Aquariums are a popular way to enjoy fish, and for many people, it is a hobby to keep planted aquariums. A planted aquarium is a great way to display your fish and to create a natural environment for them.
Here’s a list of the 15 most beautiful fishes for your planted aquarium:
- Betta Fish
- Honey Gourami
- Neon Tetra
- Angel Fish
- Ember Tetra
- Otocinclus
- Fancy Guppies
- Zebra Danios
- Glofish Tetra
- Swordtails
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Black or White Mollies
- Endler’s
- Platy
- White Skirt Tetra
In this article, we will discuss the five most beautiful fish for planted aquariums. We will also provide tips on how to choose the right fish for your planted aquarium and how to care for them.
1. Betta Fish
The Betta fish is one of the most popular fish for a planted aquarium. They are very hardy, easy to care for, colorful and have a personality all their own.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | red, blue, green, black and white. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 1.5 Gallon (3 gallons recommended) |
| Lifespan: | 3-5 years |
| Diet: | Bettas are carnivores and should be fed a diet that consists mostly of live and frozen foods |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Bettas can be kept with small, non-aggressive, and non-fin-nipper small fishes such as:
- Guppies
- Tetras
- Cory catfish
Also, keep your betta fish away from the following fishes:
- Other Betta FIshes: Bettas can get pretty aggressive and territorial if multiple bettas are present in the same tank.
- Dwarf Gouramis: Both dwarf gouramis and bettas are aggressive. So, keeping them together means starting a bloodbath in your tank.
- Tiger Barbs: Don’t keep Tiger barbs and other fin nippers with betta fish.
- Zebra Danios: Zebra danios are super fast and food aggressive, whereas bettas are slow. So, keeping betta with lots of danios means the betta will not get enough food.
Behavior:
Most bettas are a little aggressive and should not be kept with other aggressive fishes. They are also known for their playful personality and will often chase each other and play games.
Preferred Plants for Betta Fish:
Bettas prefer plants that are either floating or have a long stem. Some good plants for Bettas include water lettuce, Anacharis and hornwort.
2. Honey Gourami
The Honey Gourami is a peaceful and colorful freshwater fish that is part of the gourami family. Also, one of my favorite centerpiece fish for community tanks.
Honey gouramis are native to Bangladesh, northern India. They are ideal fish for inexperienced fishkeepers who are starting for the first time.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | Silver-gray, golden yellow with a brown horizontal band along the midline. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Average Lifespan: | 6 years |
| Diet: | They are omnivorous in the wild, and their food ranges from small invertebrates and insects to zooplankton. Sometimes, they also graze on surrounding plants. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
As Honey Gouramis have a peaceful temperament, they can get along with a wide variety of different fishes.
Here is a rundown of excellent honey gourami tank mates:
- Small barbs.
- Sparkling gouramis.
- Cory catfish.
- Guppies.
- Neon or Ember Tetras
- Zebra danios.
- Mollies.
Behavior:
The honey gourami is the definition of community fish. They are a peaceful bunch, and they don’t start a fight with other species in your tank.
In fact, these fishes are known to be scaredy-cats. In my experience, they are nothing like a dwarf or other aggressive gouramis. They will do fine in a planted community tank with other peaceful fishes.
Preferred Plants for Honey Gourami Fish:
Typically, floating plants are the type of plants that harmonize well with the honey gouramis.
A few examples of such plants include:
- Frog bite
- Floating fern
- Various species of Salvinia.
3. Neon Tetra
Neon Tetras are one of the most popular fish for freshwater aquariums. They are small, colorful, and peaceful and schooling fish, making them a good choice for beginning fishkeepers.
As a piece of advice, keep them in a school of 10 or more in your planted aquarium to see the schooling behavior of these fish. I can guarantee you are going to love it.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | A combination of red, white and blue |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | 2-3 years |
| Diet: | They are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of live foods, including brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms, as well as freeze-dried foods. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
As they are peaceful fish, Neon Tetras can be kept with a variety of other fish.
Some good tank mates include other small tetras, such as the Cardinal Tetra, other types of barbs, danios, and guppies.
Preferred Plants for Neon Tetras:
Neon Tetras do well with a variety of plant types, but they prefer those that are planted low to the ground.
My suggested plants for Neon Tetras would be:
- Java moss
- Cryptocoryne wendtii
- Anubias barteri.
