8 Common Fish for Any Home Aquarium
FotoSCAPE

8 Common Fish for Any Home Aquarium

Home aquariums are a beautiful way to add color and life to your home decor. If you’re just starting your fish-keeping hobby, a freshwater tank is the way to go. This type tank is easier to maintain than a saltwater aquarium, and the fish tend to be hardier.

Swipe through to find out which fish you should add to your home aquarium.

Gourami are a wonderful addition to a home aquarium because they get along with many other fish. They come in numerous colors, shapes and sizes. Be sure to get two of them, because they like having companions.

Danios are active community fish, so a small school of these gentle fish darting around your tank makes quite an impression. Zebra danios in particular, are hardy fish that are good for new fish keepers.

The goldfish is among the most well-known aquarium fish. You’ll find numerous breeds of the easy-going goldfish, in various combinations of orange and white. Some goldfish may have bulging eyes and others may have long, flowy tails.

Cherry barb is a peaceful fish that does well in community tanks. The male cherry barb’s bright red color stands out beautifully in an aquarium, and the fish can tolerate a wide variety of tank conditions.

Beginner fish hobbyists would do well to add mollies to their aquarium. Mostly peaceful, mollies can adapt to almost any tank setup, though they do appreciate live plants in their living environment. Mollies produce a lot of waste, so be sure you have a good filtration system in place.

Another member of the barb family, the tiger barb is a bit more aggressive then its cherry barb cousin. It can get a bit nippy with other fish’s fins, so it’s best not to house it with flowy-finned fish. The tiger barb’s black stripes stand out in striking contrast to its gold coloration.

Photography: Wikimedia Commons

Almost every tank will benefit from having a plecostomus, but only one. These “sucker fish” are a type of catfish that help keep your tank clean by eating algae. As your plecostomus feeds and grows, it might outgrow your tank and you’ll need to trade it in for a smaller one.

Tetras are small, shoaling fish that do well in home aquariums. They are available in a wide variety of colors, and since you’ll want to keep them happy by having several in your tank, they make a flashy statement as they school around.

Recommended for You

Shohei Ohtani is removed after five no-hit innings, then Dodgers’ bullpen collapses in loss
Los Angeles Times

Shohei Ohtani is removed after five no-hit innings, then Dodgers’ bullpen collapses in loss

News
On This Day: Founding Fathers sign Constitution
UPI

On This Day: Founding Fathers sign Constitution

News
Commentary: A criminal conviction doesn’t make an immigrant ‘the worst of the worst’
Los Angeles Times

Commentary: A criminal conviction doesn’t make an immigrant ‘the worst of the worst’

News
German investigated in Madeleine McCann disappearance released after serving time in unrelated case
AP News

German investigated in Madeleine McCann disappearance released after serving time in unrelated case

News
PSG starts Champions League defense against Atalanta. Bayern-Chelsea, Ajax-Inter renew past finals
AP News

PSG starts Champions League defense against Atalanta. Bayern-Chelsea, Ajax-Inter renew past finals

News
UK judge temporarily blocks government plan to send a migrant back to France
AP News

UK judge temporarily blocks government plan to send a migrant back to France

News
Japan's exports to the US continue to fall, hit by Trump's tariffs
AP News

Japan's exports to the US continue to fall, hit by Trump's tariffs

News
Famous birthdays for Sept. 17: Patrick Mahomes, Alex Ovechkin
UPI

Famous birthdays for Sept. 17: Patrick Mahomes, Alex Ovechkin

News
120 land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared in Latin America last year, report finds
AP News

120 land and environmental defenders killed or disappeared in Latin America last year, report finds

News
All the looks from the 2025 Emmys red carpet
Los Angeles Times

All the looks from the 2025 Emmys red carpet

News
California tied with Louisiana for highest US poverty rate, new report says
Los Angeles Times

California tied with Louisiana for highest US poverty rate, new report says

News
As Charlie Kirk crisscrossed the country, security levels varied from venue to venue
AP News

As Charlie Kirk crisscrossed the country, security levels varied from venue to venue

News
Arnold Schwarzenegger enters fight on US House control, urges vote against new California districts
AP News

Arnold Schwarzenegger enters fight on US House control, urges vote against new California districts

News
Tom Brady to play in Saudi flag football tournament alongside current and former NFL stars
AP News

Tom Brady to play in Saudi flag football tournament alongside current and former NFL stars

News
Russia conducts war games in Belarus
UPI

Russia conducts war games in Belarus

News