Practical Fish Keeping December 2015

FREE 24-PAGE BEGINNERS GUIDE
Issue 13 December '15
EALED
EV
YOUR
TOP SHOPS
OF 2015
DECOR!
FREE TANK
Growing
plants
made easy
How to make the most

of those autumn leaves
EP
STEP BY ST
JEWEL BOX
Keep and breed these stunning cichlids

BARBS...
RINES
USEFUL MA
...but not as you

know them!
Check out our African alternatives
Beauty on a budget
Set up this aquascape
for under 320
Fish to help
with the housework!
PLUS: READERS AMAZING REEF TANK ONEW PRODUCTS ON TEST
Welcome
Learn from
the best
DAVE WOLFENDEN is
curator at the Blue
Planet Aquarium in
Cheshire Oaks. He
introduces some home
helps for the marine
tank on page 34.
GABOR HORVATH
is a Hungarian aquarist
with over 35 years of
shkeeping experience.
He offers some advice
on collecting and using
leaves in the aquarium
on page 56.
JEREMY GAY is a
former PFK editor and
now Evolution Aquas
Business Development
Manager. He spotlights
the gorgeous jewel
cichlids on page 42.
The timing of two big events in the

shkeeping calendar has led to the PFK
team working over the last two weekends
if you can call being surrounded by sh
and fellow hobbyists working, as both were
great fun and highly enjoyable.
The rst of these was the FBAS Festival of
Fishkeeping, which took place over the
weekend of October 34 at Hounslow
Urban Farm in Middlesex, and featured
some of the best sh in the country competing for the top awards.
You can read a report of that show and see some of the winning sh
on page 14 of this issue.
The following weekend I spent in the company of the British
Killish Association at its 50th anniversary convention in
Wetherby, Yorkshire. This was my rst time at that event, and what
a friendly bunch they all turned out to be. I learned loads not all of
it sh-related and even came home with some rather lovely
young Aphyosemion for a breeding project. Youll be able to read a
full report of the BKA event in a forthcoming issue of PFK.
And then later this week the whole PFK team will be scooting off
to the big aquatic trade show, AQUA 2015, which takes place in
Telford, Shropshire, to nd out whats likely to be coming to a shop
near you very soon. Well keep you posted.
Its a hard life, you know!
16 Readers amazing
reef set-up.
34 Marine sh that earn

their keep.
48 Growing aquarium
plants made easy.
Get more PFK!

Karen Youngs, editor
Like us on Facebook.com
NATHAN HILL is an
aquatic journalist and
PFKs features editor.
This month he discovers
a dainty catsh and
some stunning barbs
from Africa. Pages 52
and 8.
www.practicalshkeeping.co.uk
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December
Cover image: MP & C Piednoir; Aquapress.com
ON THE COVER
08
BARBS, BUT NOT AS WE

KNOW THEM
42
Explore Africa for an alternative

to the usual, easy tank staples.
16
WHY START SIMPLE?

Meet a reader with one of the
densest reef set-ups in the land.
34
SITUATIONS VACANT
Need some help with reef tank
maintenance? These sh will do
a spot of housework in return for
good food and lodgings.
38
BEAUTY ON A BUDGET
Stylish aquascapes dont have
to be expensive or complicated.
Create a set-up for under 320.
42
JEWEL BOX
Keep these striking cichlids in
the right way and they will be sh
to treasure.
48
PLANTING MADE SIMPLE

Some of the easier methods of
growing aquarium plants.
56
FREE TANK DECOR!
76
READERS POLL RESULTS!
100
NEW GEAR
Collect autumn leaves for your

tank and discover the benets to
your sh and your bank account.
We reveal your top shops,
products and manufacturers.
08
The latest products reviewed,

plus two new aquarium vacuum
cleaners go head to head.
NEWS & REVIEWS
14
FISHKEEPING NEWS
106
SHOPTOUR
34
New shops, show-winning sh

and dates for your diary.
We visit aquatic shops in

Gloucestershire and Cambridge.
38
PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
28
FISHKEEPING KNOW-HOW
28
52
84
90
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Create a Central American
inspired biotope with a
difference.
16
A DAINTY DEITY
Meet a divine catsh that makes
its home on the open expanses
of the Amazon.
BIG IS BEAUTIFUL
Set up a reef tank for large polyp
stony corals and you will open
up a world full of colour, variety
and movement.
SEE THE LIGHT!

Too little light and your plants
will die too much and youll
have algae. So, how do you know
whats right for your set-up?
52
HABITAT
94
CHASING RAINBOWS
A storm-plagued trip to the
Aru archipelago leads to the
rediscovery of a century-old
rainbowsh species.
94
YOUR FISH & TANKS
23
26
TANK COMMUNITY
The place to share your sh,
tanks and experiences.
ME AND MY TANK
Meet a reader with a soft spot
for Uaru.
PROBLEMS SOLVED
56
65
FISHKEEPING ANSWERS
Some of the worlds top experts
answer your questions.
PLUS
74
SUBSCRIBE TO PFK!
114
TAILPIECE
65
Save money when you take

out a subscription to Practical
Fishkeeping magazine.
Nathan Hill may have the best
job, but he still yearns for a Neon
tetra biotope.
FREE INSIDE
4-PAGE
BEGINNERS
AGAZINE
but not as we know them...

In a trade dominated by Asian barbs, its easy to
forget that its another continent that hosts some
of the nicest species out there. Explore Africa for an
alternative to the usual, easy tank staples.
WORDS: NATHAN HILL
PHOTOGRAPHY: IVAN MIKOLJI UNLESS STATED
he old continent really is

becoming the new shy hot
spot. Given its size, it should be
little surprise that Africa, a
land of mystery and adventure, should be
as rich in sh above ground as it is in
minerals below it.
Its so expansive that it drapes over
both the tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn, containing habitats from
dense forest to arid dust. In the middle
sits the equator, the worlds beltline,
baking under intense sun.
In popular literature, authors have
invented almost 100 fake African
countries. Its easy to do, as so few people
are familiar with the actual geography.
When folks might not even know which
nation is real Guinea-Bissau or
Katanga it is fair to say that knowledge
of the animals that live across this vast
land mass is even imsier.
If we try to use the selections of African
sh in local retailers as an indication of
what we nd across the continent, then
we have an inaccurate representation. At
face value, going by a shops stock would
impress upon us that only cichlids reign
supreme, and beyond them aside a
stray characin, catsh or Polypterus
there is little more.
In reality, cyprinids rank as the second
most prolic sh of Africa, after cichlids.
But unlike the cichlids, with their
limited distribution and dense
concentration within the rift valley
lakes, barbs are near ubiquitous, living
everywhere but the most inhospitable of
regions. Plunge into wild, wide river
rapids, and you will nd them. Sneak up
on a tiny pool with a snorkel, and you will
glimpse them. Theres even a species
evolved for a subterranean life, just like
the Mexican blind cave tetra.
Barbs have done to Africa what the
characins have done with South

America. They have exploited every
niche and made it their own. If I talked of
barbs living in the great lakes of Malawi
or Tanganyika, certain circles might
laugh me out of their sh clubs. But they
are there, as well adapted to life as their
cichlid neighbours. Some scavenge as
omnivores, others have adapted to a

molluscivore lifestyle. Some hunt down
sh, feasting on the very cichlids we
consider alpha in the lakes.
In big and robust rivers are equally big
and robust barbs. Larger species are
hardcore piscivores, with a taste for
esh. They rudely frolic in open water,
Fish of the month

WHEREARE
THEYFROM?
African barbs are

widespread across
the continent,
including the great
lakes!
The prettiest of the African

barbs is probably this little
beauty: Barbus fasciolatus.
daring smaller sh to present themselves

for supper, while the anks of such rivers
may be seasoned with smaller, aquarium
suitable species.
Taxonomically, African barbs are like a
difficult jigsaw with half of the pieces
missing and no guide picture. For a long
time, the popular dumping ground for
any unknown cyprinid was the genus

Barbus though this is being
systematically pulled apart to make
new genera.
Just know that if you see the word
Barbus in inverted commas, theres
good reason all these sh are awaiting
a tidy up and reclassication.
I have no intention of offering my own

input on the most obscure species.
Theres just too much ground to cover,
and Im unqualied to bring anything
new. Besides which, youre unlikely to
meet such sh. Instead, let me explore a
brace of the most exciting species and
those youve a faint chance of ever seeing.
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
The African banded barb is how a

Harlequin rasbora would look if it was
given a makeover by Jean Paul Gaultier...
10
African banded barb

Let's start with the prettiest. This sh
sometimes goes under an alternative name
of 'Angolan barb' and when you see one
you'll understand there's nothing else like it.
'Barbus' fasciolatus is instantly recognisable
with its unique peach and black markings,
like a Harlequin rasbora redesigned by
Jean Paul Gaultier. No other barb comes
close to looks as good as this, aside perhaps
the Buttery.
As the alternative name suggests, it's
mainly Angolan, but radiates outwards and
has been found as far aeld as the

Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia,
Namibia and Botswana. Within populations
there are subtle differences in colour. Some
have a greater intensity of orange, looking
like tiny underwater tigers, while others
have a lighter, lemony hue. Thickness
and even straightness of the stripes can
vary, too.
Beautifully for us, they live in a range of
different habitats, so we can indulge our
creative biotope whims. Whether recreating
a oodplain, slow stream, riverbank, lake or
African barb creek habitat

with Crinum natans.
HEIKO BLEHER
Prior experience with Asian barbs might,

to a small degree, be a disadvantage if you're
taking the plunge with the African species.
For most of us, our experiences consist of
the vastly tolerant and forgiving Far Eastern
imports, often exclusively from farms.
The multiple-generation, line-bred
domestic staples are quite different to their
wild counterparts. They excuse many of our
water chemistry, feeding and compatibility
errors. If you've ever maintained the likes of
Tiger barbs, you'll have a good idea of what I
mean by that.
African barbs need to be handled much
more gently. Some are so retiring that only a
secluded species tank should be considered.
Others may be confused at being offered
ake foods, or may react badly to slightly
base tapwater supplies. In all cases, they
can't simply be plonked into a community
set up and expected to settle in like, say,
Golden or Cherry barbs. Try it, and they'll
freak out, starve and roll over. It's an
expensive mistake to make.
Take heed of water chemistry water
quality shouldn't even need a mention here
and try to get as close to a biotope as you
can. Otherwise, given the limited numbers
these sh arrive in, it might be politest to
leave them to someone who's making more
of an effort.
Whatever your level of barb history, go in
wary. Don't think for an instant that these
sh will behave like your previous charges.
If you do, you could be up for a costly lesson.
Fish of the month

These sh prefer to take
food from the lower areas
of the tank.
Get schooled!
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
All the barbs were looking at here do

best in shoals of at least eight. The
general trend is the smaller the sh, the
higher the number youll need. Please
dont buy any of the species here
individually or in pairs they wont like it.
Raid the credit card, sell a kidney, do
what you need to do, but always buy
African barbs in shoals.
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
Soft, acidic water is

denitely recommended
for B. fasciolatus.
swamp, these guys will happily live in it.

Planting is prerequisite for most small
African barbs, and this species especially so.
It's not lazy to use Anubias or Bolbitis
species with them, but if you've a deep
wallet (and don't mind a tattered looking
tank) then indulge yourself in whichever
soft leaved plants attract you. B. fasciolatus
is an omnivore, and a gluttonous one at that.
Place a soft stem plant in their tank, and
watch them mow it into oblivion. They'll be
grateful, as will your local retailer, who can
sell you a steady stream of fresh greenery.
Once you've made a dense jungle of plants,
supplement it with branches and lumps of
wood. If tannins are released, then all the
better African banded barbs are partial to
a little staining and acidity. Some sources
cite peat use in the lter, but we modern
aquarists know better than to use this
environmentally questionable material.
Get some alder cones and make up a tonic
if you're struggling to get the water soft
and stained.
On the base, dark sand and leaf litter
should feature heavily. As well as providing
psychological comfort, the leaves will
produce a string of tiny organisms on which
the barbs will feed. These sh like to dine
from the bottom, happier plucking their
dinner from the lowest 5cm/2in of the tank
than the rest of it.
Tweak the lighting so that it's low. This is
another reason to opt for hardier plants. If
it's bright, African banded barbs will get
spooked, and nobody wins from that. You

don't want to buy the world's prettiest sh,
only to have it in perpetual hiding, do you?
Getting your water right is essential.
Speak to your retailer about how they're
keeping theirs. This is entry-level stuff for a
store, so if they don't know, consider a
different supplier. In an ideal world, they'll
be using soft, acidic conditions, and in a
perfect world they'll have them in a closed
tank away from any kind of centralised
system, in stained, dark water. If they try to
fob you off by saying that the sh are farmed
and can tolerate hard water, give them a
raised eyebrow.
Your own tank wants to be acidic, but not
to any ridiculous degree you're trying to
keep sh, not dissolve them. In the wild,
they'll be pulled from waters as low as pH
5.0, but in the home setting somewhere
between pH 6.06.5 is as aggressive as it
needs to be. Go too low and you'll have
issues keeping a biological lter established,
but start drifting above pH 7, and you'll note
a slow deterioration of the barbs' condition
at least I always have when I've seen them
kept this way.
Unless you're graced with mineral free
tapwater, you'll need to use RO to get the
hardness down to the desired 2-6H. At a
push, they'll tolerate it up to 12H or so, but
they won't look too great while it's there.
Here's a great bonus. If you can get the
water as I've just described, and hover the
temperature from 2426C/7579F, then
you're into breeding parameters, too. Cram

in some kind of moss to act as a spawning
substrate, and either dim the lights more or
hurl on a lot of oating plants (Azolla looks
nice, but duckweed will work if you want to
do it on the cheap), and then you just need to
condition the sh by which I mean feed
them plenty of live and frozen goodies like
Cyclops, microworms, Daphnia and Tubifex,
and away they go.
African banded barbs scatter their eggs,
and then spin around and try to eat them, so
once they've done it, you can either relocate
them (ill advised) or relocate their eggs
(advised) by lifting out the moss, which
should have some of the small, transparent
eggs in tow. Slip these into a bare tank
with the same water as the main set up,
and get culturing banana worms and
Artemia nauplii.
As for moving the young on after rearing
them to a decent size (at least 15mm, plus
the tail), it should be easy. Any retailer who
knows what they are will want them, as long
as you don't take liberties with the price.
Just don't barge into the store with an
attitude like Al Pacino in Scarface,
demanding money for the things. Try
haggling for some credit, maybe a third of
the retail value. If they still say no, then go
somewhere with better taste.
AT A GLANCE
G Scientic name: Barbus fasciolatus.
G Pronunciation: Bar-bus fash-ee-ohlah-tus.
G Origin: Angola and surrounding
countries.
G Tank size: 75 x 30cm/30 x 12in.
G Water requirements: Soft, acidic.
G Temperature: 2026C/6879F
G Feeding: Flakes,
0
pH
Temp C
plus live and
8
27
frozen Daphnia
26
25
7
G Temperament:
24
23
Peaceful
6
22
G Availability and
21
20
5
price: Rare to
nd, from 3.50.
4
11
Okay, maybe I lied about African banded

barbs. Barbus hulstaerti are the prettiest
barbs coming out of Africa, and when you
see one, you wont want another sh ever
again. Theres a similar looking sh,
moonlighting under the scientic name of
Barbus candens, but unless youre nestled
in the belly of a closed-ranks sh club, or
have the best-connected retailer in the land,
you might not see them in your lifetime.
Theres some dispute about a third type, as
well. Barbus papilio is noted as an
alternative with very limited distribution,
namely a small spot not far from the
Congolese town of Kindu. The difference
between this sh and the true buttery is
visible in the spot on each ank. B. hulstaerti
has a small, clear spot, as does B. candens,
while B. papilio has an elongate, eggy
blotch. Then again, it might just be a
regional variation. Forums are dedicated to
hearty rows about this.
Buttery barbs are endemic to the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and exports
are infrequent and squabbled over. Theyre
not as open minded about habitat as
Banded barbs, and tend to seek out the real
estate of swamps and slow moving
rainforest streams.
In a tank, rich, brown water and leaf litter
is a must, as is heavy vegetation. Their tank
neednt be big they only reach 3.5cm/1.4in
fully grown so 45cm/18in will be
adequate. But by heavy vegetation I mean
that a good one-third of the tank should be
dense tangles of greenery alone. Pack the
plants in, and scatter the base with broken
twigs over dark sand, and youre there.
Water chemistry for these guys is a shade
more hostile than that for banded barbs, so
youll need to be Johnny-on-the-spot with
testing and water changes.
Alkaline water is an absolute no-go. If the
pH creeps up over 6.5 theyll go downhill
fast, and theyll live optimally somewhere
between 5.0 and 6.5. Id plump for around
pH 6.2 for the lters sake biological
bacteria just cant cope when water gets too
acidic. RO is a must, too, or access to it. The
hardness shouldnt be much over 5H, and
being as low as just 1H is best. RO with just
the tiniest dash of remineral should
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
African buttery barb
Buttery barbs are

not a good choice for
the community tank.
replicate this, but keep an eye on the tank. If

youre slack with water changes, it might
drop even lower, and pH uctuations can
become a problem.
Im pretty sure I dont need to say, but
Buttery barbs are useless in a community
tank. They dont have the grit for it, for one,
and will sooner sulk away and starve to
death than feed in even polite company. Ill
be brutal about it, but if youre thinking of
keeping them with gourami and guppies,
then theyre not the sh for you. Go
species-tank only, or at best a timid
community with other lovers of peace and
extreme acidity Boraras would be a wise
move. The big catch might be temperature.
These guys like it a little cooler than some,
going down as far as 17C/63F.
Spawning is difficult but possible. A tiny
tank of about 25cm/10in long with a little
air-powered lter and acidic water will get
them going if theyve been conditioned with
good food beforehand. Now is the time to get
the temperature down, as itll alter the sex
ratios of fry. At 22C/72F, theres an
AT A GLANCE
G Scientic name: Barbus hulstaerti.
G Pronunciation: Bar-bus hull-stare-tie.
G Origin: Democratic Republic of Congo.
G Habitat: Slow streams and swamps.
G Tank size: 45 x 30cm/18 x 12in.
G Water requirements: Very soft and
acidic, RO required.
0
pH
Temp C
G Temperature:
8
1724C/62.675.2F.
30
28
G Feeding: Flakes, live
26
7
24
and frozen Cyclops.
22
6
G Temperament: Timid.
20
18
G Availability and price:
16
5
Incredibly rare, current
4
price unknown.
MP & C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
A stunning little sh,

but not one for the
inexperienced aquarist.
inuence towards lots more males, whereas

at 18C/64F, the genders are roughly 50/50.
Get some Java moss in the spawning tank
and leave them to it. They dont look after
the young, so remove them after a couple of
days of laying eggs (theyre pretty
continuous) and rear the babies yourself.
Some keepers suggest Paramecium and
infusoria, while others go straight in with
microworm. Either way, offer nothing for
the rst couple of days because theyll still
be guzzling up whats in their yolk sacs.
Did I mention how hard it is to nd them?
Yeah, best of luck with that.
12
Fish of the month

At a glance alternatives
G Pronunciation: Bar-bus jay.

G Origin: Republic and
Democratic Republic of
Congo, Gabon, Cameroon and
Equatorial Guinea. Likely to
pop up elsewhere too.
G Habitat: Plant-heavy swamps

and slow streams. Always
found where plants are dense.
G Tank size: 45 x 30cm/18 x
12in minimum.
G Water requirements: Very
acidic and soft; pH 5.06.5,
hardness below 5H.
G Feeding: Will take ake, but
Cyclops, Daphnia and
microworm is also good.
G Temperament: Would sooner
die in a corner than participate
in community tank antics.
House only where its quiet.
G Availability and price: Ive
seen a few of these of late, and
theyve been rubbish. They
looked thin, bent and ill, and
they were about 3 each. Shop
about for good ones, because I
think someone is farming
badly and pumping out
substandard sh.
pH
Barbus jae
This is 4cm/1.6in of red/orange
packed beauty, while the females
look a bit like Checkered barbs.
You might see it sold under the
remarkably creative common
name of Jae barb but then you
might never see one in your life
unless they start commercially
farming them properly.
Leaves, heavy plants, low lights
and peace in a not-too-big tank
will see them right.
Temperatures can creep
down a bit, but the tank will need
to be as acidic as a carton of
Just Juice.
Temp C
8
7
6
5
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
Barboides gracilis
Temp C
8
7
6
5
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
Barbus holotaenia
Not a great deal I can tell you about
these. Ive seen them once, on a
shoptour, but I cant remember where
it was may have been Wildwoods.
These guys are bigger and hardier
than the rest here. Theyll get to
about 12cm/4.8in fully grown and
tolerate neutral water. Theyd be
great in a set up with Congo tetra and
some Synodontis, I reckon.
Cool fact: Apparently theyre
related to the Blind barb,
Caecobarbus geertsii, though this is
still to be conrmed.
G Pronunciation: Bar-bus hol-lowteen-ee-ah.
G Origin: Democratic Republic
of Congo, possibly Cameroon
and Gabon.
G Habitat: Fast and slow rivers
both big and small, sometimes
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
G Pronunciation: Bar-boy-deez
gra-sill-iss.
G Origin: Benin to Equatorial
Guinea, via Cameroon and
Nigeria.
open water, sometimes

among vegetation.
G Tank size: 120 x 45cm/48 x 18in
minimum.
G Water requirements: Neutral to
acid, soft water; pH 6.07.2,
hardness below 8H.
G Temperature: 24-29C/7584F.
G Feeding: Will eat akes and
pellets along with frozen
bloodworm and Daphnia.
G Temperament: This species is
pretty indifferent unless its tank
mates are large enough to
intimidate it.
G Availability and price: Ive toured
at least four different shops a
month, all around the country for
the last ve years and Ive only
ever seen them offered for sale
once. I cant remember the
price, either.
G Habitat: Swamps and rainforest

streams, in dark, stained water.
G Tank size: 45 x 30cm/18 x 12in
minimum.
G Water requirements: Neutral to
acid, soft water; pH 6.07.2,
hardness below 8H.
G Feeding: Tiny food needed.
Microworms and Artemia
nauplii are a good start, along
with Cyclops. Leaf litter will
help stimulate microorganisms.
G Temperament: Nervous, with
lashings of petried and an
undertow of pure terror.
G Availability and price: The only
place Ive seen them is Sweet
Knowle Aquatics, but I seem to
remember them being quite
cheap maybe 3 or 4 each.
pH
Temp C
8
7
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
pH
A tiny sh, but at least it has a

formal genus. Hard to source in
the rst place, you might need a
jewellers loupe to actually see the
things, as the biggest on record
was only 1.8cm.
As well as specialist retailers,
aquascaping communities might
be worth checking if youre
seeking them. With their penchant
for acidic water, and their desire to
leave plants alone, they make a
great choice for a nano scape.
6
5
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
13
FISHKEEPING NEWS
Latest news and events from the world of aquatics.
SHOW NEWS
EVENTS
Show-winning sh
There will be special

offers on livestock at
Romseys event.
Visit Romsey World of Water over the

weekend of October 31Nov 1 and take
part in what the Hampshire store
promises will be one of the largest
marine events of 2015.
Industry suppliers such as Red Sea,
Vitalis, Hydor, Seneye and TMC will be
showing off the latest tech from the
trade show, AQUA 2015, and there will
be live demonstrations and special offers
on sh and corals.
Romsey World of Waters James Dwyer
says: All visitors will get free entry to
the 2,000 prize raffle and will be able to
explore the site and see the souths
largest independent aquatic retailer.
The store is open from 9am6pm
on the Saturday and 10am4pm on
the Sunday.
Romsey World of water is located just
outside Southampton on Greatbridge
Road, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0HB.
Tel. 01794 515 923 for more information.
This gorgeous Pearl cichlid, Geophagus

brasiliensis, won the Supreme Final 2015
and the Best in Show at the British
Open Final, at the Federation of British
Aquatic Societies (FBAS) Festival of
Fishkeeping weekend.
The owner of the sh, Alan Finnegan
with his son Jack not only won these
awards but also the second, third and fourth
(and fth and sixth) in the Supreme Final.
This is a success never known before in the
Festivals 27year history. Alan also won the
highest pointed in the Open Show (OS) and
was awarded the FBAS Gold Brooch. His
son Jack represented Leicester AS to collect
the Highest Pointed Society Award too.
The Festival was held for the third year at
the Hounslow Urban Farm over the
weekend of October 34, and the only major
award that Alan didnt win this year was the
Diamond Class, taken by Roy Chapman of
Southend and Leigh AS with a killish

Aphanius danfordii which is on the red
list of endangered sh.
One of the other major awards was the
Supreme Breeders championship, where a
team of four sh bred this year is judged.
The winner was Tim Edwards (Tims Fish
Room) with his Celestial pearl danios,
Danio margaritatus.
DR DAVID FORD
Tims winning
Celestial pearl danios.
DR DAVID FORD
ROMSEY WORLD OF WATER
Romsey World
of Water to
hold exclusive
marine event
DR DAVID FORD
ROMSEY WORLD OF WATER
Best in Show at the British

Open Final was this
Geophagus brasiliensis.
This Aphanius danfordii

won the Diamond Class.
DR DAVID FORD
The marine event will feature

the latest new products and
live demonstrations.
14
RETAIL NEWS
RETAIL NEWS The Aquatic Shack

carries a wide
range of sh.
THE AQUATIC SHACK
Maidenhead Aquatics
opens its 150th store
MAIDENHEAD AQUATICS
New aquatic shop

opens in Essex
Staff at Maidenhead Aquatics

new Cirencester branch.
A new branch of Maidenhead Aquatics has opened at
Dobbies Garden Centre in Cirencester, bringing the number
of UK stores in the chain to 150.
The store, which was up until recently run by Dobbies, has
been given a 50,000 revamp and now features a 4,000 l
marine system that incorporates a 6ft coral tray, while the
existing marine system has now been converted to
freshwater, increasing the tropical section by 25%. A large
Koi pond also allows customers to feed the sh.
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Cirencester can be found at
Dobbies Garden Centre, Siddington, Cirencester,
Gloucestershire, GL7 6EU.
The Aquatic Shack is a new

store located in Upminster,
which carries a broad selection
in most areas of the hobby but
also specialises in Malawi
cichlids, L-number plecs and
some of the less commonly
available community sh.
The shop has 164 tropical
tanks, a bank of 40 Fighter
tanks current stock includes
Koi and Dumbo Fighters a
coral tray and nine large
marine tanks.
To give you a avour of
whats available, heres a list of
some of The Aquatic Shacks
current stock:
O Metynnis fasciatus
O Myleus schomburgkii
O Nicaragua cichlid
O Longn Oscars
O One sided livebearer
O Limia melanogaster
O Xiphophorus montezumae
O Vaillants chocolate gourami
O Electric blue paradise sh
O Super red paradise sh
O Gymnogeophagus norte
O Chameleon whiptails,
Pseudohemiodon apithanos
O Corydoras armatus
O Corydoras CW49
O L134
O L236
O L177
O L025
O L264
Opening times are: Mon, Wed,

Thurs, Fri 11am-6pm; Tues
11am7pm; Sat 10.30am5pm
and Sun 10.30am4pm.
The Aquatic Shack is located
at Natures Reserve Pet and
Garden Centre, Clay Tye Road,
Upminster, Essex, RM14 3PL.
Tel. 01708 227323.
EVENTS
ALAMY
Fundraising event at Charterhouse Aquatics

London-based Charterhouse Aquatics is hosting a special
fundraising event in November in support of Project Coral.
This pioneering marine research project is being led by the
Horniman Museum and Gardens in South London. In 2013,
the Horniman Aquarium became the rst institution in the
world to purposely reproduce broadcast coral in captivity.
This signicant achievement led to Project Coral, an
innovative coral sexual reproductive research project
with the aims of saving endangered corals, securing the
worlds coral reefs, furthering sustainability of the trade in
corals, and training conservationsists.
The fundraising event takes place at Charterhouse Aquatics
on Saturday, November 14, from 11am5pm, featuring talks
from Jamie Craggs, Aquarium Curator at the Horniman, about
the aquariums ground-breaking research, at 2pm and 4pm.
There will also be the opportunity to see the stores new
Project Coral display tank and to buy your own piece of coral
in support of the project.
There will be a raffle and refreshments will be available
throughout the day.
Charterhouse Aquatics is based at Arches, 300-331 Stean
Street, London E8 4ED.
Buy a coral to help raise

funds for Project Coral.
15
PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE FARMER
Dense as a
forest, bright
as a rainbow.
16
Reader visit
SIMPLE?
e er usan as on y ep an s or ree an a
half years, but he has one of the densest reef
set-ups in the land. Learn how he got
off to such a great start.
WORDS: NATHAN HILL
ack in June, a speculative email started

a chain of events that culminated with
me visiting one of the nest tanks Ive
witnessed this year. Please see
attached images of my tank, it read. Hope you
are interested, it went on.
When I dragged the image down into Photoshop,
bleary-eyed and awaiting my morning caffeine to
kick in, it was like an invasion from planet
chintzy. Colours as brazen as they were varied
clawed out of the screen at me, nearly sending my
off of the chair in a urry of palpitations. This
tank was, in journalistic parlance, a bit of a goer.
At the rst opportunity, I was down at Peter
Busanis pristine Bedfordshire home, admiring
the swirling mass of colours rst hand,
uncensored and unedited. Supping on a daytime
beer, and scuttling around his set-up like a ferret
in a pipe warehouse, I was duly impressed. Even
more so when it transpires that this is Peters rst
ever foray into aquaria. Heres what we
discussed
PFK: Lets start with the basics how big is this
tank, and exactly how long have you had it
running for?
PB: The tank is 4ft long, 2ft high and 1.5ft in depth
(120 x 60 x 45cm deep), and it has been running
now for three and a half years
MEET THE AQUARIST

G Name: Peter Busani.
G Age: 48.
G Location: Dunstable, Beds.
G Favourite sh: Purple tang.
G Most spent on a sh: 100 for the Purple
tang.
G Most spent on a coral: 120 for a Bleeding
apple Scolymia.
G Dream tank: Red Sea Reefer 450.
PFK: What rst attracted you to marine tanks?

