Flora & Fauna

Translucent shrimp with red stripes. Famous for eating Aiptasia pest anemones. An essential pest controller for reef tanks.

A rare and highly distinctive stem plant with tiny, deeply lobed, reddish leaves that give it the appearance of a miniature oak tree underwater. Extremely sought-after in high-tech planted tanks. Requires strong light, CO2, and micronutrient-rich fertilisation to display its best colouration.

A flat, feather-like aquatic moss with a unique branching structure that differentiates it from round-leaved mosses like Java Moss. It attaches readily to rock and wood and grows as a distinctive carpet of interlocking fronds. Slower growing than Java Moss, it produces a tidier, more formal appearance and is popular in Nature Aquarium and Iwagumi layouts.

Active, silver catfish with black spots and long barbels. Schools in the wild so keep in groups of 3+. A mid-water swimmer unlike most catfish. Will eat small fish that fit in its mouth.

Beautiful stem plant with coppery-pink to deep red leaves under strong light. Relatively easy to grow compared to other red stem plants. An excellent alternative to Alternanthera for reliable red colour.

Pale pink-orange with a single white dorsal stripe and cheek bar. One of the smallest and most peaceful clownfish — ideal for nano reef tanks alongside Magnificent Anemones.

Pinto shrimp are highly prized Taiwan bee variants with bold black and white patterning in distinctive stripe, skunk, or spotted configurations. They are among the most valuable freshwater shrimp in the hobby and require immaculate water quality.

Unique soft coral with a rigid, blood-red calcium carbonate skeleton and vivid green polyps. The skeleton resembles organ pipes — stunning when visible at the base. More demanding than most soft corals but worth the effort.

Famous for its symbiosis with watchman gobies — the shrimp digs a burrow and the goby guards the entrance. Pairs perfectly with Yellow Watchman or Randall's Pistol Goby. Produces a loud snapping sound.

The Plakat (from the Thai word for fighting fish) retains the shorter, rounder fin shape of wild Betta splendens, close to the original form before centuries of selective breeding. It is a more active, stronger swimmer than long-finned varieties and is less prone to fin damage and disease. Plakats are popular in Thailand, where fighting fish culture originated, and make excellent display fish in planted tanks.

Platies are cheerful, colourful livebearers available in a wide range of colour morphs. They are very beginner-friendly and tolerant of a broad range of water conditions, preferring slightly hard, alkaline water. Females give birth to live fry roughly every 28 days, so population management may be necessary.

Pocillopora is a branching SPS coral with densely packed round polyp heads giving it a cauliflower-like appearance. It is one of the more forgiving SPS corals for beginners to reef keeping, growing quickly under stable conditions. Available in green, pink, and purple morphs.

Pogostemon erectus is a striking stem plant with needle-like whorled leaves arranged in perfect spirals around each stem. It creates a distinctive, almost Christmas-tree silhouette. It requires CO2 and good nutrients to maintain its compact, fine-textured form.

Pogostemon Stellatus is a majestic background stem plant that produces whorls of up to eight narrow leaves per node, creating a star-burst pattern. Under intense light the leaves develop beautiful pinkish-purple tones. It grows tall and is best positioned in the background. Nutrient-hungry and demanding of CO2 but rewarding when conditions are right.

A small, attractively marked corydoras covered in small dark spots over a pale body. C. polystictus is a peaceful, undemanding species that adapts well to a range of water conditions. It is an active forager and looks charming in a planted aquarium with a dark sand substrate that shows off its spotted pattern.

Endearing and personable puffer with large eyes and a round body covered in spines. Will eat inverts — FOWLR only. Develops a real personality and recognises its keeper.

Massively important reef-builder — slow-growing mounds and columns covered in tiny polyps. Host to Christmas Tree Worms and boring clams. Hardy for SPS; tolerates a wider range of conditions than Acropora.

One of the most beautiful tangs with a powder-blue body, yellow dorsal fin and black mask. Prone to ich and disease — best for experienced reef keepers.

Pulsing xenia is one of the most fascinating soft corals, rhythmically opening and closing its feathery polyps in a hypnotic pulse. It grows rapidly and can spread across rockwork quickly, so placement should be deliberate. Thrives in stable reef conditions.

An elegant Limnophila with longer, finely serrated leaves arranged in whorls. Under intense light the leaves turn vivid pink to purple, creating striking colour columns for Dutch and Nature Aquarium style. Requires CO2 and good fertilisation for the best colour expression but grows vigorously once established.

One of the most visually striking nano reef fish — white to yellow body fading into vivid purple-magenta. Peaceful and reef-safe; will jump, so a tight lid is essential.

Narrow-leaved Ludwigia that turns deep maroon-purple under high light. One of the most intensely coloured aquatic plants available. Slow-growing but spectacular. Requires CO2 and strong light to stay compact.

Violet to deep purple Neocaridina — one of the newer and rarer colour morphs. Striking against light sand or bright green moss. Colour intensity varies with diet and water quality.

The iconic purple fan-shaped gorgonian found throughout the Caribbean. Non-photosynthetic — requires regular target feeding with coral foods or phytoplankton. Grows in the plane perpendicular to current flow. A dramatic display piece.

Deep violet-purple with a bright yellow tail — one of the most desired tang species. A Red Sea endemic, now tank-raised. Aggressive toward other tangs so introduce with care.

Echinodorus Tenellus, the Pygmy Chain Sword, is a dwarf sword plant that forms a low, grass-like foreground carpet via prolific runners. Its narrow, strap-like leaves rarely exceed 10 cm, making it one of the few true sword plants suitable for foreground use. Under good lighting and CO2 it spreads rapidly; without CO2 growth is slower but still achievable.

One of the smallest corydoras species, pygmy corydoras are unusual in that they often swim in the midwater rather than staying on the bottom. They form tight shoals and look stunning in large groups in nano and planted aquariums.

Tiny orange-red rasbora with distinctive black spots. Often confused with Boraras brigittae but slightly larger and more orange. Perfect for blackwater nano scapes. Peaceful and undemanding.

Ramshorn snails are named for their distinctive flat, coiled shell. They are efficient algae eaters and detritivores in planted tanks. While they can reproduce rapidly, populations are easily managed by removing egg clusters or reducing feeding. Some aquarists deliberately cultivate them as a food source for puffers.

Bushy red-to-burgundy macroalgae prized as live food for herbivorous fish — tangs, rabbitfish, and urchins graze on it enthusiastically. Also an excellent nutrient exporter in refugia. Tumbles well under flow and tolerates a wide range of conditions.

Rare and coveted — clusters of translucent, deep-red spherical bladders like bunches of miniature grapes. A showpiece macroalgae that attaches to live rock. Slow-growing and sensitive; requires stable, high-quality water. Highly sought after for display refugia and naturally deters herbivorous fish.

Feathery stem plant that turns vivid red under high light and good fertilisation. One of the best red background plants for Nature-style aquascapes. Needs CO2 and macro/micro nutrients to colour up.

The red neon blue eye is arguably one of the most striking nano fish in the hobby. Males are decorated with vivid orange-red fins edged in black and white, topped with the signature brilliant blue eyes of the genus. It became popular after viral aquascaping videos. Best kept in species or nano setups with very small, calm tankmates.

Striking nerite with vivid red-orange shell bearing black racing stripes. Among the most attractive freshwater snails. Vigorous algae grazer. Cannot breed in freshwater, keeping populations controlled.