Neon tetras are the first fish most people ever buy, and for good reason. Their iconic blue-and-red stripe is beautiful, they’re peaceful, inexpensive, and widely available everywhere from Petco to independent fish stores. A school of 8–12 neons swimming in a planted tank is one of the hobby’s best sights.

They’re also quite hardy once a tank is properly cycled. Keep them in groups of at least 6 — solo neons become stressed and prone to disease. Pair them with Corydoras catfish for a classic beginner community.

Best tank mates: Corydoras, Rasboras, dwarf Gouramis, Mollies, Platies

Corydoras are bottom-dwelling catfish that scuttle along the substrate eating leftover food, helping keep the tank floor clean. They’re peaceful, social (keep them in groups of 4+), and virtually indestructible in a cycled tank. Popular species include Bronze Cory, Panda Cory, and the tiny Pygmy Cory for nano tanks.

One important note: Corydoras need soft, smooth substrate — sharp gravel can damage their delicate barbels (whiskers). Use fine sand or smooth river gravel.

Best tank mates: Almost any peaceful community fish. Avoid cichlids and aggressive species.

Platies come in dozens of colour varieties (sunset, Mickey Mouse, rainbow, blue), tolerate a wide range of water parameters, and are incredibly resistant to beginner mistakes. They’re livebearers — they give birth to live fry rather than laying eggs — so if you keep males and females together, you’ll likely end up with baby fish.

They prefer slightly hard, alkaline water, making them ideal for areas with hard tap water (whereas neon tetras prefer softer water).

Bettas are one of the most commonly purchased fish, and one of the most commonly mistreated. They don’t belong in a bowl — they need a heated, filtered tank of at least 5 gallons. Given proper care, they’re personable, interactive fish that recognise their owners and show off their elaborate fins.

Never house two male bettas together — they’ll fight. Males can sometimes coexist with peaceful, short-finned tank mates like small Corydoras or female bettas in larger tanks, but only with careful monitoring.

Best tank: Fluval Spec V or Marineland Portrait with gentle flow.

Guppies might be the most beginner-friendly fish in the hobby. They tolerate a wide range of water parameters, are active and colourful, and adapt to most conditions that would stress more sensitive species. Fancy guppies come in hundreds of colour and tail variations — from delta tail to lyretail to snakeskin.

Warning: they breed prolifically. Keep all males, or all females, or be prepared for a population explosion.

Mollies are larger than guppies and platies, making them better suited for 20-gallon tanks. They come in black, white, orange, dalmatian, and lyretail varieties. Like other livebearers, they breed easily, so manage your male-to-female ratio.