Tropical Fish for Sale UK

Why we made this list

Searches for "tropical fish for sale" land visitors on a wild mix of sites — national chains with thin stock, hobbyist marketplaces with zero QA, and eBay sellers shipping fish in postal bags. Our team wanted a page we could point new customers to that says, plainly, here are the ten species we have in stock right now that we'd happily recommend.

A mature planted community tank at the Tropical Fish Co warehouse display

Our 200 L community display tank. Every species on this page lives in a tank like this at our warehouse before it ships. Photo: Tropical Fish Co.

A few facts most UK aquarists never hear

Before we get into the shortlist — five numbers from the UK ornamental-fish trade worth knowing.

The UK imports roughly 25 million ornamental fish a year through Heathrow and Manchester airports. The majority are farmed in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand) and Eastern Europe ^[3].
Neon Tetras have topped UK sales for 30+ years. The single most-imported species by volume, every year, since records began.
UK tap water varies wildly between regions. Soft-water species (cardinals, discus, most wild-caught fish) thrive in Scotland, the Lake District, and parts of Wales. Hard-water species (livebearers, Rift Lake cichlids, most commercially-bred fish) thrive in London and the south-east ^[6].
Specialist online retailers outsell the high street 3:1. Since the pandemic, more than two-thirds of UK ornamental-fish sales happen via specialist online shops — chain pet stores carry a narrower range and turn stock over slowly ^[4].
"Inch per gallon" is wrong. The modern replacement: a 60 L tank handles 10–15 small community fish (under 5 cm adult); a 120 L holds 25–35. Stock in stages over 6–8 weeks, never all at once ^[4].

Every fish below is a genuine in-stock SKU. Every price is live. And every one of them is a species we've kept ourselves long enough to speak honestly about its quirks.

UK-focused buying advice

All recommendations assume standard UK tap water — medium-to-hard, pH 7.2–7.8, treated with a dechlorinator. Temperature advice assumes a room temperature of 18-22°C with a heater set to the fish's preferred range. Where a species wants softer or warmer water than typical UK tap, we'll flag it.

Top 10 tropical fish in stock right now

1. Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)

The fish on every beginner's first shopping list, and still one of the best. A small 3cm schooling tetra with a neon-blue stripe and a red underside. Utterly peaceful, easy to feed, and they shoal tightly when kept in groups of twelve or more.

Neons want a mature tank — add them to one that's been running for at least 6 weeks. In a new tank they're the species most likely to die from parameter swings. Once established, they live 5-7 years.

Adult size: 3cm | Temp: 22-26°C | pH: 6.0-7.5 | Min tank: 60L | Group: 10+

Full species care guide: Neon Tetra care.

2. Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)

If Neons are the budget-friendly entry to schooling tetras, Cardinals are the upgrade — brighter red, slightly larger at 4cm, and genuinely hardier once acclimated. They prefer softer water than Neons but tolerate UK tap water fine provided the pH stays under 7.8.

A school of 20 Cardinals in a planted tank with black substrate is one of the most arresting sights in the hobby.

Adult size: 4cm | Temp: 23-27°C | pH: 5.5-7.5 | Min tank: 75L | Group: 10+

Full species care guide: Cardinal Tetra care.

3. Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)

Over the last five years Cherry Shrimp have become the single most-requested invertebrate in UK fishkeeping. They're small (2-3cm), peaceful, eat algae and biofilm, and breed readily in a mature planted tank.

The classic red is the easiest, but we stock Blue, Chocolate, Yellow Fire, and Snowball Neocaridinas — all the same species, all the same care. Keep them away from large or aggressive fish, which will eat the babies and eventually the adults.

Adult size: 2-3cm | Temp: 18-26°C | pH: 6.5-8.0 | Min tank: 30L | Group: 10+

Full species care guide: Cherry Shrimp care.

4. Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

The livebearer that needs no introduction. Guppies breed constantly, tolerate hard UK tap water beautifully, and come in more colour strains than any other freshwater fish. Keep males-only if you don't want fry, or a 1-male-to-3-female ratio if you do.

Adult size: 3-6cm | Temp: 22-28°C | pH: 7.0-8.5 | Min tank: 60L | Group: 5+

Full species care guide: Guppy care.

5. Endler Guppy (Poecilia wingei)

The wild cousin of the domestic guppy — smaller (2-3cm), faster, more vivid in colour, and easier to keep in pure strain because they haven't been over-bred. Endlers work brilliantly in nano tanks and planted aquascapes where a full-size guppy would look out of place.

Adult size: 2-3cm | Temp: 22-28°C | pH: 7.0-8.5 | Min tank: 40L | Group: 6+

Full species care guide: Endler Guppy care.

6. Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)

The centrepiece of a classic community tank. A pair of Angelfish in a well-planted 120L+ tank is a showstopper — they're curious, interactive, and learn to recognise their keepers.

Not a true beginner fish

Angelfish are sensitive as juveniles and territorial when breeding. We don't recommend them for brand-new tanks or mixed with small tetras (Neons, Ember Tetras) which they'll eventually eat. Reserve them for an established second tank.

Adult size: 15cm tall | Temp: 24-28°C | pH: 6.5-7.8 | Min tank: 120L | Group: pair or 6+

Full species care guide: Angelfish care.

7. Corydoras Catfish (Corydoras spp.)

The community tank's essential bottom-dweller. Corydoras patrol the substrate, hoover up leftover food, and behave like a small shoaling gang. Keep them in groups of six or more, on sand or smooth gravel — never sharp gravel, which damages their barbels.

Bronze and Peppered Corydoras are the two hardiest strains and what we recommend for first-time keepers.

Adult size: 5-7cm | Temp: 22-26°C | pH: 6.5-7.8 | Min tank: 75L | Group: 6+

Full species care guide: Corydoras care.

8. Bristlenose Pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

The algae eater worth buying — unlike the "Common Pleco" that grows to 45cm and destroys tanks, the Bristlenose stays at 10-12cm and actually eats algae throughout its life. One Bristlenose handles a 120L tank's algae load without going after your plants.

Adult size: 10-12cm | Temp: 22-28°C | pH: 6.5-8.0 | Min tank: 90L | Group: solitary or breeding pair

Full species care guide: Bristlenose Pleco care.

9. Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)

A tiny 2cm orange tetra that glows like a coal in a planted tank. Perfect for nano setups from 40L upwards, where a full-size Neon or Cardinal would crowd the space. Ember Tetras shoal tightly, tolerate a wide pH range, and coexist peacefully with shrimp.

Adult size: 2cm | Temp: 23-28°C | pH: 5.5-7.5 | Min tank: 40L | Group: 10+

Full species care guide: Ember Tetra care.

10. Harlequin Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)

A stunning copper-and-black schooling fish from Southeast Asia. Hardier than any tetra, tolerant of pH 6.0-8.0, and active across the middle of the water column. If you want one peaceful schooling species for a first community tank, this is the one we recommend over Neons.

Adult size: 4cm | Temp: 22-28°C | pH: 6.0-8.0 | Min tank: 60L | Group: 8+

Full species care guide: Harlequin Rasbora care.

A school of cardinal tetras at mid-water in a mature planted tank

The kind of moment this whole guide points at — a mature school settled, feeding confidently in diffused LED light. Photo: Tropical Fish Co editorial.

Why buy tropical fish online vs your local fish shop

Twenty years ago, every UK high street had a specialist tropical fish shop. Today fewer than 200 remain nationwide, most concentrated in a handful of cities. The consequence, for most people, is a choice between a general pet-store chain with a 15-species tank wall or driving two hours to a specialist aquatics centre.

