1. Choosing the species for your Tropical tank By Jessica Hanley 2. The setup of a tank The Top Layer Fish: 1. Hatchet Fish 2. Kissing Gourami 3. Mickey Mouse Molly 4. Butterfly Fish 5. Blue Gourami Middle Layer Fish: 6. Tetras 7. Discus Fish 8. Emperor Tetra 9. Barbs 10. Guppies 11. Apple Snail 12. Angelfish 13. Silver Dollar Middle/Bottom Layer Fish: 14. Tracked Nerite Snail Bottom Layer Fish: 15. Catfish 16. Plecostomus (pleco) 17. Weather Loach 18. Plants 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 7.7. 8. 6. 9. 10.10. 1212.. 13. 11.11. 14. 15. 16. 18 . 17. 3. Top layer fish 4. Hatchet fish These are the smaller version of a butterfly fish and are very suitable for small tanks. They are a silver colour and have small wing like fins so that they can skim the surface of the water but is very susceptible to changes in the water. 5. Mickey mouse molly The Mickey Mouse Molly is named after the black spots on it`s tail resembling Mickey Mouse . They are one of the many fish in the molly family and are great fish for any aquarium. 6. PENCILFISH This pencilfish is triple striped black body filled with red inbetween and the dorsal fin has a red base. The head is white and triple black striped with a gold nose. 7. Dwarf pencilfish The dwarf pencilfish is the same as another pencilfish but the stripes are filled in with goldy silver. 8. Kissing gouramis Kissing Gouramis are named after their often large lips. They come in light pink and white with the same colour fins and occasionally they have a touch of purple. They are perfect for any aquarium. 9. Butterfly fish Butterfly fish got their name from their wing like fins and the way thy skim the surface of the tank water. They are good for a medium tank upward. 10. Middle layer fish 11. Blue gourami The blue gourami is a shimmering turquoise with silver stripes and whiskers. It is susceptible to water changes and is larger than a dwarf gourami. 12. Dwarf gourami The Dwarf Gourami is the same as a blue gourami but is striped with orangey red and is smaller. It is perfect for any aquarium but is very susceptible to changes in the water. 13. guppies Guppies are great fish perfect for any aquarium and are probably the most colourful variety of any tropical fish. They really add colour to any tank. They are very easy to take care of and are really hardy. Watch out for other fish taking bites out of their tail. It`s Nothing to worry about it`s just that the other fish might get too aggressive. (Actual Size is shown above) 14. Tetras 1. Black Widow Tetra 2. Neon Tetra, 3. Penguin Tetra, 4.Emperor Tetra, 2. 5. Black Neon Tetra, 6. Black Phantom Tetra, 7. Bleeding Heart Tetra Tetras come in all different colours and shapes but all are one of the smallest tropical fish. They all have great colours especially neon tetras but they can easily become a snack for a larger fish. They are very hardy and are great in shoals. 15. Discus fish This fish gets it`s name from it`s disc like shape and it has a very large variety of vibrant colours. It is not a beginner`s fish as it is very sensitive and is very susceptible to drastic changes in the water`s chemistry. 16. angelfish A very popular tropical fish that comes in a great variety of colours, shapes and sizes. They are very good fish for any tanks and are very hardy. They come in the colours: Gold Black Silver Red 17. Silver dollar The silver Dollar fish is large, round and silver. The silver dollar is a relative of the piranha and pacu. They are a peaceful species that live in schools. It`s life span is about 10 years. The name Silver Dollar includes a range of similar species in the same family. 18. Apple snail The Apple Snail is a large snail with a yellow shell. It can be considered a pest in the aquarium but will eat algae off the glass of your tank and will eat other snails that are definite fast breeders and potential pests if you don`t like snails in your tank. 19. barbs Barbs are a very hardy and popular species of aquarium fish that come in many different varieties of shape colour and size. The many different types in order from the above pictures are: Tiger Barb Two Dot Barb Tinfoil Barb Green Moss Barb Striped Barb Crystal Barb 20. Bottom layer fish 21. Green phantom Plecostomus A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This fish is a limey green or limey yellow with white spots on it`s forehead that are outlined with a darker green. This fish is good for a medium tank upwards. 22. bristlenose Plecostomus Size : 4 inches 24 cm A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This plecostomus is black with greeny white spots and a stripey tail and fins. This fish is good for any tank. 23. Starlight bristlenose pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This Pleco is black with a smattering of perfect circular dots of white and has thick tips of white on the dorsal and tail. Size : 7 inches 18 cm 24. Common Plecostomus A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This fish comes in brown and bayshe. Size : 1 2 feet 25. Tiger peckoltia A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. It`s colour is black patterned with orange. Size: 12cm 5 inches 26. Royal pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco is grey with normally red eyes and black patterning. Size : 17 inches 14 cm 27. Vampire pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco is completely smattered with white spots. (You`ll be able to tell this apart from white spot as this plecos natural colouring is thicker and more circular). Size : 10 inches 24 cm 28. Leopard frog pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. These plecos come in bright yellow or white with thick black patterning. 