Flora & Fauna

Brilliant scarlet-red, blade-shaped macroalgae — one of the most visually striking species for display refugia. Provides excellent colour contrast and nutrient export. More delicate than Chaeto; requires moderate flow and consistent light. Popular with collectors and stunning under reef lighting.

One of the smallest loaches, the dwarf chain loach has a distinctive chain-link pattern and an endearingly playful personality. Unlike most loaches it is comfortable in the upper water column and is often seen resting on plant leaves. A prized nano loach.

Dwarf hairgrass forms a lush, grass-like carpet in the foreground of aquascapes. It requires moderate to high light and injected CO2 to spread effectively, otherwise growth is sparse and slow. Regular trimming encourages lateral runners and a denser mat.

Eleocharis pusilla (Dwarf Hairgrass Mini) is a nano-scale hairgrass species producing extremely fine, short blades reaching only 3–5 cm, making it noticeably shorter and denser than standard Dwarf Hairgrass (E. parvula). Under CO2 injection and good light it spreads rapidly via runners to form a tight, lawn-like foreground carpet highly prized in Nature Aquarium-style layouts. It is particularly effective in nano aquariums where even E. parvula would be too tall.

The world's smallest pufferfish, the dwarf puffer is a freshwater species with enormous personality. They are intelligent, curious, and aggressive hunters of snails and worms. Best kept in species-specific tanks or with fast, robust tankmates.

An extremely fine, thread-like hairgrass originating from the Belem region of Brazil, producing the thinnest, most delicate stems of any Eleocharis in the hobby. Blades rarely exceed 3–5 cm tall, creating a wispy, ultra-fine carpet that looks unlike any other aquatic grass. Demands good light, CO₂, and a nutrient-rich substrate to spread reliably. A favourite among competitive aquascapers who want a finer-textured foreground than standard dwarf hairgrass provides.

Eleocharis acicularis is the most popular hairgrass for carpeting in aquascapes. Its ultra-fine, bright green blades create a lush lawn effect, especially with CO2 injection. It spreads via runners and fills in quickly under good conditions.

Named for the dot-dash pattern on its flanks, the exclamation point rasbora is a tiny, stunning micro-fish suited to nano planted tanks. It is best kept in large groups with other micro fish or shrimp and requires pristine, soft water.

Fancy goldfish encompass egg-shaped body varieties including Orandas, Ryukins, Telescopes, and Ranchus. Their rounded bodies and ornate finnage are the result of centuries of selective breeding. They are slower than single-tailed goldfish and should not be mixed with them.

Favites (war coral / closed brain coral) are encrusting SPS corals with a brain-like maze pattern. They are moderately demanding and aggressive, extending sweeper tentacles at night to sting neighbours. Available in a wide range of vivid colour morphs.

Small, characterful puffer with a figure-eight pattern on its back. Prefers slightly brackish water. Personality-packed fish that recognises its keeper. Will eat snails and hard-shelled foods.

Elegant plant with very fine, grass-like submerged leaves. Creates a soft, wispy texture perfect for natural-style aquascapes. Tolerates cool water well and can be used in temperate tanks.

A hydrozoan rather than a true coral — branching, blade-like, or encrusting forms in mustard-yellow. Delivers a potent sting, even to humans. Fast-growing and found on shallow, high-flow reef crests.

The firemouth cichlid is named for the vivid red-orange colouration on the throat and belly. It is a moderately aggressive Central American cichlid that pairs for breeding and defends territories. A stunning fish when in breeding colour.

Vivid red-orange dwarf angelfish with black vertical bars. One of the most popular dwarf angels. May nip at corals; monitor in reef tanks.

Frogspawn Coral is a popular LPS coral whose branching skeleton terminates in clusters of rounded, grape-like polyp tips that sway mesmerisingly in gentle water movement — resembling a mass of frog eggs. It is one of the three classic Euphyllia corals (alongside Hammer and Torch) and shares their care requirements. It has potent sweeper tentacles that can sting corals placed nearby, so adequate spacing within the reef aquarium is essential.

The frontosa is a majestic Lake Tanganyika cichlid with a distinctive nuchal hump and striking black-and-white vertical banding. It is a slow-moving predator that is surprisingly peaceful for its size in large colonies. A showpiece fish for large Tanganyika setups.

