Flora & Fauna

The turquoise rainbowfish has an intense blue-green iridescence across its body that intensifies at peak colour. It is a larger, robust rainbowfish that does best in spacious tanks with good filtration. Males colour up brilliantly in well-maintained setups.

Fascinating catfish that swims inverted to feed on the underside of leaves and wood. The inverted posture causes its belly to be darker than its back — the reverse of most fish.

Venezuelan corydoras is similar to the bronze corydoras but displays more orange-red colouration on the pectoral and dorsal fins, especially in males. It is hardy, adaptable, and makes an excellent beginner corydoras.

Closely related to the White Cloud Mountain Minnow but with more vivid colouring — bright red stripe and neon fins. Smaller and more delicate. Excellent for cool, planted nano tanks.

The von Rio tetra, also called the flame tetra, is one of the first tropical fish ever imported to Europe. The rear body and fins of males glow a vivid red-orange, resembling flames. Despite being over 100 years in the hobby it remains a charming, underrated choice. It is extremely hardy and tolerates a wide range of water conditions.

Long, eel-like loach said to predict weather changes by becoming hyperactive before storms. Extremely hardy and cold-tolerant. Peaceful, playful, and full of personality.

Slender, armoured catfish with a long whip-like tail. Excellent algae grazer that clings to wood and glass. Peaceful and relatively easy to keep. Males guard the eggs.

Once thought to be extinct in the wild, the white cloud mountain minnow is a cold-tolerant fish that thrives at room temperature without a heater. It has a subtle but attractive iridescent stripe and pairs well with pond-style or unheated aquariums.

The X-ray tetra (also called the pristella tetra) has a nearly transparent body through which the spine and organs are clearly visible — hence the name. Its dorsal and anal fins are boldly banded in black, white, and yellow. It is an extraordinarily adaptable species that tolerates both soft acidic and hard alkaline water, making it one of the hardiest tetras available.

Brilliant solid yellow tang from Hawaiian reefs. A staple of the reef aquarium hobby. Excellent algae grazer and generally peaceful.

Vibrant yellow with blue spots, best known for its mutualistic relationship with pistol shrimp — the shrimp digs and maintains a shared burrow while the goby stands guard. A staple of any reef tank.

The yoyo loach gets its name from the Y-O-Y-O pattern visible on juveniles. Active, social, and entertaining, it is one of the most popular loaches in the hobby. An excellent snail hunter that becomes bolder and more colourful with age.

Zebra danios are robust, active schooling fish characterised by horizontal blue and silver stripes. They are among the most beginner-friendly species available, tolerating a wider range of water conditions than most tropical fish. Their bold, zippy behaviour makes them excellent dither fish to reduce the shyness of more reclusive tankmates.

The zebra loach has bold, narrow vertical stripes across its body. Smaller and more peaceful than many other botia loaches, it is suitable for community tanks and remains manageable in size. Like all loaches it is social and needs companions.