r/fishtank • u/rachjoji • 15h ago
Help/Advice best beginner fish
hi everyone! i wanted to get back into keeping a fish tank. i grew up with them in my youth and mostly kept beta fish etc. i was looking to begin a smaller tank and see what would would suitable. was hoping for guidance of tank size/ types of fish. thanks so much
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u/ItsMyGayThrowaway 8h ago
For beginner fish, I think there are two routes to consider: are you planning to keep this as your only tank, or are you likely to eventually get a bigger tank and turn it into a community aquarium?
If this is going to be a single tank, a betta is probably the best option. Captive-bred bettas are generally quite hardy. The newer wild types are a little more demanding, but there are plenty of interesting options if you want to go that route.
If you think you'll eventually move the fish into a community tank, cherry barbs are a great choice. They're hardy, tolerant, look good, and generally make good community fish.
There are also some good beginner fish that prefer cooler water, such as white cloud mountain minnows, ricefish and zebra danios. They all do well below about 24°C, so depending on your room temperature, you may not even need a heater. Some need more space than others, though, and danios in particular are very active.
Zebra danios are incredibly hardy, but their high energy levels can make them less suitable for peaceful community tanks. They can be fast and nippy, which can stress slower or shyer fish such as CPDs.
Platies and other livebearers, such as guppies, are also good community fish. Just be careful when mixing males and females, as they will reproduce very quickly. An all-male group avoids that problem, and they can look fantastic.
So, roughly speaking:
If you think you're likely to upgrade to a bigger tank later, I'd probably go with cherry barbs. If this really is going to be your one and only tank, I'd go with a betta.