For those who lead busy lives, but who also want to keep a pet, the attraction of aquarium fish is quite obvious. Not only can it be very calming and relaxing to watch tropical fish in an aquarium - which is why, no doubt, they are also often to be found in dentists' waiting rooms - but they are also fascinating creatures to study. The first thing you need to do when thinking about starting to keep tropical fish is to find out about the type of fish you want to keep.

The selection of tropical fish available nowadays is huge. Types of tropical fish include Loaches such as Gold Sucking and Clown Loach and African Cichlids like African Catfish and Lake Tanganyika. When you have decided on the kind of fish that you want to keep you will need to select a suitable aquarium for them. The size of the aquarium will largely determine how many fish you can keep, of course. Aquariums also need a range of other equipment to go with them in order to keep the environment right for the fish living in them. Depending on the type of fish that you want to keep, this equipment could well include pumps, as well, of course, as ornaments and other things that you will want to include as well.

The array of brands available for both aquariums and the assorted other equipment may seem daunting to begin with, but going to a well-established specialist retailer for advice at this point is always a good idea as this should help you make the best choices. Speaking to someone who can offer you some expert guidance will help you decide whether you need an Eheim Aquarium Pump or a Red Sea Pump, for example. Even if you have no store near to you, there are still online retailers such as www.completeaquatics.co.uk who should be able to help with this. Wherever you go through, you'll need to remember that tropical fish can live for 5 years up to 20 years+ depending on the species, so, just as with all pets you need to make a commitment to care for them in the long term.