As a beginner, you are looking for resilient fish that aren't shy and will keep you interested in your aquarium! This article will explore some of our favourites with a little bit of information about each species. All these species are widely available so you should be able to find them online or at your Local Fish Shop!
See our guide to the best Tropical Fish Tanks for Beginners Here:
Here are a list of our recommended species:
1: Neon Tetras 2: Guppies
3: Cherry Barbs
4: Molly's
5: Celestial Pearl Danio
6: Platy's
7: White Cloud Mountain Minnows
8: Fancy Goldfish
Neon Tetras:
These are the most popular aquarium fish currently available, and for good reason! They won't exceed around 3cm and are incredibly vibrant. Thanks to lots of breeding these fish are almost always captive bread and will be very confident in your home aquarium; there is nothing worse than a fish you never see!
They are a schooling fish so try to aim for at least 3 or more of these - remember, the more you get the happier they'll be - which means they'll be more confident and show brighter colours.
Furthering this, they are incredibly resilient and easy to care for. They will graciously accept any standard tropical fish food and can tolerate almost all conditions.
Guppies:
Guppies are an incredibly beautiful, easy to care for, aquarium fish! They come in an unbelievable variety of colours and shapes and are everything you should be looking for in a starter fish! Thanks to them being bread in captivity for such a long time, they are incredibly confident fish making them very rewarding to keep!
They are very resilient to water quality changes making them perfect for the beginning aquarist. Furthering this, they too will accept a basic tropical flake as a standalone diet! If you want to give raising fry a go, guppies are an ideal species. Simply add females in a ratio of 3 females to every male and within a few weeks you should have your first baby fish! They are livebearers so simply give birth to live fish, in batches of 30-50!
Cherry Barbs:
The Cherry Barb is an under appreciated member of the Barb family! With a reputation for being aggressive, many people forget that peaceful members of this species exist. These fish are incredibly beautiful, will only reach 3cm fully grown, and make a perfect fish for both beginners and experienced aquarists!
They are a schooling species and, with these, it is particularly important you get at least a group of 6 for them to be confident in the aquarium. Once settled, the males will gain vivid red colouration, as in the photo, while the females remain slightly less bright, nonetheless just as beautiful!
Cherry Barbs are happy to feed on any tropical flake and are a very resilient fish!
Molly's:
Molly's are another perfect aquarium fish for beginners and seasoned aquarists alike! They come in a range of different colours and are also a fantastic, but undervalued, algae eating addition to any aquarium. Although they won't eat masses from the glass, they will eat algae from the gravel, ornaments and plants in the aquarium.
They are also a livebearer so be sure to get at females in at least a 2 to 1 ratio to males to avoid any bullying! They are incredibly beautiful and resilient fish, perfect for any peaceful aquarium!
Celestial Pearl Danios:
Celestial Pearl Danios are a micro fish species, rarely exceeding 2cm in length. They more than make up for their small size with exceptionally beautiful colouration and patterning. Although they are slightly more sensitive than the other species mentioned, they are by no-means hard to keep hence why they are on this list! Just make sure the tank has been properly cycled before adding these and you will not have any problems!
They prefer to be in groups and this will help to show their amazing colouration! Do note, they may be juvenile in the fish shop and therefore lack the beautiful colouration shown in the photo; they will soon mature, this takes no longer than 2/3 months, then the colour will be visible! If this is the case, you will definitely not regret waiting!
Platy's
Platy fish are both stunning and incredibly easy to care for, hence why they are a part of this list! Another livebearer, they offer beginner aquarists the chance to raise fry without intense care requirements!
These fish are incredibly confident and will make a fantastic addition to any aquarium. Resilient to fluctuating water parameters, they are a perfect fish for both beginning and more experienced aquarists alike! Ensure you do not get more males and females however as this could induce bullying!
White Cloud Mountain Minnows:
These are another species of fish that often get overlooked due to their lack of colouration in stocking tanks at the fish shop! They are absolutely beautiful fish perfect for both experienced and beginner aquarists alike! They are incredibly resilient to changing water conditions making them a perfect fish for beginners.
When settled, you will see the males dance to the females, as shown in the photo, which is breathtaking to watch. They are fascinating fish that you can watch for hours upon end!
Fancy Goldfish:
Our final recommendation are Fancy Goldfish! Contrary to popular belief, these are definitely not as easy to care for as people make out but, providing you follow the right steps in caring for them, they can make a perfect fish for both new and experienced aquarists alike. They are messy fish that will grow to between 20/30cm over their 25+ year lifespan. Providing adequate space, roughly 30 litres per fish when juvenile and 50 litres per fish once grown, ensures your goldfish will be happy with their home.
They more than make up for their slight awkwardness with regards to tank sizing by being such a wonderful pet. Goldfish are funny, personable and ensure you will remain interested in your aquarium for the long haul!
Ensure they are fed a vegetable based diet to keep them healthy and enjoy years of companionship.
Congratulations, you've finished our article on the best tropical fish for beginners! If you would like to find out about starting an aquarium, check out our article for how you can do that: HERE!
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