How to buy Aquarium Fish

Purchasing Fish for an Aquarium

For beginners, usually the first conundrum is which fish to buy. There are so many species and types of fish which all require different living environments and conditions that it may seem overwhelming at first. There are retailers who can help you with this but there are some fish which may be better to start your aquarium with and some fish best to avoid entirely.

The ideal fish to buy for a large aquarium are those who mix well with other species and other fish in general. These are known as ‘community fish’. It is best to avoid those with low or no tolerance for other fish, territorial fish or aggressive fish. It is not always obvious how they will behave until they are older so here are some examples of fish to start with and fish to avoid.

Species of Fish for Beginners

Livebearers are the most commonly available fish and the ideal fish to start a new aquarium. They are available in many colours and are easy to breed. Tetras are another common fish which are very peaceful and will not produce much waste due to their small size. You are able to buy larger varieties which may be slightly safer as the smaller fish may be eaten in the tank. The Neon Tetra is a popular species due to its bright colours.

Danios are an active fish which have no special living requirements making them easier to take care of as a beginner. They are aesthetically pleasing, especially the Zebra Danio with their stripes. Barbs and Rasboras are very colourful and active but the Harlequin and Cherry species may nip the fins of other fish. Rainbowfish are beautifully colourful fish to keep and are very peaceful. They are best to keep in a shoal.

A useful type of fish to keep in an aquarium is an algae eater. Recommended are the Bristlenose and the Otocinclus, but do not add these to a brand new tank as they require more settled conditions.

Fish to Avoid

Some fish look reasonably sized when first bought but can grow to excessive lengths making the tank unsuitable to hold them. The Common Pleco is an example of this which can be bought at 1” in length but can grow to 18”: unsuitable for even a large tank. This is similar to the Clown Loach which can grow to 12” in length. Some species of Catfish will grow to lengths of 3 feet including the Pangasius and Iridescent Catfish. These are unsuitable for a home aquarium.

Some fish can become aggressive or territorial. The Tiger Barb fish will nip the fins of other fish, usually those which are slower swimmers. Sometimes keeping a shoal of these fish can prevent this behaviour. The Rainbow Shark or Red Tailed Shark will quite obviously eat other fish, but less obvious is the Oscar which will also eat every other fish you have in the aquarium. The Clown Knifefish and the Black Ghost Knifefish are also predators not suitable for a community. The Chinese and Siamese algae eaters will harass smaller fish as will Cichlids.