Picking Out the Best Types of Freshwater Aquarium Fish
If you are thinking of starting an aquarium, then a few basic facts are essential. Deciding whether you want to have a saltwater or freshwater aquarium is the first step. Because of the many different types of freshwater aquarium fish, this tends to be the most popular choice as a starting point for this wonderful hobby.
There are two types of freshwater Aquarium Fish from which to choose, coldwater and tropical. Because the coldwater aquarium needs less in the way of equipment, heaters for example, they are a common starting point.
Some of the more popular types of freshwater aquarium fish for coldwater tanks are goldfish, koi and some of the tetra fish species.
But of the types of freshwater aquarium fish, the most sought after by far are tropical fish. These colorful and beautiful fish need a heated aquarium to survive and therefore cost a little more to maintain, but the sheer beauty of some of them make the expense worthwhile.
If these are the types of freshwater aquarium fish you decide to keep, then the choices you make can make this a cheap and satisfying hobby or a very expensive one indeed!
When you’re first setting up your freshwater aquarium it’s a good idea to buy young and healthy fish to start off with. If you choose to add more mature fish as you become more established, that’s fine as long as your aquarium has had time to stabilize.
Selecting the proper species of fish is essential to the success of your aquarium. The types of freshwater aquarium fish for the tropical tank should be hardy and able to withstand variations and fluctuations of ammonia and nitrite as your aquarium becomes established.
Without proper guidance of an expert to guide you in which types of freshwater aquarium fish to introduce into your tank initially, your beautiful new acquisitions could very soon become ill and die.
Some recommendations for the types of freshwater aquarium fish to start off your tropical tank with include Tetras, Danios, Barbs or Cichlids.
When choosing tetra fish for starting up your aquarium, choose those with round; large bodies over the thin, torpedo shaped ones such as neon tetras as these tend to be hardier.
Danios are an excellent type of freshwater aquarium fish. They include zebra danios, leopard danios and giant danios.
Barbs are a good choice of tropical fish for the beginner although you have to be careful about the fish you put them in with as they can a bit temperamental and nip the slower moving fish.
Cichlids are a very large and diverse group of tropical fish and African cichlids are an excellent choice for starting a new aquarium, but should not be kept with other fish, as they can be aggressive.
As there are countless types of freshwater aquarium fish from which to choose each with their own behavior patterns, it is always a good idea to take the advice of a professional before making your choices.
Sam Noel
What should I put in my aquarium? Will pick best answer!?
I have a 2.5 gallon aquarium with a filter. Its a freshwater aquarium. I want to put in 4 peaceful fish in it. I am NOT going to listen to the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule because I think its totally not try. I will pick a best answer. There has to be two types of fish. Can’t wait to hear the ideas!!!
Thanks for over 20 answers guys!!!
Thanks for over 30 answers!
I am still looking for 10 more answers to choose from.
Japanese fighting fish!
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clown fish and puffer fish and a shark
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Water
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butterfly fish! cat fish! ….coral fish? XD
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Puffer fish and guppies
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a shark!
small shark
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i would put sum big n little colorful fish n there with 2 0r 3 algae eaters
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guppy and swordtail. Request males of both species for colorful fish. Guppies breed like rabbits, so I suggest with such a small tank, do not get female fish. Guppies and swordtails are non agressinve fish. They are perfect for beginners. My own son has two male guppies. Good luck.
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I used to have a few aquariums back in the day.
a big cup of pee and baby shark
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pee and sharks
i had 2 goldfish, a catfish, and some frogs in a tank once and they all got along great, they lived for like 12 years and the catfish kept the tank clean too!!
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does jelly fish count??? :}
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When I had a 2.5 g tank I had guppies and tetras. They’re both peaceful and pretty low maintenance.
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colorful goldfish, the ones with the long tails.
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oh lord. Watch it. All the fish lovers are gonna eat you up!!!
Goldfish are good and hardy and come in many different varieties. Good Luck!!
Put your flame shield up… they are gonna get you!!! lol
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If you mean what decorations and all that, there are plenty of kinds in the pet store. You can get treasure chests and and mermaids and plants. If you mean types of fish, get beta fish. They are the most easiest pets besides cats. And they come in millions of colors and shapes it will look like you have two different types of fish!
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Owner of beta fish
Koi swordtail
Panda Garra
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first put some water in it then. A gold fish a black goldfish. one of those awesome algie eaters and possible a small gold fish.
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4 gallon tank 6 fish is what i have
Arowana, Jack Dempsey Fish, Slug, Crayfish or it’s equivalent
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My Noggin
Angel fish are nice fish. They are beautiful and peaceful. Algae fish are nice too. They pretty much clean the tank for you. They kind of look like cat fish.
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A few of those red and white striped shrimp (cleaner shrimp), and a dory fish (regal tang)
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Follow the link below for good advice and information:
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/selectingfish/a/goodfirstfish.htm
Hope this helps!
