Home aquariums have a lot of great benefits. They are beautiful, and they are great for people who want pets without the commitment of a cat or a dog. Studies have been done that prove watching fish swim can help reduce stress and promote relaxation and restful sleep. Putting an aquarium in the bedroom is a wonderful way to get better sleep. A tropical aquarium in the living room is a great conversation piece and a fun way to keep dogs and cats entertained while you are out of the house. Just make sure the aquarium is secure so that cats can’t actually get to the fish.

The first decision you need to make when you set up a home aquarium is whether you are going to set up a freshwater or saltwater aquarium. Saltwater tanks can be very spectacular filled with bright colored exotic fish and plants. However they are also expensive and difficult to maintain. Keeping a saltwater tank healthy and running properly is a big commitment. A freshwater tank requires less of a financial investment and it’s a bit easier to get a tank established. Most beginners start with a freshwater tank. If you choose a freshwater tank you don’t need a lot of supplies to get started. You need the tank, a heater, some plants, a light, some gravel and of course the fish.

Be sure not to overcrowd your tank by filling it with fish too quickly. Introduce one or two fish at a time and choose fish that get along well with others. Some of the most popular tropical fish for freshwater aquariums are:

Goldfish

Goldfish are inexpensive, pretty, and adapt well to life in a tank. If you want to start out your tank with an easy to take care of fish you can’t go wrong with goldfish. Goldfish can grow to be quite large, so plan accordingly when you are figuring out how many fish you want to add to your tank. Goldfish are also messy eaters, so adding a tank cleaning fish to the mix is a good idea.

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Tetras

There are many different kinds of Tetra fish, many of them brightly colored and fun. They are inexpensive and they are great with other fish. Tetra fish don’t grow to be very large and they are easy to maintain. Tetra fish are great to put in your tank if you want to mix a lot of different colors of fish together without worrying about them getting along. Tetras are hardy and adapt well to many different situations.

Tetra fish will require at least a 15 gallon aquarium, along with a filter, heater and preferably various decorations and plants.

Mollys

Molly fish are also a good choice for a home tank. They come in several colors and add a nice color balance to a tropical tank. They are a little larger than Tetras and a bit more expensive but live for a long time. If you want a tank that has a nice balance of different sizes and species of fish in it adding a few Mollys into the mix of other fish is a smart choice to help balance out the tank.

We hope you found this article a bit helpful. Remember these are only the three most common fish types people have in their home fish tanks, but there are many more species you could consider, each with their pros and cons.