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The Best Fish for a Fish Tank

The Best Fish for a Fish Tank

Are you looking for the best fish for a fish tank? Check out the list below for some of the best fish that we have owned!

Platies

This fish is ideal for the community tank. Platies are peaceful fish that can coexist with any other non-aggressive fish. As a result of selective breeding, there are several different varieties to choose from them. They come in a range of colors.

When it comes to food, Platies aren’t picky. They’ll consume some flake food, as well as the majority of frozen live foods.

Guppies

A colorful freshwater aquarium fish that are suitable for beginners are Guppies. Guppies come in various colors, even though their appearance and characteristics are similar from one fish to the next.

They’re tough fish that can survive on regular fish flakes. They will, however, consume frozen (or live) brine shrimp, blood worms, and Daphnia, as can several other fish on this list. The fact that Guppies can go for more than a week without eating demonstrates their tenacity.

If you want to hold Guppies, you should understand the difference between a male and a female. Guppies reproduce rapidly, so combining the two sexes in a tank would result in many Guppy babies. To avoid this, keep all males or all females unless you’re in this game to breed them, of course.

Kuhli Loach

The Kuhli Loach is an eel-like fish that originated in Southeast Asia’s tropical region. Also, it has made its way into our list of best freshwater fish due to its size, ability to adapt to water changes, and peaceful nature.

Since the Kuhli Loach is a bottom feeder, it consumes almost any leftover food that has fallen to the tank’s bottom, including live foods, including worms and shrimp. General fish pellets can make up the majority of their diet.

They’re peaceful fish that can get along with most other non-aggressive fish but don’t put them in a tank with something too large that could confuse them for food. You should keep at least three at a time to keep them satisfied.

Cherry Barb

Cherry Barbs are the ideal freshwater fish for a home aquarium for all of the reasons mentioned above, even though they take a while to settle into their new tank. Despite being one of the most endangered fish species in the wild, the Cherry Barb is still a common aquarium fish due to its vivid, eye-catching colors and entertainment value.

They’re a very busy fish, and once they’ve adjusted to their new environment, they’ll be even more active and entertaining to watch. We suggest keeping some live plants in your Cherry Barb’s cage to help them feel more settled and safe. 

Barbs take a long time to emerge from their shells. They’re better held in classrooms, so anything with a number greater than six is preferred. In terms of dietary requirements, they can consume almost every form of fish food, but they may not take it right away if the tank is brand new. They’ll be able to eat comfortably in a couple of weeks.

Fire Mouth Cichilid

The Fire Mouth Cichilid gets its name from the red coloration of its scales during breeding. It’s an excellent fish for new fishkeepers. During the breeding season, they may become very territorial, but they are generally sweet.

On the safe side, keep these on their own; however, if you want to mix them with other animals, make sure you have rocks or an upturned plant pot to lay their eggs in peace. Cichlids can reach a length of 6 inches as adults, and their diet consists of daily flake food.

Because of their widespread availability, they can found in most pet shops. They are usually inexpensive, which is another benefit when looking to stock your aquarium.

Pearl Gourami

This excellent tropical freshwater fish, also known as the Lace Gourami, is one of the most common Gourami fish for aquarium enthusiasts, thanks to its beautiful appearance and robust build.

They’re easy to care for and can keep in tanks of at least 30 gallons of water, but, like all other Gourami species, they need a room at the top of the tank to breathe.

The Pearl Gourami can consume a wide range of foods, both plant-based and meat-based when it comes to feeding time.

We recommend feeding an algae-based flake food and live food like brine shrimp, blood worms, and tubifex for the best overall nutrition.

Bear in mind that aggressive fish do not mix well with pearl gouramis, so keep that in mind while stocking your aquarium. They also like to hide, so a tiny covering of floating ferns provides them with a convenient hiding spot. Here are a few posts about how to set up a new tank with plants.

Tiger Pleco

The Tiger Pleco is a peaceful freshwater fish native to South America (the Amazon River in Brazil). They prefer sinking food like pellets because they spend much of their time at the bottom of the tank, but brine shrimp and blood worms also work well.

Plecos would be less likely to eat the plants in your tank if you keep them well fed.

Since Tiger Plecos are peaceful yet territorial, you highly recommend that you should fill the bottom of your tank with rocks and wood ornaments. So they can find a place to call their own if you have more than one. They can grow up to 5 inches in length and have an 8-year lifespan in ideal tank conditions. The Bristlenose Pleco, a closely related pleco fish, is also a good choice.

Cory Catfish

The Cory Catfish is another peaceful fish that gets along with most other fish. The Cory fish is the ideal addition to a beginner’s fish tank, with over 140 species to choose from (Not mistaken for other catfish such as the Pictus Catfish). Because of their fondness for vegetative matter and algae, which may collect at the bottom of home aquariums, these freshwater fish be in charge of keeping your tank clean.

The Cory Catfish, which can live up to 20 years, is a social fish that thrives in at least three groups. They eat insects, larvae, and any vegetative matter that sinks to the bottom of shallow shoals in the wild. You can do the same thing by providing them with various vegetable flakes, insect larvae, and worms like bloodworms.

Mollies

Mollies are versatile fish that can adapt to both freshwater and saltwater aquariums if the transition is gradual. They’re perfect for beginners because they’re incredibly hardy and don’t bite as much as other tropical fish. 

Choosing the right water conditions for each type of molly fish can be difficult due to the significant differences between them. On the other hand, Mollies prefer warm water, so a temperature of 25 to 28 degrees would be ideal.

Mollies prefer to eat a plant-based diet in the wild, mainly algae. Mollies’ digestive systems are engineer to consume algae better than any other tropical fish, thanks to evolution’s gradual shift away from a carnivorous diet and toward a plant-based diet. Algae, vegetarian flakes, and the occasional bloodworm or brine shrimp as a treat be ideal for aquarium mollies, but only once or twice per week at most.

Sword Tails

Swordtails (named for the sword-like shape of their tails) have recently gained a large following of devoted fans searching to find the rarest of the breed. Swordtails are often found in small streams and prefer a plant-based diet, so a tank full of naturally occurring algae would be ideal for them. However, they sometimes eat live foods.

Regularly, a vegetable-based flake is an ideal food for them. Swordtails grow up to 12 cm in length and require minor water conditions, making them ideal for new fishkeepers. Bear in mind that they excel in groups, so keeping more than one, ideally five or more, is often a good idea.

Water temperatures between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius are ideal, but they can also thrive in colder or warmer tanks. Swordtails like fast-flowing water in the wild, so if you can replicate this by having solid water flow somewhere in your tank, they are grateful and feel more at ease.

Betta Fish

While not recommended as a beginner fish because of their violent nature. The Betta fish would generally be aggressive against other Betta fish, so as long as you hold one, you should be fine.

The Betta is one of the most beautiful tropical fish you can keep, so we’ve included it on our list of best freshwater fish for beginners.

Anyone looking into your tank would draw to the long colorful fins. Betta fish are also very simple to keep and consume various foods, including fish flakes, blood worms, and brine shrimp. Try giving the tank some live foods as a treat.

If you’re searching for tank mates, avoid any fish that have a propensity for nipping. The Betta be a prime target for nipping fish due to their massive fins, but nipping an aggressive fish like the Betta would never end well.

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