Fungia plate corals are unusual free-living LPS corals that rest on the sandbed and can slowly move to find better conditions. They have a single large mouth surrounded by numerous short tentacles and come in a range of colours. They are sensitive to being placed on rough substrates.

Furcata rainbowfish are small, jewel-like fish with males sporting vivid yellow fins edged in black. They are highly active swimmers and look spectacular in planted nano tanks with dense vegetation. They need very small foods and calm tankmates.

Galaxea is a large-polyp stony coral with star-shaped polyps that extend long sweeper tentacles at night, capable of stinging corals several centimetres away. It is a fast grower under good conditions but requires significant space between it and neighbours.

Lush, feathery stem plant with large whorls of finely divided leaves. Fast-growing background plant that creates a spectacular bushy effect. Needs good light and CO2.

Completely transparent body reveals the skeleton and internal organs. Must be kept in schools of 6+, otherwise becomes stressed and stops eating. Stunning in a well-planted tank.

A captive-bred variety carrying the gold gene, producing a warm golden-yellow body with reduced or absent black barring. The gold colouration intensifies with good nutrition and water quality. A classic show-tank fish that pairs beautifully with dark substrates.

Fine, powdery green coating on the glass that wipes off easily but returns quickly. Different from Green Spot Algae — much softer and more responsive to physical removal. A large clean-up crew (nerites, Mystery snails, Otocinclus) keeps it in check. Usually a sign of moderate light excess.

Hard, dark green circles on glass and slow-growing plant leaves — familiar to virtually every planted tank keeper. Caused by low phosphate (counterintuitively) and high light. Nerite snails are the most effective control. A small amount is considered normal and harmless.

Vivid green-and-black spotted puffer. Requires brackish conditions as an adult. Highly intelligent and inquisitive — needs enrichment and varied diet including snails to wear down its ever-growing beak.

Green terror cichlids are large, dramatic fish with vivid turquoise-green scaling and orange-edged fins. Males develop a pronounced nuchal hump with age. Despite the name, they are manageable in species or large community cichlid setups.

Pea-soup green tank water caused by a bloom of free-floating unicellular algae. Usually triggered by a combination of high nutrients and direct sunlight. A UV steriliser will clear it within days. A 3-day blackout is an alternative. Daphnia (water fleas) can be added to a fishless tank as biological control.

Fine, bright-green strands that drape over plants and hardscape. One of the most common new-tank algae — usually caused by excess light, nutrient imbalance, or lack of fast-growing plants competing for nutrients. Nerite snails, Amano shrimp, and Florida Flagfish make short work of it.

Hammer coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral with distinctive T-shaped or hammer-shaped tentacles that sweep rhythmically in current. It is photosynthetic via its zooxanthellae but also benefits from target feeding with meaty foods two or three times weekly. It can sting neighbouring corals, so adequate spacing is essential.

Bold orange-and-white banded wrasse with vivid blue teeth. Impressive predator fish for FOWLR tanks. Australian specimens (red-orange) are more vibrant than Indo-Pacific.

A delicate stem plant with tiny, round-to-oval bright green leaves growing in whorls of 3–4 around thin stems. Often confused with H. micranthemoides but has slightly larger leaves and a more upright growth habit. Grows quickly with CO₂ and high light, producing dense, bushy clumps that work well as a background planting. Without CO₂ it grows slowly and may become leggy. Regular trimming encourages compact, lush growth.

The Hillstream Loach (Reticulated Hillstream Loach) is a spectacularly patterned torrent fish with a flattened body and enlarged pectoral fins adapted for clinging to rocks in fast-flowing streams. In the aquarium it requires strong water movement, high oxygenation, and cool temperatures mimicking its native Vietnamese mountain streams. It grazes periphyton (algae and biofilm) from hard surfaces and benefits from supplemental feeding with blanched vegetables and spirulina wafers.

Distinctive pencilfish that swims at a 45° upward angle with its head tilted toward the surface. Copper-red body with a bold black lateral stripe. Fascinating schooling behaviour in planted tanks.

Striking apisto with vivid yellow, red, and blue colouring on males. Highly variable in colour intensity depending on mood and water quality. A showpiece fish for any planted South American biotope.

Hydrocotyle tripartita is a fast-growing stem plant with unique three-lobed leaves that create a lush, dense carpet or mid-ground cluster. With CO2 and high light it forms tight mounds. Without CO2 it grows taller and more open. Very popular in aquascaping.