The Subtropical Aquarium

The prime reason to set up a subtropical aquarium is to keep some very interesting species that are otherwise not long lived in tropical or coldwater tanks, such as freshwater blennies, Hillstream loaches, and dragon gobies. There are also plenty of nice schooling fish, like white cloud mountain minnows and ruby barbs, which provide action and colour, and for the most part all these fish will get on well together. 

A subtropical tank is also relatively inexpensive to run because even in winter the heater will be doing nothing more than keeping the chill off the tank, and during summer the aquarium might not even need to be heated at all. In centrally heated homes the aquarium can be allowed to warm and cool with the house, provided the temperature does not fall much below 18Ë°C (64Ë°F). Compared to a tropical aquarium, you could easily save enough money over a year to take out a subscription to Tropical Fish Hobbyist! 

A third and perhaps most compelling reason is that a subtropical aquarium can accommodate many popular coldwater species as well. Goldfish, especially fancy varieties, will thrive in a large subtropical tank, as will weather loaches and most sunfish. Thus a subtropical aquarium can be an ideal choice for the aquarist who already has a goldfish that has become a much-loved pet but would like to add some pretty schooling fish as well for a bit of movement and variety. Rosy barbs in particular are the right size and temperament to get on with goldfish, and their metallic colours complement those of goldfish very nicely.

The defining characteristic of the subtropical aquarium is temperature. Excessively low temperatures (as in a completely unheated aquarium, or outdoors in a pond during the winter) will stress these fish and make them prone to parasites and other diseases. Unlike true coldwater fish, such as goldfish and sunfish, these fish have little resistance to freezing conditions, and cannot survive under ice. So while many will do well outdoors during the summer months, they will need to come in once it starts to turn colder in autumn. A minimum of 18Ë°C (64Ë°F) is about right for most of the subtropical species commonly traded. 

Keeping the aquarium too warm is equally undesirable, with a temperature of 22Ë°C (72Ë°F) representing a comfortable upper limit for most of these fish. This obviously contrasts with truly tropical species, for which such a temperature would be rather low, and the 24Ë°C (75Ë°F) temperature that most people keep their tropical aquaria at is unhealthy for many of these species. If kept too warm, these fish tend to have short lives, partly because their metabolism is speeded up, but also because the warm water contains less oxygen that they are used to. 

Another contrast with tropical species is that many subtropical species do best if there is some variation between summer and winter temperatures. In fact allowing the tank to cool down in winter but warm up again in spring does seem to trigger spawning in many of these species, as with rosy barbs and white cloud mountain minnows. A standard aquarium heater set to a low setting should keep an aquarium warm enough for these fish during the winter time, and in summer you can turn the thermostat on the heater up to a slightly higher setting. Use a thermometer to keep track of temperature, and if the tank gets too warm in summer, switch the heater off and provide some extra aeration to keep the oxygen levels up. 

Planting a subtropical tank isn't difficult because many aquarium plants will do fine at the lower temperatures that are required. Suitable plants include most species of Cabomba, Eleocharis, Ludwigia, Sagittaria, and Vallisneria, as well as Bacopa caroliniana, Cardamine lyrata, Ceratophyllum submersum, Echinodorus cordifolius, Echinodorus tenellus, Egeria densa, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Hygrophila polysperma, and Nuphar japonicum. Although only a borderline aquarium plant under most circumstances, the Japanese rush Acorus gramineus does seem to do better permanently submersed in subtropical tanks compared with tropical ones. You could also add Aponogeton crispus, a wonderful plant that frequently flowers in aquaria but is often treated badly by aquarists. Because it needs a 'resting period' during the winter, the aquarist with a subtropical tank can easily remove the plant in late autumn, cut away the leaves (which will be looking a bit sad by now anyway), and then store the tuber in a jar of water somewhere cool and dark. Once spring returns, the tubers can be returned to the tank, and the seemingly dead tuber will set forth new leaves.

The following species include most of the commonly traded subtropical species plus one or two others that turn up occasionally and are well worth seeking out. I've stuck to small, sociable species here to keep things simple, but there are also many large and predatory species such as bass, garpike, and channel cats that do well at subtropical temperatures even through they are more often kept as coldwater species. Of course the problem with these 'tank-busters' is that they need large tanks and will view smaller tankmates as nothing more than live food, so they don't make ideal community fish. 

