Best freshwater aquarium fish

I am an experienced aquarium fish keeper my main hobby is freshwater fish but I also keep saltwater fish and turtles. By keeping the best freshwater aquarium fish, I have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure their proper behavior, feeding habits, and well-being. From my experience, freshwater fish are generally easier to keep than marine fish and are relatively easy to care for. They can tolerate a variety of water conditions, which is convenient for both novice and experienced keepers. Additionally, freshwater fish species are more diverse, so you can make your aquarium beautiful. Furthermore, the maintenance costs for freshwater aquariums are low, and they are easy to clean, as they require less complex equipment.

Below is a description of some of the freshwater fish kept in my aquarium, specifically for beginners, so that they can easily choose fish according to their preferences.

1. Betta Fish:

• Scientific Name: Betta splendens
• Common Name: Siamese fighting fish
• Color Form: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, steel, black, and white
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Aggressive
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 6.5 – 8
• Water Hardness: Up to 20 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Cambodia, Thailand
• Adult Size: 2.5 – 3 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons
• Water Temperature: 76 – 82°F
• Diet: Live foods, pellets, flakes, and frozen foods
• Average Lifespan: 3 to 5 years

2. Angelfish:

• Scientific Name: Pterophyllum
• Common Name: Angelfish
• Color Form: Black, silver, or gold
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Aggressive
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 6.8 – 7
• Water Hardness: 4 – 12 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: South America
• Adult Size: 2.5 – 4 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
• Water Temperature: 75 – 82°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: 10 – 12 years

3. Guppy Fish:

• Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata
• Common Name: Guppy
• Color Form: Black, yellow, orange, pink, red, yellow, and blue
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 7 – 8
• Water Hardness: 8 – 12 dGH
• Breeding: Live-bearer
• Origin: Native to South America
• Adult Size: 1.5 – 2.5 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
• Water Temperature: 72 – 82°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: Up to 2 years

4. Snakeskin Discus Fish:

• Scientific Name: Symphysodon discus
• Common Name: Snakeskin Discus, Discus
• Color Form: White, red, blue
• Care Level: Intermediate-advanced
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: Middle
• Optimal pH: 6 – 7
• Water Hardness: 1 – 4 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: South America
• Adult Size: 5 – 8 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 70 gallons
• Water Temperature: 82 – 86°F
• Diet: Carnivore
• Average Lifespan: 4 to 5 years

5. Dalmatian Molly:

• Scientific Name: Poecilia sphenops
• Common Name: Dalmatian Molly
• Family: Poeciliidae
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful – semi-aggressive
• Swimming Level: Middle
• Optimal pH: 7 – 8.5
• Water Hardness: 15 – 30 dGH
• Breeding: Live-bearer
• Origin: North & South America
• Adult Size: 3 – 5 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
• Water Temperature: 70 – 82°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: Up to 5 years

6. Fantail Goldfish:

• Scientific Name: Carassius auratus
• Common Name: Fantail goldfish, double-tail goldfish
• Color Form: Orange, red, silver, blue, gold, black, and calico
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 6.0 to 9.0
• Water Hardness: 6 to 12 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Asia
• Adult Size: 6 – 10 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
• Water Temperature: 55 to 80°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: 10 to 15 years

7. Crystal Red (Bee) Shrimp:

• Scientific Name: Caridina cantonensis
• Common Name: Crystal Red (Bee) Shrimp
• Color Form: White, red
• Care Level: Easy – Intermediate
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: Bottom
• Optimal pH: 6.5 – 7.4
• Nitrate: Less than 20 ppm
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Asia
• Adult Size: 1 – 2 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 6– 12 gallons
• Water Temperature: 66 – 76°F
• Diet: Algae eater/omnivore
• Average Lifespan: 1.5 – 2 years

8. Green Spotted Puffer Fish:

• Scientific Name: Tetraodon nigroviridis
• Common Name: Green Spotted Puffer
• Color Form: Green and yellow
• Care Level: Difficult
• Behavior: Semi-aggressive
• Swimming Level: Top
• Optimal pH: 7.5 – 8.5
• Family: Tetraodontidae
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: South & Southeast Asia
• Adult Size: 6 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
• Water Temperature: 75 – 82°F
• Diet: Omnivorous, predator
• Average Lifespan: 10 – 15 years

