Freshwater Aquarium Fishes :
Below you will find the species of the fresh water aquarium fishes an it's requirements :
1-African Jewelfish
Scientific Name:Hemichromis bimaculatus
Family:Cichlidae
Size:5 to 6 inches
Temperature:24 to 29 degrees Celsius
Alkalinity:neutral with moderate hardness
pH:around 7.0
Origin:Nile, Niger and Congo river basins in Africa
2-Angelfish ( click here to know more about Angel fish )
Scientific Name:Pterophyllum scalare
Family:Cichlidae
Size:8 inches
Temperature:78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft, slightly acidic
pH:5.8 to 6.2
Origin:Amazon Basin northward into the coastal rivers of the Guianas
3- Arowana :
The Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a long and beautiful fish known for its voracious appetite and constant surface skimming, looking for things to fit into its mouth. It is native to waterways of the Amazon River and other areas in South America as well as Southeast Asia and Australia. It is a very popular fish for intermediate to expert aquarists as it swims fairly gracefully and with purpose and has a nice and powerful jaw. .
Scientific Name:Osteoglossum bicirrhosum
Size:more than 3ft.
Alkalinity:soft, slightly acidic to neutral
Origin:Waterways of the Amazon River
5- Barb:
Barbs are freshwater tropical fish within the genera Barbus and Puntius. They are very popular aquarium inhabitants, and the group includes well-known species such as the tiger barb and cherry barb.
- Cherry Barb:
Scientific Name:Puntius titteya
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:2 inches
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:around neutral, somewhat hard
pH:7
Origin:Sri Lanka
6- Bala Shark :
Scientific Name:Balantiocheilus melanopterus
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:14 inches
Temperature:72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Soft to moderately hard
pH:6.0 to 8.0
Origin:Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo
4- Asian knifefish:
Scientific Name: Notopterus notopterus
Family: Notopteridae
Size: 23.6 inches (59.99 cm)
Temperature:75.0 to 82.0° F (23.9 to 27.8° C)
Alkalinity:
pH: 6.0-6.5
Origin: South East Asia
- Rosy Barb
Scientific Name:Puntius conchonius
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:5½ inches
Temperature:64 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft to very hard
pH:6.0 to 8.0
Origin:Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan
- Clown Barb:
Scientific Name:Puntius everetti, formerly Barbus everetti
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:4 to 5 inches
Temperature:76 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft, slightly acidic water
pH:6.0 to 6.5
Origin:Southeast Asia -- Borneo, Sarawak, Singapore
-Tiger Barb :
Scientific Name:Puntius tetrazona, formerly Barbus tetrazona
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:3 inches
Temperature:68 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Sumatra, Borneo
8-Betta :
Scientific Name:Betta splendens
Family:Belontiidae
Size:2½ to 3 inches
Temperature:75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Thailand
7-Black Tetra :
Scientific Name:Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Family:Characidae
Size:1½ inches
Temperature:70 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft and acid, to neutral
pH:6.4 to 7.0
Origin:Rio Negro basin
10- Blackline Penguinfish :
Scientific Name:Thayeria boehlkei
Family:Characidae
Size:2.4 to 3 inches
Temperature:73 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Soft, slightly acidic water is best, but this fish is adaptable to other water conditions. Acidic water is necessary for breeding.
