The purpose of community aquariums is that the coexistence between various species of fish and natural plants is harmonious and lasting, whether they are hot or cold water.
Aquariums, a priori, are the most complex and difficult to maintain facilities that a pet lover can aspire to. There are so many different variables and parameters that need to be harmonized precisely, that it is essential to go little by little, if you are layman in the field, when setting up an aquarium in your home.
In this article we will start from the premise that the reader is an amateur who has previously enjoyed aquariums and knows and masters everything related to: cleanliness, pH, water hardness, salinity, temperature, lighting, substrates, volume (liters) and other parameters that affect the maintenance of an aquarium. If so, continue reading our site so you can decide to adopt the best fish for a community aquarium
Small Community Freshwater Aquariums
This type of aquarium is the easiest to manage. A paramount rule in any aquarium is that no fish fit in the mouth of another. Therefore there must be a correlation of sizes between the various species.
In the case of community aquariums, it is convenient that the fish do not devour the existing plants. In the store they should advise you on the ideal plants for this combination and the minimum time that must elapse between the placement of the plants and the incorporation of the first fish.
In the case of community aquariums of 60 - 80 liters a precious possible combination would be: a school of neons (15/20 individuals), a couple of cardinals, another of viejitas and somecorydoras pygmy for the background.
Medium Freshwater Community Aquariums
For a community aquarium of 100 to 300 liters of fresh water, a good combination could be between several compatible varieties of Tetra and BarbusYo I would put the following Tetra species: Neon Tetra, Lemon Tetra, X-Ray Tetra, Black Neon Tetra, Copper Tetra, Heart Tetra, and Red Phantom Tetra.
It is very important not to overcrowd the aquariums, because then the fish get very stressed and get sick. In addition, the excessive detritus produced by the fish dangerously reduces the quality of the water.
The indicated Barbus would be: Golden Barbus, Cherry Barbus, Monjita Barbus, Green Tetrazone Barbus and Tiger Tetrazone Barbus. A pair of pygmy corydoras would be ideal for the background.
Large Freshwater Community Aquariums
For large freshwater community aquariums we will be able to increase the size of your tenants.
In aquariums larger than 400 liters we can locate American cichlids, but choosing medium-sized and less aggressive ones. You have to put them in pairs to make breeding possible, but it is essential not to put together more than one pair (male and female) of each of the following species: 2 Meeki, 2 Demsey blue, 2 Severum. You can also add a couple of Cichlasoma festivum and another couple of Astronotus.
All these fish are very aggressive among their own species, but they tolerate the previous ones described above. Each pair will demarcate a territory, which is why it is necessary that there are hiding places where they can take shelter from the view of other fish to preserve possible offspring.
If you put neons or other small fish the aquarium will be more complete, but over time the cichlids will eat them.
Medium S altwater Community Aquariums
In medium-sized community s altwater aquariums we can locate a beautiful collection of intermediate-sized tropical fish. Marine fish have a more aggressive and territorial temperament than freshwater fish. However, many use said aggressiveness with fish of the same species, tolerating other different species.
The golden rule of not mixing fish that fit in another's mouth must be observed more than ever among marine fish. Tropical fish compatible for this type of aquarium can be:
- Damiselas, very resistant and beautiful fish.
- Gobies, small fish that eat algae on the bottom.
- Clownfish,a magnificent fish very resistant and lively. Clown fish need gorgonians in the aquarium with which they create symbiosis. There are different varieties of clownfish, each with a different type of gorgonian.
- Blue surgeonfish, a beautiful fish that engulfs the algae that proliferate in community aquariums.
These species should be placed in pairs of different genders (male and female). Never place two males of the same species, they will attack each other.
Large community s altwater aquariums
In large s altwater aquariums (over 400 litres), some aggressive species can be introduced. One of them may be the yellow butterflyfish. There can only be one solitary specimen, since if there were two or more they would fight to the death.
- Flower angelfish can live in small schools of their own species.
- Bicolor angelfish will swim near the rocks, feeding on the algae that cover the rock.
- The Standard Bearer Fish. A fish that has cleaning habits and acquires a large size, as it can grow up to 20 cm.
- The Blue Cleaner Wrasse. This fish deworms other fish and the presence of a single specimen in an aquarium is essential, since it is aggressive among its congeners.
- The dark wrasse of the Red Sea is a very peaceful fish despite its size, as it can reach 18 cm.
You want to know more?
Explore among the different types of fish that our site offers you to learn more about them and decide which one is perfect for your aquarium:
- Tropical fish
- Coldwater fish
- S altwater fish
If this is your first aquarium we definitely recommend starting with cold water fish, which are the easiest to maintain.
