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Sailfin mollies are beautiful creatures with metallic colors. The males are blue-green with orange and black fins. The female sailfin mollies are have bluish grey fins. These fish are characterized by their long and high dorsal fins.

Aquarium conditions: Sailfin mollies enjoy warm water. The temperature should be between 73 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit with a pH between 7.5 and 8.2. You should have many plants in the aquarium because these bizarre fish enjoy plant life. You should also regularly add salt to the water to promote the growth algae because these are omnivorous creatures.

Feeding: These bizarre fish will eat live bait, but enjoy vegetables as well. You can add some zucchini, peas or spinach to their tanks. You can leave algae in the tank because the sailfin mollies will eat it.

African lungfish are another group of bizarre fish people might want to own. They are generally bottom dwellers and in their natural habitat, feed on animals from the bottom of the sea such as mussels, small fish and worms. When you first buy your African lungfish, it may just be a few inches to a foot long. These fish can grow up to 10 feet, so make sure you have a big enough tank.

Aquarium conditions: These fish like quiet and dim areas. They are commonly found in the Zaire River basin, so try to emulate that type of environment. The water should be around 75 degrees and have fresh mud in the tank. It can thrive in different water conditions, but try to keep it constant. Keep fish that need the same environment with the African lungfish for optimal results.

Feeding: These fish tend to prey on other small animals. You should feed it worms or lean meats. You can also give it beef heart.

Piranhas aren’t everyone’s favorite fish. They are well known for biting its prey with its razor sharp teeth. They are an interesting fish to own, though, if you are looking for bizarre fish. If you are just starting out in the fish world, don’t get piranhas. They might bite your hand if you are not careful. Also, try not to have too many other fish with your piranha. They can be very aggressive fish and territorial.

Aquarium conditions: Piranhas are found in the Amazon and need to have warm water to thrive. Keep the tank around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You need a heater and a thermometer to keep track of the water. Be careful not to overheat the tank because if it gets too hot it can result in oxygen deprivation. The other thing about piranhas is that you need to clean the tank often. These bizarre fish are messy. You need a good filter to keep the water from getting toxic.

Feeding: Piranhas will eat just about anything. It’s important to give the piranhas a varied diet. Most frozen fish foods are good for piranhas. They also eat vegetables. You should try to give piranhas different foods to eat to try to make their contained environment feel as much as the natural environment as possible. Piranhas only need to be fed once a day.

Water Conditions

Sailfin Mollies prefer to dwell in warm climates. The water temperature should be set at 73 and no higher than 82 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the water density should be around the same as the Ph balance. You should add up to 3 teaspoons of salt with 10 liters of water and replace the water regularly with fresh water. The fish dwells well in substrate areas, comfortably furnished environments, good lights, and human and detritus at the bottom of the tank. Plants attract this fish as well.

Feed:

The fish will eat live bait, vegetable matters on occasion, and foods that relate to his omnivorous nature. The fish has schooling and lively nature that makes him feel comfortable in social surroundings. The male fish do not like to gather; therefore, you may want to separate the fellers. The fish require natural habitats where fish of their own kind reside.

African Lungfish are snake like critters, which come from the family of protopteridae. The fish are named under the Protopterus Dolloi. These fish are commonly found in the Zaire River Basin. The fish has joining anal, dorsal, and caudal fins, which form at the tail area. In addition, the fish has pelvic fins, as well as pectorals that resemble threads. Most African Lungfish are darker brown, which changes slightly during maturity. The fish grows at 2 feet and up to 10 feet.

Water Conditions

Lungfish enjoy quiet environments. The fish adapt to dense creek areas, which include running waters. The fish also enjoy dry seasons at various times. The water temperature should be set at 72 degrees Fahrenheit and not above 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The fish should have fresh dry mud supplied at all times. The water desired is hardness, as well; the fish can dwell under radical conditions. This particular fish requires a lower volume of oxygen; therefore only house him with compatible creatures.