pH:6.0 is best but will tolerate a pH of 5.5 to 8.0
Origin:From the Amazon Basin in South America
9- Bleeding Heart Tetra
Scientific Name:Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma
Family:Characidae
Size:3½inches
Temperature:72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:not particular
Origin:Upper Amazon Basin, Peru
11- Blind Cave Tetra
Scientific Name:Astyanax fasciatus mexicanus
Family:Characidae
Size:3½inches
Temperature:65 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:undemanding
Origin:Mexico, Texas
12- Buenos Aires Tetra
Scientific Name:Hyphessobrycon anisitsi, formerly Hemigrammus caudovittatus
Family:Characidae
Size:3½inches
Temperature:65 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:neutral to slightly alkaline with moderate hardness
pH:6.8 to 7.4
Origin:Argentina
13- Brichardi Cichlid
Scientific Name:Neolamprologus brichardi
Family:Cichlidae
Size:3.5 to 5 inches
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Hard, alkaline water
pH:7.5 to 8.0
Origin:East Africa from the rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika
14- Cardinal Tetra or Neon Tetra :
Scientific Name:Paracheirodon axelrodi
Family:Characidae
Size:1½ inches
Temperature:75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:as soft and acid as possible
pH:6.0 to 6.8
Origin:Upper Rio Negro and Amazon basins
15- Catfish : ( Click here to check the Catfish Guide ) :
Catfish are very recognizable and popular aquarium inhabitants. They belong to the order Siluriformes, and include a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater catfish families. Most aquarium species are benthic in nature and are instantly recognizable for the long barbels that are similar in appearance to cat whiskers.
16- Cichlid : ( click here to check the Cichlid guide )
Cichlids are mainly freshwater tropical fish from the family Cichlidae. They are found around the world, but members of this family that are most often encountered in the aquarium hobby come from either South America (including larger specimens, such as the discus, oscar and Jack Dempsey) or Africa (generally smaller, attractively colored fish from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi).
17- Clown Knifefish:
Scientific Name: Chitala ornata
Family: Notopteridae
Size: up to about 3 1/2 feet (100 cm)
Temperature: 75.0 to 82.0° F (23.9 to 27.8° C)
Alkalinity:
Origin: South east Asia
18- Clown Loach:
Scientific Name:Chromobotia macracanthus, formerly Botia macracanthus
Family:Cobitidae
Size:in the wild can reach 17 inches, in the home aquarium it seldom exceeds 7 inches
Temperature:75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:not particular
Origin:Indonesia, Sumatra, Borneo
20- Congo Tetra
Scientific Name:Phenacogrammus interruptus
Family:Alestidae
Size:4 inches
Temperature:74 – 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft to moderate
Origin:Congo River Basin in Africa
19- Colombian Tetra / Red-Blue Columbian Tetra
Scientific Name:Hyphessobrycon columbianus
Size:2 ½” to 3”
Temperature:70 – 76 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Moderate
Origin:Acandi River Basin, Colombia
21- Convict Cichlid
Scientific Name:Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, formerly Archocentrus nigrofasciatum
Family:Cichlidae
Size:3 to 4 inches
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:around neutral, moderate hardness
pH:6.6 to 7.2
Origin:Central America
24- Cory : ( click here to check the Corydoras guide ) :
Cories are South American catfish of the family Corydoradinae. They are temperate and tropical armoured catfish. Cories are the most popular catfish for aquaria, and most species remain relatively small. It is recommended that they be kept in small schools rather than individually.
25- Danio : Danios are small schooling fish that bring a lot of activity to freshwater aquariums. The most popular type is the zebra danio, which is a very hardy pet species, and long-finned varieties have added to the danios’ popularity.
- Giant Danio :
Scientific Name:Cyprinidae
Size:4 inches
Temperature:72-79 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:6.1 to 7.9
Origin:Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
- Zebra Danio
Scientific Name:Danio rerio, formerly Brachydanio rerio
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:2½ inches
Temperature:65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Eastern India
26- Diamond Tetra:
Scientific Name:Moenkhausia pittieri
Family:Characidae
Size:males to 2%frac12 inches, females smaller
Temperature:72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:acid side of neutral, moderately soft
pH:6.6 to 7.0
Origin:Venezuela (Lake Valencia)
29- False Julii Cory Catfish
Scientific Name:Callichthyidae
Family:Corydoras sp.
Size:2 inches
Temperature:73 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Soft to medium
Origin:South American rivers, including Amazon River tributaries
27- Discus : ( click here to check the Discus guide ) :
Scientific Name:Symphysodon aequifasciatus, S. heckel and S. haraldi.
