10 Hardest Fish for Beginners (and What to Keep Instead)

Some fish look amazing in the shop but fight you at every turn — demanding water, huge tanks, or a mean streak. Here are

Amano Shrimp Care: The Best Algae Cleaner

Amano shrimp are the workhorses of the planted tank, devouring hair algae and biofilm that fish ignore. They are hardy a

Angelfish Care: Graceful Centrepieces for a Community Tank

Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) bring height and elegance to a tank. Give them 20+ gallons, warm soft water, and tank m

Best Algae Eaters for Freshwater Tanks

Algae is normal, but the right clean-up crew keeps it in check. The best algae eater depends on your tank size and the t

Best Fish for a 10-Gallon Tank (2026)

The 10-gallon tank is the classic first aquarium — about 38 litres of room. Pick small, peaceful fish and you get a live

Best Fish for a 20-Gallon Tank: 15 Species That Thrive

A 20-gallon tank opens the door to bigger schools, a centerpiece fish, and a real cleanup crew. Here are the species tha

Betta Fish Care: Tank, Diet, Temperature and Tank Mates

Bettas are hardy, intelligent labyrinth fish that need warm, filtered, stable water and room to breathe at the surface.

Black Skirt Tetra Care: A Bold, Easy Schooler

Black skirt tetras are tough, inexpensive, and visually striking. Keep them in a proper school or the occasional fin-nip

Bristlenose Pleco Care: The Small Algae Eater

The bristlenose pleco is the algae-eater most beginners actually want: it stays around 13 cm, eats real algae, and does

Cardinal Tetra Care: The Red-Striped Classic

Cardinal tetras are the showier cousin of the neon, carrying a red stripe the full length of the body. They prefer soft,

Celestial Pearl Danio Care: A Tiny Lake of Stars

The celestial pearl danio is one of the smallest and most beautiful fish in the hobby. Each flank carries a scatter of p

Cherry Barb Care: A Small Red Spark for Community Tanks

The cherry barb is a gentle, underrated schooling fish. Males turn a deep cherry red when settled, and a planted tank of

Cherry Shrimp Care: A Colourful, Low-Tech Cleanup Crew

Red cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are tiny, peaceful, and perfect for planted nano tanks. Give them moss, stable wa

Corydoras Catfish Care: The Peaceful Bottom Cleaner

Corydoras are gentle schooling catfish that sweep the substrate for leftovers. Keep a group of six or more on sand, in a

Crystal Red Shrimp Care: The Designer Dwarf Shrimp

Crystal red shrimp are the showpiece dwarf shrimp: snow-white bands on deep red, graded by pattern. They need stable, so

Discus Care: The King of the Aquarium

Discus are the showpiece cichlids — disc-shaped, jewel-coloured, and demanding. They reward experienced keepers with unm

Dwarf Gourami Care: Colour and Calm in One Fish

The dwarf gourami is a favourite centre-piece fish. Males show electric blue-and-red patterns, and unlike many centre-pi

Ember Tetra Care: A Tiny Ember of Colour

The ember tetra is one of the smallest tetras in the hobby, but its burning-orange colour punches far above its 2 cm siz

Endler's Livebearer Care: Pocket-Sized Colour

Endlers pack guppy-level colour into a smaller, hardier body. They are endlessly entertaining and breed as readily as gu

Goldfish Care: Coldwater Fish That Need More Room Than You Think

Goldfish are coldwater fish that outgrow bowls and produce heavy waste. Keep them in a filtered tank of 20+ gallons, fee

Guppy Care: Colour, Tank Size and Breeding Made Simple

Guppies are hardy, colourful livebearers that tolerate beginner mistakes. Keep a small harem in a 10-gallon tank, feed l

Harlequin Rasbora Care: The Perfect Peaceful Schooling Fish

Harlequin rasboras (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) are calm, hardy schooling fish with a signature black triangle. Keep a g

Hillstream Loach Care: The Algae-Eating Stream Fish

The hillstream loach looks more like a stingray than a typical loach — a flat, wide body with a suckermouth that grips g

Kuhli Loach Care: The Secretive Eel-Like Cleaner

Kuhli loaches look like tiny striped eels and spend the day hidden, emerging at dusk to forage. A group of them is a joy

Malaysian Trumpet Snail Care: The Burrowing Cleaner

The Malaysian trumpet snail is the unsung hero of a healthy substrate. Unlike pond snails that crawl on glass, these bur

Molly Care: Livebearers That Love Hard Water

Mollies are robust livebearers that actually prefer the hard, alkaline water many community tanks already have. The blac

Mystery Snail Care: The Big, Friendly Apple Snail

Mystery snails are the charismatic giants of the snail world — big, colourful, and always exploring. They are safe with

Neon Tetra Care: Tank Size, Water Parameters and Tank Mates

Neon tetras are peaceful schooling fish with an iconic blue and red stripe. Keep them in groups of six or more in a plan

Nerite Snail Care: Algae-Eating, Non-Breeding Snails

Nerite snails are the clean-up crew favourite: they scour glass and rocks of algae and, crucially, cannot breed in fresh

Otocinclus Care: The Dainty Algae Cat

Otocinclus — 'otos' — are the gentlest algae eaters, perfect for small planted tanks. They are shoaling fish and look an

Platy Care: Easy, Colourful Livebearers

Platies are the gentle cousins of guppies: same easy livebearing, slightly chunkier bodies, and a rainbow of colour stra

Pygmy Cory Care: The Tiny Schooling Catfish

Pygmy corys are the smallest corydoras, and unlike their relatives they often school in the open mid-water. A shoal of t

Ram Cichlid Care: A Gentle Dwarf Cichlid

German blue rams bring cichlid colour to a community tank without the cichlid attitude. They are delicate about water qu

Rummy Nose Tetra Care: The Canary of the Tank

Rummy nose tetras are prized for their red snouts and a tail pattern like a bar code. They school tightly and their colo

Swordtail Care: The Tail With a Blade

Swordtails are lively livebearers whose males sport a long, sword-like lower caudal fin. They are easy, active, and a st

White Cloud Mountain Minnow Care: The Cold-Water Nano Fish

White clouds are the answer when you want a lively school but no heater. They happily live in cool rooms and are brillia

Zebra Danio Care: The Bulletproof Beginner Fish

If a fish could survive a beginner's first mistakes, it is the zebra danio. Tough, active, and cheap, they are the perfe