The top 10 best aquarium fish for beginners

     Aquaristics is a rewarding and fascinating activity. When choosing fish for your first aquarium, consider how easy they are to care for, how resistant they are to disease, and how well they get along in a shared environment. Below is a list of ideal fish for beginners.

Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

They are popular and unpretentious aquarium fish. They are very peaceful and can get along with different species of fish. The only important thing to take into account is that they cannot live alone long-term. Therefore, these fish should be kept in pairs or groups in the aquarium. They are omnivorous and require small amounts of food from both animal and vegetable sources.

Water parameters for maintaining them in an aquarium:

Temperature: 20-26°C.

Acidity: 6.5–8.5 pH;

Hardness: up to 25 gH.

Green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii)

This is a popular aquarium fish. They get along well with peaceful species, but are not recommended for keeping with aggressive ones. This species requires live food. It tolerates long intervals between feedings well, especially if there are live plants in the aquarium, as it can feed on the algae that grow on the leaves of higher plants and the walls of the aquarium. It tolerates a lack of aeration well when the aquarium is not overpopulated.

Water parameters for maintenance in the aquarium:

Water temperature: 22-26°C.

Acidity: 7.0–7.5 pH;

                                                                                                                         Hardness: 12–30 gH.

Black Molly (Poecilia sphenops)

This is an artificially bred species. They are quite peaceful and can coexist with a variety of other species of fish in the aquarium. They are heat-loving and do not tolerate a lowered temperature well. They are highly mobile. They are omnivorous and their diet should include a sufficient amount of plant food.

The ideal water parameters for maintaining them in an aquarium are:

Temperature: 25-27°C.

Acidity: 7–8 pH;

Hardness: 20–30 gH.

Sumatra barb (Puntigrus tetrazona)

This is a very active and cheerful fish. It can survive in water temperatures as low as 15 °C. It is not recommended to keep them with fish that have long or veiled fins. They often attack aquarium snails. When kept in pairs, they can annoy other inhabitants, but when kept in groups of five or more, they are engaged with each other and establish a hierarchy, leaving the rest of the fish in relative peace.

Water parameters for maintenance in the aquarium:

Water temperature: 22-24°C.

Acidity: 6.5–7 pH;

Hardness: up to 17 gH.

Сardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)

These fish are kept in flocks of five individuals in aquariums. They can be kept with most other peaceful fish of a similar size or slightly larger. The aquarium must contain live plants. Use stones and snags as decorations. They look beautiful in thickets. They feed on small worms and crustaceans.

The ideal water parameters for keeping them in an aquarium are:

Water temperature: 23-27°C.

Acidity: 4.6–6.2 pH.

Hardness: up to 4 gH.

Three spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)

They are active and beautiful fish. They can be kept with other peaceful fish of a similar size. Males are territorial. They should therefore be kept separately or with females. This species needs snags, clay pots or floating plants to provide shelter. Their diet consists of a mixture of small aquatic invertebrates, insects, algae and plants.

Water parameters for aquarium keeping:

Water temperature: 22–28 °C.

Acidity: 6–8 pH;

Hardness: 5–15 gH.

Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

They are one of the most popular types of aquarium fish. However, they are not well compatible with other aquarium inhabitants. To keep them together, choose breeds and species that swim at the same speed and are similarly active. Their diet should contain both plant and animal components.

The ideal water parameters for keeping them in an aquarium are:

Water temperature: 22 to 25 °C.

Acidity: 6–18 pH;

Hardness: 5–15 gH.

Black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi)

These are gregarious aquarium fish. In a spacious aquarium, they stay at a medium depth, away from thickets of plants. In a small aquarium, they hide amongst the plants, only coming out to search for food. They get along well with other species of fish. They feed on worms, small crustaceans and insects.

Water parameters for keeping in an aquarium:

Water temperature: 20-26°C.

Acidity: 6–18 pH.

Hardness: around 7 gH.

Bushymouth catfish (Ancistrus dolichopterus)

This is one of the most popular ornamental catfish for aquariums. It is compatible with some other peaceful species of fish. However, it is not recommended to keep them with aggressive or territorial species that may disturb or compete with them for resources. It is predominantly a herbivorous fish.

The ideal water parameters for keeping it in an aquarium are:

Water temperature: 23-29°C.

Acidity: 6–7.8 pH.

Hardness: 4 to 25 gH.

Blue leopard corydoras (Corydoras paleatus)

This popular aquarium fish is gregarious and it is recommended that it be kept in groups of six to eight individuals. They are peaceful and get along well with other small, peaceful fish. They are most active at night. They often explore the bottom of the aquarium and like to dig in the soil in search of food. They feed on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant debris.

The ideal water parameters for keeping them in an aquarium are:

Water temperature: 22-26°C.

Acidity: 6–7.5 pH;

Hardness: 2–12 gH.

     However, do not assume that aquariums with unpretentious fish are easy to maintain. They require regular maintenance, such as water changes and cleaning the filter.