Whether you are just starting to enter the world of taking care of fish, or have been doing it for a long time, there is always new information and new methods to ensure that your fish are well-taken-care-of. Before rushing in and buying a fish, you need to be sure that you are going to be able to provide a quality home for it and ensure that all its needs are met and that it has enough space to live comfortably. More importantly, however, if you already have fish and want to add a new species into the mix, you need to be certain that the two types of fish can handle living in the same space, or else you will wake up one day to find at least one of them dead. This is why researching different kinds of fish and their habitats is a necessary step before committing to buying more fish.
Before getting into what different types of fish can live together, there are some factors that you generally need to check out when you want to add a new type of fish to your aquarium.
1. The pH level of Water
While some types of fish can handle living together in water with a certain pH level, other fish may not be able to adapt well. This is why it is important to find out what pH level of water your fish require to live. If you want to buy more fish, then you need to find species that can live in the same pH level, or else you will need to get them another tank.
2. Type of Water
There are two main types of water; freshwater and saltwater. Each type accommodates a certain species of fish. If you have a fish that lives in saltwater, you cannot add a freshwater fish to the tank and expect it to be able to live, or vice-versa. The experts at FishLore.com break down the different fish species you can look after based on the type of water they live in. Finding out more about a fish and its habitat before you commit to buying it is the thoughtful and responsible thing to do for the sake of your fish’s health. After all, you do not want your fish to be miserable in their environment.
Now that you know the factors to account for, here are some of the fish species that can live in a tank with each other without an issue.
A- Freshwater Fish
Various types of freshwater fish survive together. However, you still need to check out information about their eating habits and the temperature they can live in. Even though two types of fish can live in freshwater and withstand the same levels of pH, they might not necessarily be able to live in the same water temperature.
1) Catfish
Catfish are a very peaceful species of fish that can be placed with many other freshwater species. Usually, they are placed in a tank for a specific function; they are known for being great for tank maintenance due to their scavenging abilities. There are different types of catfish, some of them are small, such as Corydoras catfish, while others can grow to become quite large and need to be kept in a relatively larger aquarium, such as the Chinese Algae Eater.
2) Bettas
Betta males are very colorful; however, they cannot handle living in the same tank if it is not big enough. Although female bettas are far less colorful than their male counterparts, you can group them with other fish without facing any issues. If you are set on having more than one male betta in the same tank, you need to ensure that the tank is big enough so they do not end up fighting for territory. Other than the males fighting for dominance, bettas are one of the most popular fish because of how beautiful they look. They certainly add a pop of color to your tank that will brighten up your day.
3) Guppies
Guppies are another fish species in which the male is much more colorful than the female. They are very popular in many home aquariums because of their smaller size. Female guppies are slightly larger than their male counterparts. However, guppies, in general, can live with other freshwater fish such as bettas and goldfish, but sometimes a larger goldfish will eat smaller guppies if you do not take the proper precautions.
4) Tetras
Tetras are one of the most peaceful species of fish. They adapt well to living in the same tank with all of the above-mentioned types of fish. They are quite colorful, too. Sometimes they are dubbed as neon tetras because of how bright they look.
B- Saltwater Fish
Unlike freshwater fish, most saltwater fish can live together in the same tank. This is because a lot of them have the same eating habits. That does not change the fact that learning more about each type of fish can give you insight into how much space they need, and whether they can live without being part of a school or not.
1) Clownfish
Clownfish, or as some may call them, Nemo fish, are quite popular. They can live with many different types of seawater fish well and are not as shy as others. Because of how popular they are, it is easy to care for them and find the food they need.
2) ButterflyFish
Butterflyfish require a bit of finesse, so you should research them well before you add one to your tank. There are many different subspecies of this type of fish and many of the subspecies have very specific food that they need. They deal well with other species, however, so they can co-exist with most seawater fish.
3) Tangs
Tangs are another great addition for a fish hobbyist, whether they are a beginner or not. Tangs are hardy and are quite unaggressive when dealing with other species. However, like bettas, they might fight with others of their species due to limited space. You must have enough space for them to move around without feeling crowded, if you plan on having more than one tang in your aquarium.
Now that you are aware of how you can decide for yourself whether a fish can live peacefully in the same tank as another fish, as well as some examples of different fishes that can coexist, you can start filling up your aquarium with the colorful creatures. Remember to constantly keep an eye on the properties of the fishes’ habitats. Not only does it affect their mood, but it can also affect their health. You can easily find more information about different kinds of fish before you commit to purchasing them so that you can create a diversified aquarium with lots of amazing selections.
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