Fish Care

Freshwater Fish Care

Browse our freshwater fish care guides based on decades of hands-on experience keeping, breeding, and raising tropical fish. Whether you’re just starting your first aquarium or improving your fishkeeping skills, these beginner-friendly guides will help you keep healthy, thriving fish.

Angelfish

New to angelfish? Start with my complete beginner’s guide covering tank size, water conditions, feeding, compatible tank mates, and common mistakes to avoid.

Betta Fish

Betta fish are one of the most popular beginner aquarium fish, but they still need proper care, clean water, stable temperature, and the right tank setup. Our beginner betta care guide will cover tank size, feeding, water quality, tank mates, and common betta health problems.

Guppies

Guppies are colorful, active, and easy to care for, making them an excellent choice for beginners. Learn about aquarium size, water parameters, feeding, breeding, and how to keep guppies healthy.

Neon Tetras

Neon tetras are peaceful schooling fish that add brilliant color to any community aquarium. Discover how to care for them, the ideal tank setup, compatible tank mates, and proper feeding.

Corydoras Catfish

Corydoras are peaceful bottom-dwelling fish that help clean up leftover food. This guide explains the best substrate, group size, feeding, and aquarium conditions for healthy corys.

Mollies

Mollies are hardy livebearers available in many colors and varieties. Learn about freshwater and brackish water care, feeding, breeding, and keeping mollies thriving.

Platies

Platies are friendly community fish perfect for beginners. Learn about tank setup, water quality, feeding, breeding, and choosing compatible tank mates.

Swordtails

Swordtails are active livebearers known for the male’s distinctive sword-shaped tail. Find out how to care for them, breed them successfully, and maintain excellent water quality.

Zebra Danios

Zebra danios are energetic, hardy fish that tolerate a wide range of water conditions. This guide covers schooling behavior, feeding, tank setup, and compatibility.

Cherry Barbs

Cherry barbs are colorful, peaceful fish that do well in community aquariums. Learn about aquarium size, water conditions, feeding, and breeding.

Discus

Discus are often called the kings of the freshwater aquarium. Learn about water quality, temperature, feeding, breeding, and the specialized care needed to keep these beautiful fish healthy.

German Blue Rams

German Blue Rams are beautiful dwarf cichlids with bright colors and peaceful personalities. They do best in warm, clean, stable water and are better for beginners who already understand basic aquarium care.

Bolivian Rams

Bolivian Rams are peaceful dwarf cichlids that are usually easier to care for than German Blue Rams. Learn about tank size, feeding, water quality, temperament, and choosing the right tank mates.

Goldfish

Goldfish are often sold as beginner fish, but they need more space and filtration than many people expect. This guide will cover tank size, feeding, water quality, and why bowls are not good homes for goldfish.

Gouramis

Gouramis are colorful freshwater fish that can make great community aquarium fish when kept with the right tank mates. Learn about different gourami types, feeding, tank setup, and temperament.

Plecos

Plecos are popular algae-eating fish, but many types grow much larger than beginners expect. Learn about pleco size, diet, tank needs, driftwood, and choosing the right species for your aquarium.

Kuhli Loaches

Kuhli loaches are peaceful, eel-like bottom dwellers that enjoy hiding places, soft substrate, and groups of their own kind. This guide covers feeding, tank setup, behavior, and compatibility.

Bristlenose Plecos

Bristlenose plecos are one of the better pleco choices for many freshwater aquariums because they stay smaller than common plecos. Learn about diet, tank size, caves, driftwood, and breeding.

Otocinclus

Otocinclus catfish are small algae grazers that do best in mature aquariums with stable water. Learn about feeding, group size, water quality, and why they should not be added to brand-new tanks.

Rainbowfish

Rainbowfish are active, colorful schooling fish that do best in groups with plenty of swimming space. Learn about tank size, feeding, water quality, and good community tank mates.

African Cichlids

African cichlids are colorful and active fish, but many can be aggressive and need special tank setups. This guide will cover tank size, water hardness, rockwork, feeding, and compatibility.

Oscar Fish

Oscar fish are intelligent, large cichlids that need big tanks, strong filtration, and careful tank mate choices. Learn about feeding, growth size, water quality, and long-term care.

Freshwater Shrimp

Freshwater shrimp can be fun and helpful in planted aquariums, but they need stable water and peaceful tank mates. Learn about shrimp care, feeding, water quality, and beginner-friendly shrimp types.

Aquarium Snails

Aquarium snails can help clean leftover food and algae, but some types reproduce quickly. Learn about common aquarium snails, feeding, population control, and which snails are best for beginners.

Aquarium Frogs

Aquarium frogs are interesting pets, but they need the right food, safe tank mates, and proper water conditions. Learn about African dwarf frogs, feeding, tank setup, and beginner care tips.

Other Aquarium Care Guides

Live Aquarium Plants

Live aquarium plants can help improve water quality, provide hiding places, and make your aquarium look more natural. Learn about beginner-friendly plants, lighting, substrate, fertilizers, and how to keep plants healthy without making things complicated.