Taeniacara Candidi are the source of much discussion amongst dwarf cichlid keepers. They are a highly attractive species, but require very specific water parameters and as such are seen as a challenge amongst even experienced south american cichlid keepers.

Candidi are renowned for not liking water changes – they will commonly get "moody" after a water change, and will sulk at the bottom of the tank for over a day in some cases. Try to keep new water at the same temperature as the C…

Nannacara Anomala are widely available in the trade, and are generally regarded as an excellent beginner's fish. If a beginner is interested in keeping Cichlids and learning about breeding, then these fish are absolutely ideal.

Anomala are attractive, hardy and usually quite cheap to purchase. Like some species of the Apistogramma genus, the mother may use fascinating body language to communicate with her fry when she is caring for them.

If there is more than one male in a tank smalle…

Also known as the mosquito fish, least killifish or dwarf top minnow, H. formosa is the smallest known livebearing fish species, and one of the smallest overall fish species in the world. It's not often seen for sale these days, although it's quite widely available in hobbyist circles. When buying these, ensure they have been identified correctly as they're sometimes confused with the much more aggressive mosquito fish of the genus Gambusia….

Cichlasoma Trimaculatus is a large colourful cichlid, if a little aggressive. It is believed to be one of the fish that was used to create the hybrid Flowerhorn cichlid. We prefer it in its natural state.

As with most large cichlids they can be fairly messy eaters so ensure decent filtration is provided. It is recommended to use a spraybar to disperse the water returning to the tank as trimacs will not appreciate strong flow….

Wild examples are rarely-seen in the aquarium hobby although selectively-bred ornamental strains are widely-available for which care is identical.

These are normally traded as ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ chromide and have a solid yellow-orange colour pattern with no dark elements.

It exhibits a widespread sympatry with the con…

This species is euryhaline and mostly inhabits brackish estuaries, coastal lagoons and the lower reaches of rivers.

It also occurs in freshwater habitats, however, including a number of inland lakes in Sri Lanka although it appears to have been introduced intentionally.

The genus Apistogramma is among the most speciose of South American cichlid genera with around 70 species valid at present but many more awaiting description. In addition many species exist in two or more geographical colour forms which may or may not turn out to be distinct in the future. Hobbyists tend to label these with collection data if available in order to avoid mixing them and the potential of hybridisation.

Member species have also been organised into a series of species lineages, complexes and groups by authors in order to better separate them.

The genus Apistogramma is among the most speciose of South American cichlid genera with around 70 species valid at present but many more awaiting description. In addition many species exist in two or more geographical colour forms which may or may not turn out to be distinct in the future. Hobbyists tend to label these with collection data if available in order to avoid mixing them and the potential of hybridisation.

Member species have also been organised into a series of species lineages, complexes and groups by authors in order to better separate them. Such lists have been augmented by fish that have appeared in the aquarium trade and are in a state of near-constant flux

For many years G. affinis was thought to be the same species as the Eastern Mosquitofish, G. holbrooki, but has since been given distinct species status. They can be distinguished by several means. In G. holbrooki the leading ray of the males' gonopodium has a serrated edge, theusually has 7 rays and males also generally have a higher degree of dark spotting on the body than G. affinis males. Male G. affinis also lack the serrated leading ray of the gonopodium and this species usually has o…

Numerous ornamental forms of this species have been selectively-bred for the aquarium trade. It has also been assigned the ‘A’ number A234 under the DATZ system with possibly conspecific, related forms similarly numbered A103, A104, and A105 depending on locality.