Perhaps you’re looking to spruce up your interiors with a mesmerizing aquarium display. Perhaps you want a pet but know you can’t commit to or don’t have the space for higher maintenance ones such as dogs.
Whatever your reason behind it, taking care of fish in an aquarium is a lowkey yet fun addition to your everyday routine. To get you started, creator of Fishkeeping World Robert Woods rounded up his top five fish breeds for beginners – all of which can be found locally!
Zebra Danio
Zebra Danios derive their name from the black and white stripes running along their bodies. A popular tropical fish for beginners, Zebra Danios are active yet peaceful, with a lifespan of up to five years.
Tank recommendations: Zebra Danios do best in long tanks with ample swimming room and a light current.
Diet: Zebra Danios can thrive on quality flake food. However, it’s recommended that this be occasionally supplemented with live food, including small insects, worms, algae, and crustaceans.
Rasbora
Originating from Southeast Asia, Rasboras are tropical fish that can be found in rivers. They are also small and hardy, with no additional aquarium requirements!
Tank recommendations: The colors of Rasboras are most highlighted in aquariums with dark substrate. It’s also recommended that the tank provides a gentle current to simulate streams!
Diet: Rasboras will thrive on tropical flakes and pellets as well as occasional treats of bloodworms, brine shrimp, or mysis shrimp.
Fancy Guppy
Fancy Guppies are not only very hardy fish, but also require no particular additional equipment. With their striking tail colorations, Fancy Guppies are a great choice for those who prefer to house colorful fish in their aquarium!
Tank recommendations: Aside from the standard heater and filter, Fancy Guppies will be happiest in well-planted tanks with plenty of spaces to hide.
Diet: A healthy diet for this breed includes bloodworms, brine shrimp, flake food, and pellets! Not at all picky, guppies may even feed on algae growing inside the tank.
Clownfish
One of the most popular fish breeds, thanks to Disney, clownfish are saltwater fish that are bright orange in color with large white stripes outlined in black.
Tank recommendations: Known to be very territorial, clownfish do best in tanks that give them lots of space to swim without frequently coming into contact with other fish.
Diet: One of the reasons that make clownfish perfect for beginners is that they’re especially easy to feed! Their diet in the wild can be imitated through meaty food like mysis shrimp and brine shrimp, as well as flakes and pellets.
Puntius Barbs
Puntius Barbs are small schooling fish that are hardy and easy to care for. This fish breed also comes in many different colors, making them the perfect choice to beautify the tank!
Tank recommendations: A highly active breed, Puntius Barbs require ample swimming room. As they’re known to take passing swipes at neighbors, it’s important to note that slow-moving and long-finned breeds may not be suitable tankmates.
Diet: Omnivorous and easy to feed, Barbs will enjoy all manners of live and frozen food, and even vegetables such as squashed peas!
Maintaining an aquarium can become a particularly enjoyable hobby, once you get the hang of it and see your little underwater community thrive. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices of fish breeds, it’s important to read more about what each one needs to live a happy, healthy life in the tank!
