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- 🚫 Don’t Buy These Fish (Yet)
🚫 Don’t Buy These Fish (Yet)
A Smart Fishkeeper’s Guide to Avoiding Regret 🚫
William Shannon
June 22, 2025
In partnership with
Hey , are you picky about fish?
Fish stores don’t always warn you about a fish’s real care needs.
Some species look small, cute, or peaceful in the store — but will outgrow tanks, fight other fish, or need expert care.
Common Beginner Mistake:
"Buying with your eyes, not your knowledge."
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Why Avoid Certain Fish?
Some fish are stunning — but a nightmare for beginners. They may:
 |
 |
 |
 |
⚠️🐟
Fish to Skip Unless You Do Research
Fish | The Problem |
|---|---|
Oscar Fish | Grow huge, messy eaters. |
Common Pleco | Get up to 2 feet long! |
Bala Shark | Need large schools & big tanks. |
Discus Fish | Extremely sensitive species. |
Clown Loach | Need big groups & large tanks. |
🎁 Want smart fish picks and pro tips sent straight to you?
Get expert care guides, compatibility charts,
and no-regret stocking plans.
Better Beginner Choices ✅
Fish | Why It’s Great for Beginners |
|---|---|
Guppies | Very hardy, adaptable to various water conditions, colorful, and easy to breed. |
Platies | Peaceful, tolerant of water changes, easy to feed, and come in many color varieties. |
Zebra Danios | Extremely hardy, active swimmers, tolerate beginner mistakes, and perfect for cycling tanks. |
Corydoras Catfish | Peaceful bottom dwellers, help keep the tank clean, easy to care for, and like to be in small groups. |
Bristlenose Plecos | Stay small (4-6 inches), eat algae, peaceful, low maintenance compared to larger plecos. |
Single Betta | Can live in smaller tanks (with proper setup), hardy, beautiful colors, and easy to feed. Best kept alone to avoid aggression. |
🌍 Community Check-In: You’re Not Alone in This
With over 616,000 members, our Aquariums for Beginners group on Facebook has grown into a thriving hub of learning, inspiration, and tank glow-ups — just like the lush aquascape featured in our current cover photo! 🌿🐟
But we’re always looking to improve — just like our tanks.
💬 What would you like to see more of in the group?
More beginner tips?
Live Q&As?
Monthly tank challenges or giveaways?
Something else?
Reply to this email
🖼 Should we update our group cover photo too?
If you’ve got a tank you’re proud of, reply with a pic or share it in the group using #CoverPhoto — your setup could be our next banner!
Thanks for being part of this growing, generous community. Your voice matters 💙
✅ The Bottom Line
Impulse buys lead to heartache (for you and the fish). These species aren’t “bad,” just not for everyone—yet. With the right knowledge and setup, many become show-stoppers in your tank.
📌 Do your research. Ask questions. Respect the fish.
🐟 Happy Fishkeeping!
-AquariumsForBeginners
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