Fish can bring great joy and calm into a house and are great for children to learn responsibility for looking after a pet. However, what you don’t want is to set up a beautiful aquarium only to find the fish all perish within a few weeks.

There are some fish which are much hardier and easy to look after than others so when you are first starting out it’s best to go for easy to care for breeds which need little ongoing maintenance.

When you are starting out you can always ask for advice from your local aquarium specialist or pet shop, to make sure you aren’t choosing fish which are tricky to look after, or fish which don’t live well together.

Here is our quick guide to some of the most low maintenance fish out there which you can use when setting up your very first aquarium at home:

Black mollies

Black mollies are very passive and community-focussed fish, living well with many other species as well as each other. They are a very sociable fish making them ideal for beginners with no chance of having any aggression issues.

They are also really adaptable and can live in lots of different types of water. They do have live young so it’s advisable to include plants within a tank with mollies to help the babies have somewhere to hide so they can avoid being eaten.

Bettas

Now the main thing to know about Bettas is they are commonly called Siamese fighting fish because they will fight violently with each other – but you can have one of these fish on its own in a tank, with fish from other species with no problem at all. They only fight within the same species.

They are very low maintenance and easy to look after, surviving well on both flaked and pellet fish food.

They are also a nice addition to any tank thanks to their bright colours and long exotic fins which make them really stand out in any size of tank.

Platies

Platies come in a wide variety of colours meaning they add a really nice bright vibrancy to any fish tank, particularly if you buy a few different varieties. They are calm fish and live well socially with other passive fish.

One thing to watch with them is they are prolific breeders and give birth to live young so you may end up with more fish than your tank can cope with, or other species might view the youngsters as potential food.

They will eat most types of food including flakes and freeze-dried food, making them easy to look after. They are also great at eating algae in the tank, making them great for keeping the tank clean and clear.

Swordtail

These are related to platies and have a long fin which looks like a sword, but they are not aggressive fish at all.

They are passive creatures which live well alongside other species and come in a nice variety of colours, making them ideal for a beginner to look after.

Another good quality which is particularly nice for children setting up their first fish tank is that these fish have a long life span.

Tetras

These are small fish which come in a number of varieties and types which have different colours. They are incredibly hardy and can also live a long time, making them ideal for beginners.

These fish prefer cooler temperatures and are very active. They are peaceful and sociable, preferring to live in a group.

Goldfish

The original beginners’ fish has to be the goldfish. They come in a wide variety of colours, sizes and breeds and are perfect for those with little or no fish-keeping experience.

They are sociable and easy to look after, however, they can be messy creatures so the tank will most likely need cleaning out more frequently than it will with some of the other species.

They like their tank water to be on the cooler side so bear this in mind if you are including other species with them, and make sure they are kept away from any heat sources.

Conclusion

All of the fish in this article are low maintenance and perfect for beginners. Starting off with fish which are easy to look after will mean you get to know them and will then be able to spot any problems or health issues and deal with them quickly and easily.

Having low maintenance fish to start with means you can spend less time looking after them and more time just watching and enjoying the fish tank as a means of relaxation and tranquillity.

Whichever fish you choose, make sure they are right for the tank you have bought, and can all live harmoniously together.

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