Guides

Freshwater

62 articles · All guides

Firemouth Cichlid (Thorichthys meeki)

A Central American classic that flashes a fiery red throat when displaying — semi-aggressive sifter that suits larger community cichlid tanks.

Freshwater

Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata)

Hardy striped Central American cichlids that breed readily — fantastic for learning biparental care, intense when defending fry.

Freshwater

Electric Yellow Lab (Labidochromis caeruleus)

One of Lake Malawi’s most popular mbuna — brilliant yellow bodies, manageable aggression for African cichlids, and nonstop rock-hopping energy.

Freshwater

Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa)

A majestic Tanganyikan cichlid with a nuchal hump and bold bars — calm for a large African cichlid, but needs big water and patient growth.

Freshwater

Chocolate Gourami (Sphaerichthys osphromenoides)

A shy blackwater gourami with chocolate flanks and pale bars — rewarding in soft, warm, heavily planted tanks managed by experienced keepers.

Freshwater

Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis)

An classic labyrinth fish with jewel-toned bars — hardier and cooler-tolerant than bettas, but males can be territorial with their own kind.

Freshwater

Clown Pleco (Panaqolus maccus)

A compact, tiger-striped wood-eating pleco — caves, soft driftwood, and biofilm matter more than chasing algae wafers alone.

Freshwater

Chinese Algae Eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri)

Often sold as a harmless algae eater — adults grow large, territorial, and may graze fish mucus. Know the real husbandry before you buy.

Freshwater

Dwarf Chain Loach (Ambastaia sidthimunki)

A small, patterned social loach that shoals in midwater — playful, curious, and far more community-friendly than large Botia species.

Freshwater

Yo-Yo Loach (Botia almorhae)

Bold black-and-white patterned loaches with quirky personalities — best kept in groups with caves, soft sand, and a mixed meaty diet.

Freshwater

Dwarf Cory (Corydoras habrosus)

Tiny ‘salt-and-pepper’ corys that school in midwater as often as on the sand — perfect busy cleaners for nano and shrimp community tanks.

Freshwater

Three-Stripe Cory (Corydoras trilineatus)

A leopard-spotted Corydoras often sold near julii corys — social sand sifters that need groups, soft substrate, and clean oxygenated water.

Freshwater

Head-and-Tail-Light Tetra (Hemigrammus ocellifer)

Classic community tetras with glowing shoulder and caudal spots — hardy, peaceful, and perfect for planted mid-size aquariums.

Freshwater

Silver Tip Tetra (Hasemania nana)

Small copper-bronze tetras with white-tipped fins — lively but peaceful shoalers that suit planted community and nano aquariums.

Freshwater

Bloodfin Tetra (Aphyocharax anisitsi)

Silver-bodied tetras with bright blood-red fins — hardy, energetic schooling fish that prefer longer tanks and cooler room temps.

Freshwater

Black Phantom Tetra (Hyphessobrycon megalopterus)

An elegant schooling tetra with smoky flanks and tall black dorsal sails on males — calm mid-water movement for planted aquariums.

Freshwater

Flame Tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus)

A compact Brazilian tetra with fiery red rear flanks — peaceful, hardy, and ideal for colour in smaller planted community tanks.

Freshwater

Green Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon simulans)

A soft-water blackwater gem with a teal-green neon stripe — smaller and more demanding than classic neons, stunning in dense plant thickets.

Freshwater

Penguin Tetra (Thayeria boehlkei)

A sleek schooling tetra with a bold diagonal black stripe — peaceful, active mid-water swimmers for planted community aquariums.

Freshwater

Electric Blue Acara (Andinoacara pulcher)

A selectively bred electric-blue morph of the classic blue acara — bold colour with a generally manageable New World cichlid temperament.

Freshwater

African Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi)

A prehistoric-looking surface hunter with wing-like fins — peaceful above the waterline, but an expert jumper that needs floating cover and live…

Freshwater

Pearl Danio (Danio albolineatus)

A pearlescent, high-energy schooling danio that rewards long tanks and cooler tropical rooms with constant mid-water motion.

Freshwater

Hillstream Loach (Sewellia lineolata)

A flattened, patterned ‘scuba’ loach that grazes biofilm in fast, cool, oxygen-rich streams — built for flow, not stagnant community tanks.

Freshwater

Bleeding Heart Tetra (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma)

A larger Amazon tetra with a distinctive crimson ‘heart’ spot — bold in a school, elegant in planted aquariums with soft water.