Have you seen bright yellow fish with black spots? How about colorful blue fish with red stripes? Tropical fish come in brilliant colors and beautiful patterns.
WHERE DO TROPICAL FISH LIVE?
Tropical fish live in warm water. Most kinds of tropical fish live in salty ocean water. Some kinds live in freshwater lakes and rivers. Tropical fish swim in waters off the coasts of Africa, Central America, South America, and India. You can also find them near Caribbean Islands and in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
You can see tropical fish by diving down to a reef. To go underwater, you wear scuba gear. A tank of air lets you breathe underwater, and a mask lets you see. Or you can float on the water and watch tropical fish in a shallow reef. For this, you wear a mask and a breathing tube called a snorkel.
You can also see tropical fish in tanks at aquariums. You can buy tropical fish in pet stores. Many people collect colorful tropical fish as a hobby. They keep the fish in tanks at home.
IS IT HARD TO KEEP TROPICAL FISH?
Most tropical fish are relatively hardy and easy to raise, and they all require about the same equipment, feeding, and care. There are, however, a few species that require special care. The store where you buy the fish should be able to tell you.
The basic materials used for keeping tropical fishes are a tank or other container, a heater, gravel, and water plants. If the aquarium is kept simple, these materials are relatively inexpensive to buy. All pet stores sell dried fish foods that provide an almost perfectly balanced diet for most fishes.
It’s important not to give pet fish too much food. The fish have to be able to eat the food in just a few minutes. Food they cannot eat falls to the bottom of the tank and rots. The rotting food can make pet fish sick.
WHAT KINDS OF TROPICAL FISH DO PEOPLE KEEP?
Most people who keep tropical fish in home aquariums prefer freshwater varieties. Freshwater fish are easier to take care of than saltwater fish. Tetras and guppies are both popular freshwater aquarium fish. They are about an inch (3 centimeters) long.
The neon tetra has a silvery body with red, green, and blue stripes on its sides. Male guppies come in rainbow tints with black spots. Female guppies are grayish green. You can keep one or two guppies in a simple glass bowl. Older guppies will eat guppy babies. Baby guppies must be put in tanks away from the grownup fish.
Angelfish have large fan-shaped fins that look like an angel’s wings. These saltwater fish live in tropical reefs and come in many colors. Some angelfish live in fresh water. Freshwater angelfish have silvery bodies with black stripes. Both kinds are popular for home aquariums.
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