Size Up to eight centimeters Lifespan Around five to six years Temperament Peaceful Diet Omnivore Care Level Easy Black Ruby Barbs are from Sri Lanka, where they live in slow-flowing mountain streams with dense vegetation. When they mature, these fish have stunning colors. They have grey or copper bodies with bright red noses. Since these barbs are relatively placid, they make excellent tank mates for most other barbs. These friendly fishes are a little shy, so they enjoy hid

Size: Up to around 10 centimeters Lifespan: An average of five to seven years Temperament: Semi-aggressive and feisty, generally cannot be kept with shy or jittery fish Diet: Carnivore Care Level: Easy Dottybacks are bold and feisty and very interesting to watch because of their intensely bright colors and intriguing personalities. They stay quite small and are hardy but should not be kept with fish species that tend to be skittish. Ble

Size: Some types of tangs can grow to over 60 centimeters Lifespan: Generally around 25 years, but they may live up to 30 years Temperament: Peaceful Diet: Mainly herbivorous in the wild but omnivores in captivity Care Level: Medium Tangs are known as fast and curious fish and are some of the most popular species to keep in home aquariums. They are generally friendly, with some exceptions when it comes to certain other members of the su

Size: Some grow up to 10 centimeters Lifespan: Two to five years (some even as long as 20 years) Temperament: Peaceful Diet: Omnivore Care Level: Easy Cory Catfish are popular bottom-dwelling fish who live up to their dazzling reputations in all sorts of ways. They are super friendly and so peaceful that they won’t even bother the smallest creature in the tank. Cory Catfish are also useful in keeping aquariums clean as they go about the

Size: Up to around 10 centimeters Lifespan: Two to four years Temperament: Omnivore Diet: Carnivore Care Level: Moderate to easy Lawnmower Blenny Known to be peaceful with great personalities, Blennies can provide hours of entertainment. They spend most of their time at the bottom of the tank peeping out with their large eyes and feeding on algae. Blennies enjoy a tank with plenty of scattered rocks and it is best to keep only one of th

Size: Five to nine centimeters Lifespan: One to two years Temperament: Peaceful Diet: Carnivore Care Level: Easy Cardinalfish are popular for home aquariums because they have an unusual, eye-catching shape and stunning color combinations. They are fascinating fish and have an excellent temperament. One potentially challenging aspect of keeping cardinalfish is feeding them. Some refuse flake foods and must be given defrosted mysis shrimp

Size: Up to around six centimeters Lifespan: Up to five years Temperament: Very peaceful and social Diet: Omnivore Care Level: Moderate Mollies come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and require a relatively simple level of care. Some mollies create a lot of waste so you’ll need a good filtration system. They also prefer a tank that has a lot of décor and they really enjoy plants. Mollies are known to be generally peaceful fish

Size: Up to six centimeters Lifespan: More than five years Temperament: Prone to some aggression Diet: Omnivore Care Level: Moderate to easy Damselfish are feisty and full of energy. They tend to be territorial and enjoy hiding out among rocks. Of all the fish for beginners, the damselfish is probably the most challenging because they tend to be more aggressive than others. To keep them calm and happy, make sure they have a lot of littl

Size: Around seven centimeters Lifespan: Three to six years Temperament: Peaceful Diet: Omnivore Care Level: Easy The movie Finding Nemo has made this type of fish very popular among households with children. Clownfish are beautiful, friendly, and interesting to watch. They are also hardy, resistant to most diseases, and tend not to be fussy eaters. If you are interested in breeding fish in your home aquarium, clownfish are an excellent

How to Keep Your Fish Free of Disease Once you’ve set up your aquarium and have a collection of beautiful fish happily living inside it, the last thing you want is for your fish to become ill or die. Fish that are kept as stress-free as possible in a clean and well-maintained tank are less likely to succumb to disease. Nevertheless, no matter how hard you try to avoid it, fish get sick from time to time just like other animals and people. The best thing you can do is to be aw

Brighten up Your Tank with These Beauties Keeping tropical fish is not just a hobby, but an exciting adventure that involves discovering many interesting types of fish. If you are ready to begin populating your first tropical tank, start with some fish that are generally peaceful, hardy, and undemanding. You will soon get used to making sure the environment is conducive to healthy and happy fish. Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can begin to expand your collectio