Fishkeeping: How To Choose A Compatible Fish

How do I choose compatible fish?

When you're choosing a fish, compatibility is the number one concern you're going to have, after health. Compatibility is number one. Big fish eat little fish. That's a fact in captivity that you just can't escape. You're going to have to talk to someone who knows what the temperament of the fish is, whether it's a hunter, whether it's an herbivorous fish that's a plant-eater, or a carnivorous fish that's a meat-eater. Also, how big your tank is, what fish you already have in there, and how many fish of that particular type you're going to get. All of these things factor into it. As your tank gets older, it gets a little bit more difficult to get fish into the tank because fish are extremely territorial. Even guppies don't want to give up any space whatsoever. When you are picking a fish, you have to factor in all of the aforementioned and tell the professional aquarist what you're dealing with. Answer all of these questions and he'll then be able to help you pick the best fish for you.