Best Tropical Fish For Beginner Aquariums

There are many types of tropical fish that you keep in your freshwater aquarium. Here are the best tropical fish species to keep if you’re a beginner or expert fishkeeper:

Guppies

There are many different types of guppies. And, there’s no denying that these are some of the coolest freshwater aquarium fish to start with. Guppies are a popular choice for beginners because they are easy to care for. These fish are beautiful due to their varying colors and tail and fin shapes.

Guppies of varying colors and sizes.
Guppy Fish

Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish are small, colorful, freshwater fish that make excellent tank mates. You can keep them together with other small, non-aggressive species of aquarium fish. There are also several different rainbowfish species to choose from.

Boseman's Rainbowfish.
Boseman’s Rainbowfish.
Lake Kutubu RainbowfIsh.
Lake Kutubu RainbowfIsh.

Cory Catfish

Cory catfish are algae eaters. So, they will eat the algae off the sides of the tank and the plants. They spend most of their time scavenging at the bottom of the tank.

cory catfish
cory catfish

Iridescent Shark

Iridescent sharks are a species of catfish native to Asia. While they are excellent tank fish, you must remember that they will eat any fish that can fit into their mouth. So, fish like Tetras, Danios, and Barbs are not good mates for tanks with iridescent sharks. They also need at least a 300-gallon tank.

Iridescent Shark
Iridescent Shark

Neon Tetra

These are small freshwater tropical fish native to South America. Neon Tetras are so popular in the United States that the country imports 1.5 million neon tetras per month.

Neon Tetras
Neon Tetras

Freshwater Angelfish

Angelfish is a common pet fish with both beginner and long-time aquarists. Some of the best-known types of angelfish are the Silver Angelfish, Zebra Angelfish, Marbled Angelfish, Veiltail Angelfish, and Blushing Angelfish.

Marbled Angelfish
Marbled Angelfish

Discus

These freshwater aquarium fish have distinctive shapes and bright colors. Discus fish are easy to care for, but they need softer, somewhat acidic water.

Gold Yellow Discus Fish.
Gold Yellow Discus Fish.

Platyfish

Platy fish are another popular tropical fish for beginners. Common names include the southern platyfish, common platy, or moonfish. As pets, platys can be far more colorful than wild varieties, and come in several colors. They are rather peaceful and make for good tank mates.

Rainbow Wag Platy
Rainbow Wag Platy

Barb

Barbs are lively, hardy, and colorful fish. They are schooling species that do best if kept in groups of at least five or more. There are many different types of barbs, so you can add variety to your tank if you add these fish.

Tiger Barb
Tiger Barb

Danios

Danios are also schooling fish that are quite hardy. But, they prefer cooler temperatures, making them an excellent choice for unheated aquariums. For example, you can keep them with goldfish.

Zebra Danio
Zebra Danio

Betta Fish

The Siamese fighting fish, also known as the betta, is popular in the aquarium trade. Bettas in the wild are carnivores. So, they feed on carrion, shrimp, insect larvae, insects, and small worms. These types of tropical fish, if kept as a pet, prefer solitary. But, there are some types of snails (aquarium snails) that you can add to the tank without issue.

Betta Fish
Betta Fish

Gourami

Gouramis are some of the hardiest and most popular aquarium fish. They are easy to care for and breed. Some species are small, like the dwarf gouramis, and others grow up to 28 inches, like the giant gourami.

Dwarf Gourami
Dwarf Gourami

Bolivian Ram

Bolivian Rams are colorful, peaceful, and easygoing aquarium fish. They can be quite shy and will not bother any other fish in your tank.

Bolivian Ram
Bolivian Ram

You can find most, if not all, of these freshwater aquarium fish by shopping online at any of the best online fish stores.

References