Flora & Fauna

Deep blue-grey form of the popular mystery snail. Strikingly beautiful against light sand or green plants. Active grazer of algae, uneaten food and detritus. One of the most popular planted tank snails.

Blue velvet shrimp are a striking blue morph of Neocaridina davidi with a rich, opaque cornflower-blue colouration. Like all Neocaridina they are hardy and adaptable, making them an excellent choice for beginners wanting colourful shrimp.

Blue velvet shrimp are a selectively bred colour morph of the common neocaridina davidi, displaying an attractive solid blue coloration. They share the same hardy nature and care requirements as red cherry shrimp, making them equally beginner-friendly. They breed readily and can produce mixed-colour offspring if kept with other neocaridina colour morphs.

One of the most colourful freshwater fish, the boesemani rainbowfish sports a vivid split colouration — bright blue-purple on the front half and yellow-orange on the rear. Males colour up fully in well-maintained tanks with varied diet and good water quality.

The Bolivian Ram is a hardier, more forgiving alternative to the German Blue Ram, tolerating a wider temperature range and less pristine water conditions without sacrificing its attractive appearance. It displays a golden-tan body, red-tipped fins, and an elongated dorsal fin with black and yellow banding. Pairs form monogamous bonds and exhibit fascinating parental care when breeding, making them rewarding to keep.

The bristlenose pleco is the most commonly kept plecostomus in the hobby thanks to its manageable adult size. Males develop characteristic bushy tentacles on the snout used in mate selection. An excellent algae grazer, it should also receive supplemental feeding with blanched vegetables and sinking wafers.

Echinodorus Bleheri, the Broad-Leaf Amazon Sword, is the quintessential large background plant of the freshwater aquarium. It produces broad, bright-green lanceolate leaves that can reach 50 cm, creating a dramatic focal point in larger tanks. It is a heavy root feeder and benefits greatly from nutrient-rich substrate or regular root tab fertilisation.

The bronze corydoras is one of the most widely kept bottom-dwellers in the hobby. Its metallic bronze-green flanks and peaceful temperament make it a staple of community tanks. Like all corydoras it requires fine sand to protect its sensitive barbels and prefers groups of six or more.

A round-leaved Bucephalandra variety named for its broad, almost circular apple-green leaves with a softly ruffled margin. New growth often emerges with reddish or pinkish tones before settling to a bright green, adding seasonal colour variation. One of the more recognisable Buces due to its distinctive leaf shape. Works beautifully attached to smooth stones in a Nature aquarium layout.

A sought-after Bucephalandra variety with small, elliptic leaves that shimmer between dark purple-green and metallic blue-green depending on lighting angle. Like all Bucephalandras it attaches to rock and driftwood and grows very slowly. Iridescent spots on the leaves catch light beautifully in high-spec setups.

One of the larger Bucephalandra varieties, producing broad, dark green to nearly black leaves with subtle blue-purple iridescence along the margins. The name reflects its size relative to most Buces. Its bold, wide leaves create strong contrast in a scape when positioned alongside finer-leaved plants. Attaches readily to driftwood and rock with superglue gel.

Bucephalandra Kedagang is one of the most popular buce varieties, featuring rounded to elliptic dark-green leaves with a distinctive blue-green iridescent shimmer visible under good lighting. Like all bucephalandra it is endemic to Borneo, growing on rocky stream beds, and must be attached to hardscape rather than buried in substrate. Growth is slow but it is surprisingly tolerant once established.

Bucephalandra Mini Catherine is a miniature buce cultivar with tiny, elongated leaves typically under 2 cm, making it ideal for nano aquascapes and detailed foreground hardscape work. Its leaves display a subtle dark-green to blue-green iridescence. Extremely slow growing, a single plant can take many months to form a small cluster, which only adds to its collector appeal.

One of the first formally described Bucephalandra species, with elongated, slightly undulating dark green to brownish-green leaves that display a purple-blue iridescence in good light. A classic in the Buce world and widely considered a reference variety. Slightly larger than many hobbyist Buces and forms attractive clumps over time. Excellent for attaching to larger driftwood branches.

The smallest Bucephalandra species, producing tiny lance-shaped leaves 1–3 cm long with an intense metallic blue iridescence. It creeps slowly along rock surfaces and is ideal for detailed foreground work in nano tanks. The compact growth and iridescent leaves make it one of the most visually interesting foreground plants available. Does well in low-tech setups once acclimated.

One of the most popular Bucephalandra varieties, known for its oval to elliptical dark green leaves with a striking blue-green iridescent shimmer when light catches the leaf surface. Slower growing than many stem plants but extremely durable once established. Like all Buces, it must be attached to hardscape — burying the rhizome will cause rot. A must-have for collectors of rare epiphytes.

