need a series of optimal environmental conditions such as pH, humidity and temperature, to live. That is why they require a lot of care to survive, especially when we intend to keep them as pets in an aquarium. Many times when we make this decision, we imagine having fish with striking and exotic colors, however, when acquiring them we must pay close attention to where we acquired them and what species they are, since it would be best to start our aquarium with species that are not so sensitive or require special care.
If you intend to create your own aquarium and have warm water fish as pets, then in this article on our site we will tell you about their characteristics and which are the bestwarm water fish for beginners.
Characteristics of warm water fish
Warm or tropical water fish are those that inhabit tropical seas or rivers that have an average temperature of about 25 ºC approximately, which allows them a greater development of biodiversity. So the fish in our aquarium should be at similar temperatures (this will depend on each species). Thus, the characteristics of warm water fish are:
- Bright Colors: These species are very popular as aquarium fish, as most have bright colors. In the case of fresh warm water species, these colors are produced by iridescence (that is, it will depend on the light and from what angle it is observed), while in marine warm water fish, it occurs by skin pigments.
- Habitat: In general, these species are typical of coral reefs, complex systems and great diversity.
- Ectotherms: As we know, fish are ectotherms, meaning that their body temperature will depend on the environment, and that is why they We must be especially careful with the temperature of our aquarium, since when choosing to have warm water fish as pets, this will be a crucial factor if we want our little fish to have a good life.
- Temperatura: Generally, the temperature of warm water aquariums varies between 21 to 29 degrees, although it is advisable to leave it between 24 and 25 degrees. Special attention must be paid to our aquarium, since sudden changes can cause stress to the fish and cause diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to check the temperature of the water daily, and to have the thermostat or heater regulated, as well as the filter.
For more information, you can consult this other article on our site about Characteristics of fish.
Types of warm water fish for beginners
There is a great variety of fish that live in warm waters, but here we will show you the most docile and easy to breed species in your first aquarium:
Surgeonfish (Paracanthurus hepatus)
If you're looking for beginner tropical fish, you'll love this one. Surgeon fish are omnivores and do not show differences between the sexes, that is, sexual dimorphism. In the wild, juveniles often live near corals to hide from predators. They can be found from East Africa to southern Hawaii and from Japan to Australia. Its preferred habitat is the terraces on the outer side of the reef.
Betta fish (Betta splendens)
A fish belonging to the Osphronemidae family, native to Southeast Asia. It is a species that is the product of multiple genetic variations that have resulted in different species. They have sexual dimorphism (difference between the sexes), whose differentiation occurs at approximately two months. The adult female is larger, but with smaller fins and less bulk. Males are very territorial, so it is not advisable to have several males together.
If you are interested in these fantastic fish, in this other article on Types of betta fish we will discover all the species of betta that exist.
Neon tetra fish (Paracheirodon innesi)
It is a type of tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Characidae family, native to South America. They are very peaceful fish and excellent for aquariums, since they prefer to live in schools.
If you like the neon tetra fish and want to find other tankmates for it, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about Tropical fish for an aquarium.
Zebrafish or zebra danio (Danio rerio)
The zebrafish is a cyprinid, native to Southeast Asia, which lives mainly in lakes, rivers and lagoons in India It is a gregarious species and frequently used in aquariums, as it supports the conditions of this environment very well, making it one of the best fish for beginners.
If you like this curious little fish, you may find interesting this other article on Zebrafish care, where we explain in greater detail how to satisfy all the needs of the zebrafish so that you have a he althy and he althy animal by your side. happy.
Guppy fish or guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Another of the most popular warm water fish for beginners is the guppy, an ovoviviparous freshwater fish typical of South Americaand that inhabits low-current areas of rivers, lakes and ponds. It does not require much care and reproduces very easily, making it one of the most beautiful and easy to care for fish.
Pepper corydoras fish (Corydoras paleatus)
Natives of South America, due to their eating habits of continuously stirring the substrate of fish tanks and aquariums looking for all kinds of edible organic matter, pepper corydoras fish indirectly carry out the cleaning of the bottom and the remains of food that have been deposited there. On the other hand, they are completely harmless to other fish, since they are gregarious and do not attack any other inhabitant of the aquarium.
If you are interested in the pepper corydoras for its cleaning function, you may also be interested in these other Animals that clean the aquarium.
Swordtail fish (Xiphophorus hellerii)
Native to Central America, the swordtail fish belongs to the Poeciliidae family. They are a rather peaceful species and will ignore other fish. But we must be careful if we plan to have more than one male, since they are very territorial with the female and can become annoying, so it is advisable to have one every three or four females.
Platy fish (Xiphophorus maculatus)
The platy fish belongs to the Poeciliidae family, lives in America and is considered another of the best warm water fish for beginners. This species does not need special care and They are easy to care for In addition, they have an exceptional ability to reproduce, like other species of the same family, such as guppies or mollys.
For more information, in this other article we explain How do fish reproduce?
Rainbow fish (Melanotaenia boesemani)
The rainbow fish is a species belonging to the Melanotaeniidae family that inhabits Southeast Asia. It is not an aggressive fish and is gregarious, so it is advisable to have small schools of about five individuals It is very restless and is constantly swimming, so it is advisable not to mix them with calmer species.
If you like this precious fish, here we explain what are the Care of the rainbow fish.
Other warm water fish for beginners
Another type of warm water fish for beginners are:
- Cherry barbel (Puntius titteya).
- Pearl gourami (Trichogaster leeri)
- Corydora panda.
- Harlequin fish (Trigonostigma heteromorpha).
- Blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus).
- Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris).
- Kissing gourami (Helostoma temminckii).
- Oscar fish (Astronotus ocellatus).
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodontidae).
- Angelfish or scalar (Pterophyllum scalare).
- Discus fish (Symphysodon).
Also, we leave you this other article on our site about ideal fish for beginners.