Behavior:
Neon Tetras are very active nano fish and like to swim in schools. They are very peaceful and get along well with other fish.
They usually grow up to 1 and a half inches. Also, they get a little stressed when kept in fewer numbers, and larger fishes are around. So, don’t keep them with larger fishes.
4. Angelfish
Angelfish is a popular freshwater fish species that is often used in aquariums. They are beautiful fish that come in a variety of colors.
Let’s be honest; angelfish is one of the most beautiful fish you can get for your planted tank.
Angelfish will always be in the top 5 list of my favorite aquarium fishes of all time. However, angelfish can grow big.
I have seen angelfish that were around 6 inches. So, I usually recommend keeping angelfishes in tanks that are larger than 30 gallons.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | Silver and gold with choppy black stripes |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 30 Gallon |
| Average Lifespan: | 10 years |
| Diet: | Omnivorous; eats both plants and animal-based foods. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Angelfish can be a little aggressive and territorial, so it is important to choose their tank mates wisely.
Here are some good tank mates for Angelfish:
- Bristlenose plecos.
- Cory catfish.
- Harlequin rasboras.
- Neon tetras.
- Platies.
- Swordtails.
Preferred Plants for Angelfish:
Angelfish enjoy eating plants, so it is important to choose a plant that will thrive in an aquarium with Angelfish.
Some good plants for Angelfish include:
- Anubias
- Java fern
- Water lettuce
- Water sprite
Behavior:
Angelfish are usually peaceful fish, but they can become semi-aggressive and territorial when they establish a territory in the aquarium, especially during the breeding season.
To be honest, despite being from the cichlid family, angelfish are very different from types of cichlids.
They normally don’t get aggressive and can co-exist in a community tank with various types of fish in a planted aquarium.
5. Ember Tetra
The Angel Fish is a popular freshwater fish that is often used in aquariums. They are beautiful fish that come in a variety of colors.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | Orangish-red |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | 2-3 years |
| Diet: | Omnivorous; their diet in the wild consists of small insects, crustaceans, and zooplankton. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
The Ember Tetra is a peaceful fish and can be kept with other small community fish.
Some good tank mates include:
- Neon tetras
- Cory catfish
- Guppies
- Zebra danios
- Mollies
Preferred Plants for Ember Tetra Fish:
Low-growing plants that provide some cover for the fish are ideal for Ember Tetras. Good plants to consider include: Java moss Frogbit Water wisteria Anacharis
Behavior:
The Ember Tetra is a very active fish and likes to swim around in the tank. They are schooling fish and do best when kept in groups of six or more.
6. Otocinclus
Otocinclus, also known as Otos or Oto Cats, are small, peaceful, schooling fish that is popular in the freshwater fishkeeping hobby. They are often used as a “clean-up crew” to keep the tank clean of algae.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | Yellowish orange with black spots |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Average Lifespan: | 4 years |
| Diet: | They are herbivores and feed primarily on algae. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Otocinclus should be kept in schools of 6 or more and should only be housed with other peaceful fish.
Preferred Plants for Ember Tetra Fish:
Otocinclus should be kept in tanks with lots of live plants as they love to graze on algae.
A few good plant choices for an oto tank are:
- Java moss
- Anubias
- Hornwort
Behavior:
Otocinclus are a very timid fish and will spend most of their time hiding in the plants. They are not a good choice for a tank with aggressive fish.
7. Fancy Guppies
Fancy guppies are popular freshwater fish that are known for their beautiful colors and patterns. They are peaceful, schooling fish that are perfect for beginners.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | White, red, blue, or turquoise green |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | 1-2 years |
| Diet: | Guppies are herbivores and feed primarily on algae. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Guppies should be kept in schools of 6 or more and should only be housed with other peaceful fish.
Preferred Plants for Ember Tetra Fish:
Guppies love to graze on algae so a good plant choice for a Fancy guppy tank is Java moss, Anubias, and Hornwort.
Behavior:
Fancy guppies are very peaceful fish and will spend most of their time hiding in the plants. They are not a good choice for a tank with aggressive fish.
8. Zebra Danios
Zebra Danios are gorgeous fish that are native to SouthEast Asia. They are also known as Mebane Danios.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | They have silvery-green, pink, blue, and purple bodies. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | 2-5 years |
| Diet: | Zebra Danios are omnivores and feed on both plant and animal-based foods.. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Zebra danios are very social fish, and they like to interact with other fish. They get along well with other fish that are similar in size, such as tetras, mollies, and Cory catfish.
