How To: Choose fish for a cold water fish tank

This film will show you how to select fish for a cold water temperate aquarium. It will help you decide which types to choose and how many to keep in your tank. The type and number of fish you can keep will depend on the size of your tank. An easy formula for calculating how many fish you can keep is to multiply the length of the tank by the width to get the surface area, and then divide this number by 60. There are several species of cold water fish, also known as temperate fish, which can be kept in an aquarium. The most common of these is the goldfish. These are tough and resilient fish, ideal for a beginner. There are two types of goldfish, the first being the long-bodied types such as the Common Goldfish and the Comet. The second type are the round-bodied Fancy Goldfish. The Fancy varieties are very popular because they often have long flowing tails, bulging eyes and unusual head growths. Fancy Goldfish include: Moors, Orandas, Ranchus, Bubble-eyes, Celestials, and Fantails. Aside from goldfish, other temperate fish which can be kept in a tank include Minnows, Ricefish and Dannios. When placing aquarium fish of different species in the same tank together, known as a community tank, it is important to choose species that are known to be compatible and will not eat each other. Well chosen fish will live together in harmony and create a stunning aquarium display.