Easiest Fish to Have As Pets

What are the easiest fish to take care of and maintain?

25 Easiest Fish to Have As Pets

Fish make surprisingly good pets; not only are they easy and inexpensive, but watching them can help reduce stress. While cats and dogs are wonderful animals to have as pets, they require much more care than fish. You’ll never get noise complaints from your neighbors due to excessive barking or penalties from your landlord for damages caused by your pet when you have fish.

Best of all, you can teach tricks to your fish like eating from your hand, playing soccer or coming to the surface for petting. If you’re thinking of getting a pet and want something low-maintenance but still beneficial to your life, then one of these best pet fish might be for you.

Angelfish

Length: 6 inches

Weight: Up to 2 pounds

Longevity: 10 years

Bottom Line: Angelfish

Angelfish are popular because they look cool with their wing-like fins, are easy to care for and aren’t super aggressive. However, it should be noted that they tend to form small groupings and won’t hold back when it comes to defending their position or protecting their young.

If two angelfish have their lips stuck together, they’re not showing affection but are fighting.

Betta Fish

Length: 2.8 inches

Weight: Less than an ounce

Longevity: 2-3 years

Bottom Line: Betta Fish

Betta fish take their name from an ancient clan of warriors called the “Bettah” and can be quite aggressive. Interestingly, it’s the males who are in charge of the offspring.

The males build a bubble nest by creating a layer of tiny bubbles on the tank’s surface. The eggs are placed in the bubble where the father betta fish watches over them until maturity. Betta fish can breathe air and can be trained to do tricks. They're by far one of the best pet fish around, not to mention the most popular.

Bolivian Ram

Length: 3.5 inches

Weight: Less than an ounce

Longevity: 4 years

Bottom Line: Bolivian Ram

Bolivian rams are peaceful fish that like to hang out in the lower and middle parts of the tank. The thing that sets them apart from other fish is their swimming style.

When looking for food, they’ll swim for a few strokes, then without warning, they’ll stop. They do this repeatedly, as it’s a way to sift through sediment while not stirring it up. However, if they sense a predator is nearby, they’ll swim fast without stopping.

Bristlenose Pleco

Length: 3-6 inches

Longevity: 10-15 years

Minimum tank size: 30 gallons

Bottom Line: Bristlenose Pleco

The bristlenose pleco is mostly a peaceful fish unless aggravated by one of their own species; then, they can get aggressive. This fish is popular with fish owners because they enjoy eating algae and will aid in keeping the tank clean.

Note algae are part of a healthy diet for the Bristlenose Pleco but should not be the only food they’re given.

Cardinal Tetra

Length: 1.25 inches

Weight: Less than an ounce

Longevity: Up to 8 years

Bottom Line: Cardinal Tetra

Cardinal tetras mainly communicate with body motions. When there’s a disagreement, the parties involved will hold their fins rigidly, which gets their message across.

Cardinal tetras aren’t good on their own, and it’s best to have a group of them live together. If they’re alone for too long, they may get sad or depressed and put their health at risk. Still, if you have the space, they're one of the prettiest, best pet fish you can keep.

Clown Loach

Length: 1-20 inches

Weight: 0.3-6.6 pounds

Longevity: Up to 25 years

Bottom Line: Clown Loach

Clown loaches are docile, gentle and easy-going. They’re not super picky where their environment is concerned, as they’re very adaptable.

Be sure to include some plants in their tank for shade and hiding places, and these guys are set. While they’re thought of as scaleless fish, they have scales embedded in the skin, making them harder to see.

Convict Cichlid

Length: Up to 6 inches

Weight: 1.2-1.3 ounces

Longevity: 8-10 years

Bottom Line: Convict Cichlid

Convict cichlids get their name from the black vertical bars that run down their bodies. They are biparental, which means both the male and the female look after the babies together.

While the males have caregiving skills, they also can become aggressive, so it’s recommended that the males are removed to another tank if babies are involved.

Cory Catfish

Length: 1-4 inches

Weight: 0.4 ounces

Longevity: 5 years

Bottom Line: Cory Catfish

Cory catfish are calm, docile and aren’t considered threats to other fish. They’re very social and live in large groups with at least six others.

