Best Pet Fish: Finding the Perfect Pet Fish for You
There are many options when it comes to choosing a pet, and one of the most popular choices is a fish. Fish make great pets because they are low maintenance, can live in small tanks, and come in a variety of colors and shapes. There are also different types of fish to choose from, which is where this list of the best pet fish can help you out.
This list of the best pet fish will feature the top options for you and help you find the right pet fish for you. Whether you have a large or small aquarium, freshwater or saltwater, or are new to the game or an expert fish owner, there should be some great options on this list for you.
Take a few minutes to check out our list of the best house pets, as it will pair up nicely with this list of the best pet fish and provide even more value to you.
Top 15 Pet Fish:
1. Neon Tetra
Size: 4 cm
Highlights: Great for beginners, ideally live in groups, and enjoy having plenty of rocks, plants, and accessories.
About Pet Fish: The Neon Tetra is an excellent pet fish for any beginner aquarist. This small and slender species of fish is widely recognized for its iconic blue body, with a bright red stripe running down the middle. At just 2.2 cm long, this peaceful and calming companion won’t take up much space in your tank.
Neon Tetras ideally live in groups as they are a very social species of fish, but they also enjoy having plenty of rocks, plants, and other accessories in their habitat to explore and hide in. Aside from being a colorful addition to almost any tank setup, this pet fish is easy to care for and is sure to cheer anyone up during tough times.
If you want an easy-going yet beautiful addition to your aquarium, then look no further than the Neon Tetra.
2. Betta Fish
Size: 7.5 cm
Highlights: Variety of colors to choose from, very resilient, and
About Pet Fish: If you’re looking for one of the best pet fish for your home, look no further than the stunning Betta Fish. With a variety of colors to choose from—think blue, purple, red, yellow, and neon orange—you’ll be surprised by the rainbow of colors these fish offer. Though male bettas can be aggressive towards other bettas, they won’t harm their tank mates as long as they are small and unaggressive.
Taking care of Betta Fish is an ideal choice for beginners who don’t have a lot of experience. These resilient creatures will add a splash of color to your home and will allow you to have a new best bud.
3. Guppy Fish
Size: 5 cm
Highlights: Easy to care for, live-bearing, and offer dazzling color.
About Pet Fish: Guppy fish are an excellent pet for anyone looking for a sweet and easy-to-care-for first fish. Not only can these small fish make a cheerful addition to any aquarium, but they have the added bonus of providing an educational experience as well.
Guppies are live-bearing, meaning that they give birth to their offspring instead of laying eggs like some other species do– making them a fascinating and unique breed to observe. Plus, they show remarkable resilience when introduced into less-than-optimal water conditions when compared to other tropical fish.
With a plethora of dazzling color varieties and bold fin shapes at your disposal, you’ll be sure to find guppies that will fit perfectly into almost any home or office aquarium setup.
4. Mollies
Size: 6 – 15 cm
Highlights: Wide range of colors, fun to watch, and natural breeders.
About Pet Fish: Mollies are an exciting and unique pick for any aquarium. These tiny freshwater companions are a joy to keep around and great for making your home feel new and refreshed. Mollies come in a wide range of colors and grow only up to 3-4 inches long. When it comes to their diet, these omnivorous creatures love both plants and animals.
Plus, Mollies give birth instead of laying eggs like most other fish, which makes them especially fun to watch in your tank. If you don’t want too many in the tank, just keep one gender – they’re natural breeders and will happily reproduce if given the chance.
5. Cherry Barb
Size: 5 cm
Highlights: Love to roam in schools, bright and beautiful, and should live in groups.
About Pet Fish: These easy-to-care-for swimmers love to roam around in schools and explore their tanks. If you’re looking for a bright, beautiful fish that won’t require a ton of attention and maintenance, then look no further than the Cherry Barb. One thing to remember when introducing cherry barbs into your tank is that they’re quite shy – so you’ll need to equip your tank with plenty of hiding spots and vegetation.
This will help the cherry barbs settle in quickly and comfortably. Another important factor when making your tank a home for cherries is that they should be kept in groups of at least five, with two females to every male. This will ensure that there aren’t too many males overwhelming a single female or fighting with other males for her attention.
Besides their group living needs, care for these vibrant little fish is incredibly low maintenance. They love to eat just about anything, from dry food pellets or flakes to frozen foods like bloodworms or krill (which also make great treats.), so feeding time should be quick and easy.
6. Swordtail Fish
Size: 14 cm – 16 cm
Highlights: Gentle and peaceful behavior, live-bearing, and do best in well-maintained tanks.
