GET THE MOST FROM YOUR RYUKINS

The UK’s best-selling aquatics magazine

COLOURFUL
KILLIFISH
Breed the brightest
species in the world
May 2018 £4.50

DOWNSIZING
TANKBUSTERS
Safe alternatives for six known
saltwater giants

Q&A
TROPICAL, MARINE
AND COLDWATER
QUERIES TACKLED
BY OUR EXPERTS PONDS FOR ALL
Which style fits your home best?

Marine worms Ravishing

The good, rainbows
the bad and Tai Strietman’s
the beautiful striking set-up
OxyMax 100-400
Oxygen for aquariums, plants and fish
The OxyMax aerator pumps ensure optimal oxygen supply in your aquarium. With low
power consumption, adjustable air flow, and low noise levels, the OxyMax is the perfect
partner for your water world.

Ɣ Available from 100l/ph to 400 l/ph

Ɣ Flexible installation - can be standing or suspended
Ɣ Air output can be easily adjusted
Ɣ The bubbling pattern can be adjusted on the air diffuser
Ɣ Includes air stones and hose
Ɣ Permanent oxygen supply
Ɣ Robust and quiet

To find out more on the all the other products available from the Indoor Aquatics range,
please visit www.oase-livingwater.com
 SUBSCRIBE TO

Welcome THE EXPERTS

STEVE
BAKER
Swap out your
oversized marines
on page 68.
AND SAVE
UP TO *60%
See page 70
*60% is based on purchasing
a digital & print subscription

This issue Steve has

been busy out on shop
tours and testing gear but what he is
really excited about is killifish. Read all
about it on page 12

JEREMY
GAY
Jeremy has been
embracing his love
for goldfish, and has written about a
revered but misunderstood variety. Read
his take on Ryukins on page 44.

DAVID
WOLFENDEN
We set Dave to task
with writing all about
marine worms, and what a bounty he
came back with. Find out what makes
them so special on page 94.

TAI
STRIETMAN
Tai couldn’t wait to tell
us all about his recent
Threadfin rainbowfish project. We went
around, photographed it, and you can
see the amazing results on page 76.
AD
KONINGS
We’ve been milking Ad
for everything he can
tell us about Tanganyikan cichlids. This
month it’s the ubiquitous Lemon cichlid
in its many colours on page 82.
GEORGE
FARMER
George has been on
the road looking at
even more glamorous tanks in readers’
homes. This month it’s the turn of a
cracking reef set-up on page 88.
Stay in touch
Email us at editorial@
practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
HOW ARE you liking the new ON THE COVER
look magazine? I’m guessing Fundulopanchax amieti.
from the string of emails that Photograph by Peter
I’m getting, and the positive Maguire. Check out more of
feedback while out and about, his awesome work at flickr.
com/photos/petermaguire
that you approve of the new
style. I hope so, because we’re
really enjoying redesigning it!
This month I’m excited about killifish – those
wonderful ‘mail order’ packages you can buy as eggs
and hatch at home. Steve Baker has done sterling work
writing them up as our main freshwater fish feature, but
even that wasn’t enough to give him an adequate ‘killie
hit’. Take a peek at what’s swimming in Steve’s step-by-
step set-up on page 75 – see if you can’t spot the couple
of killies that came home with him after a shoptour.
Looking forward to longer nights and brighter seasons?
Me too, very much so. That’s why I’ve commissioned a Which invertebrates
little ‘pondspiration’ piece for you on page 58. If you’re
break off the rear
not a pondkeeper already, I hope this’ll give you
motivation to start. Enjoy! part of their bodies,
grow new crowns
and become clones
Nathan Hill, Associate Editor
of their parents?
Find out on page 94
Watch us on youtube.com/ Follow us at www.facebook.
user/practicalfishkeeping com/PFKmag/

