Maintaining an aquarium is a relaxing and easy hobby. While the selection of fish available online and at your local pet store can be overwhelming, this guide profiles a few of the most popular and hardy freshwater fish that are perfect for beginners and seasoned Aquarius like.
Betta fish:-Although not typically recommended as a beginner fish, due to their aggressive nature (They aren’t called Siamese Fighting Fish for nothing), the Betta fish will generally be aggressive toward other Betta fish, so as long as you only keep one, they should be fine.
I have added the Betta to our list of best freshwater fish for beginners, because they are one of the most stunning tropical fish you can keep. The long colourful fins will catch the eyes of anyone having a peek in your tank. Betta fish are also very easy to care for, and they will eat most types of food including fish flakes, blood-worms and brine shrimp. For a treat, try offering some live foods to the tank.
Sward tail:-Often touted as a ‘beginner only’ fish, sword tails have recently began to build a huge following of devoted fans, looking to seek out the rarest of the species. Mostly found in small streams, sword tails typically prefer a plant based diet, so a tank full of naturally occurring algae will be perfect for them, however, they also do well with live foods from time to time. A vegetable based flake would be the perfect food for them on a consistent basis.
Growing up to 12 cm in length, and with low demands for water conditions, sword tails are perfect for new fishkeepers. Keep in mind that they thrive better in communities, so it’s always better to keep more than one, preferably 5 or more. The optimal water temperature would be between 25 and 28 degrees celcius, but they can also do well in cooler, or warmer tanks.
pearl gourami:-Also known as the Lace Gourami, this cool tropical freshwater fish is one of the most popular Gourami fish for aquarium lovers, thanks to it’s beautiful appearance and its hardy build. They are easy to care for, and can be kept in tanks with at least 30 gallons of water, but like many other types of Gourami, they do require space at the top of the tank so they can breath air.
When it comes to feeding time, the Pearl Gourami can eat a wide variety of different foods, both plant based, and meat based. For the best overall nutrition, i recommend feeding an algae based flake food, as well as live food such as brine shrimp, blood-worms.
Cherry barb:-Although they may take a while to settle into their new tank, Cherry Barbs are the perfect freshwater fish for a home aquarium for all of the reasons listed above. They can tolerate big changes in water parameters, they are friendly, they only grow to around 2 inches long and in general, they are an easy fish to take care of. As one of the most endangered species of fish in the wild, the Cherry Barb is still a favourite within the fishkeeping community, thanks to it’s bright, eye catching colours, and it’s entertainment value. They are a very active fish, and once they become accustomed to their new surroundings, they will be very active and fun to watch.
Guppy :- a colorful freshwater aquarium fish that are perfect for beginners are Guppies. Although the behaviour and characteristics tend to be the same from fish to fish , Guppies come in a wide range of colours. They are a hardy fish, and they can eat regular fish flakes. However, like many fish on this list, they can also eat frozen (or live) brine shrimp, blood worms, and Daphnia. The fact that Guppies can go over a week without food, shows how hardy they are.
Danios :- One of the more hardy freshwater aquarium fish available for beginners are Danios. Due to their hardiness, they are the perfect fish for people who don’t have much experience with setting up a tank. They can survive in a variety of different water conditions.
Danios are generally very active and fun to watch. In terms of their diet, they will be more than happy with fish flakes.
Neon tetra:-Although small in size, these beautifully coloured, cool freshwater fish will surely take advantage of every bit of space in your tank and are one of the easiest fish to care for. They love being in groups, so the bigger the group, the happier they will be, so don’t be afraid of keeping as many as you want.
Their diet is simple, and they can be fed basic fish flakes, although they do enjoy the odd blood worm or brine shrimp every now and then.