Although they have no eyelids, they appear to have the ability to blink, though what they’re doing is moving their eyes downward rapidly. Cory catfish aren’t troublemakers, which is why they’re so popular.

Discus

Length: Up to 6 inches

Weight: About half a pound

Longevity: 10+ years

Bottom Line: Discus

Discus are some of the most brightly colored fish you can have in an aquarium. They’re peaceful, friendly and thrive in groups.

Not only do they swim in the same direction, but they do so in a coordinated way as if they’re a fish flash mob. While they’re tolerant of other kinds of fish, they do best with members of their same species.

Dwarf Gourami

Length: 3.5 inches

Weight: Up to 2 pounds

Longevity: 4 years

Bottom Line: Dwarf Gourami

Dwarf gourami fish are peaceful, shy and not competitive. If you have two of them, they’ll swim together. They’re a popular addition to any aquarium because of their beautiful, bright and vibrant colors.

They need a tank of at least 10 gallons per fish. Fish are known to grow to the size of their surroundings, so if you want bigger fish, get a bigger tank.

GloFish

Length: Up to 2-inches long

Longevity: 2-4 years

Minimum tank size: 5 gallons

Bottom Line: GloFish

GloFish are interesting in that they’re a trademarked brand of genetically engineered fluorescent fish. They glow because they absorb light and then re-emit it, which makes them seem as if they glow like a glow stick.

For an even more intense glow experience, put them under a black light. They need to be in schools of fish of five or more, but care needs to be taken not to overcrowd the rank as that can cause stress or disease.

Goldfish

Length: 4.7 to 16.1 inches

Weight: About half a year

Longevity: 10-30 years

Bottom Line: Goldfish

Goldfish may be considered ordinary fish, but they’re actually quite extraordinary. They can’t close their eyes, so they live and sleep with their eyes open. They have a memory span of at least three months, which can account for their ability to recognize people’s faces.

While they’re easy to care for, feeding shouldn’t be a dump-and-go situation. They don’t have stomachs, so they require easily digestible food given in small meals throughout the day.

Guppy

Length: 1.6-1.4 inches (male), 1.2-2.4 inches (female)

Weight: Less than 1 gram

Longevity: 1-3 years

Bottom Line: Guppy

Guppies are great because of their ability to adapt and thrive in many water conditions. They’ll eat anything in the water that they can get into their mouth, which in the wild includes mosquito larva, making guppies helpful in combating Malaria.

Unlike other fish, guppies don’t lay eggs. Instead, they give birth to live little ones who can swim and eat from the very first second of their life.

Harlequin Rasbora

Length: 2 inches

Longevity: 5-8 years

Minimum tank size: 10 gallon

Bottom Line: Harlequin Rasbora

Harlequin rasboras are small, peaceful fish that are more likely to be the prey than the aggressor, so they should be in a tank with other fish of their species.

They spend much of their time staying out of everyone’s way, for even a nonpredatory but still rambunctious fish can stress out the harlequin rasbora.

Jack Dempsey

Length: 12 inches (male), 10 inches (female)

Weight: 0.2 pounds

Longevity: 8-10 years

Bottom Line: Jack Dempsey

When you’re a fish named after a famous 1920s boxer, it’s a given that you have a rough-looking face and an aggressive personality. Jack Dempsey fish kill smaller fish, so they can’t be in a mixed-sized community.

It’s difficult for Jack Dempsey fish to hide when they feel stressed or down-in-the-dumps because their colors change. Their colors also modify as they age, which makes them a popular addition to aquariums everywhere. Who wouldn’t want a mood-fish?

Killifish

Length: 0.8 inches (male), 1.2 inches (female)

Weight: Less than an ounce

Longevity: 3+ years

Bottom Line: Killifish

Since Killifish are so small, they need to be around fish of similar size, so they don’t become a predator’s snack. They’re quite hardy and can survive in both freshwater and brackish water.

They also give birth to live offspring in the water, but what sets them apart is that they don’t give birth simultaneously. They may birth one or a small group and then continue to give birth over a period of time. A batch of 40 killifish babies can be birthed over a 10- to 14-day period.

