From garden ponds filled with Koi Carp to the humble goldfish bowl – the UK is a nation of fish lovers.
The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) say there are an incredible five million indoor fish tanks in Britain.
Around 10 per cent of British households own pet fish – making them the third most popular animal to welcome into our homes after cats and dogs.
There’s plenty of choice when it comes to adding fish to (well prepared and correctly set up) home aquariums, with pet shops offering a bewildering range of colourful and interesting finned friends.
But you should be aware that while some fish are placid and happy to live in a ‘community tank’ with a mixture of other species, others are predators that really need their own tank or, at the minimum, carefully-selected tank-mates.
If you want a variery of colourful fish to live in harmony you should choose those with a reputation for not being aggressive.
Here are 13 of the best - who shouldn’t lay a fin on any of their tankmates.
5. Platy
The Platy is a colourful and easy to care for fish that mixes well with others thanks to their complete lack of aggression. There are actually two species - the Southern Platyfish and the Variatus Platy - but they are hard to tell apart and most fish bought from pet shops will have been interbred from the two. They can live for up to three years and come in a variety of colours, including red, yellow, orange, blue, rainbow and white. | Canva/Getty Images
6. Corydoras Catfish
Perfect to give you a helping hand with cleaning your aquarium, the Corydoras Catfish are bottom-dwelling fish that hoover up any leftover food. They prefer to be kept in groups of at least six and are extremely peaceful. Orinally from South America, they can defend themselves in a fight, thanks to their body armor topped by sharp spines. | Canva/Getty Images
7. Swordtail
Swordtails are easy-going fish with an elongated tail resembling a sword - but it's never used for violence. Another fish that likes plenty of vegetation, the males are only occasionally territorial and otherwise this is a very friendly fish. | Canva/Getty Images
8. Cherry Barb
Most species of barb are pretty chilled, but the Cherry Barb is probably the least aggressive of the lot - they're unlikely to lay a fin on another fish. Another schooling fish, they like to have their own wee gang of fellow barbs. | Canva/Getty Images