Ornamental fish (freshwater)
Goldfish, medaka (Japanese rice fish), tropical fish, bettas, guppies, etc.
90% of disease is poor water quality. Stick to a 1/3 water change once a week
Fish & aquatic animals
Ornamental fish, marine fish, shrimp/crabs, koi, loaches, arowana, catfish, discus, cichlids, pufferfish, sturgeon, eels, seahorses, jellyfish, corals, nudibranchs, crayfish, horseshoe crabs, octopus/squid
Marine fish
Clownfish, damselfish, tangs, anthias, etc.
Check specific gravity (around 1.023) and water temperature daily; never change them suddenly
Shrimp & crabs
Cherry shrimp, Amano shrimp, land hermit crabs, Japanese freshwater crabs, etc.
Fish medications, copper and pesticides are lethal even in trace amounts. Never put them in the tank
Koi / Nishikigoi
Kohaku, Taisho Sanke, Showa Sanshoku, Asagi, German (Doitsu) koi, etc.
Water quality, oxygen and temperature control are everything. Never release KHV-affected fish
Japanese freshwater fish
Bitterlings, crucian carp, pale chub, freshwater gobies (Rhinogobius), dark chub, etc.
Never return a caught fish to the river. Be prepared to keep it for life
Arowana & Gar
Silver arowana, Asian arowana, gar (garpike)
Weighted lid, power-outage plan, and daily checks of eyes and gills are the lifeline
Catfish & plecos
Corydoras, plecos, redtail catfish, Japanese (Amur) catfish
Check the maximum size before buying and set up a tank you can keep for life
Discus
Cichlids
Ancient fish
Polypterus (bichir), lungfish (Protopterus), datnoid (tigerfish)
Air-breathing fish will always jump. A heavy lid and sealed gaps are their lifeline
Pufferfish (ornamental)
Green spotted puffer, dwarf (pea) puffer, figure-eight puffer, South American freshwater puffer
Wear the teeth down with shell-on food and keep at the salinity suited to the species
Sturgeon
Seahorse
Jellyfish
Corals & Sea Anemones
Soft corals, SPS, LPS and sea anemones
They hate change. Keeping water quality and temperature constant is the best lifesaver
Nudibranch (sea slug)
Hypselodoris festiva, aeolid nudibranchs, etc. (keeping not recommended)
If you cannot secure its food (sponges, etc.), do not collect it; return it
Crayfish
Horseshoe crab
Japanese horseshoe crab (endangered; for aquariums and conservation groups)
For a stranded animal, never hold the tail spine; support the shell with both hands and return it to the sea
Octopus & Squid
Common octopus, bobtail squid (blue-ringed octopus is deadly venomous and must not be kept)
Extremely sensitive to ammonia. Seal the lid to prevent escape
Exotic Animal First Aid Course: venues & dates
https://exoticpetsaver.com
https://exoticpetsaver.com