Did you migrate from freshwater?
PB: This is my rst tank. The reason I decided to
go full-blown marine was down to my friends who
own Deepblue Aquatic in Hemel Hempstead. I
used to visit the shop and was fascinated by the
sh, but mostly the corals. After several visits
I was hooked and became determined to buy
an aquarium.
One day, someone returned a system to them
because he never had the time for the upkeep. I
bought it, which is the tank I have at present and
since then Ive totally fallen in love with and
immersed myself in the hobby.
PFK: What do you do for a living?
PB: Easy to answer, I now work in the industry
with a company called Fintail that distribute the
17
Despite the density,

Peter has no
compatibility issues.
NEWA range of aquatics products

pumps, heaters, aquariums and so on.
I was involved in IT for many years but
once I became besotted with the hobby I
was hell-bent on working in aquatics. So
these days I visit all the best shops
around the UK promoting our product
range best job ever.
I do stay away from time to time and
mostly the system looks after itself. My
wife, Margaret, feeds the sh and visually
checks things over. If ever there was a
problem she would call me. If I go on
holiday for two or more weeks I get
my friend from my local store to pop in
and make sure all is okay and to feed the
sh for me.
into the sump. The rst chamber

contains a lter sock and the return
from a chiller that keeps things at the
correct temperature.
The water then feeds into the second
chamber where a lot of waste gets pulled
out by a Bubble Magus NAC 6 skimmer.
Also in this chamber is a feed through
a reactor running Rowaphos for
phosphate control.
In the third chamber water is heated by
a NEWA Therm 400W heater and is
returned into the aquarium via a NEWA
Jet 4500 pump. Also in this chamber the
calcium reactor returns effluent back
into the aquarium, keeping alkalinity at
perfect levels.
PFK: Talk me through your sump, from

one end to the other. If I was the water
going through, what would I meet along
the way?
PB: The water comes down on the right
hand side of the aquarium dropping
PFK: Whats the one piece of kit you

couldnt be without?
PB: Id say my protein skimmer but also
my calcium reactor. Both these pieces of
equipment have helped in making this
aquarium I have today.
18
PFK: With the cupboard open I

can see the inside is wood nish and
the outside is black. Is that a
customisation thing?
PB: I purchased the tank in a wood nish
but we decided that the colour did not
blend in with the decor. I contacted a
friend who wraps cars and asked if he
could wrap the hood and cabinet, and he
said he could. We wrapped it in Piano
black. The nish and quality really
boosted the aesthetics of the tank.
PFK: What kind of lighting are you
using? Does it all come on in one go,
or is it staggered through the day?
Why did you go for the lights that
youve chosen?
PB: I use three T5, 54W bulbs, one
Marine Blue T5, one hybrid T5 and
nally two Aquaray Fiji blue LEDs.
Theyre staggered on timers that ramp
up and down. The cycle runs over an
hour and half in the morning and the
Reader visit
Peters supplement
regime
Daily Redsea Reef colors A, B, C, D 6mg
dosed thrice daily;
Redsea Reef energy A & B, 8mg dosed
twice daily;
4mg of Nopox dosed twice daily.
These are all dosed through two Jecod
dosers.
Peters top tips for

new reefkeepers
G Always begin with cycling
your tank correctly.
G Dont overstock if you want
to achieve a decent reef tank.
G Before stocking any SPS or
LPS corals make sure your
water quality is the absolute
best it can be, and ensure
that they can live in the
conditions you have created
for them.
G Purchase from a trusted
store that you know you can
get the correct advice from.
G Finally, make sure you have
lots of cash on standby if you
want to set up a tank like this
one, because youre going to
need it!
A clownsh takes
a break among
some zoas.
19
evening. Lighting is on for around eight

hours per day. I looked into my options
before deciding on the T5s but at the time
there wasnt much information on long
term LED use. So in the event I stuck
with lighting that I knew had been tried
and tested for many years.
PFK: How much live rock have you
used, and is it mixed?
PB: I couldnt really estimate how much
rock has been introduced as it is so well
stocked. There is some Java rock, Fiji
rock and also a few pieces of Tonga
branching, and there are also some
plating rocks.
I never really had a reason to go for any
particular kinds, I just wanted to build
the rock up quite high so I purchased
additional pieces once a month until I
was happy with the scape.
PFK: What would you estimate the
power consumption up to be?
PB: Very difficult question to answer. Let
me just say my electric bill has gone up
up dramatically being a reefkeeper.
PFK: How much do you think the whole
set up has cost you to put together?
PB: The cost of the aquarium to date is
probably around the 8,000 mark, but
when I spread that over the last three and
a half years its not too bad.
PFK: What order did you add your
corals in?
PB: I started by adding soft corals and
was very successful with growth. Then `
I started to look into creating an SPS/
LPS tank and started looking for the
correct information on water quality
required to run a successful reef with
very fragile corals.
I started by stripping all the soft corals
from the aquarium and over the next
three months I made sure the water
quality was low nutrient for the
introduction of small frags. These started
responding well, so I decided to add more
and have ended up with a fully stocked,
prominently SPS aquarium. Stability is
the key with any low nutrient system.
PFK: Do you need to trim back growth?
PB: I have trimmed back some of the
corals that were getting close but they
seem to change direction when they
become too near to each other now.
PFK: Whats your favourite coral?
PB: My pink Seratiopora hystrix. This
was one of my rst pieces and Ive
witnessed it growing into an amazing
colony. The colour gets better each and
every month.
PFK: Any other inverts in there?
PB: I have a little clean up crew
consisting of one sand-sifting starsh,
two Fire shrimps, two Blue legged hermit
crabs, two turbo snails and four
Nassarius snails.
20
A Purple tang
and a clownsh
get on just ne.
PFK: Have you had any hitchhikers or

undesirables turn up?
PB: I had a couple of bristleworms and
also a gorilla crab, but I managed to catch
them before any damage was done. Ive
been pretty lucky on that front really.
PFK: How do you deal with nuisance
algae or Aiptasia?
PB: Ive never really had nuisance algae. I
did have a couple of Aiptasia but I always
use a Majano wand and its been very
successful in controlling them.
PFK: What sh selection have you
gone for?
PB: Fish stock as follows: Sohal tang,
Saln tang, Purple tang, Regal tang,
Convict tang, two Tangerine clowns,
three Ghost cardinals, Sixline wrasse and
a Keyhole angel.
I really love tangs, so I went with as
many as I felt I could get away with while
keeping the system low nutrient. The
other sh came from my LFS after I
looked into their reef compatibility.
PFK: Have there been any issues

between the sh and corals?
PB: Ive never had any problems between
the two, no. The sh were always bought
with emphasis on them being reef safe.
PFK: Have you had to take anything out
because it was troublesome?
PB: Again, no. Ive had the sh in the
system for a long while and corals have
never been an issue. The only time Ive
ever taken something out is if I have
fragged a piece of coral and then given
it away.
PFK: What foods are you using for the
sh? Do you feed the corals too?
PB: I use New Era marine and aegis
akes. The sh receive it once a day in
the morning. Then twice a week they get
a mixture of frozen Mysis, lobster eggs
and Cyclops. I also put in six bags of
sieved copepods once a week.
PFK: What are your daily, weekly and
monthly chores?
Reader visit
Convict tang,
Acanthurus
triostegus.
Peter opts for

sump-based
ltration.
Sailn tang,
Zebrasoma
veliferum.
PB: Daily I have to check all

equipment is working and visually
scan over the corals and sh for
any problems.
Weekly, I clean the glass with
magnet and change 50 l/11 gal of
water using water from an RO unit in
my garage. I clean inside of the tank
with toothbrush and a sponge, clean
the combs on my weir and also
toothbrush over my powerheads. I
clean the skimmer out about two or
three times per week.
Monthly I replace the Rowaphos in
the reactor and ll up the Kalk in the
calcium reactor. I nish off by
cleaning the dosing lines and check
dosers are in good working order.
PFK: If you could go back and start
again, what would you change?
PB: I wouldnt have changed a thing.
With the money and time I have put
into this tank, everything has always
been essentially straightforward and
rewarding.
This brain coral is just

one of a mountain of
hard corals.
PFK: Whats something you wish

youd known when you started?
PB: I wish Id known the time required
at the beginning to get things right.
And the amount that it costs to start
and maintain a good system.
PFK: Whats your favourite
aquarium brand?
PB: At the moment I think the new
Red Sea Reefer range looks fab.
PFK: Any plans for another tank
any time?
PB: Not at present. The only time I
would consider one is if we moved.
PFK: To nish off and I know its a
lot to ask, how about a list of the
coral you own?
PB: Bali green slimer, Blastamussa sp.,
Pink hystrix, Green hystrix, Several
zoa colonies, Ricordia
orida, Duncanopsammia axifuga,
Orange and Green Acanthastrea,
Brain coral, Chalice coral, Purple
Pocillopora, Pink Pocillopora,

Stylophora, Lobophyllia, various
mushrooms, Purple Millepora,
Tri colour Acropora and large
colonies of Acropora including aussie
acros in various colours and a large
colony of white Seriatopora. I think
this is most of it but there is just so
much in there.
PFK: Yes, yes there is...
Water chemistry
in Peters system
G Alkalinity: 7.3dKH
G Phosphate: 0.003ppm
G Calcium: 420ppm
G Nitrate: 0.25.
G Ammonia: 0.
G Magnesium: 1250.
G pH: 8.2.
G Specic gravity 1.026.
G Temperature 26.5C/80F.
21
Probiotic & Prebiotic Quality Fish Foods

Highly Efficient Digestion for Cleaner Water
Stimune for Superior Health & Immunity
NEW
RANGE
Want More?
TANKCOMMUNITY
FORUM
Find the popular shkeeping
forum at http://forum.practical
shkeeping.co.uk.
Are my floors up toit?
Fenners
I live on the third oor
of a new build apartment
block with 16 apartments on
each oor. The oors are
concrete; Ive got a Rio 125
waiting to be lled. Will the
weight be an issue?
fcmf
Only a structural
engineer who examines the
property will be able to give a
denitive answer. All are built
to withstand domestic
loading, but no two properties
are built alike.
daz4321
Would you be happy to
have a 20stone bloke sit in a
chair in your apartment?
Chairs are usually near the
centre of the room unlike
aquariums and it is quite
possible to have three large
chaps on a sofa would they
fall through the oor? With a
Rio 125 you should be OK.
_Mark_
Of course youll be OK.
A Rio 125 will hold at most
125kg of water. Whats the
weight of tank and substrate
and cabinet and everything
else? Approximately 75kg? So
maybe 200kg all-in thats
two slim people sat on a small
lightweight sofa, or one fatty
on a big armchair!
We need to create a cradle to

cradle approach
Im writing regarding the article
on greener marines in
Septembers PFK.
The hobby needs to move
forward to create a cradle to
cradle approach; we aquarists
have a responsibility to the
environment and the animals
we keep. We now have the
knowledge and technology to
keep animals removed from the
sea alive in aquariums for the
most part. Why are we not
supporting the marine
ecosystem by putting
something back or looking at
this from a different
standpoint?
Life rock is the sensible way
forward. Why cant you
purchase this already cycled
with bacteria? Going through
the process of cycling live rock
to remove most of the dead or
dying animals before it can be
sold or put in an aquarium has
to be bad and damaging for the
environment. How much does
is cost to cycle live rock per
ton? There is the cost of the
rock itself, the cost to import,
the cost of the salt water that
needs to be made up then
constantly replaced to remove
the ammonia.
A more sensible approach
would be for importers to
reduce the amount of live rock
imported and cycle existing live
rock with cycled rock. Yes, there
may be a reduction on ora
initially on the rock, but the
result would be better for

the environment. Live
rock could still be
farmed, thus maintaining
a better grade of rock.
We should also
encourage the collectors
to frag coral and to grow
frags by using coral
farms in the ocean the
mother or parent coral
need not be removed.
There are pioneering
shops in the UK doing
this at the tail end. With
careful management the
reefs can be sustainably
farmed. Like picking
Retailers should
apples, you dont need to
make more of their tank
chop the tree down each
bred marines.
time you need an apple
take what you need,
next year there is another crop.
supply chain will things
Why are tank bred marine sh
improve, the demand needs
not returned to the sea? Disease
to be more focused on the
is obvious, but then why are sh
use of tank bred or
not bred in stations on the reef
sustainable collection methods
then released? This removes the
in the future.
disease argument.
This letter is not a criticism of
The whole industry has a
the article, far from it but it
responsibility to the environment
needs to go deeper.
from the collector to the
Manufacturers of lights, pumps
importer to the aquarist. Failure to and other equipment are
accept responsibility is not an
reducing their impact on the
option unless we are prepared for
environment through lower
a world without marine sh and
electricity requirements.
coral reefs.
What are we doing as
There needs be more focus and
aquarists from an
rewarding of the retailers who are
environmental and sustainable
selling/promoting tank bred
standpoint regarding the
marine sh and corals. Only by
animals we keep?
working with all parts of the
Trevor Town, email
Win FishScience aquarium food

The writer of each star letter will win a 250ml pot of their choice
from this quality range of food, which uses natural ingredients.
Email: editorial@practicalshkeeping.co.uk
yoda
If you didnt fall
through the oor when you
had a bath, you should be ne
the weight of a full bath
plus an adult would almost
certainly outweigh the tank. If
however, youre sitting in the
bathroom of the apartment
downstairs looking up at a big
hole in the ceiling, you may
need to rethink the Rio 125
and consider a 54 l instead!
STAR
letter
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
The place to share your sh, tanks, letters and photos
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23
TANKCOMMUNITY
FROM
FACEBOOK
OSomething for everyone
James Thomas, (forum name Wetelbows) has managed

to combine natural aquascaping materials with
traditional sunken ships and No Fishing signs to keep
both himself, and his family interested and involved with
the aquarium.
Responses to our
question How do you
go about controlling
snail outbreaks?
ALAMY
Friend or foe?
Alys Wyatt: Havent had an
issue in ages but have used

groups of Assassin snails and
Dwarf chain loach in the past
with apocalyptic results for
the pest snails.
Cat Davies: I got Assassin
snails. Now I have a lot of baby
Assassin snails. I have
basically given in to the
invasion.
Dave Steamy Briggs: I use
a baited snail trap and pick
out stragglers.
Alex Fleming: I dont they
sift sand, eat algae etc. Booms
tell me theyve been feeding
on either excess food, plants,
or dead sh, and help to
indicate if something is off
in the system. IMO, theyre
just a normal part of any
healthy tank.
Mark Beeston: I have
Assassin snails in my planted
tank. I have kept Yoyo loaches
before. Both controlled MTS
although I dont want to
totally eradicate them, justnot
have them multiply to the
point where they increase
tank bioload.
Geoff Haglund: We cant get
Assassin snails, so I use a
product called No Planaria.
Massively successful. My food
bill reduces by a third after a
snail eradication programme.
Peter Clarke: Large group of
300 Assassins that I breed and
move from tank to tank.
Ruairidh McCall: I love
snails, theyre not a pest if
you dont overfeed. Great
tank cleaners.
Jerome Small: I use tweezers
to get rid of a lot of them, but
leave some for algae control.
Kevin Wedlock: Tupperware
tub with 5mm holes drilled in
the top, baited with food and
buried in the substrate.
24
OFlock of Rams?
Phillip Mackies (forum name damrabbit) Bolivian

rams, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus, are successfully
raising this clutch of fry in his 240 l/53 gal
Amazonian tank.
OBoxing clever
13-year-old George Parish from the Midlands sent us

this lovely photo of a Boxing or Pompom crab, Lybia
tesselata, with the tiny anemones it uses as boxing
gloves in defence.
OCharming
snakehead
This photo of a
Dwarf snakehead,
Channa sp., was
taken by Chris
Hall (forum name
doratheexplorer),
and was voted
Photo of the Month
on the PFK forum.
Dont advise if you dont know!

CONTACT US
Oscars need a minimum tank

size of 150cm/5ft.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
I was shocked to overhear a remark made at my

local shop to a customer who wanted to buy a
juvenile Oscar, which was about 6cm/2.2in in size.
He asked if it would be OK in a 60cm/24in tank
and was told that yes, it would be ne and no
mention was made of the fact that it would need a
much larger tank when it grew. Luckily, he didnt
buy the sh so far as I know, but after he left I
spoke to the shop assistant who it turned out had
very little sh knowledge at all. I know the shop
manager is very well-informed, but there was no
sign of him at the time.
While I understand that staff with shkeeping
experience might be difficult to get sometimes,
wouldnt it be better if they were told not to advise
customers in the absence of more qualied staff
surely most people would prefer to come back

or phone later than be given bad advice?
Kay Scott, email

OBrown and beautiful
Linda Postins (forum name Linda 75) Hoplo,

Megalechis thoracata, is surely one of the most
characterful catsh you can get for your aquarium;
boisterous animated sausages always on the
lookout for food!
Address Practical Fishkeeping,

Bauer Media, Media House,
Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Email: k.youngs@bauermedia.co.uk
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are aged between 16 and
24 and are interested in
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opportunities at Practical Fishkeeping
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EDITORIAL Phone 01733 468000

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Features Editor Nathan Hill
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ADVERTISING Phone 01733 468000

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O A fan of lesh
While undoubtedly beautiful, the Hawaiian fantailed

lesh, Pervagor spilosoma, doesnt make a good
reef tank addition, as it likes to nibble polyps. Tracey
Davies (forum name CAYO) rescued this sh from a
friends tank, which was being shut down.
BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA
ORich tapestry
John Curringtons (forum name metalmaniac) new

planted tank shows what can be achieved using just
plants to provide texture, colour and form, and it should
only get better as it matures.
Competition winners
OThe winner of the Betta Bible in the
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from Edinburgh.
OAlso in the September issue, the winners
of the API water treatment sets were:
Julia Todd, Surrey; Peter Harrison, Colchester;
Claire Clark, Bucks; Derek Fudge, Fife;

William Scott, Fife; John Hunter, Tyne and Wear;
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U
25
TANKCOMMUNITY
Me & my
TANK
Fishkeeper:
John Tyler
(gbone).
Age: 41.
Occupation:
Taxi driver.
Whereabouts?
Stoke on Trent.
Time in the
hobby: Ten years.
Number of tanks: One now, but I had
four at one time.
What attracted you to the hobby?

Seeing someones Clown loaches and just
thinking they were amazing.
How would you describe

your tank?
Peaceful and laid back. If youre into the
activity of a Malawi tank, mine is not
for you!
Whats your favourite sh?

Despite the fact I dont keep them any more,
probably Corydoras they are the perfect
community sh: beautiful, active, easy to
breed and peaceful. Theyre a real pleasure
to keep. Uaru come a very close second. I
saw a video a couple of years ago and had to
have some; they just looked amazing! Id
never heard of them before I bought six
babies over a year ago and they are the basis
of my tank now. I love them because theyre
large, have presence, are curious, friendly
and you can keep a group together.
Whats the most challenging sh

youve kept?
Fancy goldsh. They always developed
problems eventually, no matter how much
care I put into them. Ive never found
anything else demanding really, apart from
fancy goldsh. I feed well, do lots of big
water changes and try to house my sh
correctly; for most this keeps them happy
and healthy.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN TYLER UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED
Any favourite plants?
Low maintenance plants a large Anubias

looks nice in any set up and requires little
effort. But due to the fact that I now have
Uaru, my life is pretty plant free right now!
Current stock
Six Uaru, Uaru amphiacanthoides.
6 Striped silver dollars,
Metynnis fasciatus.
One Chocolate cichlid,
Hypselecara temporalis.
One Pearse cichlid Herichthys pearsei.
26
John describes his set-up

as peaceful and laid back.
Chocolate
cichlid.
Uaru and
Silver dollars.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
AQUARIUMPHOTO.DK
My wish list...
Myleus schomburgkii.
Potamotrygon ray.
Which sh would you like to keep next?

Wide bar Myleus, M.schomburgkii, and freshwater stingrays; they
are both beautiful and have a massive wow factor.
What would be your dream aquarium? Something like a

16 x 4ft Amazon tank with a massive shoal of Myleus schomburgkii!
The Uaru were bought

as babies a year ago.
My advice for beginners

Dont listen to everyone. A lot of
people out there are clueless! Find
people who keep sh that you like
and who know what theyre doing
and see what they do. Research ve
times and buy once!
Save money: Stay away from
shkeeping! Seriously though,look
for secondhand bargains. There is
always someone selling quality stuff
at great prices do research

and buy the right thing rst time.
Its cheaper than going through
three things to nally nd the
right one.
Save time: I nd having water butts
full of prepared water ready to go
makes water changes very quick and
easy and youve got an instant
water change ready if you need to
do one. I remember that when

I used to ll loads of 25 l/5.5 gal
containers one by one, it
wasnt great
Things I wish Id known
How quickly it becomes an
obsession! If Id known, Id have just
bought a large tank straight away,
as the constant upgrades in the rst
few years were crazy.
27
The set-up is based on Noh

Lagoon, which has large areas
of bulrushes.
Plastic
FANTASTIC
Create a Central American inspired biotope with a difference.

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: LEE NUTTALL
hen it comes to
imagining a cichlid
biotope from Central
America, we usually
assume rocks, wood and more rocks, but
I have come to know in my time
researching, that there are many
different types of habitat to be
discovered when looking for information
regarding the natural world of Central
American cichlids.
I love to see plants thriving in the
aquarium the problem here is that
Central American cichlids and plants are
28
rarely compatible. I have used a few

select species of plants quite
successfully, but combining planting and
growing techniques with compatible
cichlid species is limited!
The search begins

My quest to create a planted style Central
American aquarium goes back several
years when I became interested in
keeping what is now a favourite cichlid of
mine: Thorichthys pasionis, with a
collection locale given as Laguna Noh.
Noh Lagoon is situated in the southern
part of the Yucatn peninsula,

Campeche, Mexico. The lagoon boasts a
rich diversity of aquatic species, around
11 representing cichlidae alone. We are
given clues on how the underwater
habitat may look by reading reports and
studying photos.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to
nd any decent underwater photos of
Noh Lagoon this could be down to poor
visibility due to high sediment, but from
the photos taken above we are given
clues, such as large patches of bulrush
areas and Nymphaea sp. that populate
Step by step
The articial bulrushes were

thoroughly tested to ensure
they were safe to use.
29
The 120cm/48in tank

gave plenty of space for
effective aquascaping.
The sh of Laguna Noh

the water surface. I have used Nymphaea
sp. before, but bulrush is new to me.
Bulrush can take the form of grasses or
thick reeds, with around 30 species. They
are regarded as cosmopolitan, which means
they will be found across all or most of the
world. They are generally marginal plants,
doing better in boggy/moist soil, however,
they can adapt to a submerged state. My
research for home aquarium varieties
came to a blank, as most of those
available are used for outdoor ponds. An
open-topped aquarium, strong lighting and
a deep, rich muddy substrate to
accommodate the large root system would
be required and in my opinion this would
make things too complicated.
So, my research came up with the next

best thing: articial bulrush. They seemed
ideal for my project as they looked quite
realistic and were also reasonably priced
but as they were coming from an online
orist rather than an aquatic shop, would
they be safe to use?
Choosing the sh
After deciding to loosely base my biotope
display aquarium around a bulrush area of
Noh Lagoon, my next job was to nd
suitable species. Centrals arent particularly
well represented at retail level, so nding
that elusive species may seem an impossible
task. The best places to look are specialist
importers or breeders.
Laguna Noh boasts an incredible amount

of aquatic diversity, including 11 different
species of cichlids. Not all will be
compatible or suitable for this style of
biotope aquarium.
Cichlid species known are Astatheros
robertsoni, Cichlasoma urophthalmus,
Parachromis friedrichsthalii, Parachromis
managuensis (exotic), Oscura heterospila,
Petenia splendida, Rocio octofasciata,
Thorichthys meeki, Thorichthys pasionis,
Trichromis salvini, Vieja bifasciata.
Non-cichlid species include: Astyanax
mexicanus, Poecilidae spp. Poecilia
mexicanus, Xiphophorus hellerii and
most likely there are more.
The livebearers added movement

in the upper levels and helped to
settle the cichlids.
30
Step by step
How the set-up came together
I decide to work from left to right for my display. I build the left
hand side using a couple of smaller rocks and pebbles to use as
a platform. This will help keep the sloping bank shape and also
help stop anaerobic build up as the sand substrate will be quite
deep. Place a layer of silver or silica sand with a light ne gravel
mix building up the left hand side. The main hardscape feature will
be a large beech tree branch. This will need to be prepared in

advance, so that it sinks underwater. Place the wood so that it is
sloping, helping to create the triangle composition that I have
chosen. Place thinner beech tree branches to give height to the
hardscape. Place pebbles and leaf litter around the main focal
piece of wood to blend the base of the wood with the substrate.
We can now add the bulrush stems, using the rule of thirds
ratio, adding them in different heights so that they
taper down towards a third of the aquascape. We can also add
Nymphaea sp, such as African tiger lotus (Green)

to give bit of variety, but these would be better planted in
a nutrient rich pot.
or gently scraping the algae with your ngernail. Planted securely

enough, the plastic plants should withstand the foraging of larger
Central American cichlids.
Over time you may get a slight covering of hair algae on the
plastic stems, which will give a realistic look to the aquascape.
You can control the growth, either by removing and cleaning them,
31
Everything looks so natural

that its hard to believe that
this is an aquarium setting.
When adding
livebearers to any
Central American
set-up, introduce
them a week or so
before the cichlids.
Since the aquarium I used was moderate

in size, I decided to go for a small colony of
eight Firemouths, Thorichthys meeki, and a
selection of Poecilia and Xiphophorus spp.
as dither sh to help settle the young
Firemouths and add movement to the upper
levels. When adding livebearers to any sort
of Central American set-up, it is best to
introduce them a week or so prior to
introducing your cichlids.
A larger display aquarium can be used
where a true Noh Lagoon community could
be created, including milder temperament
The Firemouths were very
at home in this set-up.
biotope compatible species such as

Astatheros robertsoni, Oscura heterospila,
Rocio octofasciata and Thorichthys pasionis.
Preparation of plastic
bulrush stems
It is important to remove the metal stipe,
which the plants are attached to. On
removing, you can separate the plants into
stems to be planted individually.
You can arrange them either by placing
them into a plastic plug using silicone or
preferably attached to a clear plastic
cocktail stick, again using silicone. By doing
this, you can plant them easily into the
substrate and also remove them for
different placement or cleaning when algae
develops. I wasnt sure if the articial
plants were aquarium safe, however, after
initial testing over a month period (very
important when using anything not
designed for aquarium use), the results
were positive.
Equipment used
OAquarium: 120 x 45cm/120 x 18in.
OLighting: A couple of cheap LED lamps
or one uorescent tube is ne for this
set-up.
OFiltration: Eheim Classic 250.
OHeating: Jager heaterstat, 200W.
OBackground: White card or polystyrene.
ODecor: Silver sand with ne gravel mix,
small river rocks and pebbles, beech
tree wood, beech tree leaves. Articial
bulrush stems, green/brown supplied
by deko-mich.
32
Step by step
alternative cichlids for this set-up
Astatheros
robertsoni
G Origin: Found throughout

Belize, Guatemala,
Honduras and Mexico.
G Size: 25cm/10in.
G Temperament: These
cichlids will do better
when kept in colonies,
where their aggression
can be diluted.
G Minimum tank size: 150 x
45cm/60 x 18in.
G Notes: These sh are
substrate sifters so
provide them with plenty
of sand.
Oscura heterospila
G Origin: Found in Guatemala
and Mexico.
G Size: 24cm/9.4in.
G Temperament: A large,
mildly aggressive cichlid,
which used to be assigned to
the Vieja genus.
50cm/64 x 20in.
Thorichthys pasionis
G Origin: Found in Guatemala and
Mexico.
G Size: Males to 15cm/6in, females
smaller.
G Temperament: An ideal
companion for Thorichthys meeki,
keep this sh in larger colonies to
minimise aggression and to
encourage natural behaviour.
45cm/48 x 18in.
33
Situations
Need some help with maintenance in your reef tank?
These sh have the relevant skills and will be happy to do
a spot of housework in return for good food and lodgings.
WORDS: DAVE WOLFENDEN
vitae
Curriculum d goby,
Maintenance of the sand bed is a constant job. Stirring of the substrate

prevents it from developing dead spots and helps to clear it of detritus, diatoms
and dinoagellates.
There are various species of goby, which are sand-sifters to varying degrees. One of
the best choices surely has to be the Diamond goby, Valenciennea puellaris, from the
Indo-Pacic. This industrious sh reaches no more than 15cm/6in in length, and will
bsessively stir the sand bed, helping to prevent the build up of anaerobic zones, and
berating detritus for removal by mechanical ltration. In doing so, they extract tiny
orms, crustaceans and other microfauna, so they will need a decent depth of ne
and of sufficient maturity to contain at least some of these food types, and an
quarium of at least 150 l/33 gal is recommended. These gobies tend to be territorial,
o attempting to keep more than one in any system is risky. In systems with LPS on the
ubstrate, they can be a nuisance, as they may deposit sand on top of the corals.
ILITY R
AB
PHOTOMAX
ING
AT
mon
O Name: Dia puellaris.
ea
nn
ie
nc
le
Va
Indo-Pacic.
O Address:
.
to 15cm/6in
O Size: Up
g; burrowing.
in
ft
si
d
an
S
O Skills:
g for an
ions: Lookin
e
O Expectat
with a matur
um
ri
aqua
established
ne sand.
substrate of
Property maintenance
EMPLOY
he battle with pests, dealing

with algae and generally
keeping the aquarium in good
condition can sometimes
seem like an uphill struggle. Luckily,
there is a range of marine sh suited to
helping out with many of those tedious
maintenance chores.
34
Marine
Algae control is high on the list

of maintenance tasks for the
marine aquarist, but some sh
can help. Careful research will
allow an informed choice to be
made about the suitability of
certain species. In particular,
consider the morphology of
mouthparts, adult size, and of
course compatibility with other
sh as well as invertebrates. The
major groups to consider include
tangs, blennies, rabbitshes and
pygmy angels.
PHOTOMAX
Gardener
DR DWAYNE MEADOWS, CREATIVE COMMONS
Yellow eye or Kole tang, Ctenochaetus strigosus: Indo-Pacic, up to

15cm/6in. The bristle-like teeth of this sh mean it can be effective in
rasping diatoms and dinoagellates from the rockwork.
Foxface rabbitsh, Siganus vulpinus: Western

Pacic, up to 20cm/8in. Very effective algae grazer
for larger systems, although care is needed when
handling as this species is venomous.
Yellow tang, Zebrasoma avescens: Pacic, up to 15cm/6in. A

versatile and hardy tang, capable of dealing with a range of algal
problems. Good teamworker can be kept in groups in larger systems.
PHOTOMAX
SHUTTERSTOCK
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Lawnmower blenny, Salarias fasciatus:

Indo-Pacic, up to 12cm/4.8in. Great for nano
systems; lacking in looks, but an efficient grazer
on lamentous algae. Needs to be kept as one
specimen per aquarium.
Coral beauty, Centropyge bispinosus: Indo-Pacic, up to 10cm/4in.

Can be delicate, and will require at least 150 l/33 gal, but is an effective
algae grazer. Generally reef safe, but may be best considered for a
position in a sh only with live rock (FOWLR) system rather than a full
mixed reef.
35
ALAMY
EMPLOY
but many specimens simply waste away due

to low numbers of heterospecics to clean;
although they will accept prepared diets and
these are important for captive specimens,
they fare best when kept with plenty of other
sh to keep them occupied and well fed. One
nal point avoid keeping them with sh that
have very thin, sensitive skin such as puffers,
as their constant pestering can cause damage.
Curriculum vitae
O Name: Bluestrea
k cleaner wrasse,
Labroides dimidiatu
s.
O Address: Indo-P
acic.
O Size: Up to 12cm
/4.8in.
O Personal state
ment: A clientfocused cleaner, ab
le to work with a
range of species,
from large predator
s
to small herbivores
. I can adapt my
behaviour to suit
client moods.
I am very demand
ing, and require
expert care.
vitae
Curriculum by, Elacatinus
n go
O Name: Neo
oceanops.
.
: Caribbean
O Address
in
.6
/1
m
4c
to
ng
O Size: Up
An easy-goi
statement:
ems.
st
sy
y
O Personal
an
m
in with
goby, I will t
nge of
pt a wide ra
ce
ac
ily
pp
ha
the needs
Ill
to
g
in
l as tend
foods, as wel
ates.
of my tank m
36
The Atlantic cleaner gobies of the genus

Elacatinus are much easier to maintain, and
theyre ideal for the nano aquarium, as they
rarely reach much more than 4cm/10in in
length. In particular, the blue Neon goby, E.
oceanops, is worth considering. This cute little
sh is much more adaptable than Labroides,
and will happily feed on very nely chopped
frozen food and ground ake, as well as
performing cleaning duties. They are quite
ILITY R
AB
ING
AT
SHUTTERSTOCK
ILITY R
AB
ING
AT
On the reef, a whole host of sh take

advantage of the services offered by cleaner
sh. Whilst cleaner wrasses of the genus
Labroides are certainly the most well-known
cleaners, theyre not the only ones offering
cleaning. In fact, many species will act as
facultative, opportunistic cleaners (meaning
they dont rely on cleaning exclusively for their
survival), especially as juveniles as with lots
of butterysh, for example.
Cleaning involves the picking of dead skin,
fungus and parasites from the client and
the cleaner wrasses have this down to a ne
art. Of the ve recognised species, the only
one worth considering for the aquarium is the
Bluestreak cleaner, L. dimidiatus, and even this
species is a challenge to maintain. Other
members of the genus are even more difficult
to keep, being strictly obligate cleaners to
varying degrees (meaning theyre unable to
survive on anything other than the diet derived
from their clients).
Inhabiting Indo-Pacic reefs, Bluestreaks set
up cleaning stations which are visited by a
host of species, all eager to take advantage of
the personal services on offer. Sharks, morays,
groupers you name it, they all come for a
clean, and the wrasses also offer a massage
for the more demanding predatory clients
scientists believe this behaviour acts to
schmooze potentially dangerous hosts. Some
individuals will be visited by over a thousand
clients a day, and this makes for a challenge
maintaining them in the aquarium. Theyll
happily set up their stations in the aquarium,
EMPLOY
Beautician
bold and will actively seek out clients; thanks

to their blue and black markings (recognised
universally as a cleaner uniform), even many
aggressive sh will accept their services,
although highly predatory, large-mouthed
species may be an issue.
In all, these sh are delightful, and can be a
great addition to the aquarium. Keep either as
single individuals or pairs (this species will
breed in the aquarium as an added bonus).
Marine
Pest controller
ILITY R
AB
ALAMY
ILITY R
AB
For the control of glass anemones (Aiptasia), the

Copperband buttery, Chelmon rostratus, can be
excellent, but theres a snag they can be challenging
to keep. The keys to success with this species are to
select a healthy individual from the get-go, and ensure
it is feeding before purchase. These are delicate sh,
and they need to be expertly collected, transported and
rested to keep them in good condition. Limit stress, and
provide a mature, amply-sized aquarium (one
specimen will need
around 400 l/88 gal or
Curriculum vitae
so).
A nal point to bear
O Name: Copperband but
tery sh,
in mind is that they will
Chelmon rostratus.
tend towards picking at
O Address: Western Pac
ic.
feather dusters and
O Size: Up to 18cm/7.2
in.
perhaps
other polyps in
O Skills: Excellent (if del
icate) pest
addition to Aiptasia.
anemone cleaner, I will
also pick at a
Overall, success rates
range of other invertebr
ates. I am
are low with
looking for expert care.
Copperbands, and they
need expert care and
careful selection.
ILITY R
AB
ING
AT
EMPLOY
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Its worth investigating the weird-looking

