The 10 best fish for a community aquarium

A community aquarium is all about species that get along. Make sure your aquarium has cycled first and add fish in small groups, not all at once.

Our top 10

Neon tetra

The classic; keep them in schools of at least ten.

Harlequin rasbora

Calm and beautiful in a group.

Zebra danio (Danio rerio)

Active and hardy, ideal for beginners.

Corydoras

Bottom dwellers; keep six or more over sand.

Platy

Cheerful and easy, available in many colours.

Guppy

Colourful livebearer; note that they multiply quickly.

Honey gourami

A calm, small gourami.

Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus)

Eats algae and stays relatively small.

Otocinclus

Small algae eater for a well-established tank.

Amano shrimp

Not a fish, but an excellent algae eater.

Tips for a successful combination

• Choose an aquarium of at least 60 litres
• Combine species with similar temperature and pH requirements
• Keep schooling fish in groups; alone or in pairs they become shy