If you are thinking of getting an aquarium, you should also start thinking in the line of the type of fish to put in it.
Today, different fish types exist, but not all of them might be great for the freshwater environment.
Any beginner would want to know some of the best freshwater fish to use today.
If you are in the market for fish for your aquarium, there is no doubt that you will be confused by the various types available. You will always have a hard time when it comes to making up your mind.
Luckily for you, we have highlighted some of the best freshwater fish you can buy today. This guide should help save your important time.
Table of Contents
15 Best Freshwater Fish for Aquarium
1. Guppy
It is common to find this fish in many freshwater aquariums. They are liked for a few reasons. You will get that this fish is not demanding at all.
When it comes to maintenance, you will not have to do a lot and still it will get to look great. It is also peaceful and can breed easily.
The difference between the male and female is often obvious. The males would be brighter with an elongated anal fin. The female on the other hand will be larger and with a shorter anal fin.
The guppy fish is live-bearing. This means that the guppy juveniles can easily start to swim after birth and can live on their own. Commonly you can find the guppy female spawning about 60 juveniles at a time.
You have to keep the juveniles in a separate tank as they can be eaten if left in the same tank with the other fish. As for breeding, you simply have to keep the male and female fish in one tank.
2. Platy Fish
The platy fish can be put in the same class the swordtails. As much as they might be different in appearance, they all need the same care and should be great for a beginner looking to start an aquarium.
The best part is that this breed is also live-bearing. You should find it great to have as the juveniles will not need a lot of work. You can easily see them swimming and eating even a couple of hours after birth.
Not much special process is needed for breeding. Just like in the case of guppy fish, you simply place the male and female in the same tank.
With their bright color and active nature, you will never miss them among others. They always seem to be hungry and in search of food.
3. Zebrafish
You will find this small-sized fish being popular among the aquarists most of the time. People like it due to the size and its good-temper nature.
They are also simple to care of, so be sure not to spend a lot of time and money to keep them alive.
The zebrafish is a schooling fish. This calls for you to keep at least of them in the tank. You could have the tank planted, but just make sure there is enough space for the fish to swim.
You also have to consider the other types of fish in the aquarium. You do not want to have the fish type that will bite off the fins of others in the same tank as the zebrafish.
4. The White Cloud Mountain Minnow
It is quite the small fish that you can use for your freshwater aquarium. The best part is that it is not demanding at all. You will always find it great to maintain even for a beginner.
They come brightly colored so it is not easy to miss their location. They are also easy to breed and not aggressive at all.
The fish does not attack its juveniles unlike other fish types. As for the water temperature, you do not have to always keep the aquarium heated. The fish will still survive in the cold water.
You will mostly find it swimming in the middle water layers and in a school. So it is better to keep at least 6 of them in the same aquarium to create the school for a nice show when swimming.
5. Cory
Many people will like this fish for being good-looking, and active in the aquarium. If you have always wanted the aquarium to look great, then you can consider getting such type of fish.
You can find various types of the Cory fish, but the most popular will be the blue leopard Cory.
Even with the different looks, they all have the same behavior. They will swim mostly in the bottom water layers.
They do this to look for the leftover feed all the time. In a way, they will be helping to clean the tank.
It can be very active, but it will not grow to become a large fish that you have to get a new aquarium for it.
6. Harlequin Rasbora
Its size alone is often enough for people to consider having it in their aquariums. It is not just about the size, but also the color. It is definitely a beautiful fish that you could enjoy having in your tank today.
Many people would love to have in their tanks with the other fish species mentioned above. The reason is that you can find this species being peaceful.
To make it look its best, you can consider having the species in a school. When they swim in a school, you will always find this being great for your tank.
As for feeding, you can choose to feed them on a variety of food with no problem. Just make sure it is not the large-grained food as swallowing might be a problem.
7. Kuhli Loach
Upon checking out this fish, you might see that it is quite unusual. Do not let that scare you as it is even possible for the inexperienced aquarist to handle it. Since it has a close relation to the true loaches family, it looks like a small snake.
