List of freshwater aquarium fish species
A vast number of aquatic species have successfully adapted to live in the freshwater aquarium. This list gives some examples of the most common species found in home aquariums
Angelfish
| Common name | Taxonomy | Life span | Level of aggression | About | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | Ph range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelfish | 'Pterophyllum scalare | several color varieties; this species is the common angelfish in the aquarium trade. Angelfish can grow up to fifteen centimetres (six inches), and therefore should be housed in a large aquarium. Angelfish should be kept alone, or kept with three or more. This is because that if two are kept together, the larger fish will pick on the smaller fish. Angelfish are not as hardy as other cichlids and should not be kept with small fish such as neon tetras. However, just the opposite is true: Angelfish should not be kept with fish that may nip and annoy it such as some large tetras. They are good fish for beginners but only if you pay attention to their tankmates and temperaments. They work well with other fish but should be kept in a school of 3 or more if you want more than 1. | |||||||
| Altum Angelfish | Pterophyllum altum | ||||||||
| Spotted Angelfish | Pterophyllum leopoldi |
Catfish
| Armored catfish including Aspidoras, Brochis, Callichthys, and Corydoras |
| Common name | Taxonomy | About | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown-point shield skin longirostris | Aspidoras fuscoguttatus |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in)[1] | 22–25 °C (72–77 °F)[1] | 5.5–6.8[1] | ||
| Aspidoras lakoi | 4 cm (1.6 in)[2] | ||||||
| Loach catfish | Aspidoras rochai | 4 cm (1.6 in) maximum length[3] | 21 - 25 degrees Celsius[3] | 6.0-7.5[3] | |||
| Sixray corydoras, false corydoras | Aspidoras pauciradiatus |  | 2.9 cm (1.1 in)[4] | 73–82 °F (23–28 °C) | 6.0-7.2[4] | ||
| Britski's catfish | Brochis britskii | 8.9 cm (3.5 in) | Brochis is often synonymized with Corydoras. | ||||
| Emerald catfish | Brochis splendens |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Brochis is often synonymized with Corydoras. | 70–82 °F (21–28 °C) | 5.8-8.0[5] | |
| Hognosed brochis | Brochis multiradiatus |  | 6.6 cm (2.6 in) | Brochis is often synonymized with Corydoras. | |||
| Cascarudo | Callichthys callichthys |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | ||||
| Adolfo's catfish/corydoras | Corydoras adolfoi |  | 5.7 cm (2.2 in) | 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) | 6.0-7.0 | ||
| Banded corydoras | Scleromystax barbatus |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | ||||
| Masked corydoras, bandit corydoras | Corydoras metae | | 4.8 cm (1.9 in) | 72–79 °F (22–26 °C) | 6.0-7.0 | ||
| Barred-tail corydoras | Corydoras cochui | 2.5 cm (0.98 in) | |||||
| Blackstripe corydoras | Corydoras bondi | 4.7 cm (1.9 in) | |||||
| Blacktop corydoras | Corydoras acutus |  | 4.4 cm (1.7 in) | ||||
| Blue corydoras | Corydoras nattereri |  | 5.4 cm (2.1 in) | ||||
| Bluespotted corydoras | Corydoras melanistius | 5.1 cm (2.0 in) | |||||
| Bronze corydoras, Emerald green cory | Corydoras aeneus | Extremely common. |  | 6.35 cm (2.50 in) | The albino strain of C. aeneus is common among aquarists. | 77 °F to 82 ° (25 °C to 28 °C) | |
| Caracha | Corydoras atropersonatus | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | |||||
| Ehrhardt's corydoras | Corydoras ehrhardti | 4.1 cm (1.6 in) | |||||
| Evelyn's cory | Corydoras evelynae | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||||
| Corydoras geoffroy | 7 cm (2.8 in) | ||||||
| Corydoras latus | 5.2 cm (2.0 in) | ||||||
| Loxozonus cory | Corydoras loxozonus | 4.9 cm (1.9 in) | |||||
| Corydoras nain | Corydoras nanus | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | |||||
| Long nosed arched cory | Corydoras narcissus | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | |||||
| Corydoras ornatus | 4.9 cm (1.9 in) | ||||||
| Corydoras osteocarus | 4 cm (1.6 in) | ||||||
| Corydoras polystictus | 3.2 cm (1.3 in) | ||||||
| Scleromystax prionotos | 5.3 cm (2.1 in) | ||||||
| Corydoras semiaquilus |  | 6.0 cm (2.4 in) | |||||
| Corydoras septentrionalis | 4.9 cm (1.9 in) | ||||||
| Corydoras simulatus | 4.9 cm (1.9 in) | ||||||
| Corydoras undulatus | 4.4 cm (1.7 in) | ||||||
| Dwarf corydoras | Corydoras hastatus |  | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | ||||
| Elegant corydoras | Corydoras elegans |  | 5.1 cm (2.0 in) | ||||
| False network catfish | Corydoras sodalis | 4.9 cm (1.9 in) | |||||
| False spotted catfish | Corydoras leucomelas |  | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | ||||
| Gold laser cory | Corydoras melanotaenia |  | 5.8 cm (2.3 in) | ||||
| Guapore corydoras | Corydoras guapore | 4.1 cm (1.6 in) | |||||
| Mosaic corydoras, reticulated corydoras | Corydoras haraldschultzi |  | 5.9 cm (2.3 in)[6] | ||||
| Mosaic corydoras, reticulated corydoras | Corydoras reticulatus | 5.1–6.1 cm (2.0–2.4 in) | |||||
| Panda corydoras | Corydoras panda |  | 3.8–5.1 cm (1.5–2.0 in) | 6.0-8.0[7] | |||
| Pastaza corydoras | Corydoras pastazensis | 6.4–7.1 cm (2.5–2.8 in) | |||||
| Peppered corydoras, salt and pepper catfish | Corydoras paleatus |  | 5.1–7.6 cm (2.0–3.0 in) | ||||
| Pink corydoras | Corydoras axelrodi | 4–5 cm (1.5–2 in) | |||||
| Pygmy corydoras | Corydoras pygmaeus |  | 2.5–3.3 cm (0.98–1.30 in) | ||||
| Sailfin corydoras | Scleromystax macropterus | ||||||
| Salt and pepper catfish/corydoras | Corydoras habrosus |  | 2.5–3.6 cm (0.98–1.42 in) | ||||
| Schwartz's catfish | Corydoras schwartzi |  | 3.8–5.1 cm (1.5–2.0 in) | ||||
| Spotted corydoras, longnose corydoras | Corydoras ambiacus | 5.1–6.1 cm (2.0–2.4 in) | |||||
| Sterba's corydoras | Corydoras sterbai |  | 6.8 cm (2.7 in)[8] | ||||
| Sychr's catfish | Corydoras sychri | ||||||
| Tailspot corydoras | Corydoras caudimaculatus | 4–5 cm (1.5–2 in) | |||||
| Threestripe corydoras, leopard catfish, false julii cory | Corydoras trilineatus |  | 6.1 cm (2.4 in)[9] | ||||
| Xingu corydoras | Corydoras xinguensis | 3.8–5.1 cm (1.5–2.0 in) | |||||
| Julii corydoras | Corydoras julii |  | 5.1–6.4 cm (2.0–2.5 in) | ||||
| Flagtail catfish | Dianema urostriatum |  |
12.5 cm
(4.9 in) |
Originated from the Amazon Basin. | 77° – 82 °F
(25° – 28 °C) |
6.0-8.0 |
| Armored suckermouth catfish (plecos) |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristlenose pleco, bushynose pleco | Ancistrus spp. |  | 13 cm (5 in)[10] | The bristlenose genus has at least 59 identified species and many others yet to be named. Males and female both have long "bristles" on their nose, the males having distinctly longer ones. | 72-84 F (20-27 C) | | |
| Gold nugget pleco | Baryancistrus spp. |  | Many species of this fish exist, but are not yet officially identified; the three common aquarium species are known as L-018, L-081, and L-177. | 77-86 F (25-30 C) | | | |
| Whiptail catfish | Rineloricaria spp. | _2.jpg.webp){kind=small} | 20 species | |||
| Twig catfish | Farlowella spp. |  | at least 20 species | |||
| Panaque | Panaque spp. |  | Several species of panaque are popular aquarium fish. | |||
| Pineapple pleco, orange cheek pleco | Pseudorinelepis spp. |  | four species | |||
| Common pleco, suckermouth catfish, Amazon sailfin catfish | Pterygoplichthys pardalis |  | 16 cm (6.3 in) | One of the several fish sold under this name; there is also an albino variation. | ||
| Common pleco, suckermouth catfish | Hypostomus punctatus |  | One of the several fish sold under this name. | |||
| Common pleco, suckermouth catfish | Hypostomus plecostomus |  | 50 cm (20 in) | One of the several fish sold under this name. | ||
| Leopard sailfin pleco, clown sailfin pleco | Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps |  | Other related fish also share this common name. | |||
| Zebra pleco, L-046 | Hypancistrus zebra |  | 3-5 in | One of the most popular Hypancistrus species. | ||
| Sailfin catfish | Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus |  | ||||
| Golden dwarf sucker, golden oto | Macrotocinclus affinis |  | 5 cm (2 in) | A peaceful algae eater. Keep in groups of 3 or more. 6+ being the preferred size. | ||
| Zebra dwarf sucker, zebra oto | Otocinclus cocama |  |
| Long-whiskered catfish |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt catfish | Aguarunichthys torosus | 35 cm (14 in) | ||||
| Gold Zebra catfish | Brachyplatystoma juruense | 60 cm (24 in) | ||||
| Zebra shovelnose | Brachyplatystoma tigrinum | 60 cm (24 in) | ||||
| Vulture Catfish, zamurito | Calophysus macropterus |  | 40 cm (16 in) | |||
| Leiarius marmoratus | .jpg.webp) | 100 cm (39 in) | ||||
| Leiarius pictus | 60 cm (24 in) | |||||
| Redtail catfish | Phractocephalus hemioliopterus |  | 120 cm (3.9 ft) | Needs at least a 2,600 US gallons (9,800 L) tank when mature, even though this does not provide them with the space to show their natural behaviour.[11] | 70–79 °F (21–26 °C)[11] | 6.0–7.5[11] |
| Spotted pimelodus, pictus, pictus catfish | Pimelodus pictus |  | 30 cm (12 in) | These catfish are very appealing when small, but may grow somewhat large. Their mouths look small, but may eat smaller fish, as they can open their mouths very wide. | ||
| Ornate Pimelodus | Pimelodus ornatus | 38.5 cm (1.26 ft) | ||||
| Sturgeon catfish | Platystomatichthys sturio | 40 cm (1.3 ft) | ||||
| Barred sorubim | Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum | 104 cm (3.41 ft) | Easy to confuse with P. tigrinum. | |||
| Tiger sorubim | Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum |  | 130 cm (4.3 ft) | This fish is easy to confuse with P. fasciatum. | ||
