Species Profiles
2742 articles- Umbrella Hairgrass care guideUmbrella Hairgrass (Eleocharis vivipara) — medium light, 20-28 °C, pH 6-7.5, no CO2.
- Myriophyllum Guyana care guideMyriophyllum Guyana (Myriophyllum sp. 'Guyana') — high light, 22-28 °C, pH 5.5-7, CO2 recommended.
- Pogostemon Quadrifolius care guidePogostemon Quadrifolius (Pogostemon quadrifolius) — high light, 22-28 °C, pH 5.5-7.5, CO2 recommended.
- Orbiculate Batfish (Platax orbicularis) Care GuideA magnificent, disc-shaped fish that develops into a large, graceful swimmer with elongated dorsal and anal fins as a juvenile.
- Longhorn Cowfish (Lactoria cornuta) Care GuideAn unmistakable fish with a bony box-like body and two horn-like projections from its forehead. Swims by sculling with its tiny fins in a un
- Volitan Lionfish (Pterois miles) Care GuideClosely related to the Red Lionfish, this Indian Ocean species features similarly dramatic fan-like fins with venomous spines. Distinguished
- Dwarf Lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus) Care GuideA compact lionfish species reaching only 17 cm, making it suitable for smaller marine setups compared to its larger relatives.
- Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) Care GuideAn iconic and dramatic marine fish with elaborate, fan-like pectoral fins and venomous dorsal spines. Its maroon and white striped body crea
- Green Moray Eel (Gymnothorax funebris) Care GuideThe iconic large moray of the Atlantic, reaching up to 250 cm. Its green coloration comes from a yellow mucus layer over blue-gray skin.
- Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra) Care GuideA strikingly beautiful moray with bold chocolate-brown and white zebra stripes covering its entire body.
- Snowflake Moray Eel (Echidna nebulosa) Care GuideOne of the most docile moray eels and a popular choice for marine aquariums. It features a white body covered with black and yellow snowflak
- Harlequin Shark (Labeo cyclorhynchus) Care GuideA distinctive large labeo with a velvety black body contrasted by bright orange to red fins. Despite the common name 'shark', it is a cyprin
- Spotted Climbing Perch (Ctenopoma acutirostre) Care GuideA fascinating ambush predator from Central Africa that mimics a dead leaf drifting in the water to sneak up on prey. Its body is covered in
- Fiddler Crab (Uca sp.) Care GuideA charismatic semi-terrestrial crab best known for the males' one oversized claw used for display and territorial signaling.
- Panther Crab (Parathelphusa pantherina) Care GuideA striking fully aquatic freshwater crab endemic to Lake Matano in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Distinguished by its bright yellow-orange body cover
- Brazos Dwarf Crayfish (Cambarellus texanus) Care GuideOne of the tiniest crayfish species in the hobby, reaching only 2-3 cm. Native to the Brazos River in Texas, it is peaceful enough for nano
- Zebra Crayfish (Cherax peknyi) Care GuideA stunningly patterned crayfish from Papua New Guinea with bold dark and light striped markings across its body and claws.
- Blue Zaire Frontosa (Cyphotilapia gibberosa) Care GuideThe southern Lake Tanganyika variant of the frontosa, recently recognized as a separate species. Distinguished by having seven rather than s
- Indian Glassfish (Parambassis ranga) Care GuideA small, fascinating fish with a nearly transparent body through which the skeleton and internal organs are clearly visible. Males develop a
- Olive Nerite Snail (Neritina reclivata) Care GuideA smooth-shelled nerite snail with a distinctive olive green to dark brown coloration. One of the most efficient algae-eating snails in the
- Blue Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii var. blue) Care GuideA beautiful blue-shelled color variant of the popular mystery snail. The translucent blue shell combined with a dark body creates an eye-cat
- Bladder Snail (Physa acuta) Care GuideA tiny, ubiquitous freshwater snail often introduced accidentally on plants. An efficient scavenger that consumes decaying matter, uneaten f
- Black Devil Snail (Faunus ater) Care GuideA large, elegant freshwater snail with a sleek, elongated black conical shell that can reach up to 7 cm. Completely peaceful and an efficien
- Pagoda Snail (Brotia pagodula) Care GuideA unique freshwater snail with a distinctive spiky, tiered shell resembling a pagoda tower. Native to fast-flowing rivers in Thailand, it re
- Golden Back Yellow Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. yellow golden back) Care GuideA bright yellow Neocaridina variant distinguished by a prominent golden-orange stripe running along the back, visible through the translucen
- Carbon Rili Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. carbon rili) Care GuideA striking Neocaridina variety featuring a distinctive two-tone pattern with a dark black head and tail separated by a clear or translucent
