13 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:

Best Types of Tropical Fish To Keep (see the article after the gallery for more information)

Iridescent Shark — The iridescent shark is a species of shark catfish native to the rivers of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is not a shark. It is found in the Mekong basin as well as the Chao Phraya River, and is heavily cultivated for food there.

Marble Angelfish — . The Marble Veil Angel is a strain of angelfish that has a black, white, and yellow marbled pattern.

Golden Yellow Discus — The golden yellow discus is a stunning addition to a discus fish aquarium. It’s bright yellow color is sure to catch everyone’s attention at first glance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

References

Iridescent Shark Care Guide: Tank Mates, Tank Size, Growth Rate – https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/iridescent-shark/#Tank_Mates_for_Iridescent_Sharks
Neon Tetra Fish Species Profile – https://www.thesprucepets.com/neon-tetra-paracheirodon-1381835
Neon Tetra Fish in Aquarium Planted Tank – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V95qslKg3wU
Angelfish, Silver Angelfish, Freshwater Angelfish, Common Angelfish – http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/angelfish.php
What Makes The Perfect Cichlid Tank? – https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/what-makes-the-perfect-cichlid-tank/
Freshwater Fish – https://www.liveaquaria.com/category/830/
10 Best Tropical Fish for Beginners | PetHelpful – https://pethelpful.com/fish-aquariums/Tropical-Fish-for-Beginners
Tropical fish – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_fish

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