Discover how we work to ensure the fish reach your shop in perfect condition

We work hard every day to ensure the quality of our fish and to offer the latest products in the market  

When we started to sell fish Tropical Center was a true challenge, as this company was started due to the enthusiasm for fishkeeping of its founder and current CEO, Gaspar Cabrera Roca. Yes, we were expert fish keepers, but not to such a great extent! So, in 1990 when Tropical Center was founded, we had just 70 varieties of fish. From there we started to grow and evolve, seeking new improvements and innovating… All of these headaches and experience have led us to become one of the largest fish facilities in Europe, currently with 10 lines of aquariums with 200 tanks holding 350 litres per line, plus 350,000 litres in the 10 water cisterns, which means that our fish are swimming in over one million litres of water.

Latest innovations 



One of our latest innovations was the incorporation onto 
the sides of the cisterns of heating cables to control the
 temperature of the water in each line of aquariums by 
computer. Hence, the line of coldwater aquariums is 
at 18ºC, the tropical lines at 24ºC and the discus 
line at 28ºC. 

All aquariums have direct sunlight, the amount of which 
is controlled by thermal blankets on the ceiling 
that open and close automatically depending on the 
light and temperature at any given time.

Why our fish are a guarantee of quality for your shop

All fish are fed with granulated Tropifish food, the immune-stimulants of which increase the defences of the fish and provides them with great vigour and colour. In addition to their food, they are also given frozen ICA food.

All of our fish go through a strict quarantine of at least 7 days  

We guarantee that all of our fish are given a quarantine of at least 7 days and that the tanks in quarantine or holding sick fish are blocked by the computer so that we never sell sick fish.      

The collection and transportation process

When fish are sent to shops, they are put under considerable stress – first by being chased and caught by a net in the aquariums, which causes them to panic considerably, and then by being crammed into transport bags with other fish of the same species, which sometimes attack each other. Often subjected to sudden movements during transportation and affected by the large amount of ammonia that fish excrete through their gills and that accumulates in the small bags. To avoid all this, we add a special fish sedative to the water in the bags that calms them and eliminates any stress. We also add Amquel Plus that totally neutralises all of their ammonia. All of this means that the fish reach the shops in perfect condition.   Of the 2,000 350-litre aquariums in the 10 lines of 200 aquariums each, 200 aquariums are for coldwater fish (carassius and kois) and 1,800 for tropical fish. Furthermore, in an independent facility we have over 300 saltwater aquariums holding between 500 and 10 litres that are for marine fish and invertebrates and are equipped with the most advanced and powerful urea skimmers, UV lamps and ozonisers to guarantee optimum water quality and 50 terrariums for reptiles and amphibians. We also have a large area devoted to aquatic plants with a capacity to store over 150 different species.  

Our varieties of fish

At Tropical Center we pay special attention to selecting suppliers that sell fish of the appropriate size, colour and characteristics for the species. Our stock includes:

• Over 480 varieties of tropical fish.
• Over 220 varieties of saltwater fish.
• Invertebrates and brackish water fish.
• Over 150 varieties of aquatic plants.
• You can consult the actual stock of fish and plants available at any given time on our dynamic website.

Our stock is based on the varieties of Discus most requested by the general public and are a guarantee of quality for your shop, as they eat granulated food and are free of any disease.

  In Tropical Center we normally keep over 500 Discus in stock of the 9 most popular varieties among the general public, which can be seen in the photos at the bottom of this page. Discus normally arrive from breeders with parasites such as Hexamita, Protopalina (protozoa that live in the intestines) and worms such as Capillaria, which is why we subject them to strict quarantine during which time we supply them with food medicated with Levamisole and Metronidazole that completely eradicate worms and protozoa and we also eliminate any bacterial disease caused by the stress of travelling. You can therefore rest assured that all of the Discus we sell are fully deparasited and in perfect conditions.

All of our fish go through a strict quarantine  

Unlike wild Discus, our Discus adapt well to most waters and can be kept problem-free in waters with a pH of 7.5 and a hardness of 15º. All of our Discus eagerly eat our “Tropifish” granulated food, which we recommend as a basic food. As a supplement we also suggest giving them the frozen meal for Neon Discus, making sure you defrost it correctly beforehand and drain off any excess water so as not to contaminate the aquarium.

Keeping Discus in an aquarium is not 
difficult if you follow t he rules below:

1. The water temperature must range
    between 28 and 29 degrees. 

2. 20% of the aquarium water
    must be changed every week. 

3. At least six Discus of the same 
    size should be kept together; 
    otherwise any dominant individuals
    will focus their aggression on the rest 
    and will cause too much stress. With six
    fish this aggression fades. 
4. Do not mix Discus of different sizes.

 

A new variety of Betta that is very popular with the general public in Europe and the US due to their colours and spectacular shapes, which are also very easy to keep and to feed. Design or grade A Betta are a new variety of Betta recently becoming extremely popular in Europe and the United State because their colours and shapes, as can be seen in the photos at the bottom of this page, are as spectacular as those of marine fish.  

A growing market with strong demand in Europe and the United States

 

Maintenance tasks

Their maintenance is very simple, as all you need is a small plastic Betta tank in which part of the water is replaced every week with previously dechlorinated water. These Betta are not very demanding insofar as temperature is concerned and, therefore, can be kept in any home at room temperature, without a thermo-heater. Of course, for them to unfold all of their fins and show their true beauty, another Betta should be placed alongside in a similar container. If an internal Betta tank for aquariums is used, you can keep up to four specimens for owners to enjoy their permanent display of tails and fins that are used to intimidate their fellow fish. The most suitable with regards food are freeze-dried red mosquito larvae that float on the water and do not pollute the aquarium, as most Bettas do not tolerate flake food very well.  

New for your shop

Thanks to their spectacular beauty, these design Betta are an opportunity to attract new customers because the investment required in keeping them in a simple Betta tank is within reach of everyone.

A complete selection of fish

We have prepared a full catalogue in which we have classified the most popular fish in the market, with illustrated photos and brief, practical advice at the start of each fish category, summarising the useful information such as water conditions, the behaviour of the species and its most common diseases.

The Tropical Center Catalogue has been produced as a useful guide for shops, containing detailed information on the varieties of fish most commonly sold.  

Not only is it a catalogue of fish but also a very useful guide, as two chapters are devoted to freshwater fish, which are the most popular. Drafted in a very clear manner so that readers in specialist shops become aware or expand their knowledge of the most important aspects in starting an aquarium, the biological cycle, the introduction of fish into a new aquarium, feeding fish and the most common diseases and their treatment. With the same clarity and to ensure shop owners are given relevant information acquired over the years of experience of Tropical Center: a chapter has been included on Aquarium Plants, Pond Plants and Marine Aquariums. In each article, its editor and founder of Tropical Center, Gaspar Cabrera Roca, has included tips and small pieces of advice, whose extensive experience as an expert fish keeper and his expertise will mean that any shop keeper or enthusiast can keep a freshwater or saltwater aquarium in perfect conditions.