Top 6 fish for novice aquarium enthusiasts

Guppies

Guppies are live-bearing fish, and they often reproduce frequently, leading to rapid population growth. A crucial skill for any guppy owner is to distinguish and then separate males and females to prevent a sudden increase in population.

Males are smaller and more colorful fish, whereas larger females may have colorful tail fins but a simpler body with a large white belly.

The more guppies you have, the larger your aquarium should be. For example, if you have a 100-liter aquarium, you can house around 15 guppies, but if your aquarium is 40 liters, it can accommodate only about 5 individuals.

A pair of fancy guppies: female on the left, male on the right (photo: Wikipedia)

Mollies

There are various types of mollies, which come in different colors and can boast beautiful fins and tails. For instance, there are solid black mollies and albino mollies with red eyes.

These small fish are relatively hardy and livebearing, requiring appropriate aquarium temperature. You'll need a thermometer.

These peaceful fish need an aquarium of at least 75 liters in volume.

Mollies, black (photo: Wikipedia)

Sumatran Barb

Sumatran barbs are easy to care for but do poorly in aquariums with other species. Make sure they are not housed with more aggressive fish and have enough space to swim.

They thrive best in schools of six or more barbs. They require an aquarium of at least 80 liters.

Four Tiger Barbs and one Golden Barb female (photo: Wikipedia)

Danio

These small, striped fish are among the few in aquarium care that do not require warm tropical temperatures. Danios are peaceful, social fish that thrive in groups of five or more.

Several varieties of Danio with diverse colorations are available in the pet market. There is a long-finned variety called Zebra Danio, which also comes in neon colors that glow due to the addition of fluorescent genes in the fish.

These fish require a tank of at least 80 liters.

Danio fish in an aquarium (photo: Wikipedia)

Neon Tetra

One of the most common species for small freshwater aquariums is the neon tetra. These fish are known for their bright appearance with vivid red and blue stripes. They are excellent social fish that gather in schools.

Depending on the species, you will need an aquarium with a capacity of at least 40-80 liters.

Common Neon Tetra (photo: Wikipedia)

Black Neon Tetra (photo: Wikipedia)

Swordtail

Swordtail, named for the elongated tail fin in males, is another livebearing fish that can quickly populate a small aquarium.

There are numerous colorful varieties of swordtails available in the pet fish market. They are peaceful fish, but larger compared to most other livebearers. Females are as colorful as males but lack the 'sword' on their tail fin.

As for aquarium size, a minimum of 40 liters is recommended.

Green Swordtail with Sword Fin (photo: Wikipedia)

Sources used during the writing of the material: The Spruce Pets and Wikipedia.