Description

This fish are known for their serene nature and bright colors. This makes them a popular choice as aquarium pet. Male mollies have a thinner body and longer tailfin than their female counterparts.

Habitat

Mollies live amongst plants in a group of fish also known as a school. They breed rapidly therefore their numbers have to be limited in an artificial fish tank. They have many predators, including birds and reptiles, due to their small stature.

Diet

Mollies feed on both plants and animals, which makes them omnivorous fish. Their diet is comprised of invertebrates including small insects, bloodworms, algae and food particles.

Breeding

The fish give birth to live young, unlike many other tropical fish that lay eggs. They give birth only a few weeks after fertilization occurred and the number of offspring per birth can be as many as 100. Unfortunately, the molly is considered an endangered species of fish.

Fire Eel Facts

Description: Fire eel has an elongated body as long as 1 meter (40 inches) with a pointed snout. In captivity it only grows up until 50cm (20inches). It should always be fed live food but must have the space for this.

This aquarium fish has a dark brown pigmentation, but a light brown to grey belly. The red stripes on its body, fades with age. The youth typically have yellow markings which become red as they grow. The intensity of the color depends on the health of the eel.

Behavior: The fire eel is shy and only comes out at night, but can become fond of its owner and eat from his hand. It is peaceful and should be kept with medium sized fish.

Breeding: It is a plant spawning fish and breed at 50 centimeters in captivity. Fry should eat healthy food.

Habitat: Eel live at the bottom of the water and prefers soft water. It prefers water with pH of 7, dH of 10 and temperature of 24-27°C.

Fire Eel as Aquarium Pet

The tank should be large enough, or its colors will fade. The artificial fish tank should have gravel without sharp edges. They bury their bodies in the sand with only their heads protruding.  Use dense aquarium plants with some floating plants, with rocks, roots and wood to create sheltered areas and cover the tank to prevent it jumping out.

Basic Description of Neon Tetras

Their bodies have a distinct sparkling blue lateral line with a red stripe from the centre of the body to the bottom of the caudal fin. They are pelagic freshwater fish. All tetras have a blunt nose and spindle shaped body. Their colors are dull when they are resting, stressed, ill or have an insufficient diet. They reach a size of 2.2cm or 0.85inches

Behavior

The neon tetra is a peaceful community fish, which need to be kept with similar sized, non-aggressive fish. They swim in the middle to lower areas of the water and need sufficient hiding spots. They can sometimes reach an age of up to 10 years.

Diet

Neon tetras are omnivores and eat most food types.

Neon Tetra as Aquarium Pet

They are susceptible to the fatal Pleistophora disease, for which there is no cure. Hobby aquarists find them tricky to breed, but professionals worldwide can produce mass amounts.  They scatter the eggs and do not care for the eggs. They must be kept in a school of at least five or more fish and are then more likely to display their colors. Water conditions required are pH range of 50-7.0, dH of 1-2 and temperature of 20-26°C/68-80°F.

Rainbow fish come in a large variety such as the Banded, Celebes, Bosemani, Dwarf and Herbert Axelrod’s Rainbow fish.

Rainbow fish Description

Most male species display a varied courtship stripe during spawning, which attracts the females. A few females also display a feint stripe. They have an elongated, diamond shaped body, which is laterally compressed. Their shapes also vary by species. They grow between 3cm to 15cm in length. Most are resilient fish and the larger species can live up to six years in an aquarium.

Diet

Rainbow fish are omnivorous and eat any live, fresh or flake food. The carotene dye in some pet store food can enhance their color.

Breeding

Eggs are laid perennially in their inhabited area. The fish breed easily and the fry are easy to rear. Rainbow fish breed especially after a water change, and spawn frequently in a community aquarium.

Facts about Rainbow fish you should know if they are kept in artificial fish tanks

This fish travel in schools of 8 to 10 fish. They fit best in larger fish tanks, since they require open space. Fish below 6cm can be kept in a 20 gallon aquarium, fish between 6cm and 12cm in a 50-60 gallon tank and fish from 12cm to 15cm must be kept in a 150-gallon tank. They require a quiet and soft-lighten environment.

Basic Facts about Oscar Fish

Characteristics: Oscar fish are characterized by their colorful body pattern and aggressive temperament. They can grow up to 40cm in length, weighing more than 1.5 kilograms.

Habitat: Oscar fish are found inhabiting in freshwaters of Amazon, La Plata and Orinoco.

Diet: Oscar fish are generally carnivores in nature. They primarily feed on small species of fish and live foods.

Types of Oscar Fish

Oscar fish have different types including:

• Red Oscar – It has huge red and crimson markings on either side of the body.
• Tiger Oscar – its body has orange and crimson markings on the top of chocolate brown base.
• Albino Oscar – this Oscar fish type has the same color pattern as tiger Oscar. The difference is that it has red base and splotches and the brown is replaced by ivory white coloring.

More Facts about Oscar for Kids

• Oscar fish are known to be intelligent types of fish.

• During mating season, Oscar fish are believed to change their colors. Full grown female Oscar fish can lay more than 1000 eggs at a time which hatch in the next 2 days.

• Although Oscar fish are known to be very adaptable species of fish, you still have to be careful when keeping it as an aquarium fish. The optimum pH level for Oscar fish should be around 7.2.

• With their aggressive temperament, it is not advisable to keep them in a tank together with small-sized species of fish. As much as possible, keep it together with fish larger or the same size as them.