10 Best Tropical Fish for Beginners

As a beginner, you want to choose the tropical fish that give you the best chance of success with your home aquarium. There is a lot to learn for the fish keeper who is just starting out, and picking fish that are fun and easy to care for is important.

You’re going to be worried about a whole array of new concerns like maintaining the right water parameters, choosing the best fish food, deciding which decorations are appropriate, and whether or not live plants are a good idea. Adding in fish that involve complicated care and stocking requirements just makes things that much tougher.

In this article, you’ll read about ten of the best tropical fish for beginners. These are among your best bets for fish that can live together peacefully. They’re great options when just starting out, but many advanced fish keepers enjoy them as well.

1. Neon Tetra

Neons are among the most popular freshwater tropical fish due to their tiny size and vibrant colors. They only grow about an inch or so long, and are a great fish for a 10-gallon tank or bigger.

These little guys are schooling fish, which means you want to have at least six of them, preferably more. When their school is too small, or when the water is poor, they can get nippy at each other.

Otherwise, they are an extremely docile and easy-to-care-for fish species, well suited to beginner and advanced fishkeepers alike. Beware not to stock them with larger fish, because they make a tempting snack. One rule to remember when choosing fish: Big fish eat little fish!

2. Swordtail

Swords are another pretty species that will grow to about two inches in length. They’re peaceful community fish, though fairly active. You can tell the males apart from the females by the elongated “swords” on their tails, hence their name.

While these guys aren’t aggressive, you may notice the male relentlessly harassing the female. It’s just his way of showing swordtail love, but it can be fairly stressful for her. One solution is to have at least two female swordtails for every male.

The male will still be pesky and bothersome, but at least the same female won’t be getting the brunt of his attention all the time.

3. Fancy Guppy

Guppies have tiny little bodies, and long, flowing fins. They come in many different vibrant colors, and a tank with several types of guppies in it really pops. They’re super active though, so if a calm, tranquil tank is what you’re going for these fish may not be for you.

But if you like a lot of action and pretty colors in your aquarium you might even consider stocking it only with guppies.

Be aware that they’re very small and, like neons, not a good choice if you have larger fish in your tank. They’re also livebearers, so if you do have a bunch of them be on the lookout for baby guppies in your tank one day!

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4. Cory Catfish (Corydoras)

Cories, or cory catfish, are small, ancient-looking armored catfish. There are a few different popular species, such as pepper cories and albino cories.

The emerald catfish is a closely related species often labeled as a cory, though it's not technically in the same sub-family.

They all do the same job, which is to scavenge the bottom of the tank for leftover food, plant matter, and other debris. They might even help keep your pest snail population under control. Many fish keepers choose to feed sinking pellets to make sure their cories get enough to eat.

Most cories grow to only two or three inches in length, but with age, some can get a bit larger, particularly the emerald cory. They are schooling fish and need at least six in their shoal, though like all schooling fish more is generally better.

5. Black-skirt Tetra

These little round fish need to be in schools of at least six, and due to their slightly larger size, you’ll probably want to have them in a tank greater than 10 gallons. But they’re very pretty fish, with their silver and black striped bodies and black flowing fins, especially when they swim together in a group.

They’re super-easy to care for and do fine with regular flake food and maybe a few treats here and there. They’re docile fish that grow to about three inches across and need plenty of room for swimming in the top two-thirds of the water column.

These are also a good option for tanks with larger fish such as Angelfish and Gouramis, as they grow too large for all but the biggest of the typical home aquarium inhabitants.

6. Zebra Danio

The zebra danio is a great tropical fish for beginners, and very popular. They’re hardy, active, and cute, and you’ll probably want a small group of them in your tank. These little guys have black and white stripes down the length of their bodies, which is how they got their name, but other danio strains may have spots.

The standard zebra is short-finned, and only a couple of inches long, but there are also long-finned and lyretail varieties. You should be able to choose from a bunch of different kinds at most live-fish stores.

Note also that the popular (but expensive) GloFish is actually a specialized zebra danio, bred to bring out bright red, yellow, and green pigments.

7. Cherry Barb

Cherry barbs may be labeled as semi-aggressive in some pet stores, but rest assured they will not terrorize your tank. However, they may harass slow-moving fish with long fins, so if you have such critters in your tank you may want to skip these guys. If you have active species like those listed above you should be okay.

These are schooling fish, so stick with the “six or more” rule, but you’ll notice they don’t school as tightly as some other shoaling fish. But when perceived danger comes around, such as a water change or bigger fish, they’ll group together. The males are brighter red, and the females have duller coloration.

These little guys are among my favorites, especially in large, planted tanks with some natural driftwood and stone. The reds of the males really make them pop.

8. Harlequin Rasbora

These pretty fish make great tankmates for any of those listed above. They are small, up to about two inches, and very docile. Their attractive black and metallic orange coloring give them a unique appearance.