These ornamental fish are suitable for beginners

Manuela Bauer Freelance Author

August 28, 2024, 4:39 pm | Read time: 6 minutes

After about three weeks, the tank has settled and sufficient filter bacteria have formed. Now, finally comes the most exciting part for the beginner aquarist: the new inhabitants can move in. But which of the colorful, iridescent underwater creatures are suitable for beginners in terms of care and keeping? PETBOOK explains.

Every fish has different husbandry requirements. This has to do with its origin, its size, and its social and territorial behavior. The demands it makes on the water or planting also play a role. Of course, the size of the tank is crucial. Too many and too large fish in a small tank can have disastrous consequences. Young fish are often offered for sale, but they can grow considerably in size over time. All these factors should be considered when choosing ornamental fish before moving them into their new home. Therefore, the new inhabitants should be robust and easy to care for and also forgive the odd beginner’s mistake. PETBOOK presents ornamental fish that are suitable for beginners.

1. Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Goldfish is considered to be excellent for beginners. Fortunately, the days when this fish was kept alone in a round bowl in a cruel way are over. Instead, many advocate keeping goldfish exclusively in a pond. However, their husbandry requirements also make it possible to keep them in an aquarium, which must, of course, be of a sufficient size.

Some aquarists require a minimum size of 50 to 100 liters of water per specimen. As a rule, however, a group of three goldfish should have at least 120 liters of water available. It should not be underestimated that goldfish can grow up to 15 centimeters in an aquarium. They are considered very robust and have a correspondingly long life expectancy: goldfish can live up to 25 years. They are known to produce a lot of excrement, so an efficient filter system is required.

Goldfish are cold-water fish, so they do not become ill even at low temperatures in a pond. In the aquarium, they like temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. This ornamental fish for beginners requires an aquarium pH value of 6.8 to 7.8.

Goldfisch — Goldfish are very popular ornamental fish and should never be kept alone in a round aquarium

2. Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

As is so often the case in the animal kingdom, male guppies put on a real show! They have brightly colored tail fins, while the females swim inconspicuously grey through the aquarium. These ornamental fish are also suitable for beginners and very popular, as they are quite peaceful and can easily be kept with other ornamental fish.

As a rule, guppies without a tail fin reach a length of up to six centimeters. In contrast to goldfish, they have a very short lifespan of just two years. A group of six guppies can be kept in a 100-liter tank. The ratio of males to females should be around one to three. Male guppies are very interested in females and pursue them almost constantly. Offspring can, therefore, be expected frequently, which is exciting to observe, as these freshwater fish give birth to live fish.

The ideal temperature for guppies is 25 degrees Celsius, but they also feel comfortable at temperatures between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius. These freshwater ornamental fish require a pH value of 7.0 to 8.0.

weiblicher Guppy — The colorful, iridescent guppies are among the best known and most popular fish for freshwater aquariums. They should always be kept in small groups of at least five animals.

3. Neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi)

Neon tetras are quite common in beginner tanks. These tiny creatures have an average length of around 3.5 centimeters and should be kept at least six to a tank. Experts recommend a group of twelve specimens in an 80-liter tank.

Neon fish originate from the upper Amazon basin and live for around two years there, while they can reach an age of up to ten years in the aquarium. Their most exciting feature is their color, as the strong reflection of the stripe gives the impression that they are glowing.

Caution: Even though the neon tetra is considered an ornamental fish for beginners, paying close attention to the water values is essential. Neon fish feel most comfortable in soft, acidic, and relatively cool water. If these temperatures are not right, diseases can occur.

Neon tetras tolerate temperatures between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius; their ideal water temperature is 24 degrees Celsius. The fish require a pH value between 4.0 and 7.5 in the water.

Neonsalmler (Paracheirodon innesi) — The fish should not be kept as solitary as these two neon tetras. They must live together in a shoal.

4. Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The zebrafish is also an ideal ornamental fish for beginners and their aquariums. It has minimal requirements and offers a stunning appearance. Its name, zebrafish, is deceptive, as it is not striped crosswise like a zebra, but lengthwise, with four broad dark blue longitudinal stripes separated by narrow light yellow stripes. The ornamental fish reach a length of up to six centimeters, depending on their sex, and should be kept in a group of at least eight specimens.

The optimum water temperature for zebrafish is between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius. The fish do best at a pH value between 6.0 and 8.0.

Zebrabärbling Zierfisch Anfänger — The zebrafish is an ideal ornamental fish for beginners and should be kept in a group

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5. Pointed molly (Poecilia sphenops)

The breeding form “Black Molly” is very popular with beginners with some experience. In addition to black, this robust fish is also available in other colors such as grey-green, silver or the very unusual “Dalmatian”. These mollies are gray with black spots. This peaceful and warm-loving fish is mainly found in South America but also North America. At ten centimeters, the females are slightly larger than the males at six to eight centimeters. This agile fish can live for up to five years.

Although “mollies” are not schooling fish, they should be kept in a group of at least five animals. As with guppies, the females give birth to live fish. After a gestation period of around four weeks, the population increases by 30 to 80 fry! To avoid uncontrolled reproduction, a few predators should, therefore, be integrated.

The optimum temperature for mollies is between 24 and 26.7 degrees Celsius. The ornamental fish feel most comfortable at a pH value of 6.7 to 8.5.

Spitzmaulkärpfling Anfänger Zierfisch — Mollies, also known as “Black Molly” in their black variant, are very popular ornamental fish for beginners. However, they can quickly multiply uncontrollably

As an aquarium beginner, you should always seek advice from a specialist for the sake of the animals and not order them randomly on the internet. Not all ornamental fish are suitable for beginners.

Sources

Aquatop-Aachen.de “Fish for beginners” (accessed 7.11.2022)
Deinetiere.com, “12 ornamental fish for beginners” (accessed 7.11.2022)
Aquaristik-online.de “Ornamental fish” (accessed 7.11.2022)

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of PETBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@petbook.de.