Some fish prefer warm water to cold. These fish, whether freshwater tropical fish or shallow water marine fish, like to have their aquarium water kept between 78˚F and 82˚F. Keeping a warm water aquarium is a bit of a challenge and is recommended for those fish owners that have a little bit of experience owning fish. Keeping a warm water tank requires an aquarium heater (or two, depending on tank size), excellent filtration, and lots of patience.
Danios –
Boisterous and beautiful, this is a fish that brings excitement to the freshwater aquarium. They are easy to keep, hardy, and adaptable. They are a schooling fish and do best in groups of at least three, preferably five or more. Ideally they will be placed in a tank that is long so they have room to swim. Danios love to have a current to swim against so a filter that provides a good current is an excellent idea. They are exuberant, which can be trying for your less active fish.
Swordtails and Platys –
Swordtails and Platys are similar to Mollies and Guppies and some of the most common aquarium fish. They are incredibly hardy and live-bearing, which can be quite exciting and interesting if you ever decide to breed fish. They are small but beautiful, often with long, flowing tails. Swordtails have a spike-like protrusion that resembles a sword extending from their tail, which is why they have the name swordtail.
Barbs –
Barbs are an instant hit in your fish tank. They are small but flashy and incredibly energetic, which means they can be a bit of a problem for slower moving fish. Barbs tend to enjoy schooling and are easy to care for. They are happy to eat flake food and come in a variety of colors and patterns.
Angelfish –
Freshwater angelfish hail from the warm waters of South America. They are triangularly shaped, pressed thin and camouflaged so they can hide amongst the roots and plants of the rivers before ambushing their prey. Highly sought after, they bring the beauty of a marine fish to the freshwater tank. Be careful, however, as this is a semi-aggressive fish that will attack and eat smaller fish such as Tetras. They prefer a tank that is well planted and should be fed a mixture of live or frozen and flake foods; be careful not to overfeed as Angelfish will eat themselves to death.
Tetras –
Tetras are small, warm water, tropical aquarium fish. They are only about two inches long and prefer to school; they do best in groups of five or six. Tetras give lots of color and excitement to the tank, are easy to care for, and come in a variety of types and colors. Often considered the ideal starter fish, they are excellent for anyone looking to start a warm water aquarium. They are an omnivorous fish, which means they’ll eat just about anything offered. Most Tetras are perfectly happy to munch on flake food.
