Most of us consider classic fish like goldfish or guppies when setting up an aquarium. But there’s a whole world of unusual and fascinating creatures that can give your tank a little something extra. The aquarium is home to some really odd inhabitants, from colorful shrimp to quirky snails.
These unusual species enhance your aquatic environment with a variety of interactions and behaviors in addition to their eye-catching appearance. Some have amazing skills at hiding and blending in with their environment, while others have unusual eating or social habits.
Introducing you to some of the most fascinating aquarium inhabitants, this article will help you venture beyond the typical and discover the extraordinary. Prepare to find the little details that will add character to your tank and pique the interest of your loved ones.
Leafy Sea Dragon | A master of disguise, this fish looks like floating seaweed and is a distant relative of seahorses. |
Electric Eel | Known for its ability to generate electric shocks, this eel can produce a jolt strong enough to stun prey or defend itself. |
Starry Night Cichlid | With its dark body covered in vibrant blue spots, this cichlid resembles a starry night sky. |
Fire Eel | Despite its name, this eel is not fiery but has a striking red and orange pattern that makes it stand out in any tank. |
Bubble Eye Goldfish | This goldfish is unique due to its large, bubble-like sacs under its eyes, which give it an unusual appearance. |
- Axolotl (water dragon)
- Keeping newts at home
- Lissotriton vulgaris
- Pleurodeles waltl
- Triturus cristatus
- Types of shrimp for home use
- Dwarf crabs and larger individuals
- Features of keeping crayfish at home
- Aquarium frogs
- Octopus at home
- Types of snails
- Yellow ampullaria
- Thiaridae melanoides
- Baby physa
- Predatory Helena
- Zebra and tiger snails
- Other species
- Water turtles
- Red-eared turtles
- Varieties of trionic
- Unusual aquarium fish
- Video on the topic
- The Most Incredible Aquariums
- The most unusual aquarium fish. Part 1. #watchwin
- The most unusual fish. Part…
- Top 5 unusual aquarium fish | Top 5 unusual aquarium fish
Axolotl (water dragon)
These are the aquarium’s most fascinating creatures. Axolotls can grow up to 15 cm in length, and occasionally 30 cm. Because of their distinctive tail fin and external gills, they resemble salamander larvae in appearance. The water dragon has a broad, flattened head with small teeth and no eyelids on its eyes. The limbs have inadequate development.
There are four colors available for water dragons: two synthetic and two natural. Black and brown with spots are the natural colors. Golden and light pink are examples of bred colors.
The axolotl consumes worms, tiny fish, and insects when it is in the wild. Its diet in captivity may include bloodworms, live or defrosted earthworms, and trout pellets. Beef liver and tiny shrimp are favorites of the water dragon.
Axolotls use their sense of smell to locate food. When they locate it, they yank it inside firmly. It is not advisable to keep other animals in the same aquarium as a water dragon because small neighbors may be eaten and large fish may injure the dragon (because it frequently gnaws on the axolotl’s appendages and gill stems while it sleeps, which can cause infection).
The temperature range in which the water dragon thrives is +14… +20 °C. To prevent an increase in the pet’s appetite, the indicator should be lowered to +10 ° C if the animal is ill. It is advised to use a chlorine water purifier, a filter, and a specialized cooling unit to establish a microclimate in the aquarium.
One person should be housed in a 50 liter tank with 150 mm of water in it. It’s acceptable to use an aerator. Every week, 20% of the water needs to be replaced. Since axolotls have the ability to swallow stones, it is not a good idea to line the bottom with fine gravel.
Little caverns and floating plants that the pet will use as cover should be present in the aquarium. Since the water dragon is a nocturnal creature, excessively bright light is not needed.
Keeping newts at home
This group of amphibians has many different species and subspecies, all of which have tails. You should only keep a few of them at home.
Lissotriton vulgaris
The average newt reaches a maximum length of 7–11 cm. Compared to males, females are somewhat smaller. The belly is yellowish or light orange, and the body color ranges from green to brown. Males grow combs during mating season.
The newt requires an aquarium with a capacity of at least 15 liters for a comfortable habitat. You must outfit one or more islands within, as the animal occasionally touches down. The temperature of the water can vary between +18 and +22 °C. It is lowered to +5..+8 °C for the winter.
For Triton to be unable to ingest individual particles, there should be a significant portion of soil. You must add live plants to the terrarium in order to keep the nitrogen cycle going. Additionally, dense thickets facilitate propagation. To ensure that her offspring have consistent protection, the female lays her eggs in them and tucks the leaves in.
Every week, 15–30% of the water needs to be changed. It is necessary to have a filter that can pump the aquarium’s entire volume six to ten times per hour.