9. Kuhli Loach:

• Scientific Name: Pangio kuhlii
• Common Name: Kuhli Loach, Leopard Loach
• Color Form: Black, white, yellow
• Care Level: Easy – Intermediate
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: Bottom
• Optimal pH: 5.5 – 6.5
• Family: Cobitidae
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia)
• Adult Size: 4 – 8 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallons
• Water Temperature: 73 – 86°F
• Diet: Omnivore and protein-based foods
• Average Lifespan: 10 – 12 years

10. Hatchet fish:

• Scientific Name: Carnegiella, Gasteropelecus, etc.
• Common Name: River Hatchetfish
• Family: Gasteropelecidae
• Care Level: Intermediate
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: Top
• Optimal pH: 6 – 7
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Central & South America
• Adult Size: 1.5 – 2.5 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
• Water Temperature: 75 – 80°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: Up to 5 years

11. Kribensis Dwarf Cichlids:

• Scientific Name: Pelvicachromis pulcher
• Common Name: Kribensis cichlid, rainbow krib
• Family: Cichlidae
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: Bottom
• Optimal pH: 6.5 – 7.0
• Water Hardness: 8 to 12 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: West Africa
• Adult Size: 4 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 12 – 16 gallons
• Water Temperature: 75 to 84°F
• Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
• Average Lifespan: 5 to 8 years

12. Habrosus Cory Catfish:

• Scientific Name: Corydoras habrosus
• Common Name: Dainty Cory, salt and pepper Cory
• Family: Callichthyidae
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: Bottom
• Optimal pH: 5.5 – 7.5
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Venezuela & Colombia
• Adult Size: 1.5 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 15 – 20 gallons
• Water Temperature: 70 – 79°F
• Diet: Live, dried foods and Feed frozen
• Average Lifespan: Up to 5 years

13. Gardneri:

• Scientific Name: Aplocheilus, Jordanella, Fundulopanchax, etc.
• Common Name: Agaricus gardneri
• Color Form: Green, yellow, blue, and red
• Care Level: Easy – Advanced
• Behavior: Peaceful – Aggressive
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 6 – 7
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Africa, Asia, America
• Adult Size: 1.5 – 5.5 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 5 – 20 gallons
• Water Temperature: 68 – 75°F
• Diet: Flakes, granules, and frozen foods
• Average Lifespan: Up to 5 years

14. Gold Wagtail Platy:

• Scientific Name: Xiphophorus maculatus
• Common Name: Gold wagtail platy
• Family: Poeciliidae
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 7.0 to 8.0
• Water Hardness: 10 to 28 dGH
• Breeding: Livebearer
• Origin: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico
• Adult Size: 2 – 3 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 15 gallons
• Water Temperature: 64 to 78°F
• Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
• Average Lifespan: 3 to 4 years

15. Zebra Danio:

• Scientific Name: Danio rerio
• Common Name: Zebra danio, Striped danio, Zebrafish
• Color Form: Blue-purple
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 6 to 7.0
• Water Hardness: 5 to 12 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: Eastern India
• Adult Size: 2 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons
• Water Temperature: 63 to 75°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: 3 to 5 years

16. Dwarf Gourami:

• Scientific Name: Trichogaster lalius
• Common Name: Dwarf gourami, gourami, red gourami
• Color Form: Blue coral, blue rainbow, blood red, metallic blue
• Care Level: Easy
• Behavior: Peaceful
• Swimming Level: All levels
• Optimal pH: 6.0 to 7.5
• Water Hardness: 4 to 10 dGH
• Breeding: Egg layer
• Origin: India, West Bengal, Assam, and Bangladesh
• Adult Size: 2 inches
• Minimum Tank Size: 5 gallons
• Water Temperature: 72 to 82°F
• Diet: Omnivore
• Average Lifespan: 4 – 6 years

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