Aiptasia-eating lesh, Acreichthys
tomentosus, as an alternative. This relative of
the puffers sports a cryptic appearance,
perfect for blending in with seagrass and reef
environments. They are much hardier than
Copperbands, and can be quite effective at
controlling Aiptasia infestations as well as
majanos, although they will struggle with very
large anemones. A drawback to these sh is
that they may
develop a liking
vitae
for other polyps,
Curriculuma-eating lesh,
tasi
including corals,
O Name: Aip mentosus.
to
and some folks
Acreichthys
cic.
do-West Pa
In
:
have rued the
ss
re
dd
OA
.
in
.2
to 8cm/3
day they added
O Size: Up
include
My interests
s:
one to their
st
re
te
O In
variety of
a
y
jo
. I en
system. Not all
eating polyps
and
ing Aiptasia
individuals will
polyps, includ
ally, I am
er
en
G
.
ls
cora
become a problem,
occasionally
, however.
but be aware that
an omnivore
its a possibility.
ING
AT
EMPLOY
SHUTT
EMPLOY
Curriculum vitae
O Name: Sixline wr
asse, Pseudocheil
inus hexataenia.
O Address: Indo-P
acic.
O Size: Up to 10cm
/4in.
O Expectations:
I am looking for a
large, established
aquarium with ple
nty of nooks, crann
ies and
hiding places. I ca
n become aggress
ive towards my
tank mates.
ING
AT
Some sh can be used to assist

with the removal of pests such as
anemones and atworms. Such
biological control can be a little
hit-or-miss, but its often a useful
addition to strategies such as
mechanical removal and
chemical treatments.
There are several small wrasses
that can be used as biological
control against atworms. The
Sixline wrasse, Pseudocheilinus
hexataenia, for example, is a good
choice. Its attractive, reaches a
mere 10cm/4in maximum length,
and will snaffle a range of pests,
including atworms and small
bristleworms. Despite its
diminutive size, however, it can
be a bully, so it fares best in
systems with plenty of room
and larger semi-aggressive
tank mates.
37
Beauty on a
Stylish and successful aquascapes dont
have to be expensive or complicated to
put together. You can create a set-up
like this for less than 320.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE FARMER
m in a privileged position where I am

regularly offered high-end planted
aquariums and equipment to
aquascape, photograph and write
about. A lot of those systems in their
entirety will cost in excess of well over
1,000 and this is well beyond the budgets
of many hobbyists, especially beginners. So,
I took the opportunity to try my hand at
creating an effective aquascape using only
modestly priced products from a company
called Aquadistri. Its brands include
Supersh (aquariums and associated kit),
Colombo (planted aquarium products) and
Aquaeur (aquarium plants).
I have to admit to being a little sceptical at
rst Id never really used these products
before and I wondered how effective they
would be. But I really wanted to succeed
because I realise how confusing the planted
tank hobby can be for beginners, with
conicting advice and an overwhelming
choice of kit out there. So, to have all the
products available from one supplier and at
an accessible price could only be a good
thing in my view.
The kit
The tank I used is a Supersh Home 60 and
it holds 60 l/13.3 gal. It comes supplied with
10W of LED lighting that are a mix of white
and blue, with a heavy bias towards the
white. The LEDs can be controlled from the
top of the unit or by remote control. Its
dimmable, as well as adjustable between
the white and blue LEDs. The lighting unit
is also hinged, making aquarium
maintenance simple.
Maintenance
O Daily: feed sh, add liquid fertiliser
(2ml), check lter, check temperature,
check sh health, check CO2 level.
O Weekly: Clean aquarium glass, change
50% water, prune plants as required.
O Fortnightly: Clean lter in old
aquarium water.
38
The tank comes supplied with an internal

lter that sits inside a plastic housing with
an additional a slot for a heater.
I was concerned that 10W of LED
wouldnt be sufficient to grow many species
of plants and that the lter might not be
capable of providing decent circulation. But
I decided not to compromise on my plant
choice and deliberately chose a few more
demanding species to see if the system
could handle it.
I was pleased to see that the Colombo Pro
Fertiliser contained nitrates and
phosphates, which I always like to add in a
heavily planted tank, especially with CO2
injection.
The CO2 kit itself was impressive. Its
supplied with a regulator, 95g disposable
cylinder and 3-in-1 diffuser with non-return
valve, bubble counter and removable
ceramic disc. The ceramic plate produces a
very consistent CO2 microbubble output
across the entire disc surface. I could also
have opted for a liquid CO2 fertiliser as an
alternative here.
The next factor to consider was the soil.
Ive probably tried a dozen or so different
soil brands over the years and this seemed
similar to the better ones, although there
isnt really much difference between any of
them. Grain size is consistent with no bits of
wood and other organic matter you can
often get. It can produce ammonia after
initial installation, so large frequent water
changes are the order of the day to help
prevent algae. Livestock should not be
added until ammonia and nitrite are
undetectable using test kits.
The aquascape
The aquarium sits in my living room, and
with a partner and children to consider, it
had to appeal to everyone. Also, with
another four aquariums in the house I
needed something that didnt require high
levels of maintenance but still offered high
impact with plenty of colour and interest.
I chose a mixture of easy and more
demanding plants to test out the whole
Lush and green

neednt be
expensive.
system. The Alternanthera roseafolia mini

would be an interesting choice because in
poor lighting it loses its redness and turns a
greenish-red. Cyperus helferi is fussy about
CO2 and circulation and Hydrocotyle
tripartia is regarded as a medium demand
plant, as is Eleocharis acicularis.
I wasnt too concerned about the
Anubias or crypts, as these will grow
in most conditions.
I chose a classic triangular composition
using the height of the Cyperus sloping
down to the right. The Alternanthera would
provide the idea focal point with (hopefully)
its red intensity. I positioned it deliberately
one third across to the right, as this provides
a pleasant aesthetic balance. I tend to mix
up my foreground species, as this gives a
more naturalistic appearance. Over the
months I gradually added more species to
increase the complexity of the aquascape.
A dozen Neon tetras were stocked to
add movement and extra colour. These
classic sh are among my favourites. They
were stocked in the rst ever tropical
aquarium I saw as a young child and they
have always held a special place in my
heart since.
Step by step
Shopping list
O Supersh Home 60 aquarium 110
O 10 litres of Colombo Flora Base
Pro Soil 35
O Colombo CO2 Advance Set and
solenoid 75
O Liquid fertiliser (250ml) 7
O Wood 20
O Dragon stone 5
O Plants 50
O 12 Neon tetras 12
Total 314
Ideal entry-level system

Ive been delighted with this little tank. I
think its great that an entry-level system
like this can grow plants really well without
any problems. Ive not done anything special
and any hobbyist should be able to replicate
this set-up, or something similar using
readily available and reasonable priced
equipment. So, if youre wanting to take the
rst steps into aquascaping or are
struggling with your current set-up, then
please take comfort in that it is possible to
create and maintain something very nice
without breaking the bank or causing you
a headache.
Plant key
Cyperus helferi
Anubias nana
Alternanthera roseafolia mini

Cryptocoryne amicorum
Bucephalendra sp. Green velvet
Plants
O Anubias nana
O Alternanthera roseafolia mini
O Eleocharis acicularis
O Cyperus helferi
O Pogostemon helferi
O Cryptocoryne parva
O Cryptocoryne amicorum
O Bucephalendra sp. Green velvet
O Micranthemum umbrosum
Eleocharis acicularis
Hydrocotyle bipartita
Micranthemum umbrosum
Pogostemon helferi
Cryptocoryne parva
39
How the aquascape came together
40
Step by step
41
HRISTO HRISTOV
WHERE ARE
THEY FROM?
Jewel cichlids
are African in
origin, and
distribution
varies depending
on the species.
42
Cichlids
Jewel box
They are among the most strikingly coloured

cichlids out there, but jewels have a reputation for
aggression that is largely undeserved. Keep them
in the right way and these are sh to treasure.
WORDS: JEREMY GAY
carlet-coloured, and moderate in size and

temperament, the jewel cichlids of the
genus Hemichromis are perennial
aquarium favourites. Theyre cheap, easy to
feed, easy to keep and easy to breed, and their all
round hardiness means that theyve made their way
into all types of tropical aquariums over the years.
But what do we really know about them? Most
Hemichromis top out at about 10cm/4in total
length, and are red, with blue spots, yet the type
species, Hemichromis fasciatus reaches 25cm/10in
in length, is olive coloured with ve large black
blotches and looks more like a Jaguar cichlid than a
small, round jewel.
Jewel cichlids prefer soft water, yet H. frempongi
lives in some of the hardest water there is, while H.
guttatus lives everywhere from acidic blackwaters
to brackish lagoons. Its their hardiness which has
aided their aquarium survival but the eclectic
mixture of sh theyre often mixed with from
Neon tetras to Oscars, has earned them an unjust
reputation for aggression.
Feelers out whats about?
Few freshwater sh can

match jewel cichlids in the
colour department.
Fishbase recognises 11 species of Hemichromis,

although more than this are mentioned in total,
with around ten new species awaiting description
or needing to be slotted into those already
described. In the hobby we know Hemichromis
bimaculatus, paynei, guttatus, lifalili, cristatus and
stellifer quite well, although what we think of as the
most common bimaculatus may not actually be
in the hobby at all! H. paynei probably isnt either,
and nearly every bright red species with blue spots
we know of as H. lifalili is probably guttatus
Species recognition is really difficult and what
makes it worse is that there may also be hybrids,
with one of the most frequently available species,
the very blue H. sp. neon coming to us from south
east Asian sh farms, being of unknown origin.
A new sh on the block is the small and beautiful
Hemichromis sp. Moanda. PFKs Nathan Hill had
some a while back, and we would probably agree
that they were some of the most beautiful and
peaceful Jewels he had ever kept. To me they looked
like H. cristatus, others have them and say they are
H. lifalili while some pictures of them on the net
have characteristics more like that of H. stellifer. I
pride myself on my cichlid ID skills but if I spy a
Jewel cichlid, try putting a moniker on it and get it
wrong, I wont be losing any sleep over it. Indeed, its
half the fun of keeping them.
43
For tanks of 150cm/5ft

length and over
AQUARIUM PHOTO.DK
All the following are larger, more

aggressive jewels requiring big tanks and
sizeable, robust tank mates.
Hemichromis frempongi.
For tanks of 90cm/36in

and over
These jewels are suitable for smaller

aquariums and are less aggressive. They
can be mixed with robust community sh
such as Black widow tetras and Rosy
barbs, but avoid snack-sized tank mates
like Neons.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Hemichromis guttatus.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Hemichromis lifalili.
Hemichromis stellifer.
44
HRISTO HRISTOV
PFKs Nathan Hill bought this

sh labelled as Hemichromis
sp. Moanda but is it?
The cool school

occurring cichlid species there is and with
shkeeping being such a visual hobby, their
colour is a really big draw.
Filtration can vary from internal to
external power lters with either soft or
hard water suiting these sh, and neither
condition dissuading breeding.
Eggs are laid out in the open and protected
by both parents. Numbers vary depending
on species, adult size and maturity, though
usually will be in the hundreds, and parents
are guaranteed to offer rst cichlid keepers
that magical brood care and herding of fry
around the aquarium which also makes
for wonderful photo opportunities!
Fry will graze algae and detritus for
microscopic foods, so if your Jewels spawn,
let the substrate and other surfaces fur-up
and supplement with powdered ake and
newly hatched brine shrimp. Ive witnessed
my male Hemichromis give themselves up
to their cloud of fry and become grazing
bars, the fry glancing mucus off their bodies
in the same way that those of discus do.
Its the uncertainty of species and the thrill

of the chase in nding something unusual
which provides the pull for cichlidophiles.
Jewel cichlids reside in almost every
aquatic store in the UK, yet every so often
you can give one a double take, or see a pair
in unusual breeding colouration and maybe,
just maybe, youll have found something
different. H. stellifer used to be a rare sh,
yet search them out now and youll nd
them. I even found H. cerasogaster in the
early naughties and H. letourneauxi has
come into the hobby via German specialist
wholesalers. The very different looking H.
elongatus is available wild caught, but if you
want to show off to your cichlid keeping
mates, youll have a breeding pair of the hard
water H. frempongi.
Then there are the real exotics like the
undescribed H. sp. Guinea 1 and H. sp.
Guinea 2. There may be even more gems
hiding that are as beautiful, if not more so,
than those we currently keep who knows
whats still out there?
Jewels in the aquarium

Before you look at how to house them you
must rst split Hemichromis into its two
very different groups the large, aggressive,
predatory ve-spotted cichlids: H .fasciatus,
elongatus and frempongi, which will need an
aquarium in the region of 150 x 60 x 60cm/5
x 2 x 2ft, and the smaller, more colourful and
better behaved H. guttatus, lifalili and
stellifer. The smaller species can be housed
in aquariums upwards of 90cm/36in in
length and in something of 120cm/48in
and over theyll even breed and protect fry
while still tolerating their tank mates.
Furnish any jewel cichlid tanks with robust
plants, rocks and wood, with good quality
water and no sh small enough to swallow
and they will be incredibly easy to keep and
reward you with superb colour. A settled
jewel (with the exception of the orange hued
H. cerasogaster), should turn scarlet in
colour and those blue spots, correctly
known as iridophores, should really shine.
Jewels are probably the reddest naturally
Hemichromis sp.
Bangui.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
AQUARIUM PHOTO
Hemichromis elongatus.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
HEIKO BLEHER
Hemichromis fasciatus.
Cichlids
Jewels are
prolic breeders.
Kept in a suitably sized set-up

with the right tank mates, the
Jewel is a real gem of a sh.
MP & C PIEDNOIR; AQUAPRESS.COM
So, with your appetite well and truly

whetted for some of the original African
cichlids, do please take some advice on
their breeding.
Jewel cichlids reproduce easily and
prolically possibly in order to combat
heavy predation pressures in the wild. In
the aquarium your dead rare pair of sp.
Moanda at around 10 each will delight
you when they rst spawn and youll be
counting the signs all the way back to the
aquatic store to trade them in but dont
get your hopes up! Of the 50 or so sh the
store had in, some 20 or so pairs may have
formed, been sold off and spawned by their
equally delighted keepers, each raising
maybe 300 fry. So, in just one spawning your
Moanda and their siblings may have caused
a Moandan glut in your part of the country,
devaluing themselves and thats just the
rst spawning! Either resist temptation to
keep a pair or leave the juveniles with the
parents, which will slow down the
breeding cycle.
Dont over-produce!
You can slow down the

breeding cycle by leaving
the fry with their parents.
45
HRISTO HRISTOV
Cichlids
Parents are guaranteed to offer

rst cichlid keepers that magical
brood care and herding of fry
around the aquarium.
What to keep with them

The ve-spotted forms will need large tank
mates, with Synodontis catsh or armoured
South American catsh tting the bill
perfectly. The standard jewel cichlids will
mix with any medium sized tropical sh
species such as Black widow tetras, Rosy
barbs, gouramis and rainbowsh, but avoid
small, delicate species like guppies, Neon
tetras or Siamese ghters as they may be
eaten or killed.
The biotope creators will relish the
challenge of recreating their chosen Jewel
cichlid species natural home.
Set up a Nigerian biotope and
Elephantnoses, Kribs, African red eye tetras
and African long n tetras are the order of
the day, along with some Crinum and
Bolbitis plants for good measure. African
Barbus t in here too.
Or what about a Congolese biotope with
Anubias, Distichodus, Phenacogrammus
and other riverine African cichlids like
Steatocranus? Now were talking...
reasons including diet and breeding

behaviour, so I wouldnt want to see my
prospective purchases for sale in the same
tank as these.
Observe the size and shape of the
individuals within the group. Males should
be larger and longer bodied with larger ns,
while females are short in the body, smaller,
with a slightly smaller head and are
oblong-shaped in the belly when full of eggs.
If you want to get a pair, the best bet is to
buy four or ve specimens, opting for two
that look the most different from the others
to hedge your bets. Dont buy from mixed
jewel cichlid batches as these could be sh
from four or ve species or even crosses.
If you can buy them small, at say 5cm/2in
or less, this is best, as you can place them
with large Congo tetras and medium sized
Synodontis and for a few months they wont
46
be thinking about getting too territorial or

breeding too soon, but if youre unlucky and
offer perfect conditions to a mature pair
they are likely to spawn within days.
If you have two pairs, expect them to
separate into two halves of the same tank
with lots of aring, sparring and occasional
jaw locking by the males. This is when
medium sized tetras or barbs come in
handy as they then act as dither sh, being
active and catching the males gaze without
getting close enough to be bitten, while also
giving the female a rest from the sexually
charged male.
In the wild, adult pairs of Hemichromis
elongatus are known to take up territories as
large as 20 x 5m/67 x 16ft, but plant and
decorate heavily and your smaller domestic
jewels should be happy inside a territory of
45 x 45cm/18 x 18in.
Juveniles of 5cm/2in or
less are recommended
as they wont start
breeding so soon!
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Buying jewels
Youll need a mature aquarium of six weeks
old or more for your jewel cichlids. Put
some other, non-aggressive sh into the
set-up beforehand if you introduce the
jewels rst it will just become a breeding
tank, and any sh added later may not be
taken to kindly.
Watch the jewels in the store tank before
you buy. You want active, colourful sh with
all their ns intact and plump, round bellies.
I dont recommend keeping them with
Lake Malawi cichlids for lots of different
A mature pair might

spawn within days of
adding them to your tank.
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Some plants can be

attached to decor.
Planting made
Take heart that even if youre not the most green-ngered
shkeeper out there, you can still have a stab at growing
some of the easier plants. Here are some of the simpler
methods to put you on the road to success.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: NATHAN HILL
ts impossible to talk of a planted tank

today without evoking images of
glamorous aquascapes. Rolling
elds of green, and the kind of
hardscape that youd need an architect to
design prevail as the popular face of the
planted scene.
Thats great if youve time and money to
spend, but planted tanks shouldnt just be
synonymous with high end, high energy,
creative artistry. Plants are just another
part of a broad and complex hobby, and as
such you can be as advanced or as basic as
48
you like theres no shame in a few

strands of Elodea in an unheated tank, if
thats what you like!
The plant selection is vaster now than it
ever has been, and new species are being
found all the time. Some of them are,
quite literally, delicate owers best left to
those who are more botanist than
aquarist. Others are old hands, popular
because of their obstinate refusal to die,
even in the worst of tanks. And in
between is a plethora of species to suit
any water type you may have.
benets of plants
in aquaria
G They provide cover, and a spawning

medium, for many sh.
G They help to remove problematic
nutrients such as phosphate and
nitrate from the water.
G Strong growth competes with algae,
resulting in a cleaner looking tank.
Back to basics
To pot or not to pot?

Advice on how to handle your plants will
vary between sources. If youve got a
planting substrate, then youll be told to
remove plants from their pots, trim the
roots down, and space them out at set
distances and at set depths.
Assuming youve got a tank already set
up with gravel on the bottom, this is easier
said than done, and you may be better off
getting any loose plants and potting
them up! Plant buffs everywhere will be

screaming at me for saying that (theyll want
you to change substrates) but there it is.
Pots can work.
The problem with potted plants is that
eventually theyll become pot bound. That is,
the roots will curl and tangle on themselves
in the connes of the pot, and the plant will
become stied. The solution? Repotting, just
like with houseplants.
A potting kit will set you back just a few

pounds, and will come with the necessary
potting medium (usually rockwool based),
pots and fertilisers. Personally, I favour
liquid fertilisers, but each to their own.
Not all plants work in pots, so species with
a rhizome, or bulb plants, may struggle. But
some of the staple species, such as stem
plants and rosette plants (like Amazon
swords) can thrive in them.
How to pot...
Divide up the plant you want to pot into individual stems or

plantlets, and trim excessive root growth away.
Divide the rockwool so that it opens like a hot dog bun. Its
easier to work with if its not separated clean into two pieces.
Line the plants along the rockwool split, spacing them apart.
Dont try to clump them all in the centre!
Gently pinch the rockwool bun closed and make sure that the
stems arent buried too deep in it. If they are too packed, they will
die off. If using a fertiliser tablet, sandwich it in the rockwool at the
same time.
If you need to weigh the pot down, now is the time to place a
couple of stones in the bottom. Then gently push the wool (not
the plant) into position. Job done!
49
Make a oating plant island

Tying plants onto wood is no new thing. You
might have already tried yourself with
species like Java ferns. They quickly
establish root growth and fend for
themselves by pulling nutrients directly
from the water. Many of these plants will
grow in an epilithic environment, setting
their roots around, and grabbing on to,
stones and rocks.
Many of these plants dont need to be
completely submerged to grow. Youll nd that

some will grow even more vibrantly when out
of water than in it, and that means that we can
use certaint types to create a oating island of
greenery ideal for the open-topped tanks
that are increasingly popular.
The trick with an island is to use multiple
plant species, and to allow the plants some
access to the water, especially immersing
their roots.
Some plants will not tolerate this treatment,

but prime candidates are mosses, Anubias,
Java fern, and Bucephalandra. Hydrocotyle can
work, but the delightful thing about islands is
that you can try the occasional strand of
whatever you like.
As an additional bonus, some of the plants
kept this way will even ower, which is a
phenomenon youll rarely see when theyre
entirely submerged!
Making your island
Remove plants from their pots. You may need to cut the pots away
with the scissors if root growth is strong.
Remove any leaves that are substandard. Those that are brown, pale
or have obvious holes should be discarded. Cut them instead of
pulling them off, and cut as close to the base of the stems as possible.
Remove Java moss from its pot and rinse it in some tank
water. Use a piece of kitchen towel to pat the worst moisture
from it afterwards.
50
Remove all rockwool from between the roots and trim them
back to 1.5-2cm.
Apply a patch of glue on the edge of the piece of cork bark. Try to
ensure dry wood at this stage, and be sparing. The glue will turn
white in water, so the more you use, the more youll see.
Run a thin line of superglue up the edge of the cork bark, where the
water meets the wood.
Back to basics
Create this
attractive cork
bark island.
What youll need

G One pot of Anubias.
G One portion of Java moss or similar.
G One pot of either Java fern or
Bucephalandra.
G One piece of cork bark (reptile
stores often stock this).
G Sharp scissors.
G Aquarium safe superglue or
coral glue.
With big Anubias or Java ferns, the plant can be cut along the
rhizome to make smaller plantlets. The rhizome is the tuber-like
main root that runs along the bottom.
To feed or not to feed?
To grow any plant you need three

things: light, carbon and food. If youve
got an aquarium, its probable you
already have lights, so well take that as
a given.
The most common newcomers
question when buying plants is do I
need to feed them? For a high-end
aquascape, the answer is yes, and
heavily. For the community tank, the
answer is yes, but not excessively.
Liquid foods will suffice for many
plants, though youd benet from
adding some fertilisers to the substrate
too. Capsules or tablets that slow
release for six months at a time are ne
Special planting
for this.
substrates are available.
Youll be told by shkeeper in the
pub types that the sh make the plant food, so you wont need to
feed them. This is only partly true, as sh will be the source of
nitrates and phosphates, which plants do indeed need. But plants
also need other things like iron and magnesium, which sh dont
generate. Whether you have sh or not, you want to add a
comprehensive plant food to the tank.
Just as important and probably lacking is the carbon source.
Aquascapers will rely on carbon dioxide injection to provide this,
but its an expensive and risky approach. For the community tank,
consider a liquid carbon source, like Easycarbo, or TNC Carbon.
Just remember not to overdose with either! Excess food may
encourage algae, while excess carbon can be dangerous to both sh
and shrimp!
tips for growing plants

in community tanks
G Cut down a cleaned margarine tub to

2.5cm/1in deep and ll it with aquarium
plant substrate. Make a space in the
gravel and put the tub in, planted
with carpeting plants like dwarf
Amazon swords.
G Keep on top of changing light tubes. Old
tubes emit poorer quality light than new
ones, and will promote slow growth.
Push a piece of Anubias or Java fern rhizome in to the glue and

hold it for a few seconds until it starts to cure. Be careful not to
glue your ngers!
G Test your water and buy plants to suit the

hardness. Hard water only suits some types
like Vallis, Sagittaria, and a few Echinodorus
sword plants. Soft water is much more
conducive to strong growth.
Vallis prefers
harder water.
G Keep on top of removing dead leaves and unhealthy

growth with sharp scissors.
G If you cant keep plants on the base, remember that there
are many oating species like Frogbit you can try instead.
G If plants start to ower at the surface, they will start
dropping leaves. Remove owers before this happens.
G Always use dechlorinator for water changes. Chlorine is
devastating for most plants.
Pull off a chunk of the moss mass with about 15-20 strands.
Attach it to the wood by pressing it against the glue so that the
glue areas are all connected to the moss.
G Opt for tough, rubbery leaves like Anubias if you have sh

that nibble plants.
G Stock up on Amano shrimps and Otocinclus catsh to help
keep leaves free of algae.
51
A dainty
deity
Its not all ooded forest and dense,
planted tangles. Meet a divine sh
that makes its home on the open
expanses of the Amazon.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN LEE
WORDS: NATHAN HILL
52
Catsh
WHERE ARE
THEY FROM?
Mastiglanis is
widespread through
Guyana, Venezuela
and Brazil.
Triangulated on ns,
Mastiglanis gets into
ambush mode.
53
f you take one word away from this

months magazine, make it this
one: psammophilous. Its a
wonderful word, and it represents a
wonderful biotope.
Psammophilous means sand dwelling.
Its usually used to refer to desert owers,
but wed do well to remember that not all
that blossoms does so on land.
Sand dwelling sh are an underexplored
subject in aquaria. Pushed to describe
species that live on the rolling, underwater
plains, a hobbyist might mention stingrays.
Pushed harder, they might resort to the
plaice and ounder of our local seas. But
beyond that, a lot of folks are vague. Its a
shame, as there are some amazing
substrate huggers out there.
Enter Mastiglanis asopos. Id tell you
their common name, but they dont have
one yet, and to that end, Id suggest one of
my own the River god cat. I dont say
that because of some inherent reverence I
have for them, but simply because their
species name, asopos, is a direct reference
to the Greek river god Asopus.
As I hope weve already established,
Mastiglanis are sand dwellers. Theyre
unique, too, genetically speaking. Theyre
pimelodids, (very) loosely related to
aquarium favourites like Pimelodus pictus,
but it is monotypic. That is, they are the
only species in their genus.
Taxonomists arent 100% sure about
where they belong in the big tree of life. On
the one hand, theyre not distinct enough
to be removed from the Pimelodids, yet at
the same time they share no evident
characteristics with closer kin. At one
guess, they appear not a million miles from
certain troglobitic cave dwellers of
Pimelodella, Taunayia or Rhamdia, except
they have no desire for a subterranean life.
Life for these River gods is one spent
either buried or foraging. Theyre diurnally
active, meaning they are out and about at
dawn and dusk, and dig themselves in, out
of harms way, in between.
As head designs go,

these catsh are more
pike than Corydoras.
They put those amazing

eyes to good use.
Unique hunting style

Theyre ambush predators, and their
hunting style is unique. Positioning
themselves in streamlet channels, they
triangulate themselves on their ns the
ventral and anal n form legs to prop
themselves up as though on a tripod. Then
they extend their considerable barbels
(they have three pairs of whiskers set
around their broad mouths) and their
equally broad pectoral ns (with long
laments). They complete the action by
raising their agpole dorsal ns, and once
in that position they get into ambush
hunting mode, waiting to snag something
before lunging at it.
Caddisy and Mayy larvae feature
heavily in their wild diets, though theyre
partial to the occasional passing beetle or
midge larvae too.
Their eyes are tuned for this ambush
predator lifestyle, and youll note that
theyre more forward facing than the kind
of sh that needs to keep a look out in all
directions. As head designs go, these
54
catsh are more like pike than Corydoras.

Mastiglanis are widespread throughout
South America. Youll nd them in Guyana,
Venezuela and Brazil with moderate ease,
and its not unlikely that theyll appear
elsewhere. Across these countries youll
always nd them in the same habitat
sandy bases of streams with leaf litter and
moderate ow.
Naturally occurring neighbours include
the likes of Characidium cf. pteroides,
and Stauroglanis gouldingi, as well as
Imparnis pristos cats and
Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni knife sh.
And all, if you can nd them, would make
a wonderful and unique biotope.

In the aquarium, sand is prerequisite. A
deep bed of silver sand and some leaf litter is
all the decor required.
Keeping these cats at home

On top of that, youll want some ow, which
is a bit of a paradox. Too little, and you wont
see the sh at their best, but too much and
youll turn your set up into an Amazon
snowglobe. Adding a couple of Koralia style
ow pumps or powerheads and
experimenting will be your best bet.
Lighting neednt be too bright, but this is
where a decent LED unit will really shine
Catsh
(pun intended). Being diurnal sh, theyre

in their element during sun-up/sun-down.
Thats something that is near impossible
to replicate with on/off uorescents, and
so an LED with a dawn and dusk program,
slowly ramping light levels up and down
over an hour or so, will give these cats a
real home feel.
Water quality needs to be spot on, and
oxygen levels could do with being high too.
Monitor ammonia and nitrite the way
youd monitor a rhino in a vase showroom.
Water chemistry can be replicated with
remineralised RO water. You want it soft,
but not spongy, with a pH value
somewhere between 6.0 and 7.2. If

you can keep the temperature tight
around 2325C/7377F, then thatd be
just swell.
By way of return, theyll thank you by not
growing too big. The holotype specimen
was a mere 6.6cm/2.6in long, and tank
kept specimens are reported to linger
around the 34cm/1.21.6in length. Still,
consider a tank of 75cm/30in or more if
youre going to ramp up the ows. Give
them the options of busy and quiet regions.
Feed on bloodworm and other smaller
treats. Daphnia will work, as will Cyclops.
Theres little point going for anything
heaving with colour enhancing carotenoids

when theyre such a transparent species to
begin with.
Youll need vigilance to source some. Send
out feelers to the likes of Wharf Aquatics in
Notts., or Pier Aquatics or Aqualife Leyland
in Lancashire. Chances are, even if they
havent got any, theyll know the hobbyists
who have. Youll need to be patient if youre
waiting for some to come up out of the club
scene though, because nobody has bred
them yet.
And just to politely remind you.
Psammophilous. It really is a great word,
isnt it?
55
tank decor!
Make the most of the autumn
season by collecting leaves for use
in your aquarium and discover the
benets to both your sh and your
bank account.
WORDS: GABOR HORVATH
hen, quite some time ago, I

inherited a small group of
Wine-red Betta, B. coccina,
I didnt know what a task
and responsibility I had taken on. After a
quick search of the available literature, I
realised they originated from Asian peat
swamps and prefer soft and dark almost
black waters with leaf litter.
As Id never had a sh before with similar
requirements, I assessed my options. The
rst was to buy a ready-made black water
tonic to add to their tank. The second
solution was to get some imported Catappa
leaves and use them to recreate the natural
habitat. The nal, third option was to collect
fallen leaves from a nearby forest and use

those instead. This latter choice was also
the cheapest and as I was on a very tight
budget at that time, I opted for gathering
oak leaves. Fortunately, I had a week to
prepare the tank for the Betta coccina, so
when they arrived I greeted them with
perfect water conditions.
Since then I have kept several other
leaf-litter-loving sh and especially since
becoming involved with shrimp keeping I
have learned a lot about the different leaves
and their potential uses in the aquarium.
So, Id like to offer you some guidance on
choosing and using them in your sh or
shrimp tank.
ALAMY
PFK/JACQUES PORTAL
This killish set-up

includes leaf litter
on the base.
56
Collecting fallen leaves is a

great way to get the whole
family involved.
Decor
The dos and donts of
collecting leaves
DONT
collect leaves from a roadside, or other polluted

areas. If you live in a big city, its time to visit the
countryside!
ensure that no chemicals have been used if you are
planning to gather your stock from a maintained area
(like castle parks or botanical gardens). Always check with the
management rst. The same applies for trees located near
farm land.
DO
DO
pick only healthy, undamaged leaves watch out for

bite marks, discolouration or deformations.
try to collect the leaves as soon as they have fallen (try

to beat the rain) to avoid the bleaching out of the
valuable compounds.
DO
collect overwintered leaves in the spring, unless

you only plan to use them as decoration (but even
then they will not last for long).
DONT
dry the leaves as soon as you can after collection just

spread them on a tray over a layer of paper kitchen
towel. I prefer curled up leaves, but if you want at ones you
need to use a press (a couple of books would do). When fully dry
store them in a paper bag or box in a dry place.
DO
The benets of leaves
Did you know?

