Species Profiles
2402 articles- Chalinochromis Brichardi (Chalinochromis brichardi) Care GuideSlender Tanganyika rock-dweller with light tan body and a series of dark facial markings resembling bridges. Reaches 12 cm. Cave-spawning pa
- Dickfeld's Julie (Julidochromis dickfeldi) Care GuideSlender Julidochromis with three horizontal stripes and a blue-edged dorsal fin. Reaches 9 cm. Less common than ornatus or transcriptus but
- Regan's Julie (Julidochromis regani) Care GuideLargest Julidochromis species reaching 14-15 cm. Brownish body with horizontal black stripes. Pair-bonding cave spawner; peaceful for size a
- Dhont's Telmatochromis (Telmatochromis dhonti) Care GuideSlender bottom-dwelling Lamprologine reaching 12 cm with subtle vertical bars. Pair-bonding cave spawner; peaceful for its size and a good p
- Striped Telmatochromis (Telmatochromis vittatus) Care GuideSlim Lamprologine with two horizontal stripes from snout to tail. Cave/crevice spawner reaching 8 cm. Peaceful enough for community Tanganyi
- Blue Neon (Paracyprichromis nigripinnis) Care GuideSmall Tanganyika cichlid with electric neon blue stripes along a dark body — males display especially intense blue under proper lighting.
- Paracyprichromis Brieni (Paracyprichromis brieni) Care GuideSlender pseudo-shellie Cyprichromis from Tanganyika often found close to rocky walls. Subtle blue-violet sheen on males; smaller schools tha
- Cyprichromis Zonatus (Cyprichromis zonatus) Care GuideBanded Cyprichromis from northern Tanganyika with dark vertical bars and yellow finnage in males. Smaller schooling species; peaceful and ex
- Mbuna Hunter (Taeniochromis holotaenia) Care GuideSlender Lake Malawi predator with single horizontal stripe across body. Reaches 25 cm and hunts mbuna fry along rocky shores. Males develop
- Anagenys (Exochochromis anagenys) Care GuideStreamlined open-water hap reaching 25 cm. Dominant males turn deep blue with red anal fin. Active swimmer in upper layers; peaceful with si
- Tyrannochromis (Tyrannochromis maculiceps) Care GuideApex predator of Lake Malawi reaching 35 cm and feeding mainly on adult mbuna. Males blue with red and yellow flanks. Needs 800 L+ tank — on
- Malawi Hawk (Aristochromis christyi) Care GuideSleek predatory hap with hawk-like profile, reaching 25 cm. Males show metallic blue body with red flanks; ambushes mbuna fry around rocky d
- Malawi Eyebiter (Dimidiochromis compressiceps) Care GuideHighly compressed predatory hap from Lake Malawi vallisneria beds, reaching 23 cm. Males iridescent silver-blue with red anal fin; specialis
- Modestus Hap (Stigmatochromis modestus) Care GuidePredatory hap from Lake Malawi reaching 22 cm with black-spotted silver body and bluish head in dominant males. Stalking predator — keep wit
- Malawi Trout (Champsochromis caeruleus) Care GuideStreamlined open-water predator from Lake Malawi reaching 35 cm. Males iridescent blue with green sheen and forked tail.
- Yellow Lepturus (Buccochromis rhoadesii) Care GuideLarge predatory hap from Lake Malawi reaching 30 cm. Males develop bright yellow body with blue head; females silvery.
- Malawi Scale-Eater (Genyochromis mento) Care GuideSpecialised lepidophage (scale-eater) endemic to Lake Malawi rocky shores. Sleek dark body with small mouth designed to rasp scales from lar
- Neon Dwarf Gourami (Trichogaster lalius var. neon) Care GuideA selectively bred color variant of the Dwarf Gourami with intensified electric blue and red-orange striped coloration.
- Livingston's Cichlid (Nimbochromis livingstonii) Care GuideA large predatory hap from Lake Malawi famous for its unique hunting strategy — it lies motionless on the substrate playing dead, and when s
- Socolofi Cichlid (Chindongo socolofi) Care GuideA smaller, relatively peaceful mbuna from Lake Malawi with an attractive powder blue coloration. One of the best mbuna for beginners due to
- Auratus Cichlid (Melanochromis auratus) Care GuideOne of the most aggressive mbuna from Lake Malawi. Females and juveniles are bright gold with black and white horizontal stripes, while domi
- Red Zebra (Maylandia estherae) Care GuideA vibrant mbuna cichlid from Lake Malawi whose common name is misleading — females are typically bright orange while males can be blue.
- Rainbow Shiner (Notropis chrosomus) Care GuideA spectacular North American native minnow where breeding males rival any tropical fish for color — displaying iridescent pink, blue, and pu
- Green Fire Tetra (Aphyocharax rathbuni) Care GuideAn underrated South American tetra with a translucent green body that shimmers in good lighting and a vivid red-orange belly that intensifie
- Candy Striped Pleco (Peckoltia vittata) Care GuideA small, attractively patterned pleco from the Rio Tocantins basin in Brazil with alternating dark and light bands across its body and fins.
