There is nothing quite like keeping fish for pets – they are beautiful and oddly relaxing to care for.  Here are some of the most popular breeds of fish available today.

Goldfish

Goldfish are by far the most popular aquarium fish in the world and for good reason!  They are hardy, readily available and are easy for even complete novices to care for.  Goldfish are coldwater fish so you don’t need to fuss around making sure that the water temperature is just right and they are just at home in an outdoor pond as they are in an aquarium.  You might be tempted to keep them in a goldfish bowl but they will actually be much happier in a properly sized aquarium with a filter to help keep the water clean, as they can actually be quite messy fish.  As well as being easy to care for, goldfish are also beautiful and come in a huge range of colours and patterns.  Some popular species of goldfish include comets, fantails, shubunkins, lion heads, and black moors.

Bettas

Bettas are small, good looking fish that are well known for their long, colourful and flowing fins.  They are available in different colours.  Bettas are very easy to care for so they’re great for beginners and experts alike.  It is important to note that you should keep your Betta fish alone as they can tend to fight themselves (males especially will fight each other) and other species of fish.

Neon Tetras

Neon tetras are another small breed of fish that are very popular as they are brightly coloured, with a bright blue stripe down the side.  They are a schooling fish which means that they are best kept in groups and the advantage of this is that they look even more beautiful in your aquarium. You just have to be careful not to make the mistake of putting too many fish in a small space, which is easy to do as you want to get the most of their beauty.  Don’t keep neon tetras alone as they can get very shy.

Angelfish

Angelfish are truly beautiful fish with a triangular shape, dramatically protruding fins, and vertical stripes that help them to camouflage themselves inside aquatic plants. They are a very exotic and dramatic looking fish, which makes them popular with enthusiasts.  They tend to be a predatory species so you should keep them well fed or be careful if you have smaller fish in the same aquarium.

Platys, Guppies, and Swordtails

These three species are popular as they are cheap, easy to keep, and don’t require fancy aquariums.  They are also very hardy and resistant to disease and they can tolerate poor water quality.  For this reason they are eternally popular as starter fish.