Freshwater Species Guides

Freshwater Species Guides

Whether you're setting up your first aquarium or adding another species to an established tank, these guides cover everything you need — from tank size and water parameters to feeding, tankmates, health, and the equipment required to keep your fish thriving.

Each guide links to the equipment we recommend, making it easy to move from researching a species to building the right setup.

New species guides are added regularly. Start with the species you're keeping or considering, then use the internal links to build out your setup.

Already decided on a fish? See the Complete Freshwater Aquarium Setup Checklist for everything you need before adding fish to your tank.

Keep Your Records Organized

Keeping a freshwater aquarium? The Freshwater Aquarium Keeper Planner gives you printable pages for water parameters, maintenance logs, feeding records, livestock tracking, equipment notes, and more — everything in one place. Freshwater Aquarium Keeper Planner   |  Want everything? Complete Freshwater Bundle  →

Free tools: Water Parameter Log  |  Feeding Log  |  Health Observation Log

Freshwater Fish

Betta Fish Care Guide (2026)

One of the most popular freshwater fish in the world. Striking, personable, and manageable in a solo setup. Covers tank size, water parameters, feeding, tankmates, health, and more.

Goldfish Care Guide (2026)

Among the most widely kept fish in the hobby — and among the most misunderstood. Covers tank size, filtration, water parameters, feeding, common health problems, and lifespan.

Guppy Care Guide (2026)

Hardy, colorful, and one of the best beginner fish available. Covers tank setup, water parameters, feeding, breeding, tankmates, and health.

Neon Tetra Care Guide (2026)

One of the most iconic schooling fish in the freshwater hobby. Covers tank size, schooling requirements, water parameters, feeding, tankmates, and common diseases.

Corydoras Care Guide (2026)

Peaceful, hardy bottom dwellers and one of the most compatible community fish available. Covers substrate requirements, schooling, feeding, tankmates, and health.

Angelfish Care Guide (2026)

One of the most recognizable freshwater fish in the hobby. An intermediate-level species with a long lifespan and striking appearance. Covers tank size, water parameters, feeding, tankmates, breeding, and health.

Bristlenose Pleco Care Guide (2026)

The practical alternative to the common pleco — stays at 4–5 inches for life and suits tanks as small as 30 gallons. Effective algae grazer, easy to breed, and compatible with virtually all community fish. Covers tank size, driftwood requirements, feeding, caves, filtration, breeding, and health.

Molly Fish Care Guide (2026)

Hardy livebearers available in a wide range of colors and fin types. Breed readily in captivity and work well in community tanks with compatible water parameters. Covers tank size, water hardness requirements, feeding, tankmates, breeding, health, and more.

Honey Gourami Care Guide (2026)

One of the best small freshwater fish for planted community tanks. Peaceful, hardy, and visually striking in breeding condition. A lower-risk alternative to the Dwarf Gourami. Covers tank size, water parameters, feeding, sexing, planted tanks, and health.

Dwarf Gourami Care Guide (2026)

One of the most colorful small freshwater fish in the hobby. Important reading before purchasing: covers DGIV disease risk, sourcing, tank size, water parameters, feeding, sexing, tankmates, and health.

Freshwater Shrimp

Freshwater shrimp are a distinct branch of the hobby with their own water chemistry requirements, equipment needs, and husbandry considerations. Whether you're starting with beginner-friendly Cherry Shrimp or working toward advanced soft-water Caridina, each guide covers parameters, feeding, molting, breeding, and tankmates.

Cherry Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

The best entry point into freshwater shrimp keeping. Hardy, colorful, and easy to breed. Covers tank size, GH/KH, feeding, molting, breeding, and tankmates for Neocaridina davidi.

Blue Dream Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

Same husbandry as Cherry Shrimp, with a focus on color line maintenance, grading, and the naming confusion around blue Neocaridina morphs.

Amano Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

The most effective algae-grazing shrimp in the freshwater hobby. Larger and more assertive than dwarf shrimp, with a unique brackish-water larval stage that makes breeding difficult in captivity.

Ghost Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

Widely available, inexpensive, and genuinely useful as scavengers. Covers the identity confusion around the common name, feeder-grade quality issues, and what to expect from this beginner-accessible species.

Crystal Red Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

The flagship soft-water Caridina species. Requires RO water, GH-only remineralization, active buffering substrate, and precise parameter management. Covers grading, breeding, and the full soft-water setup.

Bamboo Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

A filter-feeding shrimp that positions itself in current and captures suspended particles with fan-like appendages. Covers flow requirements, supplemental feeding, and what distinguishes filter feeders from scavenging shrimp.

Vampire Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

One of the largest freshwater shrimp commonly kept — up to 3–5 inches, with a lifespan of 3–5 years. A filter feeder like Bamboo Shrimp, but warmer-water and considerably larger.

Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Care Guide (2026)

Advanced. Endemic to the ancient lakes of Sulawesi, these shrimp require warm, alkaline, mineral-rich water — the opposite of soft-water Caridina. For experienced keepers ready for a specialized setup.

Shrimp Equipment & Supplies

Aquarium Breeding & Fry Tracker —   |  Freshwater Aquarium Keeper Planner —   |  Complete Freshwater Bundle 

Free tools: Water Parameter Log  |  Feeding Log  |  Health Observation Log

Community Aquarium Build Guides

Not sure how to put it all together? These guides cover complete stocking plans, water chemistry, stocking order, and equipment for specific tank sizes — from a 10-gallon starter to a 55-gallon angelfish community.

Equipment & Sizing Guides

Looking for equipment or trying to figure out what size filter, heater, or tank you need? Browse our aquarium buying and sizing guides below.

New to Freshwater Fish?

If you're not sure which species is right for you, start with one of these — they're the most forgiving for first-time keepers:

  • Guppy — hardy, colorful, easy to feed, great for beginners
  • Betta Fish — personable and striking, best kept solo
  • Corydoras — peaceful, long-lived, excellent community fish
  • Neon Tetra — iconic schooling fish, striking in groups
  • Bristlenose Pleco — hardy algae eater, stays small, easy to breed
  • Molly Fish — colorful livebearers, breed readily, good for community tanks with hard water
  • Honey Gourami — peaceful, planted-tank friendly, lower disease risk than Dwarf Gourami
  • Cherry Shrimp — beginner-friendly invertebrate, easy to breed, great for planted tanks