| Firewood catfish, (planiceps) shovelnose catfish | Sorubimichthys planiceps |  | 178 cm (70 in) | The largest of the shovelnoses, this catfish grows huge and will need a 450 US gallons (1,700 L) min when mature. | ||
| Lima shovelnose catfish | Sorubium lima |  | 90 cm (3.0 ft) | Although they are smaller than the tiger shovelnose, these catfish are extremely aggressive and extremely fast. | ||
| Squeakers and upside-down catfish |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuckoo squeaker | Synodontis multipunctatus |  | 27.5 cm (10.8 in) | |||
| Decorated squeaker | Synodontis decorus | |||||
| Even-Spotted squeaker | Synodontis petricola |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Featherfin squeaker | Synodontis eupterus |  | ||||
| Lake Malawi syno | Synodontis njassae |  | ||||
| Polka dot syno | Synodontis angelicus |  | ||||
| Common syno, false upside-down catfish | Synodontis nigrita | |||||
| Upside-down catfish | Synodontis nigriventris |  | 9.6 cm (3.8 in) | S. nigriventris prefers bottom feeding on Tubifex, but its main diet consists of algae. |
| Other catfishes |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three-striped African catfish | Pareutropius buffei | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | ||||
| Giraffe catfish | Auchenoglanis occidentalis |  | 70 cm (28 in) | |||
| Electric catfish | Malapterurus electricus |  | 122 cm (48 in) | |||
| Black lancer catfish | Bagrichthys macracanthus | 25 cm (9.8 in) | ||||
| Harlequin lancer catfish | Bagroides melapterus | 30 cm (12 in) | ||||
| Crystal-eyed catfish | Hemibagrus wyckii | 71 cm (28 in) | highly aggressive and must be kept alone | |||
| Asian redtail catfish | Hemibagrus wyckioides | 130 cm (51 in) | highly aggressive and must be kept alone | |||
| Shadow catfish | Hyalobagrus flavus | .jpg.webp){kind=small} | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | |||
| Mystus bimaculatus | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | |||||
| Dwarf bumblebee catfish | Pseudomystus leiacanthus | 6 cm (2.4 in) | ||||
| Asian bumblebee catfish | Pseudomystus siamensis | 15 cm (5.9 in) | ||||
| Dinema catfish | Belodontichthys dinema |  | 100 cm (39 in). | |||
| Glass catfish | Kryptopterus vitreolus |  | 8 cm (3.1 in). | Needs to be kept in a group of five or more. Needs generous amounts of plants. | ||
| Striped glass catfish | Kryptopterus macrocephalus | 10 cm (3.9 in). | Needs to be kept in a group of five or more. Needs generous amounts of plants. | |||
| Borneo glass catfish | Ompok eugeneiatus | 16.5 cm (6.5 in). | ||||
| Striped wallago catfish | Wallago leerii |  | 150 cm (59 in). | |||
| Chocolate frogmouth catfish | Chaca bankanensis |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Asian banjo catfish | Acrochordonichthys rugosus | 11 cm (4.3 in) | ||||
| Walking catfish | Clarias batrachus |  | 50 cm (19.5 in) | The albino form is common in the aquarium trade. This fish can survive out of the water and "walk" as long as kept wet, for a very long time. It is a dangerouly invasive species and should never be released or thrown out alive. | ||
| Stinging catfish | Heteropneustes fossilis |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Sun catfish | Horabagrus brachysoma | _from_the_Chalakudy_River%252C_Kerala.jpg.webp) | 45 cm (18 in) | |||
| Iridescent shark | Pangasianodon hypophthalmus |  | 130 cm (51 in) | Albino form is common in the aquarium trade, needs a large aquarium | ||
| Chao Phraya giant shark, giant pangasius | Pangasius sanitwongsei |  | 300 cm (120 in) | |||
| Colombian shark catfish | Ariopsis seemanni |  | 35 cm (14 in) | |||
| Blue whale catfish | Cetopsis coecutiens | 27 cm (11 in) | ||||
| Banjo catfish | Bunocephalus coracoideus | 14 cm (5.5 in) | ||||
| Striped raphael catfish | Platydoras armatulus | .jpg.webp) | 43 cm (17 in) | |||
| Spotted raphael catfish | Agamyxis pectinifrons |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | This species mainly feeds on algae. It needs a cave, and will feed when the aquarium light is out. | ||
| Bottlenose catfish | Ageneiosus marmoratus | 18.5 cm (7.3 in) | ||||
| Gulper catfish | Asterophysus batrachus | 25 cm (9.8 in) | ||||
| Midnight catfish | Auchenipterichthys coracoideus | 10 cm (3.9 in) | ||||
| Oil catfish | Centromochlus perugiae | 5 cm (2.0 in) | ||||
| Jaguar catfish | Liosomadoras oncinus | 17 cm (6.7 in) | ||||
| Pygmy driftwood catfish | Trachelyichthys exilis | 8 cm (3.1 in) | ||||
| Trachelyopterus fisheri | 28 cm (11 in) |
Characins and other characiformes
| Tetras |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black phantom tetra | Hyphessobrycon megalopterus |  | 3.6 cm (1.4 in)[12] | the black phantom tetra enjoy being in groups of 6 or more and a slightly shaded tank. Males may claim small territories and occasionally minor battles may occur. The Phantom tetra goes well with other tetras of similar size. They also prefer floating plants. | ||
| Black neon tetra | Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi |  | 3.2 cm (1.3 in)[13] | This fish is similar to the neon tetra other than coloration. | ||
| Black tetra, skirt tetra | Gymnocorymbus ternetzi |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | A highly spirited fish that may occasionally chase its own species as well as harass slow moving fish with long fins. This fish is very hardy and can stand a variety of water qualities. Disease is not a big problem with the black tetra. The black tetra is also known as the black skirt tetra. The female black tetra is more robust and larger than the male. | ||
| Bleeding heart tetra | Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma |  | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | The bleeding heart tetra is distinguished by the small red spot on both sides of the fish. This fish is very prone to diseases, and can grow larger than most tetra species. | ||
| Bloodfin tetra | Aphyocharax anisitsi |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | The bloodfin tetra is distinguished by its red fins. This fish is generally peaceful. It will school with similarly sized and tempered fish. | ||
| Blue tetra | Knodus borki |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | A very active species. In spite of its small size, it requires a larger tank (30"/29 gal or more) | ||
| Bucktooth tetra | Exodon paradoxus | .jpg.webp) | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Exodon paradoxus will eat smaller fish and harass larger fish, lepidophage (scale eater). | ||
| Buenos Aires tetra | Hyphessobrycon anisitsi |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | Hyphessobrycon anisitsi has some reputation as a "fin nipper" but this trend may vary among individual fish. | ||
| Cardinal tetra | Paracheirodon axelrodi |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Generally hardy and peaceful. Will breed in captivity. Prefers low light and somewhat higher temperatures than the neon tetra. A schooling species (keep in groups of 8-10) | ||
| Cave tetra, blind tetra | Astyanax mexicanus |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | The cave tetra is the blind cave form of the Mexican tetra. The blind cave tetra is easy to care for and is hardy. The fish is born with eyes, but they quickly deteriorate leaving behind two scars where the eyes once were. The blind tetra needs to be in a shoal in order to show peaceful behavior, and to prevent fin nipping. Despite their lack of eyes, the blind cave tetra can easily avoid other fish and obstacles in the tank. This tetra prefers low to moderate lighting. | ||
| Diamond tetra | Moenkhausia pittieri |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) | Generally hardy and peaceful. Adults of both sexes develop spectacular reflective scales. Sexually dimorphic; males larger, with expanded dorsal fin. | ||
| Ember tetra | Hyphessobrycon amandae |  | 2 cm (0.79 in) | A standard choice for "nano" tanks due to small adult size. Will not thrive with larger fish. A schooling species (keep in groups). | ||
| Emperor tetra | Nematobrycon palmeri |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | An active, shoaling species; keep in groups, but may be aggressive with members of the same species in smaller (under 40 gal) tanks. | ||
| Flame tetra | Hyphessobrycon flammeus |  | 2.5 cm (0.98 in) | |||
| Garnet tetra, pretty tetra | Hemigrammus pulcher |  | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | |||
| Glass bloodfin tetra | Prionobrama filigera |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) | |||
| Glowlight tetra | Hemigrammus erythrozonus |  | 3.75 cm (1.48 in) | Generally hardy and peaceful; considered a standard choice for less experienced aquarists. | ||
| Golden pristella tetra | Pristella maxillaris |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||
| Green neon tetra | Paracheirodon simulans |  | 2.5 cm (0.98 in) | Similar to neon tetra in care, size, and behavior but fish sold in pet stores are wild-caught. Does not usually breed in captivity. Needs good water quality, prefers low light. A schooling species (keep in groups). | ||
| Head and tail light tetra | Hemigrammus ocellifer |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||
| January tetra | Hemigrammus hyanuary |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||
| Lemon tetra | Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Very likely to jump out of the tank unless there are some floating aquatic plants | ||