In contrast, all the fishes listed below are more or less peaceful, non-predatory species, although it would be unwise to mix species that are very different in size. Just as adult angelfish will think nothing of eating your school of neon tetras, a black-banded sunfish might well snap up a dwarf Mosquitofish if given the opportunity.

A superb fish for the home aquarium, both sexes have a lovely metallic sheen, while the males top this by developing a warm pinkish tint to the flanks and belly. Potentially able to reach as much as 15 cm (6 inches) in length most aquarium specimens stay substantially smaller, but even so, this is a large and lively fish that needs space and good filtration. Although quite big by aquarium fish standards, it isn't at all aggressive or territorial, and it does not nip fins. About its only bad habit is a tendency it shares with other large barbs to root about the substrate and in doing so it may disturb recently planted cuttings, but it is otherwise a good fish for the planted aquarium. If very hungry it might nibble at soft leaves or shoots, but otherwise it prefers a mixed diet of flakes, frozen foods, and algae wafers. The rosy barb is large enough to do well with goldfish and paradise fish provided the tank is big enough and the filtration is up to the job. 

The rosy barb was one of the first species to be regularly maintained as an aquarium fish in Europe and North America, and a few artificial strains have been created. The long-fin rosy barb is easily the most common, and this can be a most attractive fish provided it is not kept with nippy species like Mosquitofish. Breeding isn't difficult, and is accomplished in a similar way to other barbs, with the parents scattering the eggs over fine-leaved plants.

One of my very favourite fish, these are lovely barbs with a semi-transparent body and yellow and black markings on the sides and back. Although not the most active barbs, they are sociable; a group of six or more makes an excellent addition to any subtropical aquarium with other, comparably sized, species. Unlike some better-known barbs, these fish aren't fin nippers, and they can be trusted to get on with even very docile fish like gobies and minnows. 

Golden dwarf barbs don't place very many demands on the aquarist, readily eating dry foods as well a frozen and live ones, and will even nibble at a little green algae if there is some. Ideally, the water should be slightly acidic, but they seem to do well in neutral to slightly alkaline water conditions as well. Like many other subtropical fish, these Indian barbs are a bit sensitive to low oxygen levels, and this is one reason that they are often considered delicate by aquarists who keep them in ordinary community tanks. They also appreciate plants, particularly floating species, and they like to hang about in the shade rather more than in brightly lit areas. Nonetheless, when settled in they are lovely fish well worth keeping.

The green barb isn't all that green, most specimens being some shade of yellow, sometimes coppery, the so-called 'Barbus schuberti', but more often rather golden. Either way, these are handsome, active fish that are quite a bit hardier and easy to look after than the dwarf golden barb. They are very lively, and thus need a good deal of open swimming space. They are also rather large barbs, commonly 8 to 10 cm (3.5 to 4 inches) in length, and being schooling fish are best suited to fairly large aquaria. 

Originally from China, these barbs appreciate cooler temperatures in winter and warmer ones in summer, so allowing the temperature of the aquarium to vary with the seasons is a good way to condition these fish for breeding. As with most barbs, they will eat pretty much anything, including flake and dry foods, but also frozen bloodworms, algae flakes, and of course small live foods such as Artemia.

The white cloud mountain minnow used to be called 'the poor man's neon tetra' and it is certainly true that this Chinese fish has the same lively personality and bright colours as that characin. It isn't at all difficult to keep, and being easily bred on a commercial scale, is among the least expensive tropical fish around. Most are kept in tropical tanks, where they do fairly well but tend to be rather short lived. In a subtropical tank you will see these fish at their best: the higher oxygen levels really bring out their happy dispositions, especially in a tank that catches a bit of sunshine in the morning. As with most minnows, these fish are very sociable, and the bigger the school, the more impressive these fish will become. Since they are small and so easy to obtain, there's really not much reason not to keep a group of twenty or more. 

If kept cool during the winter, these fish are easy to breed. An aquarium with a summer temperature no higher than 22Ë°C (72Ë°F) and thickly planted with feathery plants, such as Java moss, is ideal. The fish will scatter their eggs and then ignore them. After a few days the eggs will hatch, and the fry can be offered newly hatched brine shrimp and commercial egg-layer fry food.