Preferred Plants for Ember Tetra Fish:
Zebra danios prefer plants that have long, floating leaves.
Some plants that they like are:
- Arrow weed
- water lettuce
- hornwort
Behavior:
Zebra danios are peaceful and will get along with most other fish. They are also very active and love to swim around their tank.
9. Glofish Tetra
The GloFish is probably the most interesting species on the list. It’s actually trademarked and patented brand of genetically engineered fluorescent fish.
You can find various kinds of Glofish in the market. The popular and beloved Zebrafish species is also a Glofish.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | They come in a wide range of fluorescent colors such as bright red, green, orange-yellow, blue, pink, and purple. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 5 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | 3-8 years |
| Diet: | Pellets, flakes, and frozen/freeze-dried food. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
You can actually raise them in a community tank. But, make sure the other fishes are peaceful and similar in size.
Some good options include Rasboras, Tetras, Zebra danio, Danios, and other GloFish.
Preferred Plants for Glofish Tetra:
Glofish Tetras prefer the following plants:
- Hornwort.
- Amazon Sword.
- Java Moss.
- Frogbit.
- Anubias Petite.
- Twisted Vallisneria.
Behavior:
Glofish tetras are known for their sound temperament and peaceful behavior. However, they will only remain peaceful if they are kept in a group of 6 or less.
If you keep more together, you should expect them to fight and chase each other around from time to time.
10. Swordtails
Swordtail fish is a beautiful and popular freshwater fish species that can be easily kept in a community aquarium.
As they require low-maintenance, Swordtails would be a great choice for you if you’re a beginner or you just don’t want to go through too much hassle.
Facts & Overview:
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | Swordtail fish usually come in red, orange, and black. Additionally, there are other fish and exotic varieties with distinct multicolor patterns. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 15 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | Around 3-5 years |
| Diet: | Swordtail fish are omnivores, and in the wild, they feed on algae, insects, worms, crustaceans, and plant matter. You can feed them flakes, pellets, and algae wafers. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Here are a few examples of some great species worth considering as tank mates of your Swordtails:
- Molly Fish.
- Platy Fish.
- Angelfish.
- Rosy Barbs.
- Cory Catfish.
- Dwarf Gouramis.
- Celestial Pearl Danios.
- Neon Tetras.
Preferred Plants for Glofish Tetra:
You need to keep your fish tank fresh and oxygenated for your Swordtail fishes. The plants that are ideal for that include:
- Java Fern
- Dwarf Hairgrass
- Anubias Nana
Behavior:
Swordtail fish are quite similar to platy fish in terms of behavior. They have attractive colors, and peaceful temperament. And due to their ease of care, they have become an attractive choice to aquarists.
11. Harlequin Rasbora
The harlequin Rasbora comes from the family Cyprinidae. This species was first introduced in the early 1900s and they became an instant hit among the aquarists. It’s also the most popular and widely kept species of Rasboras.
| Category | Comment |
| Color | This fish has a Silver body with orange fins, and a black patch |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallon |
| Lifespan | 5-8 years |
| Diet | Rasboras are not picky about food. They enjoy a diet made out of high-quality flakes or granules. You can also add live foods such as daphnia and artemia. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Actually you can go ahead and keep your Harlequins with any fish that you like. But, make sure it’s not large and predatory.
Some excellent tankmates for your Rasboras would be:
- Bettas
- Neon tetras
- Cardinal tetras
- Small barbs
- Dwarf gouramis
- Other smaller rasboras.
Preferred Plants for Harlequin Rasboras:
Plants provide protection to Harlequin Rasboras. A great example of such a plant is Cryptocoryne.
This plant has softer and broad leaves and the fishes can easily move through them.
Behavior:
Just like the previous few species of fishes that we’ve talked about, the Harlequin Rasboras are also quite peaceful.
But, they might be vulnerable to harassment from other more aggressive fishes in the tank.
12. Black or White Mollies
Mollies come from the Poeciliidae family. In fact, there are various types of molly fish out there.
A few examples include black molly fish, sailfin molly fish, Dalmatian molly fish, and balloon molly fish.
