An Expansive Selection of Fish From Around the World.
Our Extensive Inventory of Fish
In our store, you will find 1,000 species of freshwater fish for sale in 450 aquariums and 20,000 gallons of water. We will take you on a tour of amazing fish and invertebrates that come from the lakes and rivers of every continent except Antarctica.
On this journey, you will also discover what truly makes us stand out, including our hand-picked, exotic, and hard-to-find items that are not carried by other emporiums. We pride ourselves on having the biggest, brightest, most attractive specimens of animals on the market, and it shows in our unbeatable selection and the expert knowledge we provide. Our team at Aquarium Adventure Columbus offers freshwater fish options that are suitable for first-time aquarium owners and experienced enthusiasts. Read our blogs for more insider tips, or browse lists below to check out our extensive inventory, as well as our extensive selection of aquariums and products.
New Arrivals Every Week
We have collectors, breeders and farmers from all over the world—Australia, Africa, South America, Central America, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the U.S. We have worked with these suppliers (yes, some for 30 years) to develop the best quality and selection . Years of meeting and visiting, “tweaking standards” and constant and consistent communication has guaranteed us the BEST of the BEST… for you! This general selection is maintained constantly as we bring in 4 to 6 shipments weekly, so you are always guaranteed to find just about anything you are looking to acquire for your aquarium. What makes Aquarium Adventure really outstanding though, is the unique, hand-picked, unusual, exotic and hard to find rare items others will not have—just know many won’t last long, so come check them out before they are gone.
Scroll below to see a few pictures of the beautiful species we carry, along with a bit of background information. A Freshwater fish and plant master list will give you an idea of what we generally keep on hand. With so many freshwater fish for sale, we are certain to have something for everyone!
Tropical Fish - South America
SOUTH AMERICA RIVER AND STREAM ENVIRONMENT - There are many backwater rivers and streams which make up the Amazon River basin. Due to the lush rainforest canopy, and its regular shedding of leaves and fruits, the waters are high in organic nutrient compounds. Fallen trees also contribute to a narrow swimming environment conducive to thin, laterally compressed fish species (such as Angelfish, Silver Dollars and Discus). The water color will vary from clear to reddish-brown, and even black depending on the streams location and nutrient levels.
SOUTH AMERICA BACKWATER POOL ENVIRONMENT - Numerous backwater streams and pools dot a very unique environment in the tropical Amazon rainforest. These waters tend to be slow moving, low in oxygen, high in fish diversity and rich in nutrients from the many plants, leaves and tree roots decaying here. Some of the pools are only temporary, as they fill up or evaporate depending on the rainy season. These waters tend to be reddish-brown in color, soft and acidic as a result of tannins released from the high organic concentration.
Types of fish found in these environments - cichlids, tetras, catfish, knife fish, hatchet fish, stingrays, arowanas and pencil fish.
Blue Emperor Tetra
Discus Cichild
Dwarf Ram Cichlid
Motoro Stingray
Red Spotted Severum Cichlid
Silver Arrowana
Tiger Shovel Nose Catfish
Angel Fish
Black Ghost Knife Fish
Gold Nugget Pleco Catfish
Neon Tetra
Julii Cory Catfish
Oscar Cichlid
Silver Hatchet Fish
Royal Farlowella Catfish
Tropical Fish - Central America
CENTRAL AMERICA RIVER ENVIRONMENT - This environment consists of the major rivers which flow from rocky lakes in the region. These lakes are high in limestone, thus making the river waters hard and alkaline. As the rivers flow towards the coast, they mix with the acidic waters of heavily vegetated side streams. Eventually, they become brackish due to the back flow of coastal streams, bays and estuaries.
CENTRAL AMERICA ROCKY LAKE ENVIRONMENT - The regions deep water lakes, as well as the rivers which flow from them make up this environment. These lakes are extremely rocky and contain steep sides. The water is hard, alkaline and cooler due to its depth. The rivers have similar conditions as their source, but they gradually pick up decaying plant material from side streams making the water slightly acidic.
Types of fish found in these environments - cichlids, guppies, platys, mollies and swordtails.
