Everyone who now has a long-lasting passion for their aquarium fish had to start somewhere. It is always helpful when beginning on this rewarding journey to start with fish that are fairly low maintenance. This way, you can simply enjoy their beauty in a relaxed way whilst you get to grips with having an aquarium. Once you feel more confident looking after one of these fish, you can progress onto looking after fish that might be a bit more involved. So that you can get started, though, we thought that we would put together a list of some of the best fish for beginners!
1. White Cloud Minnows
These freshwater fish are frequently recommended for beginners for good reason. This is because they are very hardy and so they will be forgiving when it comes to water quality and water temperature in particular. You will generally not need to stress too much about heavy duty heating schedules, because they thrive in colder water of 18-22 degrees Celsius. They enjoy being in groups of 6 and above and, best yet, they aren’t even fussy eaters! This means that they will be happy on live, frozen, or flake based food.
2. Common Goldfish
There is a sensible reason why this is a fish which you might have seen a lot of before. Because they are resilient, they are a good choice for beginners. More specifically, they are able to deal with a wider range of water hardness and pH than many fish. The main thing that you will need to bear in mind is that they will work best in single species tanks, as they do have a tendency to try and munch on other smaller animals if they get the chance!
3. Zebrafish
These striped little fish might also be worth considering as a good choice for beginners. They are easier to take care of than many other pet tropical freshwater fish because they don’t actually need the water to be kept at tropical temperatures. Although they are native to tropical conditions, they are able to adjust far better to lower temperatures than other tropical freshwater fish, and will be happy simply in room temperature conditions. This means that, especially in the warmer months, you won’t need to put much time and energy into heating your tank, as long as it is sitting at around 21 degrees Celsius. When the room temperature in your home drops in the winter, you will just need to use a small heater to keep the temperature up to 21.
4. Betta Fish
Betta Fish can be a great option for beginners because, although they are easy to care for, they have a truly extravagant appearance which will be sure to capture your imagination and give you a sense of the joys that are to be had in having beautiful fish as part of your home. They are small in size but have lavish and flowing fins which appear to pour out of their bodies like luxurious curtains blowing in the breeze. In terms of caring for these eye catching little fellows, they are happy to be kept by themselves in a tank with a gentle filter, and they feed on any floating meat-based pellets. Although they are happy without other fish, they do however require plenty of stimulation so you will have to purchase some accessories such as plants, caves and other underwater features.
5. Rosy Barb
Rosy Barbs are highly tolerant of a wide array of temperatures near 21 degrees Celsius. They will even be comfortable in colder conditions from 18-21 degrees. For this reason, they are easy to look after and will not require lots of energy to power large heaters. On top of that, these freshwater fish are happy in community aquariums thanks to their temperament. They are non-aggressive and will actively avoid conflict, therefore they will be relaxed and peaceful sharing water with other fish of the same character.