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good fish for a beginner's aquarium should be hardy, able to live in a
wide range of conditions and look good. Some fish labeled as
"beginner fish" are not. Here are some good beginner fishes that
work well together and in smaller tanks.
But don't just buy one or two of
each of these fishes to fill a tank. These fish do better if there are
several of their own kind (a school). Try for a minimum of 6 of each of
these species (4 minimum for the Cory Cats). Less than this will stress
the fish unnecessarily.
White Cloud Mountain Minnows
White clouds are native to streams in Southern China and can be kept in
unheated tanks but they do fine in a heated aquarium as well. They are
olive brown or bronze, with a stripe that runs from the snout to the tail
and glows with a greenish gold hue. They grow to be 1 ½"
long.
Danios
Several species of Danios are often found in pet stores, including the
Giant Danio, the Zebra Danio, the Leopard Danio, and the Pearl Danio.
These fish are fast swimmers and school well. They are silver or tan with
differing patterns of blue markings. Most Danios stay under 2 ½"
long, although Giant Danios can get up to 4".
Tiger Barbs
Originating from the Far East, the Tiger Barb grows to around 2 inches.
Like all Barbs, it is playful and boisterous and may nip the fins of
slower moving fish. Keeping a school of 5 or 6 helps to solve the problem.
Corydoras Catfish
Cory Cats are short, stubby, armored catfish from South America. Corys are
small (2 ½" long or less), schooling
fish that are always searching the bottom of the tank for food. The Corys
you will see for reasonable prices are hardy and can even survive in a
tank with low oxygen (they regularly make fast bursts to the surface to
swallow air). Some Corys you may encounter are the Bronze Cory, the
Spotted Cory, the Leopard Cory, the Skunk Cory, the Bandit Cory, and the
Panda Cory.
Bad First Fish
Here are some fish that are not so good for beginners. Some are not good
community fish, while others are good fish for more advanced tanks.
- Goldfish
- Knife Fishes
- Hatchet Fishes
- Chinese Algae Eater
- Glass Catfish
- Red-Tailed Catfish
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