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | They come in a multitude of colors including black, white, silver, red, and orange. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 Gallon |
| Lifespan: | Up to 5 Years |
| Diet: | They are big fans of green vegetables. We recommend you stick with cucumbers, zucchini, and shelled peas. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Actually you can go ahead and keep your Harlequins with any fish that you like. But, make sure it’s not large and predatory. Some excellent tankmates for your Rasboras would be bettas, neon tetras, cardinal tetras, small barbs, dwarf gouramis, and other smaller rasboras.
Preferred Plants for Harlequin Rasboras:
Here’s a list of the best tank mates for your Mollies:
- Keyhole Cichlids
- Dwarf Cichlids
- Severums
- Discus
- Rams
Behavior:
Mollies typically gel well with other fishes and they are peaceful for the most part. But, they are likely to get triggered if there are other more aggressive fishes in the same tank.
13. Endler
Endler is a gorgeous and eye-catching nano freshwater fish species. They can be taken care of easily. Aquarists of all experience levels can keep them.
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | It is a colorful species and it’s colors include red, green, orange, blue, purple, yellow, and gold. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 20 gallons |
| Lifespan: | 2-3 years |
| Diet: | Just like most of the other entries on this list Endler’s are also omnivores. They typically eat algae, plant matter and small insects. You can feed them live and frozen food. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Corydoras would be fantastic tankmates for your Endler’s as it’s a bottom-feeding fish. You can also keep them with nano fishes.
Preferred Plants for Endlers: Here’s a list of suitable plants for your beloved Endlers:
- Water wisteria.
- Cabomba.
- Water sprite.
- Java fern.
- Hygrophila polysperma.
- Java moss.
- Hornwort.
- Duckweed.
Behavior:
Endlers are remarkably active, you’ll find them swimming around the tank at all times.
They have a natural instinct of investing in things that draw their attention. They are also inquisitive and fearless.
14. Platy
Platies are fairly popular in the fishkeeping world. This fish is commonly found in Mexico and Central America.
The various species of Platies crossbreed with each other and other genetically close species (Swordtails). This has resulted in new hybrids with different color variations.
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | This fish comes in different shades of beige, brown, and muted orange |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 gallons |
| Lifespan: | 3-5 years |
| Diet: | Platies are omnivores in the wild. They typically eat algae, insects, plants and small crustaceans. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
Here’s a list of best tank mates for your Platies
- Swordtail
- Angelfish
- Black Molly
- Betta
- Guppy
- Corydoras Catfish
- Zebra Danio
- Neon Tetra
Preferred Plants for Platies:
You should add plants that are natvecentral and South America in your fish tank. In this case, the Amazon Frogbit will do just fine
Behavior:
Platy fishes are peaceful and friendly. They are not aggressive, but they are not shy either.
From what I have seen, most platies feel shy when they are newly introduced. They will try to hide behind plants when you go near the tank.
This trend might continue for 2-3 days. Things get normal when the platies get used to the environment and your presence.
15. White Skirt Tetra:
The White Skirt Tetra originates from the blackwater tributaries of the Amazon River basin. This fish is a schooling fish and should be kept in a shoal of six or more.
| Category | Comment |
| Color: | The White Skirt Tetra has a silver body with a black stripe that runs from the nose to the tail. There is also a white skirt-like fin that runs along the bottom of the fish. |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 gallons |
| Lifespan: | 3-5 years |
| Diet: | White Skirt Tetras are omnivorous and will eat a variety of foods including flakes, pellets, and frozen foods. |
Ideal Tank Mates:
White Skirt Tetras can be kept with other peaceful fish such as:
- Other tetras
- Zebra danios
- Guppies.
They should not be kept with aggressive fish or fish that eat smaller fish.
Preferred Plants for White Skirt Tetras:
White Skirt Tetras will do well with most types of plants. Some good plants to use include java fern, anubias, and sword plants.
Behavior:
White skirt tetras are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of at least 6. They are very active fish and like to swim around a lot.
Final Thoughts
Well, that marks the end of our discussion about the 15 most beautiful fishes for your planted aquariums.
It should be noted that the list is not exhaustive, and there are many other beautiful fishes that could have been included.
Furthermore, the aquarium hobby is ever-evolving, and new breeds of fish are being developed all the time.
So, don’t be surprised if you see some new and amazing fish being bred in the near future that is not on this list.
We hope that you have found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
