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

Boeseman's rainbowfish

Melanotaenia boesemani

Ayamaru Lakes, West Papua · lake

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

7–8

Adult size

4 in · 10 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Mid-water and top

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

6+

Typical price

$8–15

Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

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

Butterfly hillstream loach

Beaufortia kweichowensis

Fast rocky streams of southern China · rapids

Temperature

20–24°C

pH

6.5–7.5

Adult size

3 in · 8 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Grazer

Group

3+

Typical price

$10–18

Photo: Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0

Clown loach

Chromobotia macracanthus

Rivers of Borneo and Sumatra · river

Temperature

25–30°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

12 in · 30 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

5+

Typical price

$8–20

Photo: Tommy Kronkvist, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

Congo tetra

Phenacogrammus interruptus

Congo River basin, DR Congo · river

Temperature

23–27°C

pH

6–7.5

Adult size

3 in · 8 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Mid-water

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

6+

Typical price

$6–12

Photo: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5

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

Dwarf neon rainbowfish

Melanotaenia praecox

Mamberamo River basin, New Guinea · stream

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

6.5–7.5

Adult size

2.4 in · 6 cm

Flow

Gentle

Swims

Mid-water and top

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Omnivore

Group

6+

Typical price

$6–12

Photo: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

Hillstream loach

Sewellia lineolata

Fast mountain streams of central Vietnam · rapids

Temperature

20–24°C

pH

6.5–7.5

Adult size

2.4 in · 6 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Grazer

Group

3+

Typical price

$10–18

Photo: 5snake5, CC0

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