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 5
Contents
INSPIRATION
FLAMBOYANT
08 CUTTLEFISH
Discover how these fabulous
cephalopods live fast, die
young and give dazzling
displays on the sandy floor of
12 COLOURFUL KILLIFISH
If you want bright, the world
of killifish offers a vivid palette
without the limp credit card or
the brain-ache of saltwater.
FRESHWATER EELS
22
Usually associated with
coral reefs, one species of
Moray might surprise you by
turning up in your local store’s
freshwater section.
6 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
94
58
36 BIOTOPE FROM
‘DOWN UNDER’
How to create a dazzling
‘billabong’ display to show off
those shimmering colours and
flowing fins of rainbowfish to
their best advantage.
FANCY GOLDFISH
44 Big, bold and bright, Jeremy
Gay explains why Ryukins are
the goldfish to covet.
68 THE BIG ALTERNATIVES
Want a whopper but no
room for a tank-buster? Then
check out our alternative
beauties more suited to home
aquariums.
76 WATER POPPIES
Step-by-step: Steve Baker
takes an open-topped tank and
turn it into a planted treasure
for Pencils and killifish.
MAY
82 LEMON CICHLIDS
Why a carefully chosen pair of
Editor’s
mellow yellows make a striking
addition to your aquarium.
Pick
88 OLLIE’S AMAZING REEF
Imagine an aquarium so
breathtaking that you build
your house around it. We visit
one reader who did just that!
94 EXOTIC WORMS
We take a look at marine
‘wrigglers’ and differentiate
the good from the bad to the
downright gorgeous.
Read Editor
Nathans favourite
article this issue
- a step-by step NEWS & VIEWS
poppy aquarium.
FISHKEEPING NEWS
PAGE 76
10 Mutant Malawi cichlids
imported into the UK, clownfish
personality research and Tetra/
PFK podcasts to watch.
5
THINGS 1 We show you
the best way to 2 Learn how to
breed different 4 Can you tell one
Ryukin from
YOU WILL acclimatise fish
to your tank in a
types of killifish and
get a higher survival 3 Get to recognise
your pest worms
the next? Read our
feature on fancies 5 Whichever type
of pond you
LEARN IN step-by-step in this success rate and how best to to become and ID have, we tell you
month’s all n deal with them in how to make it
THIS ISSUE advice sectio your tank thrive this summer.

68 44
ETHICAL DEBATE FISHKEEPING
20 PFK associate editor Nathan
separator, NorthFin fish food,
Sicce Syncra SDC 7.0 pump. 58 KNOW-HOW
Hill and staff writer Steve Plus new product news. Practical Scratching your head over what
Baker go head to head over Fishkeeping type of pond would suit you
delivered to
the thorny subject of ‘fish-in’
cycling. 106 SHOPTOUR
The PFK team visit aquatics your digital
and your outdoor space? We
help you choose and create a
shops in St Albans and device great-looking water feature to
29 TANK COMMUNITY
Your letters, views, photos and
Leicester. PAGE 34 be proud of.

social media chatter from the

PFK world.
ME & MY TANK
33 Readers’ aquariums revealed:
Sophie Perret from Scotland
tells us why she loves Bettas,
hoses and being patient!
GEAR & REVIEWS
REGULARS 110 NEXT MONTH
Don’t miss our brilliant 16-page
supplement packed with all
SUBSCRIBE TO PFK
34 Enjoy 6 months of Practical
the information, advice and top
tips you need to know about
Fishkeeping from just £15.50 – feeding aquarium fish.
and never miss an issue.
FISHKEEPING ANSWERS 114 TAILPIECE
51 PFK’s crack team of aquatics
Let’s put a stop to fishkeeping
trolls on social media and
experts are on hand to answer make this wonderful hobby
all your questions. This month: of ours welcoming to all –

101 NEW GEAR

The latest fishkeeping products
tried and tested, including
the Ziss GL-1 Fish & Shrimp
Porcupine puffer set-ups, an
ammonia crisis, pestering
particularly newcomers, says
Nathan.
Platies, and DIY leaf decor to
name just a few

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 7
INCREDIBLE INVERTS
Flamboyant cuttlefish

PUTT
ON A
The Flamboyant cuttlefish h
of its eight sleeves, and giv
technicolour display on the

L
IVE FAST, die of purples, b
young’ is a motto yellows assa
many cephalopods senses, start
adhere to, and for would-be pr
the Flamboyant What make
cuttlefish, Metasepia light show e
pfefferi, this is no impressive i
different. Setting the patterns
out on a fast track to maturity, they are not stati
face a race against the clock to – the waves
reproduce before senescence kicks colour cons
in, and with a life expectancy of a multitude
just a year, time isn’t on their side. further effec
Their silt-filled, muck homelands shape, too, a
of the Indo-Pacific provide a perfect papillae to b
refuge from the predator-rich If this firew
waters of the coral reef. Camouflage deter preda
is key in these open expanses cuttle has an
of nothingness, where a splash ploy. It can
of colour could put the average clouds of in
inhabitant top of the menu. water, provi
The Flamboyant cuttlefish isn’t a smokescre
your everyday cephalopod. Despite help it make
attaining a maximum length of 8cm, its escape.
they think nothing of taking to the Another
sand for a stroll, decked in their contributing
finest garb, and willingly stand their their appare
ground at the first sign of conflict. their toxic fl
It takes courage to take on threats strut your st
far greater in size, but then they do possess the
have a few tricks up one of their technicolou
eight sleeves. similar to th
At first glance, ‘flamboyant’ seems octopus, Ha
an oversight – these nondescript a brave crea
little cuttles typically come in a meal out o
a fetching muddy-grey colour. Like As well as CHRIS
other coleoid cephalopods, though, Flamboyant SERGEANT
they possess chromatophores, hearts, throu Chris works in
leucophores and iridophores flows, and a conservation
– a collection of organs beneath the the oesopha research and
SHUTTERSTOCK

skin that enable them to alter their through the regularly writes
colouration in the blink of an eye. off, while m for aquarium
publications.
When disturbed, vivid flashes inflate the g

8 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 MAIN:Flamboyant by
name, these cuttlefish are
gorgeous to look at.