As much as it looks like a snake, it should be scary as it is not dangerous. Most of them will hide during the day.
This means that it is better to have a soft substrate in the tank. The fish will often dig and hide in the substrate.
With the digging all the time, you should find the fish-eating the leftovers at the bottom, thus cleaning the tank in a way. Make sure that you feed it food that drowns for it to easily reach it.
8. The Dwarf Gourami
This family of fish often inhabits in oxygen-deficient water thus it is used to learning to breathing the outer oxygen.
It is the reason you can find the fish getting close to the water surface to get more air. It could be an interesting feature to see how the fish reaches for the water surface.
On the overall, you will find this species being peaceful and can co-exist with the other fish in one tank. The males will be very bright in terms of color and their abdominal fins turned due to long outgrowths.
As for the food, you can feed them any floating food as they like to swim around the water surface.
Since the fish is not demanding, you might find it great to keep it in your aquarium and simply do quick maintenance.
9. Cherry Barb
The small and peaceful nature makes it likable by many people. You can always find many newbies opting for it as it is low maintenance.
The male fish of the species brightly colored and it is where it derives its name. Being a schooling fish, you need to consider keeping at least 6 of them in the tank to create the effect.
You will notice that the fish does not always stay in a school. They only do so when they are scared.
You simply have to make sure that it gets all the necessary food and simple maintenance should keep it looking great all the time.
10. Bristlenose Catfish
It can be a large fish at 15 cm long, which means that you have to get a larger tank to make sure it fits properly and has some space for playing.
Its unusual appearance often makes more people to be interested in it. You too could get it for yourself and never have to regret again.
It is tolerant to various tank conditions so it can easily survive anywhere. With such a low maintenance fish, you should not have a problem keeping it.
The catfish is still beneficial to the tank as it survives by eating epibioses and algae. Your tank can now be cleaner than before with such a fish type.
11. Goldfish
There is no doubt you have seen this in many aquariums than any other fish type. Goldfish come in various sizes and colors.
You can have many people choosing the type they like mostly based on the color and maintenance needs.
If you have an unheated aquarium, then you should find this type of fish great for you.
As much as they can be messy eaters, you should not find it hard to keep them. Just make sure to change 10 percent of the water weekly.
As for maintenance, you could treat the water a de-chlorinator to keep it clean at all times.
12. Bloodfin Tetras
You will easily recognize them with the silver bodies and the striking red fins. They are known to be quite hardy fish types.
This means that they can live up to 10 years in some aquariums. That is quite a long time for a fish. It also depends on the maintenance. Giving it proper maintenance should help it last for a long time.
Being an active fish, you should find them always on the move. They can have a great life if you keep the space available in the aquarium larger. No need to cramp up space with many plants or other substrates.
It is a peaceful fish that also prefers to live in a group. You will always enjoy seeing them moving around in a group.
13. Danios
If you are new to aquariums, this is great to start with for most people. You can use them in different aquariums and they will always perform well. The reason mostly is because they are hard and can work well in a variety of conditions.
Their active nature is what makes more people want to have them. You will find them mostly in a group swimming close to the water surface.
The bright horizontal stripes on the fish will always catch your attention as they move in a school around the aquarium’s water surface.
14. Black Molly
It could not get any blacker than this fish. It is definitely one of the blackest fish you will ever see.
Well, it has a peaceful nature. It should be a great choice if you plan to come up with a community tank having many other fish types.
The fish is often liked because it will easily adapt to the freshwater aquariums without much of an effort. You can easily transfer it from one tank to the other and it will still be comfortable.
They are also live-breeders, so you can expect them to have juveniles that can take care of themselves easily after birth. Just make sure to get them to a separate tank as the parents tend to eat the young ones.
15. Betta
For those looking to have some additional flash and color, then you need to get a betta fish. It comes with brilliantly long and bright fins.
You will always find them fighting with each other. For this reason, consider just having one in the tank.
They are hardy, so survival for them is not an issue. They will eat flake food or pellets at any time.
