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Last update: November 4, 2022

7 Easiest Fish To Take Care Of (With Pictures)

Are you interested in getting your first pet as an adult?

Did you have a hard time taking care of your pets as a child, or did some die too young?

If so, you’ll surely want to find a pet that is easy to take care of. Fish are usually easy enough to take care of, and we have created a list of the seven easiest fish to care for below. 

Read on to find out all about goldfish, betta fish, guppies, and more. 

Goldfish 

Goldfish

Goldfish come in varying colors, shapes, and sizes. When you take care of goldfish, they can live for a long time.

Goldfish tend to love swimming and living in lakes and ponds, so you know they can handle various environments. 

Since they live in harsher environments, letting your goldfish live in a typical fish tank makes them easy enough to care for, and you can likely keep them alive longer than in a lake. 

The goldfish was first bred in ancient China as a silver-colored carp during the Song dynasty. Soon, a color mutation occurred, which led to the yellow and orange colors of the typical goldfish today. 

In ancient China, people kept goldfish in outdoor water gardens and ponds, which is still a common practice around the country right now. Today, goldfish found in pet stores originally come from breeders in China, Thailand, Japan, and Indonesia. 

Pet goldfish eat pellet fish food with some types of vegetable supplements. Goldfish living indoors in a community tank or aquarium can live for about ten years, while those kept in a garden pond can live for a minimum of twenty years. 

Betta Fish

how easy are Betta Fish

Beginners who have never had a pet or spent the last decade without one may want to start with betta fish, which are relatively easy to take care of.

Fishkeeping remains low maintenance when you have an aquarium of betta fish. 

Betta fish originally come from Asia and tend to reside in shallow parts of marshes, streams, and ponds. It’s important not to overfeed betta fish. Their aquariums should have plants, caves, and other enriching materials to explore. 

Betta fish can recognize their owners and tend to swim more quickly and excitedly when their owners come up to the tank. These fish are curious creatures and will look over all the items you put in the aquarium. 

Betta fish need to live in a tank with at least five gallons of water or more. The tap water needs treatment with a water conditioner before putting it into an aquarium.

The water also needs cycling for several weeks before you can add the fish to it. Lastly, keep the water temperature at a minimum of 76°F.

Bushynose Plecos

Bristlenose Pleco

The Bushynose pleco is a freshwater fish found in freshwater rivers and floodplains in the Amazon Basin in South America. This fish is more commonly called the suckerfish and can be considered a small catfish species. 

The Bushynose pleco is a flattened brown fish with specks of white and yellow spots. An interesting factoid of the suckerfish is that tentacles stem from its head. These freshwater fish can keep the tank clean, making them a common aquarium fish.

The Bushynose pleco fish lives for a minimum of five years and can live up to eight years. You’ll need a large tank of 30 gallons of water, and they can grow up to five inches in size. The suckerfish tend to live in shallow waters. 

The cost of the Bushynose Pleco ranges from $6 to $30, but you’ll also have to consider the costs of the aquarium, fish food, cleaning agents, and toys for the tank. You can add these fish to a community tank, as they are relatively calm creatures.

Neon Tetras 

Neon Tetras

The small neon tetra fish comes in brilliant colors of blue, red, and silver. Often, that fish has red stripes and a mix of white and blue colors.

The fish is originally from South America, and you can keep these fish in groups of six or more neon tetras. Their calm and peaceful nature allows them to live in other fish groups.

The neon tetras come from the Amazon and Orinoco rivers in the nations of Peru, Brazil, and Columbia. 

Generally, neon tetra fish tend to live an average of five years. They need a tank with at least 10 gallons of water, and they can grow up to 1.5 inches in size.

You should not add these fish to an aquarium until the tank is entirely mature and its water chemistry remains stable. The pH level should stay at seven and not grow above that level.

Neon tetras eat both plant and animal-based foods since they are omnivores. Try feeding the neon tetras some delicate fish flakes, frozen brine shrimp, and small granules. 

Mollies 

Molly Fish

Mollies are somewhat similar to guppies. They can live in different environments and different conditions. Mollies reproduce relatively fast, so when you get several, you may see some fish babies.

Mollies come in an extensive range of different colors and types. It’s easy to feed them as well since they can eat nearly anything. Usually, you should feed them plant-based foods and algae.

Molly fish can live for anywhere from three to five years. If you maintain their environment, keep it clean, and feed them regularly, their lifespan will increase.

A Molly fish that grows into its adult size is usually 4 or 4.5 inches in length. Sailfin varieties, however, can grow as long as 5 or 6 inches in size. 

Molly fish are great for beginners who want to start fishkeeping and haven’t had much experience with taking care of pets previously. These fish are easy to take care of as long as you follow the basic guidelines. 

A tank should have about 10 gallons of water to keep Mollies satisfied and happy. Keep the water at 72°F and no higher than 78°F. Make sure to add plants and places for the fish to hide in the aquarium as well.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) 

Zebrafish-Danio rerio

Zebrafish are small fish and tend to be quite easy to take care of compared to other freshwater fish. You don’t need a water heater.

These fish can do fine in waters in the low 60°F. Generally, try to keep the tank at around 64°F. You’ll need a tank with at least 10 gallons of water.  

The tank needs a pH anywhere from 6.5 to 7.0. The zebrafish come with blue and purple horizontal stripes and a silver-gold body. Zebrafish are no longer than 2.5 inches, which makes them ideal for a community aquarium with multiple different fish.

Zebrafish tend to act peacefully but may nip at the fins of other fish. You can create a community tank with guppies, zebrafish, betta fish, and angelfish. 

Zebrafish prefer swimming in the upper part of the aquarium and tend to remain active. You can feed zebrafish frozen invertebrates and vegetable matter. They tend to eat most things as they are omnivores.

Guppies

Guppies are great fish for beginners

Guppies originally come from the Caribbean waters and tropical pools in South America.

For instance, you can find guppies in Venezuela and Guyana. The fish comes in various colors, with males coming in more vibrant colors than the females.

Males are also smaller, while female guppies tend to have a rounder and larger size. The females also come in a more brown-based color. 

Guppies also have long tails that make up half of their body’s length. Guppies are great at remaining peaceful and calm, which makes them an excellent fish to add to a community freshwater aquarium filled with other non-aggressive small fish. 

Guppies are great fish for beginners due to their low maintenance needs. You will want to add plants and other minor decorations to the tank. Guppies would benefit from eating micropellets instead of flake food as it maintains the nutrition longer.

Guppies also reproduce quickly, which does mean it is best to separate male and female guppies in the tank. Otherwise, with each birth, you may see an extra 10 to 50 guppies in your aquarium. 

Conclusion

Are you a beginner when it comes to taking care of pets? Then start with fish.

These creatures tend to have low maintenance needs and are relatively easy to take care of. In particular, guppies, zebrafish, goldfish, mollies, neon tetras, betta fish, and suckerfish are just some of the easiest fish to take care of in a community aquarium.

Make sure to create a tank with plenty of rocks, caves, small toys, and plants to provide enrichment for the fish.

Get the right food for each fish to ensure they’re getting the perfect nutrition. Ask the workers at the pet store for further information and have your questions answered.

Soon, you’ll have everything you need, and you can have a gorgeous aquarium of colorful and playful fish. 

Ian Sterling

Ian Sterling, founder of Fishlab.com, began his aquarium journey over 30 years ago, driven by a deep fascination for fish and their diverse personalities. His website, Fishlab.com, is dedicated to making fishkeeping accessible and enjoyable, offering beginner-friendly guidance, expert insights, and a community for aquarists to connect and share experiences.

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