What is The Easiest Pet Fish to Take Care Of?

If you’re looking for a pet that’s easy to maintain that just about anybody can take care of, then there are few more qualified than fish. With no need for bathing or replacing the water bowl, all you need to do to keep your fish healthy and happy is regular feeding and the occasional cleaning.

Some people, however, may be too nervous to own even a fish. Not to worry, though – we’ve prepared a list of some of the easiest fish to take care of. These fish are incredibly low-maintenance for a variety of reasons, so you really can’t go wrong with them.

Goldfish

Let’s start with the classics. The goldfish is arguably the most common pet fish you can get. And it’s not hard to see why – its unique golden scales and beautiful shape make it a sight to see no matter how many times you see it. Aside from this, they’re incredibly easy to get your hands on – metaphorically, that is. Pretty much every pet fish store in the world has at least a few of these swimming about.

Now, let’s get to why they’re perfect for beginners. There are plenty of types of goldfish, each with its own preferred living conditions. So no matter where you live, or what type of equipment is available, there’s bound to be a goldfish that can live in it. Bear in mind, however, that goldfish do need quite a bit of water to live healthy lives. Be sure to have a large enough system to accommodate them.

Betta Fish

Aside from the typical goldfish, there’s another fish that’s famous for being beginner-friendly. That fish is known as the betta fish, and it’s a lot easier to maintain than you think. Its signature feature is its extremely long and beautiful fins that look like they were made out of fans. 

The betta fish can thrive in even the most bare-bones of systems. Just five gallons of water is enough to keep this fish alive and well. Of course, despite its hardy nature, it can’t stand colder temperatures, so be sure to keep the water at a nice level of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or 27 degrees Celcius. The fish is native to tropic environments, so any cold water is bad for it.

Because its fins make it easy to be pushed around, try minimizing the filter flow as much as possible. You want to allow it to swim as freely as possible. Aside from this, you never want to feed the fish too much food. A betta fish’s stomach is no bigger than its eyeball, so keep it moderately fed, and don’t ever make it completely full. Other than that, you’ll need barely any maintenance to keep this fish swimming.

Zebrafish

While not black and white like their four-legged counterpart, the zebrafish has stripes aplenty. Its vibrant colors make it a treat to watch as they swim about in schools. And that’s what makes them great for beginners – they’re one of the easiest school-type fish to maintain.

Zebrafish prefer water at around 20 degrees Celcius, or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s colder than the betta fish’s ideal temperature, so you can forget about having the two swimming about in the same tank. Zebrafish are hassle-free, as all you need to do is feed them micro-pellets on a regular basis, and clean their tanks as per usual. You don’t even need a heater for these fish as they can thrive at room temperature, so that’ll save you a bit on the electric bill, too.

If you want to spice up your aquarium with zebrafish, we recommend using LED lights to light up the water. The zebrafish look like they’re shining when exposed to light, especially blue light. This is thanks to the presence of a protein that’s also found in fluorescent jellyfish. 

Clownfish

Clownfish don’t look much like actual clowns, but they are nevertheless famous thanks to the hit Disney film Finding Nemo, as well as the sequel, Finding Dory. And as you may have seen in the film, these fish are quite hardy – in real life, too. They are capable of reproducing fairly easily, so be wary if you have a pair that can mate together in the same tank. 

Clownfish are great starter fish for saltwater systems because of how they aren’t picky with their food. Whether it’s pellets or flakes, they’ll gobble them right up. And just like the betta fish, they live in tropical waters, but you still can’t put them together due to the betta being a freshwater fish.

Butterflyfish

The butterflyfish is another famous fish group that was showcased in Finding Nemo. It’s also a tropical fish, so it can live together with clownfish with no problem at all. What makes them great is that they come in all sorts of colors, so you can really set up a beautiful tank if planned right. 

Just remember that like goldfish, each type of butterflyfish is different. This also means that their exact needs differ from species to species. For example, the African butterflyfish lives in freshwater, not saltwater. Be sure to plan ahead when picking your ideal butterflyfish, and see if they’re compatible with your current setup.

Once you’ve decided on the right fish, though, it only gets easier. They’re incredibly low maintenance, and as long as you keep the tank clean with its temperature stable, it’ll do just fine in its new home.

Conclusion

Owning a fish is, to an extent, easier than owning other types of pets, but it does bring its own set of challenges. First-time fish owners will have trouble learning how to properly manage the tank and the fish that live in it. That’s why picking a low-maintenance fish that can handle your mistakes can give you one less thing to worry about. So whether it’s the classic goldfish or the hardy clownfish, you shouldn’t find it too difficult to manage an aquarium by yourself.