| Neon tetra | Paracheirodon innesi |  | 3.75 cm (1.48 in) | The neon tetra is sensitive towards water quality. Bred in captivity but often badly inbred, making them less hardy and susceptible to diseases. However, the fish is very peaceful and will not attack another member of the tank. Females are larger than males. Due to their small size, the neon tetra should not be kept with large or aggressive fish. The neon tetra is a schooling fish that feels most comfortable when in groups. | ||
| Ornate tetra | Hyphessobrycon bentosi |  | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | |||
| Penguin tetra, blackline penguinfish | Thayeria boehlkei |  | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | |||
| Red Eye tetra | Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||
| Red phantom tetra | Hyphessobrycon sweglesi |  | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | |||
| Rosy tetra | Hyphessobrycon rosaceus |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||
| Royal tetra | Inpaichthys kerri |  | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | |||
| Rummy-nose tetra | Hemigrammus rhodostomus |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | This common name is used for three different species of schooling fish with similar patterns: Hemigrammus rhodostomus, Hemigrammus bleheri, and Petitella georgiae. | ||
| Splash tetra | Copella arnoldi |  | 5.5 cm (2.2 in) | Active, sensitive to water quality, prefers moving water. Lives near top of tank. Breeding pairs leap to deposit eggs on overhanging leaves; may jump out of uncovered tanks. A schooling species. | ||
| Serpae tetra | Hyphessobrycon serpae |  | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | This fish may nip the fins of slow-moving fish or fish smaller than it. It is best put with other large tetras or with fish of similar size or larger. | ||
| Silvertip tetra | Hasemania nana |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | Silvertip tetras tend to be moderately aggressive and, because of their small size, should not be kept with large or aggressive fish. | ||
| X-ray tetra | Pristella maxillaris |  | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | Also just called the X-ray fish. | ||
| Congo tetra | Phenacogrammus interruptus | .jpg.webp) | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | Sufficiently peaceful for larger (40 gal+) home aquariums, though it may bite fishes smaller than its size. It is more comfortable in indirect light. Over-head lighting is preferred and under no circumstances should light be directed at the front or rear glass. | ||
| Jellybean tetra | Ladigesia roloffi |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | Smaller even than the neon tetra. This mid west African schooling species is a favoured species for the nano-aquarium. | ||
| Long-fin tetra | Brycinus longipinnis |  | 12.5 cm (4.9 in) | |||
| Niger tetra | Arnoldichthys spilopterus |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Yellow-tailed Congo tetra | Alestopetersius caudalis |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) |
| Hatchetfish |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common hatchetfish | Gasteropelecus sternicla |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||
| Marbled hatchetfish | Carnegiella strigata |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Peaceful and dwells at the top of the tank in schools. Rarely breeds in captivity. This powerful leaper can easily jump out of an aquarium, so keep only in a fully covered tank. | ||
| Black-winged hatchetfish | Carnegiella marthae |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | Peaceful and dwells at the top of the tank in schools. The most hardy of all the hatchetfish, but not the most plentiful. Does not breed in captivity. This powerful leaper can easily jump out of an aquarium, so keep only in a fully covered tank. |
| Pencil fishes |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden pencilfish | Nannostomus beckfordi |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) | Hardiest, easiest-care species of aquarium pencilfish. Populations vary in color and pattern. Like all pencilfish, it is timid, eats small foods, enjoys live/frozen foods, can be bred in captivity, and cannot compete with aggressive fish. Like all pencilfish, males may be aggressive with each other if the tank or the group of pencilfish is too small. | ||
| Hockeystick pencilfish | Nannostomus eques |  | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | Naturally swims and rests at a 45-degree angle. | ||
| Barred pencilfish | Nannostomus espei |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | Other pencilfish adopt this barred pattern while inactive at night; only N. espei has it at all times. | ||
| Dwarf pencilfish | Nannostomus marginatus |  | 2.5 cm (0.98 in) | Less aggressive with members of its own species than most pencilfish; males rarely spar. | ||
| Coral-red pencilfish | Nannostomus mortenthaleri |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | More aggressive with members of its own species than most pencilfish. Keep in larger groups in larger tanks to diffuse aggression. | ||
| Nannostomus nigrotaeniatus |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | ||||
| Three-lined pencilfish | Nannostomus trifasciatus |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | Males defend small territories. Otherwise a peaceful species. | ||
| One-lined Pencilfish | Nannostomus unifasciatus |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | Naturally swims and rests at a 45-degree angle. |
| Serrasalminae (pacus, piranhas, and silver dollars) |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver dollar | Metynnis argenteus |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | The name "silver dollar" may also refer to Metynnis hypsauchen, Metynnis maculatus, or other related fishes. It will chew and eat plants. | ||
| Red-bellied pacu | Colossoma bidens |  | 120 cm (3.9 ft) | The red-bellied pacu is a close relative of the piranhas, but without the sharp teeth and the aggression. However, care should be taken if interacting physically with the pacu, as their powerful jaws can crush human bone. The pacu is a peaceful fish that requires at least a 750-liter (200-gallon) tank when fully mature. It is omnivorous and can be put with large cichlids, but avoid smaller fish. Despite their similar appearance to piranhas, the pacu is not suited to eat meat very well, as their natural diets of nuts suggest. This fish can grow to 1.2 m (3.9 ft), so need a very large tank (750 l or 200 gal minimum). This fish grows very fast, and can grow as much as one foot in the first year. | 78–82 °F (26–28 °C) | |
| Red piranha | Pygocentrus nattereri | .jpg.webp) | 33 cm (13 in) | Be very careful when conducting maintenance on their aquarium and hide any wires because they may chew through the waterproof coverings. | ||
| Disk tetra | Myleus schomburgkii |  | 40 cm (16 in) | 23 °C to 27 °C | 5.0–7.0 |
| Other Characins |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African pike characin | Hepsetus odoe |  | ||||
| Goliath tigerfish | Hydrocynus goliath |  | 133 cm (52 in) | |||
| Hujeta gar | Ctenolucius hujeta |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | |||
| Kissing prochilodus, flagtail Prochilodus | Semaprochilodus insignis |  | 27.5 cm (10.8 in) | |||
| Marbled headstander | Abramites hypselonotus |  | 14 cm (5.5 in)[14] | Keep either one headstander or a group of seven or more as they will fight amongst themselves in small groups. | ||
| Banded leporinus | Leporinus fasciatus | _(7124562451).jpg.webp) | 27 cm (11 in) | |||
| Striped headstander | Anostomus anostomus |  | 16 cm (6.3 in) | |||
| Six-banded distichodus | Distichodus sexfasciatus |  | 75 cm (30 in) | |||
| Payara | Hydrolycus scomberoides |  | 117 cm (46 in) | Need a large aquarium and are entirely carnivorous and most fish shouldn't be kept with them, including the related piranha because it may eat piranhas. | ||
| Pink-tail chalceus | Chalceus macrolepidotus |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | |||
| Red wolf fish | Erythrinus erythrinus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Red tail barracuda | Acestrorhynchus falcatus |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Spotted headstander | Chilodus punctatus |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | |||
Cichlids
| Lake Malawi cichlids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Image | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine peacock cichlid | Aulonocara baenschi |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | Beautiful coloration on males | ||
| Pale usisya aulonocara | Aulonocara steveni |  | ||||
| Red fin hap | Copadichromis borleyi |  | ||||
| Eureka red peacock | Aulonocara jacobfreibergi |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | Beautiful coloration on males | ||
| Spilo | Champsochromis spilorhynchus | 40 cm (16 in) | ||||
| Blue dolphin cichlid, lumphead cichlid | Cyrtocara moorii |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | |||
| Afra cichlid, dogtooth cichild | Cynotilapia afra |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Rusty cichlid, lavender cichild | Iodotropheus sprengerae |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Fuelleborn's cichlid, Blue mbuna | Labeotropheus fuelleborni |  | 18 cm (7.1 in) | |||
| Electric yellow cichlid | Labidochromis caeruleus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | Very active fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories, less aggressive than other mbuna | ||
| Electric blue cichlid | Sciaenochromis fryeri |  | ||||
| Malawi eyebiter | Dimidiochromis compressiceps |  | ||||
