Study Reveals the 5 Best Pet Fish for Your Aquarium- Ranked in 2024

I’ve been keeping different kinds of fish in a tank for over seven years and I’m always looking for new species to add to my collection. It can be hard to choose which freshwater or ocean fish would make the best pets because there are so many to choose from. Read below about “Study Reveals the 5 Best Pet Fish for Your Aquarium- Ranked in 2024”.

5 Best Pet Fish for Your Aquarium

I was happy to find a new study that named the top 5 best pet fish based on things like behavior, care needs, and getting along with other fish in the tank. Over 1,000 people who own fish were asked to rate different fish species on a number of different factors.

That’s what I’m going to talk about in this blog post: the study’s results and my own thoughts on what makes these fish such great choices for hobbyists of all kinds. Here is a list of the five best fish for your tank in 2024.

Guppies

First on our list are guppies, which are one of the most popular pond fish for people who are just starting to keep fish. They are only about 2 inches long, but these fish are very active. Their bright colors and lively attitudes make up for their small size.

There are a lot of different colors and patterns of male guppies, including red, blue, yellow, black, orange, and even glittery ones. The females are usually a dimmer gray or silver color with spots. But they’re most beautiful when they’re with other fish. Their bright tails dance as they swim around the tank looking at plants and decorations.

The study gave guppies high marks for being hardy, cheap, and good at reproducing. They do well in community tanks because they don’t need much care, are easy to feed, and are calm. The only bad things about them are that they like water between 74°F and 84°F and they might bite the fins of tank mates that move more slowly.

As a whole, guppies are fun and busy fish that even kids can take care of. I think a 10 gallon tank should have at least three to five guppies. Make sure there are at least two females for every male to cut down on breeding stress.

Platies

Platies were also a popular choice because they are calm, easy to care for, and add a lot of color to tanks. They have live babies and don’t need any special tools to breed, just like guppies. But platies come in even brighter shades, like orange, black, yellow, blue, and red.

I’ve found that platies do better in water that is slightly cooler, between 65°F and 75°F. They also get a little bigger, reaching 2 to 3 inches long. The Mickey Mouse and Tuxedo ones are my favorites because they are so cute and famous. They like to swim at a moderate level and get along with most community fish, such as tetras, mollies, swordtails, guppies, and cory cats.

Platies eat everything, so they will eat both cooked and live things. Because they are hardy, don’t need much care, and come in bright colors, they are one of my top choices for beginners who want to add some color to their first tank. I’d put two to three platies in every 10 gallons.

Betta fish

Bets made it to the top 5, which is no surprise. People love these famous fish for their bright colors and long, flowing fins. The personalities, looks, and how easy they are to care for all got very good marks.

Be aware that male bettas will attack other male bettas, but they get along great with peaceful fish like neon tetras, cory cats, snails, shrimp, livebearers, and rasboras. Betta fish that are female, on the other hand, are a bit smaller but get along well with each other.

Betta fish do very well in 5–10 gallon planting tanks that are heated and filtered. They do well in temperatures between 74°F and 80°F and like to eat commercial betta pellets and freeze-dried or frozen things like bloodworms. If you take good care of your betta, it can live for more than 5 years. They are also very smart and can learn tricks and mirror games.

Bettas do need some of their water changed every week because they can get sick from bad water. The extra care is worth it because of their beauty and personality.

Tetras

Tetras get big points for being good at school, using bright colors, and being calm. When these fish are active, they naturally swim together in big groups, which makes community tanks lively and fun.

Neon tetras, which have bright blue and red stripes, are probably the most well-known. But tetras come in more than 150 different kinds and colors, such as orange, yellow, silver, black, and white. Other fish I really like are the black neon, rummy nose, ember, and cardinal tetras.

Most tetras are about 1 to 2 inches long, and they like to live in groups of 6 or more. In the 72–82°F range, they are fine. When you keep one type of tetra together, they do their best natural behaviors, like schooling and eating as a group.

Tetras are easy to take care of and will eat both flake food and small foods. They help keep the balance in the tank and get along with most of the other fish because they are middle-level to top movers. Tetras are lively and colorful, and the study found that they make any tank more interesting. I agree that they are one of the best fish for amateurs to catch in groups.

Zebra Danios

Zesty danios are the best fish to keep as a pet. People loved these busy striped fish because they were tough, calm, and full of personality.

The body of a zebra danio is shaped like a torpedo and has blue lines going across it. They are very active and get to be about 2 inches long. They zip around the tank quickly at times.

These busy fish make any community tank more interesting. They can handle temperatures between 64°F and 75°F without any problems and are very flexible. The danio will eat anything, including pellets, live foods, flake foods, and plant waste.

Another reason zebra danios scored so high is that they breed a lot and are fun to care for. You are likely to find eggs all over the tank if you keep a school of six or more males. The parents won’t care about the eggs, so it’s easy to move them to a different tank where they can hatch.

Puffs and dried foods can be fed to the fry until they are big enough to eat brine shrimp. This is a great chance for aquarists to keep their own fish stock going!

I think danios are one of the best active schooling fish that can be kept in community tanks because they are fun and lively. Their bright stripes, willingness to play, and toughness make them great for both beginners and professionals.

Give These Fish a Try!

That’s it! These are the five fish that fish owners say are the best for home tanks. Each of these species has its own perks when it comes to color, activity, behavior, care, and breeding.

There are many fish that will do well in your tank, no matter how experienced you are. Some examples are guppies, platies, bettas, tetras, and zebra danios. Just make sure you learn about the right fish tank size and water conditions for the fish you choose.

I hope that these lists of the best aquarium fish for 2024 help you find great species to put in your own tank. Tell me about any other fish you think should be in the top 5 for best pet fish. It’s always interesting to hear what other aquarists like. I hope you like reading “Study Reveals the 5 Best Pet Fish for Your Aquarium- Ranked in 2024”.