About Pet Fish: Swordtail Fish are one of the best pet fish to have in your home aquarium. With gentle and peaceful behavior, Swordtails are a great way to add color and life. Their name might sound intimidating but don’t let it dissuade you – these brilliant little fish are quite gentle and friendly; as live-bearing fish, they can also be a great opportunity for families to watch the cycle of life with their children.
Male Swordtails are especially eye-catching with their long, impressive tails, which flare during courtship. If you house Swordtails with similarly-sized species such as Mollies or Guppies (not recommended with Angelfish), they may even begin to breed in well-maintained tanks that contain some floating plants and plenty of hiding places for any baby fish that hatch.
7. Goldfish
Size: 2.5 cm – 5.1 cm
Highlights: Long living, gentle, and doesn’t need much space.
About Pet Fish: Bring some enchanting life to your home with our beautiful pet Goldfish. Goldfish are gentle, long-lived, and just so charming to look at. The wild Goldfish can live up to 25 years — that’s more than two decades’ worth of joy and fun before you even consider all the entertainment you’ll get from seeing its unique personality grow.
And no matter what size or color tank you keep your little buddy in, these fish don’t need too much space. With so many shapes, sizes, colors, and breeds available online, you’re sure to find an excellent companion that suits your individual tastes.
8. Corydoras Catfish
Size: 2.5 cm – 12 cm
Highlights: Bottom feeders, enjoy a soft, sandy bottom, and are sensitive to changes in their environment.
About Pet Fish: With Corydoras Catfish, you will look forward to observing these playful and charming creatures in their aquatic habitat. Also referred to as a Cory catfish, this delightful fish is noted for its bottom-feeding behaviors and group coordination when swimming with other Catfish of its kind.
If you’re interested in owning a Corydoras Catfish, remember that they enjoy a soft, sandy bottom, so be sure to use an appropriate substrate in order to keep your Catfish comfortable. Be aware that they also tend to be sensitive to changes in their environment and could die rather quickly if the water conditions vary drastically from their former pet store habitat.
9. Zebra Fish
Size: 4 cm
Highlights: Energetic swimmers, do well in schools, and have an exotic look.
About Pet Fish: This beloved pet fish bears a patterned body of parallel stripes that will bring an enviable elegance and exotic vibes to any home aquarium. The Zebra Danio is small, growing to only 4 cm in length, and is known for its energetic swimming style that can’t help but capture your attention.
When kept in schools with other Zebra Fish, they become even more dynamic and playful. With so much energy and stunning natural patterning, the wild majesty of the Zebra Fish can liven up any home aquarium.
10. Angelfish
Size: 15 cm
Highlights: Vibrant colors, will eat smaller fish, and enjoy eating plants, shrimp, and insects.
About Pet Fish: These beautiful freshwater fish, part of the Cichlid family, make a perfect addition to any home aquarium. With vibrant colors and patterns ranging from spotted marbles to stripe-finned leopards, these majestic creatures can grow up to 6 inches in length and 8 inches tall.
Don’t be fooled – their beauty has a bite: when it comes to smaller prey, Angelfish are more than happy to pounce – just make sure to keep them away from other small fish. As for diets: they can eat both plants and animals like shrimp and insects. Plus, unlike some other pet fish like Betta, Angelfish don’t have extremely aggressive tendencies – just keep them in tanks without too many other fish.
11. Platy Fish
Size: 7 cm
Highlights: Adaptable, don’t need much space, and are native to Central America.
About Pet Fish: Native to Central America, these adaptable fish are an excellent choice for any small-tank setup. Unlike other pet fish, platies don’t need a ton of space in order to thrive; in fact, with the right conditions, an entire school can comfortably fit into a 10-gallon tank with lots of lush plants on either side (just make sure to leave the center open so they have plenty of room to swim.).
When it comes to diet, platies will happily ingest anything you give them; however, they tend to develop quite a taste for vegetarian meals. And one last thing: if you want a lot of guppies without overcrowding your aquarium, keep things balanced by having more females than males in your school.
12. Tiger Barb
Size: 7 – 10 cm
Highlights: Vibrant colors, very active, and do best in schools of at least six.
About Pet Fish: The Tiger barb is one of the best pet fish you could keep in your tank for a show of vibrant colors and activity. It is aptly named, boasting striped tiger-like barbs along his sides and an energetic personality to go with it. Tiger Barbs do best when kept together in schools of at least six.
This ensures they don’t take their aggression out on other non-tiger barbs, as they are naturally inclined to be a bit more combative than other types of fish. Impressively sized, Tiger Barbs can reach up to 3 inches long and do well with larger tankmates close to their size; otherwise, these dynamic swimmers may try to chase around smaller fry.
13. Rainbowfish
Size: 6 cm
Highlights: Colorful and unique, very peaceful, and easy to take care of.