| Hongi, Red-top kimpumpa | Labidochromis sp. "Hongi" |  | 13 cm (5.1 in) | |||
| Yellow Top Mbamba | Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba Bay" | 13 cm (5.1 in) | ||||
| Auratus cichlid, Malawi golden cichlid | Melanochromis auratus | .jpg.webp) | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Aggressive | ||
| Chipokee cichlid | Melanochromis chipokae | 12 cm (4.7 in) | Aggressive | |||
| Blue johanni cichlid, Maingano | Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Very active fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories. Aggressive | ||
| Pearl of Likoma | Melanochromis joanjohnsonae |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Aurora | Melanochromis aurora | 10 cm (3.9 in) | ||||
| Red zebra cichlid | Metriaclima estherae |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Very active fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories | ||
| Cobalt blue cichlid, cobalt zebra cichlid | Maylandia callainos |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Very active fish, need many rock caves to allow establishment of territories | ||
| Kenyi cichlid | Maylandia lombardoi |  | 13 cm (5.1 in) | Aggressive; sexually dichromatic | ||
| Fusco | Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | |||
| Livingston's cichlid | Nimbochromis livingstonii |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | |||
| Kaligono | Nimbochromis polystigma |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Venustus cichlid, giraffe cichild | Nimbochromis venustus |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | 'giraffe' spotting is juvenile coloration only | ||
| Red empress cichlid | Protomelas taeniolatus |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Bumblebee cichlid, hornet cichlid | Pseudotropheus crabro |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Yellow-tail acei | Pseudotropheus acei |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Johanni cichlid | Pseudotropheus johannii |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Aggressive | ||
| Dwarf Mbuna | Pseudotropheus demasoni |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Saulosi | Pseudotropheus saulosi |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | |||
| Malawi barracuda | Rhampsochromis cf. macrophthalmus | 23 cm (9.1 in) | ||||
| Tyrannochromis macrostoma | 38 cm (15 in) |
| Lake Tanganyika cichlids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benthochromis tricoti |  | |||||
| Boulengerochromis microlepis |  | 90 cm (35 in) | The largest cichlid | |||
| Frontosa cichild | Cyphotilapia frontosa |  | 40 cm (16 in) | Aggressive; well-known | ||
| Cyathopharynx furcifer |  | Not readily available in the aquarium trade. | ||||
| Variabilichromis moorii |  | |||||
| Frontosa cichild | Cyphotilapia gibberosa |  | 40 cm (16 in) | The frontosa have recently been broken up into three separate species. The gibberosa come from the southern part of the Lake | ||
| Frontosa cichild | Cyphotilapia sp. "North" | 40 cm (16 in) | This yet to be officially named species is intermediate in scale count between gibberosa and frontosa. | |||
| Julie cichlid | Julidochromis dickfeldi |  | Beautiful; interesting | |||
| Masked Julie | Julidochromis marlieri |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) fem / 10 cm (3.9 in) male | Striking coloration | ||
| Julie cichlid | Julidochromis ornatus | |||||
| Julie cichlid | Julidochromis regani |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) fem / 10 cm (3.9 in) male | |||
| Julie cichlid | Julidochromis transcriptus |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Striking coloration | ||
| Herring cichlid, sardine cichlid | Cyprichromis leptosoma |  | ||||
| Ectodus descampsii |  | |||||
| Chalinochromis spp. |  | |||||
| Neolamprologus multifasciatus |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | A small shell-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. Distinguished from the similar L. similis by the lack of striping on the face. One of the best choices for first-time cichlid keepers and smaller aquaria. | |||
| Lamprologus ocellatus |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | ||||
| Neolamprologus similis |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | A small shell-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. Very similar to N. multifsciatus but similis has striping from the body continue to the head | |||
| Lobochilotes labiatus | %252C_Lobochilotes_labiatus_(bottom)_-_Royal_Museum_for_Central_Africa_-_DSC06856.JPG.webp) | 40 cm (16 in) | ||||
| Lyretail cichlid, fairy cichlid | Neolamprologus brichardi |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Often recommended for first-time cichlid keepers. Needs somewhat more space than N. multifasciatus | ||
| Lemon cichlid | Neolamprologus leleupi |  | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | |||
| Featherfin | Ophthalmotilapia ventralis | 15 cm (5.9 in) | ||||
| Petrochromis trewavasae | 20 cm (7.9 in) | Aggressive | ||||
| Simochromis pleurospilus | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||||
| Tropheus duboisi |  | 13 cm (5.1 in) | Males very aggressive; juveniles distinctively colored | |||
| Tropheus moorii |  | 14 cm (5.5 in) | ||||
| Tropheus polli |  | 14 cm (5.5 in) |
| Lake Victoria cichlids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astatotilapia aenocolor | 13 cm (5.1 in) | |||||
| Astatotilapia elegans | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||||
| Zebra obliquidens | Astatotilapia latifasciata | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | ||||
| Astatotilapia nubila | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | |||||
| Astatotilapia piceatus | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||||
| Astatotilapia schubotziellus | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||||
| Astatotilapia sp. "Red Tail" | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | |||||
| Astatotilapia sp. "Spot Bar" | 13 cm (5.1 in) | |||||
| Allauad's haplo | Astatoreochromis alluaudi |  | ||||
| Hippo Point Salmon | Ptyochromis sp. "Hippo Point Salmon" | 14 cm (5.5 in) | ||||
| Flameback | Pundamilia nyererei | _nyererei_male.jpg.webp) | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Xystichromis phytophagus | 10 cm (3.9 in) |
| Miscellaneous African cichlids (non-Rift Lake) |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| African butterfly cichlid | Anomalochromis thomasi |  | ||||
| Jewel cichlid, two-spotted jewel cichlid | Hemichromis bimaculatus |  | 4-5 inch | other hemichromis species are sometimes sold under the same name | ||
| Lionhead cichlid | Steatocranus casuarius |  | ||||
| Lifalili jewel cichlid, blood-red jewel cichlid | Hemichromis lifalili |  | ||||
| Kribensis, krib | Pelvicachromis pulcher | .jpg.webp) | Readily breed in small aquaria. Often recommended for smaller tanks and first-time cichlid keepers. Aggressive and territorial towards other fishes especially its own kind during mating and after spawning | |||
| Kribensis, krib, many common names because of many subspecies | Pelvicachromis taeniatus |  |
||||
| Guenther's Mouthbrooder | Chromidotilapia guentheri |  |
| Dwarf cichlids (apistogrammas, rams and others) |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agassiz's dwarf cichlid | Apistogramma agassizii |  | ||||
| Zebra acara | Nannacara adoketa |  | This genus (often represented by N. anomala, the golden dwarf cichlid) is often recommended as one of the best cichlids for new cichlid keepers and smaller aquaria. | |||
| Yellow dwarf cichlid | Apistogramma borellii |  | ||||
| Cockatoo dwarf cichlid | Apistogramma cacatuoides |  | ||||
| Panda dwarf cichlid | Apistogramma nijsseni | .jpg.webp) | ||||
| Three-Stripe Dwarf Cichlid | Apistogramma trifasciata | |||||
| Apistogramma eremnopyge | ||||||
| Two-Stripe Dwarf Cichlid | Apistogramma bitaeniata |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | |||
| Checkerboard Cichlid | Dicrossus filamentosus |  | ||||
| Blue ram, German ram | Mikrogeophagus ramirezi |  | Fairly common. Sensitive to water quality. Several color morphs available. Has been highly inbred in the aquarium trade and often shows poor hardiness. | |||
| Bolivian ram | Mikrogeophagus altispinosa | .jpg.webp) | ||||
| Dwarf flag cichlid | Laetacara curviceps |  |
| Central American cichlids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midas cichild, red devil cichlid | Amphilophus citrinellus |  | Note that Amphilophus labiatus is also called red devil cichlid | |||
| Poor man's tropheus | Hypsophrys nematopus |  | ||||
| Red devil cichlid | Amphilophus labiatus |  | Note that Amphilophus citrinellus is also called red devil cichlid | |||
| Firemouth cichlid | Cichlasoma meeki |  | Typically medium aggression; easily bred | |||
| Jack Dempsey cichlid | Rocio octofasciata |  | ||||
| Jaguar cichlid, managuense cichlid | Parachromis managuensis |  | Exceptionally beautiful adult coloration; large adult size | |||
| Mayan cichlid | Mayaheros urophthalmus |  | ||||
| Convict cichlid | Archocentrus nigrofasciatus |  | Common, very easy to breed, aggressive. A beautiful fish with bad temper. Small variations in colors, can be found in almost completely black and white coloration - therefore the name "Convict" | |||
| T-bar cichlid | Amatitlania sajica | align="center" | ||||
| Wolf cichlid | Parachromis dovii |  | ||||
| Texas cichlid, Rio Grande cichlid | Herichthys cyanoguttatus | .jpg.webp) | Large adult size |
| South American cichlids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severum | Heros efasciatus |  | Y | the gold variety is more common than the natural green one | ||