Since trino are predators, they relish eating small live fish, earthworms, and crickets. They do well on frozen bloodworms. Shrimp and low-fat fish pieces are also options. Adults are fed 2-3 times a week, while juveniles are fed daily. It is advised to give calcium and vitamin complexes on a regular basis.
Molts are possible for newts. Then, amphibians consume their former skin.
It is problematic to keep them with fish because the latter prefer warmer water. The newt must be relocated to a different terrarium in preparation for winter. The amphibian can also consume small fish.
- Newts sometimes get sick. Pathologies arise due to infections, parasites and fungi. The most dangerous disease is "red leg" or sepsis.
- The main symptom is hemorrhage under the skin of the abdomen and upper part of the paws, due to which the latter acquire a bright red color.
- A sick animal should be immediately isolated and therapy should be started.
- First, it is recommended to contact a veterinary clinic and take tests.
Pleurodeles waltl
Greater in size than Lissotriton vulgaris is the spiny newt. Given its 23 cm length, the amphibian requires a larger terrarium.
It is important to keep in mind when caring for this species that the animal has pointed ribs on its sides that are capable of identifying toxic materials.
There is an allergic reaction to the liquid. Avoid touching it with your bare hands.
Triturus cristatus
With a maximum length of 18 cm, the Great Crested Newt is a medium-sized amphibian species.
The combs of the representatives are interrupted. The newt has poisonous glands on its skin.
Types of shrimp for home use
- Babaulti shrimp is bright green. These sea crustaceans are able to change the color of the body to light brown or red. The shade depends on the mood of the animal, nutrition and living conditions.
- Blue Dream does not require a special habitat arrangement. The main thing is the presence of a sufficient amount of vegetation, moss and driftwood. It is advisable to build a secluded place for the crustacean and add dry oak or beech leaves.
- Cherry is a shrimp bred by selection. It spends a lot of time just sitting in one place. Therefore, it is important to arrange a shelter in the aquarium in the form of green thickets. There they hide after molting.
Far Eastern: a transparent marine crustacean with body covered in dark, horizontal stripes. The color of the food and the soil’s shade affect its color. Dimensions: approximately 5 cm.
A few members of the Macrobrachium genus can grow up to 15–20 cm in length.
- Pinocchio is a transparent sea crustacean with a red nose.
- Snowflake is a very small crustacean 2-2.5 cm long. Necessary conditions for keeping – filtration, aeration, no increased concentration of nitrogen compounds.
- Glass – grows up to 4 cm in length. Lives 1-1.5 years. A practically invisible animal needs shelter. These can be dense thickets, piles of stones, driftwood.
- The body color of the cardinal shrimp is shades of cherry and red, there are white specks on the sides. The crustacean"s home should have a lot of aquarium plants, driftwood, stones.
A breeder from Japan produced Rili. An aquarium up to 10 liters in capacity is needed for breeding.
The ideal water temperature is between +22 and +28 °C. It is advised to store these shrimp in clusters of ten or more.
It’s important to have isolated areas in the aquarium where mosses or dense vegetation can grow.
Dwarf crabs and larger individuals
An aquarium can be used to breed freshwater crabs in addition to fish.
- The smallest is the dwarf spider crab. It rarely reaches even 1.5 cm in length. Representatives of this species are harmless, do not damage aquarium plants, do not conflict with small fish, crustaceans. They feed on shrimp food.
- The red mangrove crab often goes ashore, so it is important to arrange a special island in the aquarium. Its home must be carefully closed to eliminate the possibility of escape.
- A small tomato crab feels good in an aquaterrarium. The animal freely climbs along the joints of glass, power cords of equipment, so the container should be covered with glass or mesh.
- The blue crab is larger in size. Its conditions of maintenance are the same as those of the mangrove crab. However, its diet is more vegetarian. These animals love, for example, oak or almond leaves.
- Rainbow crab is the most unusual representative of arthropods. Its shell is blue, its legs are orange, its belly is white with blue veins. In captivity, it lives from 7 to 10 years, eats fruits, vegetables and meat.
You will need premium, slightly salted water and an aquarium measuring 60 by 45 by 45 in order to keep it.
Features of keeping crayfish at home
A 30–40 liter container is sufficient for 1 arthropod. The minimum volume needed if you intend to seat multiple people is 80 liters. Set up hiding places in the house, like a cave or a pot. Since crayfish consume one another, particularly during the molting season, there ought to be an abundance of hiding spots for the creatures.
It is preferable to use an internal filter to purify the water because crayfish are quick to escape through hoses and cannot survive for very long without water. Furthermore, the aquarium needs to be securely covered.
We feed crayfish a special diet. They are treated to shrimp and fish fillet pieces once a week.
Foods high in protein are frequently fed because they increase aggression.
Fish should not be kept with crayfish because the latter will soon be consumed.
