When I think beginner fish I think something that is cheap, tough, and fun to watch.

The three fish I would suggest for a beginner are:

1. Common goldfish: I started with two feeder goldfish that I had for 12 years. They were super forgiving as I made lots of mistakes and they quickly learned that opening the lid probably meant they were getting fed, which I was able to capitalize on to show my friends that my fish loved me so much they would come up to kiss my finger.

2. Live bearers: Mollies, guppies, platies, etc. These fish can tolerate a wide range of water parameters, they’re pretty and they’re really easy to breed. Nothing makes you feel like a successful fish keeper more than finding babies in your tank.

3. Danios: Again, they are tolerant of less than ideal water quality, they are pretty to look at, active swimmers, good in a community tank, all around good fish. I’m particular to the giant danio myself.

One thing I would mention is that when choosing a fish it is important to do a little homework on it first. In addition to learning about its water quality and cover needs, Pet stores should be able to tell you where the fish came from. To be environmentally responsible it is best to choose fish that are either captive bred and raised or are sustainably harvested from the wild like the fish of Project Piaba. This is a fishery on the Rio Negro that is saving a huge chunk of the Amazon Rainforest by giving the locals environmentally friendly jobs. The fish they collect reproduce very quickly so they are not diminishing wild populations. Their motto is “ buy a fish save a tree” http://projectpiaba.org/