| Green terror | Andinoacara rivulatus |  | Fairly common | |||
| Blue acara | Andinoacara pulcher |  | H | |||
| Greenstreaked Eartheater, cupid cichlid | Biotodoma cupido |  | ||||
| Keyhole cichlid | Cleithracara maronii |  | ||||
| Flag cichlid | Mesonauta festivus |  | ||||
 | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||||
| Thread-finned acara | Acarichthys heckelii |  | ||||
 | ||||||
| Pterophyllum leopoldi |  | |||||
| Eartheater cichlid | Geophagus altifrons |  | ||||
| Common discus, red discus | Symphysodon discus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | various color varieties, the discus requires high water quality and a varied diet. Do not keep with fast fish as the discus is a slow eater and will not fight for food. Despite their beauty, the discus is one of the least hardy aquarium fishes available. This fish should only be kept by the experienced aquarium keeper. | ||
| Blue discus, green discus | Symphysodon aequifasciatus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | fancy hybrids of this species and Symphysodon discus can also be found in trade | ||
| Chocolate cichlid | Hypselecara temporalis |  | ||||
| Oscar | Astronotus ocellatus | .jpg.webp) | 45 cm (18 in) | has different varieties including long-fin, albino, golden, etc. The oscar cichlid is fast growing and can grow to a very large size when mature, and therefore should be housed in a large aquarium. The oscar can be messy to look after as they love to dig up plants and scoop up rocks. The oscar should be put with fish of similar size as they will eat any fish that can fit in their mouth. The oscar prefers to be with members of its own species, but this is not a necessity for its well being. The oscar is one of the more hardy cichlids, and can be put with other large cichlids, pacus, large plecos, large sharks, and other large fish. | ||
| Uaru, waroo | Uaru amphiacanthoides |  | Also known as the Triangle Ciclid. | |||
| Peacock bass, butterfly peacock bass | Cichla orinocensis |  |
| Other cichlids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canara pearlspot | Etroplus canarensis | |||||
| Green chromide | Etroplus suratensis |  | ||||
| Orange chromide | Etroplus maculatus |  | ||||
| Pinstripe damba | Paretroplus menarambo |  | ||||
| Blood parrot cichlid | - Hybrid - |  | In the scientific community it is not considered a cichlid (or any species of fish) because it does not occur naturally in the wild (created by man), for this reason it will not be given a scientific name. | |||
| Flowerhorn cichlid | - Hybrid - |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | In the scientific community it is not considered a cichlid (or any species of fish) because it does not occur naturally in the wild (created by man), for this reason it will not be given a scientific name. This is also an aggressive fish and does best in a species-only setup. | ||
Cyprinids
| Barbs |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arulius barb | Dawkinsia arulius | 12 cm (4.7 in) | ||||
| Bigspot barb, Duncker's barb | Barbodes dunckeri | 13 cm (5.1 in) | Peaceful when small but should not be kept with other species at adulthood. | |||
| Black ruby barb | Pethia nigrofasciatus |  | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | |||
| Cherry barb | Puntius titteya |  | 4.8 cm (1.9 in) | very peaceful and hardy, and works well with white clouds and neon tetras. Long-finned and extra red morphs are available. Wild type females are larger and much less red than males. | ||
| Clipper barb | Enteromius callipterus | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | ||||
| Clown barb | Barbodes everetti |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Denison's barb, red line torpedo barb | Sahyadria denisonii |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | Sensitive to water quality. | ||
| Gold barb | Barbodes semifasciolatus |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | One of the most common fish for new aquarists. Very hardy, breeds in captivity, tolerates small tanks. The wild type of this species is greenish-gray and rarely seen for sale. | ||
| Golden barb | Pethia gelius | 5 cm (2.0 in) | ||||
| Greenstripe barb | Puntius vittatus | 5 cm (2.0 in) | ||||
| Indian Glass Barb | Laubuka laubuca | 6.7 cm (2.6 in) | ||||
| Melon barb | Puntius fasciatus | 15 cm (5.9 in) | ||||
| Odessa barb | Puntius padamya |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | Bright red coloration on males; females are slightly larger and show less red. Hardy and tolerant. Like most barbs, needs a diet with some vegetable food or algae. | ||
| Onespot barb | Puntius terio | 15 cm (5.9 in) | ||||
| Panda barb | Puntius fasciatus |  | 5 inches | |||
| Pool barb | Puntius sophore |  | 18 cm (7.1 in) | |||
| Partipentazona barb | Puntigrus partipentazona |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | |||
| Rosy barb | Pethia conchonius |  | 13 cm (5.1 in) | Similar to odessa barb but requires somewhat more space. A "neon" form is available; both males and females are bright red. | ||
| Shortfin barb | Barbus brevipinnis | 4.6 cm (1.8 in) | ||||
| Snakeskin barb | Desmopuntius rhomboocellatus |  | 3.5 inches | |||
| Spottedsail barb, dwarf barb | Pethia phutunio | 7.8 cm (3.1 in) | ||||
| Swamp barb | Puntius chola |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Ticto barb | Barbus ticto | 10 cm (3.9 in) | ||||
| Tic-tac-toe barb | Puntius stoliczkanus |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||
| Tiger barb, sumatra barb | Puntius tetrazona |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | There are many varieties as well as hybrids with other barbs. Good community schooling fish. Can be aggressive if kept in small numbers, aim for a group of 6 or more. | ||
| Spanner barb, t-barb | Barbodes lateristriga |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Fiveband barb, pentazona barb | Desmopuntius hexazona |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | this species may be confused with tiger barb due to similarities | ||
| Checker barb | Oliotius oligolepis |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||
| Tinfoil barb | Barbonymus schwanenfeldii |  | 36 cm (14 in) | This species is much larger than most other barbs |
| Other cyprinids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bala shark | Balantiocheilus melanopterus |  | 40 cm (16 in) | |||
| Black shark | Labeo chrysophekadion | _(8683050709).jpg.webp) | 90 cm (35 in) | |||
| Siamese algae eater | Crossocheilus oblongus |  | 16 cm (6.3 in) | Many other cyprinids are sometimes mistakenly sold under this name. Very likely to jump out of the aquarium especially after reaching adult size. Very useful for getting rid of algae when it is young but prefer fish food upon reaching adulthood. | ||
| Flying fox (fish) | Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus |  | 16 cm (6.3 in) | this species may be sold as Siamese algae eater | ||
| Red-tailed black shark | Epalzeorhynchos bicolor |  | 6 in | albino variation available. aggressive with fish of same species. best kept alone or in groups of 5 or more. | ||
| Rainbow shark | Epalzeorhynchos frenatum |  | 6 in | albino variation available. aggressive with other fish of same species. best kept either alone, or in groups of 5 or more individuals. | ||
| Cambodian log sucker, false Siamese algae eater | Garra cambodgiensis |  | this species may be sold as Siamese algae eater | |||
| Chinese algae eater | Gyrinocheilus aymonieri |  | This species may be sold as Siamese algae eater. A gold colored form also exists. Could be territorial |
| Rasboras |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espei rasbora | Trigonostigma espei | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||||
| Harlequin rasbora | Trigonostigma heteromorpha |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Also known as Harlequin tetra or Harlequin barb. | |||
| Glowlight rasbora | Trigonostigma hengeli |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||
| Red-striped rasbora | Trigonopoma pauciperforata |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | Range: Sumatra | 22–29 °C (72–84 °F) | ||
| Dwarf rasbora | Boraras maculatus |  | 2.5 cm (0.98 in) | ||||
| Eyespot rasbora | Brevibora dorsiocellata |  | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | ||||
| Brilliant rasbora | Rasbora einthovenii |  | 9 cm (3.5 in) | ||||
| Clown rasbora | Rasbora kalochroma |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | ||||
| Scissortail rasbora | Rasbora trilineata |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | ||||
| Volcano rasbora | Rasbora vulcanus |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | ||||
| Blackline rasbora, red-tailed rasbora | Rasbora borapetensis |  |
| Danios and other danionins |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundadanio axelrodi |  | 2 cm (0.79 in) | ||||
| Pearl danio | Danio albolineatus |  | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | subspecies:blue-redstripe danio, Kedah danio | ||
| Bengal danio, Sind danio | Devario devario | |||||
| Giant danio | Devario aequipinnatus |  | ||||
| Malabar danio | Devario malabaricus |  | 11.5–14 cm (4.5–5.5 in) | |||
| Queen danio | Devario regina | |||||
| Spotted danio | Danio nigrofasciatus |  | ||||
| Turquoise danio | Danio kerri |  | ||||
| Zebra danio | Danio rerio |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | there are many variations of this fish: leopard danio, the spotted colour morph, and GloFish, the genetically modified fluorescent fish. |
