Care of Each Species

Select Aquatics of Erie, CO


	Care of Each Species

    None of the fish offered through Select Aquatics is particularly difficult to keep. There are a few with a reputation for being
    challenging to maintain or breed, but are very hardy and willing to breed as any other species by addressing a few variables.
    Each of the practices addressed are specific to this fishroom. Tap water is 7.4pH, 90 ppm, ambient temperature is 74-78
    summer, and 68-74 winter. Heaters are used selectively, and water is changed 15% per day. For more information on this
    fishroom, see Fishroom, Fishkeeping Tips 1 and Plants. Following this are more specific guidelines regarding each species.

   When considering temperature, swordtails are kept slightly warmer, up to 78 degrees, and goodeids are kept slightly cooler, never
    passing 76 degrees if possible. Both are kept above 70 degrees. When keeping them, water changes of 20% per week
    should be adequate. Here at Select Aquatics the fish are fed a variety of dry foods, Baby Brine Shrimp (BBS), daphnia raised in
    outdoor tubs, and chopped earthworms. At a minimum, all fish are fed 2-4 times per day with two dry food feedings and regular live
    or frozen food per day. However, all will do fine and breed with a good quality dry food fed at least once daily, occasional live foods
    and regular water changes of at least 20% weekly.

    Though the pages and references throughout the site may change for various species as they go in and out of availability, all of
    the care guides for all of the species ever sold by Select Aquatics will stay linked from this page for long term reference and
    convenience.

A few tips:

    Fry generally do better when raised in slightly warmer temperatures. They will eat more vigorously, grow more quickly, and get
    past their most fragile stages quickly. Livebearer fry can be raised at 78-80, goodeid fry 75-77.

    Feeding is done 2-3 times per day, making two passes, about 5 minutes apart, through the fishroom each feeding.

    Always cover a new tank containing a gravid female. Also be sure to cover the tank when fish are new to the environment.
    Swords in particular will jump when put into in a new, especially confining body of water. Once established, they generally won’t
    jump, especially if a layer of floating plants such as riccia or duckweed are present. Killiefish keepers, however, ALWAYS
    cover your tanks!

    Provided you have the tank space, it is best to allow a female that has just dropped fry to spend a few days away from the
    other adults to recuperate.