Building a Community Aquarium

Community Aquariums

A community aquarium is one in which several species can safely cohabitate. It also includes a collection of various plant specimens. All of the different species and varieties in a community aquarium can thrive and get along together, but do not necessarily share the same origins or geographic regions. If you are considering creating a co-inhabited fish tank of your own, there is some planning in consideration that needs to go into your set-up and choice of fish.

Planning your fish tank

Make sure you have a clear idea of what you want your tank to look like before you start to create your community. You also need a good understanding of the tank's basic set up and maintenance needs. The goals of having a community aquarium involve providing your fish with a healthy, stable, and stress free environment as well as harboring a beautiful display of your plants and fish.

Equipment

Having the proper equipment is essential for tank upkeep. Larger tanks tend to make for better communities because you are afforded more choice in fish species and a greater amount of fish that you can keep. Larger aquariums are also better for your finned friends because they have the benefit of more stable biology and fluctuations in water chemistry are slower to appear. All community aquariums require

· Filters
· Heaters
· Lighting
· Cover

Selecting your fish

The basic idea to keep in mind when stocking your community aquarium is that you want to pick fish that have the same wants needs. This means including fish with the same pH hardness and temperament. You will also want to select fish that inhabit different layers or regions of the tank including bottom, middle, and top dwellers.

Bringing them home

Your community tank cannot be overcrowded. A general guideline for fish capacity in a tank is between half to one inch of full grown fish per gallon of water. Make sure you let the tank go through a biological cycle by first putting in a small amount of hardy fish and letting the bacteria colonize the aquarium.

For more information on community aquariums, or for questions on general fish health and upkeep, visit your local Boston vet clinics at www.bostonveterinarianclinics.com