The fish list

Angelfish

Pterophyllum scalare

Flooded forests of the Amazon basin · flooded forest

Temperature

24–30°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

6 in · 15 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Mid-water

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Diet

Omnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$8–30

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Long fins. Fin nippers will pick on it.

Photo: Rjcastillo, CC BY 4.0

Betta (Siamese fighting fish)

Betta splendens

Rice paddies and marshes of Thailand · swamp or paddy

Temperature

24–30°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

2.6 in · 6.5 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Top and mid-water

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$8–40

Lone male. Males fight. Keep one, or give each his own space.

Long fins. Fin nippers will pick on it.

Photo: ErgoSum88, Public domain

Bolivian ram

Mikrogeophagus altispinosus

Mamoré and Guaporé basins, Bolivia and Brazil · river

Temperature

22–28°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

3 in · 8 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Bottom and mid-water

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

2+

Typical price

$10–18

Photo: Corpse89, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cockatoo dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma cacatuoides

Streams of the upper Amazon, Peru · stream

Temperature

24–29°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

3 in · 8 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Carnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$15–30

Photo: Redspider, CC BY-SA 3.0

Discus

Symphysodon aequifasciatus

Floodplain lakes of the Amazon basin · flooded forest

Temperature

28–31°C

pH

5–7

Adult size

7 in · 18 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Mid-water

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Group

5+

Typical price

$60–200

Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

Dwarf gourami

Trichogaster lalius

Slow, plant-choked waters of India and Bangladesh · swamp or paddy

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

2.8 in · 7 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Top and mid-water

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$6–12

Lone male. Males fight. Keep one, or give each his own space.

Photo: Kennyannydenny, CC BY-SA 3.0

German blue ram

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

Llanos savanna streams, Orinoco basin · stream

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5–7

Adult size

2.4 in · 6 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Bottom and mid-water

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

2+

Typical price

$12–25

Photo: Eric Mengel, Public domain

Goldfish

Carassius auratus

Domesticated in China from wild carp · pond

Temperature

10–24°C

pH

7–8

Adult size

8 in · 20 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Mid-water and bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

2+

Typical price

$2–30

Photo: IssamBarhoumi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kribensis

Pelvicachromis pulcher

Coastal rivers of Nigeria and Cameroon · river

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Bottom and mid-water

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Omnivore

Group

2+

Typical price

$8–15

Photo: NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0

Oscar

Astronotus ocellatus

Slow rivers and floodplains of the Amazon · flooded forest

Temperature

22–28°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

13 in · 33 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Mid-water and bottom

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$15–40

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Photo: Jón Helgi Jónsson (Amything), CC BY-SA 3.0

Pea puffer

Carinotetraodon travancoricus

Rivers of Kerala, southwest India · river

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

7–8

Adult size

1 in · 2.5 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Mid-water

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$6–12

Fin nipper. Keep it away from long-finned fish.

Photo: 5snake5, CC0

Pearl gourami

Trichopodus leerii

Peat swamps of Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo · swamp or paddy

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

5 in · 12 cm

Flow

Calm

Swims

Top and mid-water

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

1+

Typical price

$7–14

Long fins. Fin nippers will pick on it.

Photo: BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0