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Low-Maintenance Pet Fish to Start Small Aquarium
Are you passionate about keeping low-maintenance pet fish in a small fish tank? Or do you want to try keeping fish at the office? It is not unrealistic. You can make it a reality, exactly. Just take action! However, what are low-maintenance fish? If you have no ideas, do not hurry, this article will guide you to learn more about low-maintenance fish. Without any ado, let’s get started!
Content Table
Low-maintenance pet fish
Low-maintenance fish are those that need less care and have great adaptability. They can survive without meticulous care. Dwarf gourami, glofish, goldfish, and dwarf otocinclus for example, are low-maintenance fish. In this part, we will briefly introduce some low-maintenance fish.
1. Molly
Mollies are tropical freshwater fish, and they fancy slow-moving water. Though there are many different colors, patterns, and tail shapes of mollies, most mollies are with flat bodies and short fins.
| Origin | Central America/ Southern United States |  |
| Family | Poeciliidae | |
| Temperament | peaceful | |
| Size | 3.5-4.5 inches | |
| Lifespan | 3–5 years | |
| Water temperature | 72-78℉ | |
| pH level | 7.5-8.5 | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallon |
2. Guppy
Guppies are tropical freshwater fish and prefer sluggish water. With colorful and slim bodies, guppies also have attractive fins and beautiful tails. Besides, guppies possess great fertility.
| Origin | South America |  |
| Family | Poeciliidae | |
| Temperament | peaceful | |
| Size | 1.5-2.5 inches | |
| Lifespan | 1–3 years | |
| Water temperature | 72-82℉ | |
| pH level | 7.0-8.0 | |
| Minimum tank size | 5 gallon |
3. Betta
Bettas are tropical freshwater fish and they enjoy slow-moving water. There are surprising types of bettas, varying tail sizes and shapes, as well as colors. And betta fish can be trained to play easy tricks.
| Origin | Southeast Asia |  |
| Family | Osphronemidae | |
| Temperament | aggressive | |
| Size | 2.25 inches | |
| Lifespan | 2–5 years | |
| Water temperature | 75-80℉ | |
| pH level | 6.5-8 | |
| Minimum tank size | 5 gallon |
4. Platy
Platy fish are freshwater fish, and they like slow-flowing water. The platyfish are in various colors, such as red, yellow, and rainbow.
| Origin | Central America/ Southern Mexico |  |
| Family | Poeciliidae | |
| Temperament | peaceful | |
| 2–3 inches | ||
| Lifespan | 3–4 years | |
| Water temperature | 70-82℉ | |
| pH level | 6.8-8.0 | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallon |
5. Tetra
Tetras are popular freshwater fish, and they feel comfortable in slow currents. And they have more than 150 tetra species, like neon tetra, cardinal tetra, and green tetra.
| Origin | South America/ Central America/Africa |  |
| Family | Characidae/ Alestiidae/ Lebiasinidae | |
| Temperament | most are peaceful | |
| Size | 1.5-2 inches | |
| Lifespan | 5–8 years | |
| Water temperature | 75-80℉ | |
| pH level | 6.8-7.8 | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallon |
Pet fish to keep at the office
A small aquarium or a fish bowl is an excellent option for keeping fish in the office. But which fish is better? Specifically, this segment will share some fish that can be kept at the office. They need low maintenance and survive in small aquariums. Let’s take a look!
1. Neon tetra
| Water temperature | 75-80℉ |  |
| pH level | 6.8-7.8 | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallon | |
| Aquarium heater | needed | |
| Aquarium light | not necessary | |
| Aquarium filter & air pump | choose one of them |
Neon tetras are tropical freshwater fish. There is a blue horizontal stripe and a red strip on their body, which make them appealing. Nonetheless, as they like low light, an aquarium light may not be essential. But if there are many aquatic plants in your tank, it is better to add one. A blue-white light is a good choice, which is ideal for plants of low to mid-light levels.
On the other hand, since sudden water temperature fluctuation is harmful to neon tetras, hence, it is essential to add an aquarium heater. A 5 gallon water heater can help you out. It is easy to clean. And it can run automatically, which will auto on and off according to the set temp. Consequently, it would not be a burden when you are up to your neck at work. Moreover, neon tetras prefer living in a school of six at least. Consequently, it is better to add an aquarium filter to remove waste, debris, and harmful substances. Then, the water quality can remain great.
2. Tiger barb
| Water temperature | 77-82℉ |  |
| pH level | 6.0-8.0 | |
| Minimum tank size | 20 gallon | |
| Aquarium heater | needed | |
| Aquarium light | not necessary | |
| Aquarium filter | needed | |
| Air pump | not necessary |
Tiger barbs are tropical freshwater fish. Usually, there are four vertical black strips on their body, while their fins and faces are red. Also, their bodies are in yellow, gold, orange, red, or other colors.
3. Zebrafish
| Water temperature | 60-86℉ |  |
| pH level | 6.6-8.2 | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallon | |
| Aquarium heater | needed | |
| Aquarium light | not necessary | |
| Aquarium filter | needed |
Zebrafish are tropical freshwater fish. There are five horizontal strips on the body, extending to the end of the caudal fin. In addition, they are active. Hence, you should add an air pump, air stone, or something like that to maintain sufficient oxygen level. Seeing that you need to use the air pump at the office, it should work quietly and be easy to use. Accordingly, a mini air pump can meet the demands, which fits a 1-15 gallon fish tank.
By the way, as for the aquarium filter, some aquarium filters may create noise, especially high-power ones. Nevertheless, a small fish tank filter is perfect. It can clean the water and produce constant and soft bubbles to agitate the water. Besides that, its water flow is slow, which is great for neon tetra, tiger barb, betta, and zebrafish. And zebrafish are the inconspicuous inhabitants of the aquarium.
More importantly, the fish tank filter is driven by an air pump. Thus, it runs quietly, and you may only hear the beautiful sound of bubbles bursting on the water’s surface.
What low-maintenance fish will live the longest
Generally, how long fish can live is not only determined by their nature but also depends on living conditions. The table below shows the average lifespan of some low-maintenance fish.
| Fish | Average lifespan |
| Neon tetra | 5–8 years |
| Tiger barb | 6–7 years |
| Zebrafish | 3–5 years |
| Platy | 3–4 years |
| Betta | 2–5 years |
| Guppy | 1–3 years |
| Molly | 3–5 years |
| Glofish | 3–7 years |
| Dwarf gourami | 4–6 years |
| Dwarf otocinclus | 3–5 years |
Among the low-maintenance fish mentioned above, neon tetra is the most longevous one. With proper care, they may live longer. Then what can you do to extend their lifespan? First of all, it is crucial to provide a suitable tank and hiding places. As they need room to swim, explore, and hide. Besides, keeping great water parameters is essential, otherwise, fish may have health problems. Also, an ideal diet can ensure sufficient nutrients but not overfeeding.
Reminder
Aside from keeping low-maintenance pet fish in small aquariums, you can also use it for aquascaping. Furthermore, there are additional ideas about fish bowl upcycling. For instance, a DIY-themed planter, decorative gadget, and DIY snowman. That is all for today. Finally, thanks for your reading.
