When choosing an aquarium, each of us first of all thinks about what volume to choose in order to ensure decent conditions for the existence of fish in it, as well as which types of them can be kept together, that is, to combine. Indeed, the compatibility of aquarium fish, the table of which will be presented below, is the most important thing when breeding them. This is the ability of two or more different species to interact with each other without compromising their growth and development. This quality will be discussed further.
Where to start
A newcomer who has just started to deal with such a difficult task as breeding aquarium fish should think about trying to buy an aquarium of small or even minimal sizes and buy those species that are unpretentious in maintenance.
It is best to populate the aquarium first with any one kind of fish, for example, roosters, gourami, cyclides or guppies. However, even special literature should be read about them in order to know the individual characteristics when growing each individual.
Such tactics will help to gain first experience and reduce the risk of failure to a minimum. At the same time, it is worth considering that in this case it will also be necessary to monitor the optimal readings of the water temperature and its chemical characteristics, carry out fluid replacement in the prescribed manner, and also purchase a filter for air supply and cleaning the aquarium. In general, there will be a lot of trouble until the whole process becomes a habit.
Once the basics are learned, the fish are healthy, and the water in the aquarium becomes optimal for their life, you can start breeding various types of these amazingly beautiful living creatures, taking as a basis the compatibility of aquarium fish, tables and information from professionals.
How to populate an aquarium correctly
For ease of understanding and ease of reading, usually when considering such a thing as compatibility of aquarium fish, the table helps to better understand all the difficulties.
Aquarium fish compatibility table | African cichlids | Barbs | Goldfish | Danio | Gourami |
African cichlids | Limited compatible | Limited compatible | Completely incompatible | Completely incompatible | Completely incompatible |
Barbs | Limited compatible | Fully compatible | Completely incompatible | Fully compatible | Fully compatible |
Goldfish | Completely incompatible | Completely incompatible | Fully compatible | Completely incompatible | Completely incompatible |
Danio | Completely incompatible | Fully compatible | Completely incompatible | Fully compatible | Fully compatible |
Gourami | Completely incompatible | Fully compatible | Completely incompatible | Fully compatible | Limited compatible |
Not all beginner aquarists understand that some fish can be calm and peaceful in their behavior, while others, on the contrary, are warriors for their territory. In addition, there are species that belong to the category of predators, and they can simply eat their peaceable neighbors, which will bring a lot of grief.
For example, if we consider the compatibility of aquarium fish (the table for the most common species is presented above), you can understand that piranha and electric eel can easily “kill” all the inhabitants of the aquarium, they can even confuse the owner with food, which is extremely unpleasant. Calm guppies will not live long in the same territory with aggressive and warlike cichlids. Goldfish cannot exist with zebrafish, gourami and scalaria, etc.
Reasons for incompatibility of aquarium fish
In addition to the above classifications of aquarium fish, it is also necessary to say about other possible reasons for incompatibility, such as:
the size of the fish (the larger its size and the possibility of growth, the greater the volume for life it requires);
optimal volume of water for one individual (can vary greatly depending on the species);
a large difference in the size of the aquatic inhabitants (leads to eating small fish);
the presence of bright fins (can lead to eating them by other neighbors).
To minimize the risk of death of aquarium inhabitants, it is necessary to make a preliminary calculation of the compatibility of fish, which will make their existence comfortable, and reproduction possible.
Aquarium fish classification by compatibility
As already mentioned, each type of fish needs special care. Nothing is said about this in the tables, because the compatibility table for aquarium fish species only subdivides them into three broad categories: fully compatible, completely incompatible and limited compatible. It contains general data and does not take into account important details.
Features of caring for aquarium fish
1. Large fish are more demanding to care for, they live longer, grow gradually, and their need for oxygen, food is also directly proportional to the increase in their size.
2. Small fish are less whimsical, but they, as a rule, can exist only in groups, they die alone.
3. Viviparous fish easily adapt to new conditions, breed freely in any aquarium, but require careful supervision of the fry, which should be evicted on time so that they are not eaten.
Thus, when studying such an indicator as compatibility of aquarium fish, the table helps to understand the most important thing - is it possible to populate these species at all together. However, this information is not enough to make the final decision, so the novice aquarist still needs to calculate compatibility and read additional information in order to find out as much as possible the individual characteristics of each individual and provide it with comfortable conditions for growth, development and reproduction. Only after such preliminary painstaking work can you be sure that the aquatic inhabitants of the aquarium will be fine in it.