INSET: Fresh eggs are

white, but become
translucent so you can
see the developing
ALAMY

young inside.
 FISHKEEPING NEWS
Latest news and events from the world of aquatics.
NEW IMPORT
First-ever import of
mutant fish!
It may not be pretty but it is
interesting to many.
NEIL HEPWORTH
Lake Malawi fish have their own unique
concoction of genetics. Many people understand
that rift lakes are a bit special when it comes
to the genetic histories of the species they
contain, but most of us know little more than
scratching at the surface. However, fans of Rift
cichlids may well have researched further into
this subject because it’s extremely interesting,
ofering more than just pretty fish in a tank but
also a backstory and an ever-changing scientific
interest to the hobby.
People have dedicated their professional lives
to study the lakes and their inhabitants and
continue to describe changes occurring within
each lake. A new or rare species or variant is
always of major interest to those in the know
and now two special fish have cropped up in
the UK.
Ricky Ward of UK Aquatic Imports, a specialist
Malawi cichlid importer, has taken delivery of
a fish that’s not been seen for many years, that
possibly has never been exported before and
asks more questions about genetics than it
10 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
answers at this point.
Teeth give clues to diets and
The attraction of this fish isn’t skin-deep: look lifestyles of Malawi species.
at the image – it’s not going to set hearts racing
on colours and markings, but to aficionados this
fish represents an intriguing mystery.
Ricky has suggested that this fish is a mutated
Tropheops macropthalmus type from the
Tanzanian coast. He says: “There has been
some suggestion that one may have previously
been caught and exported, but this hasn’t been
clarified just yet. Either way this is a UK first for
Malawi cichlids and one I doubt
will be seen anywhere else
right now.”
African cichlid expert
and PFK contributor
Ad Konings
comments: “I have
seen such a fish,
the Spreinat fish*,
a few times among
various species of
Tropheops. Once we
collected a male specimen with this ‘mutant’ RESEARCH
coloration and a day later in the aquarium it had
lost that colour and had reverted back to what
Clowns’ behaviour may depend
the other males of that species look like. It may on the habitat they came from.
be a mutation, a ‘disease’ or problem with its
melanocytes that plays up whenever the male
gets excited or aggressive.”
Ad further says that this fish “looks like a
hybrid between Tropheops and some other
mbuna, perhaps orange-blotch (OB) Zebra or
OB estherae. Tropheops usually have a much
rounder head.”
Former PFK editor and cichlid expert Jeremy

Andrew J Green / reef life survey

Gay adds: “I’d say that the fish is a deep-water
fish, hence the big eye and rarity, but it has
clear scraping or combing teeth. There won’t
be algae down there. So, a sponge eater? But
no Tropheops have the front loaded, seemingly
unicuspid, teeth that this ‘mutant’ has.
“If it dies, and gets described, I would say
that it won’t be placed in either Pseudotropheus
or Tropheops. Right now, it looks more like a
Simochromis from Tanganyika!” Does your clownfish lack
Ricky says: “The mutant fish has been a dream
for many wild fish hobbyists for as long as I
remember, not for the colour, to study it. Will
personality? It might be normal!
females react to the males as one of their own? Research in Australia has been carried habitat and with more social flux, showed
Will the mutant form be passed onto the young? out to determine the extent of individual variation between individuals – they could
We’ll have to wait and see in the breeding personalities in clownfish (anemonefish) be more sociable, or much bolder, than other
program planned for these fish in the UK. species, Amphiprion. A. mccullochi in their neighbourhood.
“However, to have received two wild male The research involved in-situ analysis of key The ramifications of this for the fishkeeper is
mutants collected at the same time and same personality features – boldness, sociability that if you want a staid, predictable fish, you
reef makes us all wonder that maybe this fish and aggression – in Amphiprion mccullochi should opt for species that come from stable
could be becoming a small population, as to see and Amphiprion latezonatus. environments, while if you prefer a wild card,
just one is such a great rarity.” Behaviour appears to be linked to then go for fish from unstable areas.
* Referring to Andreas Spreinat who published environment. A. latezonatus, inhabiting O The full research article is the International
an image of this fish in his book Lake Malawi a relatively stable lagoon environment, Society for Reef Studies’ journal Coral Reefs,
Cichlids from Tanzania, 1996 - Ed. were characterized by uniform behaviour, December 2017, Volume 36, Issue 4 (Wong,
while A. mccullochi, subject to a harsher M.Y.L., Beasley, A.L., Douglass, T. et al).