- Chocolate Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. chocolate) Care GuideA rich dark brown Neocaridina color morph resembling the color of dark chocolate. A relatively uncommon variant that adds a warm, earthy ton
- Bloody Mary Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. bloody mary) Care GuideA stunning deep translucent red Neocaridina variant where the red coloration comes from the internal tissue rather than the shell, giving it
- Black Rose Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi var. black rose) Care GuideA selectively bred color morph of Neocaridina davidi displaying a deep, rich black coloration throughout the body. Provides a striking contr
- Whiptail Catfish (Rineloricaria lanceolata) Care GuideA flat-bodied, bottom-dwelling catfish with a distinctive elongated tail filament. Blends perfectly with sandy substrates due to its mottled
- Twig Catfish (Farlowella acus) Care GuideA remarkably elongated catfish that perfectly mimics a twig or stick in the aquarium. Its extremely slender body with a long, pointed snout
- Princess of Burundi (Neolamprologus brichardi) Care GuideAn elegant Lake Tanganyika cichlid with a slender body, flowing lyre-shaped tail fin extensions, and a distinctive yellow spot behind the gi
- Masked Julie (Julidochromis transcriptus) Care GuideA small, attractive rock-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika with bold black markings on a cream-white body. Forms strong pair bonds and d
- Venustus Cichlid (Nimbochromis venustus) Care GuideA large, predatory Lake Malawi cichlid with a distinctive giraffe-like blotchy pattern in juveniles that transforms into stunning blue-gold
- Yellow-tail Acei Cichlid (Pseudotropheus sp. "acei") Care GuideAn unusually peaceful mbuna with a distinctive purple-blue body and bright yellow tail and dorsal fin. Unlike most mbuna, it is a mid-water
- Demasoni Cichlid (Pseudotropheus demasoni) Care GuideA small but highly aggressive dwarf mbuna with striking dark blue and black vertical bars. Despite its small size of around 8 cm, it is one
- Sunshine Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara baenschi) Care GuideA brilliantly yellow peacock cichlid from Lake Malawi with a blue face and dorsal fin. Males are among the most vividly colored of all Aulon
- Red-bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) Care GuideThe most iconic piranha species with a silvery body, red-orange belly, and powerful jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Despite their fearso
- Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus) Care GuideA large, round, shimmering silver schooling fish related to piranhas but entirely herbivorous. Named for its disc-shaped body resembling a s
- Maxima Clam (Tridacna maxima) Care GuideA photosynthetic bivalve with a stunning iridescent mantle in blues, greens, golds, and purples. Harbors symbiotic zooxanthellae like corals
- Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) Care GuideOne of the most fascinating marine creatures — a vibrant green and red crustacean that strikes prey with club-like appendages at the speed o
- Sea Cucumber (Holothuria sp.) Care GuideA slow-moving detritivore that processes sand substrate, extracting organic matter and returning clean sand. Excellent for maintaining sand
- Feather Duster Worm (Sabellastarte magnifica) Care GuideA filter-feeding tube worm with a spectacular fan-shaped crown of feathery tentacles (radioles) used to capture plankton. The crown retracts
- Brittle Star (Ophiocoma sp.) Care GuideA nocturnal scavenger with long, flexible arms that hides in rockwork during the day. Excellent cleanup crew member that consumes detritus,
- Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia globulus) Care GuideA small, attractive sea urchin with alternating bands of blue and black (like a tuxedo). One of the best reef-safe algae eaters that grazes
- Blue Linckia Starfish (Linckia laevigata) Care GuideAn iconic bright blue starfish and one of the most recognizable marine invertebrates. Despite popularity, it has a poor survival rate in cap
- Red Fromia Starfish (Fromia milleporella) Care GuideA beautiful bright red starfish that is reef-safe and does not eat corals. Slow-moving detritivore that grazes on biofilm and microalgae on
- Condylactis Anemone (Condylactis gigantea) Care GuideA hardy Caribbean anemone with thick tentacles tipped in pink, purple, or green. One of the easiest anemones to keep. Does NOT typically hos
- Long Tentacle Anemone (Macrodactyla doreensis) Care GuideA graceful anemone with long, flowing tentacles that buries its foot in a sandy substrate. Requires a deep sand bed and will not thrive on r
- Carpet Anemone (Stichodactyla sp.) Care GuideA large, powerful anemone that can spread over 60cm across. Has an extremely potent sting capable of killing fish and causing painful welts