Guide category
Freshwater Fish Guides
Explore freshwater fish profiles covering aquarium setup, diet, compatibility, and routine care. Compare species needs when planning an aquarium or reviewing the care of fish you already keep.
Freshwater Fish reference library
Fish
Betta Fish
Betta fish are territorial freshwater fish that need a heated, filtered aquarium with gentle flow and secure resting places near the surface.
Fish
Bristlenose Pleco
Bristlenose plecos graze surfaces but still need a complete sinking diet, hiding places and filtration suited to their substantial waste.
Fish
Cherry Barb
Cherry barbs are hardy and peaceful when kept in a suitable group, but they still require a cycled aquarium, stable water, plant cover, and compatible tank mates.
Fish
Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras are social bottom-foraging fish. Choose the species first, then plan its group size, temperature, substrate and feeding access.
Fish
Guppy
Guppies are active livebearers that need suitable mineral-rich water and a plan for breeding, courtship pressure and population growth.
Fish
Harlequin Rasbora
Harlequin rasboras are peaceful schooling fish that need a suitable group, plant cover and open swimming space.
Fish
Honey Gourami
True honey gouramis are small, often shy fish that need gentle flow, dense cover and a chance to feed without competition. Confirm Trichogaster chuna; larger thick-lipped gouramis may share the trade name.
Fish
Kuhli Loach
Kuhli loaches are shy bottom-dwelling fish that need a group, smooth substrate, secure equipment and sinking food.
Fish
Neon Tetra
Neon tetras are small schooling fish that do best in a mature aquarium with suitable companions and food sized for their small mouths.
Fish
Otocinclus Catfish
Otocinclus are small social grazers that need mature feeding surfaces and verified access to supplemental food; a cycled tank alone is not enough.
Fish
African Cichlids
Many African cichlids are hardy and engaging, but the category contains incompatible diets, water requirements, adult sizes, social systems, and aggression levels. Success depends on correct identification and deliberate stocking.
Fish
Clown Loach
Clown loaches are social freshwater fish that can be hardy once established, but they grow large and need a very large aquarium, a group of at least six, powerful filtration, and careful disease management. Plan for decades of care before choosing them.
Fish
Common Goldfish
Common goldfish are hardy and personable, but their adult size, waste production, filtration needs, long lifespan, and space requirements make them more demanding than their reputation suggests.
Fish
Common Molly
Common mollies are active, adaptable, and readily accept prepared foods, but they are less forgiving in soft water and can quickly overcrowd an aquarium through breeding.
Fish
Discus
Discus require consistently warm, clean, well-oxygenated water, a properly sized social group, careful feeding observation, strong quarantine practices, and rapid responses to bullying or appetite loss.
Fish
Freshwater Angelfish
Captive-bred angelfish are adaptable and eat readily, but adult height, territorial behavior, pair dynamics, predatory instincts, and long-term tank-mate choices require planning.
Fish
German Blue Ram
German Blue Rams require unusually warm, stable, clean water and calm tank mates. Variable commercial quality and pair aggression leave little margin for inconsistent care.
Fish
Oscar
Oscars are hardy, personable, and easy to feed, but they require a very large aquarium, powerful filtration, frequent maintenance, careful equipment protection, and a plan for aggression and a possible 10-20-year commitment.
Fish
Pea Puffer
Pea puffers are small freshwater fish whose feeding needs, territorial behavior, and sensitivity to waste require close individual observation. They are less forgiving than typical community fish, so plan a reliable food supply and a mature, species-focused aquarium before purchase.
Fish
Platy
Platies are peaceful, colorful, adaptable, and readily accept prepared foods. Their main challenges are maintaining suitable mineral-rich water, managing male attention, and preventing unwanted population growth.
Fish
Zebra Danio
Zebra danios are hardy, adaptable, easy to feed, and resilient in a properly cycled aquarium. Their main needs are a sufficiently large school, long swimming space, a secure lid, and appropriately cool tank mates.
Content updated: