10 Beautiful Red Freshwater Fish (Perfect for Aquariums!)

If you are looking to spice up your aquarium with some red-hot freshwater fish, you are going to want to narrow your choices down so you can find the perfect fit. Are you looking for a red fish to complete your rainbow-colored tank, or do you just love red? Read on to find out about 10 beautiful red freshwater fish perfect for your aquarium!

1) Cherry Barb

Up first is the shimmering cherry barb! These bright red small, slender fish are perfect for your aquarium. They only get to be around 2 inches long with a wispy dorsal fin and forked tail. As a schooling fish, you can imagine what a stunning display they make if you have a school of 15 or more.

They also do well in a community tank, so you could mix them in with other red fish or get a variety of colors to make your tank pop! Cherry barbs are originally from Sri Lanka, an island country off the southeast coast of India. Today, they are captive-bred, but the wild ones seem to be more colorful.

2) Red Betta

The Red Betta is a beautiful red fish that can hold its own as a long-flowing finned betta fish. Betta fish are also called Siamese fighting fish because they tend to be a bit territorial and will fight (sometimes to the death) if put in the same tank as another (males). If you have one red betta with bright green aquatic plants and a few colorful snails, it may make for an attractive tank.

Red betta can be universally red or have a mixed coloration. They can have stunning blue bodies that fade into red tails or pale bodies with red-tipped fins. There is quite a variety of colorations with betta fish. While their bodies are usually in the 2-3 inch range, their fanning fins can reach an inch or two more. Betta fish are captive-bred for the fish trade and are originally from Thailand.

3) Red Guppy

Guppies are easygoing fish for your freshwater aquarium. You won’t have any issues with aggression from these little fish. There are a variety of red guppies, including the full red albino guppy, red Moscow guppy and red tuxedo guppy. The full red albino guppy is completely red and has a flowing dorsal fin and fan-like tail fin.

The females are less vibrant in color but also sport red coloration. Red Moscow guppies have a red body and a golden belly, making them unique-looking. The red tuxedo guppies look a bit different, with silvery bodies that get darker near the tail and beautiful red dorsal and tail fins. The guppies range in size from 1- 1 ½ inches and are schooling fish, so you will need to get a group of 6 or more for your aquarium.

4) Blood-Red Parrot Cichlid

One of the bigger fish on our list is the blood-red parrot cichlid. They can be as big as a salad plate, up to 8 inches long. You will want to be sure you have a tank of at least 30 gallons to house one of these. They prefer a horizontal tank versus a tall vertical aquarium.

Blood-red parrot cichlids get their name from the tiny parrot-shaped mouth that has a slight curve to it. It looks too small for their bulbous bodies but seems to do the trick. Parrot cichlids can be a range of colors from orangish to reddish and everything in between. Parrot cichlids are hybrid-bred fish originating from the family Cichlidae. There is some controversy around the breeding of these fish that sometimes results in a deformed swim bladder or uncharacteristically large irises, so do some research before purchasing this fish from a vendor.

5) Red Swordtail

The small narrow swordtail is at the opposite spectrum of the large bulbous parrot cichlid. As their name implies, the males have a long sword-like tail that ends at a point. They are in the Poeciliidae family and are related to guppies with similar body shapes and personalities.

Swordtails come in a range of colors, including red with a universal red body and some having a dark brown stripe along the bottom side of the lower lobe of the tail (the part that looks like a sword). The females have a “normal” looking tail without the sword. Females also get quite larger than males, sometimes by more than an inch. They average around 5 ½ inches as adults, with the females reaching 6 ½ inches.

6) Rosy Tetra

The rosy tetra is not a bright red fish like the betta but a more faded red; some are even pinker, with a reddish edge to their dorsal fin. A black oblong spot is present on the dorsal fin as well. These tiny fish only get around 1.6 inches in captivity, with wild ones getting larger.

Rosy tetras are schooling fish, so you will want to group them into 6 or more to make them feel comfortable. They are good community tank fish if you put them with compatible fish like their relatives. Another tetra that has red markings is the bleeding heart tetra. They are white to opaque fish with a small red mark right where you think their heart might be! A school of bleeding hearts and a school of rosy tetras would be good tank mates (and quite a nice display!).

7) Red Platy

The red platy is a classic fish choice perfect for your aquarium! These little fish are bright red in color with gold eyes and fan-like tails. They only get to be about 2 inches long and are fun to watch in large schools. They are easy-going fish that get along well with tank mates. With the wide range of colorations for platy, you could easily create a rainbow of freshwater fish for your tank. Add some nice green java moss, and you will have an amazing aquarium set up!

8) Chili Rasbora

Rasbora is known for being peaceful, and they even get along with aggressive bettas! The chili rasbora is bright red with a black horizontal stripe along its side. The dorsal fin is red with black markings, and the forked tail fin is clear (opaque). These small, torpedo-shaped fish only get to be ¾ inches long, so a larger school of them might help appreciate their appearance. Having at least 8-12 together is recommended. One reason they sometimes get overlooked in the pet trade is that they appear somewhat drab in color as juveniles but are stunning as adults!

9) Red Neon Stiphodon Goby

One look at the red neon Stiphodon goby, and you will know it is a unique type of aquarium fish. About the same size as platy, it has a unique body shape and coloration. The Stiphodon goby is a long, narrow, almost eel-like fish with fast-moving pectoral fins close to the head. As bottom dwellers, they quickly skirt along the bottom of the tank, so be sure to add some rocks, gravel and aquatic plants. The red neon Stiphodon gobies have a reddish-orange body with black vertical markings and two darker dorsal fins. The head is silvery with a blueish tint. Truly remarkable to watch a group mingling around the bottom of your tank!

10) Kisaki Killifish

Another unique-looking fish is the Kisaki killifish from Tanzania. These freshwater fish look like they might be exotic saltwater fish, but they are freshwater. Kisaki killifish are bright red mixed with blue, and their scales are very pronounced. The contrasting colors are stunning! They also have rich blue eyes. You can comfortably keep 3-4 in a 10-gallon tank, although a 20+ gallon tank would be better. The males can be a bit aggressive toward other males, so it is best to have one male and a few females or all females. Otherwise, they are peaceful fish that are perfect for freshwater aquarium fish!

Summary of 10 Beautiful Red Freshwater Fish

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