Because of their long fins, do not pair it with other fish that can pick the fins as they are delicate.
Conclusion
Having the best freshwater fish for the aquarium list should now help you make up your mind. As you can see from the list, most of the fish do not even need a lot of maintenance.
You will not have to work extra hard just to keep the fish safe and healthy. Take the time to understand the needs of each species before you can pick the best one for you.
You have let your tank cycle. Run your tank with no fish for 4 to 6 weels6 and maintain your tank as though youbgsd fish in it. Feed the empty tank everyday and do weekly water changes as though you had fish. This gives your beneficial bacteria time to grow and establish itself in your filter. Get a master test kit or test strips to test you water weekly during this time, before your weekly water change and after. Once your parameters are at 0 rpm ammonia and nitrite and your nitrates are below 0.5 rpm, you are ready to add your fish, 2 to 3 fish at a time per week. It is also hood to quarantine your fish for about a week in a separate temporary tank set up, if you can, to ensure your fish are healthy before passing them to yiye main tank to avoid any problems. I hope this helps, good luck!
PLEASE DO NOT BUY A GOLDFISH!! this is not accurate and goldfish need tons of space, if you really want a goldfish please do lots of research first. In fact you should do lots of research before buying any animal ever. as its owner its YOUR job to find out what it needs and provide that not one website, not the pet store employee, YOURS. my advice is look at multiple websites and youtube videos from people with lots of experience with the animal you want and take notes from what they do.
No they are easy, i have two very healthy ones in a 20 gallon ,easy to care for and fun. they eat twice a day and I change the water every month and clean the filter every month . Change the filter sponges every year , and you are good to go!!!
Sure they can survive but honestly you are torturing your fish. A gold fish needs a minimum of 30 gallons + 10 gallons for every additional fish. THIS IS THE MINIMUM. Imagine living in a bathtub your whole life. Would be an appropriate size space for a child but not an adult. Sure you could survive but you have no freedom to explore and your poop would pile up and be disgusting to be so close to it. Over time the ammonia from your poop would take a toll on your health.
Goldishes are a must to have in your aquarium. That orange color brings joy and gives your home some color. They are busy, always roaming around. I’ve had them for two years now but do not really grow.
Hi there, am a beginner with the aquarium tank, basically am having a 200 litres tank at present with fishes like.. parrot, breeding heart parrot, horn parrot, shivami, black oscars, white oscar, Auroras, dwarf gaurami, sinning gauramis, green terror etc. would like to know with the choices of fish I kept is it sufficient?
Thank you for writing this article. I just started looking after a few mollies and been searching for other tropical fish that are easy to take care. I will surely buy some fish on your list.
It is common to find this fish in many freshwater aquariums. They are liked for a few reasons. You will get that this fish is not demanding at all.
The platy fish can be put in the same class the swordtails. As much as they might be different in appearance, they all need the same care and should be great for a beginner looking to start an aquarium.
You will find this small-sized fish being popular among the aquarists most of the time. People like it due to the size and its good-temper nature.
It is quite the small fish that you can use for your freshwater aquarium. The best part is that it is not demanding at all. You will always find it great to maintain even for a beginner.
Many people will like this fish for being good-looking, and active in the aquarium. If you have always wanted the aquarium to look great, then you can consider getting such type of fish.
Its size alone is often enough for people to consider having it in their aquariums. It is not just about the size, but also the color. It is definitely a beautiful fish that you could enjoy having in your tank today.
Upon checking out this fish, you might see that it is quite unusual. Do not let that scare you as it is even possible for the inexperienced aquarist to handle it. Since it has a close relation to the true loaches family, it looks like a small snake.
This family of fish often inhabits in oxygen-deficient water thus it is used to learning to breathing the outer oxygen.
The small and peaceful nature makes it likable by many people. You can always find many newbies opting for it as it is low maintenance.
It can be a large fish at 15 cm long, which means that you have to get a larger tank to make sure it fits properly and has some space for playing.
There is no doubt you have seen this in many aquariums than any other fish type. Goldfish come in various sizes and colors.