Family:Cichlidae
Size:6 inches
Temperature:82 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:South America
28- Dwarf Gourami
Scientific Name:Colisa lalia
Family:Belontiidae
Size:2 inches
Temperature:72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Will not tolerate poor water conditions
Origin:India and Bangladesh
33- Glass Catfish
Scientific Name:Kryptopterus bicirrhis
Family:Siluridae
Size:2½ inches
Temperature:72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Neutral to acidic, moderately soft
pH:6.8 to 7.2
Origin:East Indies (Indonesia) to Thailand and Cambodia
30- Firemouth
cientific Name:Thorichthys meeki
Family:Cichlidae
Size:Males to 5 inches, females to 4
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Neutral with moderate hardness
pH:6.8 to 7.2
Origin:Mexico
32- Frontosa Cichlid :
Scientific Name:Cyphotilapia frontosa
Family:Cichlidae
Size:12 to 14 inches
Temperature:75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Hard, alkaline water
pH:7.0 to 8.5
Origin:East Africa from the deeper waters in the Kigoma region of Lake Tanganyika
31- Frog-Faced Cichlid
Scientific Name:Lamprologus ocellatus
Size:2.0 inches (male), 1.5 inches (female)
Temperature:72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:Lake Tanganyika, Africa Rift region
34- Glowlight Tetra
Scientific Name:Hemigrammus erythrozonus
Family:Characidae
Size:1½ inches
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Slightly acidic and moderately soft
pH:6.6 to 7.0
Origin:Guyana
36- Goldfish ( click here to check the Goldfish guide )
Scientific Name:Carassius auratus auratus
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:2 inches to 2 feet depending on how and where they are kept
Temperature:room temperature, not to exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Neutral with moderate hardness
pH:6.6 to 7.4
Origin:Asia
37- Gourami ( click here to check the Gourami guide )
Gouramis are freshwater fish in the family Osphronemidae. They are labyrinth fish, having the ability to breathe air through their labyrinth organ. Gouramis are typically found in Asia, India and South East Asia. Some popular gourami species include the brightly colored dwarf gourami and the pearl gourami.
38-Guppy
Scientific Name:Poecilia reticulata
Family:Poeciliidae
Size:2 to 2½ inches
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Trinidad and Northern Venezuela
40- Marbled Hatchetfish
Scientific Name:Carnegiella marthae or C. strigata
Family:Gasteropelecidae within Characidae
Size:Around 1 to 1½ inches
Temperature:74 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Slightly acidic and moderately soft
pH:6.4 to 6.8
Origin:Amazon and Orinoco basin drainage
39- Harlequin Rasbora :
Scientific Name : Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Family : Cyprinidae
Size : 2.0 inches (5.00 cm)
Temperature: 73.0 to 82.0° F (22.8 to 27.8° C)
Alkalinity: -
pH: 5.5-8.0
Origin: South East Asia
41- Head And Tail Light Tetra
Scientific Name:Hemigrammus ocellifer
Family:Characidae
Size:2 inches
Temperature:72 to 80 degree Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Neutral to acidic, moderately soft
pH:6.6 to 7.0
Origin:Amazon drainage of South America
42- Jack Dempsey
Scientific Name:Cichlasoma octofasciatum
Family:Cichlidae
Size:Up to 7 to 8 inches
Temperature:70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Neutral to slightly acidic, moderately soft
pH:6.6 to 7.0
Origin:Amazon and Rio Negro drainage basin
44- Kribensis
Scientific Name:Pelvicachromis pulcher
Family:Cichlidae
Size:Males to 4 inches, females to 3
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Around neutral
pH:6.6 to 7.4
Origin:Tropical West Africa
43- Knight Goby
Scientific Name:
Family:Gobiidae
Size:around 3” - 4”
Alkalinity:moderately hard to hard
Origin:Central Asia from India across to Singapore and Indonesia
45- Koi FISH :( click here to check the Pond fishes guide ) :
Scientific Name:Cyprinus carpio
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:Up to 36 inches (3 feet)
Temperature:37 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Alkalinity:Moderately hard water (60 to 120 ppm)
pH:Neutral (6.8 to 7.2)
Origin:Koi fish are domesticated fish descended from common carp from China. They were brought to Japan and were developed into the beautiful varieties we see today.