| Cold-water cyprinids |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfish | Carassius auratus |  | 15+ cm (6+ in) | variations: Black Moor, Bubble Eye, Butterfly Tail, Calico, Celestial Eye, Comet, Common, Fantail, Lionchu, Lionhead, Oranda, Panda Moor, Pearlscale, Pompom, Ranchu, Ryukin, Shubunkin, Telescope eye, Veiltail. All need a large tank or pond. Cannot survive in "goldfish bowls." | ||
| Koi, common carp | Cyprinus carpio | .jpg.webp) | 30+ cm (12+ in) | the fancy variations of common carp are known as koi. | ||
| Bitterling | Rhodeus amarus |  | 10 cm (4 in) | |||
| White Cloud Mountain minnow | Tanichthys albonubes |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | lutino variety can also be found in the aquarium trade | ||
| Red shiner | Cyprinella lutrensis |  | 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) | |||
| Common dace | Leuciscus leuciscus |  | 40 cm (16 in) | 39 to 72 °F (4 to 22 °C) | 6.0 to 8.0 | |
| Rosy red minnow, fathead minnow | Pimephales promelas |  | 5–7.5 cm (2.0–3.0 in) | sold as feeder fish; the gold variety known as "rosy red" is very common (the image is of the "rosy red" strain) | 10–21 °C (50–70 °F) | 7.0 - 7.5 |
| Rainbow shiner | Notropis chrosomus |  | ||||
| European minnow | Phoxinus phoxinus |  | ||||
| Southern redbelly dace | Phoxinus erythrogaster |  | 7.5–10 cm (3.0–3.9 in) | |||
| Tench | Tinca tinca |  | A few color varieties have been made from the wild species, even some multicolored. | |||
| Golden orfe | Leuciscus idus |  | ||||
| Chinese high fin banded shark | Myxocyprinus asiaticus |  | 60 cm (24 in) | |||
Loaches and related cypriniformes
| Loaches |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle-back Loach | Homaloptera orthogoniata | 13 cm (5.1 in) | ||||
| Fork-tailed loach | Vaillantella maassi | 12.5 cm (4.9 in) | Rarely sold and not bred in captivity. | |||
| Horseface loach | Acantopsis dialuzona |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | May bury itself; keep on sand substrate. | ||
| Pangio anguillaris | 12 cm (4.7 in) | |||||
| Kuhli loach, coolie loach | Pangio kuhlii |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | a number of similar Pangio species are sold under the same name. All are hardy, peaceful, and highly social; keep in groups. | ||
| Java loach | Pangio oblonga |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | |||
| Clown loach | Chromobotia macracanthus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | Clown loach has a sociable personality and should be kept in at least groups of 5. They may eat pond snails kept in aquariums. Clown loaches will eventually need a 6' long aquarium | ||
| Green tiger loach | Syncrossus hymenophysa | 21 cm (8.3 in) | ||||
| Banded tiger loach | Syncrossus helodes |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Redfin tiger loach | Syncrossus berdmorei |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Dwarf botia | Ambastaia sidthimunki |  | 5.5 cm (2.2 in) | formerly named Botia sidthimunki. An active and peaceful social species (keep in groups) that often swims in mid-water. | ||
| Yoyo loach | Botia almorhae |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Bengal loach | Botia dario |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | Also known as the Queen loach. They hide during the day. They like river sand in the tank because they like to cover themselves in it. | ||
| Botia histrionica |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | ||||
| Polka-Dot Loach | Botia kubotai |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | |||
| Gangetic loach | Botia rostrata | 25 cm (9.8 in) | ||||
| Zebra loach | Botia striata |  | 9 cm (3.5 in) | |||
| Redtail loach | Yasuhikotakia modesta |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | |||
| Skunk loach | Yasuhikotakia morleti |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | formerly named Botia morleti | ||
| Yasuhikotakia splendida | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||||
| Borneo hillstream loach | Gastromyzon sp. |  | 6–8 cm (2.4–3.1 in) | Eats mainly algae. High oxygen level and water quality required in addition to a strong current | ||
| Tiger hillstream loach | Sewellia lineolata |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) | Eats mainly algae. High oxygen level and water quality required in addition to a strong current | ||
| Butterfly hillstream loach | Beaufortia kweichowensis |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | Eats mainly algae. High oxygen level and water quality required in addition to a strong current | ||
Live-bearers and killifish
| Guppies and mollies |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guppy | Poecilia reticulata |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Many color and tail pattern varieties exist. They generally need a ratio of 1 male to 2 females or more. All guppies and mollies are hardy fish that tolerate lower oxygen levels and temperatures than most aquarium fish, give birth to live young, and readily breed in home tanks. | ||
| Endler's livebearer | Poecilia wingei |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | Several color varieties have been bred. Will crossbreed with P. reticulata and the wild type has become rare. | ||
| Black molly | Poecilia sphenops |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||
| Sailfin molly | Poecilia latipinna |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Gold and silver varieties commonly found; also thrive in brackish water | ||
| Dalmatian molly | hybrid |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | The dalmatian molly is a hybrid color variation that can be generated by crossing some species of Poecilia, like P. sphenops and P. latipinna. The variety "Dalmatian" is spotted alike to a Dalmatian dog. | ||
| Lyretail Molly | Variety |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Lyretail Mollies are available in all of these species, can be cross bred with any species of Molly. |
| Platies and swordtails |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern platy | Xiphophorus maculatus |  | Many color varieties exist | |||
| Variable platy | Xiphophorus variatus |  | Sometimes called Feeder platy because can be used to feed larger fish like Stingrays, Payara, Cichlids, Pickerel, Catfish, Sunfish, Arowanas, Gar, Arapaima, and other predator fish. Many color varieties exist | |||
| Green swordtail | Xiphophorus hellerii |  | Many color varieties exist | |||
| Other Livebearers, like Gambusia |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largescale four-eyed fish | Anableps anableps |  | ||||
| Pike topminnow | Belonesox belizanus |  | ||||
| Cuban lima | Limia vittata |  | ||||
| Knife livebearer | Alfaro cultratus |  | ||||
| Least killifish | Heterandria formosa | .jpg.webp) | Not as common as other livebearers in the aquarium trade. One of the smallest fish in the world. | |||
| Tanganyika killifish | Lamprichthys tanganicanus |  | Not actually a type of killifish but a livebearer. | |||
| Norman's lampeye | Poropanchax normani |  | Not actually a type of killifish but a livebearer. | |||
| Celebes halfbeak | Nomorhamphus liemi | -2.JPG.webp) | 8 cm (3.1 in) | All halfbeaks are sensitive to changes in water quality or temperature, swim at the water surface, do not compete well with larger fish, and may jump out of uncovered tanks. Difficult to breed in captivity, most halfbeaks sold are wild-caught. | ||
| Wrestling halfbeak | Dermogenys pusilla |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Used in its native Southeast Asia as a fighting fish; males spar with their elongated lower jaws but rarely harm each other. | ||
| Forest halfbeak | Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | |||
| Killifish |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lyretail | Fundulopanchax gardneri |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Killifish of all species breed in captivity but are short-lived by nature; many species live for 1 year and breeding may be triggered by changes in water or temperature. They are best kept and bred in killifish-only aquaria. | ||
| Clown Killifish | Epiplatys annulatus |  | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | |||
| Bluefin Notho, Rachow's Notho, Rainbow Notho | Nothobranchius rachovii |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) | Considered most beautiful freshwater fish by some killifish enthusiasts. | ||
| Striped panchax, Golden Wonder | Aplocheilus lineatus |  | Golden Wonder is the more yellowish variant. | |||
| American Flagfish | Jordanella floridae |  | Native to SE United States | |||
| Argentine Pearl | Austrolebias nigripinnis |  | ||||
| Golden Toppminnow | Fundulus chrysotus |  | ||||
| Northern Studfish | Fundulus catenatus |  | ||||
| Red-seam Killifish | Aphyosemion calliurum | |||||
| Arabian Killifish | Aphanius dispar | |||||
Labyrinth fish
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwarf gourami | Trichogaster lalius |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | Suitable for small to mid-sized aquariums but cannot compete with more aggressive fish and males kept together may fight. Several color varieties available. Massive inbreeding has led to high rates of Dwarf gourami iridovirus (DGIV) in pet store fish.[15] Beautiful but short-lived at best. | ||
| Paradise fish | Macropodus opercularis |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | One of the few freshwater aquarium fish that survive in cold water. Can live without aeration. Most common variety is the Blue Paradise. | ||
