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.