The most unpretentious aquarium fish

If you are new to aquarium keeping or do not want to spend a lot of time caring for fish, choose unpretentious breeds. All you need to do is feed them on time and change the water.

Fish that meet several criteria are considered unpretentious:

     small size,

     peaceful nature,

     survivability,

     ease of care,

     low cost.

Unpretentious fish

Unpretentious fish for an aquarium feel comfortable regardless of acidity, hardness level and water temperature. Most often, serious filtration is not needed either; a simple filter with a sponge is enough.

Don’t forget about aeration - saturating the water with oxygen. In small aquariums, a regular filter will suffice; a special compressor will be unnecessary. And some types of fish can even grab oxygen from the atmospheric air and do not need additional aeration. These are fish of the labyrinth family: gourami, cockerel, lalius.

Aquarium fish for beginners
Fish for beginners

Types of unpretentious fish

Which fish are unpretentious and can be handled even by a beginner in aquarium keeping? Let's look at the 10 most popular types of fish for beginners.

Guppy

These fish can be called champions among unpretentious water inhabitants. Guppies survive and reproduce well in aquariums without filtration or aeration. They feel great in water at 22–28 °C and do not conflict with other fish species.
Swordtails

Small fish up to 10 cm are distinguished by bright colors and a pointed appendage on the tail. Swordtails live in groups of 3–5 individuals, are undemanding in their diet, and the comfortable water temperature is 22–26 °C. They like to jump out of the water, so it is better to cover the aquarium with a lid.

Guppy fish for aquarium

guppy
Swordtail fish for the aquarium

swordtail

Mollies

Active and friendly fish, they feel comfortable in warm water of 25–27 °C and do not like temperature changes. Due to their mobility, they need a larger aquarium. They are unpretentious in food, quite voracious, and it is important not to overfeed them.
Corridoras

These are cute and peaceful schooling fish. For a small group of individuals, a tank of 40 liters or more with stones and snags where they could hide will be sufficient. They need soft water at a temperature of 20–25 °C with an acidity of 6–7.4 pH. Filtration and aeration of the aquarium is also necessary.

Molly fish for an aquarium

mollies
Corydoras fish for aquarium

corridoras

Danio

Zebrafish come in a variety of colors and friendly personalities. They like to play catch-up and stay close to the surface. They are unpretentious to hardness and acidity of water, they eat dry and live food. They grow up to 3–4 cm and live quietly even in small aquariums with filtration.
Pecilia

Small bright fish are almost omnivorous and very unpretentious to water conditions. They can reproduce even in harsh conditions. Hardy fish get along with other inhabitants of about their size, but they cannot be called schooling.

Zebrafish for aquarium

zebrafish
Pecilia fish for an aquarium

poecilia

Neons

Brilliant fish with unusual body colors will win the heart of any aquarist. Schooling fish live in groups of 5–6 individuals and love warm, soft water and dense vegetation. In aquarium conditions they grow up to 3–3.5 cm. They are omnivorous and ready to eat any food.
Barbs

Active and mobile fish prefer to live in schools and play with each other - catch up and hide. They feel comfortable at a temperature of 22–25 °C. They are undemanding in care and quite omnivorous. It is better for novice aquarists to choose small species of barbs 4–6 cm; they are calmer towards other inhabitants of the tank.

Neon fish for aquarium

neons
Barbus fish for aquarium

barb

Gourami

These unpretentious fish are able to breathe atmospheric air. They are easy to keep and breed in an aquarium with a volume of 50 liters or more. They prefer water temperatures of 23–26 °C, but tolerate cooler or warmer water. They are friends with all other peaceful inhabitants of the aquarium.
Ancistrus

Cute catfish are completely unpretentious to care for. They are called “aquarium nurses” for their ability to clean the walls of the tank with their suction cup mouth and collect leftover food from the bottom. They feed mainly on plant foods; you can feed them cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, and lettuce. They love soft, slightly acidic water at a temperature of 25 °C.

Gourami fish for aquarium

gourami
Ancistrus fish for the aquarium

ancistrus

Basic selection rules

Before choosing fish, decide on the size of the aquarium. Small aquariums will have to be cleaned more often, such as tanks up to 50 liters.

The small volume also limits the choice of pets - for example, in a 10-liter aquarium you can put no more than 2-3 fish up to 6 cm in length.

If the room does not allow you to place a large tank and the choice fell on a small aquarium:

     find out what size the selected fish grow to;

     avoid predatory fish species;

     determine the number of fish at the rate of 1 liter of water per 1 cm of body;

     Consider the temperament and habitat of different species of fish so that they get along well with each other.

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different fish

breeds
Fish for small aquariums

In a large aquarium, adhere to the principle of uniformly filling its volume. This means that all three layers of water - lower, middle and upper - should be populated by fish approximately equally.

In a spacious tank, fish with a length of 5 cm will feel quite comfortable. If the individuals are of different species, try to choose breeds that prefer the same water temperature.