Results for “aquarium”

A hugely popular aquarium fish. Many aquarium-bred colour morphs of this species are available, including the ubiquitous black molly. There are also Gold, Green, Lyretail, Silver and Dalmation varieties. Some of these are the results of P. sphenops being crossed with P. latipinnis. The 2 species will also interbreed readily in the aquarium and in order to avoid this we suggest keeping only one of them per tank. There also exists a (in our opinion) grotesque 'balloon' variety of this fi...

This species is relatively common in the aquarium hobby but contrary to popular belief is not venomous in any way. Its dorsal and opercular spines can pierce the skin, however, meaning extreme caution is necessary when netting it or performing aquarium maintenance. The genus Allenbatrachus was erected in 1997 to accom...

Like most badids this species is poorly documented and has yet to find significant popularity in the aquarium hobby. Within the genus it is most closely-related to B. pyema but the two are unlikely to be confused as B. corycaeus is much the deeper, darker-bodied fish. Prior to 2002 the family Badidae included just five species of which only B. badis and, to a lesser extent, Badis dario (referred to as B. bengalensis by some sources) were popular in the aquarium hobby. However an extensive rev...

This species is also known by the alternative names 'green' or 'Chinese' barb. The natural 'green' form is an infrequent find in the aquarium trade whereas the selectively-bred 'golden' variant is farmed in huge numbers and is among the most popular of freshwater aquarium fish. The latter was first produced in the 1960s and is now so ubiquitous that many hobbyists are initially unaware that it is not the natural form.

Known as the tambaqui in its native countries, this is the second largest species of scaled fish found in the Amazon basin. This alone should tell you much of what you need to know about its suitability as an aquarium inhabitant. In reality, it's debatable as to whether the species should be considered an aquarium subject at all. While pacu rarely reach their maximum size in captivity, they're still easily capable of growing to a couple of feet in length. The myth that fish will only g...

C. incolicana was the first recipient of a 'C' number (see below) in 1993 and was described the same year. Unfortunately its description was published in an aquarium hobbyist magazine, and we have been unable to obtain a copy to date meaning its diagnosis is unavailable. It is therefore difficult to identify accurately, not least because its type locality is in a relatively remote area, and there exist a number of superficially similar Corydoras species or populations in the aquarium trade.

Despite being a wholly unsuitable aquarium subject, C. idella is often traded as such, with an albino form having been developed specifically for the ornamental market. Individuals which have outgrown their aquarium or pond should never be released into natural waters, either, since this species has proven capable of causing serious environmental damage under a wide range of climatic conditions.

This species is rare in the aquarium trade but is arguably more suitable for the home aquarium than some of its better-known relatives given its adult size and relatively docile behaviour. Other vernacular names include 'Dientón' (Peru), 'Perrito' (Ecuador), 'Payara-chata' or 'Payarin' (Venezuela) and 'Icanga', 'Minguilista' or 'Peice-cachorro' (Brazil), some of which are also applied to related species.

The adult size and power of this impressive predator preclude it from consideration as an aquarium species, but young individuals are nevertheless available in the ornamental trade on an irregular basis therefore it is included here. It is an entirely unsuitable choice for the home aquarium and the majority of zoos and public aquaria would probably struggle to maintain it in adequate conditions.

This species is also known as 'Daget's panchax', 'black-lipped panchax', 'orange-throated panchax' or 'firemouth killifish' and is an aquarium stalwart with the red-throated form having first been exported in 1908. It's an excellent choice for those new to killifishes or egg-laying species in general since the aquarium strain is well-established, quite hardy and easy to breed. There was some initial confusion after Belgian ich...

Juvenile specimens are sometimes available in the aquarium trade although their purchase is strongly discouraged, and this species probably shouldn't be considered a home aquarium subject at all given its eventual size plus the fact it can live for several decades. H. wyckioides can be told apart from mos...

This species is a popular aquarium fish and is bred on a commercial basis in several countries, with a selectively-bred albino form also available. Wild specimens are rarely collected due to the low price of the farmed fish, but the origin of the commercial strain is questionable. The species was considered endemic to the rio Tapajós basin, but in the early 1990s fish appearing identical to the aquarium form were photographed in the...

An interesting addition to the Tanganyikan community that is not often seen in the hobby. There is a rumour that this cat can secrete a poisonous mucous when stressed that can kill other fish in the aquarium but this has not yet been 100% confirmed. It may be wise to keep it in as large an aquarium as possible just in case. There are currently just 4 species of Lophiobagrus described. All are from Lake Tanganyika....

This is the type species of the genus, fairly ubiquitous in the aquarium trade, and represents an excellent choice for the newcomer to fishkeeping since it's less demanding than most congeners. It's sometimes referred to as 'Beckford's pencil fish' or 'brown pencilfish'. Don't worry if your fish look different when you switch on the aquarium lights after dark or in the morning as like most Nannostomus species it assumes a cryptic, vertically-barred colour pattern at ni...

This species has been referred to the genera Poecilobrycon and Nannobrycon in the past and in the aquarium hobby is also known as 'rocket', 'brown', 'brown-tailed', 'diptail', or 'tubemouth' pencilfish.It's a popular aquarium fish and has an interesting oblique swimming-style, a behavioural trait shared only with N. unifasciatus among congeners. In the original description the colour pattern is given by Steindachner as a brown lateral stripe exte...

This species has been referred to the genera Poecilobrycon and Nannobrycon in the past and in the aquarium hobby is also known as 'oneline' or 'red fin' pencilfish. It's a popular aquarium fish and has an interesting oblique swimming-style, a behavioural trait shared only with N. eques among congeners. The most recent diagnosis of the species appears to be that giv...

This species is also referred to as 'Asian knifefish' or 'ghost knifefish' in the aquarium trade in the aquarium trade but arguably has no place in the ornamental hobby given its adult size and specialised requirements. It is sometimes confused with the African species Xenomystus nigri but is easily told apart by its larger adult size and presence (vs. absence) of a dorsal fin.

This species was discovered in 2009 and as far as we know it has only been collected for the aquarium hobby on a single occasion to date, by Jeffrey Christian of Maju Aquarium, Frank Evers and Hans-Georg Evers. Prior to description it was referred to as O. sp. 'Kendari', O. sp. 'neon' or O. sp. 'Sulawesi'.

P. arnoulti has been in the aquarium hobby for many years but was identified as the congener P. omalonotus prior to its description. It appears in the majority of older aquarium literature under that name and as a result a degree of hybridisation has undoubtedly occurred.

This species has been known in the aquarium hobby since the mid-twentieth century but has almost always been identified as the congener P. deissneri and appears as such in the majority of aquarium literature. It can be told apart from congeners by the colour pattern in adult males (see 'Sexual Dimorphism') plus possession of 11-12 spinous dorsal-fin rays, 13-14 spinous anal-fin rays and 6-8 segmented anal-fin rays.