Kuhli Loach

Length: 2.5-4 inches

Longevity: 10+ years

Minimum tank size: 15 gallons

Bottom Line: Kuhli Loach

Kuhli loach fish resemble eels with yellow and brown stripes that go around their bodies. They’re curious, nonaggressive and tend to spend their time hanging out at the bottom of the tank searching for food.

It’s not a good idea to put snails in a tank with kuhli loach fish, as the kuhli loach will flip the snail over and eat them as if they were eating their dinner out of a bowl.

Neon Tetra

Length: 1 inch

Weight: Less than a gram

Longevity: 5-8 years

Bottom Line: Neon Tetra

Neon tetras are peaceful and nonaggressive fish; however, sometimes they get an itch to misbehave, and they’ll do some fin-nipping. When they’re not taking tiny chunks out of other tetra’s fins, they enjoy meandering around the tank, picking at small pieces of food.

If they’re feeling threatened or want to stay safe while resting, they’ll turn off their vibrant body color to not attract any attention.

Oscar

Length: 11.8-18 inches

Weight: 3.5 pounds

Longevity: 8-10 years

Bottom Line: Oscar

Oscar fish are very territorial and will instigate fights with their tank mates. The larger the tank, the better so that oscar fish don’t antagonize other fishes.

When oscar fish lose a fight or are feeling aggressive, their eyes get darker. Another unique behavior is when a male oscar fish is flirting with a female oscar fish, the male vibrates his tail to get her attention.

Pearl Gourami

Length: 2-6 inches

Height: 3.1 inches

Longevity: 3-4 years

Bottom Line: Pearl Gourami

Pearl gourami are known as labyrinth fish because they can survive on low oxygen levels. The characteristics of the gourami species vary, and they can be peaceful or aggressive, small or large, social or shy.

Spawning begins when a male and a female touch each other’s feelers or pectoral fins. In the pearl gourami family, the males are mouthbrooders, which means they put the eggs in their mouth until hatching time.

Platy

Length: 1.5-2.5 inches

Weight: Less than an ounce

Longevity: 2-3 years

Bottom Line: Platy

The platy species are the perfect fish for first-time fish keepers. They’re easy to look after, aren’t fussy and can share a living space with other fishies. As with some other species, platys communicate by grunting, chirping and making popping sounds.

Platy prefer standing or slow-moving water — no fast and rough currents for them.

Rainbow Shark

Length: 6 inches

Longevity: 5-8 years

Minimum tank size: 30 gallons

Bottom Line: Rainbow Shark

Rainbow sharks aren’t sharks, but you’d never know it from their attitude. They’re social and need to be with fish their size or bigger, as they can be aggressive and can cause fatal damage to smaller fish.

They’re helpful with keeping the tank clean, as they eat everything that falls to the bottom. Rainbow sharks don’t vocalize but communicate with body language.

Sailfin Molly

Length: 0.5-3 inches

Weight: Less than an ounce

Longevity: 5+ years

Bottom Line: Sailfin Molly

While some fish gather together in schools, sailfin mollies have social groups that they stay in for their entire lives called “shoals.” The difference between a school and a shoal is that schools are for fish traveling together in the same direction, and a shoal is made up of multiple fishes coming together for the community.

Male sailfin mollies are especially popular as the male-female ratio in a shoal is one to two.

Swordtail

Length: 5.5 inches

Weight: 0.2 pounds

Longevity: 3-5 years

Bottom Line: Swordtail

Swordtails are a great choice for anyone wanting to have a fish for a pet. They’re beautiful, low-maintenance and hassle-free. They’re friendly and calm, but make sure that there are more females than males in the tank, or there could be some territory battles between males.

Swordtails get their name from — you guessed it — their tails. The male’s caudal fin has a swordlike protrusion, so their sword is always drawn.

Tiger Barb

Length: 3 inches

Weight: 2.2-6.6 pounds

Longevity: 6+ years

Bottom Line: Tiger Barb

Tiger barbs can be fierce and will terrorize the most vulnerable residents of the tank. However, if they’re living with a larger group of six or more, they’ll keep their issues among themselves.

The coolest thing to see is the tiger barb swimming at high speed in their schools, almost as if they’re synchronized speed swimming.

After you've bonded with your new pet, share some laughs (bubbles?) with these funny fish memes.