Setting up your first fish tank? Looking for ideas on the best fish for beginners fish tank? It’s important when you set up your first aquarium that the fish you are taking care of are hardy and easy to care for. After all, you want your first experience in fishkeeping a success! Below are 7 easy fish for beginners and first time fishkeepers.
I’m going to share with you fool-proof, easy to care for fish for the beginner’s aquarium. For the most part, these fish can tolerate a wide variety of water conditions so even you don’t maintain your aquarium water correctly, your fish will still be okay.
These fish are hardy and low maintenance so they are great for lazy fishkeepers too!
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1. Swordtails
Swordtails are excellent beginner’s fish. They are hardy and easy to care for. Plus swordtails are livebearer fish. That means they give birth to live baby fish (no need to wait for eggs to hatch!). Stock a 10 gallon aquarium with 1 male and 3 females swordtails. In no time, you will see pregnant female swordtails and many little baby swordtails darting around! Female swordtails can give birth to 80 fry a month!
| Swordtails | |
|---|---|
| Size | Male 4 inches and Female 5 inches |
| Diet | Tropical Flakes |
| Plants | Live Plants or Plastic Plants |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 1 male and 3 female swordtails in a 10 gallon. Males have tendency to get aggressive with each other so don’t get 2 males. |
| Type of Fish | Live Bearer, Females can give birth to over 80 fry in a month! |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
2. Zebra Danios
Zebra Danios are very active schooling fish. They are a lot of fun to watch because they are constantly on the move. Zebra Danios can grow up to 2 inches long. Get 6-8 zebra danios in a 10 gallon tank. Zebra Danios are easy fish for beginners. Do beware if you plan to mix your zebra danios with other fish. They like to nip fins, they may nip the fins of guppies, swordtails and angelfish.
| Zebra Danios | |
|---|---|
| Size | 2 inches (5 cm) |
| Diet | Tropical Flakes |
| Plants | Live Plants or Plastic Plants |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 6-8 Zebra Danios for 10 gallon tank |
| Type of Fish | Egglayer |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
3. White Cloud Mountain Minnows
White Cloud Mountain minnows are active and sociable fish. They are very resilient and can tolerate a wide range of water condition. They are cold water fish so you don’t need a heater for them (keep water temperature as low as 68F or 20C). They can also be kept in small tanks. If you are new to fishkeeping, this is a great starter fish. You can’t go wrong with these minnows.
| White Cloud Mountain Minnows | |
|---|---|
| Size | 1.5 inches (4 cm) |
| Diet | Tropical Flakes |
| Plants | Live Plants or Plastic Plants |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 6-8 White Clound Mountain Minnows for 10 gallon tank |
| Type of Fish | Egglayer |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
4. Goldfish
Goldfish are great fish for beginners. Goldfish are easy to care for and can tolerate various water conditions. Even though you often see drawings of goldfish in small fish bowls, you should avoid housing your goldfish in fish bowls. Your goldfish will need a 10 gallon tank at a minimum. Plus you need to have a filter to keep the water clean since goldfish are messy eaters and produce a lot of waste. Goldfish don’t need a heater. They will be happy in water temperature of 66-68F (19-20C). Get 2 goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, it’s the perfect set up for your first fish tank.
| Goldfish | |
|---|---|
| Size | 12 inches (35 cm) |
| Diet | Pellets |
| Plants | Plastic |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 2 goldfish for 10 gallon tank |
| Type of Fish | Egglayer |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
5. Corydoras
Corydoras or Cory Cats are good catfish for the beginners’s fish tank. It is different from the other fish on this list because Corydoras will stay at the bottom on the substrate. They are not algae eater but will do a little clean up of uneaten food in your fish tank. It’s a good additional fish to have. You can keep them with any fish on this list except the cold water fish (Goldfish and White Cloud Mountain Minnows). Corydoras should be kept in a group of 2 to 6 per aquarium. For a 10 gallon tank, you can only keep 2 Corydoras.
| Cory Cat | |
|---|---|
| Size | 3 inches (7.5 cm) |
| Diet | Pellets and Granules |
| Plants | Live Plants or Plastic Plants |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 2 Cory Cats for a 10 gallon tank |
| Type of Fish | Egglayer |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
6. Guppies
Guppies are great starter fish for a beginner’s fish tank. They are hardy and active fish. They are not aggressive with each other so you can expect a peaceful tank. The males are more colorful than female guppies. Guppies are live bearer and they breed very easily. A female guppy can produce 20-40 babies every month! I suggest getting the biggest tank you can get because once they start breeding you will have a lot of guppies!
| Guppies | |
|---|---|
| Size | 2 inches (5 cm) |
| Diet | Tropical Flakes |
| Plants | Live Plants or Plastic Plants |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 1 male and 3 females per 10 gallon tank |
| Type of Fish | Live Bearer |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
7. Platy
Platy is an easy fish for a beginner’s fish tank. They are low maintenance fish and can tolerate many conditions. Platy fish are also very easy to breed and is a great live bearer for beginners. You will enjoy seeing the babies and experiencing the breeding process. Platy female can give birth to a few dozen babies while their cousin Variatus Platy can give birth to 100 fry every month! Both types of platy are great for a beginner’s fish tank. They are also peaceful fish. The males don’t fight each other so you can have multiple males in a tank. If you are trying to decide between swordtails or platy for your first fish tank, platy fish are more peaceful and easier to breed. Or get both- swordtails and platy can live peacefully in the same aquarium.
| Platy and Variatus Platy | |
|---|---|
| Size | Male 1- 1.5 inches (2.5-4cm), Female 2-2.5 inches (5-6.5cm) |
| Diet | Tropical Flakes |
| Plants | Live Plants or Plastic Plants |
| Number of Fish per Aquarium | 1 male and 3 females per 10 gallon tank |
| Type of Fish | Live Bearer |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallons |
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