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anymore then 2 fish and they will become very stressed out and kill eachother or just die on their own, so good luck with that.
i suggest 2 tetras, OR 1 betta
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clown knife fish = clean the tank and look amazing they are friendly aswell.
starfish = i know thay sound boring but i had one and you can pick them out nd feel them thay like being felt as the particals on there back sense heat as comfort
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Well, first, a fish.A fish, fish… hmm… I would put in a reef-looking-thing.. and a little hut or hiding place. I had a fish… (weird, but not now)… and that worked… they like to hide away form oyu, so look out!
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I had one
a blow fish. a jelly fish. small octopuss. fish with cool colors. small turtles. cray fish. little crab. (:
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put smaller fish ,anyone you can find. that would be awsome….yea dont listen to people that said 1inch fish per gallon.just put 3small fish cause you need to give them space to relax. piece
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how about your self, see how you like living in a water cage, eating crappy food made by humans, bathing on your own feces until the human remembers to clean the water, and hope you survive when the water is changed. CRUEL CRUEL being you are… Think about the life of that fish in your aquarium, and now tell me what 4 fish you want to rape of their dignity, freedom, and place them in your tank for the pleasure of your sight, and that of others.
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Here are the 5 most popular peaceful freshwater fish and some details on them.
Neon Tetra. Native to Peru, this little tetra is the most popular aquarium fish. They are a peaceful community fish that does best when kept in small schools of 3 to 5 members. They are easy to feed and will eat most flake foods. Size: approx. 1 inch – life span: up to 10 years.
Angelfish. Native to Central America, these stunning fish are easily identified by their long graceful fins and round bodies. They are a peaceful fish but will maintain a territory. They eat flake and live food and are not difficult to feed. Size: up to 6 inches – life span: up to 10 years.
Bettas. Native to Southeast Asia, these fish are kept for their spectacular display and color of fins in the male. Females are dark and drab by comparison. Males must be kept as solitary fish. However, several females can be kept in one tank. The small jars these fish typically occupy in stores are not adequate permanent housing and they do best in a larger community tank. Bettas eat live and flake foods. Size: up to 3 inches – life span: up to 5 years.
Kissing Gourami. Native to Thailand and Java, this fish is regarded as mostly peaceful. Their name is derived from the territorial disputes by the males who will lock mouths and give the appearance of kissing. This fish prefers a big tank with stones. This fish readily accepts flake and live foods. Size: 6-8 inches – life span: up to 5 years.
Fantail Guppy. Native to Central America, male guppies are known for their flashy, colorful tails. Females are plain by comparison. This fish tolerates almost any water condition and eats flake and live foods. Size: up to 3 inches – life span: up to 3 years.
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You have 2 options with a tank that size. You can either get a single betta fish, or a couple male guppies. If you are willing to go with something other than fish you can get some ghost shrimp.
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http://www.bbayaquariums.com/guppy.html
Well you don’t really have enough room to cram 4 fish into a 2.5 gallon tank. The small fish that could fit need to be in schools and are usually active swimmers so they need more room even if they are tiny. You could go with a betta if you have a heater though.
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The only fish that can be contained in a 2.5 gallon tank is a Betta and that is the absolute minimum. They do also require filtration and heating since they are tropical fish.
Most of the answers I read have no clue as to what they are talking about and most of them were just for points.
Though a lot of fish may be small, they require more swimming room than that of a 2.5 gallon. Neon Tetras and pretty much any type of tetra needs to be in schools of at least 6 and they require at least a 10 gallon tank.
I think the 1 inch per gallon rule is total bullocks, but you really must consider the fish’s requirements and most fish can not tolerate such a small environment. And I can’t stress enough that if you do decide to get a Betta that it must have filtration and heating. Make sure to cycle the tank for 3-6 weeks before getting the fish.
EDIT: Why on earth am I reading people suggest Angelfish and Loaches and Barbs for a 2.5 gallon tank? Are you people nuts? Like I said, 1 Betta (Siamese fighting fish), not Chinese or Japanese fighting fish, Siamese.
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http://www.fishlore.com/Beginners.htm
http://www.fishlore.com/Profiles-Betta.htm
well, here are some fish ideas for you.