Autumn is the perfect time to top up your
leaf stock. By this time all the unwanted
compounds (sap, protein, chlorophyll etc.),
are removed from the dying leaves by the
tree. The tannin concentration on the other
hand is increased it can be 34 times
higher than in the green leaves.
Many of our favourite sh originated from

waters owing through dense vegetation and
forests. The constant supply of falling leaves
will colour the water tea brown, sometimes
almost black. One of the culprits of this is an
organic compound called tannin, which can be
found in different quantities in most of the dry
leaves. It is also a weak acid, which can reduce
the pH of the water. The tannin is most
effective in very soft waters, as the buffer
capacity of hard waters can easily neutralise
its acidity. Most of the black water species
require soft water anyway, so with a carefully
selected leaf you could achieve two goals at
the same time: a nice, dark water and low pH
without a need to use chemicals.
As well as tannins, some leaves also contain
other organic compounds that could tackle
fungal and bacterial infections without the
need to use medications. Catappa (also known
as Indian almond or Ketapang) leaf is widely
used by sh farmers and exporters in the
Far-East to reduce stress and cure diseases.
The leaves of the Walnut tree if collected
green and then dried have similar effects
and are very popular among shrimp breeders.
Leaf litter can also help shy species, such as
Liquorice gourami, Parosphromenus sp., to
settle down easier. It provides perfect places to
hide, especially if you are using naturally dried,
curled leaves and not the at-packed
commercial ones. Even cory cats love to play
hide and seek among them, often choosing the
larger leaves for depositing their eggs instead
of the sides of the aquarium glass.
And we mustnt forget about the use of
leaves as decor. While not everyones cup of
tea, certain biotopes require leaf litter. If you
dont want tea-coloured water, choose a leaf
that will not colour it (or boil and soak them for
57
GEORGE FARMER
Many leaves will give

the aquarium water a
tea-coloured hue.
species useful for aquaria, most will probably

mention Oak or Beech, but few will have tried
any others.
A couple of years ago I met Gabor Csepanyi
in Hungary, who became an advocate of
using leaves and other parts of domestic
plants instead of imported ones. He believes it
is a more eco-friendly and also wallet friendly
option. A discussion with him and the results
of Istvan Tomas research investigating the
effect of different leaves on water parameters,
have opened up my eyes to see a world of local
leaves with possibilities too good to miss.
So get out there, and get collecting!
a while before use). For decorating reasons you

have a wide choice of large (Plane tree, Turkey
oak, Catappa), medium (Oak, Hazelnut) or
small (Beech, Silver Birch, Hornbeam) leaves.
Leaves can play an important role as a
grazing ground for young and adult shrimp,
and Mulberry is widely known as an excellent
shrimp snack. The biolm growing on the
decaying leaf surface will also be appreciated
by the fry of several sh species, acting as their
starter food. Fresh leaves of several plants
for example blanched Spinach, Dandelion and
Stinging nettle can also be used to feed sh
and shrimp, although in this article I will
concentrate on ligneous (woody) plants only.
Most aquarists in the UK have heard of the
Catappa leaf and some are familiar with its
benecial effects. If asked about British tree
Leaves with special

properties
Some leaves should be picked green
and then dried for storage. In this state
they can store valuable nutrients or
useful organic compounds, so they are
mainly used as food or as an
antibacterial and antifungal water
treatment. But a word of warning: be
very careful with the dosage of green
dried leaves, as overdosing them can
lead to cloudiness and a deterioration
of water quality.
Leaves provide a perfect

grazing ground for shrimp.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Catappa leaves.
Leaves of the Mulberry, Morus sp., are

considered among the best shrimp
foods, but are also readily taken by plecs.
The green leaves are high in protein
and have excellent nutritional value. If
used properly they will not modify the
water parameters.
GABOR HORVATH
PFK/JACQUES PORTAL
Mulberry
Walnut
Walnut, Juglans regia, leaves are famous
for their very positive effect on the health
of sh and shrimp. They can cure
bacterial and fungal diseases and reduce
stress just like those of Catappa, but will
not lower the pH and colour the water to
the same extent.
ALAMY
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Leaf litter suits

sh from softer,
acidic habitats.
58
Decor
of the best leaves for your tank

All the leaves listed below should be collected
in the autumn after they have fallen (naturally)
from the trees.
Oak
There are several oak species in the UK, ranging from the
relatively small-leafed English oak, Quercus robur, to the
Turkey oak, Q. cerris, with its palm-sized leaves. They differ
in leaf size and shape, but all contain a relatively high level of
tannin, which makes them one of the best natural pH
reducers. They will also colour the water a medium brown, so
theyre not a good choice if you want to keep your water
crystal clear. Otherwise the oak leaf is a very easy to nd and
versatile option.
Hornbeam
Beech
Despite being widely used in urban parks

due to its tolerance of air pollution, not
many would recognise the Hornbeam,
Carpinus betulus. Its small leaves can punch
over their weight: the acidifying effect is very
similar to that of the Catappa leaf. You
might need more Hornbeam leaves to
achieve the same effect, but based on
weight they can equal their Asian
counterpart. They will lower the pH very
quickly, so be cautious when using
Hornbeam leaves, so as not to stress your
livestock. The best way to do it is to drop in
a couple of leaves (depending on the size of
your tank) every day until you reach the
desired effect. It will also give the water a
nice brown shade, which is an additional
bonus if you want to achieve that black
water look.
The Beech, Fagus sylvatica, has quite thin and small leaves, which
usually only give a faint yellowish tinge to the water. It will only
slightly reduce the pH. Due to its small size, it is very suitable as leaf
litter for a nano or shrimp tank containing
species requiring a pH thats close-toneutral, such as Cherry shrimp,
Neocaridina species.
The Silver birch, Betula

pendula, is easily
recognisable because of its
silver-white bark. It also has
small leaves, but wont alter
the pH or the colour of the
water. The rigid dry leaves
are very slow to decompose,
making them an ideal
choice if you want to keep
your water crystal clear but
still use leaf litter for
decoration or hiding places.
Hazel
Sycamore
Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, leaves are one step up in size
to Hazel, but have a strong and quick colouring effect. They
bleach out quite quickly and the remaining semi-transparent
leaf blades will serve as a delicious snail or shrimp food. The pH
reducing capability is also
short lived, and after the
initial sudden drop it
will rise again.
If you need slightly bigger, but

similarly long lasting leaves
with only a mild colouring and
pH lowering impact then it is
worth considering the Hazel,
Corylus avellana. It has thick
and rigid leaves, which are
usually left alone by algae
eaters and shrimp, so can
serve as a durable decoration.
Plane tree
ALAMY
PHOTOGRAPHY THIS PAGE: GABOR HORVATH UNLESS STATED
Silver birch
The largest leaves of the domestic

bunch come from the Plane tree,
Platanus x hispanica, which is
another urban warrior thats
very tolerant of pollution. It is a
perfect choice as leaf litter for
larger sh tanks, as it only has
negligible inuence on water colour
and acidity.
59
Decor
Good for your sh
and good for you!
Collecting leaves offers an
excellent opportunity to get your
partner and/or kids involved in
your hobby. Who would resist an
offer to visit the nearby country
park or forest on a beautiful and
sunny autumn day for a healthy
walk? My children certainly enjoy
collecting fallen leaves they
can ll up my store very quickly.
How leaves affect the pH of water

pH in RO water
Start
10
hours
20
hours
32
hours
56
hours
70
hours
117
hours
190
hours
234
hours
311
hours
7.0
7.1
7.3
7.5
7.5
7.8
7.3
7.7
7.8
7.9
OAK
7.0
6.3
6.1
6.2
6.4
6.2
6.1
6.1
5.8
5.6
BEECH
7.0
6.6
6.4
6.6
6.7
6.7
7.1
7.0
6.8
7.0
HORNBEAM
7.0
5.5
5.2
5.3
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.3
HAZEL
7.0
6.3
6.3
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.8
6.8
6.9
SYCAMORE
7.0
5.8
5.6
5.9
6.0
6.0
6.1
6.4
6.7
6.9
PLANE
7.0
6.3
6.2
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.7
6.7
6.9
WALNUT
7.0
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.3
6.1
6.1
6.4
6.7
7.2
CATAPPA
7.0
6.0
5.7
5.4
5.1
5.1
5.1
5.0
4.9
4.6
Start
10
hours
20
hours
32
hours
56
hours
70
hours
117
hours
190
hours
234
hours
311
hours
7.6
8.0
8.3
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.7
8.8
8.8
8.9
OAK
7.6
7.6
7.6
7.6
7.6
7.7
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.9
BEECH
7.6
7.3
7.4
7.4
7.6
7.6
7.8
7.8
7.9
7.9
HORNBEAM
7.6
6.9
6.9
7.0
7.1
7.2
7.2
7.3
7.2
7.2
HAZEL
7.6
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.7
7.7
7.8
SYCAMORE
7.6
7.4
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.5
7.6
7.8
7.9
8.2
PLANE
7.6
7.8
7.8
7.5
7.5
7.5
7.7
7.9
8.0
8.4
WALNUT
7.6
7.9
8.0
7.6
7.5
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
8.0
CATAPPA
7.6
7.3
7.3
7.3
7.3
7.4
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.8
RO water
(reference)
pH in tapwater
Hardtapwater
ALAMY
(reference)
Top tip
You can simply drop the required
amount of dried leaves into your
tank, but if you want them to sink
faster you can pour boiling water
over the leaves before you add them.
This is also useful if you want to
reduce water discolouration in
your aquarium.
The above tables are based on the research of Istvan Toma (Akvarium Magazin).
How leaves colour the aquarium water

RO water
10
hours
20
hours
32
hours
56
hours
70
hours
117
hours
190
hours
234
hours
311
hours
10
hours
20
hours
32
hours
56
hours
70
hours
117
hours
190
hours
234
hours
311
hours
OAK
BEECH
HORNBEAM
HAZEL
SYCAMORE
PLANE
WALNUT
CATAPPA
Hard tapwater
OAK
BEECH
HORNBEAM
HAZEL
SYCAMORE
PLANE
WALNUT
CATAPPA
Water colouration charts based on the research of Istvan Toma (Akvarium Magazin).
60
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62
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Fishkeeping
Answers No.1
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65
Fishkeeping Answers
Female Fighters can be kept
either singly or in groups of
ve or more.
TROPICAL
Q. Do I need a
separate tank to
breed these cats?
Please could you offer me some advice
on breeding Sturisoma? Should I set up
a separate aquarium or will they breed
in my 120cm/48in community tank? Im
worried about the other sh eating the
eggs. I have platies, Black widows and
rainbows, along with some Corydoras
and loaches. DAVE CONNOR, EMAIL
If you have a well-conditioned pair
in your community tank then there
is every chance that they will breed,
and given sufficient cover in the form of
plants, bogwood and branches you may
well succeed in raising some fry. While
the males arent as ferocious in defence
of their eggs and young as many plecs,
they will still put up resistance
to predation.
Depending on the exact species, the
biggest threat to the fry from your current
stock are the loaches. If you want to be
certain of raising as many fry as possible
then setting up a separate aquarium is
the way forward. A tank with a footprint
of at least 60 x 30cm/24 x 12in, ltered by
an air-powered sponge lter, should be
sufficient, and try adding branching wood
to make the adults feel at home.
Substrate isnt necessary and its
absence will make cleaning easier.
Once the eggs have been laid, remove
the adults and add some extra aeration
if possible. Some people report issues
with fry failing to thrive or dying off and
this is usually down to a combination of
poor tank hygiene (be sure to keep the
tank oor clean), or lack of appropriate
nutrition (while they like green foods, be
sure to provide adequate protein as well).
Some breeders recommend dropping
the water level in the tank to around
15cm/6in, as this seems to help improve
survival rates. BOB MEHEN
Q. Are female Fighters

a better alternative?
I understand that PFK does not
recommend Fighters for the
community aquarium due to their long
ns and preference for gentle currents.
However, I have seen some stunning
female Fighters on my travels lately,
and I wonder if I could keep one of
those (or even two or three if they dont
ght like the males). My tank is very
well planted, has no nippy sh and is
48in/120cm long with areas where the
ow is broken up by the plants.
JOSH GOODWIN, EMAIL
Youre right that keeping Betta in

community tanks isnt recommended.
A
Its been done, but its such an unpredictable
mixture that its simplest just not to do
it. But with that said, in many ways a
short-nned female Betta is simply a
small gourami, and if you work from that
premise they arent impossible to keep in
community situations if you choose tank
mates with care.
Betta splendens, the original Siamese
ghting sh and the commonest Betta
species in the trade, originally came from
thickly vegetated ponds, canals and other
habitats with little to no water movement.
This preference has been exacerbated over
the decades as they have been bred with
ever-longer ns, and nowadays even some
of the females have ns that are more for
looks than swimming ability.
Translated into an aquarium situation,
66
thats a tank with air-powered ltration

rather than a canister, and lots and lots of
tall plants. Floating vegetation provides
an easy win here, with oating Indian fern
being hands-down the best species for this
type of aquarium. Unlike other oating
plants, its easy to crop above the waterline
leaves without harming the plant, so you
can create a top-downwards canopy of
vegetation that your female Betta will adore.
Itll also provide them with shelter from any
other sh in the tank, as well as nooks and
crannies where they can forage for food.
Even nominally non-nippy tank mates
such as danios can create problems by
stealing food, so any midwater sh will need
to be of the most gentle varieties. Pencilsh
and hatchetsh are obvious candidates,
as well as those tetras or rasboras that
are small and stay close to the substrate.
Peaceful catsh and loaches of appropriate
size can work as well. Corydoras and
Ancistrus arent going to be a problem, nor
are whiptails, and among the loaches, Kuhli
loaches would be completely trustworthy.
But skip anything likely to be defensive of its
territory, such as dwarf cichlids and other
labyrinth sh, including gouramis.
In short, its doable if you go carefully. Oddnumbered groups work best, and either
keep just one for starters or a fair-sized
group of ve or more. Female Betta arent
territorial as such, but in twos and threes
they do sometimes squabble.
NEALE MONKS
Male Sturisoma
will care for the
eggs and fry.
MP&C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Tropical letter
of the month
TROPICAL
Melanotaenia trifasciata
can reach 15cm/6in
in length.
Q. Will my small tetras be eaten?

Will larger rainbows like Boesemans and Melanotaenia
trifasciata eat sh such as Neons? I didnt think they were
predatory, but I have been told that if I add tetras to my
tank they might be eaten. The rainbows are only juveniles at
the moment.
SANDY CLARKE, EMAIL
boesemani and M. trifasciata are big sh and would make short

work of many of the smaller tetra species such as Neons, Glowlights
and Cardinals, especially if they were the typically small specimens
sold in most shops. Even adding the tetra while the rainbows are
juveniles doesnt guarantee their safety as they grow.
Deeper bodied species such as Diamond tetra, Moenkhausia
pittieri, Lemon tetra, Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis, and Rosy tetra,
H. rosaceus would be safer choices.
It is also worth noting that both rainbowsh species prefer slightly
alkaline, hard water conditions while the tetra are best in soft,
slightly acidic water. BOB MEHEN
MARINE
ALAMY
You are right to be wary. Many rainbow sh have surprisingly

large mouths and as with most sh, if they can t one of their
A
tank mates in it then sooner or later theyll try! Adult Melanotaenia
TROPICAL
Tank bred Marine bettas

are sometimes offered
for sale.
Q. Why arent these

sh breeding?
My male Paradise sh keeps building a bubble nest but then
he loses interest and the whole things just falls to pieces over a
few days. There is a female in the tank but he doesnt seem to be
interested in her. Any ideas what is going wrong?
CHRIS NUTTALL, EMAIL
Paradise sh are fairly straightforward to breed, so if you

have a pair in suitable accommodation and in good physical
condition then I would expect them to spawn. Clearly the male is
ready but it sounds as if perhaps the female isnt.
Try feeding your sh up with live and frozen foods such as
bloodworm, Cyclops, Daphnia and brine shrimp to get them in
top condition. A female ready for spawning should be noticeably
plump, lled with eggs. The male typically becomes quite
aggressive during nest building so provide plenty of cover in the
form of plants for the female to shelter in the male will also
appreciate this material to help with nest construction. Once
he has nished his nest he should calm down and approach
the female in a more amicable manner and hopefully, if shes
responsive, spawning will commence.
However, be aware though that once spawning has nished, the
male will become extremely aggressive towards his mate and she
will probably need removing for her own safety.
Q. Will a Marine betta

be compatible with my
other sh?
GILES H. EMAIL
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
The Marine betta,

or Comet grouper,
Calloplesiops altivelis, is a
beautiful species of sh. They
have fascinating behaviours,
particularly when stalking
their prey, and tank bred
specimens may occasionally
be offered for sale.
On paper at least, there

shouldnt be any major
conicts with the species
already present in your
aquarium but you should
be aware that these are shy,
wary sh in reef aquaria that
are already home to more
extrovert species such as
your tang. Although they
might get on OK, frequently
Marine bettas will hang
around the back of the tank
and emerge during lower
light levels to hunt for food.
More condent individuals
do exist, and I would suggest
looking for an individual that
feeds readily and appears
condent in the aquaria
of your local retailer and
accepts frozen foods readily.
TRISTAN LOUGHER
BOB MEHEN
ALAMY
Are Marine bettas suitable

for a reef tank without
shrimp and crabs? The
tank also houses a Flame
hawksh, a pair of mature
Percula clowns and a Purple
tang. Are these tank makes
compatible? I would like to
get a blenny such as a Midas
or Bicolor in the future.
Would it be OK and should I
add it before a betta?
Male Paradise sh may

attack the female after
spawning.
U
67
Fishkeeping Answers
Q. How do I control this

desirable algae?
I know that purple coralline algae
is meant to be desirable, but mine is
making my whole tank look a mess as
its growing where I dont want it, on
equipment and everything. Is there any
way to keep it under control?
NATHANIEL SPARKS, EMAIL
From the sound of things you are a

victim of your own success! Such
A
profuse growth of calcareous forms of
alga can indicate stable water quality
with balanced levels of both calcium and
Diadema sp.
68
Not everyone is a fan

of coralline algae.
hobby with the smallest, and least clumsy,

being Mespilia globulus, the Tuxedo
urchin. Longspine urchins, Diadema spp.;
Pincushion urchins, Lytechinus variegatus,
are frequently seen in the hobby as are the
Sputnik urchins, Eucidaris spp. Another
species is the frequent accidental import
occasionally offered for sale: Echinometra
sp. Take care not to acquire a specimen
that grows too large as they can knock over
sessile invertebrates and many species have
spines that are capable of inicting painful
wounds. TRISTAN LOUGHER
Eucidaris sp.
ALAMY
rchins to control calcareous algae
ALAMY
carbonate in the aquarium water. Short

of messing up your water chemistry there
is no real way of controlling it other than
employing animals that might consume it.
Perhaps the obvious choice here would
be the perpetually ravenous sea urchins
that consume alga not only for its sugars
but also its calcium carbonate content.
When stocked into aquaria with abundant
growth of calcareous alga, these chaps
will munch their way through it, leaving
a strip of denuded white rock in their
wake. Several species are available in the
ALAMY
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Marine letter
of the month
Lytechinus variegatus.
Mespilia globulus.
ALAMY
Plants use
ammonium as a
nitrogen source.
Plants letter
of the month
Q. Do plants use ammonia as food?

In some of your publications
I observe the setting up of hitech planted tanks, which you
almost immediately stock with
sh. This is on the basis that
the tank need not be cycled due
to the plants love of ammonia.
Although I prefer to cycle
my own planted tanks with
sh food and suchlike, I have
noticed how perfectly plants
can keep ammonia to zero. It
leads me to wonder if plants
absorb ammonia during the
night. I had always thought
that plants absorbed ammonia,
minerals and trace elements

from the water column during
the process of photosynthesis.
What happens in a non-cycled
planted tank at night? Is there a
negligible spike of ammonia?
JOHN ANUSAS, EMAIL
If I can take your points in

reverse order, any system
that relies primarily on plants as
opposed to biological action will,
in theory, suffer a tiny spike of
ammonia during the dark hours,
when photosynthesis is stied.
How drastic this will be involves
stocking density, and the ratio of

bacterial/plant activity.
Its actually ammonium that
plants prefer rather than
ammonia, and though the
process is longwinded to
explain, they will also uptake
nitrates and (to a lesser degree)
nitrites for conversion back
into ammonium.
In an aquarium, its a matter of
balance. If there are enough
plants to convert any and all
ammonium produced by sh,
then the plants will effectively
usurp biological ltration. From
my own experiences, Ive always

found zero-waiting periods when
cycling heavily planted set-ups.
I literally experience no
ammonia readings.
In most aquaria, its likely a
mixture of the two forming in
tandem. Plants, provided they
are looked after and have ample
resources (light, food and carbon
dioxide), dominate conversion
during the day, while bacteria
are more liable to claw back
some presence at night when the
plants are switched off.
NATHAN HILL
TROPICAL
Q. What do I need to keep scats?

JOE MUSGROVE, EMAIL
More than anything else, scats need

space! Theyre active, open water sh,
so, depending on the species, youre going to
want an aquarium upwards of 300 l/66 gal
for adult specimens.
They also need brackish or marine
conditions, though they can do well in hard,
alkaline fresh water for long periods. The
actual salinity isnt crucial, and anything
upwards of s.g. 1.005 is ne, but you must
use marine aquarium salt rather than
freshwater aquarium (or tonic) salt.
Finally, they need a lot of food! These sh
have been described as swimming waste
disposal units because they will literally
eat anything that ts into their mouth
the family name, Scatophagidae, can be
translated from the Greek as faeces eater,
because in the wild these sh swim around
sewage outfall pipes across the tropics
picking off anything even vaguely edible that
comes their way. Actually, their preferred
diet is algae and organic material
shovelled off the substrate, but scats are
nothing if not adaptable.
While feeding them in an aquarium isnt
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Scats have
huge appetites.
a problem, biasing the

diet towards fresh green
foods (cooked spinach for
example) and algae akes or wafers will
ensure good health. Given their massive
appetites, providing them with good water
quality will mean robust ltration and
regular water changes. A protein skimmer
will quickly pay for itself, removing organic
waste from the water before the lter has to
deal with it.
Selenotoca multifasciata is one of the
smallest species traded. Its silvery-white
with vertical black markings, and it gets to
about 20cm/8in in the aquarium. Its pushy
at feeding time but otherwise friendly and
completely peaceful.
The Common scat, Scatophagus argus,
gets to 2530cm/1012in or more, but is
otherwise no more difficult. Its basically
brassy-green with dark brown spots on its
anks, though various colour forms are seen,

most notably the Ruby scat that has red
markings on its forehead and back.
One nice thing about scats is that they
happily blunder their way through schools
of archers and monos. This has the effect
of diffusing the tendency of these sh to
sometimes become a bit waspish towards
each other, monos especially. On the other
hand, while scats are good in groups, theyre
bold enough to hold their own kept singly,
and such sh often become remarkably
tame. Experienced aquarists have often
noted the apparent intelligence and
friendliness of scats, which is one reason
why theyve maintained their popularity over
the years. NEALE MONKS
69
Fishkeeping Answers
TROPICAL
ALAMY
Lamprologus
ocellatus.
Apistogramma
cacatuoides.
Q. Which cichlids are best for my tank?

I am setting up a Juwel Rio 125
aquarium and I have narrowed
down my choice of set-up to either a
Tanganyikan rock/shell dweller tank
or a South American Cockatoo cichlid
aquarium. I would really appreciate
your advice on which would be better.
TOM CLARK, EMAIL
Your Juwel Rio 125 is just about large

enough to keep either shell dwellers
A
from Tanganyika or South American
Apistogramma. The thing that would sway

me most however is whether my tapwater
is hard or soft, as that will make life a lot
easier when it comes to water changes.
If hard and alkaline, go for the
Tanganyika biotope. I would opt for either
a pair of L. brevis, a pair of L. ocellatus or
a group of L. multifasciatus. All three

deliver as shell dwellers by being big
on character as well as being true shell
dwellers and making regular excavations
in and around their shells. L. ocellatus
and brevis are more aggressive than
multifasciatus and grow larger. I
wouldnt want to combine any of those
three species in a tank of that size, and
instead encourage your pair to breed,
with their offspring then being tolerated
in the future.
L. caudopunctatus arent true shell
dwellers like the above three but they
are known to breed inside large shells.
Other species will do this too. Once you
select your shell dweller species you
could include a pair of L. caudopunctatus,
a pair of Julidochromis and a pair of
Telmatochromis. Add plenty of rockwork, a

sand bed and of course lots of shells.
For soft water, yes go for the
Apistogramma, although I recommend just
one pair, and that they should be the only
cichlids in the tank. Where apistos do score
points against Tanganyikan shell dwellers
however, is that they can be very colourful
with bright red markings, and you get to
mix them with tetras such as Cardinals,
pencilsh, hatchetsh, Corydoras catsh,
small to medium sized sucker-mouthed
catsh and you can create a South
American biotope tank.
Neither the shell dwellers nor the apistos
will appreciate new tanks or immature
lters, so make sure that shless cycle
goes properly.
JEREMY GAY
TROPICAL
Q. Are these sh as delicate as they look?

I recently came across some lovely
little sh called Triangle glass tetras,
Leptagoniates pi. They look rather delicate
but I would love to keep some. Please
could you advise on their care?
JENNY MARTIN, EMAIL
These little transparent South

American tetras are a relatively recent
addition to the hobby but do appear
occasionally in UK shops. The ones Ive
seen have been sold under the name of
Mountain crystal tetra but the pi part of
their scientic name is perhaps the easiest
way of remembering them and is a result
of their uniquely shaped swimbladder. As
these sh are transparent, this is clearly
visible just behind the head and is divided
into two sections connected at the top in a
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
70
shape reminiscent of the symbol.

Despite their delicate looks they are
relatively easy to care for. Soft, slightly
acidic conditions with a temperature around
25C/77F are preferred and as they can be
timid, they should be stocked in groups of
at least ten to see them at their best. Avoid
large, boisterous tank mates and they
should be ne.
Feeding is easy with the usual
range of dried, frozen and live foods being

accepted. Shelter in the form of plants and
branching wood will offer further security.
They reach a size of around 3.5cm/1.5in.
BOB MEHEN
MARINE
Atya gabonensis.
Q. Can I keep
this coralmunching sh?
Are Oxymonocanthus lesh as difficult
to keep as I am led to believe? If I can
supply them with enough Acropora
frags to eat, will they be OK in a
species aquarium?
HANNAH MYLES, EMAIL
Yes, these are difficult sh to keep,

although not impossible but
this can depend very much upon the
individual(s) concerned and/or where
they are to be housed. Typically,
they do better in pairs; males have a
more colourful/patterned ap of skin
connected to the modied n on their
undersides, and occasionally individuals
that will readily accept frozen diets can
be sourced.
I once had a pair that I kept in the shop
for over six months before they were
passed on to a public aquarium and they
were ghting t and positively chunky
throughout this time. However, such
individuals are the exception rather than
the rule and although your proposed
method of maintaining them could
work, it might prove impractical to keep
sufficient frags present in good enough
health to sustain these sh.
There are aquarists that have kept them
in the long term by maintaining them
with established colonies of Acropora
spp. coral but these tend to be larger
systems where their predation pressure
on the corals is spread over many
individuals so as to minimise the impact
to a single colony.
The question should be whether it is
right to keep importing sh with a very
small chance of survival, given that most
aquarists will give them a go rather
than research their requirements and
seek to give them what you need, as
you do. TRISTAN LOUGHER
Q. How should I feed these shrimp?

Please could you give me some
information on keeping Bamboo or
other fan shrimp? I understand they
can be difficult to keep in a community
tank, so Im contemplating giving them
a specialist set-up. Whats the best way
to ensure they get enough to eat?
RICHARD KNOWLES, EMAIL
Bamboo shrimp are commonly

Atyopsis moluccensis from Southeast
A
Asia. In the wild they inhabit fast-owing
day should ensure your shrimp get

enough to eat.
Bamboo shrimp appear regularly on
importers lists, so your local aquarium
shop shouldnt have any trouble getting
them in. The similar, but more robust South
American and West African species Atya
gabonensis sometimes gets traded too, as
the Vampire shrimp.
All these shrimp have an estuarine or
marine stage to their life cycle that means
they cant be bred in captivity (at least,
not easily), so all the ones you see are wild
caught. Inevitably that lends a seasonality
to their appearance in the trade, so just
because you dont see them this time of year
doesnt mean they wont be available a few
months from now.
Shrimp are sensitive to certain chemicals.
Formalin and copper both kill them
quickly. So dont use standard sh
medications around them, but if you can,
offer special shrimp or crustacean foods
(enriched with iodine) regularly to prevent
moulting problems. NEALE MONKS
streams where the water is clear, well

oxygenated, and not too warm. If you
think about the sort of habitat favoured
by minnows and freshwater gobies, youll
have the right sort of idea. Youll certainly
want a tank with fairly strong water
current provided by some sort of canister
lter, and adding additional powerheads
or even airstones will be benecial. Thats
because these shrimps are lter feeders and
tend to congregate where water current
is strongest. If you want them all over the
tank youll need to make sure there are
suitable perches (rocks or bogwood)
positioned near areas with lots of
Atyopsis
water movement.
moluccensis.
Although Bamboo shrimp are able
to pick food off the substrate (energyrich lobster eggs are a favourite),
they wont do well kept this way
indenitely. You need to get yourself
to your nearest marine aquarium
shop and purchase foods sold for lter
feeding marine invertebrates like
tubeworms and corals. These are just
the thing for your shrimp.
If this isnt an option, nely
powdered ake food (as sold for baby
sh) mixed with water or Liquifrytype foods can work too, as can brine
shrimp nauplii, though culturing
these in sufficient quantity can be
a hassle. In any case, use a turkey
baster to direct the suspended food
particles at your shrimps, and watch
them catch the food with their fanlike appendages. Assuming theyre
able to pick up some food from the
substrate as well, a couple of feeds per
JAMES DUFFY
ALAMY
Orange-spotted lesh
have a poor survival
rate in captivity.
TROPICAL
71
Fishkeeping Answers
SHUTTERSTOCK
Clown loaches often

play dead on the oor
of the aquarium.
Q. Help! I think my sh is sick
Knowing what is normal for the species of sh you keep is

essential if you are going to spot signs of ill health later on.
WORDS: DAVE HULSE, TECHNICAL CONSULTANT AT TETRA
n order to be able to tell when a sh is

poorly, we have to know what a
healthy sh looks like and how it
behaves we can only recognise the
abnormal when we know what is normal.
For example, a goldsh keeper may
become concerned about the presence
of small white spots on the gill covers
and pectoral ns of their sh. Further
investigation will reveal that these small
white spots are not a sign of disease but
are actually special spawning pimples
that cover certain parts of male goldsh at
spawning time.
In turn a tropical shkeeper could
become concerned that their Synodontis
catsh are swimming upside down this
could be a sign of a swimbladder disorder.
Again further investigation will lead
the shkeeper to discover that the sh
are actually Upside-down catsh that
swim happily in an inverted position
when juvenile, often resorting to a more
conventional posture as adult sh.
Know your sh!

The above examples highlight the need
to know your sh. This should start even
before you buy them. When you read up on
the potential size, feeding and water quality
requirements of any potential new sh, try
72
to also seek information about the

natural appearance of the sh at different
stages of their life cycle and their natural
normal behaviour.
Kribensis cichlids, Pelvicachromis pulcher,
for example, show a markedly red belly at
spawning time, which could be mistaken for
bacterial erythema.
Clown loaches, Chromobotia
macracanthus, are notorious for eccentric
behaviour. At the Tetra shkeeping
helpdesk we hear of many who play
dead and even a case of one Clown loach
destroying its aquarium by pulling out the
silicone that held the glass panels of the
tank together!
Upon acquiring your sh, you should
familiarise yourself with the individuals
natural appearance and behaviour. In the
rst few days in the tank, your new sh

are likely to be very timid and may decline
feeding, however as they settle most
common freshwater aquarium inhabitants
will venture out into the tank and respond
to feeding.
It is important to take notice of the
swimming patterns of your sh, how
quickly they eat food and the method of food
intake. Feeding time offers an excellent time
for a brief visual health check of your shes.
However, as emphasised above, we must
be familiar with normal appearance
and behaviour of healthy sh in order to
recognise abnormal and thus potential ill
health. Abnormal signs to look out for can
be split into behavioural and morphological
deviations from the accepted normal state
of your sh.
Dave Hulse is Tetras Technical Consultant. He has 20 years of

experience within the aquatics industry, and has been involved in
education and training for the last 15 years, having taught at both
Sparsholt and Reaseheath Colleges. He is currently based at the
School of Life Sciences at Keele University where he turns his hand to
other subjects in the biological sciences although he usually
manages to crowbar a piscatorial reference in at some point! With
such a varied and rich background in aquatics, Dave brings a wealth
of experience to support Tetra and its customers.
Whitespot
External signs of disease
The cotton-wool like

growth on this poorly
sh is a fungus infection.
e
Crooked spin
PHOTOMAX
The external appearance of sh is another

key indicator of disease. If a shs skin is
irritated either by pollutants in the water
such as ammonia, or by infection with a skin
parasite, the rst response the sh will show
(in addition to the icking and scratching
mentioned above) is overproduction
of mucous. The mucous layer is highly
protective and the sh increases its
production when the skin is irritated. This
overproduction of skin mucous makes the
shs colours look duller and it assumes a
grey hazy appearance.
Most external parasite infections cause
generalised symptoms, but white spot,
causes a very recognisable condition. As
the name suggests, infection of the skin
with the white spot parasite causes the
sh to develop tiny white pimples over its
body. The white spots are around 1mm in
diameter and tend to develop on the ns
rst before progressing over the body as the
infection proceeds. Scaleless shes such as
Clown loach are highly susceptible.
Another very recognisable condition is
nrot, although there are many possible
causes. The ns of a healthy sh should be
complete, symmetrical and of a uniform
consistency. In nrot the skin between the
bony n rays rots away leaving the sh with
decaying tissue where the ns used to be.
If the cause of the nrot is identied and
Whitespot spreads quickly

and needs prompt treatment.
Fungus
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Behavioural indicators of ill health include

gasping for air at the water surface, which
is a common sign of gill disease or water
quality problems in most sh. However, in
air breathing sh such as the lungsh, this is
perfectly normal behaviour.
Changes in the swimming activity are
a sign of potential ill health. If a normally
active sh ceases swimming activity,
becoming lethargic and swimming only
when disturbed, then this is a strong
indicator of ill health. For sedentary
carnivorous shes, this is again a common
normal behaviour. Fish infected by
skin parasites or irritated by certain
water pollutants, will ick and scratch
against objects in the aquarium or pond.
Erratic darting motion instead of smooth
swimming is often seen in small tropical
aquarium sh when they are infected by
internal parasites or bacteria. These affect
the swimbladder and occasionally the
neuromuscular systems, which has an effect
on posture and locomotory activity.
Assuming an abnormal posture, such as
a lopsided gait or even fully upside-down,
is usually a sign of a swimbladder problem,
a common complaint in fancy aquarium
goldsh. The same problems can also cause
the sh to lose its normal neutral buoyancy,
and they either sink or rise when at rest.
A sh that normally feeds voraciously, and
then starts refusing food is another sign of
ill health.
As in all sh health problems, the rst
thing to check is that the water quality is
within the preferred range of the sh.
ALAMY
Behavioural symptoms
of disease
This danio has a bent back

and a swollen abdomen.
treated, the ns rapidly grow back. Finrot

can be caused by water pollution, most
commonly extremes of pH or ammonia
poisoning. Infection with certain types of
bacteria can also cause the problem. The
delicate tissue of the mouth is also prone to
a similar necrosis.
Bacterial infection can also cause large
open sores on the skin of the sh called
ulcers. These are very damaging and must
be treated early.
Many internal problems can manifest
themselves with external symptoms.
Damage to the muscle around the spine,
or vertebral deformity can lead to spinal
bending, causing the shs spine to assume

a pronounced curvature and swimming is
often affected.
Infection or damage to the delicate tissue
behind the eye can lead to swelling which
pushes the eye outwards a condition
known as exophthalmia or pop-eye. Often in
these circumstances the uid in the eye will
turn cloudy also.
Recognition of disease in sh involves
knowing what your sh look like, how they
swim, feed, interact and behave. It is only
when we truly know our sh can we
begin to recognise the early signs of an ill
health problem.
73
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And your
winners are...
76
selection of whiskery wonders,

often including the rare and unusual
among the tanks, and its a store PFK staff
are particularly fond of. Catsh fans
obviously agree.
London-based Chens Discus clinched
Discus Retailer of the Year. PFKs
Nathan Hill visited Chen (who actually isnt
called Chen at all), earlier this year he
reported on his visit in the May 2015 issue
of PFK and he can certainly vouch for the
quality of his sh.
Emperor Tropicals from Devon took
the Plant Retailer of the Year title.
Established since 1983, this Plymouth store
is run by shkeepers for shkeepers and
prides itself on having some of the best
choices of healthy aquatic plants within the
UK, ordered fresh every week. Emperor
Tropicals is an ADA stockist and also sells
Tropica plants including 1-2-Grow, huge
mother plants and a large selection of
potted plants.
When it comes to pondkeeping, Lincs
Aquatics took the top spot of Pond
Retailer of the Year. This huge store
encompasses over 30,000 sq ft in a former
RAF aircraft hanger and its stock includes
over 80 indoor pond vats containing
livestock from goldsh to white sturgeon
and all the pond kit youll need.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Other specialist awards went to