Gold Nugget Molly
Tequila Sunrise Guppy
Sanke Swordtail
Kohaku Swordtail
Red Platies
Blue Neon Guppy
Balloon Molly
Blue Hi Fin Platy
Silver Lyretail Molly
Tropical Fish - Africa
WEST AFRICA BACKWATER STREAM ENVIRONMENT - Hundreds of backwater streams zigzag along the west coast of Africa and eventually empty into the huge Zaire (Congo) River. These backwater stream environments fluctuate depending upon the rainy and dry seasons. During the dry season, these streams evaporate. During the rainy season, they swell and overflow their banks. This flooding covers the dense tropical vegetation and creates very acidic, tea-colored water environment similar to some South American streams. Very unusual fish such as the freshwater flying fish (African Butterfly Fish), brightly colored annual fish (Killiefish) and the dolphin like sonar capable Elephant Nose Fish are all found here.
EAST AFRICA ROCKY LAKE ENVIRONMENT - Along the east coast of Africa lie the famous Rift Lakes; the most popular of which are Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. These deep water lakes have very steep, rocky sides and sandy bottoms. They are home to a tremendous variety of the most colorful and popular cichlids available to the hobbyist. These unique cichlids have well defined social structures and unusual breeding habits.
Types of fish found in these environments - lake cichlids, river cichlids, bichers, elephant nose fish, eels, killiefish, rainbows and tetras.
Congo Tetra
Yellow Lab Cichlid
Strawberry Peacock Cichlid
Peacock Cichlid
Demasoni Cichlids
Elephant Nose
Kribensis Cichlid
Blood Jewel Cichlid
Synodontis Petricola Catfish
Rope Fish
Ornate Bicher
OB Peacock Cichlid
Tropical Fish - Asia/Australia
SOUTHEAST ASIA RIVER ENVIRONMENT - These locales include the larger rivers of mainland Asia, as well as those in the Malay Archipelago. These waters are fast moving, very high in oxygen and grow rich plant fauna. This niche is also a typical habitat for thin, fast moving, streamlined fish.
SOUTHEAST ASIA BACKWATER STREAM ENVIRONMENT - These are all about smaller streams which contribute to the larger rivers of mainland Asia and those in the Malay Archipelago. These streams tend to be slow moving, low in oxygen and grow lush vegetation due to a high level of iron in the water. Heavy bodies and colorful fish are found in this niche.
Types of fish found in these environments - barbs, gouramis, rasboras, gobies, goldfish, loaches, sharks, danios, catfish, rainbows, knife fish, shrimps and snails.
Peacock Goby
Oranda Goldfish
Green Tiger Barb
Clown Knifefish
Clown Loach
Crowntail Betta
Emerald Rasbora
Cherry Red Shrimp
Blueberry Shrimp
Gold Gourami
Furcata Rainbow
Panda Loach
Red Fire Eel
Roseline Shark
Gold Rabbit Snail
Fish Warranty
Introducing your new fish at home requires a few steps for a healthy adaptation to their new environment. Float the bag of fish, still closed and full of air, in the aquarium for 10 minutes. It is helpful to turn off the overhead light on the aquarium, as a bright light can be stressful. After 10 minutes, the bag of fish can be opened and the top of the bag can be rolled down halfway, forming a collar or float ring. Fill the bag full of water from the aquarium (it now contains 1/2 water from your aquarium and 1/2 water from the store).
The collar or float ring should have formed an air pocket, which will allow the bag to float upright to prevent the fish from spilling out into the aquarium while the two waters mix. After 15 minutes, pour half of the water from the bag into the aquarium, refill the bag of fish with aquarium water again and continue to float. After the next 15 minutes, again pour half of the water from the bag into the aquarium, refill the bag of fish with aquarium water and continue to float.
After another 15 minutes, again pour half of the water from the bag into the aquarium, refill the bag of fish with aquarium water, and float for the final 15 minutes. After three 15 minute mixes, the fish can be poured gently into the aquarium. Extremely delicate fish (such as marine animals) should have as many as six to nine 15-minute mixes. Consult with your Aquarium Adventure Columbus associate to determine the right mixes for your selection of fish.
After releasing the fish into the aquarium, do not feed the fish for 24 hours and watch closely for aggressive tank mates that could hinder the new fish from settling into the aquarium.
See our acclimation instructional video here
Our Warranty
When you buy from Aquarium Adventure Columbus, you’re getting a healthy, conditioned species that is ready to acclimate to your home aquarium with proper care. Your responsibility, providing a healthy, established, and safe aquarium environment is no less important in the longevity of your fish. Please ask questions if you are unsure about any species before you purchase them and take them home to your aquarium. We will do our part to ask you the right questions before you make your choice.
Should you have any problems that arise with your purchase, all of our fish, plants, and invertebrates are under a 48-hour warranty. Please return them with a dated receipt and a separate aquarium water sample for replacement credit of the purchase price.