The Rummynose Tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri) is a South American characin that has been a long established favorite of tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.  The Rummynose Tetra is a peaceful omnivore that make an excellent addition to any tropical community aquarium with other non-aggressive fish. The Rummynose, also known as “firehead tetras“, are found in the upper […]

Read the full story

Bleeding Heart Tetras (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma) are peaceful mid-water fish that get their name from the blushing blood red marking near their gills.  They are a school fish native to the upper Amazon River Basin and should be kept in small schools of 6 or more individuals when in an aquarium environment. The dorsal fin of […]

Read the full story

The Rosy Barb (Puntius conchonius) is one of the larger Barbs that in their natural habitat grow up to 6 inches in length. The male is red and gold with black spots near the rear and at the dorsal fin.  Their colors become bolder during the mating period.  Female Rosy Barbs lack the red coloration […]

Read the full story

The eye catching Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii) has large, distinct silvery metallic scales, red-tipped fins, a forked tail and grows up to 14″ in length. In nature, Tinfoil Barbs live in the larger, fast flowing rivers of Southeast Asia. Compared to other barbs, the Tinfoil Barb is a hardy, peaceful fish, and in natre is […]

Read the full story

There are several Pros and Cons of Undergravel Filters used in freshwater and marine aquariums that you need to know about before you purchase one for your tank. Undergravel filters are arguably the most frequently sold filters to beginning tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. They are simply a slotted plastic plate with one or more “lift tubes” […]

Read the full story

Recent advancements in filtration technology have made tropical fish keeping much easier than most people can ever imagine. The old phrase “Aquariums are too much trouble to keep” for the most part can be put to pasture, and organisms that were once thought impossible to keep in a closed aquarium environment are now being kept […]

Read the full story

Proper water filtration is essential to successful tropical fish keeping. Your aquarium’s water filtration system is responsible for eliminating toxic compounds and particulate matter from your fish tank. Fish give off waste products in the form of feces, uneaten food, carbon dioxide, etc. and the water in the tank begins to degrade immediately after the […]

Read the full story

The pros and cons of  acrylic aquariums are very similar to those of all glass aquariums. Acrylic aquariums have become more and more popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. Acrylic tanks are much lighter than glass aquariums and are popular with fish keepers setting up extra large aquariums, especially marine aquariums. Tanks over 180 gallons are frequently constructed […]

Read the full story

Plastic aquariums are normally available in only small sizes.  Usually from less than ½ gallon to less than 10 gallons. Most plastic tanks are sold in small kits to keep Goldfish or Bettas.  Not many are worth purchasing but a few of them suffice for their intended purpose. Normally the kits contain an undergravel filter, […]

Read the full story

Although glass aquariums are the most popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts, there are pros and cons with their use. There are pros and cons for each type aquarium but despite the cons, most freshwater enthusiasts house their fish in glass tanks. Glass aquariums are constructed in almost any size using either tempered glass, plate glass, […]

Read the full story

What are the pros and cons of keeping Arowana in a freshwater aquarium? Arowana are a beautiful, colorful fish that is also locally referred to as Water Monkeys, Dragon Fish, Baramundi, Saratoga, Kelesa, and Aruana.  They belong to the Osteoglossidae Family of freshwater bony fish and are found in South America, Asia and Australia.  There […]

Read the full story

The Tiger Barb (Puntius tetrazona), also known as the Sumatra Barb, is a tropical species of cyprinid that is found in Sumatra, Borneo, Cambodia and throughout the Malay Peninsula. Tiger Barbs are found in the clear or turbid shallow waters of moderately flowing streams and in swamp lakes. They are an extremely active, playful shoaling […]

Read the full story

The Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya) is a hardy, slender barb that is very popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. The Cherry Barb is much more slender than most other barbs. It has a silver/black body with a golden, horizontal stripe after the lateral line. The male fish turns a bright cherry red during spawning, hence […]

Read the full story

What are the  pros and cons of keeping freshwater Puffer Fish? Puffer fish, also referred to as Sea Squab, Globefish, Ballonfish, Blowfish or Toadies belong to the family Tetradontidae which is in the Order Tetraodontiformes that are ancient fish over 40 million years old. Puffer fish (Tetradontidae) are scaleless, chubby, adorable looking little fish that […]

Read the full story

The Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) is a true bony fish that has a weak electrical organ at it’s caudal peduncles that run throughout the length of their body.  The organ is apparently used for communication and to help locate and identify it’s food. The scaleless Ghost Knifefish is predominantly black with two white rings […]

Read the full story

African Butterfly Fish (Pantodon buchholzi) are uniquely interesting predator species common to many lakes throughout West Africa. Tropical fish keeping enthusiasts have been housing butterfly fish for over 90 years, but they have never been available in large numbers. Butterfly fish are surface dwellers and spend most of their lives on or near the water’s […]

Read the full story

The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) is a spectacular delicate beauty that has been described as “one of the most popular aquarium fish ever”  by many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. The Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) like it’s peaceful cousin the Neon Tetra is a charming little schooling fish that is in both appearance and behavior awesome. Although […]

Read the full story

Crayfish are also referred to as crawfish, crawdads, mudbugs, or freshwater lobsters.  They are freshwater crustaceans that resemble their saltwater cousins, lobsters, to which they are closely related.  There are well over 150 different species of freshwater crayfish worldwide which can live an average lifespan of 2 to 6 years,  some even longer. Crayfish breathe […]

Read the full story

The diminutive Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)  is  frequently described as the “Jewel of the aquarium hobby” by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts for several reasons.  These popular little freshwater tropical fish are adorned with beautiful iridescent colors and when kept in large schools provide a beautiful addition to any South American community tank. Neon Tetras (Paracheirodon innesi) are […]

Read the full story

What are the pros and cons of keeping a freshwater or saltwater aquarium? Tropical fish keeping can be divided into two primary categories.  Maintaining the care of freshwater fish or caring for their saltwater counterparts. Both types of tropical fish keeping will provide you with a great deal of enjoyment and add some living color […]

Read the full story