Category Archive for "Freshwater Fish" (2024)

This is another beautiful Cichlid Electric Blue Hap (Sciaenochromis ahli) from Lake Malawi. The above specimen is an exquisite male. Females and juveniles are gray drab in comparison. Electric Blue Haps in general are more peaceful than their mbuna counterparts and should not be mixed. (more…)

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A pair of Cyphotilapia frontosa from the authors aquarium. One of the most beautiful and distinctive Cichlids of Lake Tanganyika has to be C. frontosa. There are two colour morphs of this species, a Berundi morph, which has six vertical bars and a Tanzanian morph, which has seven or even eight bars when they are…

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The Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a long, sleek and extremely streamlined fish of great beauty. They're silver in colour and their large scales have a bright reflective sheen. There are two barbels attached to the lower lip (used for smell) of the cavernous mouth which opens like a trap door. Thus, it is capable of…

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Goldfish have been around for longer than any one person can remember, in fact they were the first fish species to be kept in captivity by the Chinese and were raised to display the best colouration and shape possible by very proud owners at the time. Sadly in more modern times goldfish are considered to…

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Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) have to be one of the most easily recognisable fish species that inhabit the tropical aquariums, they are cheap to purchase and make a fantastic display in their shoals flashing their colouration as they swim about underneath the aquarium lights, at the right angle their colours seem to bounce out of…

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Many Betta keepers tend to veer towards keeping tank bred Bettas rather than wild specimens due to their higher tolerance to a broader range of water parameters but having said this there some wild specimens that deserve the extra effort and in my view the Betta patoti should be included in this list. (more…)

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Betta picta get their Latin name from their distinct colouration and markings, the word “picta” depicting painted. Their markings comprise of three horizontal bars which are not solid but are made of from a series of dark dots. Their main body colouration is a greyish/brown with the males displaying coloured margins on their fins. (more…)

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Betta splendens has to be one of the most recognized species of fish that are available in the aquarium trade. Most specimens that are sold nowadays are tank bred rather than wild specimens and through the generations beautiful colouration and tail finnage is displayed, the only drawback is that the extended tail finnage on the…

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Koi are known to be quite hardy however this does not exempt them from being vulnerable to infectious organisms and parasites, especially when they are constantly subjected to stress or poor water conditions. (more…)

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Kois make fascinating pets. If you are a newbie, raising Kois might seem to be a little daunting however you will soon realize that caring for these brilliantly-colored fish is definitely rewarding. (more…)

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Labidochromis caeruleus is another example of the splendour to be found in Lake Malawi. There are a number of colour varieties of Labidochromis caeruleus - ranging from yellow, blue to white. This specimen pictured is a subdominant male and thus not showing off his true colours. Like most cichlids of this type they tend to…

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Betta fish are fast becoming popular among aquarists. In fact, it is said bettas have overtaken the goldfish as the “ideal” fish bowl buddy for the home or office. This may be attributed to the bettas distinctly attractive colors, hardiness, and ability to thrive in smaller enclosures than most fish species. (more…)

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