The aquarium hobby is an exciting activity. Whether you are looking to enrich your home décor or acquire and care for exotic fish species, fish farming is a challenge to be overcome. Indeed, creating a new ecosystem requires documenting yourself beforehand. Freshwater fish are easier to rear because the culture conditions are generally less demanding. It is nevertheless advisable to adapt the choice of species to the size of the pond or aquarium. This must then be fitted out with a substrate, ground, plants or hiding places adapted to the needs of the different fish that will inhabit it. Water temperature, hardness and pH should also be monitored for the benefit of most species.

Fighting fish (Betta splendens)

If you just want to acquire a fish, without creating a complex community aquarium, the Beating Fish is a great choice. This robust fish appeals to many owners because its requirements are very easy to meet. It is one of the rare species capable of adapting to a small ball aquarium, of at least 15 liters. Indeed, in the wild, it lives in puddles or marshy areas. In dry periods, it survives in small amounts of water thanks to a particular respiratory system, the labyrinth, which allows it to breathe atmospheric oxygen. Its varied colors and longevity also make it a popular pet. Be careful, however, to the territorial and aggressive character of males, mainly towards their congeners. If they can tolerate a harem of females of the same species, if the dimensions of the aquarium are sufficient, they can in no case be put in contact with another male. Frequent and fierce fighting results in injury and often death to one of the two fish, hence the name.

Killi Cap Lopez (Aphyosemion australe)

Like the fighter, the killi can adapt to life in a small aquarium, with a minimum capacity of 10 liters for a couple. A filtration system is not essential for this species either, but regular water changes are necessary. Be careful, like all killis, these fish from Africa tend to jump out of the aquarium, which should therefore be covered.

Some species of fish are gregarious and require living in groups to thrive. The space allocated must be sufficient to avoid attacks within the bench. Among the easiest species to maintain is the Rasbora Harlequin (Trigonostigma heteromorpha). This small fish with attractive colors and calm temperament can tolerate an aquarium size of around 60 liters for about fifteen individuals. The Barbu Cherry (Puntius titteya) is also a gregarious fish with calm behavior and rather indifferent to other species.

On the other hand, some species of shoal fish can show some aggressiveness towards representatives of other species. This is particularly the case for:

• Sumatran barbus (Puntigrus tetrazona);
• Black widows (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi).

These fish can in particular attack the fins of other aquarium occupants.

If you want to compose a community aquarium with small fish from lively schools and not territorial or aggressive, several species are possible. Let us quote for example:

• the poor man’s Neon (Tanichtys albonubes);
• the Pink Neon (Hemigrammus erythrozonus);
• blue neon (Paracheirodon innesi);
• the Cardinalis (Paracheirodon axelrodi).

Some require large spaces and are therefore rather reserved for large aquariums, such as:

• Lemon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis);
• the Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

If you want to get into breeding, some viviparous species have a reputation for being very prolific. This is particularly the case with fish of the genus Poecilia such as:

• Guppies (Poecilia reticulata);
• Molly (Poecilia sphenops).

These small, lively fish live in small groups and are polygamous. Another option is the Xipho (Xiphophorus hellerii), which has a calmer temperament and a unicoloured body (yellow, orange, red or black).

The Goldfish (Carassius auratus) is also a prolific species. However, despite popular beliefs, this species does not lend itself well to aquarium breeding. Indeed, the average height of adults is 20 cm and, under the right conditions, their longevity can reach 35 years. To breed goldfish, it is therefore better to favor outdoor ponds or large aquariums (over 300L), otherwise they will lead to dwarfing and premature mortality.

Cleaner fish are mostly catfish that feed on algae and organic debris. Be careful, however, because not all catfish are cleaners and some are carnivorous. In addition, even if you opt for detritus or algae-eating fish, the food resources of the aquarium are not always sufficient or sufficiently diverse and complementary feeding is often necessary.

Some species can reach large sizes and are reserved for large aquariums, such as:

• Pléco Commun (Hypostomus plecostomus) ;
• Pleco leopard (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps), more virulent.

These fish can reach 50 cm in length and are gregarious animals. Other species have a smaller size such as:

• Corydoras (corydoras bronze C. Pando, C paleatus);
• Otocinclus (Otocinclus affinis, O. cocama) ;
• Siamese algae eaters (Crossocheilus oblongus).

Another genus of cleaner fish, more rare, is the genus Farlowella, some representatives of which are nocturnal species such as F. platorynchus or F. vittata. These stick insect fish require special living conditions and their breeding is perhaps less accessible than that of the species mentioned above.

In conclusion, there are a multitude of species of freshwater fish available to populate your aquariums. It is advisable to document oneself even before the acquisition of fish to create an environment necessary for the respect of animal welfare. Not all fish species are suitable for cohabitation, some are gregarious, others solitary or territorial. Some fish require a certain level of technical skill and very specific equipment, while others are more accessible to beginners. It’s up to you to choose the species that best suit your desires and the living conditions that you can offer them.