Freshwater Fish that are Good Together
You are not alone if you are asking this question “what freshwater fish are good together?” There are several other people asking the same question. And yes, there are freshwater fish that are good together. Some common examples are the barbs, tetras, rasboras, danios, guppies, rainbowfishes, and some species of catfish.
A tank that is designed to contain more than one species of fish is called a community aquarium. They bring about this beauty of combining a different variety of fish that otherwise might not have been found together in nature. The aesthetic value it adds to the home and the sense of fulfillment of maintaining such a complex community is second to none. There will be different sizes, different colors, and different behaviors that will be interesting to watch.
Conditions for Selecting Freshwater Fish that are Good Together.
Even as humans not all of us can live together so you shouldn’t expect all fish to live together. You can put them in the same tank but you can’t make them live together in peace. And that is not good. You want to watch a thriving and active ecosystem of fish living peacefully together. And not a group of fish fighting and trying to kill each other.
Also, having fish that cannot live together peacefully means that your fish will often be stressed out. And this will weaken their immunity and make them prone to the attack of sickness and diseases. To make sure that you select the best fish that can survive in a community aquarium, there are some guidelines that I will be sharing with you in this article.
1. Avoid Aggressive and Territorial Fish – No one wants a nagging roommate and your fish don’t want that, too. Most cichlids fall into this category. They can see other fish as competitors and will often result in fighting them to maintain their territory.
2. Avoid Predatory Fish – This is almost the same thing as the territorial fish above. Predatory fish see every other thing apart from itself as food. You don’t want to put a fish that will eat other fish in your aquarium.
3. Consider the Size of the Fish When They are Grown – Those tiny fish they want to sell for you at the pet shop won’t be that size forever. I know it’s hard to imagine that those tiny adorable fish will one day grow to be very big but they will. It is not also true that a fish will only grow to the size of its container. Some fish are peaceful when they are small but as they grow bigger they may start feeding on smaller fish. Some example of fish that belongs to this category includes some catfishes and barbs species.
4. Avoid Sensitive Fish That Get Nervous Around Active Fish – These fragile fish are obviously peaceful and will not pick a fight with any other fish. But the problem comes when they always feel threatened when other fish are active. You don’t want that type of fish.
5. Consider Fish That Consume Similar Food – You should not put fish that have different food requirements together in a tank. First, it is obvious that you will spend less when you only have to feed the fish with the same type of food. Also, it means you are only going to avoid wastage of feed and excess feeding that can pollute the water.
6. Avoid Fish That Can Not Compete With Others For Food – It will be difficult for you to feed a fish that finds it difficult to eat when others are eating. For example, the pipefish which has a straight body and also look like a tube will find it difficult to pick food while others are eating. This may lead to malnutrition or even death caused by starvation.
7. Ensure that One Tank Can Meet All Their Needs – What this means is that all the fish you want to put together must require similar water conditions. For example, it will be difficult to put temperate fish together with tropical fish. Their body needs different water temperature and it will be difficult or impossible to achieve that in the same tank.
8. Chose Fish That Prefer to Swin at a Different Water Level – You don’t want to put fish that prefers to stay at the same level in the water. This will congest your tank and cause competition between them for space, food, and oxygen. You can mix fish that prefers to stay at the bottom of the tank together with those that like the surface and middle of the water.
9. Consider Keeping s School of Fish for One Species – Some fish don’t like being lonely. They like to see other fish that looks like them. Keeping at least 4 – 6 fish of that same species will ensure that they do well alongside other fish.
10. Select Fish That Require the Same Water Chemistry – Consider the range of water quality requirements for the fish that you want to put together. If they can cope with that range you can stock them together. Most freshwater fish will survive in pH ranging from 6- 8. Therefore any fish that can survive within that range can stay together.
In summary, you must only bring fish that can live together and are compatible in temperament and water condition requirement.
Examples of Some Freshwater Fish that are Good Together
I will be giving examples of freshwater fish that are good together. I will also like to group them based on the level of water that they prefer. Some prefer to swim in the middle while others enjoy staying at the base of the tank.
Examples of Fish that Prefer Any Level of Water.
The following fish do not have a problem staying at any level of water. You can see them moving back and forth. Giant Danio, Pearl Danio, Rosy Barb, Two Spot Barb, Upside Down Catfish, White Clouds, Zebra Danio.
Examples of Fish That Prefer the Top Level of Water
There are some other fish that prefer to stay at the top of the tank and remain there. The examples I have here are the Common Hatchetfish and Halfbeak.
Examples of Fish That Prefer Top and Mid Level of Water
African Glass Catfish, Axelrod’s Rainbowfish, Banded Rainbow, Black Neon Tetra, Boesmans Rainbow, Celebes Rainbowfish, Congo Tetra, Dwarf Gourami, Guppy, Mosquito Fish, and so many others.
Examples of Fish That Prefer the Mid Level of Water
This type of fish will be seen spending most of their time in the mid-level of water. Some of the common types of fish that behave like this are Angelfish, Black Phantom Tetra, Black Widow Tetra, Blind Cave Fish, Goldfish, Horse-Faced Loach, Tiger Barb.
Fish that Prefer the Middle and Bottom Level
Just like the fish that will move from the middle to the top. These types of fish prefer to move from the middle to bottom, however. Some common examples that are good for your aquarium are Agassiz’s Dwarf Cichlid, Algae Eater, Bolivian Ram, Butterfly Ram, Cardinal Tetra, Cherry Barb, Dwarf Loach, etc.
Fish that Prefer the Bottom Level
This fish will rather spend most of their day staying at the base of the tank instead of coming to the middle or surface of the water. The examples in this category are Adolfo’s Cory, Bristlenose Catfish, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Corydoras, Kribensis, Kuhli Loach, and Pictus Catfish. etc.
