Flora & Fauna

A lesser-known species with elegant, slightly wavy narrow leaves. Grows quickly in good conditions and provides dense cover for fish and invertebrates. The emersed form produces small fragrant flowers, giving the species its name.

Small, olive-coloured nerite with a smooth shell. Excellent algae grazer that won't eat healthy plants. Does not reproduce in freshwater. A reliable and undemanding member of any planted tank clean-up crew.

Free-living LPS with dramatic maze-like ridges and vivid colours — green, red, blue, and multicolour morphs. Placed directly on sand; inflates impressively at night to feed. One of the most beautiful reef centrepieces.

Orange Rili Shrimp display the characteristic Rili pattern — bright orange pigmentation on the head, carapace, and tail sections, with a clear transparent mid-section revealing the internal organs. This two-tone broken pattern is unique and visually distinctive against green plants and dark substrates. They are as easy to keep and breed as any other Neocaridina davidi colour morph and are a lively, active addition to planted nano tanks.

Vivid orange Neocaridina that stands out brilliantly against green plants. One of the most popular shrimp for planted tanks. Hardy and prolific — an excellent beginner Neocaridina colour variant.

Vivid orchid-purple throughout — one of the most coveted nano reef fish. A Red Sea endemic that is now tank-bred widely. Bold personality for its size; can be aggressive to smaller fish.

An exotic relative of the water lily, Barclaya Longifolia produces spectacular long, wavy-edged leaves with olive-green upper surfaces and vivid burgundy-red undersides. It grows from a bulb and prefers to be undisturbed once planted. A dramatic focal plant for larger tanks, particularly in Nature Aquarium style compositions.

Oscars are large, bold cichlids known for their personality and intelligence. They recognise their owners and can be hand-fed, but they are destructive tank inhabitants that will uproot plants and rearrange décor. They need very large tanks with robust filtration.

The otocinclus, or 'oto cat', is a diminutive algae-eating catfish prized for keeping plant leaves spotless without disturbing the aquascape. It requires a mature, well-established tank with existing algae film as a primary food source. Keep in groups of five or more as they are social fish that suffer in isolation.

Echinodorus Ozelot is a hybrid cultivar renowned for its striking green leaves adorned with irregular dark-brown to red spots, resembling the coat of an ocelot. It is a vigorous, moderately sized sword plant reaching 25–40 cm that makes an eye-catching focal specimen in the midground or background. New leaves often emerge with a reddish tint before maturing to spotted green.

The Pacific blue eye is a small, hardy Australian native with striking yellow fins tipped in black and white, and the characteristic brilliant blue eyes of the genus. It is more adaptable than many pseudomugil, tolerating a range of salinities from fresh to brackish. An ideal nano fish for those wanting an unusual Australian species.

The deepest red Neocaridina available — body and legs are entirely opaque fire red with no clear patches. Top grade of the red cherry lineage. Striking against any substrate colour.

Unmistakable with its yellow head, dark mid-band and polka-dotted orange rear — like a fish in pyjamas. Nocturnal schooler that hovers in groups near branching corals. Very peaceful and reef-safe.

Large-polyped cousins of Zoanthids — drab tan-brown in the wild but cultivated morphs include greens, yellows, and reds. Hardy and fast-spreading. Contain palytoxin — handle with gloves. Excellent beginner coral.

Named for their black-and-white colouration reminiscent of giant pandas, panda corydoras are a popular and peaceful bottom-dwelling catfish. They are active during the day and thrive in groups of 6 or more over fine sand substrate.

Small, hardy tetra with a clean silver body and distinctive black patches on the eye and tail base. Peaceful schooling fish suitable for community tanks and beginners.

One of the first tropical fish kept in Europe — records date to the 1860s. Stunning blue-and-red banding with flowing fins. Tolerates cold water well. Aggressive toward other males.

