It is important to choose the right type of aquarium and the right fish for your needs. Some families of fish are known for being peaceful and good with other fish, while others are more aggressive and should only be kept by experienced aquarists. It is important to choose the right family of fish for your tank before adding them, as not all families will get along. Here are a few tips to help you choose the right aquarium fish:
First, consider the type of water your tank will be filled with. Some families of fish prefer warmer water temperatures than others.
Next, research which types of fish each family is best suited to keep in captivity.
Once you have decided on a family and researched their compatibility with other species in your tank, take into account size and temperament when choosing specimens. Some families may only produce small juveniles or adults, while others may include larger specimens that may require more space in the tank than you initially planned for.
There are many different types of aquarium fish, so it can be hard to decide which ones to get. Some of the most popular aquarium fish species are the tetra, cichlid, goldfish, and pleco.
Characins
Tetras
- Black Neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi)
- Black Widow tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi)
- Blind Cave tetra (Astyanax fasciatus mexicanus)
- Bloodfin tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)
- Blue cochus tetra (Boehikea fredcochui)
- Buenos Aires tetra (Hemigrammus caudovittatus)
- Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
- Congo tetra (Phenacogramma interruptus)
- Diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri)
- Emporer tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri)
- Flame tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus)
- Glolite tetra (Hemigrammus erythrozonus)
- Head and tail light tetra (Hemigrammus ocellifer)
- Hockeystick tetra (Thayeria boehlkei)
- Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)
- Pristella tetra (Pristella maxillaris)
- Red-eye tetra (Moenkhausia sanctafilomenae)
- Rummynose tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri)
- Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon callipterus)
Other
- Hatchet fish (Carnigella strigata)
- Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus)
Cyprinids
Coldwater/Temperate cyprinids
- Bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus)
- Goldfish (Carrasius auratus)
- Sucking catfish (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri)
- White cloud (Tanichthys albonubes)
Barbs
- Cherry barb (Barbus titteya)
- China barb (Barbus semifasciolatus)
- Gold barb (Barbus “schuberti”)
- Longfin barb (Barbus arulius)
- Rosy barb (Barbus conchonius)
- Tiger barb (Barbus tetrazona)
Danios
- Giant danio (Danio aequipinnatus)
- Leopard danio (Brachydanio “frankei”)
- Pearl danio (Brachydanio albolineatus)
- Zebra danio (Brachydanio rerio)
Loaches
- Clown loach (Botia macracanthus)
- Kuhli loach (Acanthophthalamus kuhlii)
Rasboras
- Harlequin rasbora (Rasbora heteromorpha)
- Red-line rasbora (Rasbora pauciperforata)
- Scissortail rasbora (Rasbora trilineata)
Sharks/Foxes
- Albino shark (Epalzeorhyncus frenatus – albino form)
- Flying fox (Epalzeorynchus kallopterus)
- Rainbow shark (Epalzeorhyncus frenatus)
- Red-tail shark (Epalzeorhynchus bicolor)
- Siamese fox (Crossocheilus siamensis)
- Silver shark (Balantiocheilus melanopterus)
Catfish
Algae eaters
- Bristlenose catfish (Ancistrus temminckii)
- Otocinclus (Otocinclus affinis)
Corydoras
- Albino catfish (Corydoras paleatus – albino form)
- Bronze catfish (Corydoras aeneus)
- Peppered catfish (Corydoras paleatus)
Other catfish
- Dianema (Dianema urostriatum)
- Hoplo (Hoplosternum thoracatum)
- Phantom glass catfish (Kryptopterus bicirrhis)
- Upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris)
Livebearers
- Guppy (Lebistes reticulatus)
- Molly (Poecilia latipinna)
- Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus)
- Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri)
Labyrinth fishes
Gouramis
- Blue/Opaline gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)
- Dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia)
- Gold/Platinum gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)
- Honey gourami (Colisa sota)
- Kissing gourami (Helostoma temminckii)
- Lace (pearl) gourami (Trichogaster leeri)
Other labyrinth fishes
- Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis)
- Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)
Cichlids
American cichlids
- Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
- Blue Acara (Aequidens pulcher)
- Blue Ram (Papiliochromis ramirezi)
- Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus)
- Firemouth (Cichlasoma meeki)
- Gold saum (Aequidens rivulatus)
- Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)
- Port acara (Aequidens portalegrensis)
- Red-hump (Geophagus steindachneri)
- Severum (Heros severus)
- Spirilum (Cichlasoma spirilum)
- Surinamensis (Geophagus surinamensis)
African cichlids
- African butterfly (Anomalochromis thomasi)
- Auratus (Melanochromis auratus)
- Blue dolphin (Cyrtocara moori)
- Jewel cichlid (Hemichromis bimaculatus)
- Jewel cichlid – red forest (Hemichromis lifalili)
- Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)
- Lemon cichlid (Neolamprologus leleupi)
- Peacock cichlid (Aulonocara spp)
- Princess cichlid (Neolamprologus brichardi)
- Venustus (Nimbochromis venustus)
- Zebra – redcheek (Pseudotropheus macropthalmus)
- Zebra – tangerine and blue (Pseudotropheus zebra var.)
Perches
Brackish water species
- Archerfish (Toxotes oligolepsis)
- Barramundi (Lates calcarifers)
- Black Mono (Monodactylus sebae)
- Mono (Monodactylus argentus)
- Red scat (Scatophagus argus)
- Silver scat (Selenotoca multifasciata)
Glassfish
- Australian glassfish (Ambassis agassizii)
Perches & Grunters
- Australian Bass (Macquaria novemaculata)
- Barred grunter (Amniataba percoides)
- Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua)
- Murray cod (Maccullochella peeli)
- Silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus)
- Sooty grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus)
- Spangled perch (Leiopotherapon unicolor)
- Western pygmy perch (Edelia vittata)
Other fish
Gobies and Gudgeons
- Bumblebee goby (Brachygobius xanthozona)
- Congolli (Tupong) (Pseudaphritis urvilii)
- Crazyfish (Butis butis)
- Empire gudgeon (Hypseleotris compressa)
- Peacock goby (Tateurndina ocellicauda)
- Purple spotted gudgeon (Morgunda morgunda)
Australian and New Guinea Rainbowfish
- Banded Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia trifasciata)
- Boesman’s Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia bosemani)
- Macculloch’s Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia maccullochi)
- Murray river Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis)
- Western Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia splendida australis)
All other species
- Blackghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons)
- Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi)
- Elephant nose (Gnathonemus petersii)
- Golden medaka (ricefish) (Oryzias latipes)
- Halfbeak (Demogenys pusilus)
- Spotted Galaxia (Galaxias maculatus)