No Tropheops
species has the front PODCASTS

loaded, seemingly WATCH THE TETRA PODCASTS!

unicuspid, teeth that Tetra has teamed up with PFK to ofer a series of
podcasts on fishkeeping topics.
this ‘mutant’ has. Each month Tetra consultant Dave Hulse will
be running an in-depth feature on the Practical
Fishkeeping website, with an accompanying
podcast. There will be 12 podcasts in all, from
setting up an aquarium, through tailoring fish
diets, preparing ponds for summer, treating
diseases and the importance of water care.
Dave says: “Fishkeeping, like anything, is easy
when you know how. In an increasingly digital
world our podcast series enables fishkeepers to
receive insight on a range of topics while on the
go, whether it’s during their morning commute,
when they are out on a walk or pottering around
the garden.”
O You can catch the podcasts each month on
Soundcloud at http://bit.ly/TetraPFKPodcast1,
while Dave’s Tetra column can be found at Don’t miss fishcare topics explained from
www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk Tetra’s Dave Hulse online and on podcast.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 11
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Killifish

In pursuit of
COLOUR Sporting a palette to rival any rainbow, killifish are
often naturally short-lived and temperamental.
But those who embrace them rarely turn back…
WORDS: STEVE BAKER
PETER MAGUIRE

12 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
I
T WORRIES me when
relative novices say “I’m
going to start keeping
marines because the colours
are so much brighter”.
I imagine a lot of spending,
and headaches, then nine
months on they are selling
their whole set-up complete with
a surviving toadstool coral, algae-
coated live rock and two clownfish.
Beyond the standard community
tank, freshwater fish have more to
offer than many appreciate. If you
want the challenge then go marine
and enjoy it. But if you want bright,
the world of killifish offers vivid
colour without the limp credit card
or the brain-ache of saltwater.
Killifish and relatives inhabit all
tropical continents, they have a
winning formula in the wild and with
eye-popping colours, modest size,
cheerful character and generally
affordable price tags, they also have
a winning formula for aquariums.
So why isn’t your tank full of killis?
And why isn’t there an abundance of
them in shops?
Feeding killifish
Killifish are micropredators, eating
small insects, larvae and crustaceans.
Their diet should be protein and fat
heavy. Once settled, the common
varieties are easy-going at feeding
time, although it can be a different
story at first. During the first two
days to a week it’s best to offer frozen
foods, ideally those that stay in the
water column – white mosquito
larvae, Daphnia and brineshrimp.
Recently imported killies may
need several days of live foods
before offering frozen. If adult
fish are not used to dried foods
they may shun them forever, so
introduce some as early as possible.
Killifish have either ‘terminal’ or
‘superior’ mouth types. They are
poor at picking food up from the
substrate so fast-sinking foods are
often ignored. Unnoticed food will
go to waste – even bloodworm may
be overlooked when it’s lying still
on the bottom of the aquarium.
So, offer multiple small feeds a day
rather than one larger meal.
Aquarium husbandry
A majority of killifish inhabit soft I don’t think
I could even
and acidic waters, often tannin design a more
stained and shaded by foliage. colourful fish!
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 13
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Killifish

