Best Beginner Tropical Fish for a Community Tank

Neon tetra — peaceful schooling fish, keep 6+ in 60L+.

Cardinal tetra — slightly larger, more colourful version of the neon.

Harlequin rasbora — hardy, beautifully patterned, schools of 6+.

Cherry barb — calm small barb that won't fin-nip.

Corydoras catfish — bottom-dwelling cleaners, keep 5+, soft substrate.

Bristlenose pleco — algae eater that stays under 15 cm, unlike common pleco.

Platy — colourful livebearer, very hardy.

Endler's livebearer — tiny, vibrant males, ideal for small tanks.

Honey gourami — peaceful centrepiece for a 60L tank.

Dwarf rainbowfish — active, shimmering schooler for 90L+.

Common pleco — reaches 50 cm. Too big for most home tanks.

Tiger barbs — notorious fin nippers.

Bettas with long-finned tankmates — bettas attack flowing fins.

Goldfish — cold water, huge waste output, not tropical.

Wild-caught species — fragile and ethically questionable.

Roughly 1 cm of adult fish per 2 litres of water — a 100L tank holds about 50 cm of fish in total.

Always add fish in small groups over weeks, not all at once. The biofilter needs time to scale up.

Quarantine new fish in a separate small tank for 2 weeks if you can — it stops parasites wiping out the whole community.