You will easily recognize them with the silver bodies and the striking red fins. They are known to be quite hardy fish types.
If you are new to aquariums, this is great to start with for most people. You can use them in different aquariums and they will always perform well. The reason mostly is because they are hard and can work well in a variety of conditions.
It could not get any blacker than this fish. It is definitely one of the blackest fish you will ever see.
For those looking to have some additional flash and color, then you need to get a betta fish. It comes with brilliantly long and bright fins.
I’m searching for fishes catagory wise like
soft fish gold fish
Hard fish gorami mollo
Please share if any categorisation is available
Gold fish are easy to keep and you can get it in every aquarium shop
Yes you can . I have 2 they are really fun and easy to care for
Goldfish have to be kept in large tanks, though, and are messy fish. They may be easy, but other fish are easier.
You have a Glowlight Tetra in the bloodfin tetra place
Hi,I ame started new fish aquarium in 2 day and my fish is golden fish. all ready 3 fish is death 1 day so you please say that what to do…
You have let your tank cycle. Run your tank with no fish for 4 to 6 weels6 and maintain your tank as though youbgsd fish in it. Feed the empty tank everyday and do weekly water changes as though you had fish. This gives your beneficial bacteria time to grow and establish itself in your filter. Get a master test kit or test strips to test you water weekly during this time, before your weekly water change and after. Once your parameters are at 0 rpm ammonia and nitrite and your nitrates are below 0.5 rpm, you are ready to add your fish, 2 to 3 fish at a time per week. It is also hood to quarantine your fish for about a week in a separate temporary tank set up, if you can, to ensure your fish are healthy before passing them to yiye main tank to avoid any problems. I hope this helps, good luck!
PLEASE DO NOT BUY A GOLDFISH!! this is not accurate and goldfish need tons of space, if you really want a goldfish please do lots of research first. In fact you should do lots of research before buying any animal ever. as its owner its YOUR job to find out what it needs and provide that not one website, not the pet store employee, YOURS. my advice is look at multiple websites and youtube videos from people with lots of experience with the animal you want and take notes from what they do.
No they are easy, i have two very healthy ones in a 20 gallon ,easy to care for and fun. they eat twice a day and I change the water every month and clean the filter every month . Change the filter sponges every year , and you are good to go!!!
Sure they can survive but honestly you are torturing your fish. A gold fish needs a minimum of 30 gallons + 10 gallons for every additional fish. THIS IS THE MINIMUM. Imagine living in a bathtub your whole life. Would be an appropriate size space for a child but not an adult. Sure you could survive but you have no freedom to explore and your poop would pile up and be disgusting to be so close to it. Over time the ammonia from your poop would take a toll on your health.
Goldishes are a must to have in your aquarium. That orange color brings joy and gives your home some color. They are busy, always roaming around. I’ve had them for two years now but do not really grow.
this is soooooo NOT true!
Hi there, am a beginner with the aquarium tank, basically am having a 200 litres tank at present with fishes like.. parrot, breeding heart parrot, horn parrot, shivami, black oscars, white oscar, Auroras, dwarf gaurami, sinning gauramis, green terror etc. would like to know with the choices of fish I kept is it sufficient?
You have too many fish for the size of your tank. Tou ahoukdnr have more than 3 fish in an aquarium that size.
Only 3 fish in a 200 liter (50 gallon)? That doesn’t seem right!
Hey! Thanks for the advice. Now, I’m going to buy fish for my first aquarium. I will buy some fish from your list.
Hi there,
I need two know how many gallons capacity tank is required for keeping 10 gold fish.
Minimum 100 Gallon …120 Gallon / 150 Gallon is better.
The more space the better.
At least 150 gals maybe 200 my goldfish was 3lbs in a 40b it was to small
What fish are compatible with the beta
The zebra fish is a Fabio so you’ve got the same thing twice!
Thank you for writing this article. I just started looking after a few mollies and been searching for other tropical fish that are easy to take care. I will surely buy some fish on your list.