| Pygmy gourami, Sparkling gourami | Trichopsis pumila |  | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | Often confused with the croaking gourami. Does not compete well with larger fish. Hunts and eats small shrimp. | ||
| Moonlight gourami | Trichopodus microlepis |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Snakeskin gourami | Trichopodus pectoralis |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Siamese fighting fish (sometimes Betta, esp. US) | Betta splendens |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | Numerous color and fin pattern varieties. Betta is the name of the genus that includes more than 60 species other than the Siamese fighting fish. Multiple males in a tank will result in conflicts and possibly death. Females can be housed together in groups of 5+ in a tank, though they may become territorial and attack each other. Males have long flowing fins with vibrant colors, and females have shorter fins. This fish is best put with fish that do not nip fins, as the fins of the betta are easy to attack. They should also not be housed with other fish with long, flowing fins as the Betta may confuse it with another male, and attack. Minimum tank size for one male or female and maybe a few shrimp or snails is 5 gallons. Minimum tank size for a female betta sorority is 20 gallons. | ||
| Malay combtail | Belontia hasselti |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Slender betta | Betta bellica | 9 cm (3.5 in) | ||||
| Betta burdigala | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | |||||
| Scarlet betta | Betta coccina |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | |||
| Crescent betta | Betta imbellis | _20100512_2.jpg.webp) | 6 cm (2.4 in) | |||
| Betta miniopinna | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | |||||
| Toba betta | Betta rubra | 4 cm (1.6 in) | ||||
| Betta simorum |  | 9 cm (3.5 in) | ||||
| Giant Pikehead | Luciocephalus pulcher | .jpg.webp) | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Parosphromenus phoenicurus |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | ||||
| Chocolate gourami | Sphaerichthys osphromenoides |  | 7 cm (2.8 in) | |||
| Pearl gourami | Trichopodus leerii |  | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) | |||
| Three spot gourami | Trichopodus trichopterus | _2.jpg.webp) | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Various color varieties each given a different name (blue gourami, gold gourami, and opaline gourami) | ||
| Croaking gourami | Trichopsis vittata |  | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | Often confused with the pygmy gourami, but larger. May hunt and eat aquarium shrimp. | ||
| Giant gourami | Osphronemus goramy |  | 60 cm (24 in) | Occasionally, some other gouramis are also referred to as "giant gouramis" | ||
| Other labyrinth fishes |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kissing gourami | Helostoma temminckii |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | The pink variety is more popular than the natural green one. They are called Kissing Gouramis because the seem to pucker their lips outwards. they require aquarium salt in the water or hard water | ||
| Climbing perch | Anabas testudineus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Leopard bush fish | Ctenopoma acutirostre |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| African leaffish | Polycentropsis abbreviata | 8 cm (3.1 in) | ||||
| Bornean leaffish | Nandus nebulosus | 12 cm (4.7 in) | ||||
| Malayan leaffish | Pristolepis fasciata |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) |
| Snakehead |
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest snakehead | Channa lucius |  | 40 cm (16 in) | |||
| Dwarf snakehead | Channa gachua |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Emperor snakehead | Channa marulioides | 65 cm (26 in) | ||||
| Giant snakehead | Channa micropeltes |  | 130 cm (51 in) | |||
| Ocellated snakehead | Channa pleurophthalma |  | 35 cm (14 in) | |||
| African snakehead | Parachanna obscura |  | 50 cm (20 in) |
Rainbowfish
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red rainbowfish | Glossolepis incisus |  | 9–13 cm (3.5–5.1 in) | Almost all rainbowfish species are bred in captivity and wild populations may be protected. | ||
| Lake Wanam rainbowfish | Glossolepis wanamensis |  | 9 cm (3.5 in) | |||
| Threadfin rainbowfish | Iriatherina werneri |  | 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) | Threadfins have very tiny mouths and cannot compete well with other fish for food. Keep in species only tanks or with small Pseudomugil (i.e.: gertrudae) | ||
| New Guinea rainbowfish | Melanotaenia affinis | 13 cm (5.1 in) | ||||
| Western rainbowfish | Melanotaenia australis |  | 11 cm (4.3 in) | |||
| Boeseman's rainbowfish | Melanotaenia boesemani |  | 10–13 cm (3.9–5.1 in) | |||
| Duboulayi's rainbowfish | Melanotaenia duboulayi |  | 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) | a.k.a. Crimson-Spotted rainbowfish | ||
| Australian rainbowfish | Melanotaenia fluviatilis |  | 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) | |||
| Lake Tebera rainbowfish | Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi |  | 9 cm (3.5 in) | |||
| Lake Kutubu rainbowfish | Melanotaenia lacustris |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | |||
| Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish | Melanotaenia parva |  | 7.5–8 cm (3.0–3.1 in) | a.k.a. Flame rainbowfish | ||
| Neon rainbowfish | Melanotaenia praecox |  | 6–7.5 cm (2.4–3.0 in) | A good beginner fish, but sensitive to water quality. Peaceful and very bold; for example it is unafraid of gravel cleaners and algae scrubbers. It is relatively tolerant of other fish chasing and/or bulling it. | ||
| Eastern rainbowfish | Melanotaenia splendida splendida |  | 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) | |||
| Banded rainbowfish | Melanotaenia trifasciata |  | 13 cm (5.1 in) | |||
| Celebes rainbow | Marosatherina ladigesi |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | |||
| Forktail blue-eye | Pseudomugil furcatus |  | 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) | An active species. Requires space to swim; not suitable for nano tanks in spite of its small size. | ||
| Spotted blue-eye | Pseudomugil gertrudae |  | 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) | Often recommended for nano tanks. A schooling fish (keep in groups). Males do spectacular displays with their expanded dorsal and anal fins. | ||
| Pacific blue-eye | Pseudomugil signifer |  | 3.5–7 cm (1.4–2.8 in) | |||
| Delicate blue-eye | Pseudomugil tenellus | 4–5.5 cm (1.6–2.2 in) | ||||
| Madagascar rainbowfish | Bedotia madagascariensis |  | 7.5–8 cm (3.0–3.1 in) | |||
Gobies and sleepers
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire gudgeon | Hypseleotris compressa |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | Omnivorous. Sexually dimorphic—males much larger and brighter-colored than females. | ||
| Purple sleeper gudgeon | Mogurnda mogurnda |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | Sometimes called purple sleeper goby. Not a true goby, a gudgeon. Requires a very large tank. | ||
| Peacock gudgeon | Tateurndina ocellicauda |  | 7.5 cm (3.0 in) | Sometimes called peacock goby, but a gudgeon. Will breed in home tanks. Shy but territorial. Pairs hold small territories around caves or pots and display to neighbors. Best kept in a species tank or with very small peaceful fish, to enjoy its beautiful appearance and interesting behavior. | ||
| Black toraja goby | Mugilogobius sarasinorum | |||||
| Bumblebee goby | Brachygobius doriae |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | Native to costal streams and estuaries; keep in brackish water or add crushed coral to water. May only eat live food. Territorial; keep in groups of 6+ to diffuse aggression between males. | ||
| Knight goby | Stigmatogobius sadanundio |  | 9 cm (3.5 in) | |||
| Rainbow stiphodon | Stiphodon ornatus |  | 5 cm (2.0 in) | |||
| Cobalt blue goby | Stiphodon semoni | align="center" | align="center" |4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) | |||
| Sicyopus zosterophorus |  | 4–4.5 cm (1.6–1.8 in) | ||||
| Bearded worm goby | Taenioides cirratus | 30 cm (12 in) | ||||
| Marbled goby | Oxyeleotris marmorata |  | 30–65 cm (12–26 in) | |||
| Crazy fish | Butis butis | .jpg.webp) | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Rhinogobius duospilus |  | |||||
| Dragon goby, Violet goby | Gobioides broussonnetii |  | ||||
| Striped sleeper goby | Dormitator maculatus | .jpg.webp) | ||||
Sunfish and relatives
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pygmy sunfish | Elassomatidae |  | 4 cm (1.6 in) | Suits smaller tanks. May only accept live or frozen foods. | |||
| Blackbanded sunfish | Enneacanthus chaetodon |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Relatively peaceful, small sunfish. | |||
| Blue-spotted sunfish | Enneacanthus gloriosus |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Relatively peaceful, small sunfish. | |||
| Redbreast sunfish | Lepomis auritus |  | 30 cm (12 in) | ||||
| Green sunfish | Lepomis cyanellus |  | 25 cm (9.8 in) | Likely the most aggressive sunfish. Difficult to keep with other green sunfishes, other sunfishes, or even other perciform fishes in general unless kept in very spacious aquaria or ponds. Like many fishes, more tolerant of distantly related species (i.e. catfishes and minnows), if too large to be eaten. Very aware of environment outside of aquarium, making it an engaging "wet pet." Accepts a variety of foods (flakes, pellets, krill, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and live prey). | |||