- Emerald Betta (Betta smaragdina) Care GuideA gorgeous wild betta from northeastern Thailand and Laos with brilliant emerald green and blue iridescent scales covering the body and fins
- Daisy's Blue Ricefish (Oryzias woworae) Care GuideA strikingly beautiful ricefish from Sulawesi, Indonesia, discovered in 2010 and quickly becoming a sensation in the nano aquarium hobby.
- Hummingbird Tetra (Trochilocharax ornatus) Care GuideAn extremely rare and delicate nano tetra from South American blackwater streams. Nearly transparent with scattered dark spots and a faint i
- Emerald Dwarf Rasbora (Microdevario erythromicron) Care GuideA stunningly colored micro fish endemic to Inle Lake in Myanmar. Features alternating vertical bands of emerald green and orange-pink, with
- Pygmy Spotted Rasbora (Boraras maculatus) Care GuideA popular nano fish from the peat swamps of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. It has an orange-red body adorned with three distinctive dark s
- Phoenix Rasbora (Boraras merah) Care GuideA tiny jewel of a fish from Borneo's blackwater streams with a deep red body marked by a bold dark lateral stripe and spot. Males develop in
- Exclamation Point Rasbora (Boraras urophthalmoides) Care GuideOne of the tiniest aquarium fish, this micro rasbora features a warm reddish body with a distinctive dark spot near the tail base followed b
- Butterfly Pleco (Dekeyseria brachyura) Care GuideA uniquely flat pleco with a wide, butterfly-like body shape and bold horizontal striping. Native to fast-flowing waters of the Rio Negro an
- Flash Pleco (Panaqolus albivermis) Care GuideA compact wood-eating pleco from Peru with a black body crossed by thin white or cream-colored lines. As a true xylivore, driftwood is essen
- Leopard Frog Pleco (Peckoltia compta) Care GuideAn attractive small pleco from the Rio Tapajós in Brazil with bold yellow and black banding patterns that resemble a leopard frog.
- Gold Nugget Pleco (Baryancistrus xanthellus) Care GuideA stunning pleco with a jet-black body adorned with bright yellow or golden spots and yellow-tipped dorsal and caudal fins.
- Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia) Care GuideOften sold as a small, attractive fish with bold black and white horizontal stripes resembling a convict's uniform, but grows surprisingly l
- Medaka Ricefish (Oryzias latipes) Care GuideA tiny, elegant Japanese fish that has surged in popularity worldwide. Extremely hardy and cold-tolerant, it thrives in outdoor tubs and ind
- Horseface Loach (Acanthopsis choirorhynchos) Care GuideA fascinating elongated loach with a distinctively long, horse-like snout. Spends most of its time buried in sand with only its eyes visible
- Endler's Guppy Hybrid (Poecilia reticulata x wingei) Care GuideA popular hybrid between the common guppy and Endler's livebearer, combining the best traits of both. Males display extremely vibrant, varie
- Green Neon Rasbora (Microdevario kubotai) Care GuideA tiny, brilliantly colored nano fish with an electric neon green-yellow body that seems to glow under aquarium lighting.
- Croaking Gourami (Trichopsis vittata) Care GuideA small, attractive gourami named for the audible croaking sounds it produces during courtship using a specialized pectoral fin mechanism.
- Pygmy Hatchetfish (Carnegiella myersi) Care GuideThe smallest hatchetfish species, reaching only 2.2 cm. A delicate surface-dwelling fish perfect for mature nano tanks. Translucent body wit
- Common Hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) Care GuideThe most commonly kept hatchetfish species with a bright silver body and deep keel-shaped belly. An exclusive surface dweller that feeds on
- Marbled Hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) Care GuideA small surface-dwelling fish with a distinctive deep, laterally compressed body shaped like a hatchet.
- Opaline Gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) Care GuideA color morph of the Three Spot Gourami with a beautiful marbled blue pattern. Hardy and adaptable, but males can be territorial and aggress
- Scissortail Rasbora (Rasbora trilineata) Care GuideA graceful, active schooling fish named for its deeply forked tail with bold black and white markings that resemble scissors when opening an
- Kissing Gourami (Helostoma temminckii) Care GuideNamed for its distinctive lip-locking behavior between individuals, which is actually a form of sparring rather than affection. Can grow qui
- Moonlight Gourami (Trichopodus microlepis) Care GuideA large, peaceful gourami with a beautiful silver-green iridescence that glows under aquarium lighting, reminiscent of moonlight. Males have
- Thick-Lipped Gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) Care GuideA less common but equally beautiful alternative to the Dwarf Gourami, with a warm orange-gold coloration and distinctive thick lips.