For a rough guide to a biotope we biotope set-up – just the kind of

would be looking for a dark substrate, bright, clean, colourful aquarium that
ideally soil based (low-nutrient many aspiring marine keepers are
shrimp soils work best) with a healthy looking for.
amount of leaf litter (including bark
chippings and coconut fibres) and Posted eggs
not much else. With killifish, you can buy ‘dry’
Wood can add structure to the eggs, posted to you by sellers and
tank but I’d lay it flat and build up enthusiasts from around the world.
substrate behind it for a more By evolving eggs which can be
natural look. With a dark base, dried (and sometimes need to
leaf litter and stained water, be), killifish have been able
an electric-blue and to inhabit temporary
scarlet-red fish really bodies of water – and
stands out. we can use this to
The main
Feeding raw beef heart our advantage
challenge here will keep killifish strong and for ease of
is maintaining colourful. Use only good transport!
the carbonate meat, not ‘tube’ bits, Hatching the eggs
hardness (KH), and blitz it in a needs only simple
especially in a small tank. blender equipment, like air-driven
Soft water plus tannic and sponge filters, and can be
humic acids creates unstable performed in plastic tubs rather
conditions so I would aim for than glass tanks. Killifish fry are
around 5°KH upwards – much lower ready to feed straight away, grow
and pH may fluctuate easily. quickly, and soon move on to larger
While softwater conditions are and larger foods.
needed for breeding and egg
development, many killifish are Compatibility with others
adaptable to harder water conditions. Many killifish enthusiasts keep ABOVE: Small,
Experienced keepers often get great multiple small tanks with one species feisty, colourful lively, determined, fish.
results keeping them in hard, alkaline in each, usually with no other tank and delicate. Killifish are feisty, bright, feature fish
tapwater set-ups, making for a more mates. I’ve kept them this way and and competition with other feature
stable environment. enjoyed it – and it also helps to avoid BELOW: A fish won’t end well. Mixed with dwarf
Killifish seem to enjoy clearwater hybridisation if you want to breed, typical killifish cichlids the killifish will suffer; mixed
habitat on the
planted tanks just as much as a leafy but it’s not the only way to keep these with guppies the guppies will suffer.
forest floor.
Tank mates need to be almost
nondescript and not too characterful,
and also large enough to avoid the
surprisingly wide mouth of a killifish.
For all but the largest species, an
adult Neon tetra is safe but young
Neons may be snapped up by some
larger adult killifish.

Annual & non-annual lifespan

Killifish can be split into two groups
as far as lifespan is concerned –
annual and non-annual.
West African Nothobranchius and
most South American species, apart
from Rivulus, are ‘annuals’, meaning
they inhabit temporary water bodies
that dry up annually and so the
adults perish, leaving eggs behind
them. They are so adapted to this
shortened life that even when kept
in an aquarium they die young
SHUTTERSTOCK

when compared to most fish.

Temperature has a large influence
on a killifish’s exact lifespan. In

14 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

cheerful character and generally affordable
PETER MAGUIRE
warmer conditions, around 26°C,
it may be just six months but keep
them cool, around 22°C, and more
than 12 months is achievable.
‘Non-annuals’ such as Aphyosemion,
Fundulopanchax and Rivulus reside in
more permanent habitats mostly (but
not exclusively and most species’
eggs can be ‘dried’). They have a
longer life than the annuals with two
or three years being the norm, again
being temperature dependent.
These fish jump!
Be aware of the jumping ability
of killifish! In the wild they have
adjusted to living in extremely
small habitats, sometimes just
puddles where a batch of fry can
generate high competition between
themselves as they reach maturity.
Often, less dominant fish need
to move to another body of water
under their own power and the only
way to do that is by hopping and
jumping across forest floor. They will
also jump out of the water to catch
insects above the surface, which
can result in them exiting a tank,
and ending up on the floor. For this
reason they require a close-fitting lid,
With their vibrant colours, modest size,
price tags, killifish have a winning formula
for the aquarium
Breeding non-annuals
Aphyosemion and Fundulopanchax
breed quite readily in the aquarium.
They don’t need particularly soft or
acidic water – for best results a pH
of 6.0 to 6.5 is ideal, but instances
of them breeding in a pH of 8.0 isn’t
unheard of.
Add a pair or a male-female-female
trio in something like a 20l tank with
spawning mops around it to simulate
plant life. The temperature should
be 21-24°C and high-protein live
and frozen foods fed to condition the
brood stock.
Killifish lay small amounts of
eggs daily over a week or two and a
healthy batch should result in 40-
60 fry. The eggs can be collected
from the spawning mops and either
incubated in water or in damp peat/
coconut fibres for transportation –
keep them dark in either situation.
Egg fungus can be an issue when
eggs are kept in water, but a low dose
of methylene blue will help to resolve
that. Daily removal of any white eggs
is needed along with regular, small
water changes.
The developing fry use all the yolk
while in their eggs and are ready
Nothobranchius
guentheri in
a spawning
embrace.
to eat brineshrimp nauplii straight
after hatching. Growth rates are fast
and the young can soon be slowly
conditioned to harder water.
Even with no intervention it’s still
probable that a few odd eggs will
develop and produce some fry in
a ‘permanent’ set-up. With heavy
planting there’s a chance they could
survive to maturity but this leaves
much to luck.
Breeding annuals
Annuals require similar breeding
conditions to non-annual killifish.
The key difference to the tank is the
absence of spawning mops. Instead,
fill a small container (like a plastic
takeaway tub) with pre-soaked peat
or coconut fibres. The adults will use
this to lay eggs in.
For annual species, drying the eggs
is required as they won’t develop in
water. Remove the tub, drain excess
water and store it sealed, damp
and in warmish conditions between
22-25°C for around three months
checking and spaying with water
occasionally.
Re-soak the fibres and, like magic,
you should get baby killifish.
HRISTO HRISTOV
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 15
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Killifish

Other Aphyosemion
This family is huge with 99 species
currently listed on Fishbase.com many of
those are not seen in the ornamental trade
but there’s still healthy selection available
to chose from out there.

