Beautiful, bright and mesmerising – fish are perfect pets. But what fish are good for beginners? Here are 6 fish species that are popular among first-time fish owners.
1. Betta Fish
Betta fish are popular due to their hardiness and bright jewel tone colours. Makes in particular are popular because of their gorgeous flowing fins. Bettas can live in smaller tanks than some other fish species, but they still require a filtered environment.
Male betta fish cannot go in a tank with others from their species – they’ll fight. Ask your local Petbarn team members about betta fish compatibility with other fish species.
2. Tetras
Tetras are popular due to their hardiness, non-aggressive temperament and small size. These are schooling fish, which means they can’t live on their own. It is quite easy to keep multiple Tetras in a tank together and they do not require large tanks. Most species of Tetra can be kept together quite easily.
3. Guppies
Guppies are popular due to their small size and colourful fan tails. Guppies are very hardy fish and since they are livebearers, it can be fun to watch the baby fish appear and grow in the tank. Just keep an eye on tank size so they don’t overwhelm your tank. If you don’t want an expanding population, only put one sex of guppy in the tank so they don’t breed.
4. Platies
Platies are very adaptable to a wide range of tank conditions and are also livebearers, so you may end up with more than two! They are bright in colour and make wonderful pets.
5. Swordtails
Swordtails are very adaptable to a wide range of tank conditions and may also breed and produce baby fish in your tank. They are peaceful and widely viewed as a perfect addition to a community tank. Male Swordtails can be territorial towards other male Swordtails, so be cautious when housing more than one.
6. Molly fish
Mollies are hardy and fun, live-bearing fish. They are gentle and undemanding and because of this, may be bullied by other fish in a community tank so be sure to keep an eye out for them.
Interested in a pet fish?
Make sure you educate yourself on what fish care entails before taking the plunge into fish ownership. While there are many advantages to fish that make them great pets for homes that may not suit other pets, they still require a degree of set up and ongoing maintenance.
Think about what type of fish you’d like to have and research their individual needs, especially when it comes to what size tank you’ll need. Make sure you know what equipment and supplies you need to get started and how to properly set up a fish tank before you commit to getting a fish.
Once you’re ready, Petbarn has all the fish supplies you need to set up your own beautiful aquarium, including a selection of live fish you can buy in-store.