Aquarium lighting is necessary for maintaining fish health and illuminating all types of tropical fish keeping aquariums. Some types of marine reef aquariums or densely planted freshwater aquariums need specialized lighting to support the photosynthetic life forms that are housed in the tank. Densely planted freshwater aquariums may also require a more specialized light source […]

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Choosing the right Aquarium stand is important, and although an aquarium stand is simply a place to locate your tropical fish aquarium,  it is also an integral part of the aquarium system.  In addition to the basic function of the aquarium stand (safely holding the aquarium in place) it can be used to conceal equipment […]

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The common Guppy (Poecilia reticulata), is also known as the millionfish, mosquito fish, or rainbow fish by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.  They are a highly adaptable species that can survive and even thrive in environments that many other tropical fish species would be unable to tolerate. Although the natural range of Poecilia reticulata is in […]

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Otocinclus Catfish (Otocinclus sp.) are a popular tropical species of algae eating catfish considered by many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts to be the most desired algae cleaner of all time. All Otocinclus spp. species are super efficient algae eaters that are usually purchased by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts to help clean up undesirable algae from […]

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The Zebra Otocinclus (Otocinclus cocama) is one of the smallest catfish in the Loricariidae family and is a voracious algae eating machine. Named for the Cocama-Cocamilla Indian tribes that used to be dominant in the lower Ucayali and lower Marañon region of Peru, Otocinclus cocama is also referred to as the Tiger oto or Zebra […]

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Discus (Symphysodon) is a regal genus of Cichlids that is native to the Amazon River basin of South America. Tropical fish keeping enthusiasts also refer to Discus as the Pompadour Fish because of their distinctive shape and bright colors. There are three Symphysodon species that inhabit the margins of the floodplain lakes and rivers in […]

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The Twin Tail variety of Betta splendens is also called the Double Tail (DT) Betta and has an unusually striking tail that immediately differentiates it from other Betta types. The Twin Tail or Double Tail Betta, as you can surmise from its name, has a caudal tail that is split into two equal lobes rather […]

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The Royal Farlowella Catfish (Sturisoma sp.) is a sucker mouth catfish that is found in the fast flowing rivers and streams of South America and referred to by many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Panama Sturisoma, Royal Whiptail Farlowella, or Royal Whiptail Catfish. The first dorsal fin of the male Royal Farlowella Catfish is […]

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The Whiptail Catfish (Farlowella acus)  is also known as the Twig Catfish, Stick Catfish, Farlowella or Whiptail Catfish by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts. They are found in slow moving rivers and lakes and are broadly distributed in the Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná, and coastal rivers of the Guyana Shield  in South America. Farlowella acus is an […]

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The Whiptail Catfish (Rineloricaria) is popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts, and is one of the most peaceful catfish available for populating community tanks.  Currently, there are 63 recognized species in this genus which makes it the most populated of the Loricariinae family. The Whiptail Catfish is native to the rivers and lakes of northern […]

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The Emerald Green “Cory” Cat (Brochis splendens) is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Emerald Brochis, Emerald Catfish, Green Cory, or Emerald Cory and comes from the upper reaches of the Amazon, Rio Ucayali, Rio Ambiyacu, Rio Tocantins, within the countries of Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Ecuador. These catfish are not Corydoras, even though […]

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Skunk Cory Cat (Corydoras arcuatus) is native to the Rio Unini, a whitewater area of the Rio Negro River in Brazil,generally considered to occur throughout the upper Amazon region in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. The Skunk Cory is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts in the aquarium trade as the Arched Cory or Sands’ […]

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Palespotted Cory Cats (Corydoras gossei) are a peaceful Brazilian species of catfish found in smaller river tributaries of the Rio Mamore watershed and the Rio Rondonia. The Palespotted Cory is sometimes called the Smokey Cory by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts which probably comes from the greyish color that the species posses on the upper half […]

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The Ornate Bichir (Polypterus ornatipinnis) is found in the Africa’s Congo River, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Rukwa and is considered by most tropical fish keeping enthusiasts to be the most attractive of the Bichirs. The Ornate Bichir has a protruding upper jaw and is the largest of the Polypterus species, reaching two feet in length. […]

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The Guinean bichir (Polypterus ansorgii)is native to West Africa (Guinea). It is believed to be found from the Ogun River in Nigeria to the Corbal River in Guinea Bissau, in Lake Kainji and in the Niger river basin near Kouroussa in Guinea however, its wider distribution is unconfirmed. The Guinean Bichir is considered rare by […]

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Ropefish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus) also called the Reedfish or Snakefish, is a primitive member of the Bichir family that is native to West and Middle Africa. Its natural habitat stretches from the Ogun River in Nigeria to the Chiloango River in the Republic of the Congo. The Ropefish lives in warm, slow moving or standing, brackish […]

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Bichirs (Polypteridae) are sometimes referred to by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Dragon Bichir, Dragon Fin, Dinosaur Fish, or Dragon Fish.  The name has probably derived from their “dragon like” appearance. Bichirs are a primitive ray-finned fish that are found in the swampy, shallow floodplains and estuaries of the Nile River system in tropical Africa […]

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The Odessa Barb (Pethia padamya) is also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Scarlet Barb or Ticto Barb. At one time the Odessa Barb (Pethia padamya)  was believed to be one of the Puntius ticto color variations, however, it’s  natural coloring lacks the wide red stripe along its body, peculiar for this species […]

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The Synodontis Angelicus Catfish (Synodontis angelicus) is a species of upside-down catfish that tropical fish keeping enthusiasts also refer to as the Angel Catfish, Angelicus Cat, Black Clown Catfish, Polka-dot African catfish or Angel Squeaker.  It is in the “naked catfish” group and may also be known as S. robianus, S. tholloni, S. werneri, and […]

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The Tiger Shovelnose Catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) also known by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Tiger Catfish, is found in various rivers and tributaries in South America.  It prefers deeper waters in the main river channels but can be found in lakes, flooded forests and other freshwater areas. The Tiger Shovelnose Catfish is long and […]

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