Aquarium frogs
The most prevalent species is the albino clawed frog. For one person, a 10-liter container is needed. +18–+22°C is a suitable water temperature. The frog’s lifespan is shortened at 24-26°C, but it is still acceptable. Although the maximum body size is 8 cm, some people can grow up to 16 cm in length.
You will need a strong filter to handle the amount of dirt the frogs produce if you want to set up a home. The animal lives in still waters in the wild, thus the gadget shouldn’t generate strong currents. A lid should be placed over the aquarium, allowing as little space as possible for oxygen to enter.
This amphibian eats lean meat, earthworms, planktonic crustaceans, and tiny bloodworms. As frogs have a tendency to overeat, their owners need to monitor their food intake. It can be fed twice a week with that amount.
Hymenochirus only reaches a maximum length of 4-6 cm. This amphibian features a rounded body, pointed nose, and thin legs. The frog can be stored in a filter-equipped 5-liter jar.
The water is comfortably warm at +24–+26°C. Every two days, the animal is fed bloodworms, daphnia, and tubifex.
Octopus at home
The octopus is an intelligent exotic animal. It can reach a diameter of 20–25 cm when kept in captivity. The mollusk requires a home of at least 350 liters with filters that not only purify the water, but also make its chemical composition optimal.
It’s also crucial to aerate continuously. Octopuses have high standards for water purity. A layer of seven to nine centimeters is covered with coarse sand and coral chips.
Shelters should be set up in the octopus aquarium. The container needs to have a plastic grate or lid on it. Provide light to moderate lighting and keep the sun out of your face.
Octopuses can recall who owned them. However, in order to avoid frightening the animal and stop the ink from leaking, you must approach it gently and silently.
You’ll need to replace the water if not. Unhealthy conditions cause the animal to become ill. The mollusk stops eating, becomes lighter in body, and retreats to its shelter.
Types of snails
It is believed that snails are full members of the aquarium community, just like fish, crayfish, and shrimp. These gastropods come in a variety of species; some are good for plants and other similar creatures, while many are harmless aquarium dwellers.
Yellow ampullaria
Ampullaria don’t require particular living circumstances. A 5–15 cm snail requires 9 liters of water. The aquarium needs to have enough air space and be both roomy and closed.
They and viviparous fish can live together. A neighborhood where there are predators that can consume them is deemed unfavorable. Fish food is the meal that the snails eat.
Only at night does the female deposit her eggs on the aquarium’s walls. Twenty-five days later the progeny appears.
Ampullaria typically have a four-year lifespan, but a sudden spike in temperature shortens that to just one year. A comfortable living environment requires that the water be kept between +17 and +30 °C.
Thiaridae melanoides
This variety of snail is highly common. Melania frequently appears in the aquarium by herself, traveling there with plants that have melanoides eggs on them.
The ideal water temperature is between +20 and +30 °C.
An adult is no longer than three centimeters in length. These snails don’t bother their aquarium neighbors because they live on the bottom.
They consume plant matter as well as fish waste. One melania egg can contain up to sixty tiny snails.
Baby physa
Because of the unique structure of the shell, physa are able to reach even the most remote corners of the aquarium. The snail is only two centimeters in size. These gastropods can survive without water because they breathe through their lungs.
Fresh leaves from living plants are Physa’s favorite food. The snail deposits its eggs—at least 20 of them—on submerged objects. Physa removes dirt, food particles, and bacteria from the aquarium. The ideal water temperature is between +20 °C.
Predatory Helena
This member of the gastropod class has the ability to eliminate not only its relatives but also members of its own kind.
In order to manage the quantity of snails, Helena is let loose in the aquarium.
It needs to have sand or small gravel poured onto the bottom because it burrows into the ground. Helena eats fish food if there are no other snails around.
The low fertility of this creature is its defining feature. Helena only produces one egg. Only a smaller percentage of tiny mollusks reach adulthood.
Zebra and tiger snails
The best animals in an aquarium for destroying algae are neretines, a species of freshwater snail. Two kinds stand out as the most intriguing:
Neretines only have a year or so of life expectancy. A sudden change in circumstances causes some people to pass away right away, while others may live for two years. The mollusk should be taken out of the aquarium right away if it passes away to prevent the water from becoming contaminated.
In terms of upkeep and care, neretines are modest. The key is to adhere to the temperature range of +24… +27 °C. They can adapt to nearly any water parameter.
It is best to introduce snails into an established aquarium with lots of plants. The water has to be hard for the mollusk’s shell to normally form.
Neretines function very actively. There’s always a spotless, foul-free area after them.
Snails, however, do not harm the foliage. When they are feeding, they are active, but after a few days, they may go into a stupor. If you’re not sure if your pet is alive, you should smell it out because a dead animal has an offensive smell.
