The Best Aquarium Fish for a Beginner in 2022

If you are planning to start breeding aquarium fish, then before you buy your first pets, it would be nice to learn more about what kind of fish are best for a novice aquarist.

The fact is that at the initial stage after the purchase, aquariums are not stable, and the water in them does not contain the necessary microflora. Even if special preparations have been added to the water, the conditions created in the new habitat may not be suitable for overly gentle pets.

Some species of aquarium fauna can thrive in an almost empty aquarium, for others, the presence of certain vegetation and water parameters is important. It is best to focus on specimens that are undemanding to care for, immune to disease and active, do not show signs of aggression.

What to look for before buying

Before you go to the pet store for the first batch of fish for the aquarium, you need to find out the parameters of the water in the tank. This information is very important as conditions may not be suitable for certain species of fauna. To find out the necessary parameters, you need to conduct special laboratory tests.

Don't get pets you don't know anything about. If you like some fish, do not be too lazy to read special literature or information on the Internet about them. So you can understand whether these pets are suitable for you or not. You need to find out how big this type of fish will grow to, what they eat, how they behave and how active they are.

In most cases, fish are bought during adolescence, so they will increase in size over time. Perhaps not only the size of aquarium pets will change, but even their colors, behavior and eating habits.

It is worth refusing to buy hybrid species of fauna bred artificially. Such fish have deformed skeletal bones and organs, and are often artificially stimulated before being sold in an effort to make them more attractive so that the sale is successful.

Please note that pets will grow as much as the aquarium allows them to. Therefore, in some cases, the sizes are insufficient and the fish cannot develop fully. This leads to the fact that the internal organs of such a creature are deformed and as a result you will not have a beautiful pet, but a freak with reduced immunity.

Take into account the nutrition of the fish you like and avoid pets that require a specific food. It is best to buy varieties that can be fed with the simplest food. Over time, you will be able to make food more varied.

So, a few tips for novice aquarists before buying their first pets:

• Consult with knowledgeable people and take their advice;
• Find out all about the varieties of fish you like before buying them;
• Don't make a purchase on impulse;
• Have a precise idea of ​​how big the specimen will grow to;
• Make a list of fish you would like to buy now and those you want to buy in the future;
• Know the water parameters in your aquarium to find suitable varieties;
• Keep in mind that adult specimens can change a lot compared to young ones;
• Do not purchase artificially obtained varieties of fish;
• Create conditions in the aquarium that will be suitable for the selected creatures, or select varieties that are suitable for your particular aquarium;
• Buy a limited number of pets at once.

What fish to get for beginners

Guppy

These unpretentious livebearing fish are the most famous and most often recommended for beginner aquarists. In addition, they are quite attractive: males have veil fins and a brightly colored tail. They are able to live and reproduce in any conditions. The length of females can reach 8 cm, but the size of males is half that.

It is quite difficult to keep thoroughbred guppies, they are very capricious and require careful treatment. But simple guppies are very unpretentious, able to live perfectly in a small amount of water and at a fairly low temperature. For these creatures, it is necessary to create a water hardness of 10-15 degrees, the acidity index should be in the range of 7-8, and the salinity should be 0.5-3 ppm.

These fish feel good at a temperature of 20-26 degrees.It is necessary to protect guppies from sudden changes in water temperature, this has a bad effect on their well-being and changes the color of the fins.

In nutrition, guppies are quite unpretentious, they can eat almost any food. Pets of this breed can peacefully coexist in the same aquarium with other peaceful fish breeds. Guppies breed well and are able to produce monthly offspring from 10 to 180 fry. In order for guppies to breed successfully, females must be transplanted before spawning in a separate aquarium.

• attractive appearance;
• able to live in almost any conditions;
• excellent breeding ability.

• cannot be kept with other fish species that damage the veil fins.

The average price for one fish is from 70 rubles.

About the features of the content of guppies - in the video:

Petushki

One of the most attractive labyrinth fish is cockerels. They have a very cool disposition, for which they are also called fighting. In one jar, two males are capable of arranging a great battle. Therefore, it is better to settle them in a spacious aquarium and observe their life and behavior. The average size of males is about 6 cm, while females are slightly smaller. The coloration of the females is nondescript and they do not have beautiful veil fins. One pair of bettas is able to live in an aquarium up to 10 liters. You can have one male and several females and place them in an aquarium with a volume of 60 liters or more.

Water hardness for males should be from 2 to 12 degrees, the acidity index is at the level of 7, and the water temperature is optimal from 24 to 30 degrees. Labyrinth fish are characterized by breathing atmospheric air, so bettas do not need to provide high-quality aeration of the aquarium.You need to carefully monitor the feeding of pets, as bettas tend to overeat and can even choke on too much food. Cockerels are able to coexist peacefully with other small breeds of aquarium fish. At the same time, male bettas can be aggressive towards other breeds with veil fins.

• able to exist in a small volume;
• not demanding on aeration.

• prone to overeating;
• males fight each other and other veil-finned fish.

The average price of a large fish is 230 rubles.