The Mosquitofish is something like a sturdy, rather aggressive version of the guppy. While it lacks the bright colours of the artificial strains of guppy most aquarists are familiar with, in shape and size in it is quite similar, and like the guppy it is an adaptable fish that doesn't demand much in terms of water quality or aquarium decor. On the downside though, these fish are aggressive for their size, and will bully smaller species like dwarf Mosquitofish and golden dwarf barbs, especially at feeding time. They are also prone to becoming fin-nippers, so cannot be mixed with species with long, trailing fins, such as paradise fish. 

Mosquitofish were originally found in the southern United States and Mexico, but they have been very widely transported around the world as a biological control for malaria. As their name suggests, these fish feed primarily on insect larvae, especially mosquito larvae, and since mosquitoes are the animals that infect humans with the malaria parasite, the theory is that filling standing water pools and ditches with Mosquitofish helps control the spread of malaria.

The dwarf Mosquitofish is one of the smallest fish kept in the hobby, but provided it is only kept with peaceful species, such as golden dwarf barbs and dragon gobies, that won't view this little fish as food, it isn't difficult to look after. Unlike the common Mosquitofish, it isn't at all aggressive, but sadly this fish isn't all that commonly traded and remains relatively expensive. Aquarists in the United States do of course have the option of collecting their own specimens (this fish is most common from North Carolina south to Florida). 

Maintenance is simple, all this fish requires is a densely planted aquarium and small live and frozen foods (brine shrimps, mosquito larvae, and bloodworms forming an ideal staple). Once settled, these fish will also take flake foods and perhaps some green algae as well. Males are smaller than the females and equipped with a gonopodium, but are otherwise similar. Females will produce broods of young every few weeks, and the fry will take finely divided flake and Artemia nauplii as well as commercial livebearer fry foods. These fish are totally peaceful among themselves, and in fact this fish should be kept in groups of six or more, preferably with more females than males.

Although the variatus platy has been popular as a tropical aquarium fish for years, it actually does rather better at subtropical temperatures. They are hardy, colourful, and completely peaceful, and make an ideal addition to almost any subtropical community tank. Like the common platy, these fish need a mixed diet of small insects and insect larvae along with plenty of greens. Algae is an especially important part of their diet, and this can be provided either by allowing some algae to grow in the aquarium, or else feeding them a vegetarian flake food such as those produced for mollies and cichlids. 

Breeding is easy, provided the fish are fed well. As with most livebearers, these fish will probably breed without much intervention from their keeper, but if not, then raising the temperature to around 25Ë°C (77Ë°F) appears to be a most reliable trigger. If you do this in summer, it won't upset any other subtropical species in the aquarium with them, and in fact may trigger their breeding behaviour as well.

This West Asian killifish is undemanding and fairly easy to look after, but the males can be very aggressive towards each other and their tankmates. It is best kept on its own in a harem, with a single male alongside two or more females. Sexually mature males are stunning fish, dark blue with shiny blue spots on their flanks. Females are somewhat plain and more silvery in colour. It feeds primarily on small insects and insect larvae, but will also take small crustaceans such as Artemia as well as clean Tubifex worms. Water chemistry should be hard and alkaline. 

A closely related species, the Spanish killifish Aphanius iberus, has been imported in the past but is now highly endangered and under the protection of Spanish and European Union law. As such, it's unlikely to be seen in aquarium shops. That's no bad thing because it doesn't do particularly well in aquaria and has proven to be difficult to breed.

The paradise fish is a robust, sometimes aggressive, but generally adaptable labyrinth fish closely related to the Bettas and gouramis. Adult males are especially intolerant of one another, and will attack one another on sight. On the other hand, a single male kept with two or three females in a well-planted, spacious tank isn't any bother at all, and kept like this these fish make good community residents. Good companions would include goldfish, rosy barbs, and Mosquitofish, but because paradise fish have long fins and are quite slow moving, it is important to avoid any species that are fin-nippers. 

