| Maintaining an aquarium can be a very rewarding | | | | (they are not huge, but a blue could grow to 4+ |
| and fun activity. One of the great things about | | | | inches) and color to any community tank. Most |
| the hobby is that with preparation and patience, | | | | people that are interested in aquariums are |
| anyone can have a beautiful fish tank. | | | | familiar with the Kissing Gourami and a pair will |
| There are countless varieties of aquarium | | | | make a great addition to most any tank. |
| freshwater fish, and this can be both a good thing | | | | - Swordtails - With their deep orange color and |
| and a bad thing. I say bad because there are | | | | the male's namesake sword-shaped tail, these fish |
| some fish that either require special care or they | | | | mix in well with a community tank. |
| are more temperamental. These fish are more | | | | - Cory Cats - Short for Corydoras, this is another |
| demanding and therefore are not the best fish for | | | | group of fish with many varieties. They are fine |
| the beginner's first aquarium. Sometimes it is not | | | | as a single, but as a group they will school |
| easy for the beginner who is picking out fish to | | | | together exploring and scouring the bottom of the |
| know the good (easy) from the bad | | | | tank, and they are a fun fish to have patrolling |
| (temperamental) which can lead to frustration and | | | | your aquarium. |
| wasted money on new fish. | | | | - Danios - This is another fish with many varieties. |
| With that in mind, here is a quick starter list of | | | | I include them because they are good, hardy fish |
| fish that are ideally suited for the novice. They | | | | that are extremely active and never seem to tire |
| are beautiful, active, and most importantly, hardy | | | | out. The zebra, leopard, and giant danios are all |
| fish. That's not to say buying these fish is an | | | | popular fish and will add a lot of activity to your |
| excuse for lax care and maintenance, it just | | | | tank, although some people find their constant |
| means that minor fluctuations in temperature or | | | | activity level almost a bit too much, so keep that |
| pH won't cause them to be lost. | | | | in mind. |
| - Guppies - These fish are hardy, inexpensive, and | | | | - Goldfish - Talk about endless variety! Goldfish |
| come in many beautiful varieties. The males have | | | | have it and more. Colors, fins, size, eyes, |
| long, flowing, multi-colored fins and they are | | | | scales...there are enough to write many books on |
| generally quite active in the upper and middle | | | | them. As such, they are a popular choice for a |
| water levels in the tank. As a bonus, they may | | | | species tank, which is an aquarium with only |
| be one of the easiest fish to breed, so you may | | | | different types of goldfish. They are very tolerant |
| end up witnessing the wonder of live-bearing fish | | | | of a wide range of temperatures but that doesn't |
| without any effort on your part. | | | | mean they will tolerate bad water. They do |
| - Plecostomus - Commonly just called the pleco, | | | | produce a lot of waste and may require a bit |
| there are actually a number of pleco species that | | | | more water changing than some other fish, but |
| are available to the aquarium keeper. Most are | | | | they still make a great choice for someone who |
| very hardy fish and belong to the group of "algae | | | | is just getting into the fish keeping hobby. |
| eaters". They will indeed eat algae in your tank, | | | | This list is only a small sample of fish that are well |
| but they do need to be fed over and above that. | | | | suited for the beginner, but it covers a good |
| The pleco will occupy the lower level of your tank | | | | cross-section. There is variety in color, size, |
| and with his less than beautiful looks (OK, they're | | | | activity level, and water column level (from |
| ugly), he will definitely add a bit of personality to | | | | surface to bottom). It is certainly a good start |
| your tank. | | | | and hopefully it will lead you toward many other |
| - Gouramis - Including the Dwarf, Blue, and Kissing | | | | wonderful fish for your new aquarium! |
| Gourami. These fish add a nice element of size | | | | |