Fish database
The species we actually check in stocking and compatibility — adult size, minimum tank, temperature, pH, diet, and whether they will eat the shrimp. Not every fish in the trade. Not FishBase.org.
Freshwater fish
The list this site is actually built on.
Saltwater fish
We do not keep a marine list.
Community fish
Fish that can share a planted tank without a war.
Beginner-friendly fish
Hardy, small, and honest about tank size.
Bottom feeders
The sand crew — not a substitute for a filter.
Schooling fish
Buy the group, or do not buy the fish.
Shrimp and snails
Invertebrates first, fish second.
All profiles
40 species. Photo, what they do in the tank, then the numbers. Run compatibility before you mix them.
Amano Shrimp
Caridina multidentata
The algae shrimp that stays aquarium-sized.
Best invertebrate for green algae on glass and plants.
Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
A tall cichlid people treat like a tetra.
A real centrepiece in a 29 with height.
Betta
Betta splendens
A single centrepiece for a heated, filtered 5–10 gallon.
The whole show in a small planted tank.
Bristlenose Pleco
Ancistrus spp.
The pleco that actually fits in a home tank — and eats algae.
Rasp green algae and biofilm off glass, wood, and hardscape.
Cardinal Tetra
Paracheirodon axelrodi
A showier neon that wants better water.
Same schooling job as neons, with a full-body red stripe.
Cherry Barb
Puntius titteya
A peaceful barb for a planted 20.
Schooling color without tiger-barb nipping — if you keep six-plus.
Cherry Shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Biofilm and leftover-food crew that also breeds.
Pick uneaten flakes and film off plants and hardscape.
Clown Loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Snail-eater that outgrows the tank it was sold for.
Will hunt pest bladder snails.
Common Goldfish
Carassius auratus
Cold-water fish. Waste is the main output.
Hardy in cool, filtered volume.
Common Pleco
Hypostomus plecostomus
Sold as an algae eater. Becomes an 18-inch waste factory.
Juveniles do eat algae.
Convict Cichlid
Amatitlania nigrofasciata
Tough, cheap, and mean once they spawn.
Hardy cichlid for a species tank.
Corydoras Catfish
Corydoras spp.
The correct bottom crew for a community.
Sift sand so leftover food and mulm do not sit and rot.
Discus
Symphysodon spp.
Show fish with show requirements.
A planted discus tank is the look people steal for photos.
Dwarf Gourami
Trichogaster lalius
Shy top-dweller for a planted 10–20.
Uses the top third without the betta lottery.
Electric Yellow Cichlid
Labidochromis caeruleus
Mbuna. Rock-picking African cichlid.
Grazes aufwuchs on rock in a Malawi setup.
Ember Tetra
Hyphessobrycon amandae
Nano school for a planted 10.
Actually fits a 10-gallon as a group.
Endler's Livebearer
Poecilia wingei
A smaller, wilder guppy.
Grazes biofilm in planted nanos.
Fancy Goldfish
Carassius auratus
Slower goldfish, still a waste factory.
Pet fish for a cool, filtered 20-plus — one fish, not a school.
Fiddler Crab
Uca spp.
Same job as red claws: brackish, land, not a community invert.
Display crab for a shoreline tank.
German Blue Ram
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
A small South American cichlid for a warm sand bed.
Personality in a 20+ planted tank without oscar drama.
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
Colorful livebearer. A population bomb if you mix sexes.
They pick leftover flakes and biofilm.
Harlequin Rasbora
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Calm midwater school for a 20 long.
Less nippy than barbs, less fragile than cardinals.
Honey Gourami
Trichogaster chuna
Small peaceful labyrinth fish for a planted 10.
Less drama than a betta, less speed than danios.
Jack Dempsey
Rocio octofasciata
Large Central American cichlid. A pet, not a mix-in.
One adult is the show. They know the glass is a wall.
Koi
Cyprinus rubrofuscus
Pond animal.
None in a glass box.
Kuhli Loach
Pangio kuhlii
Nocturnal sand noodles. They work leftover food after lights-out.
Pick food that hit the sand overnight.
Molly
Poecilia sphenops
A livebearer that actually grazes algae.
Picks green film off glass and décor more than guppies do.
Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii
Hungry scavenger. Cleans leftover food; will eat plants if underfed.
Pick up uneaten food before it becomes ammonia.
Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
The default midwater school.
A group of six-plus fills the middle of a 20 long so the tank does not look empty.
Nerite Snail
Neritina natalensis
Glass-algae snail that will not flood a freshwater tank with babies.
Best snail for green algae on glass and hardscape.
Oscar
Astronotus ocellatus
A large cichlid that acts like a dog.
Interactive. That is the whole point.
Otocinclus
Otocinclus spp.
Tiny algae grazer for a mature planted tank.
Best small fish for soft green algae on leaves and glass.
Pearl Gourami
Trichopodus leerii
A larger, calmer gourami centrepiece.
Will pick at hydra and some leftover food at the surface.
Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
Sturdy livebearer for hard tap water.
Grazes a bit of algae and leftover food.
Rainbow Shark
Epalzeorhynchos frenatum
One shark per tank. Owns the lower third.
Picks some algae and leftover food on the bottom.
Red Claw Crab
Perisesarma bidens
Brackish crab with a beach. Not a cleaner.
Watchable in a paludarium. That is the job.
Swordtail
Xiphophorus hellerii
A bigger livebearer that uses the full water column.
Active swimmer in a 20 long.
Tiger Barb
Puntigrus tetrazona
Active school that nips unless the school is large.
Lots of motion in a 29-plus.
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Tanichthys albonubes
The honest no-heater school.
Lives in the mid-60s without a heater if the room stays cool.
Zebra Danio
Danio rerio
Fast top-water school. Hardy, slightly chaotic.
Tolerates cooler rooms than tetras.
Photos from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons. Credits on each profile.