Line-bred

AQUASAUR
Golden australe
males.

SHUTTERSTOCK
Aphyosemion
The words ‘aphyos’ and ‘semion’ Female golden A. australe
translate from Greek into ‘small flag’
(or banner), referring to the lyretail
fins of the males.
This is likely the best genus to keep
if you are new to keeping killifish.
Natural
Aphyosemion species are adaptable to
strain

ALAMY
a range of water parameters. They
AQUASAUR

chocolate
Australe. are relatively robust, easy to breed, A. georgiae; male displaying
non-annual fish, full of the usual courtship pattern
killifish charisma and the most
suitable to mix with other tank mates.
Most of these attributes are also
shared with Fundulopanchax.

SHUTTERSTOCK
Habitat & distribution
Aphyosemion species come from
NEIL HEPWORTH

western Africa. Hot spot areas Lagos red killifish,

Aphyosemion include Gabon, Equatorial Guinea A. bitaeniatum
splendopluere and Cameroon with many species
coming from this group if countries.
They are also found from Togo to
FACTFILE Chad in the north, southern

PETER MAGUIRE
LYRETAIL KILLIFISH. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Scientific name: Aphyosemion australe
6 to the south and everywhere in
Pronunciation: Af-ee-oh-sem-ee-on
6 between these countries.
oss-trahl Splendid killifish A.
They live in slow-moving, aged
6Size: Males to 6cm, females to 5cms splendopleure
waters including lowland rainforest
Origin: Cape Lopez, Gabon and in the
6
and coastal rainforest streams,
south of Republic of the Congo
swamps, pools and river basins.
SHUTTERSTOCK

Habitat: Small permanent water bodies

6
– swamps, streams Mostly these habitats are soil
6Tank size: 45x25x25cm bottomed, shaded by forest growth
Water requirements: 5.5-7.0 pH,
6 and contain lots of leaf litter, wood
3.0-13°H and seed pods. Some species live in
6Temperature: 21-32°C savannah streams with soil and sandy Red-striped killi, A. striatum
6Temperament: Mostly peaceful
substrates; an odd few species live at
Feeding: Flakes, slow-sinking
6
granules, frozen and live foods higher altitude in similar situations.
Availability and cost: Quite common,
6
around £15per pair
Killifish are
NEIL HEPWORTH

feisty, bright,
30 l+ feature fish Young A. volcanum ‘Econdo’