Feed:

This fish comes from the wild, therefore he will prey on fish that move in the waters slowly, snails, worms, mussels, and so on. You can feed him beef heart, or related lean meats to break him in, and stripped fish. You want to make sure the water is flowing at all times. This fish differs from many other fish, in that it will care for its young, as well as the spawns.

Serrasalmus Rhombeus

This fish group is commonly known as the Spotted Piranha and White Piranha. The piranhas were taken captive out of the Amazon Basins and South America waters. Piranhas grow up to 10 inches in size, yet in captivity, the largest piranhas grow six inches in size. If you’re just starting in fish care and aquarium upkeep, avoid this fish. Piranhas should not be held in captive tanks where passive fish dwell. Piranhas typically have deep pressed body. The body has silvery or olive green colors. The piranhas have razor sharp teeth, which they will make good use of to devour, or tear prey, including human hands or flesh. Piranhas resemble bulldogs, yet the fish have a lower jaw lines will threaten all approaching parties. Piranhas are aggressive fish. The fish will dine on large or small fish without a problem. Brachydanio is another group of fish we can consider.

When choosing to keep carnivorous Characidae, there are some things you will want to keep in mind. First and foremost, be aware that anything smaller than the Characidae will be considered food. And mixing other aggressive carnivores will only lead to one or the other being eaten. You will want to keep herbivorous fish that are much larger with Characidae. They will generally leave anything bigger than themselves alone, and the herbivore will not be interested in attacking unless provoked. In contrast to the piranha, which has similar jaws and eating habits, a Characidae will attack both alone and in schools. Piranha tend to attack only in schools. But the effect either type can have on your hand is similar, so be careful. These kind of fish are definitely not recommended for the beginner.

Carnivorous Characidae will eat pretty much any kind of meat. Worms, smaller fish (a lot of dangerous fish keepers will stock the aquarium with several small, cheap fish so the predator has something to hunt), etc. Try to avoid giving them a taste for red meat, and do not put your hands into the tank while feeding them.

Characidae live in the brackish waters of South and Central American rivers. Lots of peat and vegetable matter contribute to hazy waters and a PH leaning towards acidic. When properly kept, Characidae will breed in captivity, leaving eggs that stick to the bottom of the aquarium. They will eat their young however, so if you are going to attempt to breed Characidae be prepared to move either the adults or the young into a separate aquarium right after hatching.

Serrasalmus Rhombeus, also know as white piranha or spotted piranha, are another favorite of people who like to keep dangerous fish. Like Characidae, piranha are from South America, in the Amazon Basin. They can grow up to 10 inches long in the wild, but most aquarium-raised piranha only grow to around 6 inches. As with Characidae, piranha are not for the beginner. As one of the most aggressive fishes, they cannot be kept with other fish. Their most prominent feature is the over-sized jaw, with rows of needle-sharp teeth. Piranha have been known to tear apart aquariums with those teeth. When netting a piranha, you must use extreme caution to keep your hands away from the fish at all times. They will attack and shred your hand without hesitation if you let them. In the wild, a school of piranha can reduce an entire cow to bones in a matter of seconds, so your hand is just a little snack for them.

Piranha eat meat, of course. They will attack and eat any other fish they are kept with. Some of the nicer things about keeping piranha include their relative indifference to water conditions, and that they will not breed in a tank. This prevents schools of piranha from appearing in your tanks. They will eat each other in captivity, especially if there are no other fish to attack. Piranha are extremely aggressive and dangerous, and should only be kept by experienced keepers.

Aquarium fish which is small is usually of bright colors and feed on fish flakes more than fish meat. They could range from angel fish to tetras and are chosen for decorative purposes due to their shine which reflects a bright silver under the particular aquarium lights. The fish species are simple and no fun to watch as they have no personality. These fishes are suitable for decoration and for simple aquarium set ups and usually people wanting a tank with low maintenance go for it.

