How to care for Silver Perch? Tank, food, breeding, and water needs.

Hello and thank you for your questions. Here is a helpful link about Blood Red Parrot Cichlids: https://www.petsmart.com/fish/live-fish/goldfish-betta-and-more/blood-red-parrot-cichlid-4034863.html Here's another link about cichlids in general: http://www.tetra-fish.com/fish-type-landing/cichlid.aspx These fish can grow to be large so you will want to start with a 30 gallon tank minimum. I recommend to start with 3-4 fish. These can be housed with other fish but they need to be within the same 'community'. Decorations are important because they give fish a place to hide. Provide a few large rocks, arches and covered areas where fish can hide. Then you can place the plants around the structures. Live plants can aide in providing healthy water. Tetra is a good fish food brand. They have been around a long time and have many varieties to chose from to meet your fish's needs. Make sure to supplement with fish as described in the article as well. Lastly, the frequency of water changes depends upon your tank including water hardness, number of fish, size of tank, filtration system and if live plants are present. A good rule of thumb is a 25% water change every 2 weeks. Cichlids may not be the best choice for a first time fish owner without doing some prior research. I recommend to read up on general aquarium care, cichlid care and to stop by your local aquarium store to discuss any issues specific to your location (such as water hardness, mineralizations within the local water or low/high pH levels). Local stores that specialize in fish and aquariums are often dialed into the local water and can provide a lot of helpful information. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Arowanas need large tanks due to their size. They also require powerful filtration to maintain water quality. Water changes will also be critical to water quality since they produce a lot of wastes. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. A home test kit should also be used to monitor water chemistry. Minimum tank size should be between 130 and 150 gallons. Adults will need larger tanks. Keep a cover in place as they are accomplished jumpers. They should be kept in "soft" water and, being tropical fish, maintain temps between 75 F and 86 F. Feed a varied and balanced diet including krill, shrimp, mealworms, nightcrawlers and feeder fish. Food can be fresh, frozen (thaw it first) or freeze dried. Lastly, these are aggressive fish, so tank mates must be chosen carefully, if at all.

Thanks for reaching out about you fish. It is believed to be a Comet goldfish. Water quality and nutrition is the key to success. Testing water parameter for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate will give you guidance for a healthy environment. Purchased food should be rotated out every 3 months as vitamin C and other nutrients degrade over time. Trying to maintain water temperature can be challenging with out a heater, but most fresh water fish tolerate some changes. Good luck.

Both species are excellent "beginner" fish and quite easy to care for. Your 20 gallon tank is a good size for about 6 to 8 fish of this species. 10 would be close to overcrowding the tank. Once your tank is properly cycled, you can add your fish. They are omnivorous and will readily eat flake, pellets, freeze dried and live foods. Chemistry should be monitored regularly and kept as follows: ammonia 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates 20ppm or less, pH about 7, water temperature between 76 F and 78 F. Provide moderate cover (hiding places). These fish are live bearers, so if you have male and female then expect fry (baby fish) at some point. If not separated, fry will likely be eaten by adults.

Without anything to use for scale, it is hard for me to tell how big your tank is, but in general it seems very small. Also, the water that is in the tank appears very cloudy right now, so that would be the first place to start. Water quality is very important, and will make or break your ability to house and care for fish. I would recommend getting a good filter system (you can visit a local pet store to assist you with brands in your area, as I am not familiar with what you can get in India). Be sure to bring the measurements (height, length, width) of your tank, or the gallons or liters so they can tell you what capacity of filter you will need. Everything else will depend on what types of fish you get - if you plan on getting multiple fish, they will need to be small - a general rule of thumb is one square inch of fish per gallon of water. Depending on the species you get, you may need to also get a bubbler to ensure there is enough oxygen in the water for them, and you will also likely need to get some sort of substrate for the bottom and cage furniture (different species have different air requirements, and some are secretive and like to hide). You may also need a water heater, depending on the species you would like to house. But, depending on how small your tank is, it may be hard to get a water heater that will fit. The food type will also depend on what species you get, as there can be differences in diet type between species. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck!

Males are much smaller than females. Males will reach sexual maturity between 3-4 years of age, females won't be ready until they are 5-6 years of age. You can check the vent of the fish. Males will have an oblong opening while the females will be more circular. In the springtime, mature females will become fat with roe (eggs). During this time of year, you can gentle massage the abdomen of an adult fish, if a milky substance comes out then you have a male. This is its sperm. You can follow this link to find information regarding breeding and the necessary supplies. http://www.aquablueseafoods.com.au/bass-breeding.shtml

Anything less than a 100 gallon tank would be insufficient for koi of your sizes. They can be fed as you feed outdoors. Filtration would be critical to maintain water quality. A combination of mechanical, biological and chemicals filtration would be required.