Flora & Fauna

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.

Glossostigma elatinoides was one of the first foreground carpeting plants popularised by Takashi Amano in the Nature Aquarium style. Its tiny spoon-shaped leaves form an extremely low, dense green carpet when grown under high light with CO2. Without strong light it grows upward rather than creeping, defeating the purpose. It is one of the most demanding carpeting plants but produces one of the most pristine, turf-like results when conditions are ideal.

The glowlight tetra has a warm golden-orange iridescent stripe running the full body length, glowing like an ember in a planted tank. It is a peaceful, attractive schooling fish that pairs beautifully with dark substrates and dense planting.

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.

Golden selective line of the Japanese ricefish. Suitable for ponds, outdoor tubs, and nano tanks. Extremely tough and easy to breed. Females carry egg clusters before releasing to plants.

Vivid golden-yellow form of the mystery snail. Active and personable — visually striking against dark substrates. Peaceful algae and detritus grazer. Lays eggs above the waterline so populations are easy to control.

Gold nugget plecos are stunning loricariids with a dark body covered in bright yellow spots and yellow-tipped fins. They are territorial and require warm, oxygen-rich, fast-flowing water with driftwood. They are algae scrapers that also need protein in their diet.

The gold tetra has a distinctive golden-yellow sheen to the body caused by a parasitic infection the fish experiences in the wild — this actually produces the attractive gold iridescence that hobbyists prize. Tank-bred specimens often lack the intense gold but retain a pleasant iridescence. A peaceful, undemanding schooling fish.

Hardy, golden-bodied pencilfish with a bold red-and-black lateral stripe. The most adaptable pencilfish — tolerates a wider pH range than most. Great for beginner planted tanks.

Beautiful coral with long flowing polyps resembling a field of flowers. Historically difficult to keep long-term. Requires stable, high-quality water and moderate flow.

Gossei corydoras is a medium-sized species with a golden-tan body adorned with irregular dark markings. It is sometimes called the tail spot cory for the dark blotch at the caudal peduncle. A peaceful schooling species that does well in South American biotope setups with dark substrate and tannin-stained water.

Creeping runners bearing upright branches tipped with small spherical beads — resembling tiny bunches of grapes. One of the most vigorous nutrient-exporting macroalgae; grows rapidly in refugia. Can go sexual and crash if left unharvested for too long. Listed as invasive in the Mediterranean.

The quintessential schooling reef fish — shimmering apple-green in open water above Acropora. Incredibly hardy and peaceful. Best kept in groups of 6+ for the most natural look.

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.

Green jade shrimp are a selectively bred Neocaridina variety with an opaque mint-green colour. Like all Neocaridina they are hardy and tolerate a wider range of water conditions than Caridina. Their unique green colouration is particularly striking against dark substrate.

Opaque jade-green Neocaridina with excellent colour contrast in planted tanks. Rarer than the red and blue variants. As hardy and prolific as all other Neocaridina — a great addition to any shrimp collection.

The green neon tetra is the smallest of the three Paracheirodon tetras and one of the most underappreciated. It has a longer, more vivid blue-green stripe with a shorter red patch compared to the cardinal tetra. It is a strict blackwater species requiring soft, very acidic water and is best kept in biotope setups with tannin-stained water and low light.

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.

Guppies are hardy, colourful livebearers that reproduce readily in captivity. Males display elaborate tails and body patterns to attract females. They adapt to a wide range of water conditions, though clean, well-filtered water is essential to prevent fin disease.

Known as Guppy Grass or Najas Grass, this fast-growing, fine-leaved plant is a superb filtration plant and spawning medium. It floats freely or can be weighted down. Its vigorous growth absorbs excess nutrients, helping combat algae. Very tolerant of a wide range of water conditions.

Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' (HC Cuba) holds the record as the smallest-leaved aquatic carpeting plant, with each leaf barely 0.5 mm across and stems rarely exceeding 3 cm. Under optimal conditions of high light, CO2, and soft water it forms an impossibly dense, bright-green lawn that is the holy grail of foreground carpets in aquascaping. Extremely demanding and unforgiving of parameter fluctuations, it is best suited to experienced, high-tech setups.

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.