Buying and maintaining a 100 gallons tank is not easy. It takes effort, requires patience, and most important, one must have the proper knowledge. Without having the correct information, taking care of a 100 gallons tank can become highly challenging.
Along with tank and maintenance information, you must also know about the fish that can happily survive in such a big tank. Fortunately, this fish tank size lets you keep many wonderful fish species.
Among the available 100 gallons fish options, you should consider housing Angelfish. The minimum tank requirement of this fish is 55 gallons. This fish species looks excellent, and it can comfortably live with tank makes that are large and calm.
Besides this, there are many other fish recommended in this post. With beautiful fish, you can also add stunning decorations to make your fish tank look magical.
Table of Contents
List of Fish for 100 Gallons Tank
When it’s a 100 gallons tank, you should be careful while choosing fish. If fish are too small, you would have to add multiple hiding places for them. And if you have selected a larger fish species, it might not be able to move freely.
To make the fish selection process easy for you, we have listed some unique fish you can house in the tank. If you are searching for the best fish for a 3 gallons then don’t miss out our guide.
- Angelfish
- African Leaf Fish
- Oscar
- Silver Dollar
- Butterflyfish
- Black Devil Catfish
#1 Angelfish
It’s a freshwater fish that is extremely popular among tank keepers because of its attractive shape. This fish comes in a variety of colors and patterns, which makes them even more popular.
While housing Angelfish, avoid filling the tank with small fish because they could become a snack. Also, you must avoid keeping Angelfish with any aggressive fish or fin-nippers.
It can grow to a good length but is a slow mover. This fish species is considered to be calm. However, they can get aggressive towards one another.
| Scientific name | Pterophyllum |
| Maximum size | 12 inches (tall) |
| Minimum tank size | 55 gallons |
| Tankmates | Medium-sized schooling fish, peaceful fish |
| Tank setup | Live plants, plenty of swimming space, river rocks |
| Temperament | Generally peaceful |
#2 African Leaf Fish
African Leaf Fish is another colorful fish that you can keep in the tank. When this fish is near rocks or plants, its pattern and color make it almost invisible. The fish uses this advantage to gulp prey.
So, you should avoid keeping African Leaf Fish with any species that you don’t want to eat. Also, you must not keep it with any aggressive fish as it has a docile nature.
Most of the time, African Leaf Fish are also known as Leopard Bush Fish, Leopard Ctenopoma, Spotted Ctenopoma, and Spotted Climbing Perch.
| Scientific name | Polycentropsis abbreviata |
| Maximum size | 8 inches |
| Minimum tank size | 55 gallons |
| Tankmates | Peaceful fish that is too large to eat |
| Tank setup | Live plants and hiding spots |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive |
#3 Oscar
These are comparatively larger and have an aggressive nature. If given proper care, they can live for around a couple of decades. That means housing an Oscar in the aquarium is a long haul.
You can keep this fish in pairs, but it’s advised to house a single Oscar in a tank as it can get pretty aggressive. In simple words, this fish is a single tank specimen that needs lots of space to swim and some driftwood.
| Scientific name | Astronotus ocellatus |
| Maximum size | 15 inches |
| Minimum tank size | 55 gallons (single-specimen tank) |
| Tankmates | Other Oscars or you can keep it alone |
| Tank setup | River rocks and plenty of space for swimming |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
#4 Silver Dollar
This fish appears to be small at first, but it can grow up to six inches under proper circumstances. It’s a peaceful fish species that does not like fighting, but it can munch up the live plants.
It’s advised to house a bunch of Silver Dollar as this way they live happily. When you are housing a group of these fish, avoid keeping them in a massive tank, but a 100 gallons tank is perfect for them.
| Scientific name | Metynnis argenteus |
| Maximum size | 6 inches |
| Minimum tank size | 100 gallons (school of 6) |
| Tankmates | Medium-size fish that they can’t eat |
| Tank setup | River rocks and plenty of space for swimming |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
#5 Butterflyfish
Among the fish fit for housing in a 100 gallons tank, butterflyfish is the prettiest. Its dazzling color, shape, and pattern even make it a great centerpiece.
Butterflyfish are suitable for fish tanks, and they need at least 75 gallons of water. That means they can survive nicely in a 100 gallons tank. This fish can be easily found around tropical reefs.
| Scientific name | Chaetodontidae |
| Maximum size | 12 to 22 cm |
| Minimum tank size | 75 gallons |
| Tankmates | Medium-size fish that they can’t eat |
| Tank setup | Plenty of hiding spots made by rocks and corals |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
#6 Black Devil Catfish
It’s a highly territorial fish. That means you should carefully choose its tankmates. If any fish enters its marked territory, it will viscously bite it.
When this fish is kept in a bigger tank, like a 200 gallons tank, it marks a great area as its territory. Also, in such a big tank, other fish learn to keep a distance from it.
| Scientific name | Bagarius yarrelli |
| Maximum size | 2m |
| Minimum tank size | 100 gallons |
| Tankmates | Alone |
| Tank setup | Plenty of hiding spots made by rocks and corals |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
How to effectively maintain a 100 gallons tank?
Taking care of 100 gallons can feel like a hectic task if you don’t know the right way of doing it. But if you regularly change the water and clean the filter, the fish tank water would not get polluted.
When the aquarium water is not polluted, fish can live happily in it. Also, it’s essential to avoid overfeeding the fish. That’s because overfeeding might kill the fish and pollute the tank.
Also Read: Best 50 gallon fish tank
Conclusion
Keeping a 100 gallons tank is fun, only when you properly maintain it. For this sized tank, it’s essential to keep the water and surrounding clean.
When searching for fish for this tank, consider their size. That’s because a bigger fish might not get enough place to swim, and a smaller one would need multiple hiding spots.
Also, while housing different fish in a single tank, check their characteristics. It will help you pick better tankmates.