What is a Community Aquarium?

A Community Aquarium is a fish tank that contains a diverse group of fish, rather than just one type. Although there is no question that a tank full of the same species of fish, such as Guppies or Neon Tetras, can be very attractive, it still is far more interesting to have an aquarium that houses several species of tropical fish at once.

Equipment

First you’ll need a proper enclosure, and the very best enclosure for your Community Aquarium is the common fish tank available at almost any pet shop. Fish tanks come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Choose the one that’s best suited for the location you’ve picked out in your home. A complete 10-gallon beginner’s setup can be purchased at a pet shop for a very reasonable price. Once you’ve settled on a fish tank, you’ll also need aquarium gravel (choose a color that coincides with your home’s color scheme, or maybe even just your favorite color!), a cover with lights, a tank stand, filter, decorative rocks, scenery and plants (live or plastic), a fishnet, heater and thermometer.

Getting Ready

Wash the fish tank with lukewarm water only, using your hands to agitate the water along the sides and bottom. Make sure to pay particular attention to the corners and bottom edges. Rinse the dust and dirt out and repeat until clean. Wash the gravel pretty much the same way.

First pour the gravel into a large clean bowl, bucket or even a colander if the gravel is big enough not to fall through the spaces, and wash the gravel with lukewarm water. Use your hand to agitate the water and gravel so that dirt and particulates are loosened and washed away. Do not use soaps or detergents of any kind because even the tiniest residue can be very harmful to your fish. If you are using an under gravel filter, now would be a good time to set it up and place it in your tank according to the instructions. Now gently add the gravel to your aquarium tank, sloping it towards the front. This allows for uneaten food and detritus to accumulate where it is more easily seen and removed. Now that the gravel’s in you can decorate your aquarium using the items that you’ve purchased for that purpose.

Make sure to place the larger objects to the rear so as to provide an unobstructed view. Resist the temptation to add any of those attractive or unusual rocks, shells, or pieces of driftwood that you’ve collected yourself. Even if they look clean, chances are good that they may be contaminated with any number of harmful things like pesticides, chemicals, or animal matter. Once you’re finished with the decorating, it’s time to fill your aquarium with water. The best water to use, of course, is water that is free of chemicals. Buying enough bottled water to fill your aquarium however can get kind of expensive.

An acceptable solution would be to “age” ordinary tap water by covering it and letting it sit for a couple of days until the chlorine and/or other chemicals evaporate or settle to the bottom, then the water would be safe to use. When filling your aquarium use your hand or, if one of your decorations includes a sturdy rock use it, to break and deflect the fall of water into the tank, otherwise the force of the water will scatter gravel, plants, etc. all over the place. Be sure not to fill the aquarium all the way to the top.

Fill your tank a little more than ¾ of the way full, this allows for the displacement of the water when you add your fish. At this point it’s time to assemble and/or then attach the heater, the outside filter (if you’re using on instead of or in tandem with an under gravel filter), and the light fixture(s). After all that’s done, snap the thermometer into place and you’re ready to go. Almost.

Environment

Turn the filter(s) on and get it going. Ideally, you should have the filter running for 24 hours before you introduce any fish to the tank. Once the 24 hours are up, then you should turn the heater on and adjust the thermostat setting. Remember, these are tropical fish so the water temperature should be kept at a balmy 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Now it’s time to get a little scientific.

You have to make sure the pH of your aquarium’s water is right for your fishes. A pH of 6.6 to 7.6 is best. In case you’re wondering, pH is the measurement used to determine how acidic or alkaline the water is. If there’s too big a difference between your aquarium’s pH and the pH of the water your fish came from at the pet shop, the fish will suffer and sicken. You can buy inexpensive pH kits from your pet shop that not only allow you to test your water’s pH, but that also contain the safe chemicals needed to adjust it.

The fish

Once you’ve bought your fish, don’t introduce them into your aquarium right away. Place the entire unopened bag(s) containing the water and fish into your aquarium and just let them float there for about 30 minutes; until the temperature of the water in the bag is the same as the temperature of the water in your tank. This way your fish won’t suffer shock from a drastic change in temperature. Finally, open each bag and slowly empty the contents into your aquarium. Each fish, or species of fish, will make its way around your aquarium and explore until it finds where it feels most comfortable. Some of the best fish for a Community Aquarium are:

• Tetras (any kind)
• Barbs (any kind)
• Danios (any kind except the Giant Danio)
• Gouramis (any kind)
• Guppies (any kind)
• Swordtails (any kind)
• Platys (any kind)
• Angelfish (except for those really big ones!)
• Mollies (any kind)
• Corydoras (any kind)
• Algae Eater (any kind)

Summary

Now that you have your Community Aquarium all set up, you’ll enjoy many hours watching the interaction between these different fish. If conditions are good, some of them may even breed in your aquarium. Just remember, big fish will eat little fish, even cute little just-hatched baby fish. So if breeding does take place, you may want to set up a separate tank as a sort of nursery, or just add more plants and hiding places to your existing aquarium and let the little ones fend for themselves. Speaking of eating, don’t overfeed your fish, that is the number one cause of problems in any type of aquarium. Fish will eat until they make themselves sick, and any uneaten food will just drift to the bottom where it will decay and pollute the water. Setting up your aquarium carefully at the outset, along with a little regular housekeeping, will help you to enjoy your fascinating community of diverse fish for years to come.