Seahorse Aquariums in Dublin, which
won three of the categories: Marine
Retailer of the Year, Cichlid Retailer
of the Year and Oddball Retailer of the
Year, as well as being voted runner-up to
Charterhouse in the overall Retailer of the
Year award. PFK visited Seahorse
Aquariums on its Ireland shoptour and
Nathan Hill said of the store: Why would
anyone ever want to leave Ireland with a
store like Seahorse there? If you havent
visited yet, then youve never lived. Ive only
been away from it for a few days and the
craving has already kicked in. Note the
abundant ve-star ratings. Seahorse
deserves every one it gets.
The title of Catsh Retailer of the Year
went to Pier Aquatics of Wigan, which
also won the award in 2014. Owner Neil
Woodward is well known for his amazing
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
arlier this year we asked you to

vote for your favourite aquatic
shops, products and
manufacturers in our readers
poll. We were overwhelmed with the
response and we had thousands of votes
so thanks to everyone who took part.
Now, after much vote counting, we can
reveal the winners.
So, for 2015, the highest accolade of
Retailer of the Year was won by
Charterhouse Aquatics in London,
which also scooped the award for Online
Retailer of the Year. PFK visited the
store on a London shoptour last year.
George Farmer said: This is a must-see
shop, if only to witness the incredible
showroom with its inspirational marine
and freshwater displays in such a stylish
and progressive environment. Dry goods
representation outweighs the livestock
but the quality of all sh and inverts was
excellent nonetheless. The most
forward-thinking aquatic retailer Ive
ever visited.
Readers voted Sharnbrook shrimp
from Northamptonshire their Small
Retailer of the Year. Sharnbrook also
took the title of Shrimp Retailer of the
Year, making it three in a row for this
specialist store that supplies the highest
quality shrimp youll see.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
GEORGE FARMER
We reveal your favourite shops,

manufacturers and products of 2015...
Readers poll
Top manufacturers and products
Readers voted Rolf C. Hagen as 2015s
Manufacturer of the Year, an award that
it also took in 2014. With established
brands such as Fluval, Marina and Nutran
among its portfolio, along with several
market leading products, and a huge range
covering everything from aquaria and lters
to foods and decor, Hagens products will be
used every day by a huge number of
shkeepers. We often hear tales of
excellent customer service by the Hagen
team here at PFK. Runner-up to Hagen this
year was Eheim.
Rolf C. Hagen also won the category for
Tropical Product of the Year, with its
Fluval FX6 external lter. This heavy
horse lter superseded the incredibly
popular and similarly award-winning FX5,
and is the lter of choice among shkeepers
with larger tanks. The Fluval FX6 is
powered by a more efficient motor, which
provides better performance while
consuming 10% less electricity than its
predecessor. Like the FX5, it also features
Smart Pump Technology, an advanced
technological feature that continually
monitors the pump, constantly measuring
impeller speed and force to ensure powerful
output and energy efficiency. It also
manages the lters self-starting feature and
evacuates air that may enter or build up
within the ltration system.
On a 12-hour cycle, the pump will pause
and allow trapped air to escape, ensuring
the best ltration efficiency at all times.
The FX6 is the all-terrain vehicle of the
lter world, the 4x4 only use one and
youll realise that its more Big Foot monster
truck than Jeep Cherokee, and theres no
dirty situation this thing cant handle. Its
rated for aquariums up to 1,500 l/333 gal in
volume thats in the region of 8 x 3 x 2ft,
folks and comes with lter media and a
three-year warranty.
Runner up to the FX6 for Tropical
Product of the Year was Evolution Aquas
Pure Aquarium lter supplement, which
tied in second place this year with Eshas
2000 treatment range.
EAs Pure Pond bomb was also runner-up
in the Pond Product of the Year award,
narrowly beaten by the Bioforce
Revolution pond lter from Hozelock.
This advanced pressurised lter with UV

clarier has a patented easy clean system
and three-step lter process:
High power UV clarier eliminates
green water;
Mechanical ltration CypriCube foams
with +50% surface area ensure clear water
and facilitate easy cleaning mechanism;
Biological ltration Large surface area
Kaldnes K3 biological media accommodates
benecial bacteria in a bug bungalow to
maintain healthy water.
Hozelocks Bioforce Revolution pond lter
is available in three sizes to suit 6,000 l,
9,000 l and 14,000 l ponds.
TMCs V2 iLuminAir lighting romped
away with the title of Marine Product of
the Year, with the new Red Sea Reefer
aquarium the runner-up in the saltwater
category. The V2 iLumenAir LED lighting
system is a sleek high power three channel
lighting system that can be individually
controlled via a remote control unit to
provide a unique user-customised lighting
solution for your aquarium. It has built in
timing and dimming to allow for a full range
of effects, including sunrise, sunset, twilight
and moonlight, along with lightning
simulation. Other features include quiet
temperature controlled cooling fans, which
only switch on when required; a power
readout to tell you how much electricity is
actually being used and thermal cut out to
protect the LEDs should overheating occur.
Its available in three size options to suit
most popular aquarium sizes and can be
tank mounted using the supplied ttings or
suspended (kit sold separately).
Competition
winners
Many thanks to our sponsors of this
years Readers Poll Tetra and Rolf
C Hagen who supplied over 1,000
worth of prizes.
The winners were:

1st prize: The Fluval FX6 external lter
was won by Ross Saunders, Cornwall.
2nd prize: The 60 l/13 gal Tetra
AquaArt Explorer aquarium and
cabinet goes to James Mace,
Cheshire.
3rd prize: The Fluval Edge 46 l/10 gal
aquarium was won by Jack Dickinson,
Dorset.
4th prize: The 30 l/6.6.gal Tetra
AquaArt Explorer aquarium and
cabinet goes to Lee Hand, Cheshire.
The 20 runners up, who will receive a
food and care package from either
Tetra or Rolf C. Hagen, were: Paul
Wolstencroft-Moore, Merseyside;
Ricky Cheal, London; Kevin Kelly,
Perth; James Holyoake, Gloucs; Mick
Bradshaw, Cambs; Nicola Doig, East
Sussex; Alasdair MacMillan, Fife;
Brenda Todd, Lancs; Barry Jones,
Cornwall; Ryan Loveday, Lincs;
Gareth Ward, Westmeath, Ireland;
Elaine Handley, Herts; Alysha Sime,
Edinburgh; Susan Grant, Inverness;
Karen Wilsdon, Surrey; Alan T.
Parks, Berks; Graham Cairns, North
Lanarkshire; John Behan, Co.
Wicklow, Ireland; Angela Rolls, West
Midlands; Steve Rubenstein, London.
Manufacturer of the Year

Rolf C. Hagen
Runner-up: Eheim
Tropical Product of the Year

Fluval FX6
Runners-up: Tie between Evolution Aqua Pure
Aquarium and Esha 2000 treatment
Marine Product of the Year

V2 iLuminAir lighting
Runner-up: Red Sea Reefer
Pond Product of the Year

Hozelock Bioforce Revolution pond lter
Runner-up: Evolution Aqua Pure Pond Bomb
The Fluval FX6 lter,

Hozelock Bioforce
Revolution pond lter
and V2iLuminAir lighting
were voted top aquatic
products of 2015.
77
The top shops

Here are the top shops of 2015, as voted for by
readers of Practical Fishkeeping.
Top 40 shops
ROLL OF HONOUR
Retailer of the Year
Scotland
Charterhouse Aquatics, London

Runner up: Seahorse
Aquariums, Dublin
Small retailer of the Year

Sharnbrook Shrimp, Northants.
Runner up: H2O Habitat,
Woldingham, Surrey
North
East
Northern
Ireland
North
West
Online retailer
of the Year
Charterhouse Aquatics
Runner up: Complete Aquatics
Republic
of Ireland
East
Midlands
Wales
TOP SPECIALISTS
Marine retailer
of the Year
Pier Aquatics, Wigan

Runner-up: Seahorse
Aquariums, Dublin
Discus retailer of the Year

Chens Discus, Middlesex
Runners-up: DL Discus, Co
Durham/Devotedly Discus, East
Sussex
East
West
Midlands
London
Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin

Runner-up: The Abyss Aquatic
Warehouse, Manchester
Catsh retailer
of the Year
Yorkshire &
Humberside
South
West
South
East
REGIONAL WINNERS
Scotland
West Midlands
Fishkeeper Glasgow
Runner-up: Discovery Aquatics,
Dundee
Prestwood Petzone,
Stourbridge
Runner-up: Erdington Aquatics,
Birmingham
Republic of Ireland
Runner up: The Aquatic Village,
Co Dublin
Cichlid retailer
of the Year
Northern Ireland

Runner up: Discovery Aquatics,
Dundee
Exotic Aquatics, Belfast

Runner-up: AMC Aquatics,
Co Londonderry
Shrimp retailer of the Year
North east
Sharnbrook Shrimp, Northants.

Runner-up: Seahorse
Aquariums, Dublin
Silksworth Aquatics,
Co Durham
Runner-up: DL Discus,
Co Durham
Oddball retailer
of the Year
North West

Runner-up: Lincs Aquatics,
Alford, Lincs
Aquahome Aquatic
Centre, Lancs
Runner up: Pier Aquatics, Wigan
Plant retailer of the Year
Yorks and Humber
Emperor Tropicals, Devon

Runner-up: Seahorse
Aquariums, Dublin
Ferrybridge Aquatics, Wakeeld

Runner-up: Aquatic Finatic,
North Yorks.
Pond retailer of the Year
East Midlands
Lincs Aquatics, Alford, Lincs.

Runner-up:
Fishkeeper Glasgow
Lincs Aquatics, Alford, Lincs.

Runner-up: Sharnbrook Shrimp,
Northants.
East
The Coral Cave Aquatic Centre,
Hardwick, Cambs
Runner-up:
The Waterzoo, Peterborough
Wales
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Cardiff
Runners-up: JayDee Aquatics,
Wrexham/The Green Machine,
Wrexham
London
Charterhouse Aquatics,
London
Runner-up:
Aquatic Design Centre,
London
South-east
H2O Habitat, Surrey
Runner-up:
Abacus Aquatics, Kent
South west
78
The Aquatic Store,

Bristol
Runner-up:
Emperor Tropicals, Devon
(listed alphabetically)
O Abacus Aquatics, Kent
O Aquahome, Leyland
O Aquajardin, Gloucester
O Aqualife, Leyland
O Aquatic Design Centre,
London
O Charterhouse Aquatics,
London
O Discovery Aquatics,
Dundee
O Eden Aquatics & Reptiles,
Edinburgh
O Emperor Tropicals,
Plymouth, Devon
O Exotic Aquatics, Belfast
O Ferrybridge Aquatics,
Wakeeld, West Yorks.
O Fishkeeper Edinburgh
O Fishkeeper Glasgow
O Fishkeeper Inverness
O H2O Aquatics, Essex
O H2O Habitat, Surrey
O Lincs Aquatics, Lincs.
O Maidenhead Aquatics
@ Bristol
@ Cardiff
@ Reading
@ Truro
O Oasis Aquarium,
Manchester
O Pier Aquatics,
Wigan, Lancs.
O Prestwood Petzone,
West Midlands
O Seahorse Aquariums,
Dublin
O Sharnbrook Shrimp,
Northants
O Silksworth Aquatics,
Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
O Sweet Knowle Aquatics,
Warks.
O The Abyss Aquatic
Warehouse Manchester
O The Aquatic Habitat
Gloucestershire
O The Aquatic Store, Bristol
O The Aquatic Village,
Co Dublin
O The Coral Cave Aquatic
Centre, Hardwick, Cambs
O The Waterzoo,
Peterborough
O Trop Shop, Essex
O Waterworld, Cheshire
O Wharf Aquatics, Notts
O Wholesale Tropicals,
London
O Wildwoods, Middlesex
O Woodford Aquatics,
London
THANK YOU FOR VOTING FOR
BESPOKE AQUARIUMS DESIGN MAINTENANCE INSTALLATIONS
Well, what a year it has been. We are extremely thankful for the
awards and we really appreciate the ongoing support from our loyal
customers. We are very proud to win not only online retailer of the
year but now retailer of the year too. You can all expect bigger and
better things to come so keep your eyes peeled for the brand new
website and showroom layout...
Thank you again from all of us at
www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk
Aquahome Aquatic Centre
Seahorse Aquariums Ltd
within Avant Gardens Garden Centre,

Wigan Road, Leyland, Lancs. PR25 5XW.
Tel: 01772 623 497. www.aquahome.co.uk
www.facebook.com/
AquahomeAquaticCentre
DUBLIN: Unit 3, St Joans ind Est Turnpike Road, Ballymount, Dublin

22, Ireland. GALWAY: Unit 2, Kilkerrin Park 1 Liosban Industrial
Estate, Tuam Road, Galway, Ireland. www.seahorseaquariums.com
https://www.facebook.com/seahorseaquariums
Twitter: @SeahorseAquaDub
What they say

We are proud to have won North
West Retailer of the Year for the
fourth year running - 2012, 2013,
2014 and now 2015. We also won
Retailer of the Year in 2014, so
we are proud to have been
recognised for our hard work
over the past few years. All our
team have been with us for many
years now and it is a testament
to their hard work and
commitment. We would like to
say a massive thank you to our
loyal customers, many of which
travel great distances to visit us.
We have a new huge coral table
planned for this year to replace
our older coral section, this
means our customers will be
able to walk a full 360 around
the corals to have a really good
look at what they are buying.
Our marine customers are ever
increasing and this will be a
great way of being able to stock
more corals and display to the
full potential.
Our in-store nance, which
can also be offered to customers
unable to travel to us, is proving
very popular. The recent
addition of some fantastic
marine systems such as the Red

Sea Reefer range and the fact we
are now able to ship nationwide
free of charge, has brought many
new customers to Aquahome.
We take pride in our high level
of customer service and believe
all our team will go that extra
mile. To have this recognised
makes it all worthwhile.
We look forward to continued
support from our existing valued
customers and look forward to
welcoming many new
customers to our store.
The Aquatic Habitat

Shurdington Road (A46), Brockworth,
Gloucester, GL3 4PU.
Tel: 01452 862791
www.the-aquatic-habitat.co.uk
www.facebook.com/The-Aquatic-Habitat
What they say

Established in 1973, The Aquatic Habitat is the largest pond &
aquarium specialist in Gloucestershire.
We aim to supply top quality, healthy sh and plants along with the
widest possible choice of quality equipment and accessories.
We cater for all areas of the hobby. In addition to a 2000 sq. ft.
aquarium section and a 5000 sq. ft. pond section theres a large
outdoor area for ponds, plants, etc.
Were delighted to once again feature in this years poll and would
like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for
us, both this year and previous polls.
What they say

We would like to thank everyone
who voted for Seahorse
Aquariums and gave us the
opportunity to win eight awards
for the rst time in Seahorse
Aquariums life.
We would not have reached
this milestone without those
who have supported us over the
years. Everyone who has
experienced Seahorse
Aquariums the past seven years
has played a pivotal role in
helping us become a better
company and hence improve
what we do.
Therefore, we want to
celebrate this special occasion
by saying a big thank you to our
customers, associates and
employees who, in their own
unique way, contributed to a

highly rewarding year.
Seahorse Aquariums recently
opened its award winning shop
in Galway to make it easier to
deliver high quality aquatic
goods and services across
Ireland. We also have the
privilege and responsibility of
being the creator of the charity
Save Our Seahorses. We would
like to thank everyone for
supporting the charity and we
are committed to help build a
safer future for seahorses.
Seahorse Aquariums have
achieved a tremendous amount
and we promise to keep
reinventing ourselves and
delivering outstanding customer
service.
Silksworth Aquatics
Sharnbrook Shrimp
Unit 4, Cold Hesledon Industrial Estate,

Seaham, Sunderland. Tel: 0191 581 1846.
www.silksworthaquatics.co.uk/
www.facebook.com/groups/
SilksworthAquatics/
3 West Street, Rushden,

Northamptonshire NN10 0RT
Opening Times: 9am to 5:30pm
Open Every Day except Sunday
(Check website before coming)
Tel: 01933 317 107
sales@sharnbrookshrimp.co.uk
www.sharnbrookshrimp.co.uk
What they say

SilksworthAquaticsstartedlife
in early 2014 from a small
outbuilding at home. Originally
intended as a method of making
the shkeeping hobby pay for
itself, Graham soon found a
niche and began to specialise in
Apistogramma and other South
American dwarf cichlids.
Eighteen months later, after
riotous success, Silksworth
Aquatics moved into new,
spacious premises, holding over
130 tanks in ve rooms.
Havingdirectcontactwith the
shermenthemselvesallows
Graham to source some unusual
species rarely found in the UK,
and cutting out the middleman
means more money going directly
to the shermen.
The Silksworth Aquatics name
is quickly becoming established
across the UK as a destination for
quality, unusual South American
sh. Thanks to all our customers
for the support over the last year
- all we can say is, the best is still
to come!
Prestwood PetZone
Wolverhampton Road (A449), Prestwood,
Nr Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY7 5AF.
Tel: 01384 877150,
www.prestwoodpetzone.com
www.facebook.com/prestwoodpetzone
What they say

We are very proud to have won
the coveted Small Retailer of the
Year award!
A big thank you to all our loyal
customers who helped us win
this and Shrimp Retail of the
Year too, for a third year in a row!
We hope to try and exceed your
expectations for another year!
If you have never thought of
buying shrimp before, why not
try some of our easy to keep
crystals or cherries to start you
off. We are the UKs leading
ornamental shrimp specialist
Orange Sakura
Red Fancy Tiger Bee
What they say

Prestwood PetZone has 200 aquariums of tropical and coldwater
sh plus a massive selection of dry, frozen and live food, accessories
and pondsh and equipment and has been providing expert advice
to aquarists since 1980.
Aquascaping, Tanganyikans and Discus are specialities, plus a
great range of L-number plecs and community sh.
PetZone also has one of the biggest reptile centres in the Midlands
with an amazing selection of lizards, snakes, spiders and frogs,
The PetZone website and Facebook page have regular updates of
sh, reptiles, birds and small animals for sale as well as special offers
and news updates.
Everyone at PetZone would like to say a big thank you to the
readers of PFK who voted for us.
shop, packed with the largest

selection of shrimp anywhere in
the UK, possibly Europe. With
an enthusiastic and
knowledgeable team, we are
sure you will get great advice on
setting up your rst shrimp tank.
Even seasoned shrimp fanatics
will nd a treasure trove of
interesting creatures and
products to suit their taste. We
are looking forward to seeing
you at our shop or pay us a visit
online too. (Trade Enquiries
Welcome)
completeaquatics.co.uk
Discovery Aquatics
Website: www.completeaquatics.co.uk
www.facebook.com/completeaquaticsuk
Taysides leading
aquatic retailer
Unit 18, Manhattan Works,
Dundonald Street,
Dundee, DD3 7PY.
Tel: 01382 452364.
www.discoveryaquatics.co.uk
www.facebook.com/DiscoveryAquatics-161045863928967
Open: Mon-Sat 10am6pm
Sun: 12pm-5pm
What they say

We have worked incredibly hard
in recent years to be one of the
best online aquatic retailers in
the UK. We are very proud to
hold one of the highest trustpilot
scores in our industry a huge
9.8 out of 10 and would invite
any new customers to please
have a read on trustpilot to see
the lengths we go to ensure our
customers are looked after, not
just for the initial sale but after
also for ongoing advice and
customer care.
To also have our hard work
recognised by winning runner
up Online Retailer of the year is
a great achievement. We
appreciate our customers taking
the time to vote for us.

We stock a huge range of
products from all major brands
and we offer friendly advice to
newcomers or experts. We
provide online chat, email
support or telephone advice
whenever our customers need
assistance and
regularly help
customers piece
together their rst
aquarium set-up or
complete
automated reef
system. Please give
us a try if you have
not shopped with
us before you
wont be
disappointed!
What they say

We have over 400 livestock tanks containing a
large array of tropicals and marines, with a live
rock system and three coral tables, plus a dedicated
coldwater section. We are specialists in Rift valley,
Discus, South American and oddball sh. We stock
an extensive range of aquariums, along with dry
goods for every niche. Open seven days a week.
Proud
members
of OATA
Lincs Aquatics
Hangar One, Strubby Aireld, Woodthorpe, Lincs., LN13 0DD.
Tel: 01507 451000. www.lincsaquatics.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Lincs-Aquatics-279969242020066
What they say

Lincs Aquatics would like to thank all our
customers for their continued support and
voting for us.
As Lincolnshires largest indoor aquatic
retailer (30,000 sq ft) we pride ourselves on
good quality personal service, which we
have developed over the last 26 years.
Our pond, tropical, marine, coldwater
and reptile departments cater for all
your aquatic needs, with huge selections
of livestock, dry goods and displays, all at
very competitive prices.

We truly are considered a one stop aquatic
shop, come rain or shine we are well worth a
visit. Dont forget to come and feed our
friendly sh.
As well as Woodthorpe branch of Lincs
aquatics we have another branch in Bawtry,
Doncaster. South Yorkshire Aquatics,
established four years ago. is based on the
same principles as Lincs on a slightly smaller
scale and encompasses tropical, marine, pond
and coldwater departments. For anyone

in the South Yorkshire and surrounding
areas we consider this store to be a one
stop shop with a very large selection of
livestock and dry goods indoor all under
one roof. South Yorkshire Aquatics
provides a very friendly traditional
Yorkshire welcome, so dont hesitate to
come along and visit. A huge thank you to
all existing customers who make us such
a popular destination to visit.
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83
Big is beautiful
Set up a reef tank for large polyp stony
corals and you will open up a world full
of colour, variety and movement.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
WORDS: TRISTAN LOUGHER
Most conicts between LPS corals

arise over competition for space,
but some closely related species
can be placed very near even
touching one another.
84
Marine
arge polyp stony (LPS) corals

can provide an almost rainbowlike spectrum of colour to result
in a magnicent aquarium
display. And by using modern, controllable
LED light units incorporating nearultraviolet (NUV) wavelengths of light,
the natural bio-uorescence in many
species of coral can be emphasised and
even enhanced, providing plenty to offer
and admire throughout the day-night
cycle of the aquarium.
The combination of LPS corals and
compatible sh species given on the
following pages provide an emphasis on
colours and shapes that will combine to
stunning effect.
CITES-controlled trade
The diverse range of stony corals available

in the hobby make it difficult to generalise
about preferred conditions. Some, like the
popular Duncan coral, Duncanopsammia
axifuga, can prove tolerant of relatively
low light levels (perhaps just a couple of
T5 uorescents) and moderate ow,
provided that it is fed suitable foodstuffs
regularly. Others, like the exquisite
shallow water golden Scroll coral,
Turbinaria reniformis, demand lighting
levels similar to the most light-hungry of
small polyp stony (SPS) corals.
Give a species of stony coral too much
illumination and it can bleach (expelling
its symbiotic zooxanthellae) and give it
too much ow and its delicate tissues may
be ripped from its rigid skeleton.
A rough rule of thumb is that the smaller
the stony corals polyp, the stronger the
illumination and water movement it
needs. So, solitary, single polyp corals such
as Trachyphyllia and Lobophyllia tend to
tolerate less ow and light intensity than,
for example, colonial species such as
Blastomussa, Acanthastrea or Favites spp.
and these corals will tolerate less than
species showing smaller polyps such as
the aforementioned Turbinara reniformis.
An added complication is the range of
shapes formed by stony corals according
to their species and local conditions, with
tighter, less branched colonies forming in
high strength water currents and rangier
specimens in lower ow.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
How to avoid conict

Conict issues in the LPS-dominated
aquarium are all about the ability to
conquer new ground and defend what is
already yours. These corals possess polyp
tentacles armed with powerful stinging
cells that can be used both offensively and
defensively depending upon the situation.
Some, such as Euphyllia spp. and bubble
corals (Plerogyra sinuosa and Physogyra
spp.) can send out heavily armed tentacles
that extend far beyond the original polyp
mass. These so-called sweeper tentacles
sting adjacent corals and can clear an
area of competition into which the colony
can expand.
Many species do not extend their polyp
tentacles during the day, presumably as
they might get nipped off by a passing sh.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Whats required?
Expect to pay more for

corals like Scolymia.
However, at night the coral can extend its

polyps in relative safety to take advantage
of planktonic organisms that rise from
the depths to feed, and they may also be
used aggressively by many corals such as
Favia and Favites spp.
Tentacles can also be extended during
daylight hours when food is detected in
the water or if a neighbouring specimen
is placed a little too close.
Sometimes potential problems can be
avoided simply by placing one coral
upstream from a more aggressive species,
so that the polyp tentacles of the more
aggressive individual are constantly
pushed away from its neighbour by the
force of current. But with caution, some
closely related species can be maintained
in close proximity, even touching each
other, such as those of the genus
Euphyllia, although some aquarists
report slower growth rates when colonies
are in contact with each other.
Trade in stony corals is controlled by

the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild
Fauna and Flora. Permits must be
obtained that relate to individual
genera or species (some corals may be
difficult to identify to species level and
in this instance the genus rather than
species is controlled by CITES quotas),
allowing them to be exported from the
countries of origin. Although stony
coral dominated reefs can be found
circumtropically, most exports are
made from Indonesia, Fiji/Tonga and
Australia. Corals are exported according
to quotas agreed with CITES. Note that
live coral shipments are subject to
individual CITES export permits and EU
CITES import permits. Many
commercial concerns are farming stony
corals but CITES applies to both farmed
and wild specimens.
While stony corals might not have the

same prodigious growth rates as many soft
corals, they do grow and sometimes rather
quickly when conditions allow. There is
also the expansion factor LPS can be
rather exible and a specimen of, say,
Acanthophyllia deshayesiana in a dealers
aquarium might show signicantly more
polyp expansion when placed in your
aquarium 30cm/12in and over is
commonly reported for this species. It is
also not entirely straightforward to take
cuttings from a characteristic shared by
many of the single polyp solitary stony coral
species, making size reduction impractical.
This is not true of all species however, and
aquarists can often reduce future issues by
selecting branching forms instead of
massive colonies, such as Euphyllia
parancora rather than E. ancora. But this
option isnt available for all species, so give
LPS corals plenty of room to expand and
grow in the long term.
WHICH CORAL GOESWHERE?

Not all conditions suit all corals. Use the table below as a guide when placing
LPS corals in the aquarium.
Type of zone:
Suitable for:
STRONG ILLUMINATION
STRONG FLOW
Turbinaria (small polyp forms)
MEDIUM ILLUMINATION
LOW FLOW
Euphyllia spp.
LOW ILLUMINATION
STRONG FLOW
Some Heliofungia spp.
LOW ILLUMINATION
LOW FLOW
Duncanopsammia axifuga,
Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
85
Open brain coral

Scientic names: Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (Track-ee-ll-ee-ah
jeff-roy-eye).
Size: From 15mm skeletal size upwards to around 12cm/4.8in. Polyp
expansion can add signicantly to their size.
Lifespan: Many years provided the environment is suitable.
Tentacle expansion: When food is detected in the water or actually
on top of the coral. Occasionally when threatened by a neighbour.
Aggression: Not particularly aggressive.
Availability and cost: Good; metallic green individuals might cost
4075 each depending on size. Expect at least double this for red
or red and green specimens.
Notes: These solitary corals, consisting of an individual polyp with
no obvious tentacle expansion during the day, are among the most
hardy and least problematic of all LPS corals. Their beautiful colours
make them a favourite among aquarists who often place them
on the very bottom of their aquaria, simulating their natural,
free-living existence where they are encountered on coral rubble and
sand substrates.
Open brain corals are

among the easiest of
the LPS.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Choose your LPS corals...

Blastomussa are
colourful and easy to keep.
Blasto coral
Scientic name: Blastomussa spp. (Blast-oh-moose-ah).
Size: Usually purchased as colonies consisting of two or more
polyps. Different species have different average polyp diameter: B.
merleti seldom reaches more than 57mm diameter whereas B. wellsi
often has polyps measuring 10mm or more across.
Lifespan: A decade or more.
Availability and cost: Good; colouration and colony size determine
price. B.merleti is the species most commonly seen in the hobby.
Specimens are often priced per polyp so large colonies can command
high prices.
Notes: Blastomussa spp. can appear to be rather similar to other
stony corals such as Acanthastrea but is distinguished from them by
having bladder-like vesicles radiating out from their centres. These
can vary in size and therefore are not always very obvious,
particularly in the small polyps of B. merleti, but close scrutiny will
often reveal them. Blastomussa is a beautiful coral and relatively easy
to care for. Most species are slow growing but a large colony makes a
spectacular display, albeit one that can take some time to achieve.
Spiny brain coral
ALAMY
Scientic name: Lobophyllia spp. (Low-boh-ll-ee-ah).

Size: Individuals can be single polyps measuring less than 10cm/4in
across to much larger (30cm/12in) colonies consisting of multiple
polyps. Many species will just keep on growing should conditions
allow.
Availability and cost: Good; Indonesian individuals are the least
expensive while those collected from the Coral Sea command higher
prices. Ultra uorescent red individuals might cost well over 60 for a
10cm/4in individual.
Notes: Named for the short, sharp spines found on their extremely
solid skeletons, Lobophyllia spp. are often overlooked by aquarists
despite offering much particularly in the sheer diversity of colours
displayed by
specimens. Reds are
Lobophyllia grow
commonly seen but so
quite slowly.
too rainbows of colours
that really pop under
near UV illumination.
Growth rates tend to be
rather slow, probably
due to the density of
the skeleton, which
might not be a bad
thing as it wont
outgrow the aquarium
too quickly.
86
Scientic name: Acanthastrea lordhowensis (Ah-kann-thah-stray-ah

lord-how-enn-siss).
Size: Frags consisting of only a few 10-12mm diameter polyps are
widely available along with larger colonies.
Availability and cost: Good; colouration usually determines price,
but most acans, even frags, are going to cost in excess of 40 and far
more for larger brilliantly coloured specimens.
Notes: Acanthastrea are very popular corals due to their exquisite
patterns and colours that they display. Their prices are high but they
usually prove hardy and willing to grow. Where space and budget
allow, more than one frag or colony can be purchased individuals
are tolerant of each other and they can be placed in close proximity
to create a multi-coloured and beautiful display.
Acans are never

cheap to buy.
ALAMY
ALAMY
Acan coral
Marine
Donut coral
Scientic names: Scolymia sp. (Skoll-ee-mee-ah).

Size: Roughly circular skeletons, usually measuring 15mm-65mm in
diameter for most imported individuals.
Lifespan: Many years is possible but there is some debate
concerning the best options for their long term husbandry.
Availability and cost: Good. The most colourful green and red
striped individuals command 100s. Single colour smaller
individuals are can be bought for less than 100.
Trumpet/Candy-cane coral
ALAMY
Scientic name: Caulastrea spp. (Kawl-ass-tray-ah).

Size: Typically available in two different forms: the rst has short
skeletal stems arranged so that the polyps, when expanded, form a
dome reminiscent of moon and pineapple corals (Favia spp). The
second is a longer branched form, often with uorescent metallic
green polyps which do not
touch their neighbouring
polyps even when fully
expanded.
Tentacle expansion: When
food is detected in the water
or actually on top of the coral.
Occasionally when
threatened by a neighbour.
Aggression: Not particularly
aggressive.
Availability and cost:
Caulastrea is
Excellent; uorescent green
one of the most
specimens will cost more
widely available
than the brown variety, but
LPS corals.
even these are not
particularly expensive and
single polyps can be purchased for a few pounds each.
Notes: Candy-cane coral is a beautiful, easy to care for coral. Even
the less uorescent specimens are highly attractive and when
subjected to stable conditions and strong illumination these colonies
will often develop white stripes through the outer brown margin,
making them even more striking.
Duncan coral
Scientic name:
Duncanopsammia axifuga
(Dunn-kann-opp-sam-ee-ah
axe-ee-few-jah).
Size: Polyps can be 510cm/24in
across the polyp tentacles but
Duncans are now
colonies can grow massive.
within most
reefkeepers budgets.
Tentacle expansion: Permanently
on display in healthy specimens
Aggression: May sting neighbours but often comes off worse in
turf wars.
Availability and cost: Excellent; usually priced per polyp single
polyps or colonies consisting of several hundred are available.
Notes: Related to the non-photosynthetic sun corals (Tubastrea and
Dendrophyllia) which lack zooxanthellae, the photosynthetic Duncans
also benet from regular feedings with meaty diets but are not entirely
dependent upon them for their nourishment. Duncan coral is naturally
found in a limited range that includes Australia and the South China
Seas. When rst seen in the hobby some ten years ago, it commanded
huge prices but now small colonies and single polyp frags are within the
budget of most marine aquarists.
ALAMY
Button coral/Scoly
ALAMY
ALAMY
Expect to pay 100 or

more for a good Scoly.
Scientic name:
Acanthophyllia
deshayesiana (Ah-kanthoh-ll-ee-ah dez-haze-eeah-nah).
Size: Typically the skeleton
measures around
Price is often
812cm/3.24.8in in
determined by
diameter. The polyp
colour.
expansion can be
impressive on specimens in
this size range with over 30cm/12in being commonplace.
Availability and cost: Excellent; red individuals or those containing
signicant amounts of red mingled with green can cost 100s. Green
individuals may not be as immediately impressive but are still
beautiful and can be obtained for rather less than this.
Notes: These corals are truly spectacular and straightforward to
keep, but it is possible to give them too much light, leading to the
specimen bleaching and losing its symbiotic zooxanthellae but often
retaining its uorescent pigments. In many ways it appears to be a
ghost of its former self. Offering lower light and regular feedings with
meaty foods such as chopped shellsh can help to sustain the coral
until it can regain its symbiotic algae.
Scientic name: Turbinaria peltata (Turr-binn-air-ee-ah pell-tart-ah).

