What’s The Best Fish For A Beginner?
Fish keeping is a great indoor hobby, and a relatively simple one too.
There’s no need to take fish on everyday walks or clean out a litter box, and there’s no worry of damage to your furniture or loud noise in your home.
But when it comes to actually choosing the fish to have in their aquarium, many new fish owners find themselves unsure of what to go with.
So we’ve composed a list of various fish in our in-store aquarium that we think make perfect beginners to the fish keeping hobby.
These small and colourful fish were once nicknamed “the working man’s neon” as they had a similar colour to neon tetras but weren’t as expensive.
The usual life expectancy for the minnows is 3 to 5 years, depending of course on how well they’re taken care of, and they typically require a tank with a minimum of 10 gallons.
It’s advised to have a couple of these guys together, but as omnivores, they’ll (fortunately) eat pretty much anything.
Usually bought for their colourful appearance, the paradise fish are vibrant additions to an aquarium, although their personality is not as peaceful as a lot of coldwater fish.
Typically the dominant species in the tank, these fish won’t play well with smaller fish, so it’s advised to put them with bigger, peaceful fish.
They need at least a 20 gallon tank, but if you have a few of them, 30 would be recommended.
Similar to goldfish but darker, these fish are generally adored by the fish keeping community.
As schooling fish, they’re known to be hardy yet peaceful, and don’t typically require much maintenance. They usually grow up to 2 inches and can live for 5 years or more.
The minimum recommended tank size for the cherry barbs is 25 gallons because they’re not only a schooling fish, but they like to have plenty of space to move around.
A favourite for those who like unique animals, the X-Ray tetras are a worthwhile addition to any tank because of their translucent skin.
As well as their distinctive appearance, they’re a schooling fish and incredibly peaceful – this means they’ll gel well with other fish species put in the same tank.
They usually live from 2 to 5 years, and they typically need very clean water to thrive.
As the name suggests, the tiger barbs have a distinctive appearance with pale orange skin and black stripes, making them a fun and lively fish for your aquarium – especially if it’s for kids.
Although easy to take care of, they’re not a great choice for communal tanks with slow or docile fish, as they can be aggressive in smaller numbers.
They like a variety of foods, and have a minimum recommended tank size of 20 gallons, usually preferring to swim in the centre.
There’s a reason why goldfishes are the most popular and commonly kept fish in the world, and the comet goldfishes are the cream of the crop.
Not only do they have the potential to grow quite large, but as a friendly and active fish, they’re perfect for virtually any aquarium.
With the right care, they can live from anywhere between 4 and 14 years, although the minimum recommended tank size for these golden guys is 50 gallons.
For help with keeping fish, check out our handy video below.
As with any new hobby, it’s tough to know where to start and what to buy. But with the right beginner fish, you’ll be enjoying a lively aquarium in your home in no time. You can browse our wide range of fish tanks online, but for any questions, queries or concerns, contact us on Facebook.
