Does anyone here keep tropical fish? It has always been a dream of mine to have a medium-large tank filled with beautiful tropical fish and lots of undergrowth for them to hide and swim around in.

I'm interested to know how much people think it costs to start with a tank, fish etc? And how much specialist knowledge is required?

My son has a tropical tank & it is a full time job looking after it well. Most people think that you buy a tank, equipment & fish & that's it. I would say find lots of information off the net or at the library. Maintenance is the key. They only look good if you look after them on a regualr basis, this includes water testing ,partial water changes etc to maintain a balance. We have a problem with algae having live plants in.
Good Luck, Bill & keep us posted.
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This post was last modified: 10-06-2008 11:19 AM by tibbar.

Hi i was an avid keeper of Tropical fish many years ago. Tibbar has given you great advice, can i also suggest you find your local tropical fish society and pay a couple of visits. you will find lots of useful advice there, eg where to buy fish that are well kept not all shops have good standards.
If you decide to go ahead set your tank up with plants in mind first, as these are key to a balanced system. Be patient, allow the system to establish before adding any fish.
Decide which species your interested in, not all are compatible, dont overcrowd.
Its better to add a few at a time, and build slowly.
Remember your taking on the responsibility of there lives, they deserve the best you can give them.
regards brian.

Thanks both of you for the great advice! I will definitely be doing a lot more research before I even think about getting them, but I will keep you informed if/when it happens.

As has been said, from what friends have told me tropical fish are a lot more work than they seem! I've had some goldfish before but they are no work compared. They look wonderful though if you get it right.

I don't keep Tropical Fish, but I would like to. While out snorkeling in the waters of Cyprus, I came across many types of Tropical and Mediterranean fish, which included: (not my own images)

Saddled Sea Bream


Pipe Fish


An Octopus


And lots of other brightly coloured fish.