Size: Individual polyps usually measure 0.5-15mm in diameter but colonies can grow
over 60cm/24in in diameter.
Tentacle expansion: Permanently on display in most specimens, particularly those with larger polyps. Lack
of polyp extension does not necessarily mean an unhealthy coral but its best to select those with wellexpanded polyps to avoid potential problems.
Availability and cost: Excellent; 2040 depending on size.
Notes: With the exception of T. reniformis, most colonies tend to be greenish-grey with similar coloured
polyps, but aquarists might be missing a trick by not including T. peltata in a large LPS system. This coral has
a rather beautiful shape and its growth can form spectacular structures in the aquarium, including shallow
bowls, rising columns and meandering ridges. Hardy, but ensure that detritus is unable to accumulate on the
surface (the shallow bowl structure contributes to this problem) as this can result in tissue die-off.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Table/Crater/Pagoda coral
Ensure that detritus

doesnt accumulate
in the bowl of
table corals.
87
ALAMY
Euphyllia
parancora.
Hammer coral/Hammerhead coral/

Anchor coral
Scientic names: Euphyllia ancora, E. parancora (You-ll-ee-ah
anne-cor-ah, You-ll-ee-ah para-anne-cor-ah).
great sh for the

LPS aquarium
Choosing sh for the LPS aquarium involves research into species

that will not nibble at the expanded esh of the corals. Frequent
offenders include many species of dwarf angelsh (Centropyge spp.)
that peck away at LPS colonies such as Trachyphyllia and
Lobophyllia, apparently being more interested in the mucus they
produce rather than the esh itself. But this repeated nibbling leads
to recession of the coral tissue. The selections of sh here include
some benign species that are far more interested in whats going on
in open water rather than on the substrate, along with others
that will provide a useful service in the prevention of algae and
detritus accumulation.
Frogspawn coral,
Honey coral
Euphyllia
yaeyamaensis.
ALAMY
Scientic names: Euphyllia

divisa, E. paradivisa, E.
yaeyamaensis (You-ll-ee-ah
dee-vice-ah , You-ll-ee-ah
para-dee-vice-ah, You-llee-ah yay-ahm-ay-enn-sis).
ALAMY
Euphyllia
glabrescens.
Torch coral, Cornet coral

Size: Colonies can be massive in the case of E. ancora and E. divisa,
with a single, unbroken skeletal element or consisting of a number
of branches, each tipped with a single polyp (unless dividing and
forming a new branch). Single branch specimens are frequently
offered for sale.
Tentacle expansion: Healthy individuals should show signicant
polyp extension. Euphyllia have potentially very long sweeper
tentacles and demand space to grow and expand into.
Aggression: Potentially aggressive.
Availability and cost: Excellent; 10100 depending on size.
Colour variants can be rather expensive.
Notes: Few LPS corals tick aquarists must-have boxes quite like
Euphyllia. With such beautiful colours, polyp shapes and movement,
it would be downright negligent not to include them. The prex
para in the species name can be thought of as a synonym for
branched. Therefore we have hammer coral (E. ancora) and
branched hammer coral (E. parancora) and frogspawn coral (E.
divisa) and branched frogspawn coral (E. paradivisa).
The vast majority of specimens in the hobby are cultured although
wild collected colonies are available. It can be tempting to stock a
large E. ancora into a new aquarium as it is impressive and gives the
aquarium a more mature appearance. However, although these
large skeleton colonies can be fragged, it is impossible to do
without cutting into the tissue. Growth rates can be impressive in
Euphyllia, so branching specimens are a better option, offering the
advantage of regular pruning without damaging the polyps.
88
ALAMY
Scientic name: Euphyllia glabrescens (You-ll-ee-ah glabb-ress-enz).
Brown sailn tang

Scientic name: Zebrasoma scopas (Zebb-rah-sow-mah skoh-pass).
Size: 12-15cm/4.86in in the aquarium.
Lifespan: Over ten years is possible.
Temperament: Territorial but harassment of new additions usually
eases over time, sometimes within a few hours. However, it is best
stocked after less boisterous species.
Availability and cost: Very good; 1740 depending on size
and provenance.
Notes: This genus can be highly useful at preventing undesirable forms
of alga in reef aquaria, so I stock them where practical. The Brown
sailn may not be as immediately attractive as its bright yellow
counterpart and aquarists could certainly substitute one for the other,
but Z. scopas is a subtly beautiful sh and has the advantages of lower
price and availability at smaller, yet hardy, sizes. Stocking smaller
individuals can reduce the risk of territorial aggression.
Next month... We take a look at a system

dedicated to small polyp stony (SPS) corals.
Marine
Scientic name: Ctenochaetus tominiensis (Teen-oh-keet-uss tom-eeknee-en-siss).
Size: 1215cm/4.86in.
Lifespan: Over ten years is possible.
Temperament: One of the least territorial tang species but still best
stocked simultaneously with other surgeonsh to avoid aggression.
Availability and cost: Very good; 25-60 depending on size.
Notes: Bristletooth tangs from the genus Ctenochaetus can play a very
useful role in the prevention of detritus accumulation as they use their
specialised teeth to brush hard surfaces, removing microalgae and organic
material that settles there. Most of the species currently described in this
genus are readily available in the hobby, including the exquisite Kole tang
(C. strigosus) and pricey Chevron (C. hawaiiensis), either of which could be
substituted for the one listed here. But I nd the Goldrush tang to be one
of the more peaceful members of the genus and also the hardiest. Smaller
individuals are available that usually prove very hardy and adjust well to
aquarium life.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Goldrush tang
PHOTOMAX
Maldive velvet fairy wrasse

Scientic name: Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis (Sirri-labb-russ roo-breesquarm-iss).
Lifespan: Over ve years but it can be difficult to know the age
of imported individuals.
Temperament: May occasionally chase sh that enter its immediate
swimming space but this rarely escalates into real aggression.
Availability and cost: Very good; 3545.
Notes: There are many species of fairy wrasse suitable for inclusion in LPS
dominated reef aquaria and C. rubrisquamis is one of the most widely
available and beautiful. Its colours can vary signicantly depending on
both its mood and the type of lighting it is kept under but either way it
looks simply stunning as it swims actively over the reef. Cirrhilabrus spp.
are planktonivores meaning they usually feed readily in open water.
Perhaps the greatest barrier to their widespread appeal is the fact that they
can jump from uncovered aquaria.
Square anthias
ALAMY
Scientic name: Pseudanthias pleurotaenia (Soo-dann-thee-ass

ploor-oh-teen-ee-ah).
Lifespan: Over ve years, but it can be difficult to know the age of
imported individuals.
Temperament: May occasionally chase sh that enter its immediate
swimming space. Aggression is generally reserved for members of the same
species including females in male-female pairs. Females will also be
aggressive towards one another as a pecking order is established.
Availability and cost: Good; 50-85 depending on size and sex.
Notes: Anthias are open water swimming planktonivores with large appetites
that need to be fed regularly to reduce aggression between individuals of the
same species. Maintaining shoals is certainly possible as, too, is mixing
species. Unless a larger number of individuals is an absolute requirement I
prefer to stock pairs of anthias, particularly in larger species such as P.
pleurotaenia. Males are typically larger and only they possess the
square-shaped spot that gives them their common name.
ALAMY
Blue eyed cardinalsh
Scientic name: Zoramia leptacanthus (Zoh-ray-mee-ah lepp-tah-kannth-uss).

Size: 56cm/22.2in.
Lifespan: Over ve years, but it can be hard to know the age of imported sh.
Temperament: Usually very peaceful; may occasionally bicker among themselves.
Availability and cost: Excellent; 1215 each depending upon size and sex.
Notes: This is one of the few species that can form tight associations of
individuals in the aquarium and it is hardy and relatively inexpensive. Typically
this sh prefers shaded areas beneath coral colonies and overhangs. Groups form
and break up regularly but when more than half a dozen individuals are present
with their deep neon blue markings they can make for a wonderful display. They
will also court and spawn in the aquarium with males incubating broods of eggs in
their mouths for a short period of time.
89
Lighting is the main

driving force behind plant
growth, but more is not
necessarily better.
LIGHT!
Too little light and your plants will die too much and
youll have algae. So, how do you know whats right
for your set-up? Read on
WORDS: GEORGE FARMER
PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE FARMER UNLESS STATED
ighting is the single most

important aspect of keeping a
successful and healthy planted
tank. Not just because light is
essential for plant growth, but also because
if it is not used appropriately you will run
into nasty problems including nuisance
algae and poorly plants. Too little light and
the plants will fail to thrive and eventually
die. Too much light and you will be
punished with algae. Sounds simple, right?
But its more complex than this because
how we dene too little and too much
depends on many factors, all of which are
intrinsically linked.
Balance is a very common term
used in the planted aquarium world. Put
rather crudely there are three main
components that need to be in balance to
achieve healthy plant growth and minimal
algae growth: light, CO2 and fertilisers
(other nutrients).
While there are other factors at play, if
you get these three components in the
right quantities in relation to one another,
90
you wont go far wrong.

Light is the main driving force behind
plant growth. The more light there is, the
faster the plants try to photosynthesise (i.e.
convert light energy into chemical energy,
resulting in the growth of new plant
tissue). The more the plants growth is
driven, the bigger their demands will be in
terms of nutrients (plant food), such as
CO2 and fertilisers.
If these demands are not met, the plants
will suffer, leaving the door open for algae
to use the light instead.
Start with low lighting

How much light you actually require for
plant growth depends on the plant species,
the position of the plants in relation to the
light source and how much CO2 and other
nutrients are present.
In recent years, I have discovered that
relatively little light is actually required to
grow healthy plants, especially if the plants
are well fed and there are good levels of
circulation. It is a common mistake for the
hobbyist to assume that more light is better.

If powerful lighting is not met with a
balance of CO2 and other nutrients, then
algae will be the consequence.
My advice is to start off with low lighting
levels. Most aquarium kits will come with
sufficient lighting to grow a wide range of
plants if other parameters (nutrients and
circulation) are met. The advantages of
using less light is that growth is slower and
the tank is lower maintenance, algae is less
of a risk and your energy bill is reduced!
The faster the plants grow, the more
organic waste they produce. If this waste is
not removed via water changes and regular
lter cleaning, algae is more likely. As you
become more experienced and you wish to
grow more demanding plants such as
carpets of Glossostigma or bright red stem
plants that typically require high lighting
levels, you will need to inject CO2, dose
fertilisers regularly and have good levels of
circulation (ten times the tanks volume per
hour). Large water changes and regular
lter cleaning will also be required.
Plants
JACQUES PORTAL
A PAR meter
will measure
your lighting
accurately.
Measuring lighting
With the popularity of LED lighting the old
watts per gallon or watts per litre
guidelines used for uorescent lighting are
no longer relevant. These rules were awed
anyway because they didnt account for
aspects such as aquarium height and quality
of light.
Testing for photosynthetically active
radiation (PAR) is widely recognised as the
best way to measure lighting for planted
aquariums. PAR refers to the wavelength of
radiation that is between 400 and 700
nanometres and is the spectrum range of
light that can promote photosynthesis. PAR
meters are not cheap (with the possible
exception of the Seneye Reef that does
read PAR), but if you are serious about
your lighting then it may be worth investing
in one.
The amount of light hitting the plant
surface can be accurately measured to
ensure your plants are getting enough light.
I like to place the PAR meter sensor at the
substrate level and take a reading. If this is
above 20 umol m-2 s-1 then I know I can grow
most plants. Even some carpeting plants
can be grown with this relatively low level of
lighting, providing the plants are getting
good levels of CO2 and nutrients via good

circulation. Some plants such as
Cryptocoryne, Anubias and Microsorum
will quite happily grow with even less light.
Anything over 100 umol m-2 s-1 I would
regard as high lighting and in denite
need of CO2 injection and regular
fertiliser addition.
It is interesting to note that just because
an aquarium lamp may look very bright, it
does not mean it has a high PAR. A
uorescent lamp may have a peak in the
green part of the spectrum but relatively
little blue and red, for example. Green is the
colour that is most sensitive to the human
eye and so will appear brighter to us, but red
and blue are much more important for
photosynthesis, so the resulting light looks
very bright but may not actually be that
efficient at growing plants.
Lighting duration
The amount of time that the lights are on is
referred to as the photoperiod. As a general
rule of thumb, the more intense the lighting,
the smaller the photoperiod needs to be. Too
long and algae is likely, too little and the
plants wont thrive. Seven to ten hours is
usually ne for most situations.
Cutting the photoperiod can be very useful
for throttling back growth and I will often
limit my lighting to just four hours when Im
away from home for longer than two
consecutive days. This allows me to not
worry about dosing fertilisers or coming
back to overgrown plants and/or algae.
Plug-in-timers are an essential tool for the
planted tank so that the lights come on and
turn off regularly. Simply program the
timing to the point of the day when youre
most likely to view the tank. Depending on
your lighting set-up you can use multiple
timers to ramp up and ramp down the
lighting some LED and uorescent units
allow programming so the lighting intensity
Siesta time!
Some hobbyists like to have a midphotoperiod break or siesta, so the lights
can be on in the morning and later in the
evening to suit their lifestyle, especially if
they work during the day. There is also a
theory that the break in the photoperiod
helps to prevent algae.
A classic photoperiod with siesta would
be four hours on, four hours off, four
hours on. In newly set up aquascapes, I
like to start with a shorter photoperiod of
six hours then eventually build up to eight
to ten hours maximum. In aquariums with
brighter lighting I rarely go above eight
hours, but in aquascapes with less
intense lighting and no CO2 injection I
will go up to ten hours.
can be controlled to suit your requirements.

This is especially useful for open top
aquariums where the sudden burst of light
can frighten the sh into jumping.
Colour temperature
Lighting will have a colour temperature
rating in Kelvin (K). The lower the
temperature the more warm the light
(yellow/orange), and the higher the
temperature the cooler the light (white/blue).
Most freshwater aquariums look best
between 3,000 and 10,000K and plants are
not very fussy.
If you have a uorescent unit then you have
a wide range of lamps available to you.
Choose what suits your taste and budget.
Some LED units are programmable in
terms of spectrum so you can experiment
with what works best for you.
Another unit you may see is colour
rendition index (CRI). This is how realistic
the colour output of the light is, and it is
usually rated out of 100.
The dense foliage at
the surface of this
open-topped tank
will help prevent sh
jumping out..
91
LED lighting
usually runs cooler
than uorescent.
advantages of
LED lighting
G LEDs are more efficient than uorescents in terms of power

consumption and light output.
G They usually have a much longer lifespan and provide a
constant light output when compared with most uorescents.
G They usually run much cooler and can offer better
waterproong.
G Many shkeepers nd the lighting they produce is more
attractive with their glitter lines due to their point source effect.
G The more expensive LED units can be programmable in
terms of colour output with some even offering cloud and
storm effects.
Some built-in
lighting uses power
compact tubes.
LED lighting has a long

lifespan compared to
uorescent tubes.
92
Plants
The trend for open-topped
set-ups means that the
lighting needs to be
suspended above the tank.
Fluorescent tubes
are still preferred by
some shkeepers,
and the initial outlay
is less than with
LED lighting.
Fluorescent or LED?
In recent years there has been a huge inux
of available lighting suitable for planted
aquariums. These are either supplied with
an aquarium kit or available separately to t
onto your tank. The choice is almost
overwhelming, especially for beginners.
The two most popular types are
uorescent and LED. Fluorescents are
often supplied with larger aquarium kits
and come in two tube diameters: T8
(25mm/1in) and T5 (16mm/0.6in).
A very effective and cost efficient way of
boosting your uorescent lighting is to use
reectors. Some are shaped in a gull-wing
fashion, which helps to prevent re-strike, a
phenomenon where the light bounces back
and forth between the bulb and the
reectors constantly. Good reectors will
allow almost all of the light to be directed
downwards into the aquarium.
LED units are becoming very popular and
are now a proven technology. Four out of
ve of my home aquascapes are run with
LED lighting and all have healthy plant
growth. Cost varies quite dramatically. You
can pay as little as 15 for a cheap LED unit
or as much as 3,500 for a high-end unit.
LEDs come in a huge range of sizes, shapes
and colours. Some units are made up from
hundreds of very low powered LEDs with
various colours to give maximum colour
rendition while others may consist of just
one high-powered LED that gives intense

glitter lines.
My advice when choosing an LED unit is to
try to see what they are like in the shop before
purchase, or ask someone with experience.
LED lighting does not suit all tastes,
however. The uniformity of light spread and
wide variety of different spectrum
uorescent lamps still appeals to many
shkeepers and the initial outlay is still
usually a lot less compared to LED.
Over tank vs.

under hood lighting
Most aquarium all-in-one kits will come
supplied with lighting that ts underneath
the hood, but an increasing number now
come with over tank LED units. The
increasing trend of open-topped tanks
means that the lighting needs to be
supported above the tank.
There are various mounting options from
Kessils gooseneck to ADAs lighting arm
that xes to the cabinet. I prefer to have
the lighting supported from the ceiling
using a suspension kit. Suspended lighting
makes maintenance inside the aquarium
much easier.
More traditional aquarium kits come with
uorescent lamps that t underneath lids.
Advantages here are that there is less
evaporation than an open top and little risk
of jumping sh.
93
Chasing
OWS
A storm-plagued trip to the Aru archipelago leads to

the rediscovery of a century-old rainbowsh species.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: HEIKO BLEHER
t the beginning of the last

century, the German
zoologist, Max Wilhelm
Carl Weber, described
two new rainbowsh species
from the Aru archipelago:
Melanotaenia patoti in 1907 and
Melanotaenia senckenbergianus
three years later.
Despite making two trips to this
remote archipelago, I had been
unable to nd either of these
rainbowsh species. Melanotaenia
94
patoti was later placed erroneously in

synonymy with Melanotaenia
rubrostriata, and Melanotaenia
senckenbergianus with Melanotaenia
goeldiei, species only known from
southern New Guinea, which has been
separated from the Aru archipelago
for at least 100,000 years.
I never believed that the Aru
rainbowsh species were the same as
those on the island of New Guinea
and especially not because during my
previous trip to this remote group of
islands, exactly 100 years after the

six-month survey by the German, Hugo
Merton, from Frankfurt, every species I
found was new (most of these have
since been given names see aqua,
International Journal of Ichthyology,
volume 21(2), April 2015).
I knew there was more to discover
there, especially in the way of
rainbowsh, blue-eyes and gobies,
and I very much wanted to nally
nd Webers species. So, I just had
to return.
Habitat
WHERE IN
THE WORLD?
The Aru
archipelago lies
in eastern
Indonesia.
Rainbows, blue eyes and gobies

are abundant in the rivers of this
remote group of islands.
95
The rough sea prevented

Heiko and the team reaching
the southern side of Aru by
chartered boat.
The southern end was

nally reached in a small
aluminium boat and
the sun came out!
The shing boat

in Marpen.
Amazing rock
formations along the
Sungai Galalou.
The tunnels at
Sungai Galalou.
From here, the group

had to travel on foot.
Open grassland, with the

house for the military
visible in the background.
The cave in which a

Japanese family spent
70 years.
96
Habitat
Storm force
The sea was rough on this third Aru
archipelago adventure. Accompanied by
Gerald R. Allen from Australia and Mark
Erdmann of Conservation International, we
went through a terrible storm, falling about
from one side to another in the cabins while
Gerry and I tried to hold on to anything on
deck. Even today it is extremely difficult to
reach Aru it can only be accessed by
chartered boat, as in our case, or by
chartered plane, as no commercial ights or
ferries exist.
My task was to reach the southernmost
island of the archipelago, the areas where
Merton and his friend had collected, on
Trangan Island in 1907. But reaching their
landing spot was impossible with our large
sailboat over the last century the sea level
has fallen, and the tremendously rough sea
with gigantic waves would also have made it
impossible. Fortunately, the sailboats
owners wife, Josephine, managed to nd a
shermans vessel in Marpen Deu, which
was able to enter extremely shallow waters,
and off we went early next morning. This
trip turned out to be even worse than our
previous experience, while coming from
Sorong on the western end of Indonesias
part of New Guinea.
The shing boat moved in between the
house-high waves like a nutshell and we
were all blown from one side to the other
and back. It took a lot of strength not to be
blown overboard and we had to endure
this for over three hours!
Melanotaenia
patoti, male.
Melanotaenia
senckenbergianus,
female.
Unreal sight
We had taken a smaller aluminium boat
with us and from the mouth of the Sungai
Galalou we drove up this river across the
most fascinating scenery.
The lower part of this Sungai had large
mangrove vegetation on both sides, later
edged by amazing rock formations, and then
suddenly owing beneath other gigantic
rock formations, creating tunnels some
kilometres long and we navigated across
jet black, dark, natural underwater
passages. It was amazing and frightening at
the same time.
In between, some gaps opened up to the
sky, where horn ferns, tree ferns, and palm
trees were hanging down an unreal
sight and probably one that is unique to this
area alone.
No more war
Our boats man went as far up as possible
until we came to the end of this Sungai, here
again edged with large mangrove vegetation.

From here we had to walk. Then, to our
surprise, large open grassland opened up in
front of us. Remember that we were in the
middle of Arus dense primary rainforest
for sure some of the least touched primary
forest on earth.
And that wasnt all a single empty stone
house stood here at Arus western end. Later
we found out that this had been built by the
Indonesian military a command had
settled here some months ago, because they
had discovered a Japanese family, which
had been living in a deep, hidden cave in
this remote area for about 70 years, and
who did not know that World War II
had ended.
They found a Japanese family who

had been living in a deep hidden cave
in this remote area for about 70 years,
and who did not know that World War
II had ended.
Rainbows rediscovered
While walking further west into the forest
again, we came to a wooden bridge built by
natives, with their village on the other side
this was the same village Merton had
encountered in 1907. Gerry was the rst to
dive with a snorkel below the bridge, and he
came up screaming: Heiko, this must be
Melanotaenia senckenbergianus and patoti!
Together with Gerry, we caught large
specimens in this tea-coloured water, which
was hardly 50cm/20in deep. The pH here
was 8.14, and water temperature was
28.1C/82.5F at 2.40pm.
The village residents came to see what we
were doing, and then they showed me
another small creek owing out of the
forest. Here the water was clear and
transparent. I found a tiny species of the
Pandaka genus, hardly 2cm/0.8in in total
length, and banded Glossamia species. But
the place had been used to wash clothes and
was already very polluted even here, in
the middle of nowhere, the civilised world
has arrived
We had agreed with Ken that he would
take his sailboat up, further north, and we
would come from Galalou, through the
endless labyrinth of Sungais, to a meeting
point we agreed upon. So, we came again
97
Melanotaenia sp. 2.
through tormenting waves breaking over

our small boat and soaking everyone, while
driving for hours in complete darkness,
until we reached the sailboat at 10.30pm.
So, nally the two lost species of
rainbowsh had been found, but this wasnt
all. We had discovered in the Sungai Sin,
also on Trangan, (where I had discovered
the well known Melanotaenia sp. IV in
2007), another new species, now named
M. aruensis.
In the Sungai Unmar on Kobroor Island,
there is a very similar looking species, now
named Melanotaenia albimarginatus. Both
have white spots on the upper and lower
caudal lobe, as well as a white seam along
the dorsal and anal ns, but the latter is
bright golden-yellow along its sides, below
the dark lateral stripes.
In the Sungai Sin we also encountered a
gigantic cave, through which the creek ows
this was about 300m long, with a small
waterfall near its centre. And what was
interesting here was that I discovered not
only this species below the waterfall, but
above once again the sh I had introduced
from this Sungai Sin in 2007, called
Melanotaenia Aru IV (which still has not
been named). This shows that a waterfall is
a natural species barrier, especially for
rainbowsh species. This biotope was
unique in the Sungai Sin.
The other extremely colourful rainbowsh
I had discovered in 2007, which I called
and is still known in the hobby as
Melanotaenia Aru II, was also found again,
and G. R. Allen et al. 2015 named it M. picta,
which means that Aru II now has a name.
This sh is similar to another new species
from Kola Island, which I visited in 2004.
This is the most northern larger island of
the archipelago, and there in the small
Sungai Marjina, this similar looking beauty
lives in a cave into karst rock formation,
hardly 2m wide, and which is surrounded by
dense primary rainforest. It was named
Melanotaenia kolaensis, after the island and
can hardly be distinguished from
Melanotaenia picta in appearance.
Here, as in most other habitats, the only
aquatic vegetation to be found were
Potamogeton species and many
Cryptocoryne ciliata.
98
This habitat in Sungai

Loramar was home to
rainbowsh and glasssh.
And last but not least, another species I

found in 2007, and introduced as
Melanotaenia Aru I from the Sungai
Mareremar from Wokam island (and which
is also found in the Sungai Torbol), has also
been named in the recent aqua issue (vol. 21
(2) 2015) as Melanotaneia wokamensis.
This species is once again similar to
Melanotaenia picta and M. kolaensis, but
has a thin red stripe above and below the
broad stripe in the centre.
The sh we found living alongside them

almost throughout their habitats were
mainly Craterocephalus, Glossamia,
Mogurnda, and Glossogobius species.
I am happy that I was able to be involved
in introducing these beautiful
rainbowshes, so that future generations
can enjoy them too and especially
because it seems the unique Aru
archipelago is now to be erased and lled in
with sugar cane plantations
Heiko discovers a
new rainbowsh.
Habitat
Fish of the Aru archipelago
Melanotaenia sp. 6 Aru male, east of Loramar.
Melanotaenia sp. 6 Aru females are smaller

with no white upper and lower tail-lobe tips.
Hippichthys sp. pipesh.
Pseudomugil sp. 7 Aru.
Ambassis sp. 1, Sungai Loramar.
Awaous sp. 1, Sungai Loramar.
Melanotaenia senckenbergianus, male.
Melanotaenia sp. 7, female, Sungai Loramar.
Melanotaenia sp. 7 males have a bright

yellow-orange stripe and white n-lobe tips.
Craterocephalus sp., female.
Redigobius sp., Sungai Loramar.
Stiphodon atratus, female, over rocky areas of

the Sungai Loramar.
Melanotaenia Kobroor 1.
G. R. ALLEN
Glossamia sp. 1, male, Sungai Galalou.
G. R. ALLEN
Pandaka rouxi, Sungai Galalou.
G. R. ALLEN
Hypseleotris aff. compressa, Sungai Galalou.
Melanotaenia Kobroor 2.
Melanotaenia wokamensis.
99
PFKNewGear
The latest shkeeping products, tried and tested.
FIRST SIGHT
NEWA Mirror
UVC hang on
Now, UVs arent exactly a new
idea. Pond owners have been
using them (and often getting
them wrong) for decades, and to
aquarium owners theyre either
loved or hated.
As a quick recap for those not
familiar with UV, it can do one
of a couple of things. At low
exposure levels, it can help to
clarify water from oating
algae. At high, powerful
exposures, itll kill,
indiscriminately and
effectively. Viruses, bacteria,
parasites, whatever. If its
water-borne and goes past a
powerful enough UV, its
getting nuked.
The benet of the NEWA UV
is the ease of use. Its a hang on
as opposed to requiring
plumbing in, and for a lot of
aquarists thats the kind of
difference between a bumper
car and a Bentley.
Hard plumbed UVs can be
awkward to work with, and
once theyre in place theyre
limited to use on one tank.
Many are based on designs for
pond use, making them messy
to work with. Having clambered
around in more than one
sumped cabinet in my time,
trying to change bulbs without
cracking quartz sleeves, Im
happy to embrace anything that
changes the rules a bit.
The NEWA system runs just
like a hang on lter. A lip
broaches the top of the tank,
and a nozzle and inlet juts down
into the water. The working
parts of the UV sit outside the
tank, on the back or side.
The design is simple, in a back
to front kind of way. Usually, the
emphasis in on water passing
through a chamber, while the
UV bulb resides in a quartz
sleeve. NEWA have theirs the
other way, with water passing
through a horseshoe-shaped
quartz pipe, with the UV sat in
between the two straight edges.
100
Flow control
Speed up and its a UVC,
slow it and it sterilises.
Overow
Water returns via an
overow principle.
UV housing
The body opens up
for easy access to the
quartz tube and bulb.
Inlet/strainer
The nozzle drops down into
the tank to extract water.
A UV unit you can
move from tank
to tank.
The real genius comes from the

use of mirrors (hence the
name). Inside the entire UV
chamber, theres a highly
reective aluminium screen,
bouncing that UV back into the
water where its needed.
Access to the working parts is
beyond easy. Three sliding clips
one each side and one on the
bottom open up to let you
split the entire unit in half. The
pump pushes into place, making
extraction and cleaning a doozy.
Changing the 9W bulb (the
same as used in pond clariers
the world over) couldnt be
more straightforward. Remove
cover, change bulb. You dont
even need a screwdriver, which
is nice.
Theres a control on top that

adjusts ow, with the pretence
that higher ow will only
impact clarity, while slower
ow will bring in the
sterilising effect.
As I see it, there are only a
couple of downsides. The rst, if
you havent got an open-topped
set up, then this isnt going on
the tank. But then, if youve
got a sump, you can stick it on
that instead.
The only other downside is
that it guzzles up plug space.
You need one plug for the bulb,
plus another for the pump
powering it all. It would have
been nice to have one plug
powering everything, but I guess
that wasnt an option.
Verdict
3.5/
5
Excellent if trying to
control disease in a
sh only set-up, I imagine
that detractors will point
out that UVs often blight
the good stuff in a reef set
up (like microscopic food
for corals) and others might
be put off by the price. It is
steep for what it is, but if I
had a 4,000 Clarion angel
and was worried about
whitespot, I might be
thinking otherwise.
O Ease of use: 5/5
O Features: 4/5
O Value for money: 2/5
O Overall score: 3.5/5
O Price: 114.99
O More info:
ntailproducts.co.uk
FIRST SIGHT
Hydor Koralia Third generation

7000 lph pump
Whatever you might think of
Hydor, you cant accuse them of
resting on their laurels. These
guys and gals have themselves a
think tank somewhere, and
theyre pouring endless brain
nuggets into it.
The new pumps are the most
futuristic to date, and to be fair,
none of the Hydor range was
ever old hat to start with.
Theyve changed so much the
shape, the outlet, the strainer,
even the way it attaches, and all
of it is an improvement.
First up, youve got the shape.
The back of the pump is now
distinctly eggy and smooth,
with a rounded rump. The tank
bracket that now holds it in
place is a rounded egg cup of a
thing, and bringing the two
together reveals that theyre
both kitted with magnets. This
ball and socket design,
seemingly without any
restriction, gives unimpeded
directionality around the tank.
Aspiring designer doctors take
note, breakdancers of the future
will want these ttings in
human bodies.
The ball and cup socket is then
attached to the glass by you
guessed it another magnet.
Once in place, this pumps going
nowhere. Even better, the
rubberised nature of these
elements mean that the bracket
doubles up as a noise reducer,
bringing everything to a low
hum at worst. Its good for glass
up to 1.5cm thick, but over that
youre on your own.
The strainer/housing of the
unit is now spiral shaped
instead of dead straight, making
for a more efficient water
uptake. In fact, Hydor pulled off
the unthinkable, in taking an
already energy efficient range of
pumps and making them
consume even less power for yet
more ow. The Koralia 7000
delivers up to 7000 lph of ow
for just 4.5W power
consumption (based on UK
voltages). Not bad when you
consider the old Koralia EVO
5,600 delivered 1400 lph less
ow for 5WW consumption.
Good job, Hydor.
On the outlet you get four
options. Option one is
completely open, bumping out a
Faberge egg
meets ow pump.
Wide diffuser
Flow can be reduced
with this handy
attachment.
Spiral inlet
Note the design change
to what were formerly
straight slats.
Fish guards
No more nano gobies
meeting their end at
spinning impellers.
heady 7000 lph. Then you have

two sh guards (small and
medium) impacting on ow and
bringing it down to 4900 and
5800 lph respectively. Lastly,
theres a diffuser for a wider
spread of ow, and that brings
things down to 5300 lph. You get
all the different covers in the
package so you can pick and
choose at your leisure.
In Koralia style, access to the
impeller is easy, and just
involves wriggling the outer
shell of the unit in two.
The Third generation pumps
are still compatible with timers
and wave making devices, and
The ball and socket
magnet design is
genius.
You get a comprehensive

package.
as a bonus, theres even a cable

protector (which you need to
put on yourself) for additional
peace of mind.
There are three models
available. The Koralia 5000 at
3.5W for 5000 lph ow, the
7000 model mentioned above,
and a larger 9000 model that
pumps out 9000 lph for 6.3W.
Verdict
4.5/
5
For the SPS crowd

that like their water
howling through like a
hurricane, the new Koralia
range will be bang on the
money. As pumps go, these
are the snazziest to date.
They look smart and run
smart. At this rate, Hydor
will be the rst company to
put a reef tank on the
moon, theyre that ahead of
the game.
O Ease of use: 5/5
O Features: 5/5
O Overall: 4.5/5
O Price: Koralia 7000 lph
129.99
O More info: www.hydor.
com/eng/
101
HEAD TO HEAD
Battle of the vacs!

