Beginner fishkeeping
Hardy, forgiving fish that are easy to start an aquarium with
Freshwater · 3-6 cm · Community
Hardy livebearer; males show colorful tails and they breed readily in aquariums.
Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0
Freshwater · 4-7 cm · Community
Small, colorful Central American livebearer; peaceful, hardy, and easy for beginners.
Photo: Ude · CC BY-SA 3.0
Freshwater · 6-12 cm · Community
Adaptable livebearer tolerating fresh and brackish water; popular black and orange varieties.
Photo: Hugo Torres · CC BY 2.5 es
Freshwater · 4-5 cm · Community
Hardy striped minnow from South Asia; active schooler and a lab research model.
Photo: Marrabbio2 · Public domain
Freshwater · 3-4 cm · Community
Tiny Amazon fish with a glowing blue-and-red stripe; best kept in schools.
Photo: Holger Krisp · CC BY 3.0
Freshwater · 6-7 cm · Semi-aggressive
Labyrinth fish from Thailand; males flare vivid fins and must be kept alone.
Photo: Nippyfish · CC BY 2.0
Freshwater · 5-7 cm · Community
A peaceful bottom-dwelling armoured catfish from South America, widely kept in aquariums.
Photo: Andrew Keller · CC0
Freshwater · 7-8 cm · Peaceful
A small South Asian labyrinth fish; males show alternating red and blue-green bands.
Photo: Kennyannydenny · CC BY-SA 3.0
Freshwater · 3-4 cm · Community
A small, cold-tolerant Chinese minnow with a bright lateral line and red-tipped fins.
Photo: Ethmostigmus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Freshwater · up to 5 cm · Community
A copper-pink Southeast Asian cyprinid marked by a black triangular patch on the rear half of the body.
Photo: NasserHalaweh · CC BY-SA 4.0
Freshwater · 5-7 cm · Semi-aggressive
Striped, energetic Asian barb best kept in groups to curb fin-nipping.
Photo: Ingvar-fed · CC BY-SA 3.0
Freshwater · 15-30 cm · Peaceful
Domesticated East Asian carp kept for centuries; can outgrow small bowls considerably.
Photo: James St. John · CC BY 2.0
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Hardy, forgiving fish that are easy to start an aquarium with — browse the full picture A–Z, search any name, and see care notes for the popular fish.