Picking species for a tropical aquarium

Some of the lovebird owners prefer to rear fishes in their home along with the birds. The following post hep them to perform well with aquatic faunas.

If you want to set up an aquarium with tropical aquarium fish, there is a multitude of different species to choose among. There is of course the every so common neon tetra, platy, black molly, swordtail, and so on, but you don’t have to go for typical beginner species unless you want to.

As a beginner, you should focus on getting hardy species that will tolerate a mistake or two. It is also a good idea to stick to fairly peaceful species, since aggressive species require species knowledge in order to avoid excessive fighting in the aquarium.

If you are prepared to deal with at least a little aggression in the aquarium, there are many beautiful cichlids to choose among that will do fine even in the hands of a beginner. Be sure to visit a cichlid fact database, cichlid website or cichlid forum before you make a purchase, because many cichlids are not recommended for beginners.

They can for instance be too aggressive or grow really large and require huge aquarium. Another excellent choice for beginners is barbs, as long as you stick to some of the hardy species, e.g. rosy barb, cherry barb, gold barb, or tiger barb.

In the wild, a vast majority of the barbs live in large groups and they must therefore not be kept alone or in small groups in the aquarium. For most barb species, it is advisable to get at least five specimens, preferably more.

Breeding Season Aggression in Lovebirds

Don't think lovebirds will choose partners easily. It is quite often the case that birds that have been put in the same breeding cage or aviary do not get along with each other.

If your lovebird that is known for its lack of tolerance, make sure you stay around for the first couple of days after you have put them together. You can then take action when things look like they are getting out of hand.

Problems may also at a later date if one of the partner is in the mood for breeding, while the other is not. Aggressive behavior during the mating season is usually restricted to the males. They chase each other, sometines with disastrous results.

If you keep a close watch on the birds, you can separate them before it is too late. Sometimes clipping one of the wings of an aggressive bird may also help.Then the bird is not quite as fast and maneuverable as a result of this temporary handicap.

Aggression is often something of a temporary nature and only lasts as long as it takes the female to get into the mood of mating, that is, if the female is not too young.