16 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Fundulopanchax
Their name comes from two older,
unused genera: ‘fundulus’ is an old-
world primitive genus; ‘panchax’ is
a more modern ‘new-world’ genus
(now divided into Epiplatys and
Aplocheilichthys among others) and
Fundulopanchax was thought to be
an intermediary group.
Visually Fundulopanchax are quite
similar to Aphyosemion. One of
the distinguishing characteristics
of the former is a longer dorsal fin
(with more fin rays) and many of
the species have a slightly larger
body size, but genetically they are
more closely related to the annual
Nothobranchius genus.
In Fundulopanchax we can find
a mixture of habitat and breeding
strategies: most species are non-
A young female
and male F. amieti
sizing each other
up.
NEIL HEPWORTH
PETER MAGUIRE
annuals living in permanent, larger
habitats, although there are a couple
of annual species – just not ones
you are likely to find in shops. Other Fundulopanchax
Curently 29 species are listed on fishbase.
Habitat & distribution com. the genus has larger individuals such
There are huge similarities between as F. sjostedti who reach 13cms and very
Aphyosemion and Fundulopanchax in small species like f. avichang at only
both habitat and distribution. 2 6cms
Habitat descriptions are the same
for both genera, because they both
prefer slow-moving and aged water,
PETER MAGUIRE
including the odd savannah and
higher-altitude habitats.
Distribution-wise, Fundulopanchax
hug the coastal rainforest much F. walkeri
more and venture inland far less
than Aphyosemion, with coverage
from Ghana through Togo, Benin,
Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial
ALAMY
Guinea – all coastal countries.
F. gardneri nigerianum
FACTFILE
AMIET’S KILLIFISH.
6Scientific name: Fundulopanchax amieti
6Pronunciation: Fun-dew-low-pan-chax am-ee-et-eye
6Size: 7cm
6Origin: Lower Sanaga system, western Cameroon
6Habitat: Permanent rainforest swamps and
streams
6Tank size: 45x30x30cm
6Water requirements: 5.8-7.2 pH, 2.0-25°H
6Temperature: 22-28°C 40 l+
6Temperament: Peaceful but will eat
tiny fish
6Feeding: Will accept dried foods but needs
regular frozen or live food
6Availability and cost: You’ll need to search
for this particular species, from £20 a pair
Mature colours of
a male F. amieti.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 17
 SPECIES SHOWCASE
Killifish
PETER MAGUIRE
A male, natural
strain of N.
guentheri.
Nothobranchius
Translated from Greek, the words
‘nothos’ and ‘branchia’ mean ‘false
gills’ in relation to the restricted
movement of the gill openings in this
group of killifish, some of which have
been distributed by man to control
mosquito numbers in the attempt
to minimize malaria spread.
The Nothobranchius genus is
devoutly annual, with one member
– N. furzeri – having a captive lifespan
of just 12 weeks, while its eggs
require a five- to seven-month
incubation period. The only shorter-
lived vertebrate is a marine goby
– Eviota sigillata – with a maximum
lifespan of 59 days.
To get the best out of ‘nothos’, and
to enjoy keeping them for longer than
around a year, it’s a good idea to
breed them. While it’s not particularly
difficult to do, I suspect that a
FACTFILE
REDTAIL NOTHO
6Scientific name: Nothobranchius guentheri
6Pronunciation: Noth-o-brank-e-uss gun-tare-eye
6Size: 5.5cm
6Origin: Endemic to the island of Zanzibar, eastern Tanzania
6Habitat: Temporary streams and pool.
6Tank size: 45x25x25cm
6Water requirements: 6.0-7.0 pH, 4-10°H
6Temperature: 22-25°C
6Temperament: Peaceful
6Feeding: Small frozen and live foods
6Availability and cost: You’ll need to search for them, prices round £20 per pair
18 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
newcomer might struggle with it so
Nothobranchius are more the domain
of intermediate to experienced
aquarists.
Habitat & distribution
Nothos are widely spread throughout
much of Africa. The largest
concentration of them is in the east
from Sudan to Mozambique, but the
full range covers the entire east coast
from Ethiopia to South Africa and
from Somalia on the east coast
through to Senegal on the west coast.
Other than Ethiopia, the north
African countries are devoid of
Nothobranchius, as are several
countries on the southern west coast.
Home for a notho is a seasonal
pool, swamp, ditch, rain pan or
residual pool in an otherwise dry
stream bed. There are exceptions to
this rule that live in savannah pools
30 l+
Experienced Nothobranchius
keepers are known to add salt
(1tsp per 25l) to reduce the
risk of velvet disease,
Oodinium
with abundant aquatic plant growth.
For the vast majority, though,
Nothobranchius live in clay-based pools
with built-up leaf litter, murky water
and possibly some lilies and emergent
grasses edging the waterline.
Other Nothobranchius
With 75 species currently valid on fishbase.
Com there’s a good choice but many
variants are now available such as guentheri
red and guentheri blue.
N. rachovii
N. eggersi
ALL: NEIL HEPWORTH
N. eggersi ‘Bagamoyo’
PETER MAGUIRE
Hypsolebias
magnificus in
full glory.
The temporary waterbody of choice for
this genus is a shallow canal in the
floodplains of river basins across Brazil
Hypsolebias
This is another group of annual
killifish hailing from South America
rather than Africa.
As annuals, they live a very similar
lifestyle to Nothobranchcius, living in
temporary waterbodies, laying eggs
in decaying matter and mud and
maturing quickly, to be ready to
breed within a few months of
hatching. Physically they look similar
to nothos in bodyshape, but with
larger, more flamboyant fins.
Hypsolebias are considerably harder
to find for sale in aquaria shops than
their African annual counterparts,
although there’s generally not a huge
difference in cost.
Habitat & distribution
The temporary waterbody of choice
for this genus is a shallow canal in the
floodplains of river basins across
Brazil, generally with some level of
tannins in the water.
This genus is restricted to Brazil
only but there are many other killifish
genera that inhabit the entirety of the
South American continent.
FACTFILE
NO COMMON NAME
6Scientific name: Hypsolebias
magnificus
6Pronunciation: Hip-so-lee-be-us
mag-niff-ick-us
6Size: 5cm
6Origin: São Francisco River basin,
Brazil
6Habitat: Temporary, residual pools
Other Hypsolebias 6Tank size: 30x30x30cm
6Water requirements: 6.0-7.0 pH,
There are 34 hypsolebias species now listed 5-12°H
on fishbase.Com. Some are very difficult to 6Temperature: 22-26°C
tell apart visually such as magnificus and 6Temperament: Very peaceful
carlettoi where a balance of red and blue is 6Feeding: Small frozen and live foods
the key difference. 6Availability and cost: A rare find,
around £25 per
25 l+
HRISTO HRISTOV
H. carlettoi
MORE INFO
Many thanks go to experienced
NEIL HEPWORTH
killifish keeper and breeder Paul
Carter for help with this article
(fundulopanchax.weebly.com).
H. sp ‘Urucuia’ For more killi information,
visit www.bka.org.uk
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 19
OPINION

