Elaborate reef aquariums that have up to hundreds of inhabitants (millions if you choose to count the coral) are awesome. But for those of us looking for a little extra simplicity, single species aquariums are the solution.
Here are, in our opinion, the 5 best species for single species tanks:
Tiger barbs – these striped fish can be too aggressive to keep around other fish (they like to nibble on the fins of others to establish a hierarchy). But in a large group by themselves, they can be a lot of fun, because they’re super they’re active. Oh, and they look like tigers!
Tetras – these guys, especially the colorful neon ones can be a lot of fun when they travel in a school. They’re also super sturdy, so they don’t require too much in terms of maintenance.
Cichlids – these fish are fun to keep, as long as you have adequate space to contain them (they can get a little territorial and like some extra room).
Seahorses – seahorses are very cool looking, and many people like to have some around in their tank. However, sometimes it can be a challenge to feed them when there’s other more aggressive fish around that steal their food. But in a tank filled with just seahorses, that problem obviously doesn’t exist!
Scorpionfish – these fish are super weird, but will also give you major aquarium cred. However, they can be a challenge to keep with other fish. First, they’ll try to eat them all. And, they’re venomous. But if you wanted to fill up a tank with just scorpionfish, you’d avoid all these troubles.
So, don’t discount the single-species tank as an option. With the right fish, a single species tank can be a lot of fun, and easy to maintain too.