It is a bit more difficult to maintain the larger fish like African fish and cichlids. But they generally are sturdier fish so their mortality rate is very low compared to other smaller weak fish. The main attraction or rather the problem of cichlids is however their cannibalism. They will gobble up the smaller fish in the tank in no time at all. If you feed them anything less than fish meat, they will not like it. Cichlids have different types and their looks also differ. Oscars which find personal favor with many people; can be red, tiger or albino. Then there are jaguar cichlids as well as black belts, and so the list goes on. These fish types need a lot of gravel cleaning and filter since they create lots of waste. Cichlids’ breeding pair costs a lot of money! Cichlids are generally the more expensive fish as they are larger (one tank can accommodate 5-6 cichlids and one half foot Oscar). One thing to remember is that these fish prefer to arrange the tank just the way they like it. So initially though the tank caters to your taste, it won’t stay the same for long. There is so much more to know about cichlids which have a distinct personality.

So the type of fish that you should get for your aquarium depends on the purpose of your getting the aquarium. Decorative small tanks need decorative small aquarium fish. But if you have a bigger tank, you should get bigger fish. Put in some larger fish and see the fun you will have watching them!

The Characidae is a member of the Ostariphysi species. This fish has small adipose or connective tissues, known as fins. Their jaws have teeth. Their weberian small bony structure (Ossicles), link to the bladder area and also the inner part of the fish’s ear. The Characidae originate from Central and South America, but some may also be found in other smaller parts of the world, like Central Africa. There are two types of these fish which you can purchase, i.e. the carnivorous or the omnivorous ones. Carnivores feast on meat whilst omnivores prefer vegtables and/or animals. Characidae fish are predominantly herbivores so it is best to avoid this variety, as your aquarium will be virtually destroyed once this fish has nibbled its’ way through your tank.

By choosing the Characidae, you should avoid having other, smaller fish in the tank like the Angelfish, Fighters and others, as the Characidae like to gnaw at smaller object with their teeth. This includes eating other fish. Piranhas are from freshwater and also South America, and they are very similar to the Characidae species, in that they have sharp teeth. The piranhas’ strong jaws makes them dangerous, very much like the Characidae, and are categorised as a predatory species. In large groups, they like to attack their prey. The Characidae attack in groups as well as on their own – they have jaws and teeth which make easy work at ripping apart a terrestial species in such a short time. As a beginner at keeping an aquarium, avoid buying this species and the piranhas.

Feeding the Characidae

They mostly enjoy meats so feed them worms, etc.

What Type of Water is Best for Them

Soft swampy waters are ideal for the Characidae, as they can breed easier, by laying their eggs on the bottom of the tank as they will stick there. You should be aware that Characidae feed on their own. Eggs in the tank will be devoured once they emerge as youngsters, so don’t be surprised at this action. You will need to learn how to breed the Characidae before you buy any, as the skills are better learnt beforehand.

2. Serrasalmus Rhombeus

These fish are more commonly known as the Spotted and the White Piranha. They come from the Amazon Basins and also in South America. Piranhas will reach their full size of about ten inches. Aquarium fish will only grow to about six inches. When you are just starting an aquarium, piranhas are not the ideal species that you should begin with in fish care. These fish should be separated from the habitat of passive fish. Piranhas are olive green or silvery in colour and have deep pressed bodies. Their strong teeth are used to devour and tear apart other creatures, and they will have a good go at the tank as well. The fish look like bulldogs in resemblance, with a lower jaw that is quite threatening on approach. Piranhas are, by nature, aggressive and their food consists of other large or small fish.

Netting

When using a net to catch the fish, you need to take extreme precaution as they will try to gnaw at your hand which they see as prey. It is necessary to use a net if you need to clean out the aquarium.

Piranhas like to feed on other fishes as well as lean meat. As they are carnivorous, these fish are mainly for show and not as a pet. On the upside piranhas do not special water conditions and in aquariums they do not breed. Having two piranhas in one aquarium is not a good idea, as one will feed on the other. Species of the piranha include the Natterer Piranha and the Red-Breasted Piranha. These types of piranha are similar to the Serrasalmus Rhombeus in the way that they feast.