Paradise fish are relatively easy to breed, the trigger for spawning appears to be raising the temperature from the normal subtropical level to a more tropical 24Ë°C (75Ë°F). Males have brighter colours and more elongate tips to the dorsal and anal fins compared with the females. Like many other labyrinth fish, the male builds a bubble nest and after spawning he will drive the female away and guard the eggs alone. The fry are small and will need infusoria or commercial egg-layer fry foods to begin with.

A pretty but rather delicate North American sunfish, these need to be kept in neutral or slightly acidic, densely planted aquaria to do well. Once referred to as 'the poor man's angelfish' they are now much more expensive and far harder to find than the now-ubiquitous angelfish. Black-banded sunfish are notoriously intolerant of poor filtration and low oxygen levels, and on no account should they be kept in immature aquaria. But in the right aquarium, these are very striking fish with nice personalities. 

Black-banded sunfish are not especially territorial, and in a large aquarium several specimens can be kept. Breeding is possible, with the male guarding the eggs and fry until they are free swimming. When not breeding, any other species kept with them are ignored, though large specimens could potentially view very small fish as food. Otherwise, these fish readily accept small insects and insect larvae, Artemia, and other similar foods.

Hong Kong Plecs are neither catfish, nor from Hong Kong. They are in fact from South East Asia, where they inhabit shallow mountain streams, where they use their sucker-like pectoral and pelvic fins to stick to rocks and pebbles. Hong Kong Plecs are members of a family of fish known as the Balitoridae, or Hillstream loaches, and are quite closely related to the carps and minnows. Besides the Hong Kong Plec discussed here, a number of other species of Hillstream loach are irregularly traded and all can be kept in much the same way. 

Though commonly traded, Hong Kong Plecs are rarely kept properly, and this has resulted in a reputation for being delicate that isn't really justified. The average community tank is simply too warm for these fish, and between that and the low oxygen levels, they tend not to live for very long. But when kept at subtropical temperatures and with extra aeration in the summer to keep the oxygen concentration high, these fish do well. They are not picky about pH or hardness, but good filtration is essential. While Hong Kong Plecs are sometimes kept in coldwater aquaria, they actually do best in heated aquaria kept at a temperature of around 20Ë°C (68Ë™F). 

While sold as 'algae eaters' they are really more omnivorous than that, and will need a mixed diet including green algae, catfish pellets, bloodworms, and even small pieces of shrimp. Tubifex worms, if clean, are also a good food for these fish. They are not often spawned, but it does happen occasionally, so it is well worth the ambitious aquarist keeping a group of these fish just in case. Although Hong Kong Plecs are vaguely territorial, shoving one another off a particularly attractive patch of algae, they are otherwise completely harmless, peaceful fish.

This species is included mostly for completeness and is not recommended except for the most dedicated and advanced hobbyists. Sadly quite rare in the wild thanks to loss of habitat, the author has only ever seen this freshwater blenny just a single time in the last twenty years. It comes from mountain streams and other clear, oxygen-rich bodies of water across Southern Europe, the Levant and North Africa. It does badly in tropical aquaria, but can be settle into a subtropical tank given the right conditions. With that said, it is notably intolerant of low oxygen levels and poor filtration. A powerful external filter is essential, and aeration will need to be supplemented either by adding a venturi or spray bar to the filter, or by using an air pump. 

Freshwater blennies are fairly large when fully-grown, reaching around 15 cm (6 inches) in length, and are very territorial. Each fish will need its own cave or burrow, and ideally only a single male should be kept in any one tank. Otherwise, these are not difficult fish, and they will adapt to a mixed diet of live and frozen foods, and once acclimated to the aquarium many specimens will also take flake and pellets as well. They breed in much the same manner as gobies, with the males taking care of the eggs.

Often sold under an obsolete Latin name, Rhinogobius wui, these Chinese fish are a truly wonderful species that combines liveliness and interesting behaviour in a pretty, goby-sized package. Unlike many other gobies (such as bumblebee and knight gobies) these fish don't need salt in the aquarium, and are in fact quite tolerant of a range of water conditions, although neutral to slightly alkaline water suit them best. Dragon gobies are completely peaceful towards other fish, but the males are territorial and will defend their turf vigorously, though not to the point of harming one another. 

