With over eleven million U.S. households with a freshwater aquarium, you are in good company. And the benefits of aquarium keeping are plenty. Watching these living works of art are wonderful stress relievers and have even been credited for reducing blood pressure, improving mood, and reducing anxiety. Aquarium keeping also provides great educational opportunities for children to learn about aquatic life, geography, and responsibility. Fishkeeping is a long term commitment, as regular maintenance and diligence is necessary to keep aquatic life safe, happy, and healthy.

Until recently, the only way to view your aquarium during the evening was under white daytime lighting, but now lights that simulate the moon have since added another dimension to aquarium keeping.

Reputable suppliers like LiveAquaria^® are committed to offering sustainably raised aquatic life that is either aquacultured or responsibly harvested, which includes careful attention to both the animals and the habitat.

With so many options of beautiful fish and inverts available, there are many resources that make this hobby accessible and enable interested people to enjoy the incredible world of aquaculture. You undoubtedly have your favorite specimens. Are you curious to know what the top selling freshwater species were at LiveAquaria^® in 2023?

These are the top selling freshwater families of aquatic life purchased by LiveAquaria® customers in 2023. Learn more about these popular fish and inverts that can make a significant impact in your home aquarium.

Tetras are active schooling fish that work well in the peaceful community aquarium. It is ideal to keep six or more fish of the same Tetra species in an aquarium that is well planted and has moderate lighting. Both the Cardinal Tetra and Neon Tetra made our Customer Favorites list in 2023.

The Cardinal Tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi adds an exciting splash of iridescent blue and red color to any freshwater home aquarium, especially when kept in schools of six or more. It enjoys densely planted aquariums with areas of low or subdued lighting where they will hide and soft, acidic water with few fluctuations in water parameters

Native to the clear water streams, the Neon Tetra Paracheirodon innesi also enjoys densely planted systems, rocks, driftwood that offer plenty of low light areas in which to hide. Though the Neon Tetra appreciates a sheltered environment, it will tend to swim or remain suspended in the water column in schools to create a breathtaking display of color. Extremely peaceful, the Neon Tetra should be kept with similarly non-aggressive tankmates of a similar size.

Guppies are hardy and colorful freshwater fish that add excitement and brilliance to a passive community aquarium. Unique color strains have been developed through selective breeding programs.

LiveAquaria^® offers packs of both male and female Guppies that proved popular among customers in 2023. They are peaceful fish that make good tankmates in freshwater community aquariums. Java Fern and Java moss are excellent choices for aquascaping. As with many other fish species, the males are more colorful than the females.

Plecostomus have specially adapted mouthparts that enable them to attach to the aquarium's substrate. Most Plecos are peaceful fish and prefer to rest or slowly graze over the aquarium bottom. They do an excellent job of cleaning unwanted algae from the bottom and sides of the tank.

The Bushy Nose Plecostomus Ancistrus sp. is also known as the Bristlenose Plecostomus whose color varies depending on the area in which it lives and can include brown, yellow, and white. This Pleco has short whisker like appendages in the mouth area it uses to detect food. This Pleco will make a good addition to a community freshwater aquarium with plants, high aeration, and water movement. Rocks and driftwood help to accent a natural habitat and provide hiding spaces to cut down on stress for the Bushy Nose Plecostomus. The Orange Bushy Nose Plecostomus Ancistrus sp. is a variation of this Pleco that is orange with dark brown or black markings and was also a popular choice in 2023. Both species are easy to keep fed, as they eat detritus and algae present in the aquarium and are not fussy eaters.

Freshwater Angelfish belong to the Cichlidae family and come in a variety of colors and fins due to the success of selective breeding programs.

The Koi Angelfish Pterophyllum sp. was another popular choice in 2023. This freshwater fish allows even freshwater enthusiasts the ability to care for and enjoy having the distinctive looking Angelfish shape it their tanks and combines the popular colors of Koi fish in its display, namely gold, black and white.

Most Barbs are small, colorful, and active, and are ideally suited for the community aquarium. It is best to keep them in groups of six or more to minimize aggression towards more passive tank mates.

Because of its exciting coloration and peaceful dispositions, the Denison Barb Sahyadria denisonii can be counted among top freshwater favorites in 2023. Packaged in groups of six, these torpedo shaped fish add a lot of activity and colors in silver, black and red. Due to their activity level and tendency to jump, they should be kept in an aquarium with a tight fitting lid.

