What kind of fish is easiest to take care of

Although they may take a while to settle into their new tank, Cherry Barbs are the perfect freshwater fish for a home aquarium for all of the reasons listed above. They can tolerate big changes in water parameters, they are friendly unlike their long-lost cousins Tiger Barbs , they only grow to around 2 inches long and in general, they are an easy fish to take care of.

They are a very active fish, and once they become accustomed to their new surroundings, they will be very active and fun to watch. In order to make your Cherry Barb feel as settled and as secure as possible, we recommend that you keep some live plants, allowing them to hide whenever they feel the need.

Barbs can take a while to come out of their shells. They are best kept in schools, so anything above 6 is preferred. Give them a couple of weeks and they will be eating comfortably. Given its name because of the red coloration of its scales during breeding, the Fire Mouth Cichilid is a perfect fish for new fishkeepers.

Although they CAN become pretty territorial during breeding season, they are relatively friendly. To be on the safe side, we recommend you keep these on their own, but if you want to mix them with other species, then make sure you provide rocks or an upturned plant pot where they can hide away in peace, to lay their eggs.

Adult Cichlids can grow to be around 6 inches long, and their diet can consist of regular flake food. Thanks to their popularity, you can find them at most pet stores, and they are generally very cheap, which is another advantage when looking to fill your own aquarium.

Also known as the Lace Gourami, this cool tropical freshwater fish is one of the most popular Gourami fish for aquarium lovers, thanks to its beautiful appearance and its hardy build.

They are easy to care for and can be kept in tanks with at least 30 gallons of water, but like many other types of Gourami, they do require space at the top of the tank so they can breathe air. When it comes to feeding time, the Pearl Gourami can eat a wide variety of different foods, both plant-based, and meat-based.

For the best overall nutrition, we recommend feeding an algae-based flake food, as well as live food such as brine shrimp, blood-worms and tubifex. Pearl Gouramis do not like to live with aggressive fish, so keep that in mind when filling your aquarium.

They also like a place to hide, so a small covering of floating ferns can give them a good place to hide and feel comfortable. We have several articles on setting up a new tank with plants, here. Because they spend most of their time at the bottom of the tank, they do well with sinking food such as pellets, but they also thrive on brine shrimp and blood worms.

Keeping Plecos nice and satiated will keep them from eating your tanks plants, which they can have a tendency to do. Tiger Plecos are peaceful but very territorial, so if you plan on keeping more than one, it is recommended that you fill the bottom of your tank with rocks and wood ornaments, so they can find a place to call their own. Growing up to 5 inches in length, they have a lifespan of up to 8 years under optimal tank conditions. The closely related Bristlenose Pleco is a great choice of pleco fish, too.

Another peaceful fish that will live harmoniously with most other fish is the Cory Catfish. Being aggressive eaters, these freshwater fish will be responsible for keeping your tank clean, thanks to their love for vegetative matter and algae which can build up at the bottom of home aquariums. With a lifespan of up to 20 years, the Cory Catfish is a communal fish, which strives better when kept in groups of at least 3.

In the wild, they will feed on insects, larvae and any vegetative matter that sinks to the bottom of shallow shoals. You can replicate this by offering them a variety of vegetable flakes, insect larvae, and worms such as blood-worms.

Mollies are a versatile fish which can survive in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums if the changes are made gradually.

They are great for beginners because they are extremely hardy, and are not as aggressive as some other tropical fish. Because of the vast difference between each type of molly fish, choosing the right water conditions can be tough. However, all mollies prefer warm water, so a temperature between 25 and 28 degrees would be optimal.

In the wild, mollies prefer to eat a plant-based diet, most specifically, algae. Evolution has slowly turned mollies away from a carnivorous diet, and more towards a plant-based diet, so their digestive systems are designed to digest algae better than most other tropical fish. The reason for this is their aesthetically appealing look. They are an extremely hardy Labyrinth Fish when kept in ideal waters although too often they are kept in very small tanks which is far from perfect.