Other species
Aquarium mollusks commonly come in the form of planorbarius, or coils. This tiny snail, measuring only 3 cm, can breathe both on land and in water. In order to keep their habitat clean, harmless coils eat food, plants, and sometimes bacteria. Planorbarius deposit their eggs on submerged objects. The offspring hatch from the eggs after a month.
Beautiful snails with an intriguing shell shape are tylomelania. Mollusks up to 10 cm long require grottoes and other places to hide from bright light.
An aquarium should have enough room for everyone, as one person needs at least 15 liters. Although tylomelania prefer to be alone, they can be content with a few fish or crustaceans.
These mollusks consume copious amounts of food. They start to harm algae when there is not enough food. Tylomelania, in contrast to other snails, inhabit soft, warm, highly acidic water that is between 20 and 32 °C.
Water turtles
Because they are so easy to care for, aquatic turtles are popular pets. The benefits of keeping them maintained are as follows:
- Unpretentiousness. For the reptile, it is enough to arrange a suitable aquaterrarium, feed it correctly and on time.
- Inexpensive food. An adult is fed 2-4 times a week.
- Calm nature. The reptile does not make loud sounds.
- Long lifespan. A hardy animal can live 30-40 years.
Red-eared turtles
A red-eared turtle’s typical size is between 25 and 30 cm. The specific parameters are determined by the detention conditions. Every time, men are smaller than women. Turtles can live up to 40 years at home, which is nearly twice as long as their wild counterparts. This reptile possesses highly developed eyesight and smell senses.
They can detect color differences on land as well as in the water. Turtles can detect movement up to 40 meters away.
Their keen sense of smell aids in their food finding. Due to the nerves that run through the shell, hearing is not as developed, and the shell is touch sensitive.
The red-eared slider can bite, scratch, and resist, so it should be handled carefully.
The reptile should not be allowed in the kitchen or any other area where food is prepared because it frequently becomes a carrier of salmonellosis.
A 200-liter aquarium with a water heater, filter, UV lamp, thermometer, lamp, and shore (island) is sufficient for one person. Soil can be made from large stones.
Feeding the reptile with prepared food, veggies, fish, invertebrates, insects, and aquarium plants is essential. Because turtles have a tendency to overeat, the amount of food must be regulated. Moreover, the animal requires water to swallow because it doesn’t produce saliva.
Varieties of trionic
Water turtle up to 20 cm in size, Trionics Chinese. The reptile has an oblong nose that resembles a trunk and a soft leather carapace.
These turtles, having three fingers, are highly voyaging and combative. Their plates, which are placed on the jaws, frequently cause injuries to victims. A baby specimen is bought to be kept at home.
The African trionyx is a large turtle with a maximum length of 90 centimeters. The young reptiles grow swiftly and also have bites. Having this animal at home is not advised.
There are more unusual and fascinating animals living in aquariums than just fish. These remarkable aquarium inhabitants, which range from colorful, alien-like marine species to oddball, behaviorally distinctive freshwater inhabitants, bring excitement and wonder to any tank. We’ll look at some of the most unusual and fascinating aquarium inhabitants in this post, which will surprise and excite both beginning and experienced aquarium keepers.
Unusual aquarium fish
- The black knife is one of the most unusual species of fish. In captivity it grows up to 50 cm, so it needs a spacious aquarium. It has practically no fins, does not use its vision. It creates a small electric field around itself, thanks to which it finds food. It feeds on bloodworms, mussels.
- The dragon wrasse is an exotic fish with an aggressive character. It is active only during the daytime, at night it burrows into the sand or freezes in place. A young specimen requires 250 liters of volume, for an adult – from 500 liters. It feeds on the meat of sea fish, squid, mussels. It needs to be fed 3 times a day.
- The blue dolphin is a calm inhabitant of the aquarium, which grows up to 25 cm in length. This fish requires a tank with a capacity of 400 l. You need to give out meat food in small portions up to 5 times a day.
- The box fish has the shape of a cube. Grows up to 45 cm. In nature, it feeds on algae and small crustaceans, so in captivity the diet can be combined.
Discovering the diverse and amazing world of aquarium inhabitants can be quite enlightening. The mandarin fish’s vivid colors and the octopus’s fascinating behaviors are just two examples of how these unusual species liven up any tank.
Every one of these animals adds a unique charm and personality to your aquarium. These inhabitants have the ability to turn an ordinary tank into an enthralling underwater showcase, whether it’s through their playful antics like shrimp or their stunning patterns like rare fish.
You’re not just getting new pets when you decide to keep some of these unusual species in your aquarium; you’re also establishing a dynamic and constantly changing aquatic habitat. Accept the chance to educate yourself about and gain an appreciation for the wide range of life that can flourish in your tank.