Aquariums: A Completely Subjective Tier List of (SOME) Tropical Freshwater Fish I Have Owned That Have Absolutely No Scientific Reason Behind the Tier List

I have owned tanks for 15 years and have been working at a hatchery/ aquarium store for a little over a year now. This list is by no means something that is right or wrong, just simply my experience with these fish, and this list touches just about 25% of the fish I have owned. If you manage to find yourself upset at my rankings of some fish, I recommend you log off and grab some fresh air. Cheers! Below is some reasons behind some of the rankings

S TIER FAVS: boesemani rainbow fish, pearl gourami, cory cat (any), gudgeon (empire or peacock), licorice gourami, swordtail, endler, ember tetra
– Everyone in this list I chose because they are perfect. Whether it is color, personality, hardiness, uniqueness, and just classic amazing starters. Boesemani have always been my all time favorites the best center piece for an amazing community tank that just EXPLODES with a sunset color. Pearls are the best gouramis. Gudgeons and licorice gouramis are so underrated and need more love. Such unique colors and fin structures, also friendly and easy to take care of. Endlers are the superior fish over fancy guppies mostly due to their more natural bloodline and less defects. Embers are just an awesome all orange neon tetra, which, is pretty darn cool

A TIER SOLID: Danio, guppy, angelfish, honey gourami, hillstream loach, cherry barb
– Still amazing fish, danios are probably the hardiest fish in the whole hobby and so fun to watch how active they are, just like to jump out of the tank at times, and susceptible to cotton mouth fungus. Guppies are such a staple, a classic. The Coca-Cola of fish, the McDonalds of fish. Everyone knows them, you've had them, people have polarizing views on it, but has a soft spot for me. Angels would be S if they didn't become lil stinkers when they hit puberty and kinda fragile if you have hard water. Honeys are the 3rd best gourami (I love gouramis) they stay teeny tiny, are friendly, but hard to find due to how popular, and susceptible to some diseases. Hillstreams are LIGHTYEARS BETTER THAN PLECOS THERE I SAID IT sorry had to get off my chest. These are amazing lil creatures, so much energy, good cleaners, and so much cooler than plecos. Cherry barbs are so underrated, you find them everywhere but man are they so pretty. Make sure you have spots for other fish to hide though when they breed!

B TIER MEH: Neocaridina shrimp, rams, celestial pearl danios, rummynose tetra
– This is the hardest part. Everyone in this tier are amazing when they are doing well. They are here for almost all the same reasons: THESE FOOLS ARE FRAGILE LIL BUDS. They are so pretty. I wish they were easier, they just aren't. You need to pamper them, give them some baths, and a warm dinner to keep them happy

C TIER EHH NA: Dwarf gourami, clown loach, neon tetra, paradise fish (gourami)
– Dwarfs will croak on you if you cough near your tank in the morning, hard pass on them. Clown loaches love to unroot every plant you have in your tank, oh and they are constantly marketed for beginners, and small tanks. They are better than Yo-Yos or Botias, but they still stink. Neons are so overbred that they have the same issue as dwarf gouramis: So overbred that it is impossible to find any that are healthy, and when they are, most you'll get is 1-2 years in them. Get cardinals instead, or better yet, SOME EMBERS! Paradise gouramis are so beautiful, but don't let it deceive you. Their temperment is similar of a cichlid I swear, they have killed so many fish in "peaceful" situations. I'll pass now.

D TIER NEVER AGAIN: Pea puffer, tiger barbs (any family type), otocinclus
– Pea puffers are similar to axolotls: Popularity blew up online, everyone wants one, yet wants to do none of the research. I personally bred these guys for 3 years. I love them. I know a lot about them. They do not deserve to be in 95% of tanks, period. Only very experienced hobbyists. TIGER BARBS NEED TO FIND A NEW HOBBY BECAUSE WE ARE ALL TIRED OF THEM BEING BULLIES. ENOUGH SAID. Otocinclus, they are so freaking cute, but in the 15 years of fishkeeping and buying probably 50+, I have never been able to keep them alive. It's like i turn the lights off in the tank and they croak 8/10.

So that's it! If you made it this far, who are you? Grab a snack, sniff some Prime. But seriously thank you for taking time to let me just ramble about my favorite lil animals! Like I said, this is a VERY small sample of what I have owned/bred, but most are the ones that I have very fond emotions for and had to share.