Flora & Fauna

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A striking stem plant with ultra-narrow, needle-like leaves that turn deep red-purple under high light and CO₂. The fine, dense foliage creates a delicate, feathery texture rarely seen in other stem plants. Grows quickly and benefits from regular trimming to maintain a bushy appearance. The colour is highly dependent on light intensity — low light produces mostly green growth. One of the most popular plants in competitive aquascaping.

A standout aquascape plant with oak-like lobed leaves that are dark green on top and purple-red beneath. Unlike most Hygrophilas it can be attached to hardscape like Anubias. Under high light and CO2 the purple coloration intensifies dramatically, making it one of the most visually striking stem plants available.

The base species of the popular lancea group. A delicate, fine-stemmed plant with small, narrow lance-shaped leaves that grow in tight whorls around the stem. Under high light the leaves develop attractive reddish-pink tones. More compact and slower growing than most Hygrophilas, making it well-suited for the midground of Nature Aquarium and Iwagumi layouts.

An ultra-compact cultivar of H. lancea that stays exceptionally small — typically under 5 cm — making it one of the few true foreground stem plants. Leaves are tiny, needle-like, and can blush red or pink under strong lighting and good CO2. Ideal for nano tanks and detailed foreground work in competitive aquascapes.

A Taiwanese-bred cultivar with slightly broader leaves than the Araguaia form and notably more vivid red-pink coloration. Stays compact and dense with regular trimming and responds well to high light and CO2 by turning a deep wine-red. A sought-after plant in the ADA-style planted tank community.

A captive-bred colour morph with a bold red-orange, white, and black marbled pattern reminiscent of koi pond fish. Each individual is uniquely marked. Hardy and one of the most popular angelfish varieties in the hobby. Same care requirements as other P. scalare varieties.

The laser corydoras (orange laser or green laser depending on the variant) has a striking iridescent stripe running the length of the body. These undescribed species are highly sought after by corydoras enthusiasts and require soft, warm water.

Brilliant yellow Tanganyikan cichlid that lives in rocky crevices. Curious and bold but aggressive toward its own kind. Stunning in a rock-heavy Tanganyika biotope.

Ludwigia Super Red (also sold as Ludwigia sp. 'Red') is the full-size counterpart to Super Red Mini, producing larger oval leaves of intense blood-red to deep crimson coloration under high light and iron dosing. Its vivid, uniform red makes it one of the most striking background plants in aquascaping. Regular trimming and replanting of cuttings maintains colour intensity throughout the stem column.

Ludwigia Super Red Mini is a highly popular aquascape stem plant producing small, rounded leaves of an intense, uniform blood-red colour that few other plants can match. The compact leaf size and bushy growth habit make it more versatile than larger ludwigia species — it works equally well in nano tanks and as a detailed midground splash of colour in larger aquascapes. Adequate iron and CO2 are key to maintaining colour intensity.

A captive-bred variety with a swirling black-and-white marbled pattern caused by the marble gene. The pattern is unpredictable and no two fish look alike. One of the most widely kept angelfish morphs, well suited to planted scapes.

Smallest hatchetfish with intricate brown-and-gold marbled patterning. A delicate but fascinating surface fish. Needs a very tight-fitting lid as it can jump significant distances.

Lush, feathery stem plant with fine bright-green whorled leaves. Faster-growing and more forgiving than its red cousin. Creates a spectacular soft texture in the background of planted tanks.

Monte carlo produces small, round leaves on creeping stems and is widely used as a foreground carpet alternative to hairgrass. It requires moderate to high light and CO2 injection to spread horizontally rather than growing upward. Its bright green colour adds a vivid pop to Nature Aquarium-style aquascapes.

Narcissus corydoras is a large, long-snouted species with a pale body and subtle spot patterning. It belongs to the long-nosed group of corydoras and commands premium prices among collectors. It prefers soft, acidic water and cooler temperatures.

Eleocharis Acicularis, Needle Hairgrass, produces extremely fine, hair-like leaves that are noticeably thinner and longer than the closely related E. parvula, creating a delicate, windswept grass carpet effect. It requires good light and CO2 to spread vigorously via runners; without injection it grows slowly and sparsely. Regular trimming keeps the carpet dense and lush.

Ludwigia Arcuata is a fine-leaved stem plant with narrow, needle-like leaves that turn deep red to orange-red under high light and iron-rich dosing, contrasting beautifully with broader-leaved green plants. It requires more light and nutrients than L. repens to achieve its signature colour. Frequent trimming promotes bushy side-shoot growth and prevents the lower stem from going bare.

Males develop a stunning neon blue sheen. Grazes biofilm from rock surfaces in fast-flowing streams. Needs strong flow, high oxygen, and a mature tank with algae growth to thrive.

Microdevario kubotai, the Neon Green Rasbora, is a tiny danionin from Thailand and Myanmar that glows with electric lime-green to yellow-green iridescence along its translucent body. At just 2–2.5 cm it ranks among the smallest vertebrates kept in aquariums. It needs soft to moderately hard, slightly acidic water and does best in large groups of 15+ where the collective shimmering effect is most visible against dark substrates and fine-leaved plants.

Sundadanio axelrodi, the Neon Rasbora (also called Axelrod's Rasbora), is a stunning nano fish from Borneo and Sumatra whose body radiates intense neon-blue to blue-green iridescence along its flanks. At just 2 cm it ranks among the smallest cyprinids, requiring soft blackwater conditions similar to its peat swamp habitat. Its striking colour and active schooling behaviour make it a prized centrepiece in nano planted aquariums.