When setting up a freshwater aquarium in the best possible way, it is important to carefully choose the fish to be kept inside it. There are a great many species of fish, but which are the most suitable? Here are the 10 most popular aquarium fish with all their characteristics and needs!
The Goldfish
Most famous and popular freshwater fish is the goldfish. It does not have any particular needs, it is easy to take care of and breed, it eats everything, from live to dry food, and compared to other freshwater fish, like tropical ones, that populate home aquariums, it does not require active heating in the tank. This means that they cannot cohabit with other species other than their own. Goldfish need space in which they can move around, so they should not be kept in aquariums that are too small (the famous fish bowls are a real torture for them!) and it is better to opt for square or rectangular tanks like that in Ferplast’s Dubai range, with pebbles, rocks and little plants inside it, which are points of reference for them. There are more than 100 varieties of goldfish which differ from each other in colour and physical characteristics.
The Guppy
One of the most popular aquarium fish is undoubtedly the doubt Guppy. It is one of the most sociable species of all and therefore is very suitable for living in community aquariums, where different kinds and families of fish coexist. However, it gets along particularly well with the Corydoras. This fish can grow to a length of 5 cm and is nicknamed “millionfish” because they are highly prolific. They swim in the middle and upper part of the aquarium. As far as feeding is concerned, they are omnivorous and eat any type of food.
It is a fish that does not require special care and is therefore perfect for aquarium beginners.
The Neon fish
The Neon tetra is a freshwater fish and is easy to recognise due to its small size and unusual colours: it has a silver belly and it is neon blue from the tip of the nose to the adipose fin – a neon blue that allows it to be visible in the darkest areas – while it is red from the belly to the tail. It loves living exclusively in groups and, for this reason, it is advisable to breed it with minimum of another six similar specimens. Its ideal habitat is a tank, at least one metre long, full of hidden places (plants, rocks …) with low lighting. It usually occupies the middle area of the aquarium The Neon tetra eats both dry and live food and it is easy to breed.
The Discus fish
The Discus fish is a freshwater fish easy to recognise due to its 12-15 cm disc shape, its bright colours and its graceful movements. It is certainly one of the most popular species, although it is not very easy to breed: it is very sensitive to environmental stress and does not like to live in an environment with bright lighting. In addition to this, it is particularly subject to bacterial and parasitic infections and it is therefore important keep the aquarium clean and free of pathogenic germs at all times. The Discus fish are used to living Discus are fish used to living in schools, in the middle and lower part of the tank. For this reason, they need to live in groups of at least 4-6 fish. They eat dry food and frozen insect larvae.
The Siamese fighting fish
The Siamese fighting fish is one of the most popular fish. They are strong and easy to breed. They have a strong character, at times a little “aggressive” and it is best to put one male only in the aquarium: the males do not get along with the other males of the same species and, in fact, they naturally tend to lash out against rivals, fighting until they mortally injure each other. On the contrary, they are peaceful with the females. They have bright colours with wonderful shades of red, blue, magenta, orange, yellow. As far as feeding is concerned, they are not particularly demanding and eat small insects, worm and algae. They live in the upper area of tank and, in addition to breathing with gills, they have a particular organ called a labyrinth organ that allows them to breathe air through the mouth, which is why they can also live in waters with little oxygen.
The Angelfish
The Angelfish stands out for its triangular and majestic shape that, along with its long shiny fins, resembles an arrow. It grows to 15 cm in length and 25 cm in height as an adult and therefore it needs a lot of space to promote serenity and healthy growth; being a fish that lives in shoals, it is preferable to put at least 5 of them into the aquarium. Its colours range from grey, pearly silver, yellow, orange and often streaked with white, brown and black stripes. It is an omnivorous and voracious fish. In fact, it tends to eat all the time, so it is important never to exceed the right quantities.
In addition to these fish, there are many other species that can populate a freshwater aquarium. Which is your favourite?