| Orangespotted sunfish | Lepomis humilis |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | Among the less aggressive of the sunfishes. | |||
| Pumpkinseed | Lepomis gibbosus |  | 28 cm (11 in) | One of the more aggressive sunfishes. Good at preying on snails. | |||
| Warmouth | Lepomis gulosus | _(2497915731).jpg.webp) | 30 cm (12 in) | ||||
| Bluegill | Lepomis macrochirus | .jpg.webp) | 41 cm (16 in) | Fairly aggressive, but prefers to live in shoals. | |||
| Dollar sunfish | Lepomis marginatus |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | ||||
| Longear sunfish | Lepomis megalotis | _(20396406).jpg.webp) | 24 cm (9.4 in) | ||||
| Redear sunfish | Lepomis microlophus |  | 40 cm (16 in) | Also known as shellcracker for its ability to prey on snails. | |||
| Redspotted sunfish | Lepomis miniatus |  | 20 cm (7.9 in) | Formerly considered conspecific with the spotted sunfish. | |||
| Northern sunfish | Lepomis peltastes |  | 13 cm (5.1 in) | Until recently considered conspecific with the longear sunfish. | |||
| Spotted sunfish | Lepomis punctatus |  | 10 cm (3.9 in) | A fairly peaceable sunfish. | |||
Other fish
| Common name | Taxonomy | Picture | Size | Remarks | Temperature range | pH range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray bichir, Senegal bichir, or dinosaur bichir | Polypterus senegalus |  | 70.0 cm (27.6 in) maximum length[16]40.0 cm (16 in) in captivity[17] | This species is known for predatory behavior toward tankmates. | 25–28 °C (77–82 °F)[16] | 6.0-8.0[16] |
| Ornate bichir | Polypterus ornatipinnis |  | 60 cm (24 in) maximum length[18] | 26–28 °C (79–82 °F)[18] | 6.0–8.0 | |
| Retropinnis bichir | Polypterus retropinnis | 34.0 cm (13.4 in)[19] | 26–28 °C (79–82 °F) | 6.5–7.5 | ||
| Barred bichir | Polypterus delhezi |  | 35 cm (14 in) | 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) | 6–8 | |
| Saddled bichir | Polypterus endlicheri |  | 63 cm (25 in)[20] | 22–27 °C (72–81 °F) | 6–8 | |
| Reedfish | Erpetoichthys calabaricus |  | 31.4 cm (12.4 in) at maturity, 37 centimetres (15 in) maximum length[21] | Nocturnal, can slither around out of water as long as they stay wet. | 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)[21] | 6.0–8.0[21] |
| Hingemouth | Phractolaemus ansorgii | 25 cm (9.8 in) | ||||
| Blunt-jawed elephantnose | Campylomormyrus tamandua |  | 40 cm (16 in) | |||
| Peters' elephant nose | Gnathonemus petersii |  | 22.5 cm (8.9 in) | |||
| African butterflyfish | Pantodon buchholzi |  | 12 cm (4.7 in) | |||
| Aba aba | Gymnarchus niloticus |  | 120 cm (47 in) | |||
| Reticulated knifefish | Papyrocranus afer | 80 cm (31 in) | ||||
| African brown knifefish | Xenomystus nigri |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Clown knifefish | Chitala ornata | .jpg.webp) | ||||
| Asian arowana | Scleropages formosus |  | 90 cm (35 in) | |||
| Silver arowana | Osteoglossum bicirrhosum |  | 90 cm (35 in) | |||
| Freshwater pipefish | Doryichthys martensii | 15 cm (5.9 in) | ||||
| African freshwater pipefish | Enneacampus ansorgii | 14 cm (5.5 in) | ||||
| Fire eel | Mastacembelus erythrotaenia |  | 100 cm (39 in) | |||
| Tire track eel | Mastacembelus armatus |  | 90 cm (35 in) | |||
| Spotfinned spiny eel | Macrognathus siamensis |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Half-banded spiny eel | Macrognathus circumcinctus | 20 cm (7.9 in) | ||||
| Lesser spiny eel | Macrognathus aculeatus | 38 cm (15 in) | ||||
| Freshwater sole | Brachirus panoides |  | 20 cm (8 in) | |||
| Freshwater needlefish | Xenentodon cancila | -1.JPG.webp) | 35 cm (14 in) | |||
| Javanese ricefish | Oryzias javanicus |  | 3.5 cm (1.4 in) | |||
| Daisy's Ricefish | Oryzias woworae |  | 3 cm (1.2 in) | |||
| Indian glassy fish | Parambassis ranga |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | |||
| Amazon leaffish | Monocirrhus polyacanthus |  | 8 cm (3.1 in) | |||
| Gymnochanda filamentosa | 3.8 cm (1.5 in) | |||||
| Indonesian tigerfish | Datnioides microlepis |  | 45 cm (18 in) | |||
| Silver tigerfish | Datnioides polota | .jpg.webp) | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Banded archerfish | Toxotes jaculatrix |  | 30 cm (12 in) | |||
| Spotted scat | Scatophagus argus | -2.JPG.webp) | 20 cm (7.9 in) | |||
| Green spotted puffer | Dichotomyctere nigroviridis |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | often sold as freshwater fish, but this species actually thrives in brackish water and may even require saltwater when reaches adulthood | ||
| Humpback Puffer | Pao palembangensis | 20 cm (7.9 in) | ||||
| Red-tail dwarf puffer | Carinotetraodon irrubesco |  | 4.5 cm (1.8 in) | |||
| Golden puffer | Auriglobus modestus | 10 cm (3.9 in) | ||||
| Figure 8 pufferfish | Tetraodon biocellatus |  | 6 cm (2.4 in) | often sold as freshwater fish, but this species prefers brackish water | ||
| Dwarf pufferfish | Carinotetraodon travancoricus |  | 2.9 cm (1.1 in) | |||
| Fahaka puffer | Tetraodon lineatus |  | 1-foot 5 inches | |||
| Giant freshwater pufferfish | Tetraodon mbu |  | 75 cm (30 in) | This fish also occurs in estuaries. | ||
| Congo pufferfish | Tetraodon miurus |  | 15 cm (5.9 in) | |||
| Amazon puffer | Colomesus asellus |  | ||||
| West African lungfish | Protopterus annectens |  | 100 cm (39 in) | |||
| Spotted lungfish | Protopterus dolloi |  | 130 cm (51 in) | |||
| South American lungfish | Lepidosiren paradoxa |  | 125 cm (49 in) | |||
| Ocellate river stingray | Potamotrygon motoro |  | ||||
| Black devil stingray | Potamotrygon leopoldi |  | ||||
| Black ghost knifefish | Apteronotus albifrons |  | 20 in | Not to be confused with the featherback "knifefish" of the Bonytongue group (see above) Very aggressive to other knifefish, but otherwise peaceful. | 23-28C (73-82F) | 6.0-8.0 |
| Brown ghost knifefish | Apteronotus leptorhynchus | Very hard to feed it anything but live food | ||||
| Electric eel | Electrophorus electricus |  | Despite the name, this is not an "eel" but rather a huge knifefish; illegal to possess in some areas; dangerous; very large adult size | |||
| Glass knifefish | Eigenmannia virescens |  | ||||
| Sterlet | Acipenser ruthenus |  | ||||
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | Scaphirhynchus platorynchus |  | ||||
| Spotted Gar | Lepisosteus oculatus |  | 70 cm (27.5 in) | |||
| Longnose Gar | Lepisosteus osseus |  | ||||
| Florida Gar | Lepisosteus platyrhincus |  | 70 cm (27.5 in) | |||
| Alligator Gar | Atractosteus spatula | _(3149748488).jpg.webp) | 300 cm (118 in) | |||
| Cuban Gar | Atractosteus tristoechus |  | 200 cm (78.5 in) | |||
| Tropical Gar | Atractosteus tropicus |  | 150 cm (59 in) | |||
| Freshwater blenny | Salaria fluviatilis |  | ||||
| Pickerel | Esox americanus |  | ||||
| Brook stickleback | Culaea inconstans |  | ||||
| European Perch | Perca fluviatilis |  | ||||
| Banded darter | Etheostoma zonale | |||||
| Gilt darter | Percina evides |  | ||||
| Orangethroat darter | Etheostoma spectabile |  | ||||
| Rainbow darter | Etheostoma caeruleum |  | ||||
| Splendid darter | Etheostoma barrenense | |||||
See also
- List of aquarium fish by scientific name
- List of brackish aquarium fish species
- List of fish common names
- List of freshwater aquarium amphibian species
- List of freshwater aquarium invertebrate species
- List of freshwater aquarium plant species
- List of marine aquarium fish species
- List of marine aquarium invertebrate species
- The Aquarium Wiki Encyclopaedia List of Freshwater aquarium fish
Sources
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freshwater aquarium fish. |
- Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish (2005) (David Alderton)
- 500 Aquarium Fish: A Visual Reference to the Most Popular Species
References
- "Aspidoras fuscoguttatus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
- "Aspidoras lakoi summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
- "Aspidoras rochai summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- "Aspidoras pauciradiatus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- "Corydoras splendens summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
- http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Corydoras-haraldschultzi.html Fishbase:haraldschultzi
- "Corydoras panda summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
- http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Corydoras-sterbai.html Fishbase:sterbai
- http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=12199&AT=Threestripe+corydoras Fishbase:thilineatus
- "Everything You Need to Know About the Bristlenose Catfish". The Spruce. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
- "Phractocephalus hemioliopterus (Red-tail Catfish)". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- "Hyphessobrycon megalopterus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- "Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- "Abramites hypselonotus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- "Trichogaster lalius (Dwarf Gourami)". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
- "Polypterus senegalus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
- "Polypterus (bichirs)". www.thetropicaltank.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
- "Polypterus ornatipinnis summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
- "Polypterus retropinnis summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
- "Polypterus endlicheri summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- "Erpetoichthys calabaricus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
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