Like buses or rare catsh species, you sit waiting for ages and there are none, then
several turn up at once, writes Nathan Hill. This month its a match to the death
between the new Fluval AquaVAC+ and the NEWA Pgr gravel cleaner. Except its not
really a match to the death at all, because we couldnt get them to ght.
Fluval AquaVAC+
Snazzy, huh? I was hoping that
Hagen was going to bring one of
these out sooner or later, and
now it has, Im not going to
relinquish mine to anyone.
Ever. (Apart from me Ed).
In a nutshell, its a quick
vacuum. Handy, right?
Now, I know what youre
thinking. Yes, sometimes the
tank does need a proper
water change, and this is
no substitute for that.
Youre dead right, too,
this really is no
substitute for
that. But it is a
H nging clip
The head holds the
batteries, and the red
clip extends to hang the
vac between uses.
complement to it.
Next, youll be thinking that if
youve got some waste sat in the
bottom of the tank, and dont
have the time or requirement
for a full blown water change,
then you can just get in there
with a net. Also correct, unless
youve got a thick carpet of
plants on the bottom of an
aquascape. Or, for that matter, if
youre trying to get out some
debris on the bottom of a reef
tank, from between a load of
polyps that really dont like
getting jostled about too much.
This thing has a lot of uses for
those times when you dont
fancy getting out the buckets,
rolling your sleeves up, and then
having to spend the next ve
minutes apologising to
family/housemates/pets as
you shuffle past to the
bathroom, sloshing
tropical mucky water on
to the oor. Sometimes
we all feed a bit too
much, and its a total
pain having to
resort to a 10%
Strainer/lter
Water pours through
here, minus any muck
removed by the strainer.
Impeller/motor
Easy to access and
clean, just tease away
the cover.
Verdict
It works, and Hagen has got
the price point right on it.
Aquascapers will love it, as will
reefers. Those aquarists with
bare-bottom tanks will be
scrambling over each other to
get one.
102
Rie of the
future, or tank
cleaner?
4.5/
5
*Batteries included.
O Ease of use: 4/5
O Features: 5/5
O Overall: 4.5/5
O Price: 39.99
O More info: uk.hagen.com
change for something that thisll

take care of in seconds.
The premise is easy enough.
Put the thing in the tank, turn
on the switch at the top of the
grip, and it res up. Then just
prod around the base of the tank
with it, and the water is sucked
up by impeller action and then
released through a large mesh
(that red bit in the middle).
Water comes out, dirt gets
trapped, and then you pop the
red bit out after, pull the foam
out and give it a rinse. Job done.
You can stick in different, ner
foams (supplied) if the black
standard mesh is too coarse. It
clogs quicker, but removes
smaller particles.
Drop the thing into the tank,
and as long as its no deeper
than 90cm/36in, its not a
problem. Provided youve
closed the battery port properly,
its waterproof.
It gets better. If you really do
want to change some water,
then thisll do that for you as
well. Simply attach the supplied
1.2m of hosing on to the stub
jutting from the side, turn the
white switch on the side
through 90, press the button
and away you go syphon
action instead of water return.
Oh, and theres a curious hook
on the top which extends so that
you can hang the thing when not
in use. Because aquarium
vacuum storage is
something weve all had
issues with, right...?
Gravel cleaner
There are both short
and long nozzle options
included.
New gear
Length options
The NEWA model

hangs on to the
tank edge.
You can connect three of

these pipes (supplied)
giving you a reach of
60cm/24in.
Brush head
A soft bristle brush for
cleaning off ornaments.
Flexi hose
Mine was tight and kept
returning to its coiled shape.
Inbuilt strainer
Theres no danger of
pulling out sh with this
strainer in place.
NEWA Pgr gravel cleaner

While the AquaVAC+ is a
mobile, hand held all-in-one
device, the NEWA model takes
a more stationary approach,
lashing to the side of the tank
like a hang on lter (which it
kind of is).
As concepts go, Im unsure if
this a nest moment in
product history. Putting the
unit together before itll work
is a ddly affair, and unless
youre the kind of person who
sees the comedy value in a
fastening pinging back out into
your hand after youve spent
two minutes rigging it up, then
you might get frustrated.
The box then goes on the side
of the tank, and a large strainer
and sock slip inside the thing.
Theres no quick on/off button,
so once youre plugged in
youre running, like it or not. At
that point, its a case of
plunging the gravel cleaning
attachment into the substrate

and hoping for the best. My
advice is not to try to do too
much at one time.
Initially the hose is a swine to
work with as it has a very clear
idea that it wants to revert to
the original curved shape it was
packed in. That means it snags
and snarls, and then pulls itself
out of its moorings again.
On the plus side, it does deal
with a fair chunk of waste
before blocking, and when it
does its a ten second job to pull
the strainer out, empty and
rinse it, and pop it back in. If
you need to deal with a lot of
solid waste (Im looking at you
indoor goldsh or big cichlid
keepers), then thisll be up your
alley. Saying that, the lter
mesh does take out remarkably
ne waste too, so I imagine that
these will nd their uses in
public aquaria and research
So who wins? Neither and both!

Theyve each got a place in the hobby, and while my own
sentiments are that the NEWA cleaner might not be great in a
heavily decorated tank (that hose does get cumbersome) it
works wonders at pulling out big lumps of waste from mucky
tanks. If I kept Oscars, Id want one.
facilities as well as in the hobby.

You can get down into pretty
deep tanks, and using all three
gravel cleaner extensions will
get you down to 60cm/24in or
so. What is lovely is the brush
attachment to go on the end,
meaning you can gently scrub
decor at the same time as
sucking out everything youre
loosening up.
You will need to do a little bit
of a top up after use, as the hang
on chamber retains a couple of
litres of your tankwater which is
full of debris and bits. Theres
not really the option to divert it
for water change use, either,
which is a bit of a shame.
Verdict
3/
5
So, so close to being

great, but the lack of an
on/off function and the
tendency to come apart
during use are a bit of a
turn off for me. Make it
sturdier and give me a
button on top of the
cleaner, and itll be superb.
O Ease of use: 2/5
O Features: 3/5
O Overall: 3/5
O Price: 46.99
O More info:
ntailproducts.co.uk
The Fluval cleaner is a more nimble device, but has a lower

capacity before it needs the strainers cleaned. Itd be my choice for
heavily planted tanks where I want to remove debris with precision,
but might not have huge amounts of waste to hook out.
Also, held the right way, the AquaVAC+ looks like a futuristic
weapon, which is always a bonus.
103
New gear
NANO TANK GEAR
JBL PRO CRISTALi30

internal lter
Nano sized aquaria seem to be
an unstoppable trend in the
hobby at present, offering
shkeeping opportunities for
those without the space, budget
or inclination to shell out for a
larger aquarium.
Many of these tiny tanks come
in a plug and play state, with all
the required equipment in the
box, but there are a signicant
number of small tanks around
that either dont feature
ltration at all, or are hamstrung
by poor designs. Many of the
offered lters are the smallest
that the manufacturer makes,
and often little more than a tiny
version of what they make for
larger tanks.
German manufacturer JBL
has been recently been
confronting this with a series of
innovative new internals to suit
various applications.
The newest of these is the
PRO CRISTALi30. This
diminutive lter is aimed at
tanks between 10 and 40 l;
squarely at the nano market. At
12cm/4.8in high, 7.5cm/3in
wide and 4cm/1.6in thick, its
compact and easy to place
discreetly in most tanks.
The majority of the media
space is taken up by a standard
sponge insert thats ideal for
both physical and biological
ltration purposes if
maintained well. The i30 goes a

little further, with the addition
of chemical ltration cartridges
that slot into a purpose built
housing below the lter outlet.
Currently two different
cartridges are available; Algae
Prevent and Super Clear, both
of which are recommended for
monthly replacement. Budget
conscious shkeepers, not
averse to a little DIY tinkering,
could try emptying the
spent cartridges and adding
their own choice of
chemical media which would
increase options.
The i30 is expandable via
Modul units which clip to
the base of the lter, with
each unit doubling the
amount of foam media. This
makes the unit bulkier,
adding 4cm height with each
one, but the 200 lph pump,
(rated at a frugal 3.7W) is
gutsy enough to deal with extra
loading within reason.
A Venturi aeration device is
included for those after
increased surface agitation, and
the i30 xes to the tank via
sucker cups. Only long-term
testing will show if these suffer
from issues of hardening and
the associated loss of adhesion
that can affect suckers.
The i30 can also be installed
lying on its back in shallow
Multiple chambers
allow media options.
Verdict
tanks, as long as the unit

remains submerged.
The packaging does mention
its use in goldsh aquaria,
though PFK doesnt
recommend keeping goldsh i
n tanks of sizes between 10
and 40 l (Feature eds note:
unless its a rearing tank for fry,
that is).
Theres a manufacturers
four-year warranty too!
4.5/
5
If youre in the market

for a nano-lter, whether to
replace or upgrade existing
kit, or in a new tank then
the i30 is well worth
serious consideration.
Compact, adaptable, quiet
and economical, it ticks
all the boxes for smaller
tank ltration.
O Ease of use: 5/5
O Features 4/5
O Overall score: 4.5/5
O Price: 16.95
O More info: http:
www.jbl.de
BOB MEHEN
PRODUCT NEWS
New aquarium foods from NT Labs

Pro-f offers a selection of probiotic and
prebiotic high-specication foods for
aquarium sh, using the highest quality
ingredients and the latest nutritional
technology. From aquascapes with shrimp
and nano sh species, through to
competition grade discus, theres a food to
suit most aquarium sh.
Tropical Fish Food has now been
relaunched with a new look: Pro-f Probiotic
Tropical. This food still contains probiotic
bacteria, ensuring your sh digest and
absorb more of the nutrients, and resulting
in less waste and improved water quality.
Probiotic Tropical is now joined by an
additional seven foods including Shrimp
Enhancer, Catsh Pellet, Cichlid Green 33,
Cichlid Red 48, Discus Granule and
Fancy Goldsh.
All foods have been carefully considered
for each group of sh. For example,
104
Fancy Goldsh has been formulated to

boost colour and to slowly sink in the
aquarium, avoiding surface feeding and
preventing air intake which can cause
buoyancy difficulties.
Nano Tropical, which NT Labs says is the
smallest pellet available on the market at a

tiny 0.8mm in diameter, is ideal for nano
species of sh including Sparkling gourami,
Galaxy rasbora, Siamese ghting sh and
Endlers guppies.
More info: www.ntlabs.co.uk.
Bright and bold

new packaging.
O I
eSHa OODINEX is a wide range disease
treatment for marine fish in aquariums that
contain inverts. The unique formula of eSHa
OODINEX solves a wide range of bacterial,
fecti
eSHa MINAROLL is a unique composition of

trace elements, vitamins and minerals. It provides
your fish with quantities they need for a healthy life.
#eshalabs
#eshalabs
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Cambridge
Brockworth
Shoptour
This months shoptour takes us to Brockworth in
Gloucestershire and Cambridge.
The Aquatic Habitat

Address: Shurdington Road,
Brockworth, Gloucester,
GL3 4PU.
Telephone: 01452 862791.
Website: www.the-aquatichabitat.co.uk
Opening hours: Monday to
Saturday 9.30am5.30pm;
Sundays and bank holidays:
10.30am4.30pm.
Tanks: 97 tropical, 36
coldwater, ten marine; 35
ponds; 14 for Koi and 21 for
other pond sh.
he Aquatic Habitat has

been around since the
early 70s and has grown
organically over the years to
form the impressive if rambling
store it is today. Owner Rob
Wilden took over the business
from his parents in the late
1990s and is a quietly
enthusiastic presence, with an
encyclopedic knowledge of his
stock that shows a love for the
hobby which is commendable.
The store is entered via a
tunnel-like tropical, coldwater
and marine section. While
showing a few signs of its age,
this is nonetheless packed with
quality livestock. Each tank is
ltered by a classic undergravel
lter, rare today but still a
great way of keeping tanks
clean and in a shop situation
it allows every tank to be
entirely separate from the
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: BOB MEHEN
STAR RATING
Tropical sh .....................11111
Discus .................................11111
Catsh.................................11111
Cichlids ..............................11111
Oddballs ............................11111
Indoor plants...................11111
Pond plants......................11111
Koi .........................................11111
Pond sh............................11111
Fancies ...............................11111
Indoor coldwater...........11111
Marine sh........................11111
Marine inverts.................11111
Indoor dry .........................11111
Pond dry............................ 11111
Freshwater inverts .......11111
Labelling............................11111
KEY:
106
The display set-ups are

impressive and well-maintained.
others, reducing the risk of

disease spreading.
First glance shows a host of
quality community staples, but
closer inspection reveals
oddballs and sought-after
rarities in number, nestling
among the generous decor and
plant life.
Angelsh are a highlight, with
a wide range of varieties of P.
Corydoras sp. CW51.
Member of OATA the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association
scalare on sale, all bred by Rob

at home.
Fancy goldsh feature in
number as well, with a
comprehensive range on sale.
While there is no specic
temperate section, a decent
array of species suitable for
cooler climes are on offer
alongside the tropicals.
A few potential tankbusters
were evident, but well labelled

to make ill-informed impulse
purchases unlikely.
The marine section is small
no sparkling coral trays or
vast banks of sh here but
what was on sale was healthy
and vibrant, if unlikely to set
pulses racing. A large dry goods
section carried an exhaustive
range of kit, foods and decor
Filament tetra.
Member of the PFK anti-dyed sh campaign
Member of the Big Fish Campaign
The owners home-bred

angelsh grace this
planted display tank.
and featured several striking

planted displays, one graced
with more of Robs stunning
angelsh.
The pond section is an whole

separate shop, reached via a
large outdoor pond display area,
which was a nice advert for how
The vast pond

section has its own
separate shop.
Paratilapia polleni.
STAR RATING: Excellent 22222

the right pond can grace any

garden. The pond shop is vast,
featuring numerous raised
brick holding ponds lled
with thousands of bright,
greedy UK-bred goldsh, orfe,
rudd, tench etc. Larger ponds
held a superb range of
colourful Israeli Koi. A
complete range of pond
pumps, lters, food and
accessories, (including a
selection of pipework and
ttings to shame a plumbers
merchant) is available. An
equally generous pond plant
area featured the best range of
pond plants and lilies Ive seen
in many years. Reassuringly
there was extensive on site
quarantine facilities for both
indoor and outdoor sh.
Red-backed moon tetra.
Verdict A little ragged around

the edges maybe, but lled with
old school charm, The Aquatic
Habitat is a great place to
wander for a couple of hours
the longer you stay the more
youll discover! Pondkeepers
will be especially happy and
those aquarists seeking more
unusual tropical species will not
be disappointed.
Whatstoodout?
G Corydoras sp. New Panda
CW51 39.90
G Red-backed moon tetra,
Bathyaethiops sp. 10.90
G Flagtailed catsh, Dianema
urostriatum 23.90
G Madagascan cichlid,
Paratilapia polleni 15.00
G Red snook, Petenia
splendida 29.00
G Mountain loach,
Traccatichthys sp. 12.90
G Imitator catsh,
Brachyrhamdia messi two
for 15
G Filament tetra
Hemigrammus
lamentosus 5.90
G Orange-nned halfbeak,
Nomorhamphus ebrardtii
9.90
G Mackerel barb, Barilius
pulchellus 14.90
Good 22222 Average 22222 Below average 22222 Poor 22222 Out of season OS Not stocked NS
107
This store has a great

range of African cichlids.
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Scotsdale

(Cambridge)
Address: Scotsdale Nursery
and Garden Centre, 120
Cambridge Road, Great
Shelford, Scotsdale,
Cambridgeshire, CB22 5JT.
Telephone: 01223 843400.
Website: www.shkeeper.co.
uk/store/scotsdale
Opening hours: Mon, Tue,
Wed, Fri, Sat 9am6pm; Thurs
9am8pm; Sunday and bank
holidays 10.30am4.30pm.
Tanks: 128 tropical, 40 marine,
12 coldwater, 14 pond.
f you give a shop just 24

hours notice before a PFK
visit and it still looks
impressive with plenty of
interesting livestock, wellmaintained tanks and an overall

tidy appearance then you know
its a good one. Its my usual
policy to give a shop around a
weeks notice before visiting
them for a PFK review but
circumstances led to a
short-notice trip to the
Scotsdale branch of
Maidenhead Aquatics.
The store, like many other
Maidenhead Aquatics
branches, is located inside a
garden centre, which
encourages plenty of visitors
and interest from potential new
hobbyists, as well as existing
customers. The store used to be
well known for its 3.5m/10ft

Rift Valley African cichlid
display and large range of stock
thereof. However, the store
has recently invested heavily
into the marine side of the
hobby with around a third of
the selling tanks holding
marine livestock.
I was really impressed with
the wide selection of corals,
including some harder to nd
frags at very reasonable prices.
All of the marine sh were in
good health and the more
commonly available marine
animals were stocked in
abundance. A beautiful
Harlequin tusksh had the
best colours Ive seen in such

a specimen.
Despite coming to the end of
the pond season (at the time of
the visit) the shop still had
plenty to keep the outdoor
shkeeper happy with some
impressive Koi in a lovely
display and a large variety of
pond plants.
Goldsh, including fancies,
and sub-tropical species were
all kept on the same system a
good move that hopefully
encourages new shkeepers to
keep the relatively beginnerfriendly and smaller temperate
species as their rst sh in
smaller aquaria.
WORDS: & PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE FARMER
STAR RATING
Tropical sh .....................11111
Discus.................................................NS
Catsh.................................11111
Cichlids..............................11111
Oddballs............................11111
Indoor plants...................11111
Pond plants......................11111
Koi.........................................11111
Pond sh............................11111
Fancies...............................11111
Indoor coldwater...........11111
Marine sh........................11111
Marine inverts.................11111
Indoor dry.........................11111
Pond dry.............................11111
Freshwater inverts .......11111
Labelling............................11111
KEY:
108
Melanotaenia
maccullochi.
Harlequin tusksh.
Member of OATA the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association
Member of the PFK anti-dyed sh campaign
Member of the Big Fish Campaign
PFK shoptour
Aquarium plants were

abundant on our visit.
The marine section has

recently been extended.
There are plenty of dry goods

and hardscape materials.
Aquarium plants were

abundant and all in good
condition in a well-lit holding
tank, although it was a little
disappointing to see
houseplants among the
selection. I discussed this with
the duty manager who did
assure me that the customers
were made aware that these
non-aquatic plants are a
temporary ornament. It was
good to see a dedicated shrimp
system, although it was lightly
stocked at the time of our visit.
Where the store excelled was
the tropical freshwater sh
section. Every genre was very

well-catered for with the
exception of discus that were
not sold. I saw the most
incredible Asian rummynose,
Sawbwa resplendens, which
were a good size with brilliant
colouration on the males. It is
rare to see these great sh
colour up so well in shop
conditions. If I hadnt already
had full stocking in my home
aquariums I would have bought
the lot!
African cichlids from Lake
Malawi and Tangyanika were
well-represented with a
Altolamprologus calvus.
gorgeous Calvus cichlid,

Altolamprologus calvus, that
caught my eye. Regular
community, bread and butter
sh were all stocked with a great
selection of rainbowsh in
particular, including some
stunning Pseudomugil furcatus
in a well-aquascaped planted
display tank.
The shop itself is a good size
and makes good use of natural
lighting to create a modern and
bright, airy feel with plenty of
space to browse the wide array
of livestock. Dry goods, as with
the majority of Maidenhead
Aquatics stores, were very well

stocked with a wide range of
aquariums to full the needs of
all experience levels and
budgets of shkeeper. Being an
aquascaping enthusiast, I will
always carefully check out the
shops hardscape collection
and I was pleased to see a good
variety of materials, including
some great pieces of Redmoor
root and mini-landscape rock.
Verdict This is one of the
most impressive Maidenhead
Aquatic outlets Ive visited this
year and is a very solid
all-rounder. With healthy sh,
well-maintained tanks and a
wide variety of livestock and
dry goods, there is plenty to
keep the vast majority of
shkeepers happy, and the
staff are both knowledgeable
and friendly.
Whatstoodout?
Asian rummynose 3.50

Calvus cichlid 19.50
Botia striata 6.50
Parkinsons rainbow 9.50
Daisy blue ricesh 3.50
Harlequin tusksh 165
Yellow-eyed tang 45
STAR RATING: Excellent 22222

Good 22222 Average 22222 Below average 22222 Poor 22222 Out of season OS Not stocked NS
109
NEXTMONTH
in the January issue of
On sale November 25th 2015
SMART AS A WHIP
Spotlight on whiptail catsh.
AQUASCAPING ACE
We visit this years highest
ranking UK entry in the
worlds biggest
aquascaping
contest.
How one reader turned

this shed into a room
for 42 tanks.
GEORGE FARMER
GABOR HOVARTH
A FISH HOUSE
ON A BUDGET
HARD CORALS MADE EASY

The best SPS coral choices
and the sh to keep with them.
How to keep and breed the

gorgeous Daisys ricesh,
Oryzias woworae.
Gear guide
PLUS SPECIAL
110
SHUTTERSTOCK
ALAMY
DAISY CHAIN
We highlight some of the most exciting new products from the

recent AQUA 2015 trade show, coming soon to a shop near you.
BRISTOL
HAMPSHIRE
t
en
v
e E pm
rin st 9-6 4pm
a
M 31 10t
Oc v 1st
No
Cafe on site
THE AQUATIC STORE

DEFINITELY DIFFERENT
14
WWW.THEAQUATICSTORE.CO.UK 01179639120
* Quality plants for the aquascaper

* An independent shop run with passion!
* 120 tanks of top quality tropical sh.
* 20 tanks of Malawis and Americans.
* 20 tanks of Oddballs from Stingrays to Snakeheads.
* Leading brands like JBL, Ehiem, Hagen stocked.
28 North Street Bedminster Bristol BS3 1HW
Romsey World of Water Trading for 30 years

Specialist Independant Retailer
9000ltr Tropical fish and Plants
5000ltr Marine fish corals and Inverts
80,000ltr Japanese Koi, Goldfish and Natives
www.romseyworldofwater.co.uk
01794 515 923
SO51 0HB
Open 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday
10am-4pm Sunday
ARUNDEL AVIARIES
& FISHERIES
311 315 Arundel Street, Portsmouth.
Tel: 02392 820047

Tropical, reptiles, amphibians,
marines etc. Also cage birds.
Good selection of accessories
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat 9am-5pm. Wed Closed
HOBBY FISH
Established over 75 years

Find us on facebook
Aquarium, Pond & Reptile Specialists

TROPICALSMARINECOLDWATER
PONDKOIAQUATIC PLANTSREPTILES
LARGE SELECTION OF NANO LIVESTOCK
Towcester Road (A5)
Old Stratford
Milton Keynes Tel: 01908 543210
hobbyfish.co.uk
MK19 6BD
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
+ Voted PFK East retailer of the year & UK runner up

+ Tropical
+ Cold water
+ Marines & invertebrates

+ Huge aquarium showroom
+ Superb dry good selection
smell the inspiration not the sh

175 St.Neots Rd, Hardwick Cambridge CB23 7QJ
COUNTY DURHAM
Retailer of
the year
North East
The only true aquatic Superstore, with over 250 stock tanks
specializing in community, rare and unusual cold water, tropical
and marine fish inverts and corals. Largest range of aquariums,
dry goods, frozen and live foods and Tropical plants.
Fish Alive
Opening hours weekdays 10.00 - 18.00, Saturdays 10.00 - 17.00, Sundays 10.00 - 16.00, Closed on Wednesdays
Units 10 & 11, Dragonville Retail Park, Durham DH1 2YB

Phone and fax: 0191 3843590
DEVON
nd us at
Piccotts End
Hemel Hempstead
HP1 3BA
coldwater
pond sh
koi
tropical
deepblueaquatic@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 01442 244072
marine
inverts
weekly sh orders
taken on facebook
KENT
Abacus Aquatics
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Multitier Aquarium Systems

by HOBBY FISH
ALEX FOSTER, LATETRICKS
Tailpiece
with Nathan Hill
ouve got a great job

I hear that a good two-dozen
times a month. Admittedly, itd
be nice if I had that many people
saying you do a great job but hey ho. I
know you guys and girls love me on the
inside. Right?
Anyway, this job of mine. A
lot of it is indeed great. But I
think people miss one aspect
out, and its something that
makes me envious of every
reader I have. Hear that? You
all have at least one huge
advantage over me, and Im
jealous of it.
Fact is that Im stuck for
space. Not only that, I
currently live in a rented place
and I dont trust the power
supply (shocking, literally) or
the housemates enough to
have a tank downstairs (which
reminds me housemates, if
youre thumbing through
this, its high time you took the bin out.)
That means that any aquarium has to go
in to my room, a picnic hamper of a thing,
lined with skateboards, books and all my
(scant) worldly possessions. Now, my room
isnt huge. Theres barely enough space to
swing a yoyo.
Before this becomes the most depressing
episode of Through the Keyhole ever, the
point Im making is Ive got space for one
aquarium, and not a particularly big one.
Youre probably wondering what the
problem is. After all, Ive got space for a
tank. Well, yeah, but I never get to do what I
really want to in it.
My home tank whichever model it
might happen to be at the time is the
basis of projects for the magazine. In this
month youll nd it in the beginners guide
supplement. That Fluval Fresh F-35 in
there is currently sat next to my head,
humming me to sleep each night.
Again, no problem, right? I get my
hardware (mostly) courtesy of the
company, to do with as I please... Ahhh.
Thats where it all comes crashing down.
This month my set up was for a beginners
guide. Next month it might be Boraras
biotope, or a breeding tank for a pair of
dwarf cichlids, or whatever else is in the six
114
NATHAN HILL
When you read the words on a page, I hope that

you pick up on some of the thinly concealed desire behind them.
When I get to write a Fish of the Month feature, it will be about
a genus or species that I desperately crave.
Ill not be getting a

six-footer in there then...
month plan. That tank

you see in the guide will
be something completely
different by the time you read this rant.
All I want is Neons...

Flitting through different tanks was a fun if
slightly unhinged trait from my youth I
made a point of it in last months Tailpiece
but now all I want is a shoal of Neon tetra
in a biotope-looking layout. That said, Id
probably take anything, as long as I could
keep it for years instead of weeks.
I tell a lie. If I had a tank of my very own
for a real long-term project, Id go plants
and only plants. Im away too frequently
(and dont trust my bin-avoiding
housemates enough to leave anything in
their care) for it to be fair on any sh.
So there we have it. You get to keep sh. I
just get to look at sh, and write about them.
You might think this job is perfect, and that
I get to immerse myself in the world of sh,
every working day, but I do so only
vicariously. Theres an old derogatory
saying often aimed at writers, which is
simply: Cant do? Write! In one sense, that
sums up my position entirely. I presently
cant do, and so I write instead.
When you read the words on a page, I
hope that you pick up on some of the thinly
concealed desire behind them. When I get
to write a Fish of the Month feature, it will
be about a genus or species that I
desperately crave. Last month I immersed

myself in a world of Splash tetra, and got to
relive the days I actually kept them. To
create it, I got to spend my days just
trawling every possible source for
information. Quite literally, I got paid to
research that sh, as though I was about to
embark on caring for them like they were
the last sh Id ever keep. This month its
African barbs, and I yearn for a shoal of
Barbus hulstaerti like a man in the desert
lusts for water.
Perpetual tease
Spare me a thought. For all that research, I
wont get to keep them. At best, and
assuming I can plan far ahead enough, I
might have them for a couple of weeks, and
then back to the shop they go. If you can
imagine what thats like, every month, then
you get a glimpse of my life. Its a perpetual
tease, like saving up for the car of your
dreams and then driving it into a wall.
But yeah, for all that, it could be worse. It is
a great job. Just know that when Im settled
and out of rented accommodation, Im
putting together a Neon tetra biotope so
beautiful that it would make David
Attenborough fall to his knees and weep.
And whats more, itll be all mine. Just like
your tanks are...
Nathan Hill is Practical Fishkeeping magazines features
editor, laid up amateur freestyle skater, bane of yoyo
strings, and Japanese ale guzzler.
Maidenhead Aquatics - leading the way in shkeeping excellence.
RUN BY FISHKEEPERS,
FOR FISHKEEPERS
WITH OVER 140 STORES NATIONWIDE AND

OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE, WERE THE UKS
LEADING AUTHORITY IN FISHKEEPING
We offer (0% APR representative) on any purchase over

350, up to a total credit value of 2500. * In participating
stores only. Subject to terms and conditions. Ask in store for
details.
To nd your nearest store,

visit shkeeper.co.uk
Maidenhead Aquatics
@the_shkeeper
FREE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO KEEPING FISH
aquarium
INSIDE:
O Step-by-step
OThe best sh
guide to setting up
for beginners
OHow to feed and

care for your sh
OLooking after
your aquarium
p4
Theres so much
to enjoy about
keeping sh!
Glorious colours,
fascinating behaviour,
a slice of nature in your
own home and even
breeding! Fishkeeping
has so much to offer!
This easy-to-follow guide
will get you started, with
advice on what youll
need to set up your rst
aquarium and how to
avoid some of the
potential problems and
pitfalls to make your
introduction a
successful one.
The PFK team
p18
Whats inside...
ideas for
Which food?
19
4 Stocking
your new tank
Just starting out? Here are 15 great
species to choose from, all of which
are perfect for the beginner.
up,
8 Setting
step-by-step
Follow this guide to putting
everything together.
for
18 Shopping
new sh
CONTACT US
Address Practical Fishkeeping, Bauer Media, Media
House, Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Email: k.youngs@bauermedia.co.uk
p22
Advice on buying new sh and how

to introduce them safely to your
aquarium.
Not all sh have the same

nutritional requirements, so
getting the diet right is essential.
20 Spot the symptoms

Knowing how to identify common
health problems and how to deal
with them will help your sh live
long and healthy lives.
after
22 Looking
your tank
Regular maintenance is needed
to keep your sh healthy and your
new aquarium looking good.
LOOK FOR THESE!

Platy
O Scientic name:
Xiphophorus maculatus.
O Size: Males to 5cm/2in,
females bigger at
7.5cm/3in.
O Water preferences:
Medium hard to hard
water, pH 7.08.0
O Temperature:
2026C/6879F.
O Tank size: 60 x 30cm/
24 x 12in.
O Shoal size: Keep at least
ve, and add more females
than males.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Neon tetra
Peppered cory
O Scientic name: Paracheirodon innesi.

O Size: Usually to about 2.5cm/1in.
O Water preferences: Soft to slightly hard water, pH 5.07.5.
O Temperature: 2128C/7282F (ideally around 2223C/71.573F).
O Tank size: 60 x 30cm/24 x 12in.
O Shoal size: Minimum six sh.
O Scientic name: Corydoras paleatus.

O Size: Maximum 7.5cm/3in.
O Water preferences: Soft, pH 6.07.0.
O Temperature: 2226C/7279F (ideally around 2324C/7375F).
Harlequin rasbora
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
O Scientic name: Trigonostigma heteromorpha.

O Size: To 5cm/2in (females plumper).
O Temperature: 2128C/7082F.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
ewcomers can be
overwhelmed by
the choices offered
by an aquatic store.
If youre a seasoned shkeeper,
youll have a good idea of what
youre looking at, but for the
rst time aquarist it can be a
little daunting.
For your rst tank, keep
things simple. Exotic sh have
exotic requirements, but many
of the old favourites have an
enduring popularity because
theyre so tough and adaptable.
Here are 15 species youll
struggle to go wrong with...
Bristlenose catsh
O Scientic name: Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus.
O Size: To 12.5cm/5in.
O Tank size: 60 x 30cm/ 24 x 12in.
O Shoal size: Can be kept singly.
BEGINNERS GUIDE
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Stocking ideas
Zebra danio
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Guppy
O Scientic name: Poecilia reticulata.
O Size: Males to 4cm/1.6in, females to 6cm/2.5in.
O Water preferences: Neutral to hard water, pH 7.08.5.
O Shoal size: Can be kept as a trio of one male, two females.
O Scientic name: Danio rerio.

O Size: To 5cm/2in.
O Water preferences: Soft to hard water, pH 6.08.0.
PFK/GEORGE FARMER
O Scientic name: Pristella maxillaris.

O Size: To 5cm/2in.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
X-ray tetra
White Cloud Mountain minnow

O Scientic name: Tanichthys albonubes.
O Size: T0 4cm/1.6in.
Gold barb
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
O Scientic name: Barbodes

semifasciolatus.
O Size: To 7.5cm/3in.
O Water preferences: Soft to
hard water, pH 6.28.0.
O Temperature: 1725C/
6277F.
O Tank size: 90 x 30cm/
36 x 12in.
Stocking ideas
Coolie loach
SHUTTERSTOCK
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
O Scientic name: Pangio semicincta.

O Size: To 10cm/4in.
O Water preferences: Very soft to soft water,
pH 4.07.0.
O Shoal size: Minimum ve sh.
Dwarf gourami
O Scientic name: Caridina multidentata.

O Size: To 5cm/2in.
O Water preferences: Soft to moderately hard water, pH 6.27.8.
O Shoal size: Can be kept singly or in huge numbers.
O Scientic name: Trichogaster lalius.

O Size: Males to 7.5cm/3in, females to 6cm/2.4in.
O Shoal size: Keep as pairs, or multiples of pairs.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Amano shrimp
Lemon tetra
O Scientic name: Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis.
O Size: To 4cm/1.6in.
Cherry barb
O Scientic name: Puntius titteya.
O Size: To 5cm/2in.
BEGINNERS GUIDE
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From start to nish...
UP YOUR TANK!
Follow our step-by-step

guide to setting up an
aquarium like this one.
PHOTOGRAPHY: NATHAN HILL
Location matters
Siting your tank takes planning, but its
worth it. A busy hallway might have too
many people going past, which will freak the
sh out, but a quiet corner might be hard to
access for maintenance.
O Identify sources of heat or cold. Windows
or radiators need to be avoided, and position
the tank out of direct sunlight. More sun
means more algae, and much more cleaning.
O Keep away from anything that can knock

the tank. Dont put it next to where you play
the Nintendo Wii, or where swinging doors
can hit it.
O Dont put it too close to speakers or the
TV. The vibrations will stress sh out and
cause disease or death.
O Keep your aquarium out of any room
where fumes are present. If you paint or
smoke, dont do it near the tank.

