When you are starting with a new aquarium, there is a lot to learn and take into account, so it’s essential to choose the right fish for your tank. There are many tropical freshwater fish to choose from, but some require more complex care than others. Therefore, we have selected the top five fish to include based on their colors, appearance, and ease of care.
Make sure your aquarium is fully set up with the correct water balance and temperature, and all the plants and decorations are established before you decide to start looking for fish. That way, when you buy them, it will be a straightforward transition into a prepared aquarium.
Here are the five tropical fish you should include in your aquarium or small fish tank:
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Guppies
If you want a lively, vibrant tank full of colors, then guppies are the fish for you. They are tiny fish, though, so if you mix them with larger fish, they are likely to be eaten. There are many different types of guppies in all sorts of colors, but they are categorized by having a tiny body with very long and flowy fins.
If you are looking to create a very calming, tranquil aquarium, guppies would not be the right choice because they are incredibly active little fish. However, they do produce beautiful colors, and some people choose to fill the entire aquarium with them. These animals bear live young, so you should also look out for babies in your tank.
Neon Tetras
Neons are popular for their bright colors and easy care. They’re about the size of guppies. They need to be kept in schools, with a minimum of six together, and preferably more than six. They rarely grow longer than an inch, so it’s easy enough to have a number of them in a relatively small tank.
If the water quality is low or you don’t have enough to create a proper school, they can become aggressive toward each other, so it’s essential to maintain the numbers and water quality. Don’t keep them with bigger fish, or they will get eaten.
Cory Catfish
Cory catfish are small catfish that scavenge the tank for leftover food and will be found along the bottom of the tank, eating the debris and plants from the aquarium floor. There are many different species, which are all very popular with new aquarium owners, as they help to keep the tank in excellent order and have a quaint, armored appearance.
They need to be in a school, so you should gather at least six of these fish together, and they typically grow to a length of between two and three inches once fully grown.
Zebra Danio
There are a few different types of danio fish out there, and you will come across some with spots, but the zebra danio is so-called because of the stripy black and white body. These fish grow to be around two inches long and need to be in a school within the tank.
They are short-finned, but there are longer-finned danio breeds available, so you could select various danios for your aquarium. These beautiful, vibrant little fish enhance any aquarium setup and are very pleasant to observe.
Platy
Platies are highly active fish with an inquisitive nature, making them fun to watch. These fish also bear live young, so be sure to look for baby fish if you have a school of them in your tank. They are not aggressive, but their curious nature can mean they annoy other fish sometimes by accident.
There are many colors and markings on the plates, including one with a tail marking that looks like Mickey Mouse, which will surely amuse kids if you have a school of them.
These top five tropical fish are all small, calm, and easy to care for and will bring vibrancy, color, and vigorous activity to any aquarium. They are the perfect starter tropical fish for any aquarium enthusiast and will delight everyone who comes to visit.
There are many more varieties of tropical fish available; of course, these are just a selection of some of the most popular and easy-to-look-after types to give you a starting point for your home aquarium.
