Livebearers
Livebearers are probably the most common beginner fish. They are easy to keep and are not completely dependent on pristine water qualities. The most common out of all livebearers are guppies. Due to their bright colours and constant breeding patters, they are very alluring for the beginner aquarist. They are a good starting fish and will help the aquarist to better understand how fish keeping works so that he can move on to bigger and better things.
Livebearers will do fine with any community fish, but males should be kept away from fish that will nip there fins. Due to their fancy tails other fish have a tendency to become jealous and destroy them.
Other livebearers include mollies and swordtails. Both of these are very colourful and come in a wide array of different variations. When they are bred, new and improved colours can result, with guppies some people like to keep the different lines constant, but if you interbreed them you can result with some absolutely stunning colours and patterns that are not available at the local pet stores.
To breed livebearers simply put a few male and female fish in the same tank. The ratio should be about 1 male to 3 females. If there is more than this, the females may be harassed too often and this can lead to a miscarriage or early death.
They can be fed just about any food you have lying around in the cupboard, they do not need special requirements.
Being a common, low maintenance fish it is a great choice for a beginner or even those who wish to breed them. Well worth a try!