Wavy Green is one of the more distinctive Bucephalandra varieties, with small to medium leaves that have notably undulated, wavy margins. The bright green foliage with subtle white iridescent spotting makes it a prized accent plant attached to hardscape. Extremely hardy and forgiving once established.

Tough, active tetra with red-tipped fins. Tolerates cooler water down to 18°C. Known to nip fins and eat plants. Best in a species tank or with similarly robust fish.

Cabomba is a feathery, fan-like stem plant that creates a delicate texture in the background. It grows quickly under moderate to high light and provides excellent cover for small fish and fry. Best suited to tanks without very strong flow.

Elegant killifish with a lyretail caudal fin in shades of orange, red, and yellow. One of the gentlest killifish — works well in community tanks with small peaceful fish.

Dark grey-to-black rili pattern with a transparent midsection. The monochrome equivalent of the popular red and orange rili variants. Intriguing patterning and fully Neocaridina-hardy.

Often confused with the neon tetra, the cardinal tetra has a longer red stripe extending the full length of the body. It prefers soft, acidic blackwater conditions and looks stunning in large schools against dark substrate and dense planting.

Discovered in Myanmar in 2006, the celestial pearl danio features a dark body scattered with gold spots and vivid red-orange fins. It prefers densely planted tanks with subdued lighting and thrives in groups where males display to one another.

Male cherry barbs turn a vivid deep red when breeding-conditioned, making them one of the most colourful small barbs available. Unlike many barbs they are peaceful and non-nippy, suiting them to community planted tanks with other peaceful species.

Chocolate shrimp are a deep brown-maroon Neocaridina morph with a rich, earthy colouration that contrasts beautifully with green plants and light substrate. Hardy and prolific, they are managed identically to other Neocaridina colour morphs.

Christmas Moss is named for the overlapping, triangular frond arrangement of its branches that closely resembles the silhouette of a Christmas tree — each stem droops with layered side branches in a distinctive tiered pattern. It attaches readily to hardscape and creates elegant draping textures on driftwood. It grows slightly slower than Java Moss and benefits from moderate light and CO2 for the best dense, lush growth.

Tiny surface-dwelling killifish with bold black-and-white horizontal bands and a vivid blue-tipped tail. Perfect for nano tanks. Surface skimmer that catches small live food.

The Clown Pleco is a small, attractively patterned plecostomus with bold yellow-and-black tiger-stripe markings on a compact 8–10 cm body, making it one of the most manageable pleco species for community tanks. Unlike most plecos it is primarily a wood eater (xylivore) and must have driftwood available to gnaw on. It is a cavity dweller that benefits from PVC pipes or hollow wood to use as territory.

The Colombian tetra, also known as the red and blue Colombian tetra, is a larger, striking tetra with brilliant blue iridescence on the upper body contrasting with vivid red fins. Males are larger and more intensely coloured. It is a boisterous species that may nip at long-finned tankmates, so it is best kept in large schools to diffuse aggression.

The common goldfish is one of the oldest domesticated fish, kept for over a thousand years. Hardy, cold-tolerant, and long-lived, it is best kept in ponds or large aquariums as it grows substantially. Single-tailed goldfish are active and fast.

The common pleco is one of the most recognisable aquarium fish, widely sold for algae control. It grows very large and requires a spacious tank as an adult. Despite its popularity it is often impulse-bought for tanks far too small to sustain it long-term.

The Congo tetra is a large, spectacular African tetra. Males develop long flowing fins with a central extension and display an iridescent sheen of blue, gold, and orange across the flanks. A schooling fish that looks magnificent in large planted tanks.

Black-and-white barred cichlid named for its prison uniform. Extraordinarily hardy and easy to breed — almost too easy. Fierce parents that will defend fry against much larger fish.

One of the most beginner-friendly red plants. Green on top, red underneath — intensity increases with light. Extremely adaptable and fast-growing. Perfect for adding a pop of colour to any planted layout.

The Crowntail Betta features dramatically extended fin rays with webbing reduced to one-half or less of the ray length, creating the appearance of a spiky crown. This striking mutation originated in Jakarta in the 1990s and quickly became one of the most popular betta tail types. Males are bold and territorial; their long rays require careful attention to water quality and tank decor to prevent damage.

A slender Cryptocoryne with narrow, strap-like leaves that range from olive-green to brownish-red depending on light intensity. Submerged leaves are typically narrower and more reddish than the emersed form. Grows to a manageable 15–20 cm and is suited to the midground of smaller tanks or the foreground of larger setups. Tolerates a range of water conditions and is one of the easier narrow-leaved Crypts.