47- Kuhli Loach:
Scientific Name:Acanthophthalmus kuhlii
Family:Cobitidae
Size:4 inches
Temperature:70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Not particular
Origin:Southeast Asia
49- Livebearer :
Livebearers are any omnivorous fish that retain eggs inside the body and give birth to live young. This group includes some of the most well-known and widespread fish in the freshwater aquarium hobby, including guppies, Endler’s livebearers, mollies, platies and swordtails of all types.
- Guppy :
Scientific Name:Poecilia reticulata
Family:Poeciliidae
Size:2 to 2½ inches
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Trinidad and Northern Venezuela
- Montezuma Swordtail :
Scientific Name:Xiphophorus montezumae
Family:Cyprinodontidae
Size:Males to 4 inches plus the sword, females to 3
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Slightly alkaline and moderately hard
pH:7.0 to 7.4
Origin:Mexico
-Long-Fin Swordtail :
Scientific Name:Xiphophorus hybrids
Family:Cyprinodontidae
Size:4 inches plus fins
Temperature:74 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, moderately soft
pH:6.8 to 7.2
Origin:Aquacultured hybrids not found in nature
-Platy :
Scientific Name:Xiphophorus maculatus and X. variatus
Family:Cyprinodontidae
Size:Female to 2 inches, males to 1½
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:around neutral pH, and moderate hardness
pH:6.6 to 7.2
Origin:Mexico
49- Lemon Tetra :
Scientific Name:Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
Family:Characidae
Size:2 inches
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Slightly soft and slightly acidic
pH:6.8 to 7.0
Origin:Amazon basin
48- Loach : ( click here to check the Loach guide ) :
Loaches are freshwater fish belonging to the family Cobitidae. They are generally small, benthic fish, and they have barbel organs similar to those seen in catfish. They are generally hardy and will scavenge in the aquarium.
51- Oscar :
Scientific Name:Astronotus ocellatus
Family:Cichlidae
Size:8 to 14 inches
Temperature:72 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:acid to neutral, moderate hardness
pH:6.6 to 7.0
Origin:Amazon River basin drainage
53- Paradisefish :
Scientific Name:Macropodus opercularis
Family:Belontiidae
Size:4 inches
Temperature:60 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
pH:6.0 to 8.0
Origin:Asia
52- Otocinclus:
Scientific Name:Otocinclus vestitus
Family:Loricariidae
Size:1½ to 2 inches
Temperature:72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Southeastern Brazil, Peru
64- Stingray (click here to check the Freshwater stingray guide ) :
Scientific Name:Potomotrygon motoro
Size:39 inches
Temperature:78 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:South America, primarily the Amazon river basin,
Orinoco, Uruguay, and Paraguay
56- Plecostomus Or Pleco:( click here to check the Pleco guide ) :
Scientific Name:Hypostomus plecostomus
Family:Loricariidae
Size:12 to 18 inches
Temperature:75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Peru, Brazil
54- Pictus Catfish :
Scientific Name:Pimelodus pictus
Size:5” body, long whiskers
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft to moderately hard water
Origin:Amazon and Orinoco River basins
55- Porthole Catfish:
Scientific Name:Dianema longibarbis
Family:Callichthyidae
Size:around 4”
Temperature:72 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:prefers relatively soft water
Origin:Amazon River basin in South America
58- Rainbowfish :
Originating from Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea, rainbowfish are so-named because of the iridescent colors they display under the proper lighting. The various types may range in size from a couple to 6 inches in length. Rainbowfish are schooling species that should be kept in small groups.
