Keeping fish is a relaxing hobby even for the absolute beginner. With the sheer magnitude of fish choices available online and at the store, the new fish hobbyist may have a hard time making choices. How big of a tank should I get? How many fish should I get? Which fish should I get?
Another way to look at the fish choices is that surely you can pick a few fish which experience has shown us to be kind to the beginning fish hobbyist. This article considers what makes a freshwater fish a good candidate for beginners, and then provides lists of good fish for beginners and fish that should not be your first choice. We will conclude this article with online sources for buying freshwater fish.
What makes a fish a good candidate for beginners?
When evaluating which fish to start out with, consider fish attributes that work for the beginner hobbyist.
Compatibility
With compatibility, look at how well the fish will do in a community setting. Is it a peaceful fish, aggressive towards others, or not particularly "aggressive" but a little too willing to eat others? For freshwater tropical fish, schooling fish are a safe bet.
Hardy/Undemanding Constitution
Some freshwater fish adapt better than other fish to variances in their environment.
Feeding Requirements
When just starting out, go with fish who are not finicky about their food source. You have enough to worry about without having to spend time every day preparing special food (for example, if the fish requires live food).
Price
Over all, freshwater fish are more affordable than marine livestock. However, just looking at the wide range of freshwater fish available, you'll see that some freshwater fish are more reasonably priced than others. Using prices from LiveAquaria.com (Doctors Smith and Foster's livestock site), we compare the following freshwater fish for their prices (for evaluation purposes, we limited the survey to fish reaching a maximum adult size of 2-3" in the tank):
| Type of Fish |
Price |
| Glowlight Tetra |
$1.49 |
| Betta - Male |
$2.49 |
| Albino Aeneus Cory Cat |
$4.99 |
| Hexazon Bar |
$6.49 |
| Besemani Rainbow Fish |
$12.99 |
| Sidthimunki Botia Loach |
$19.99 |
|
Considering that many freshwater fish prefer to be in schools of at least six fish, the price of adding fish to your tank can really add up. We kept this list to fish that would reach an adult size of 2-3 inches. Many larger freshwater fish can be found in the $50 dollar range depending on availability and demand!
Adult Size and Size Requirements
All fish start out small but will grow, grow and grow. Not everybody will be happy with fish that stay at 2-3 inches. However, our list of beginner fish does limit fish to about under a foot at adult size so that your beginner fish will not outgrow your starter tank.
Breeding
Some people want fish that breed well in tanks because they want to enjoy that aspect of fish keeping or they think they might save money with fish that self-perpetuate. Livebearers (guppies, platies, and swordtails) are notoriously effective tank breeders. Keep in mind that breeding does include its own challenges such as keeping the fry (baby fish) from getting eaten and successfully feeding the fry.
Good Freshwater Fish for Beginners
Here is our list of freshwater fish that would be great for the beginner to start with. For pricing purposes, we used the LiveAquaria.com site.
- Anabantids (Bettas and Gouramis) Bettas are also known as Siamese Fighting Fish (as in the fish that will attack its own mirror image). Bettas and Gouramis are beautiful labyrinth fishes meaning that they get air at the surface of the water through a labyrinth organ. The downside with male Bettas is that you can only keep one Betta male in a tank (you can have other fish but no other male Bettas). Gouramis are usually peaceful additions to the community tank. Price range for Bettas is $2.49 to $6.49. Price range for Gouramis is $2.49 to $12.99.
- Cichlids. There are so many different Cichlid species, that you will have no problem picking one that suits your aquarium. Cichlids can get large and are territorial during breeding season. They can be prolific in captivity? Price range for African Cichlids is $5.99 to $39.99. Price range for New World Cichlids is $3.99 to $59.99.
- Cyprinids (White Cloud Mountain Minnow, Zebra Danios, Rasboras, and Cherry Barbs) These little guys are hardy. You will find tons of color and pattern variations. You will also enjoy watching their schooling behavior. If you had to pick one fish to start with, you could not go wrong with a White Cloud Mountain Minnow. Price range is $1.29 to $7.99.
- Livebearers (Guppies, Platies, and Swordtails) These beautiful fish will stay small (under 3 inches for the most part) but that is not the only thing about these guys that makes them a great pick. Brilliantly colored and happy in the community tank, these peaceful fish are extremely easy to keep. Out of all the starter fish, they are the easiest to breed in captivity. Guppies look like they should cost way more than their going price; you'll easily get excited about these fish. Price range is $1.99 to $5.99 to $34.99.
- Tetras are so cheap it is practically criminal! Tetras are great additions to the community tank and their vivid colors will attract your attention every time they dart around in their little schools. Price range is $1.49 to $7.99 with most of them in the under $3 range.
- Loaches are bottom dwellers that differentiate themselves from most of the fish in this list. They are more secretive; they tend to hang out alone, with many being nocturnal. Loaches require currents in the water as they are stream dwellers in the wild. They will also take care of your snail population if you have a problem with it. Price range is $2.99 to $13.99.
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