There is a good choice of cold water fish available, tropical fish can be kept if an aquarium heater is fitted inside the aquarium. The suitability of fish depends largely on their adult size, behaviour and  requirements.  Hardy varieties of fantail goldfish are a good choice for Reef One aquariums. Avoid fancier varieties such as celestials, bubble eyes and pearl scales which can be harder to care for and  Oranda which can grow too big. Common goldfish are fast swimming and boisterous, they shouldn’t  really be mixed with fantail goldfish, they are better suited to very large aquariums or ponds.

Common goldfish, such as comets and shubunkins usually have a single flat tail and cigar shaped bodies. Fantail goldfish have long tails which look like two tails joined together. Their bodies are shorter and rounder.

Smaller cold water fish such as white cloud mountain minnows are very hardy fish, a shoal of six (three at a time) can be mixed with fantail goldfish.

Small ‘cool water’ fish can be kept providing you use an aquarium thermometer to check that the temperature in the aquarium does not drop below 19⁰C (17⁰C at night). These type of fish include danios, some guppies and platys amongst others. These shouldn’t be mixed with goldfish.

Do not keep bottom feeders, such as common pleco, loach or catfish in Reef One aquariums. The ceramic media used for biological filtration in Reef One aquariums can be damaging to their delicate faces as they root about in the rocks. Many of these species also grow very large.

There is a massive variety of small tropical fish which can be mixed together or kept as a large shoal of one species.  As with any pet, you should do a little research into your chosen fish before buying from the wealth fish books and web sites devoted to fish keeping.

Check that the fish you buy will be compatible with your existing fish or the fish you plan to have. They should be healthy and alert, scales should be smooth and not damaged or infected.

With fantail goldfish in particular check that they are swimming straight (not sideways  or up-side down) and that their tails are not at an abnormal angle. Don’t be afraid to reject a fish that you do not think is healthy, if you are not happy with it don’t buy it.

Getting your new fish home.

Moving to a new aquarium is a very stressful experience for fish. Sometimes this is all too much for them and they do not survive. By planning your purchase and taking the best care possible you can minimise this stress to give your new fish a better chance of enjoying their new home.

Always make sure that the fish you buy can be taken straight home to your aquarium.  When traveling, keep the fish steady, secure, out of direct sunlight and heat. Covering the fish bag with a paper bag or box will help to reduce stress to the fish and help tropical fish maintain their temperature.

Once home, open the bag and roll down the sides like a sock. To equalise the temperature in the bag and the aquarium, float the open bag on the surface for 30 minutes.

Carefully release the fish into the aquarium by slowly tipping the bag and allowing the fish to swim out. Try to minimise the amount of water from the bag entering the aquarium. Leave the aquarium light switched off and do not feed until at least the next day.

Like any pet you should research the needs of your fish before taking them home.