- Parkinsons Rainbowfish
Scientific Name:Melanotaenia parkinsoni
Size:6 inches in males, females are slightly smaller
Temperature:mid to high 70s to low 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:Australia; Papua New Guinea
- Boesemans Rainbowfish:
Scientific Name:Melanotaenia boesemani
Family:Melanotaeniidae
Size:3.5 to 5 inches
Temperature:72 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Moderately hard, alkaline water
pH:6.5 to 8
Origin:From the Vogelkop Peninsula (aka Bird’s Head Peninsula) from the Ajamaru Lakes region of Papua New Guinea
60- Red-Tailed Chalceus:
Family:Characidae
Size:to 10”
Temperature:74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:Rio Negro and Orinoco River basis in South America
59- Red-Eye Tetra :
Scientific Name:Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae
Family:Characidae
Size:2.4 to 3 inches
Temperature:70 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Hard water is best, butMoenkhausia sanctaefilomenae is adaptable to different water parameters.
pH:Neutral (7.0) pH is best, but the red-eye tetra can tolerate a pH range of 5.5 to 8.5
Origin:From eastern Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and western Brazil in South America.
61- Red-Tailed Shark :
Scientific Name:Epalzeorhynchos bicolor, formerly Labeo bicolor
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:under 5 inches
Temperature:72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:hard
pH:neutral, 6.5 to 7.5
Origin:Thailand
57- Ram :
Scientific Name:Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Family:Cichlidae
Size:1½ inches
Temperature:80 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft to moderately hard
pH:acidic, 5.0 to 6.0
Origin:Colombia, Venezuela
62- Redtail Botia:
Scientific Name:Yasuhikotakia modesta, formerly Botia modesta
Family:Cobitidae
Size:In the wild they can attain 12 inches, but in the aquarium they seldom exceed 10 inches
Temperature:78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Northeastern India, Thailand
65- Serpae Tetra :
Scientific Name:Hyphessobrycon eques
Family:Characidae
Size:1.5 inches
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:medium hard to hard
Origin:Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
63- Rosy Tetra :
Scientific Name:Hyphessobrycon rosaceus
Size:1.6 inches
Temperature:75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:South America, Guyana and Brazil river systems
66- Silver Dollar :
Scientific Name:Metynnis argenteus
Family:Serrasalmidae
Size:5 to 8 inches
Temperature:75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:South America
67- Siamese Fighting :
Scientific Name:Betta splendens
Family:Belontiidae
Size:2½ to 3 inches
Temperature:75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Thailand
68- Spotted Headstander :
Scientific Name:Chilodus punctatus
Family:Chilodontidae
Size:3 ½” – 4”
Temperature:72 -- 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft
Origin:Amazon River Basin
70- Tiger-Banded Peckoltia :
Scientific Name:Peckoltia vittata
Family:Loricariidae
Size:3 to 4 inches
Temperature:72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:slightly acid and moderately soft
pH:6.6 to 7.0
Origin:Amazon basin drainage
69- Sun Catfish
Scientific Name:Horabagrus brachysoma
Family:Bagridae
Size:8 to 10 inches
Temperature:70 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit
Origin:India
71- Twig Catfish :
Scientific Name:Farlowella vittata or Farlowella acus
Family:Loricariidae
Size:8 to 9 inches
Temperature:72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:moderate hardness
Origin:South America – Orinoco River basin
72- Tropheus Moorii :
Scientific Name:Tropheus moorii
Family:Cichlidae
Size:4 to 5 inches
Temperature:75 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Hard, alkaline water
Origin:Lake Tanganyika, Africa
73- Upside-Down Catfish :
Scientific Name:Synodontis nigriventris
Family:Mochokidae
Size:3 to 4 inches
Temperature:72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:Undemanding
Origin:Africa, the Zaire and Niger River Systems
74- Whiptail Catfish :
Scientific Name:Rineloricaria lanceolata
Family:Loricariidae
Size:4” – 5”
Temperature:75 -- 82 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:prefers soft to moderately hard water
Origin:Amazon River (Upper) basin
75- White Cloud :
Scientific Name:Tanichthys albonubes
Family:Cyprinidae
Size:1½ inches
Temperature:64 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit
Alkalinity:soft to very hard
pH:6.0 to 8.0
Origin:China, Vietnam
76- Wine Red Fighting-Betta :
Scientific Name:Betta coccina
Family:Belontiidae
Size:2.25 inches
Alkalinity:Soft, acidic water
Origin:Malaysia, central Sumatra