Parkinson's rainbowfish is a large, spectacular species with males displaying a golden-yellow to orange anterior transitioning into a blue-grey posterior, with vivid yellow fins edged in black. One of the most colourful and striking of all rainbowfish. It is a hardy, active species best kept in a long, spacious aquarium.

Parrot's Feather is a fast-growing, feathery stem plant with blue-green whorled leaves. It grows both submerged and emersed. Excellent for ponds and unheated tanks. Grows vigorously without CO2, absorbing nutrients rapidly and helping suppress algae. In warm tanks it may require pruning weekly to keep it manageable.

World's smallest puffer fish at just 1 inch. Full of personality and intelligence. Fin nipper — best kept in a species-only tank or with fast, short-finned tankmates.

Betta imbellis is aptly named — unlike the highly aggressive Betta splendens, this species is notably peaceful toward conspecifics and can sometimes be kept in pairs or even small groups in heavily planted, well-structured tanks. Males display subtle but attractive blue-green iridescent scales and red fin edging. It prefers very soft, peat-filtered water replicating its native blackwater rice paddy habitat in Malaysia.

Powerful, predatory cichlid with stunning gold and green patterning. Grows large and requires a big tank. Will eat any fish small enough to fit in its mouth.

Peacock cichlids are among the most colourful freshwater fish, with males displaying brilliant blues, yellows, and reds. They are relatively peaceful for cichlids and suited to species tanks or Malawi community setups with similar temperament fish.

Gem-like small fish with iridescent blue, red, and yellow markings and an eyespot on the tail. One of the most beautiful small freshwater fish. Easy to breed in caves.

Peacock Moss derives its name from the fan-like, layered fronds that resemble peacock feathers. It grows as dense, overlapping layers of triangular, feathery growth. One of the most attractive aquatic mosses for detail work on rock and wood in aquascaping. Hardy and adaptable, doing well in a wide range of conditions.

Fan-shaped brown-grey macroalgae with distinctive concentric rings and a lightly calcified surface. Grows on rock in moderate flow zones. Not commonly traded but attractive in display refugia. Tolerates a wide range of temperatures — found from Mediterranean rock pools to tropical reefs.

Pearl danios have an iridescent, pearlescent sheen with subtle pink-orange highlights along the flanks. They are extremely hardy, cold-tolerant, and make excellent dither fish for livebearers and other community species. Fast and peaceful.

The pearl gourami is one of the most elegant community fish, adorned with a pearlescent spotted pattern and a dark lateral stripe. It is a labyrinth fish that breathes surface air, so a tight-fitting lid is recommended. Males can be mildly aggressive toward each other, but generally coexist peacefully in larger tanks.

A popular stem plant producing tiny, round, bright green leaves in whorls of three to four, creating a fine-textured, dense appearance. It can be grown as a mid-ground bush or as a foreground carpet with regular trimming. Easier to maintain than HC Cuba but provides a similar compact, fine-leaved look.

A captive-bred variety expressing the pearlscale gene, which causes each scale to have a raised, pearlescent centre giving the fish a textured, almost jewelled appearance. Often combined with other colour genes (gold, marble, koi) to produce striking show specimens.

A flat, ribbon-like liverwort with a deep green, glossy surface that forms dense, spreading sheets on hardscape or the substrate. It is not a true moss but is widely sold and used as one. Particularly popular in shrimp and nano tanks — the flat, broad fronds create excellent grazing and hiding surfaces for dwarf shrimp. Grows slowly and does not need attachment, but its dense structure means it can smother smaller plants if left unchecked.

The penguin tetra is immediately recognised by its bold black stripe that runs down the lower body and into the lower caudal lobe — and by the unique way it holds its body at a nose-up angle while swimming. This head-up posture gives schools a distinctive, elegant appearance. A hardy, peaceful fish that suits most community setups.

Peppered corydoras are popular bottom-dwelling catfish that sift through substrate in search of food. They are highly social and should be kept in groups of at least six. Fine sand substrate is essential to protect their sensitive barbels from abrasion.