10 Best Aquarium Fish For Beginners

Its oval-shaped fish has large dorsal and anal fins with a larfe rounded tail. Their base color ranges from a dusky, rosy pink all the way to a dark almost black color. As a proficient acclimatizer, this 4-inch fish on average can live in an average aquarium with 50 gallons of water (26-30 degrees Celsius) that is very clean, well oxygenated, with moderate flow, fine gravel, hollow logs and caves, driftwood and plant roots. But don’t be fooled some loaches can grow to 15? and need a much larger aquarium. Here’s a species that stands out! The threadfin rainbowfish is an eye-catching fish that’s native to New Guinea. The Cardinalfish tend to keep to themselves and will be most active at night. They like having plenty of places to hide during the day so make sure you give them live plants and rocks to explore. Furthermore, they require some driftwood to nibble on in their tank to stay healthy. With the massive tank requirements and special dietary considerations, they are clearly the wrong choice for someone just starting to learn about the hobby, but they remain one of the most popular fish to put in the beginner aquarium.

Your aquarium tanks will need regular cleaning eventually, but not right away. It's best to allow it to settle in and find its balance during the first few weeks. Avoid disturbing the gravel during water changes for the first month or so, as this may disrupt the beneficial bacteria that are trying to get established. The same applies to your filter – gently rinse hang-on filter cartridges if they need it, but otherwise try not to disturb filter media and do not change it for the first few weeks. If you want to keep a group of dwarf gouramis in your tank, you’d need at least 10 gallons. Avoid housing with aggressive fish. Dwarf gouramis tend to stil to the upper levels of the tank so are best housed with mid and bottom dwellers. 3. Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) – Nicknamed the darling of the marine aquarium hobby, these black, white, and silver fish have long, elegant fins and are generally easy to keep. The neon tetra needs no light show to sport its small multicolored body. Read more about the very popular and colorful Neon Tetra in this article. Duboisi Cichlids are a cool, unique species of freshwater fish, with their stocky body, large heads, and fan-shaped caudal fin.

The Yellow Coris Wrasse, also referred to as a Golden Rainbowfish, Golden Wrasse, or Canary Wrasse, is another hardy and small fish good for beginners. Although it varies from species to species, aquarium fish should live anywhere from three to seven years, or longer. Goldfish can live for 20 years or more. Since all of the fish on our list are absolutely fantastic, it all comes down to your personal preference and your vision for the tank. The Green Texas Cichlid is the most aggressive fish on out list the same rules about aggression listed for the Jack Dempsey apply. Both fish should only be housed with fish of a similar temperament and size, so the tank is successful. However, if your Texas cichlid decides that it’s breeding season, it will attempt to kill any fish it sees. Your aquarium setup went flawlessly. You chose the perfect spot in your home, the decorations looked fantastic, and you stocked it with a bunch of gorgeous freshwater fish. Beaming with pride, you rested your head on your pillow that night and counted guppies until you drifted blissfully into a sweet sleep.

Most medications include instructions to change some of the water before each dose. As often as not, it is the water changes, not the medication, that are responsible for the fish getting better. The common goldfish may seem like an odd choice for this list at first, but they can actually live for up to 20 years if you put some effort into meeting their needs. Fortunately, their care requirements are very simple. These fish prefer slightly warm water with a pH level of anywhere from 7.0 to 8.4. Goldfish start off small at around 2 to 4 inches, but they can reach sizes of 10 inches or more. If you decide to keep one of these fish, please find out what demands the animals have on aquarium size, water, socialisation and food. Hardy and easy to care for honey gouramis are perfect for novice fishkeepers. They’re also a favorite for those caring for a community tank. They are docile, playful, and don’t cause any trouble.

Remove carbon and other chemical media from the filter, as they will adsorb medications, lowering their effectiveness. An aerator is recommended in addition to the filter, as some medications lower the oxygen level inthe water. A light can be used but is not necessary, as dimmer surroundings will calm your fish and are also known to inhibit some disease-causing organisms. This ricefish is capable of surviving temperatures down to 40 and upwards of 100, about 105, so they are great candidates for ponds. They have shining silver bodies with striking blood red coloration on the fins, hence their name. Bloodfin tetras reach about two inches in length and need a school of at least six. This was extremely helpful! Thank you so much for posting this. It really helps to know the amount of care a fish really needs rather than just the notes on the tanks at the pet store. If the container is oddly shaped, volume may be calculated mathematically, but it may be easier to purchase a flow meter to measure the volume required to fill the tank. Alternatively, the volume of inflowing water per minute can be measured by determining how long it takes to fill a 1-L graduated cylinder (or 5-gal. bucket). Using that information, determining how long it takes to fill a tank or ornamental pond can provide a sufficiently accurate assessment of volume.