Freshwater Fish Glossary
Aquarium plants
Plants have always been an indispensable part of the freshwater aquariums. They not only make the aquariums look beautiful but also keep them healthier for the animals that stay in it by creating a natural environment. They also help out the fishes with their hiding places and sometimes act as their food. Ferns and mosses are the most common type of plants that connect themselves with the rocks with their roots. Plants with rosette shape like Cryptocorynes, Duckweed, and Water Hyacinth etc are runners and need some extra care than the others. Then there are stem plants as well which are hardy enough to fit in anywhere inside the freshwater aquarium. Anacharis, Hygrophila, Brazilian Pennywort, Wisteria, Japanese Rush etc are few of them.
Characins
The Characins are also known as the schooling fish and this is a good idea to keep them in community aquariums. There are some of them who are predatory in nature like the Piranhas. But the rest are peaceful but carnivorous. There are Characins who eat mud. These fishes are considered the oldest species in their order. In fact it is said they originated in the Mesozoic age which was about 150 to 80 million years back. Now they are commonly found in central and South America and Africa. They have scales and teeth along with the Adipose fin. They like to live in clear but little acidic water. So in the fresh water aquarium there should be some arrangement of creating artificial current in the water. Their food can be bloodworms, shrimps or black worms.
Cichlid
The Cichlids are the species that shows of various shapes of body and different behavior. There are Cichlids which look like disks and some of the African Cichlids are cylindrical in shape. They are quite agile and energetic in nature. Some of them are vibrantly colorful and they often grow into large interesting specimens in a huge tank. In fact they are sometimes pretty amiable and keep nagging for food from their owner. Generally they are found in Some Asian countries apart from South America and Africa. They are predators and prefer to eat the worms, larvae of different insects or smaller fishes. They become aggressive at the breeding time.
Freshwater Eels
Though the freshwater eels are not the real eels but still they are collectively known as eels. Their body is elongated just like the actual eels and the food habit also resemble the real ones. They are solitary in nature and look for a corner to hide them. They do not bear any pelvic or dorsal fins and have open gill slits. Their length can vary within 30 to 90 Cms. The adult ones are too large to be accommodated in small aquariums at home. They become active when the darkness falls. They are carnivores and their chief foods are fishes, worms, larvae of mosquitoes and crustaceans. They are hardy enough to get adapted in the aquariums. You need to feed them several times every week. They are good at jumping and are able to breathe the outer air. Though they often hide inside the holes but they will require a lot of space to swim. But make sure there is no hole in the aquarium as they can make it to escape.
Gold fish
Gold fish is probably the most popular freshwater fish that is found in all aquariums. They can be easily found in the shops and are quite easy to keep. In fact you can keep a gold fish or two in a large bowl and they will accommodate themselves quite easily. Their activities are quite interesting to watch. They are basically the offspring of a specific type of wild carp. They are the oldest pets and were first found in China. They should be kept in cold water with a temperature of 22° C. There are over 125 types of Gold fishes found. In fact there are some hardy species of gold fish which can bear the temperature a little more then the freezing temperature of water.
Labyrinth Fish
The most popular aquarium categories of Labyrinth fish are the Paradise Fish and the Siamese Fighting fish. The specialty of these fishes is that they are capable of breathing the air from outside when the water they are residing in gets polluted or deficits in oxygen. They have accessory breathing organ that is called the labyrinth. This organ contains blood vessels which allow them to exchange oxygen through direct absorption. In the aquarium where they are kept bubbles are observed which are formed because of their breathing technique. The male labyrinth fishes take care of their eggs keeping them inside the bubble nest which is a unique example of parental care.
Hillstream Loaches
The Hillstream Loaches are also called the river loaches. They have a typical mouth that looks like a sucker. This is the reason why they are named the "Sucker Belly Loaches". Though they are generally found in the rivers or streams but some of the species is also found in the caves. In fact they have gone through some adaptations to combat the adverse situations. This is why they are able to accommodate themselves in all types of aquariums. But it would be better to keep them in an aquarium which is shaped like a river. You can put a number of stones inside the aquarium and the water should be cold for them to feel comfortable. They are small in size and come with various shapes. They can cling to the rocks and some of them are devoid of scales. They are omnivorous and can eat shrimps, worms etc apart from the frozen or granular food.
Kill fish
These fishes are quite diverse in nature and are good specimen to keep in a freshwater aquarium. They are interesting to look at and the looks are spectacular. Apart from the colors the designs and patterns on their body are quite beautiful. But the male fishes are more vibrant compared to which the females look dull. They have a flattened head and long curved teeth. Their scales are round in shape. They are excellent at swimming and often prefer to swim at the upper surface of the water. Their body is slender and shaped like a pike. There are some species of kill fishes that are strong enough to survive in an aquarium easily. But some are there which are too delicate and cannot survive if all their requirements are not fulfilled. Most of the kill fishes are carnivores and feed on worms, larvae or crustaceans. Some are omnivorous that eat algae.
Knife fish
The looks of the knife fishes often resemble their name. Still they are attractive enough to be kept in an aquarium. There are two types of knife fishes. They are Osteoglossiforms and Gymnotiformes. The Osteoglossiforms have a long fin which is actually joined anal and caudal fin. They can become adequately large and the size can start from 8 inches and go up to 5 feet. The Gymnotiformes contain six families which include sand knife fishes, glass knife fishes etc. Some of them come with a body shaped like an eel. They have a special electric organ which can create a mild electric field. They are nocturnal and predatory in nature and live on crustaceans, insects etc.
Rainbow fish
Their name tells that they are available in vibrant colors and are obviously good specimen to be kept in a freshwater aquarium. They are simply gorgeous to look at and at the same time are easily adaptable to the environment of the aquarium. They will fall sick very rarely and also breeds inside the aquarium. They are peaceful enough to be kept with others. The shape of their body is elongated; colors are variable in different species. They are omnivores and can grow from 6 cms to 15 cms.
Perches and perch-like fish
The perches are not really common as an aquarium specimen. They can grow into very large species. They belong to the order perciformes. This is probably the biggest order of the fishes. Most of these fishes are brackish but there are exceptions as well. The examples of this order are Glass fishes, Sunfishes, Flashers, Archer fishes etc.