*neon tetras(are red and blue and dont get very big, but they’re very pretty,school fish of 4+)
*glowlight tetra(orange,school fish of 4+)
*rummy nose tetra(red head and flag like tail with white and black,school fish of 4+)
*blacklight tetra(black and blue,school fish of 4+)
*kuhli loach(eel like bottom feeder that will clean your tank…orange with brown/black stripes)
*dwarf frog( underwater frog that eats stuff off the bottom)
*guppies( come in many different colours and are VERY pretty)
*swordtails( usually orange or yellow with black and have a pointy part of the tail)
*angelfish( awesome fish, but they can get fairly big for the size tank you have)
*chiclids( they are aggressive fish, but come in many types. do not put them with peaceful fish, they will kill them)
*betta( do not put more than one male betta in the same tank, they will fight each other till one is dead)
*bala shark( they can get big, so you may only want one)
*pleco(sucker fish, can get big)
*ghost shrimp( see thru shrimp that eat stuff off the bottom of the tank. stay small)
*gouramis( some stay small, others get big, but they come in really cool colors…)
*white clouds( yellowish in colour and like to be in schools of 4+)
honestly the best thing i can suggest is to get a bigger tank. they’re not that expensive and you can have more fish in it. a 10-20 gallon tank would be better…you really dont have much room for 4 fish. my best advice would be get a betta. they’re colourful ( they come in many colours)and dont need alot of care. just feed it once a day and it will be happy.
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Good First Fish List
* Barbs – Cherry, Gold, Rosy, Ruby or Purple, and Tico Barbs are good. Avoid Tinfoil and Spanner Barbs due to size and Tiger barbs because they tend to nip and be quarrelsome.
* Danios – Zebra, Leopard, and Pearl Danios are good. Avoid Giant Danios, due to size.
* Rasboras – Harlequin and Scissortail are good.
* Catfish – Bronze or Gold Corys, Spotted Cory, Bandit Cory, and Panda Cory, are good. Avoid Plecos unless you have a large tank or are willing to get rid of them when they get large.
* Rainbowfish – Boesmans, Neon, and Celebes are all good.
* White Cloud Mountain Minnows
Although the list seems small, there is quite a variety to choose from. Once your tank matures, you can branch out into other species of fish. Wondering why your favorite fish isn’t on the good first fish list? Here’s why some popular fish are absent from the list.
* Catfish – Many catfish are sensitive to the startup cycle, or grow too large to be good first fish. For example, the common Pleco is a hardy fish, but it gets very large. The Otocinlus is small, but very sensitive to toxins that are present in a newly started tank.
* Goldfish – Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste, which means they require a larger tank all to themselves. The preverbal goldfish bowl really isn’t an idea home for the goldfish. If you want a goldfish, give it a nice roomy tank with only goldfish in it.
* Live Bearing Fish – If you have children, you may be tempted to get live bearing fish. Because they require special conditions (most notably salt in the water), and are more susceptible to disease, they are not ideal first fish. If you do opt for live bearing fish, choose one species only. Select your fish very carefully at the pet store and provide them with the appropriate care and habitat for that species.
At the Fish Shop
Now that you’ve decided on the species of fish, there is one more important step – choosing healthy fish. When you go to the shop don’t take just any old fish. Look them over carefully.
Avoid fish with wounds or nipped fins as they are more susceptible to disease. Check the eyes. Cloudy eyes are a sign of poor water conditions and or disease. Don’t get fish with sunken bellies, as they have been underfed or may be suffering from disease.
Making good first fish choices can make all the difference in your new tank. Still have problems or questions? Most items are covered here on the site, but if you can’t find an answer, e-mail me.
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online
Well what type of fish person are you? Do you have time to clean and refreshen it often (high maintenance) or do you want to throw em in and leave’em (low maintenance). What’s your favorite colors or the color of the room you’re in. You could have fish to match or accent the decor or reflect you’re personal tastes. Here are some websites with lists of fresh water fish (check sources). Some of my personal favorites are the male Red Rainbow fish and the Swallowtail Cichlid or Swordtail (high maintenance) and paradise fish. the tiger barb fish is also very striking but you should get two of them and it should be paired with a fast moving fish that doesn’t have long fins because it is a fin nipper.
A great website for pairing fish is: http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/how_to_choose_fish.htm
Also about fish spacing. Its not so much the inch to gallon ratio but the height and swimming tendency of your fish:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Stocking-Tropical-Freshwater-Fish-Tank-Aquariums—Which-Type-of-Fish?&id=2138962
I hope this answers you questions.
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animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/aquarium-fish.htm?page=2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_freshwater_aquarium_fish_species
http://www.aquariumfish.net/information/how_to_choose_fish.htm
im not sure what 2.5 gallons is in litres but i’d say you should have a small shoal of about 5 of either neon tetra or black widows or rummy nose tetras, and a male betta, or some guppies, or platies, or swordtails = ]
NEONS:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=1&q=neon+tetra&aq=f&oq=
RUMMYNOSE
http://images.google.co.uk/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=1&q=rummy+nose+tetra&aq=f&oq=
BLACK WIDOW:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=1&q=black+widow+tetra&aq=f&oq=
or if your not into that type of fish you should get a dwarf gourami, as the males only get to 2.5 inches and the females 2 inches, but the males are really georgues, (have that with tetras)
MALE
http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/gourami_neon_blue_female.jpg
good luck x
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fish
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i think you should put in fish that are called fishes
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