Dragon gobies pose no particular problems for the aquarist. They don't eat flake or pellet foods, but readily accept most small live foods as well as substitutes like frozen bloodworms, Artemia, and lobster eggs. They are very active and greedy, so won't miss out at feeding time, as is too often the case with gobies. Breeding presents only a modest challenge, the fish spawning readily, with the male guarding the eggs until they hatch. Once the fry are mobile and feeding, they will accept newly hatched Artemia and other small, live foods.

Fish picking  8/8/10
Hey gang, looking for help in picking a fish.
<OK.>
Here's the situation.
I recently changed my main tank from tropical to subtropical. I love the new look and am really happy with the decision, the site as always has been very helpful especially this article. (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/subtroptks.htm)
<Ah, I think I've read that article myself'¦>
The only snag with the switch has been an explosion of pond snails.
<Oh dear.>
The new main fish are aggressive messy eaters and I need something to eat their scraps as well as eat snails. Neale's article makes me want a Gastromyzon punctulatus but I'm not sure if it eats snails (I suspect not).
<Indeed, it does not. Although called loaches, the Hillstream Loach family isn't really very loach-like in terms of diet. Think Otocinclus or Garra and you're nearer the mark.>
Compatibility should not be a problem any midsized fish without long fins should be fine.
<Tricky. I'd start with Clea helena snails if you can get them. They should do okay at fairly cool temperatures. I haven't found either snails or shrimps to be as fussy about temperature as fish. There are a lot of subtropical Botiine loaches, e.g., Sinibotia and Syncrossus species, but these do tend to be moderately to very aggressive, Syncrossus spp. especially. Sinibotia longiventralis is fairly small and peaceful though, and a little time at Loaches.com might yield a few others.>
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Rob
<Hope this helps.>
PS: Is there a database of aquarium fish available? I'm thinking about paying an excel/access geek to data mine and compile one for personal use If I can't find one.
<Apart from Fishbase you mean? Oh, there have been a few, I have a German one somewhere for Windows computers. The problem is that new fish keep appearing in the trade all the time, so CDs and for that matter books can lag behind. For what it's worth, I help write the online aquarium database at TropicalFishFinder.co.uk that is used by UK retailers and hobbyists, and I know I've already added a couple of thousand records to the thing! Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fish picking  8/8/10
Thanks Neale, is Misgurnus anguillicaudatus an effective snail eater?
<Not really. There's an assumption among some that if it's a loach, it easy snails. That's not true. It's really only the Botiine loaches that eat snails. Misgurnus mostly eats insects and detritus. An excellent aquarium fish by the way, though possibly a little big and pushy for a tank with Hillstream loaches. Otherwise extremely peaceful and non-predatory.>
Some sites say yes others don't comment on weather they do or not.
<Indeed.>
I'm actually hoping for a simple excel or access database, I find them much more useful in a lot of ways.
<Not aware of such a project or product.>
Thanks again you're the coolest thing out of the UK since the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
<!!!>
*Rob*
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fish picking  8/8/10
The banjo catfish?
<Pretty useless fish really. Not aware of it being a major snail-eater.
Mostly insect larvae.>
I figure it could eat the scraps that my fish are burping. And so starve out the snails?
<Oh, I'd look at the Moth Catfish family Sisoridae instead; various species, such as Erethistes hara, formerly Hara hara. Often very pretty, and prefer subtropical to tropical conditions. Quite widely sold here in the UK and presumably elsewhere. Glyptothorax catfish should work too.
Failing that, do look at the superb Bearded Corydoras, Scleromystax barbatus, a STUNNING catfish totally unlike what we usually mean by Corydoras in terms of looks and behaviour. Will keep sand spotlessly clean,
and outcompete any snails. Peppered Catfish, Corydoras paleatus, are also subtropical fish and very easy to obtain. I've kept mine outdoors during UK summers and they thrived.>
Rob
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Fish picking, FW, temperate 8/14/10
My LFS can order Leptobotia guilinensis, does it fit the bill?
Rob
<Both can be quite good additions to subtropical, Hillstream aquaria with lots of water current and oxygen. Leptobotia guilinensis itself is said to be very rare in the trade, and specimens sold under this name are usually Sinibotia pulchra. Neither are particularly good snail-eaters, though they will eat very small snails if sufficiently hungry. Otherwise basic care for both is much like other botiines. Cheers, Neale.>