15 Best Freshwater Aquarium Fish Species
It’s important to consider the needs of the fish you’re going to keep. If you don’t have a good background in aquatics, take the time to research the needs of each of the species that you are interested in keeping.
If you’re setting up a new freshwater aquarium, you’ll need to consider the best species of fish to put in it. While there are hundreds of different freshwater aquarium fish species available, these are just the top 15 choices.
Any of the following fish species could be good for a home aquarium.
1. Guppies
Today we’ll start off with a fish called the guppy fish. This popular freshwater fish is native to South America but can now be found throughout the world, even in tropical areas. Guppies are also an extremely hardy species and they are able to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions.
Guppies are actually pretty simple fish. They can come in many different colors and variations and have a wide array of shapes. Their tail shape is also different, depending on their type. You’ll often find them as the first fish that new owners purchase for a community tank. They look gorgeous!
Typically, guppies are peaceful fish that are good to be kept with other species. Usually, Guppies are good to be kept together with other fish. They will swim around all day. If you see them sitting in a corner or not moving for a fairly long period of time, they could be sick or stressed out.
2. The Platy Fish.
The Platy Fish, is one of the best beginner fish breeds for a variety of reasons. It is one of the most popular fish to introduce into an aquarium. The Platy Fish is a peaceful, docile breed that’s easy to care for and makes for an attractive addition to any community aquarium.
It’s also ideal for beginners who prefer their fish to be quiet and relaxed!
It can live for up to 5 years if you do everything by the book. Platies grow up to 3 inches long and they don’t grow very fast. So don’t worry if you pick one that’s just a bit smaller than you’d like, they’re still adorable and a fun fish to watch grow.
Most platys are considered omnivores, so they eat plants and meat as well. Platys eat a balance of protein and carbohydrates to help keep their bodies functioning properly. It is recommended that vegetable matter be the largest portion of their diet, along with a certain amount of meat. In their natural habitat, Platies eat all sorts of things, but like most of all herbivorous fish.
To make your Platies happy, keep the aquarium full of plants, where they can hide and live their life, like in their natural environment.
Like the Guppies, platies also come in many different colors, so you’ll have plenty of choices.
3. Mollies
Mollies are the ultimate community fish. If you’ve got a freshwater tank, they’re a great choice for both beginners and veterans. In a large tank they’re great for creating an instant fish-only community, but they’re also the easiest to care for, requiring little attention in the form of feeding or cleaning.
Mollies can be very difficult to keep around. If their tank mates aren’t peaceful enough, they could start acting more aggressively towards them, so it’s important that you only choose tank mates that behave peacefully.
Just like Platies before, Mollies are also omnivorous, so you can feed them all kinds of food. Worms are a great option, but don’t stop there. Mollies really enjoy vegetables and algae as well as foods in your home. They’ll even eat some food that’s right from your kitchen! Only make sure, you cut those into small pieces, for them to be easy to consume.
The molly (also known as the black molly) is a small tropical fish. In fact, many of them won’t get much bigger than about four and half inches in length. This makes them great choices for your aquarium.
If you treat them with love and care, they can live as long as 5 years.