Available here. Their strong will to live is seen as they can sustain themselves in stagnant, oxygen-deficient water systems. As omnivores fish , they require both animal and plant food in the form of fish flakes or worms. Growing up to 3 inches, a suitable setup would be a well-filtered aquarium no smaller than 10 Gallons with acidic water with steady temperatures of degrees Celsius. They can be a bit nippy and you need to watch out for other inhabitants nipping their fins.

Also, they are not called fighting fish for nothing. They will fight to the death if two males are kept in the same aquarium. But they can live with inhabitants of other peaceful species like neons, barbs, rasboras, and mollies. Even as bottom-feeding catfish they possess a cool temperament and can possess a lifespan of up to twenty years.

They are a very sociable species and thrive in community tanks consisting of mixed species. They are admirable and duty-driven when it comes to meticulous tank cleaning. Even so, their omnivorous appetite needs to be further satiated with a well-balanced diet consisting of dried, frozen live and flaked foods. We have reviewed the best to make it easier for you to provide them with a well-balanced diet. These fish are more than just a beginner fish even if they are perfectly suited for that role.

With their amicable traits, they clearly belong in a community habitat but singly as they may be territorial towards other males of the same species. They normally catch the eye of hobbyists because of its unique sword-like tail and will to live. In particular, one more factor is how wonderfully varied the options are to pick from.

They can grow to around 4 inches, so they must be housed in 20 gallons of water degrees Celsius. However, they have low demands when it comes to water conditions. Commercially processed foods will serve their omnivorous cravings. Such as vegetable-based flakes, tubifex bloodworms, brine shrimp or plant-based diets including algae. It defines the epitome of beauty with their pearlescent turquoise blue body, highlighted by the red coloration of their scales.

They are classified as semi-aggressive, but mainly whilst spawning in the breeding season. If you want more than one fire mouth cichlid, make sure to buy ones that are all equal in size to minimize potential risks. Also, they grow about 6 inches. Therefore, it is advisable to keep them in at least 30 gallons of water degrees Celsius consisting of a fine gravel bottom for foraging in and plenty of rockwork to hide in. They love to dig and move the gravel around so ensure the decor is glued in place to avoid it crashing down on them.

They are omnivorous and not particularly finicky when it comes to their diet. Regular and commonly sold foods like ocean plankton, flake food, and Cichlid pellets can be fed to them. We reviewed the best cichlid for in and you can read the review and findings here. BreedingOviparous Good first fish?

Yes Tank MatesMost freshwater fish and community fish Can you keep two together? Yes Jumpers? The Suckermouth Catfish Hypostomus plecostomus or common pleco, is a tropical fish that most people will have seen before.

Moreover, it is identified by the heavy armored plates on its body. They have a very universally high demand in the aquatic trade.

They can exist with many different species. They grow huge and nearly always outgrow most people aquariums within 5 years.

We like to feed ours sinking catfish pellets. They need the correct nutritious diet that all fish need. So ensure you provide them with a varied and stable diet. Read our complete care guide for keeping Plecostmus catfish. The Oscar Astronotus ocellatus also recognized as marble cichlid or velvet cichlid hails from South America. Tagging along are a fair bit of requirements for keeping this fish.

To the point that they can also be trained to follow commands and, also do tricks. They are classed as semi-aggressive and are better, therefore, be kept in a tank of their own non-community-oriented species , but they do flourish in pairs. If kept with other fish they will need to be of similar size and aggressive nature.

Unbeknownst to many buyers, these inch baby fish tend to grow to monumental sizes of inches in a very short span of time. As such optimally, they require a gallon tank with deep gravel bottoms and plenty of large heavy rocks. With their high-water hardness levels can bear basic aqua systems.

Efficient water maintenance and filtration system will be handy seeing as they produce a lot of waste. The best part, you can hand feed these carnivores and their voracious appetites with ocean plankton, small fish, bloodworms, flakes, tetra cichlid crisps, and earthworms. They are so much fun to keep but remember you will need to house them in a large aquarium with good filtration.

Read our complete guide to keeping oscar fish. This stunning fish is the proud owner of a jet-black body and a bright red tail. Also, they have a growth capacity of inches on average but have been known from time to time to reach 8? Therefore, you will need a tropical freshwater 55 gallon, equipped with a weighted lid to prevent escape.

