20 Coolest Freshwater Fish To Add Pop And Color To Your Aquarium

For those looking for true Asian beauty, betta fish is the go-to choice. These carnivores are most commonly referred to as the Siamese fighting fish and can live for 2 to 4 years when brought up in a healthy environment.

With the addition of a labyrinth organ in their body, these fish are able to absorb air from the water surface, hence allowing them to survive even when the level of oxygen in the water is scant.

The Discus fish has a very bright and different color pattern, hence it is one of the favorite freshwater fish among aquarium fanciers. The variation in color makes it difficult to breed this species, making the supply of this fish limited.

Discus originates from the Amazon River basin in South America.  The process of their import is very expensive, considering transport, quarantine conditions, and related legal issues, which drive up the prices for such fish.

These low-maintenance fishes are highly pleasing to the eyes due to their elongated bodies with beautiful hues. The male Dwarf Gourami is much more vibrant in color, deep red and blue with shades of orange, while the female is much more subtle and graceful-looking.

These fish are found in well-conditioned tanks with abundant numbers of places to hide and live plants. They need a diet of quality flakes, pellets, and sometimes live and frozen foods.

This indigenous South American fish, belonging to the Cichlidae family, is native to the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela and Colombia.

Their striking blue coloration basically covers the entire body, even extending to the fins of this beautiful fish. In addition, some vertical black markings shown by the German Blue Ram further enhance its charm.

The Elecric Blue Acara (EBA) size can grow to nearly 5-6 inches; it’s best to keep these fish with fish of similar size. Though not common, some EBAs are known to eat smaller fish in the tank.

The species can grow in harmony with other fish like Discus and Angelfish. However, you may have to socialize them from childhood to avoid any violence against each other.

Killifish are omnivorous, and they feed on small invertebrates, insects, algae, and plant matter. They are also territorial fish, mainly during the breeding season.

The most exciting thing about these fish is their ability to survive in temporary water bodies. Several of them have developed a bizarre adaptation for survival known as annualism. In this form, the species lay eggs in mud or moist soil during the dry period.

The Peacock Cichlid features iridescent coloring that looks like the bright feathers of a peacock. Commonly, these fishes are medium in size: males may reach 6-8 inches in length, though females usually are an inch or so smaller.

One distinctive feature of this Cichlid type is large eyes, providing them with good vision to hunt and maneuver through their environment. Feeding them is quite easy since they adapt to a diet of high-quality pellets, and flakes with live or frozen foods to supplement for nutritional purposes.

The Rainbowfish are a family of small, brightly colored freshwater fish that occupy much of Australia and New Guinea. These beautiful fish are often prized due to their shimmering, reflecting scales that give them colors reminiscent of a rainbow.

Social and usually found in groups, these fish tend to like an aquarium with much swimming space and plenty of plants.

The Cherry Barb fish were originally from coasts in Sri Lanka. They possess a standard slender body, which at full growth normally reaches 2 inches or 5 centimeters long.

Male Cherry Barbs have bright red or cherry-colored bodies from head to tail, crossed by a dark black stripe horizontally across the sides. Meanwhile, females are less red and without the black stripe.

Cardinal Tetra is a peaceful and social fish species. It is recommended that you have a minimum of six in your aquarium as they like staying in groups.

Besides its beautiful coloration, the species has a unique swimming style where all the fish swim in harmony. They also get along with a variety of other peaceful fish species, making it easier to put together a peaceful community tank.

Though mostly shy and peaceful, the Electric Yellow Cichlid is surely not the least demanding freshwater fish. In fact, for their prolonged survival, you’ll need a large tank with a capacity of around 150 liters of water.

Prepare a healthy tank with dim lighting and add gravel or sand as the substrate. You can also feed a variety of foods, including flakes, pellets, shrimps, blackworms, and bloodworms.

The Pearl Gourami, or Trichogaster leeri, is one of the more recognizable aquarium fish. One of its most distinguishing features is the coloration that reflects a pearly iridescence.

The male bears striking vertical bars on its body, while the female has drab patterns. They are extremely docile and relatively easy to care for, even for a beginning fish owner.

The Golden Wonder Killifish is also famous for its shining golden body and its perfect contrast with black stripes. While its body is very elongated, its fins are highly flowy.

One of the astounding characteristics of the Golden Wonder Killifish is its tolerance for low oxygen levels. The fish has a special labyrinth organ that gives it the capacity to take in atmospheric air.

The Kribensis Cichlid is not a demanding fish species; instead, it can live in peace with several other fish like Congo Tetra, Tiger Barb, Plecos, and more.

Maintain a constant temperature between 24°C-26°C. A single Kribensis can comfortably live in a tank of 40L capacity; but, if you are raising a bunch of them, set up a 75L aquarium or bigger.

Commonly known as the Three-Spot Gourami, the Blue Gourami is a freshwater fish species native to Southeast Asia. The coloration of this fish is blue all over the body, except for the horizontal black stripe running along the lateral line, starting from the eye up to the base of the tail.

Additional coloration includes two small black spots on the body, one near the dorsal fin and one near the caudal fin.  An adult male can reach 4-5 inches in length while females are slightly smaller at about 3-4 inches in length.

The Harlequin Rasbora has an elongated body, usually in silver color. On the sides, a line is present; this is a black triangular patch, resembling harlequin patterns. The outline is red, making them look bold against the silver-colored body.

The species has an almost rounded belly and forked tail fin to enhance its appearance to be further streamlined and elegant. At the same time, its fins are transparent in color, the dorsal fin being larger and well-developed.

The Paradise fish is a Gourami variety with an aggressive temperament. Native to East Asia, this fish is one of the oldest domesticated species.

Often showing combative behavior, these fish have a unique ability to change their colors to fit into their environment. They have also shown the potential to learn and mimic the movements of other creatures, including humans.

Generally called Featherfin Rainbowfish, this species owns long filamentous dorsal and anal fins that resemble threads. Their transparent fins have a slightly iridescent sheen that gives them the power to shimmer when in water.

Also known as Iriatherina werneri, these fish were originally found in Australia and New Guinea. However, due to their commercial sales, the species has spread all around the globe.

Zebra Danio is a survivor fish, meaning it can comfortably survive in a wide variety of environments. They are more adaptable to handle temperature fluctuations and poor water quality than most other species.

These schooling fish grow best when they are kept with other Zebra Danios, preferably 5-6 in one tank. They prefer simple tanks and can live on a variety of foods.

The Red-tailed Black Shark is not a shark, despite the name. It is included in the family Cyprinidae, which also houses other common aquarium fishes like goldfish and barbs.

The name Redtailed Black Shark is a misnomer justified by the shark-like appearance. These fish are highly territorial and can be aggressive against other fishes, especially those that have a similar body shape and coloration.