Meet the Fishes
Tropical Fishes
Friends of Philip is home to over 25 species of freshwater tropical fish! Among our resident species are: bettas, corydoras, plecos, loaches, tetras, danios, rasboras, and cichlids.
Our tropical residents live in tanks inside that are set to meet their unique social and physiological needs. The majority of our tropical fishes live in community tanks with members of their own, and other peaceful species. Because we never purchase animals, we are often on the lookout for additional members of certain species to create larger groups and keep our residents as happy and fulfilled as possible!
In addition to our peaceful community tanks, we have cichlid tanks that each house one male cichlid, and individual betta tanks! Both of these species do well in individual tanks, and bettas in particular should never be kept with other bettas. We also have one female betta, Opal, who lives in a community tank and does great with everyone there!
Our top priority for all our residents is to maintain their homes in a way that allows them to live the best life possible. While this looks different for each species and individual, there is one key shared requirement between all our tropical species. They all need their tanks to be kept at a warmer temperature than our climate will maintain, so their tanks are heated and kept indoors to make sure they stay warm and healthy!
Temperate/Cold Water Fishes
We are also home to 5 species of temperate or cold water fishes! These species include: goldfish, two types of minnows, loaches, and bluegill.
Goldfish are the most numerous species at Friends of Philip, with over 40 goldfish residents! In our goldfish group, we have both common and “fancy” varieties. The majority of our common goldfish live outside in an in-ground pond, while the fancy goldfish live inside in stock tanks. Because of their unique physiology, fancy goldfish cannot handle the lower temperatures that common goldfish can, so they need to be kept warmer! Our fancy goldfish residents share a 150 gallon stock tank with the dojo loaches and minnows.
Currently Friends of Philip has just one Bluegill resident. He is the first individual at our sanctuary who is of a species commonly exploited for food, and we absolutely adore him. He will move into the pond with the goldfish this year!