Useful video about the features of keeping cockerels:

Catfish karidoras speckled

It is believed that catfish are a kind of aquarium orderlies and eat up those leftover food that fell to the ground and were not eaten by other pets. From this point of view, a novice aquarist should take a closer look at the catfish of the Corydoras genus and opt for the speckled catfish. The size of these specimens can be a maximum of 7 cm, while the females are slightly larger in size than the males.

Catfish are distinguished by their peaceful nature and are able to organize themselves in small flocks. Their distinctive behavior is that they like to burrow into the ground, so that the water is not cloudy, it is necessary to ensure high-quality filtration. For this breed of fish, you need to select an aquarium with a volume of 50 liters or more. The water temperature should be between +20 to +24 degrees. The acidity index should be in the range from 6.5 to 8, the hardness should be 4-35 degrees.

• small size;
• gets along well with other breeds;
• eat any food.

• dig the ground and muddy the water.

The average price of a young fish is from 60 rubles.

About the features of the content of speckled catfish - in the video:

angelfish

These pets belong to the cichlid family, which includes many colorful breeds. The color of these fish can be very diverse - there are spotted, striped, monophonic fish. The size of these pets is impressive - they can reach a length of 15 cm and a height of 26 cm. In an aquarium, angelfish grow smaller, but still do not forget about the size. These pets require a large amount of water, so the height of the aquarium should be at least 40 cm, and the volume should be from 100 liters. Water parameters suitable for this variety of fish are hardness up to 25 degrees, acidity in the range from 6.5 to 7.5, water temperature from +24 to +27 degrees.

These fish are picky about living conditions and need good aeration, filtration, bright lighting and regular water changes. Angelfish are carnivores and feed on live food. Therefore, they do not need to be settled next to small breeds of fish or those who have veil fins. Even taking into account these features, angelfish can be attributed to peaceful pets. You need to feed the angelfish carefully, as they can overeat. This breed of fish has a shy character, so they are afraid of sudden movements and always shy away in this case, because of this they can get hurt.

• large, attractive fish;
• peaceful character.

• capricious character;
• like to overeat;
• cannot be placed with small specimens and veil-finned pets.

The average price for a small fish is 350 rubles.

More about the scalar - in the video:

gold fish

This is the most famous aquarium fish from the carp family. For the first time such fish was obtained in China. Now many breeds of goldfish have been bred with a variety of colors, unusually shaped outgrowths and veiled tails and fins. These pets are almost omnivorous, they eat any food and do not disdain aquarium plants. Goldfish do not know the proportions in food are prone to overeating.

It is wrong to settle goldfish in round small aquariums. This type of aquarium pet needs a lot of space. For every centimeter of their body should account for 5 liters of water. With age, the body length of a goldfish can reach 15 cm. The water should have a temperature of +20 to +23 degrees. The acidity index should be within 7, and the hardness index should be from 8 degrees.

These pets produce a lot of waste, so they need high-quality filtration. Aquarium fish of other breeds should not be settled with this beauty. It is better to settle several goldfish in one aquarium.

• large attractive specimens;
• live up to 30 years;
• eat any food.

• need a spacious aquarium;
• a tendency to gluttony;
• do not tolerate the neighborhood of other breeds.

The average price is 200 rubles for one medium fish.

How to keep a fish - in the video:

Danio Rerio

This small fish also belongs to the carp family. These pets are distinguished by their unpretentious peace-loving character, they live in flocks. The length of the specimens is about 4.5 cm. For their maintenance, water hardness is required from 6 to 20 degrees, the acidity index is in the range from 6.5 to 8, the water must have a temperature of +16 to +28 degrees.

These creatures are happy to eat any kind of food, dry and natural. This variety of aquarium pets is best kept in containers with long-stemmed plants. It is best to keep them in groups of 6-7 pieces.

• adapt to any conditions;
• peaceful character;
• omnivores;
• various bright colors.

• jumping, the aquarium must be closed with a lid.

The average price for a fish is from 30 rubles.

More about zebrafish - in the video:

Sumatran barb

Barbs are nimble schooling fish with a playful disposition. The size of these pets ranges from 5 to 7 cm, the color can be varied. It is necessary to run at least 5 fish in the aquarium. At the same time, at least 20 liters of water should fall on each individual. Barbs willingly eat food of any kind, but due to their tendency to overeat, it is better to underfeed them.

For fish of this breed, the following conditions are optimal: water hardness in the range from 8 to 15 degrees, acidity at the level of 6.5 to 7.5, temperature should be from +20 to +24 degrees. In pursuit of each other, barbs are able to eat the fins of larger fish in the aquarium.

• attractive coloring;
• peaceful character;
• mobile.

• prone to obesity;
• no need to settle in the same aquarium with fish species with large fins.

The average price is from 50 rubles per fish.

More about barbs - in the video:

The first pets should be launched into a new aquarium only after 2-3 weeks after purchase, filling it with water and plants. During this time, you need to take a closer look at the aquarium, study the principles of its operation, and only then buy the first pets in a trusted store.You need to transport purchased fish in a special bag, best of all with a portable aerator. After arrival, the bag is placed in the aquarium and water from the aquarium is added in portions. Only after some time can you release the fish into a new home.