This section contains fish that will live happily in a mixed community, are not usually
aggressive, and do not require special attention to diet. Most will live happily in fairly soft
to medium hard water and within a reasonable pH range, around neutral. Most of these fish are commonly
available in aquatic stores. Click on the links for more info on some of the individual fish.
| Suitable fish types | Examples |
Barbs and Rasboras
These are an active and colourful addition to any community tank. Not all are peaceful, and some grow quite large,
but the species listed opposite are ideal for the general community tank.
|
Cherry barb
(Puntius titteya)
Golden barb
(Puntius semifasciolatus)
Five-banded barb
(Puntius pentazona)
Harlequin Rasbora
(Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
|
The Harlequin - a colourful little Rasbora
|
Corydoras catfish
Cory's are small, peaceful catfish which are ideal for the community aquarium. The commonly available
species are generally hardy and easy to breed.
|
Albino/Bronze cory
(Corydoras aeneus)
Peppered corydoras
(Corydoras paleatus)
|
Peppered corydoras - a hardy and long-lived catfish
|
Danios
Hardy, active shoaling fish with no special requirements.
|
Leopard danio
(Danio rerio var. frankei)
Pearl danio
(Danio albolineatus)
Zebra danio
(Danio rerio)
|
Zebra Danios are hardy and active fish
|
Livebearers
The commonly available and very popular Livebearers are generally hardy and easy to breed.
|
Guppy
(Poecilia reticulata)
Platy
(Xiphophorus maculatus)
Swordtail
(Xiphophorus helleri)
|
Platy - a hardy community fish available in many colour varieties
|
Loaches
The peaceful loach species make an interesting addition to the community aquarium. The species listed
opposite are sociable and best kept in groups. Note that some other species of loach can be aggressive.
|
Pakistan loach
(B. almorhae / lohachata)
Zebra/Candy-stripe loach
(B. striata)
Clown loach
(C. macracanthus) - for larger tanks only.
|
Zebra loaches are one of the smaller and more peaceful loaches
|
Rainbowfish
Rainbowfish are colourful and active shoaling fish, which are often overlooked as community fish, probably
partly because the juveniles seen in the fish store are not showing their impressive adult colouration. Dwarf
species are suitable for smaller tanks.
|
Boeseman's Rainbow
(Melanotaenia boesemani)
Dwarf Neon Rainbow
(Melanotaenia praecox)
Lake Kutubu Rainbow
(Melanotaenia lacustris)
Banded Rainbow
(Melanotaenia trifasciata)
|
The colourful Banded Rainbow
|
Suckermouth catfish
(Small species)
|
Bristlenose catfish
(Ancistrus sp.)
Otocinclus catfish
(Otocinclus sp.)
Peckoltia species
|
The bristlenose catfish is an excellent algae eater.
|
Tetras
A small shoal of tetras will contribute little to the waste load of the tank. There are many smaller, peaceful
species which are suitable for the community tank where there are no fish large enough to eat them. There are
also a few larger tetras suitable for the community tank.
|
Black Neon tetra
(Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi)
Glowlight tetra
(Hemigrammus erythrozonus)
Neon tetra
(Paracheirodon innesi)
Rummy nose tetra
(Hemigrammus bleheri)
Larger tetras:
(adults will be safe where smaller tetras might be eaten)
Buenos Aires tetra
(Hemigrammus caudovittatus)
Congo tetra
(Phenacogrammus interruptus)
|
The popular Neon tetra
Buenas aries tetra - an active and hardy tetra
|
Note that although all of the above fish should be suitable for a community tank, not all of them would
be recommended as hardy fish to add to a new tank. My own recommendations for the first fish in the tank
would include Danios, Golden barbs, Platy's and Black Neon or Buenos Aries tetras. The hardiness of different
species can vary in different parts of the world, depending on the quality of the stock they were bred from,
so it may also be useful to check local recommendations.
