Best freshwater fish for beginners
53 species from the AquaLog care guide · Updated
In short: Good beginner fish tolerate small mistakes, stay a manageable size and get along with others. Pick from the table below by your tank size first, then by your tap water's pH, and keep schooling species in the group size shown.
Every fish below is rated beginner in the AquaLog care guide: forgiving of the small swings in temperature and water quality that happen while you learn. "Beginner" still means a cycled tank, weekly water changes and the right group size. See how to set up your first freshwater aquarium before you buy.
How to use this list
- Start with tank size. The table is sorted by minimum tank size, so stop reading where the numbers pass your tank's volume.
- Match your water. Livebearers such as guppies, platies and mollies want harder, alkaline water (pH from 7); many tetras and rasboras do best below pH 7.5. Test your tap water first.
- Check temperament and group size. A "6+" means a school of at least six. Semi-aggressive and aggressive fish need the right company.
- Open the species page for tank mates, diet and the species to avoid.
The species
| Species | Min. tank | Temperature | pH | Temperament | Group | Care level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BettaBetta splendens | 20 L (5 gal) | 24–30 °C | 6–7.5 | Aggressive | 1 | Beginner |
| EndlerPoecilia wingei | 30 L (8 gal) | 22–29 °C | 7–8.5 | Peaceful | 3+ | Beginner |
| Ember tetraHyphessobrycon amandae | 40 L (11 gal) | 22–28 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 10+ | Beginner |
| GuppyPoecilia reticulata | 40 L (11 gal) | 22–28 °C | 7–8.5 | Peaceful | 3+ | Beginner |
| Pygmy corydorasCorydoras pygmaeus | 40 L (11 gal) | 22–26 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| White cloud mountain minnowTanichthys albonubes | 45 L (12 gal) | 16–24 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Honey gouramiTrichogaster chuna | 55 L (15 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 1 | Beginner |
| Cherry barbPuntius titteya | 60 L (16 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Dwarf gouramiTrichogaster lalius | 60 L (16 gal) | 24–29 °C | 6–7.5 | Semi-aggressive | 1 | Beginner |
| Glowlight danioCelestichthys choprae | 60 L (16 gal) | 20–26 °C | 6.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Glowlight tetraHemigrammus erythrozonus | 60 L (16 gal) | 22–28 °C | 5.8–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Harlequin rasboraTrigonostigma heteromorpha | 60 L (16 gal) | 22–28 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Lambchop rasboraTrigonostigma espei | 60 L (16 gal) | 23–28 °C | 5.5–7.2 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Neon tetraParacheirodon innesi | 60 L (16 gal) | 21–27 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| PlatyXiphophorus maculatus | 60 L (16 gal) | 20–27 °C | 7–8.5 | Peaceful | 3+ | Beginner |
| Zebra danioDanio rerio | 60 L (16 gal) | 18–26 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Albino corydorasCorydoras aeneus | 75 L (20 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Black neon tetraHyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi | 75 L (20 gal) | 23–27 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Bronze corydorasCorydoras aeneus | 75 L (20 gal) | 22–27 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Julii corydorasCorydoras julii | 75 L (20 gal) | 22–27 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Kuhli loachPangio kuhlii | 75 L (20 gal) | 23–29 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 5+ | Beginner |
| Lemon tetraHyphessobrycon pulchripinnis | 75 L (20 gal) | 23–28 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Pearl danioDanio albolineatus | 75 L (20 gal) | 20–26 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Peppered corydorasCorydoras paleatus | 75 L (20 gal) | 18–26 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Serpae tetraHyphessobrycon eques | 75 L (20 gal) | 22–28 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Semi-aggressive | 10+ | Beginner |
| Silvertip tetraHasemania nana | 75 L (20 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Semi-aggressive | 8+ | Beginner |
| Upside-down catfishSynodontis nigriventris | 75 L (20 gal) | 23–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 4+ | Beginner |
| X-ray tetraPristella maxillaris | 75 L (20 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Black skirt tetraGymnocorymbus ternetzi | 80 L (21 gal) | 20–27 °C | 6–7.5 | Semi-aggressive | 6+ | Beginner |
| Clown plecoPanaqolus maccus | 90 L (24 gal) | 23–29 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 1 | Beginner |
| Dwarf neon rainbowfishMelanotaenia praecox | 90 L (24 gal) | 23–28 °C | 6.5–8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| KribensisPelvicachromis pulcher | 90 L (24 gal) | 24–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Territorial | 2+ | Beginner |
| MollyPoecilia sphenops | 90 L (24 gal) | 24–28 °C | 7.5–8.5 | Peaceful | 3+ | Beginner |
| Rosy tetraHyphessobrycon rosaceus | 90 L (24 gal) | 23–28 °C | 5.5–7.5 | Peaceful | 8+ | Beginner |
| Sterbai corydorasCorydoras sterbai | 90 L (24 gal) | 24–30 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Black ruby barbPethia nigrofasciata | 110 L (29 gal) | 22–27 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Bolivian ramMikrogeophagus altispinosus | 110 L (29 gal) | 23–29 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 2+ | Beginner |
| Bristlenose plecoAncistrus cirrhosus | 110 L (29 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 1 | Beginner |
| Diamond tetraMoenkhausia pittieri | 110 L (29 gal) | 23–28 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Emerald brochisBrochis splendens | 110 L (29 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 5+ | Beginner |
| Gold barbBarbodes semifasciolatus | 110 L (29 gal) | 18–26 °C | 6–8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Odessa barbPethia padamya | 110 L (29 gal) | 20–26 °C | 6.5–7.8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Pearl gouramiTrichopodus leerii | 110 L (29 gal) | 24–30 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 1 | Beginner |
| Penguin tetraThayeria boehlkei | 110 L (29 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| Rosy barbPethia conchonius | 110 L (29 gal) | 18–25 °C | 6–7.8 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
| SwordtailXiphophorus hellerii | 110 L (29 gal) | 22–28 °C | 7–8.4 | Semi-aggressive | 3+ | Beginner |
| Tiger barbPuntigrus tetrazona | 110 L (29 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.8 | Semi-aggressive | 8+ | Beginner |
| Buenos Aires tetraHyphessobrycon anisitsi | 150 L (40 gal) | 18–28 °C | 6–8 | Semi-aggressive | 6+ | Beginner |
| Convict cichlidAmatitlania nigrofasciata | 150 L (40 gal) | 22–29 °C | 6.5–8.5 | Aggressive | 1 | Beginner |
| Keyhole cichlidCleithracara maronii | 150 L (40 gal) | 22–28 °C | 6–7.5 | Peaceful | 2+ | Beginner |
| Siamese algae eaterCrossocheilus oblongus | 150 L (40 gal) | 23–28 °C | 6.5–8 | Semi-aggressive | 1 | Beginner |
| Three spot gouramiTrichopodus trichopterus | 150 L (40 gal) | 23–28 °C | 6–8 | Semi-aggressive | 1 | Beginner |
| Boesemani rainbowfishMelanotaenia boesemani | 200 L (53 gal) | 24–30 °C | 7–8.5 | Peaceful | 6+ | Beginner |
What makes a fish "beginner"?
Hardiness, a modest adult size, a wide tolerance for temperature and pH, and a calm temperament. Fish that need very soft water, special foods or a lot of space are rated intermediate or advanced in the care guide, however common they are in shops.
Common beginner mistakes
- Adding all the fish on day one, before the tank is cycled.
- Buying schooling fish in twos and threes; they need the group size in the table.
- Mixing fin-nippers with long-finned fish. See how to choose compatible tank mates.
- Choosing by colour in the shop, not by adult size.