What a thrill!! But how many doubts. You want to start with your first aquarium, but you don’t know which fish are the best for beginners.
There are many decisions to make, first. Do you want warm water fish or cold water fish?
Obviously, the conditioning of the aquarium, as well as the fish that will be part of it are different.
Do not believe everything they tell you, many say that the cold – water fish are easier to maintain . In reality, the difficulty is similar.
In addition to the logical conditioning of the aquarium, depending on the type of fish, we have to think that the varieties of warm water fish are huge, while there are far fewer cold-water fish.
Characteristics of warm water fish for beginners
Maintaining a warm water fish tank is not about buying an aquarium, filling it with water and then filling it with fish.
Each species needs different conditions of habitat, water temperature, pH, as well as a suitable aquarium size.
To achieve an aquarium that is pleasing to the eye, that is also easy to maintain and that supports well our beginner mistakes, the fish we choose must meet the following characteristics:
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Easy to keep fish
Among the dozens of fish that you will find in the pet store, choose those varieties that do not need too much attention.
You are just starting out, choosing a fish that requires a lot of care can be disastrous, for the fish and for your nerves. -
Hardy fish
The most resistant fish are those that can withstand significant differences in temperature , pH, or water quality.
Although we are not aware, it is possible that at some point we do not offer our fish the best conditions, simply due to ignorance. -
Peaceful fish
There are fish that do not coexist well with other species, it is not even possible to keep several specimens of the same sex in the aquarium.
If we want to have a community aquarium, which is what most want, to have an aquarium with several species of fish, we will have to look for fish that are compatible. -
Fish suitable for the size of our aquarium
Another important question is to choose fish that are suitable for the size of our aquarium.
We can really like a fish, but if it doesn’t fit in the aquarium… we can’t have it.
We are limited, the aquarium of our house will have the size that the house and the room where we are going to install it will allow us. The size of the fish has to be according to the aquarium.
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Neon tetra
The Neon Tetra is a small fish, which is perfectly adapted to living together with other species.
It is a gregarious fish, it is better to have a small group, where it will find the balance it needs.
It is not demanding with the quality of the water, although it prefers water with a pH lower than 7 and a temperature of around 25ºC.
It reaches a size of about 4 centimeters and an aquarium of 50 to 60 liters is necessary.
See: Neon fish
Danio Zebra or Danio rerio
All danios are very hardy , but if there is one danio suitable for beginners, it is the danio rerio.
It is a very sociable and gregarious fish, so it is always convenient to have several, so that they form a small community.
It is not picky about the quality of the water, as long as it is clean and well-drained.
They get to measure 5 centimeters and another advantage, they reproduce easily, which always excites a beginner in the aquarium.
See: Zebrafish
Guppy, Poecilia Reticulata
Although there are many fish in the Poecylid family , which are suitable to start in the aquarium, one of the easiest to care for for a novice is the Guppy .
They are highly valued warm water beginner fish due to their great robustness and ease of reproduction.
It is a calm species, which is perfectly adapted to living in a community aquarium , and they are not very large, they can measure 6 centimeters. Ideal size for an aquarium of about 80 liters.
The water temperature must be between 22º and 28ºC.
See: Guppy fish
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Cherry Barbel, Puntius Titteya, Barbus Titteya
It is a cherry red fish that is peaceful, as long as it is raised in a small group, it is recommended to have at least 6 specimens.
As with most species that are ideal for beginners, it is easy to reproduce in the aquarium , provided we provide it with optimal conditions.
It requires an aquarium with great vegetation, and that the temperature is between 22º and 24ºC.
See: Cherry barbel
Pearl gourami, Trichogaster leeri
The pearl gourami belongs to the Belontidae family . It is a fish that deservedly has to be among the warm water fish for beginners.
They are easy to acclimate and reproduce, when the aquarium conditions are right. They like that there is abundance of vegetation, to be able to spawn.
The size of the aquarium can range from 50 liters to 150 liters, depending on the amount of fish we have.
The temperature should be around 25ºC.
See: Gurami Perla
Corydora panda
I have chosen the corydora panda in this selection of warm water fish for beginners, although almost any fish in this family would do.
One of the interesting points of the panda corydora is that it is a small fish, measuring 4.5 centimeters , an ideal fish for a small aquarium of about 60 liters.
In addition, another peculiarity that these fish have is their diet, based on algae. Corydoras are often called bottom cleaners, because they keep the aquarium clean of algae.
See: Corydoras panda
Swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri
We return to the petcilid family to choose the swordtail fish.
They are very suitable fish for beginners, because they are not demanding with the quality of the water , although we must have a temperature around 25º to 28º, we have the great advantage that they are capable of adapting to higher or lower temperatures.
They prefer to live in a group of 5 or more members , they are very docile and live easily in a community aquarium.
Perhaps the only downside is its size, they can measure 12 centimeters and we will need an aquarium of at least 100 liters.
Harlequin fish, red rasbora, heteromorpha rasbora
The harlequin or rasbora fish is another of the recommended fish for beginners. The reasons are varied, on the one hand we have that it is a very sociable and vital fish, it swims tirelessly throughout the aquarium.
It is gregarious, we need to have a small group of at least 10 specimens , but far from being a problem, it brings a lot of showiness to the whole.
The temperature of the water must be in the environment of 24º to 27ºC, with a pH lower than 6.5.
Although they do not get to measure much, about 5 centimeters, we need an aquarium of about 100 liters.
See: Harlequin Fish
Blue Gourami, Trichogaster Trichopterus
The blue gourami, or three-spotted gouram, is above all spectacular, but also easy to care for, which is why it is in this selection of fish.
It is a calm fish that with age can even become apathetic. In captivity it can measure 10 centimeters, which requires us to have an aquarium of at least 100 liters.
Care should be taken not to include fish that are too territorial, as they can confine it to a corner of the aquarium.
Betta fish
