Top Five Freshwater Fish for Your Aquarium
Fish are a great pet to keep at home. They don’t make noise, dirty the house, or chew away your shoes. All you need to have is a bowl or a tank depending on the fish and you are good to go. They are easy to maintain and to top it all they are beautiful. Your best resource for everything acquatic: https://aquariumstoredepot.com.
Plus you can get freshwater aquarium sharks for tanks of all sizes from kingsoftheaquarium.com.
Aquarium plants like Hygrophila Pinnatifida, Rotala Blood Red and Ludwigia White are a great addition to your aquarium too. Check these and many more plants at Aquarzon.
In addition, if you are looking to keep fish, here are five more top picks you can choose from...
1. Betta
Betta, or siamese fighting fish, one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish. They don't require a huge tank. However, if you want it to grow healthy, you better keep it in at least a five-gallon tank. You would need a low flow filtration system and a heater. As you know, betas are tropical fish; the water needs to be warm water, up to 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit. You can find more resources here about how to take care of a betta fish.
They have long, beautiful fins and like to show off. They can be seen as very active inside the tank. If you want less hassle, your tank should have plenty of space for your betta fish to thrive. You can do away with the extra décor. You can add waste absorbing gravels and a few natural or plastic plants. Always keep in mind that giving free space for your betta to swim around is essential.
They are territorial so avoid keeping it together with other species of fish. If owning a fish as a pet is new to you, you can start by keeping a male fish. With a sizeable, the extra water would go a long way to help you maintain the fish. With the right filtration system and a water heater, you are good to go.
Avoid overfeeding your betta fish. Feed it twice a day, with portions that can be consumed in roughly five minutes. As they have a small stomach, if they overeat, they could become bloated. Bettas are carnivorous, and they need a protein-rich diet. Don't mix different food items in one portion.
2. Neon Tetra
Neon Tetras, the name itself suggests that this fish is brightly colored. With a luminous blue and red horizontal strip, they are easy to distinguish. They are one of the most sought after fish for small community aquariums. Neon Tetras up to 2.2.cm and are not hostile. They are peaceful, and you would not have any trouble keeping them.
If you are planning to keep them, you would want to put them in soft acidic water. As Neon Tetras are tropical fish, the water temperature needs to be warm. They are omnivores and would feed on almost anything, including worms, insects, and even plants.
For starters, you can begin with keeping about four to five of them. They are easily bored, and you should be on a look out for telltale signs, like missing an asymmetrical mouth, missing gill cover, or abnormal fins. You'll be needing an air pump. Fish Lab create the best and quietest aquarium air pumps.
3. Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
There are different kinds of goldfish. The most common would be Comet, Sarasa, and Shubunkin. If you want to keep a more exotic goldfish, you can opt for Black Moor, Celestials, and Ranches. If it is your first time, you are better off with the former.
Comets and Sarasa come in different colors, ranging from white, orange, gold, and black. They can grow up to 12-14 inches. Shubunkin grows up to a size of 18 inches.
Usually, you would require a 20 gallons tank for every goldfish. It remains the same for any goldfish. As these goldfish gets bigger, you'll have to move them to bigger tanks.
4. Mollies
Mollies are small omnivorous fish that can grow up to 4-5 inches. They would typically require a 20-gallon size tank and do well with a variety of water conditions.
Mollies are omnivorous, and they need both on plant and animal food in their diet.
They are livebearer, meaning they give birth to their young lives and not lay eggs. If you are lucky, you could be keeping a pregnant female molly. If you do get the little fries in your hands, it would be best to separate them from the mother as she would eat her young ones.
5. Zebrafish
Yes, you guess it right; they come in horizontal black and white strips. These are small fish and grow up to 2 inches. They like to live in groups.
For zebrafish, you would need a 10 gallons size tank. They would do well even at room temperature, roughly about 70 ͦ Fahrenheit, so you would not need a pre-set heater. You can opt for a small heater during winter to keep the temperature in check.
You can feed a zebrafish anything from dry food or live food. Brine shrimp, brine shrimp larvae, worms, and even hardboiled egg yolk are some of its favorite treats.
Keeping an aquarium can be exciting. Unlike other pets, there is not much of a hassle. You can give it a go by getting one of the fish mentioned above.