29. Candy striped pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco is a dull black with dull yellow `candy` stripes. Size : 4 inches 10 cm 30. LoricariidaeA plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. These plecos are silver with sharp black patterning that is often resembling scales. Size : 6 inches 15 cm 31. Gold nugget pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco has perfect circular spots that are gold (hence the name) and have gold tips on all fins but the tips on the dorsal and tail fins are thicker. Size : 6 8 inches 32. Clown pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco is a blackish brown with a creamy orange patterning. 33. King tiger pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco is black with white patterns covering it`s body. Size : 34. Snowball pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. These plecos are covered in perfect circular white spots. Size : 6 inches 16 cm 35. Dojo Weather loach Dojo Weather Loach swims around on the gravel feeling with their whiskers for food. Occassionally they will enter the middle layer of the tank and use their tail to move themselves through the water. 36. Pictus catfish The Pictus Catfish is a bottom dweller fish with long whiskers and silver colouration and an almost leopard print pattern of black spots covering it`s body. 37. Emerald catfish Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. These catfish are a metallic green on the body with a white belly and bronze head and fins. 38. Glass catfish These are catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. These fish are see through and are striped by thin black lines with large whiskers and silver heads. 39. Leopard catfish/corydora Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This cory is whitish silver with a dull sharp black pattern resembling leopard print and semi-circle stripes on it`s tail. 40. Columbian zebra pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This small pleco with a black body and a creamy white pattern on it`s body with the same coloured stripes on it`s fin. 41. Columbian spotted pleco A plecostomus is a great fish to have in your tank. One pleco can keep most of an entire tank free from algae and is a great way of keeping your tank clean. This pleco is a dull yellow with a black dull pattern. 42. Corydoras trilineatus Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This fish is whitey silver with a black patterned head and a striped tail. 43. Panda corydoras Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This catfish is a light bronze with black at the base of it`s tail and a black top fin and eye stripe. 44. Salt and pepper cory Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This cory has a silver body with black patches on it`s fins and body. 45. Sterbai Cory Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This fish has slightly orange fins with a silver bosy and a black dotted and striped pattern. 46. Leopard/sailfin pleco These plecostomus can become massive so when buying plecos always be careful to what type of fish you are purchasing. These fish come in brown with darker spots resembling leopard print or are solid colours with visible scales and a visibly enlarged dorsal fin hence sailfin and leopard. Size : 20 inches 24 cm 47. Dwarf cory Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This catfish is a light bronze with a black stripe that fades in the middle down it`s body. 48. Julii corydoras Corydoras or corys are small catfish that help clean the tank by scavenging the gravel for dirt and food. This fish`s pattern is silver with long shaped black dots in a pattern with a black stripe on the tail and a striped tail fin. 49. Tropical Water plants 50. tropical plant rooted in wood This plant attached to wood is normally used in cichlid tanks as it stains the water a natural tea colour of the Amazon river. 51. Tropical plant (unknown) This plant is good for fish to nibble on when they are peckish and is good for the fish to hide in the base aswell as keeping tank in general in good shape. 52. Tropical plant (unknown) This plant is good for fish to hide in and their young/fry to hide from other fish and again helps the chemistry in the tank. 53. Amazon sword This is an Amazon Sword Plant and this plant is probably good for keeping the chemistry in a tank and for fish to lay eggs on but apart from this it is an ornamental plant. 54. anubia The best temperature this plant should be kept at is 71- 81F . It has large leafy leaves and is a great ornamental plant. 55. anacharis This plant is great for small fry to hide in from other larger fish. It as all plants do, keeps the tanks chemistry balanced. 56. Aquatic Banana plant/banana lillies It has large roots and large arrow like leaves perfect for fish to lay eggs on and the roots provide a perfect hiding place. 57. hornwort This plant is great for small fry to hide in from other larger fish. It as all plants do, keeps the tanks chemistry balanced. 58. Java fern This fern is probably the best plant for hiding small fish and their eggs and fry. It grows in small clumps and has small blade like green leaves. 59. Java moss Java moss is like an underwater version of normal moss and can possibly carpet your entire tank. It is good for fish to ide in and can use fish waste as a fertiliser. 60. Onion plant / dwarf onion plant The onion plant has long thin leaves and a large root at the bottom of the plant. 61. wisteria This plant is great for small fry to hide in from other larger fish. It as all plants do, keeps the tanks chemistry balanced. 62. Thankyou for watching For more info on caring for your pets visit or click on : Petcare.drupalgardens.com Fantastic Furries