You can also decorate it with caves, plants, dense vegetation, and fast-paced water flow. They do however have a reputation for semi-aggressive behavior because of their territorial tendencies. One can keep them in a community environment with Angelfish, Danios etc. Do not place other red tail sharks if you are a beginner as it is unrealistic to think that it will be manageable, so singly placing them would be better.

They are often confused with rainbow sharks which look similar. You can see the difference here in our rainbow shark complete care guide. This non-fussy omnivore will most likely consume algae, plants, insects, flakes, pellets, krill, even cucumber, fruit.

You can spend hours watching this lively swimmer from day one as they acclimatize quickly. They are sometimes confused with Rainbow sharks due to their similar appearance. See the image above. Image Credits Flickr. It is definitely a favorite of fish keepers with its beautiful metallic color of reddish copper. Sizing up to 2 inches, it can easily live in a small 10 gallon, established planted aquarium in waters of around degrees Celsius, with soft, acidic water, subdued lighting, and dense vegetation.

Thereby, it should be purchased in groups of individuals matching its peace-loving temperament like betas, cory catfish, neon tetras etc. Read our article entitled Top 9 Freshwater fish for a new aquarium to see suitable tank mates for this lovely rasbora. Moreover, easy going eating attributes means they can be fed flake food, tubifex, and freeze-dried bloodworms. These fish are underrated in our opinion and look incredible in a large aquarium, well planted in larger schools of around fish.

Simply stunning! True Loaches Cobitidae usually come from Morocco and Eurasia. Bettas are easy to keep when kept in a larger aquarium, and one male betta can be kept with similar sized non-aggressive fish.

Extra water makes it easy for beginners to have a looser maintenance schedule. Your filter and heater will go a long way in making a happy betta home. Be sure to not feed your betta too much! Their "stomach" is only about the size of their eyeball. They should never be allowed to eat their fill, but only as much food as they will eat in about 3 minutes, twice daily. Feeding quantity will depend on the size of your fish and pellet size. It is best that bettas eat betta-specific pellets in order to receive proper nutrition.

Physical Characteristics: Long, elaborate fins and overlapping scales; come in vibrant colors like red, green, purple, and blue.

Many molly and platy owners start with only one or two fish. A few weeks later, they have many fish. Live bearing fish have this reputation as the fish you first adopted has a 50 percent chance of being a pregnant female.

Since fertilization takes place internally, you never know from the outward appearance how many fish you may be adopting. And after a single mating, a female live bearer can have multiple batches of babies! Mollies and platys are very easy fish to care for and come in many varieties and colors.

They can be kept in schools and grow to about three inches in length. We recommend starting with a common variety that is widely available, such as black mollies or red platy. Some specialty breeds, specific to only one owner or shop, tend to have inbreeding issues and they do not make good beginner fish. Most mollies and platys are hardy and easy to keep fish. They can eat a micro pellet or flake diet. It is recommended to start with a gallon aquarium at a minimum, but know you may have to upgrade as your population increases.

With live bearing fish, it is important to always plan for more fish. Even beginner fish keepers can successfully rear several generations, doubling or tripling your initial numbers within a few months. However, you will need to slow production eventually, and unmonitored breeding will cause eventual inbreeding.

Thankfully, most species are sexually dimorphic and males and females can be distinguished by external characteristics. The males have long pointed anal fins and the females have a fan shaped anal fin. This allows you to separate males and females to keep populations from exploding. As their name describes, these cute, tiny fish are distinctive with their horizontal black and white stripes along their bodies.

Another fish that likes to school in groups, zebrafish make great beginner fish. Unlike many other tropical fish, zebrafish don't like warm, water temperatures, so do not use pre-set heaters!

Zebrafish like cooler temperature water around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 21 degrees Celsius , so you may need a small heater to keep your tank from getting too cold in the winter. Zebrafish also come in normal and long fin-lengths. This species will top out at one and a half to two inches. They even come in special day-glow colors , thanks to a little genetic engineering with fluorescent jellyfish protein.

These colors can be very pronounced under a blue LED light. When selecting specialized zebrafish varieties, look for individuals with straight spines and a full operculum covering their gills on both sides.