Corydora Catfish are some of the most peaceful and entertaining scavengers for a freshwater aquarium and will thrive in a wide range of water conditions. They are very energetic scavengers who remain relatively small. Because of this, they are perfect for keeping the substrate clean in a smaller freshwater community aquarium.

The ability to house a small Catfish in a freshwater aquarium proved desirable and increased the popularity of the Peppered Cory Cat Corydoras paleatus last year. Growing to less than three inches in length, it is a peaceful bottom dwelling scavenger that displays in black, green, and white colors. It enjoys a well-planted aquarium with plenty of hiding places that provides relief from the light. A smooth sand or gravel substrate is needed because of its easily damaged barbels.

Danios are small, active schooling fish well suited for a community aquarium. These hardy fish are often used to cycle a new aquarium, as they are more tolerant of a wide range of water conditions. Danios are often used as dither fish to help entice reclusive species out of hiding.

The Zebra Danio Danio rerio proved irresistible to hobbyists searching for a peaceful freshwater fish on our website in 2023. A perennial favorite, this Danio is either silver or gold with five uniform blue/purple stripes that stretch horizontally from the gill to the end of the tail. The Zebra Danio is a highly active swimmer, especially when kept in small schools.

Most Gouramis are referred to as anabantoids or Labyrinth fish. They are graceful swimmers that travel to the water surface to breathe air. They make a wonderful addition to the passive community aquarium, adding brilliant color and diversity.

The Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami Trichogaster lalia is a shy fish in terms of personality, but not in color! Their vivid iridescent coloration helped this Gourami make our 2023 Customer Favorites list. Males present in a turquoise blue with orange-red stripes. To showcase it best, aquarists can use a dark colored substrate. Regular water changes are necessary, as this Gourami can be susceptible to disease. They should be housed with other small peaceful fish.

Invertebrates, which represent more than 95% of the known species on earth, are animals without backbones. Diverse, interesting, colorful, and unusual, invertebrates make great additions to your home aquarium.

Shrimp make interesting and colorful additions to any freshwater aquarium. They are scavengers that have a hard outer shell (carapace) that must be shed by molting in order for the shrimp to grow.

The Red Cherry Shrimp Neocaridina denticulata sinensis is not only beautiful to look at, but it has an appetite for a variety of freshwater algae. Both of these reasons may be what elevated it to popularity last year. It adds a beautiful ornamental quality to aquariums with its brilliant mostly red coloration it displays while it is in pursuit of algae and organic debris.

The Japonica Amano Shrimp Caridina japonica is also known as the Amano Shrimp and has gained popularity due to its large appetite for all kinds of freshwater algae. It will consume leftover fish food and detritus on the aquarium floor, making it an efficient cleaner that is also interesting to watch. It should be housed in an environment with plenty of hiding places and algae with a mature substrate. This Shrimp is difficult to breed, and very few hobbyists have been able to raise the larvae to maturity.

The Freshwater Clam is a living filter that helps keep aquarium water clean and clear by removing uneaten food and detritus from the water column. Like many freshwater bivalves, they typically bury themselves in the substrate, and have a siphon that protrudes from the substrate.

A smart choice to be included in our Customer Favorites list because it is an all-around good performer for freshwater aquariums is the Freshwater Clam Corbicual sp. It behaves like a living filter that helps keep aquarium water clear and clean. By removing uneaten food and detritus from the water column, the Freshwater Clam helps maintain water quality and lower nitrate levels. It typically buries itself in the substrate, with only its siphon visible. They should not be housed with invertebrate-eating fish, such as freshwater puffers.

Snails belong to one of the largest classes of organisms, with over 40,000 recognized species. While the shell itself is the primary means of protection, its ability to adhere to a surface and produce noxious compounds also discourages predators.

Both freshwater enthusiasts and pond keepers cast their vote for our Customer Favorite list with the Zebra Nerita Snail Group Neritina sp. They will add a pop of color to any freshwater community aquarium. Displaying in bold alternating stripes of black and yellow, this little scavenger is a popular choice for keeping uneaten food and algae in check. It is peaceful and will not unexpectedly overpopulate your aquarium or water garden since the Nerita Snail is difficult to breed – even impossible to breed in freshwater environments.

These species represent premium freshwater stock from the aquatic riches around the world or are captive bred by responsible suppliers. If these freshwater fish or inverts are included in your list of favorites, you can count yourself in the company of other LiveAquaria^® customers. If not, perhaps it is an opportunity to learn more about them and consider including some of them in your home aquarium.