O Dont site it miles away from drainage
or a water supply. Youll need to change
water from time to time, and you dont
want to travel far with heavy buckets.
O Place it on a sturdy oor!
O Check the warranty to see if youre able
to use the tank on any cabinet that isnt
purposely made for it.
BEGINNERS GUIDE
Setting up
Putting the basics together

My own set up is based on a Fluval Fresh Aquarium F-35 tank and cabinet set with external
lter. The tank is 38 x 38 x 44cm, with a volume of around 60 l lled. Many of these steps can
be applied to any tank youre using as your rst kit.
Put your tank on the cabinet, and ensure that

you have polystyrene tiles or a base mat
underneath if required. Floating bases
where the glass doesnt touch the cabinet
wont need this, but if the glass is in contact,
itll need protection.
Clean the substrate youre using for the base.

Im using aquarium silica sand, though ne
gravel or silver sand will also work. Rinse up to
one third of a bucket at a time under a cold
running tap until the water runs clear. Keep
stirring the sand as water pours over it. If you
skip this stage, your tank may never be clear,

as it might be beyond the lter to get on top of
the ne dust.
Important: Use a clean bucket for this, and
not one thats used for other household
chores that involve soaps!
My tank has a drilled base, and if yours

does too, then nows the time to attach
the pipework. Push it into place and use
the fasteners to seal them into position.
I hand tighten only to avoid splitting the
brittle pipes.
Add enough substrate to give about 1cm deep all over as your base layer, and then dont be afraid
to build it up in one corner, or back or side for visual effect. I use the edge of a credit card to
sculpt my substrate to shape. Ive used around 5kg of sand here.
Add any rocks youre using to the tank at

this stage. Dont be tempted to try placing
them in the tank before the sand has
gone in, as it has been known for tanks to
break this way. Avoid touching the glass
with the rocks as it can scratch, and in
plastic or acrylic tanks this will be even
more obvious.
Make sure the rocks you use are safe for
an aquarium. Ideally buy them from an
aquatic retailer and ask about suitability in
a freshwater tank. Some rocks contain
limestone or calcium deposits that will
ruin the water chemistry. White, chalky
rocks are the usual culprits for this.
Ive opted for 5kg of an unnamed
aquascaping stone, but rounded cobbles,
petried wood or lava rock could all
work here.
Time to get the lters installed!

Your tank might come with one of a few
kinds of lter. It may be built in to the tank
at the back or side, giving you little say
over where you can put it. You might have
an internal canister lter, or you might
have what Im using here, which is an
external canister.
Internal lters sit inside the tank. They
have a pump built in, and are easy to use.
The only drawback is that you can only t so
much lter media into them. The more lter
media you can use, the better your lter
capacity (as a general rule). Less of a
problem is that they are visible in the tank,
but some are more discrete than others. For
a newcomer, they are usually intuitive and
straightforward to clean, which youll need
to do weekly or fortnightly it takes a
couple of minutes at most.
External canister lters sit outside the
tank, and are physically much larger than
internal canisters. This means that they can
house much more media than an internal
lter, and may require less periodic cleans.
Most owners will clean their external
canisters on a monthly basis.
Getting to know your

external canister
Out of the box, the Fluval 206 needs to be
prepared before it can be used.
Open the lter up using the clamps on

either side of the body. These clip outwards
from the top to open the unit. Wriggle the
head unit off it might be a bit clingy the
rst time.
10
You can just leave decoration at rocks, but
adding a few branches of wood to the tank at
this stage will give it a visual boost. Ive opted
for a few small pieces of driftwood (three
pieces in total) and arranged them to come
out from behind the rocks instead of
competing with it.
Wood will need soaking for several days
before use for two reasons. First, it leaches out
acids that will discolour the water. Second,
while dry, it will oat. Only work with wood
10
that youve had in a bucket of water for a week

or more, and change that water regularly to
wash away the acids and dyes being excreted.
Dont feel you need to rush the design stage
of the layout. The point of keeping the tank is
to look at it, so you dont want to construct
something thats harsh on the eye. Play,
rearrange and keep playing until you feel you
cant do any better. Try to picture at this stage
which plants youre going to put where, and
imagine how theyll work with the decoration.
Note the piece of polystyrene stuck to the

lter. This is to protect the impeller possibly
the most important bit of your lter, and the
one youll need to become familiar with.
BEGINNERS GUIDE
Setting up
11
Get used to pulling the impeller out of its well.

Itll resist, as its held in place magnetically,
but its best to be familiar with it at this earlier
stage. Periodically, youll need to pull the
impeller out to clean both it and the well that
it sits in.
If the pump ever stops working, you can bet
its this bit thats the culprit.
14
18
Turning attention to the lter media in the

canister, pull everything out and make sure its
all there. You should have mechanical,
biological and chemical ltration (see box over
the page) in the package.
15
Important!
Impellers are not covered under
warranty for wear and tear. If it breaks,
youll need to buy a new one, and
theyre not cheap. The main reason
they break is because theyre not
cleaned! You have been warned!
16
Replace the pump unit on top of the lter,
ensuring that the inlet and outlets of water
line up correctly. Get this part wrong, and
you could break the lter!
12
19
The impeller cover needs to go over the
impeller, otherwise it wont work. If, after a
cleaning session, your lter refuses to re
back up, the chances are that this has fallen
out somewhere.
17
13
If the lter comes with a sealing ring (as the

Fluval 206 does), then now is the time to put it
into the appropriate groove on the lter head.
The seal ring plugs in the water when the lter
is lled and without it, water will just pour
straight out. Always ensure that the seal ring
is where it should be after youve cleaned
your lter!
Empty the media out of its plastic packaging

and put it into the lter compartments. One
chamber should have the biomedia, one
should have carbon (leave the carbon in its
porous pouches) and the last should have
foams in. Rinse the biomedia and carbon to
remove dust and place them in the lter
canister. My own arrangement sees foams at
the bottom, biomedia in the middle, and
carbon at the top.
Note that with external canisters, many

have an inbuilt cut off for water ow.
When in position, the ow through the
Fluval 206 is stopped when the white
handle is lifted. This is so that you can
close the hoses off when you need to
maintain the lter, but you need to
remember to open the ow when the
lter is back in position.
Now connect the lter to the pipes on
the underside of the tank, using the
supplied hoses.
On top of the lter, youll see the words
in and out by the nozzles. In is where
the water enters the lter from the tank,
and out is the return. Simple stuff, but it
confuses a lot of people!
11
What lter media

do you need?
The types of lter media can be divided
into three camps, all of which have
different roles and some of which
(confusingly) can slightly overlap.
Mechanical ltration is the foamy part
of the lter. It might be a coarse sponge,
or ne oss, or it may even be a plastic
strainer. The role of mechanical ltration
is to trap out the oating bits of debris in
the tank, such as uneaten food or sh
faeces. It is designed for regular cleaning,
and the idea is that by trapping waste that
is then removed by cleaning, that waste
doesnt get a chance to break down into
dissolved toxins.
Mechanical lters need to be cleaned
regularly to be effective. If they clog, they
will slow down ow through the lter,
upsetting the other media. Weekly or
fortnightly cleans are a must.
To confuse things, some mechanical
lters also behave biologically. This
means that when you clean them, you
need to use water from the tank and
not tapwater!
Biological ltration is the core of any
lter, and may look like plastic rings,
ceramic hoops, spiky sticklebricks,
chunks of pumice, or a heap of other
esoteric substances. In a nutshell, sh
excrete highly toxic waste as a result of
their metabolisms. Where we get rid of
our waste down a toilet, sh just go
straight in the water around them, and the
biological lter needs to deal with that.
Its called biological ltration as it uses
live bacteria to convert harmful sh
wastes into less harmful chemicals.
These bacteria are delicate beasts which
are painfully slow to develop (they can
take weeks to establish a full colony) and
easy to kill.
The chlorine from tapwater can kill
bacteria off rapidly, and its vital that
biomedia is never cleaned under a tap. At
best, it needs a periodic shake about in
some tank water to shift off any debris
that may be smothering it.
Chemical ltration has the job of
polishing off water quality. Often,
chemical lters will be bags of carbon, but
resins and other chemicals may be
employed for specic tasks they may
be designed to remove nitrate, phosphate,
or one of a dozen other chemicals.
The role of chemical media is to remove
dissolved waste by trapping it, lightening
the burden on biological lters. Chemical
lters tend to remove more than just the
immediate toxins that sh produce,
making them great at pulling out
unwanted medicine overdoses, or
chemicals that stain the water.
On the downside, theyre usually short
lived and need frequent replacing. Follow
the manufacturers guidelines on
replacing chemical lters, as leaving them
in the tank too long may lead to them
releasing the chemicals theyve trapped
back into the water.
12
20
22
21
Prepare your plants by removing them from their pots (I nd that pushing them out from
underneath using tweezers is better than pulling them out). Then gently tease away any rockwool
around the roots. It may help to gently wash the roots to remove stubborn pieces of rockwool.
Alternatively, if the plant looks like it still has plenty of space to grow, leave it in the pot. Just
note that its harder to hide a pot than it is to plant individual strands.
23
Plant up the tank before putting the water in, especially if youre using stem plants. The substrate
is much easier to work with while damp, and you can use long tweezers to push plants into it.
A simple trick is to get some Anubias plants (your retailer will be able to point these out) and
use superglue or shing line to attach them to the wood. The glue will cure quickly, holding the
plants in place, and theyll be more than happy taking their nutrients directly from the water. This
can also be done with Java ferns, and a small number of other plants that your local shop should
be able to advise on.
BEGINNERS GUIDE
Setting up
24
If using tapwater to ll your tank, then you

need to treat it before use. An off the shelf
dechlorinator can be added to the bucket
directly, and will act within a few seconds.
Alternatively, consider RO water from your
retailer if tapwater in your area is bad. RO is
water minus all of the bad stuff, and is
available to purchase by the drum.
25
Place some polythene in the tank and slowly

pour the water over it to ll. The polythene will
disperse the water, meaning that lling the
tank will not displace your layout. Gently pull
it out when the tank is around two thirds full.
26
Place the heater in the tank. There will be a

dial somewhere on it that allows you to set the
temperature, though these dials should be
considered a guide only. Set it to around
2425C/7577F, and use a thermometer to
eventually make any tweaks.
If you can hide the heater behind decoration,
then great, but otherwise just make it as
unobtrusive as possible.
27
To complete the effect, layer some plain
gravel of different sizes over the sand, going
from largest stones right by the decor, and
ne over open areas. This stage is far from
important, but can add a nice touch.
13
Setting up
28
Attach the lighting to the tank. In my case Im using

LED lights, but you can also use a uorescent strip
light for aquaria. Most off the shelf kits will have a
light already included, along with the relevant
ttings. The light wants to be on for around seven to
eight hours a day.
Fire everything up! Check that youve got the valves open on
your lter, and dont be alarmed at a few gurgles and air
bubbles while everything beds itself in.
Check thoroughly for leaks, and give the tank a couple of
days before adjusting temperatures to suit.
Now you just need to cycle your tank and youre away!
Tank cycling
A new tank is a dangerous place for a sh,
because it wont be mature.
Tank maturity refers to the levels of
bacteria in the lter, rather than the age of
the tank. A mature lter will be one with
lots of bacteria, and it will be able to cope
with sh waste.
Long story short, sh excrete ammonia
into the water. Ammonia is toxic and
needs to be dealt with, and it is bacteria
that do this by converting it into nitrite,
14
and then eventually into nitrate. Nitrate is a

lot less harmful than ammonia and nitrite.
Until you have bacteria in the lter, theres
nothing around to convert the ammonia,
and so sh in a tank that isnt matured will
be poisoned by it.
Cycling a tank involves adding liquid
ammonia to the water to simulate sh
waste. This is something of an exact science,
and though its too complex to cover in
detail here, youll need an online tank
cycling calculator (a search engine

will bring up many), a test kit for
ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and some
household ammonia.
Cycle your tank in accordance with
the online instructions, adding
ammonia as required, and once the
water tests show that all ammonia and
nitrite is being converted, you can add
your rst sh.
Exciting times!
BEGINNERS GUIDE
STYLISH, SIMPLE TO SET UP & EASY TO RUN
2/G<756B
:32
:756B7<5
spec
chi
Spec gives you a feature which looks

equally stylish by day or night.
Fluval Edge creates a beautiful aquatic centre

piece in any home.
Striking artistic simplicity combine

with easy maintenance
Fluval Spec is available in 2 sizes (10L / 19L) and

2 colours (Gloss White / Gloss Black). The larger
19 Litre model provides a slimline panoramic scene
without needing lots of space tabletop space.
Day and night LED lighting, integrated 3 stage filtration. Available

in 2 sizes (23L & 46L) in Gloss Black and Gloss White. With
twice the volume but the same footprint as a standard Fluval
Edge, the 46 litre model allows more fish and a more creative
aquascape, without taking up additional linear space.
19L glass aquarium with powerful LED lighting and

easy to use filtration system, with easy access media
cover for fast, simple maintenance
www.hagen.com
For more information on Fluval Aquariums or to find your nearest stockist visit www.fluvalaquatics.com
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Rainbowsh prefer slightly

hard, alkaline water, which
wont suit all sh.
Creating the right

What are the most important areas to consider in
providing the perfect home for your sh? Dave Hulse,
Technical Consultant at Tetra, offers some expert advice.
important to research the adult sizes of the

sh you plan to keep. Some common sense
has to be applied here: could the sh grow to
a length of greater than half the shortest
dimension of the tank? If so, you need a
larger tank or you need to reconsider the
species of sh.
Consider all the species you plan to keep in
the tank. For example, if you keep a
carnivorous sh with a shoal of small tasty
Choosing the right sh
tetras, the inevitable will soon happen. It is
therefore important to be aware that as sh
The rst factor to consider when choosing
grow, a specimen that previously happily ate
sh is what sort of water quality you can
sh akes and pellets may come to regard
provide compared to the water quality your
tank mates as supper. Similarly with plants,
chosen sh needs. It would be disastrous to
there are many sh species that are
select sh requiring warm, soft and acidic
voracious herbivores, so would be not be
water if you could only provide hard and
welcome in the planted aquarium. Research
alkaline water and were unable able to
the behaviour of your sh some species
provide a water heater to achieve tropical
can become tyrants in the tank, terrorising
temperatures.
tank mates that venture into their territory;
The list of suitable species is limited
initially by water preferences, followed by the others are ne to most tank mates but bully
members of their own, or similar species.
size of tank that you are considering. It is
ishkeeping can seem a tricky hobby

with lots of variables to consider,
however this beginners guide will
outline the important areas to
create the optimum environment for your
chosen sh. The main things to ensure are
water quality preferences of your planned
sh, as well as their potential sizes, diet and
behaviour towards tank mates.
Tetras new Digital Water Test app.
16
BEGINNERS GUIDE
Advertisement feature
Invest in a quality lter and keep a regular

check on your water quality.
AquaArt Explorer
aquarium from Tetra.
Most of the popular aquarium

sh require tropical conditions.
Tetras new
Proline aquarium
heater.
How to manage water quality

Once youve decided on the sh species, you
must then consider water quality. The most
important principle in shkeeping is to
look after the water and the sh will look
after themselves. So we need to rst
acquaint ourselves with the different ways
we can measure the physical and chemical
properties of the water; temperature, pH,
hardness, dissolved oxygen concentration
and salinity.
It is now easier than ever to assure water
quality is at its optimum with the Tetra
Digital Water Test app, which helps to
analyse the most important water
parameters in an aquarium. For an
uncomplicated and accurate reading of
these water values, you simply need to use
Tetras 6in1 test strips, and carry out the
measurement according to the type of test
as described in the app.
Different shes, invertebrates and plants
will have varying preferences of water type,
some requiring warm, soft and acidic water,
while others prefer colder, harder water. We
must know the water requirements of the
sh we intend to keep to ensure we can
provide the correct type of water without
compromise and on a permanent basis.
We also need to understand how water
quality will change over time as levels of
pollutants such as ammonia, nitrite and
phosphate accumulate. Pollutants will
cause the pH level and water hardness to
decline over time. As such, a lter is an

essential piece of equipment on any
aquarium as this removes and detoxies
some pollutants and reoxygenates the water
it can be thought of as the life support
system of the tank. Regular partial water
changes are also vital to dilute
accumulated pollutants and replenish
dissolved minerals that restore the ideal pH
and hardness balance.
Lighting and heating

Lighting on an aquarium can have a simple
function of setting day/night rhythms of
your aquarium livestock and allowing you
to see inside it. Simple uorescent strip
lights have traditionally been used for this
purpose. However, many aquaria will
contain living aquatic plants and here the
lighting is acting as a proxy for sunlight,
driving the photosynthesis of the plants
enabling them to grow. Historically, such
planted tanks required vast, power-hungry
and heat-radiating lighting units hung over
tanks to offer light bright enough, and of the
correct spectrum to support an array of

aquatic plants. Thankfully, with modern
LED technology, sleeker, more efficient
lighting units are readily available, making
success with planted aquaria a much more
accessible option for beginner shkeepers.
The vast majority of aquarium sh species
are from the tropics, so the tank will need to
be heated above the average room
temperatures of the UK. Unless you plan to
keep goldsh, or one of the sub-tropical
species that will tolerate tanks at room
temperature, a submerged aquarium heater
is a vital piece of equipment. Modern
aquarium heaters use an electric element
sealed either in a tough glass tube or, more
recently, resin. They usually also contain a
thermostat, so the desired temperature can
be set and heater/stat will automatically
maintain the required value. The new Tetra
Proline heater range offers innovative and
unbreakable heaters, ensuring this process
is made simple, easy and safe.
To conclude, water quality, lighting and
heating are all very important and must be
correct for the sh you keep. Ongoing
monitoring and adjustment is required, but
once you understand the basic principles,
you will be able to enjoy shkeeping and
grow your interest in the hobby.
DAVE HULSE IS TETRAS TECHNICAL CONSULTANT; his role primarily involves technical support for Tetra
customers, but he also delivers training and talks, and writes on behalf of the brand for the aquatic press, advising
both consumer and retailers alike. Dave has 20 years of experience within the aquatics industry, and has been
involved in education and training for the last 15 years, having taught at both Sparsholt and Reaseheath Colleges.
He is currently based at the School of Life Sciences at Keele University where he turns his hand to other subjects
in the biological sciences however he usually manages to crowbar a piscatorial reference in at some point!
With such a varied and rich background in aquatics, Dave brings a wealth of experience to support Tetra and its
customers on their shkeeping journey.
17
Buying sh
Shopping for new sh

Buying sh? Our checklists will help you avoid
some common mistakes.
Do
Test your tank water before you
buy sh. Some stores will do this
as a courtesy service if you take in
a sample, but nothing beats
having your own test kit.
Check their health. Inspect all
the sh in the tank you are
planning to buy your sh from to
ensure they are healthy. Look for
unblemished sh with good body
shapes and tidy ns. If any show
signs of illness, dont buy.
Ask about suitability rst. A
retailer might automatically
assume youve done your

research on what youre
buying, so if you dont ask you
might not be told that the sh
youre after has special
requirements.
Take notes. If you see a sh
you really like the look of, make
a note of what it is so that you
can research ready for your
next visit to the shop.
Dont
Buy too many sh at once. It
may be tempting to buy
everything you like the look of,
but its unlikely that even the

best established lter will be
able to cope with the onslaught
of sh waste.
Buy on impulse. That pretty
little sh may turn into a giant
tankbuster or need specialist
conditions. If unsure, leave the
sh in the shop.
Take pity on a battered
sh. If you see a sh cowering
in a corner of the shop tank with
tattered ns and missing scales,
dont buy it. It may introduce
diseases and parasites to your
new tank.
Buy sh if you have a water

quality problem. If there is
anything even slightly askew with
your water quality, you should not
add any sh. Even the tiniest trace
of pollution in a water test can
signify the start of a catastrophe
that will ravage your stock if
ignored.
Buy shoaling sh singly. Many
retailer deals involving savings on
multiple purchases are for the
animals benet, not ours. Fish
that naturally swim in thousands
in the wild wont appreciate being
kept as a single or even a pair in
your home.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JACQUES PORTAL
Introducing your sh to their new home

Once your sh are put into a dark
bag by the retailer, ready to be taken
home, keep them that way until it is
time to put them in your tank. Dark
bags keep them free from stress
during transit. When adding sh to
the tank, draw the curtains and turn
off the house lights until theyve
settled. Fish will benet from a dark
recovery period when moved.
Introduce new sh to your tank
slowly the water in your
aquarium may be different to that in
the shop. Follow the guidelines
below to avoid sudden changes in
temperature or water chemistry.
1 Float the unopened bag on the
tank surface. This will give the water
in the bag time to match the
temperature of the tank. A sudden
temperature shock can permanently
damage or kill sh.
2 After ten minutes, open the bag.
3 & 4 Roll down the sides of the bag
to make a collar, so the bag oats
dont release the sh yet.
5 Add around a cupful of tank water
to the bag and repeat this every ve
minutes for around 40 minutes.
6 & 7 Tilt the bag and let the sh
swim out gently or, better still, use
an aquarium net to carefully remove
the sh from the bag and release
them into the tank, then dispose of
the water in the bag down the sink.
Leave feeding until the next day and
check periodically throughout the
rest of the day to see how theyre
settling in.
18
BEGINNERS GUIDE
Feeding
8 popular types
of sh food
Flake food
Flake is usually a mid- to high-protein diet
made from a mix of shmeal, cereals and
vegetable matter, but often includes
insect and other matter too. Flakes are
often tailored for herbivores or to enhance
colours, and you can cater for sh with
some specic requirements this way.
There are also blends of akes, which
might include dried, whole insects and
other treats.
PFK/NEIL HEPWORTH
Live food
Which food?
Not all sh have the same nutritional

requirements, so getting the diet
right is essential.
o into any aquatic store and

youll be greeted with an
array of different foods.
Rows and rows of tubs will
preach different ingredients, and all have
their place.
A community tank will be made up of a
mixture of herbivores, such as leaf rasping
catsh, carnivores, such as tiny
micropredator tetras, and omnivores like
livebearers. Catering for all will usually
involve a balanced, blended ake food,
but sometimes you might need to go a
step further.
Also, foods will need to be stored and
used correctly, and failure to do so can lead

to poisoning, water quality issues or
nutritional defects in your sh.
How much to feed

This age-old shkeeping question is near
impossible to answer, as all sh have
different requirements. Predators need
large infrequent meals, days apart, whereas
herbivore grazers may eat continuously. For
most community tanks, two or three small
feeds a day, allowing as much as the sh will
eat in under two minutes, will be adequate,
but monitoring and tailoring this based on
weight gain or weight loss is advised.
Feeding dos and donts

O DO offer variety. Keep a range of
different foods to cater for all of your
shs tastes. Occasional treats like live
foods will be appreciated by all.
O DO buy small pots. Opened pots have a
nite lifespan before they spoil, so buy
little and often.
O DONT defrost and refreeze frozen
diets. If not kept frozen, these foods will
become rancid.
O DO use only dry ngers to extract food
from the tub. Wet ngers will encourage
the growth of mould and aatoxins,
which are poisonous to sh.
O DO remove uneaten food after a meal.
Surface food can be skimmed off
with a ne net. Sunken food may
need to be removed using a syphon or

gravel vacuum.
O DO store food wisely. Food in clear
packaging will spoil faster than food in
dark packaging. Always store food
away from bright light.
O DO ensure all sh get their share. If
any sh are missing out, you might
want to distract more aggressive
feeders at one end of the aquarium
while slipping in some food for the rest
at the other end.
O DONT offer human foods! As much as
you might enjoy crisps, chocolate or a
tasty burger, the make up of our
terrestrial food is fundamentally
different to that which sh eat.
Many live foods are now available from

safely harvested or cultured sources, and
though they can become expensive if
used frequently, they excel at bringing out
a shs natural behaviour. Many smaller
live foods also offer the best nutrition for
newly hatched sh fry. Dont add the
water that the live food is transported in
to the tank strain it through a net and
give it a rinse before use.
Crisps
Crisps have all the benets of akes and
much more. Manufactured at lower
temperatures, they have better vitamin
yields, and their thicker structure
means that they dont leach as many
nutrients when they hit the water.
Frozen food
Usually irradiated to destroy pathogens,
frozen foods are more economical and
convenient than live foods and carry no
disease risk. Some companies produce
blended staple frozen diets for sh, and
others even make frozen pellets from a
mix of fresh and dried foods.
Holiday food
There are a few types of foods available to
feed your sh while youre away. The rst,
the classic white block, can affect water
chemistry as it slowly dissolves to release
food and can be unpredictable. Gel tubs
of holiday food are very low protein and
dont produce too much waste, so are a
good idea for the cautious shkeeper.
Some holiday foods can be attached with
a sucker to the tanks edge.
Wafers
These thin discs sink to the base for
bottom feeders to nibble at. Algae wafers
are superb for many suckermouth catsh.
Tablets
Tablets are great for bottom feeders like
catsh and can also be stuck to the inside
of the aquarium glass for sh to graze on.
Pellets and granules

These dried foods are available in oating,
slow sinking or fast sinking varieties.
Bottom dwellers, or sh that make too
much of a mess with ake, do very well
with these, but smaller sh may struggle.
19
Spot the symptoms

When sh fall ill, you need to act quickly. Knowing how to
identify common health problems and how to deal with
them will help your sh live long and healthy lives.
results will often give a useful insight

into what is going wrong and the
potential causes.
A wide range of medications should be
available from your retailer to treat many
common problems, but before you start
to treat, you need to be able to identify
the problem.
ost sh illnesses are down

to problems with water
conditions, so the rst
thing to do on discovering
sick or off-colour sh is to test your
water and act accordingly with changes
and maintenance.
Keeping a diary of water quality test
Ulcer disease
Sometimes clearly visible as a
reddened patch, sometimes as an
obvious hole with both white and red
areas, this needs to be treated early
with an anti-bacterial medication.
Fin rot
A bacterial infection that eats the
esh between the n rays; this is lethal if it
reaches the body of the sh. Its often caused
by poor water or as a result of sh nipping
each other. Anti-bacterial treatments will help,
along with improved conditions.
Slime disease
Whitespot
These white spots are caused by
small parasites that infest the
skin of the sh. They have a
complex life cycle that means
treatments are usually
maintained for at least a week.
This is caused by microscopic parasites irritating

the sh, causing it to produce defensive mucous.
Correct diagnosis sometimes requires a
microscope, and treatment can involve repeated
doses of anti-parasite treatments.
20
BEGINNERS GUIDE
Health
Fish lice
These visible parasites, which
look like tiny green woodlice,
irritate the sh and puncture its
skin with their sharp mouthparts.
Treatment can be difficult and
follow-up medications may be
needed if these bite marks
become infected.
Fungus
This can rapidly kill a sh if it gets hold
and is an indication of poor water
quality. Treatments involve mixtures of
anti-parasite and anti-bacterial cures,
although some specic anti-fungus
treatments exist.
Mouth fungus
Actually a bacterial infection
rather than a fungus, this can
quickly erode the mouth,
killing the sh. Its more
common in dirtier tanks
than clean ones and the
disease can be treated with
anti-bacterial medications.
Medicine
cupboard
must-haves
A responsible aquarist should

always have some staples on hand
to deal with any sudden
emergencies. Make sure you store
your sh treatments and other
chemicals safely away from
children or pets.
Whitespot medication
There are many treatments on
the market, although nearly all will
require multiple dosing, due to the
life cycle of the parasite. Follow any
disease treatment through its full
course, even if the symptoms seem
to disappear early on.
Anti-bacterial medications
Many of these will be
formaldehyde-based, so handle
them with care. If a residue starts to
form in the bottle, then the treatment
has expired and it should be safely
disposed of.
Aquarium salt
This is a valuable treatment of
both bacterial and parasitic illnesses.
It needs to be dosed at exact levels
to have an effect, so dont be
tempted to stick in small amounts
just in case of illness.
Mixing jug
Medications are best spread
over the surface of the tank, rather
than dropped concentrated into one
area. Invest in a jug that can be used
specically to mix any medications
with water before they are dosed.
Gloves
Fish medications contain some
very powerful ingredients that can
stain clothes and may cause damage
to your skin. With this in mind, it
makes sense to buy a pair of gloves
to use when treating sh.
Dropsy
Red streaking
A symptom of poor water quality,
especially the presence of nitrite,
this is often mistaken for bacterial
infection. Test immediately and
rectify the problem.
This causes bloating and protruding

scales and is incredibly difficult to cure.
It is often too late to treat once
symptoms show, but some aquarists
have limited success with anti-bacterial
treatments and aquarium salt if the
disease is caught early on.
Wormers
These will be of more interest to
keepers of wild sh or Discus than
those of us who buy captive-bred sh
for the community tank. Wormers
can be added directly to food and
water and are best used with
quarantined livestock.
Vaseline/Orahesive powder
Open wounds and ulcers in sh
may need to be sealed with Vaseline
or a gelatine powder to prevent
the affected sh struggling with
osmotic problems.
21
Maintenance
Looking after
your tank
Regular maintenance is needed to keep your

sh healthy and your tank looking good.
EVERY DAY
ODo a head count. The absence of any sh
that are usually out and about should be a
cause for concern. Ensure the sh are
breathing normally, not hanging at the
surface and not icking themselves against
any objects. Feeding time offers a great
opportunity to see your sh and check
their condition.
OCheck the equipment is working.
Defective lters can become hazardous in
a few hours, so make sure yours is owing
and free from obstructions, such as leaves
from plants.
OCheck the temperature of the water.
Any high or low temperature swings need to
be investigated immediately.
PHOTOGRAPHY: NEIL HEPWORTH
WEEKLY
OClean the
glass. Use a
hand-held algae
pad to wipe the
glass or, if you
prefer dry hands,
an algae magnet
or an algae pad
on a stick.
OTest the water.
Testing will be your rst defence against any
potential problems. Keep an up to date
record of your results. If nitrate levels creep
up above 40ppm, increase water change
frequency until it comes back under control.
High nitrates lead to increased algae and
poorly sh.
22
FORTNIGHTLY
OCarry out a water
change. Remove
around 25% of the
water in your tank.
OClean the substrate.
Use a syphon to clean
the gravel as you drain
the water.
OUse a dechlorinator.
Always treat
replacement water with dechlorinator
before use. This is readily available from
aquatic retailers.
OClean internal lters. Use old tank water to
do this, never tapwater, as this can kill
benecial bacteria on your lter media.
MONTHLY
OCheck use-by dates
on food. Throw away
out of date food and
replace it.
OClean external
canister lters. Using
tank water, clean
through foam lter
media. Ensure the
impeller inside the
pump is clean and free
from obstruction. If
using carbon or other
resins, now would be
the time to replace
them. Exhausted lters
can release waste back
into the water, so

theres no point in
keeping them
running endlessly.
OCheck the piping.
Ensure the pipes aren't
clogged with waste
and debris.
OTrim back plants.
Remove dead or dying
leaves before they
pollute the water.
Tackle overgrowing
plants early on before they strangle others.
EVERY SIX MONTHS

OCheck sh numbers and sizes. Fish
grow, and if they have also reproduced, you
may have too many for the tank, so some will
need rehoming.
YEARLY
OCheck the
lighting. Assess
uorescent tubes,
especially if you
have live plants, as
they become less
intense and may
lack completeness
of spectrum over
time. Check LED
lights, ensuring all
diodes are working.
Remove limescale
build-up from glass.
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Tel: 01277 211433
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FREE 24-PAGE BEGINNERS GUIDE

Issue 13 December '15

How to make the most

Keep and breed these stunning cichlids

...but not as you

PLUS: READERS AMAZING REEF TANK ONEW PRODUCTS ON TEST

The timing of two big events in the

34 Marine sh that earn

Get more PFK!

when you pay by direct debit.

BARBS, BUT NOT AS WE

Explore Africa for an alternative

WHY START SIMPLE?

PLANTING MADE SIMPLE

FREE TANK DECOR!

READERS POLL RESULTS!

Collect autumn leaves for your

The latest products reviewed,

NEWS & REVIEWS

New shops, show-winning sh

We visit aquatic shops in

SEE THE LIGHT!

YOUR FISH & TANKS

Save money when you take

but not as we know them...

PHOTOGRAPHY: IVAN MIKOLJI UNLESS STATED

he old continent really is

characins have done with South

omnivores, others have adapted to a

Fish of the month

African barbs are

The prettiest of the African

daring smaller sh to present themselves

any unknown cyprinid was the genus

I have no intention of offering my own

The African banded barb is how a

African banded barb

has been found as far aeld as the

African barb creek habitat

Prior experience with Asian barbs might,

Fish of the month

All the barbs were looking at here do

Soft, acidic water is

swamp, these guys will happily live in it.

spooked, and nobody wins from that. You

you're into breeding parameters, too. Cram

Okay, maybe I lied about African banded

African buttery barb

Buttery barbs are

replicate this, but keep an eye on the tank. If

MP & C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM

A stunning little sh,

inuence towards lots more males, whereas

Fish of the month

G Pronunciation: Bar-bus jay.

G Habitat: Plant-heavy swamps

open water, sometimes

G Habitat: Swamps and rainforest

A tiny sh, but at least it has a

There will be special

Visit Romsey World of Water over the

This gorgeous Pearl cichlid, Geophagus

Southend and Leigh AS with a killish

ROMSEY WORLD OF WATER