Buying from a specialist online retailer like us fixes three specific problems:

Species range. We stock 3,600+ SKUs at any given time. A typical chain store carries 40-60. If you want a specific tetra variant, a rare rasbora, or a premium shrimp strain, a chain store can't help.

Fish health on arrival. Shop fish sit in central-system tanks shared across dozens of species, where one disease outbreak spreads to everything. Our fish come from acclimated holding tanks, quarantined 7+ days, and bagged fresh on the day of shipping. Casualty rates are dramatically lower.

Knowledge at point of sale. Most general-chain pet-store staff aren't specialist fishkeepers. Every order we ship goes out with a care card written by someone who keeps that exact species at home. If you need to email a photo of your tank before ordering, that lands in front of an actual aquarist, not a generalist.

Mistake I've made

I used to buy fish from whichever local shop had them in stock — regardless of the tank conditions they were sitting in. Lost three Discus in two months that way before I realised the shop's central-system water was maintaining a low-grade infection that my quarantine wasn't catching. I now only buy from sources that hold fish individually or in species-specific systems.

How our UK delivery works

The 200 L warehouse display — every batch we ship is first held in display tanks like this for a minimum 7-day quarantine with daily health checks.

Every tropical fish we ship travels the same way:

Step 1 — Bagging. Fish are bagged between 3pm and 5pm on the day of dispatch in oxygen-charged bags sized to the species. Schooling fish share bags; territorial fish ship solo. Every bag is triple-bagged against leaks.

Step 2 — Insulation. Bags go into a polystyrene-lined cardboard box with heat packs in winter (October-March) or cool packs in summer heatwaves. The box stays within 18-24°C for 36+ hours.

Step 3 — Dispatch. The box hands off to a licensed live-animal courier at 5pm. the courier tracks it overnight through their dedicated live-animal network, not their standard parcel hubs.

Step 4 — Delivery. The box arrives at your door before noon the following day. Total time from bagging to delivery: 14-20 hours. Oxygen and temperature stability hold for 36+ hours, so there's a 16+ hour safety margin on every shipment.

Step 5 — Arrival check. You photograph any DOA fish in their unopened bags within 2 hours of delivery. We refund or replace at our cost.

We do not ship on Fridays

Friday dispatch means Saturday delivery, and Saturday delivery means a potential 3-day hold if there's any courier delay. We ship Monday to Thursday only, with Wednesday our highest-volume day — that way every shipment has 2+ weekdays of cushion if anything goes wrong.

Which tropical fish is right for you?

If you're new to the hobby (first tank)

Stick with hardy, peaceful, widely-available species that tolerate UK tap water and parameter swings. Our top five for beginners:

Read our full guide: Best Beginner Tropical Fish for UK Aquariums.

If you're on your second or third tank (intermediate)

You can start adding species that want slightly softer or warmer water, or that have mild territorial behaviour:

Angelfish — centrepiece for a 120L+ tank
Honey Gourami — peaceful and gorgeous, but sensitive to water quality
Otocinclus — algae eaters that need an established tank
Celestial Pearl Danios — stunning nano schooler

If you're experienced (advanced)

Wild-caught species, blackwater fish, and specialist setups:

Discus — the king of the hobby, demands pristine water and warm temperatures
Kuhli Loach — peaceful nocturnal bottom-dweller for mature tanks
Amano Shrimp — the most effective algae eater, but won't breed in freshwater

Care guides and further reading

We maintain species-specific care guides for every fish in this list, plus dozens more. Read the care guide for any species you're considering before you add it to cart — it takes 5 minutes and prevents almost every stocking mistake.

Ready to order?

All ten species above are in stock and ready for dispatch Monday to Thursday. Typical delivery is delivered by our licensed live-animal courier to mainland UK addresses.

If this is your first tropical tank, read our beginner aquarium setup guide first. If you're returning to the hobby after a break, our online buying guide covers everything about live shipping that's changed since 2015.

Browse the full in-stock range: fresh water fish or shrimp and invertebrates.