About Pet Fish: Brighten up your aquarium with Rainbowfish. These colorful and unique fish provide a splash of vivid hues to any aquatic setting. Don’t let their initial shyness fool you – they’re actually quite peaceful when living amongst others in their habitat. Best of all, taking care of them isn’t too difficult.
When mature, these fish show off their bright colors and vibrancy that, make them an eye-catching addition to your home or office. Rainbowfish can grow up to two inches long, unlike other pet fish. Not only are they relatively low-maintenance, but they can get along with other species, such as barbs and tetras.
14. Pearl Gourami
Size: 12 cm
Highlights: Labyrinth fish, has an organ that resembles a lung, and likes to swim at the surface of the tank.
About Pet Fish: Are you looking for a fish that will bring sparkle and beauty to your aquarium? Look no further – the Pearl Gourami is one of the best pet fish options for you. As part of the unique sub-order Labyrinth Fish, this exquisite creature has an organ that resembles a lung, allowing them to take in air from above.
You’ll often find him swimming at the surface of the tank – where he’ll also be flashing his shimmering colors through his stunning lacey fins.
15. Silver Dollar
Size: 20 cm
Highlights: Hardy, adapts easily to its environment, and loves live plants and hiding spots.
About Pet Fish: The Silver Dollar is an excellent addition to your home aquarium. These fish are as unique and beautiful as their namesake. With a round, silver body measuring up to 6 inches long, this species of pet fish is hardy, adapting easily to its aquatic environment. For the best environment for your Silver Dollar, keep it with other fish of similar sizes and make sure there are plenty of live plants and hiding spots in the tank.
Editor’s Pick: Best Pet Fish for Beginners
Neon Tetra
If you’re just starting your aquarium journey, the Neon Tetra is our Editor’s Pick for the best pet fish for beginners. These peaceful, social fish are known for their bright, iridescent coloring and small size, making them ideal for community tanks. They thrive in groups, are easy to care for, and add vibrant movement to any setup. With minimal maintenance and a friendly temperament, Neon Tetras are a perfect starter species for new fish owners.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Pet Fish
What is the easiest fish to take care of?
The easiest fish to care for are Betta Fish, Guppies, and Neon Tetras. These species are hardy, adaptable to various tank conditions, and don’t require extensive equipment or complicated maintenance routines.
Which pet fish are good for kids?
Goldfish, Mollies, and Platy Fish are great options for kids due to their manageable care needs, peaceful behavior, and visual appeal. These fish are also affordable and resilient, making them ideal for first-time young aquarists.
What pet fish can live together?
Community-friendly fish like Corydoras Catfish, Zebra Danios, Cherry Barbs, and Rainbowfish can live peacefully together in the same tank. Just be sure to consider tank size, temperament, and compatibility before mixing species.
How long do pet fish typically live?
Lifespan varies by species. Goldfish can live 10–20 years, while Betta Fish typically live 3–5 years. Most tropical fish, like Tetras or Barbs, live between 2–5 years with proper care.
What size tank do I need for pet fish?
Tank size depends on the species and number of fish. A 10-gallon tank is suitable for small fish like Guppies or Tetras, while larger fish like Angelfish or Silver Dollars may require 30 gallons or more.
Tips for Choosing the Best Pet Fish for Your Aquarium
1. Know Your Experience Level
If you’re a beginner, start with hardy, low-maintenance fish like Betta Fish, Guppies, or Goldfish. These species are forgiving of small mistakes as you learn the ropes of fishkeeping.
2. Consider Tank Size and Setup
Make sure your tank size matches the fish’s space needs. For instance, Platy Fish and Tetras do well in smaller tanks, while Angelfish and Silver Dollars need more room to thrive.
3. Think About Temperament and Compatibility
Some fish, like Tiger Barbs, can be aggressive or territorial. Always research whether a species is suited for solo tanks or community living to avoid bullying or stress among fish.
4. Choose Colorful and Active Species
To make your tank visually appealing, go with fish like Rainbowfish, Cherry Barbs, or Pearl Gourami. These species are colorful, active swimmers that add life and beauty to your aquarium.
5. Pay Attention to Diet and Maintenance
Some fish have special dietary needs or environmental preferences. For example, Corydoras Catfish need a soft, sandy bottom, while Pearl Gourami enjoy floating plants and open surfaces for breathing.
Best Pet Fish Conclusion
Overall, fish make great pets for a variety of reasons. They are low maintenance, can live in small tanks, and come in a variety of colors and shapes.
With this list, you can ensure that you find the right fish for you and can create a fish tank that you enjoy watching and that brings life and energy to your home.
So if you are considering adding a pet to your home, be sure to consider one of these top pet fish options.
Have you adopted any of these pet fish? If so, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