NATHAN HILL & STEVE BAKER

If you want to get pounced on in an online debate, bring up
‘fish-in cycling’ and watch the sparks fly. We sit down to see if
there’s any hope for a very traditional way of maturing tanks.

F
ish-in cycling is a way NH: But if I choose a salt-tolerant, acid-
of maturing a tank by loving ‘starter’ fish, then there isn’t a problem
placing fish into it and to cover. So why should I go fishless?
allowing them to excrete
waste to kick-start filter SB: There are three main benefits to fishless
activity. Fishless cycling tank maturation. Firstly, if the tank owner is
uses ammonia to mimic new to keeping fish it allows them to get used
fish waste and mature a to equipment (mostly test kits) without risk
filter before the fish are added, and is to fish. Secondly, by allowing a higher level
considered the safer way of setting up. of ammonia the filter can be fully matured
quicker, allowing faster stocking. Thirdly, done
NH: Give me one good reason why well, there is no risk to fish health.
I shouldn’t cycle a tank with fish in it.
NH: Point 1, I don’t challenge. With point 2,
SB: Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, excessive ammonia is known to stall a cycle,
when fishless cycling a new aquarium we use and the division rate of bacteria isn’t sped up
ammonia to initiate beneficial bacteria growth by high amounts. I’d think it’s still possible
before putting fish in the tank. If you perform to get a fishless cycle wrong. A person may
a fish-in cycle instead, the fish are subjected leave too long a gap between ‘maturing’ their
to physical stress for several weeks. tank with ammonia and adding their first fish,
meaning any bacteria they
NH: But what about if
I have an acidic tank?
I know many cultured have all gone.
Also, dose rates vary in
All the ammonia will be aquarists use fishless cycling methods.
bound up as harmless Am I maturing a tank for
ammonium, so there bacteria products five fish or 50? If I mature
wouldn’t be a problem
fish-in cycling.
and stock their it for five but add 50 I’ve
hit another problem.
tanks immediately,
SB: This would work SB: All guides I have seen
for a few days until the with no ill effects target 4.0ppm for the
ammonium is converted ammonia level desired
into nitrite, which will rise as the ammonium – too high for fish to endure and low enough
level falls – then you’re straight back to to avoid inhibiting bacterial growth. At this
having stressed fish. level, when cycling is complete, you can stock
at least four times the amount you would do
NH: A small amount of salt will deal with initially for a fishless cycle.
the toxic effects of nitrite. No ammonia It’s possible for something to go wrong
problem, no nitrite problem. So why can’t but it’s also possible for a fish-in cycle to go
I just do that and add some bacteria from wrong – and that seems to be common.
a bottle?
NH: But I’ve also seen numerous cases of
SB: This is simply way of covering up fish-in cycling that have gone right. I once had
a problem that shouldn’t be there in the to set up a tank for a bag of fish sent to me by
JACQUES PORTAL

first place. Plus there are lots of fish that mistake. I added dozens more than I should
are physically unable to cope with being in have, but with the addition of the bacterial
a salty environment. supplement Bactinettes I experienced no

20 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
‘cycle’ at all. Many aquarists use bacteria
products and stock their tanks immediately.
If a product works, what’s the problem?
SB: If adding bacteria keeps all ammonia and
nitrite to low levels then there is no problem.
I haven’t used every bacteria product, but
the ones I have were not the ‘miracle cure’
they allude to be – some had almost no
effect compared to a control tank. You’re a
trained and very experienced aquarist, I bet
you were delicate with feeding and heavy on
water changing while adding the Bactinettes’
live culture. New fishkeepers, however, will
be less aware. I always talk about cycling
thinking about new fish keepers, thinking
experienced aquarists would have access to
live media.
NH: I’d agree, not all supplements do what
they claim to do. Some contain heterotrophic
bacteria and others contain autotrophs.
A fishless cycle (using ammonia and
nothing else) only promotes
autotrophic bacteria growth.
My angle is that a well
managed fish-in cycle,
introducing both types
of bacteria, under
the direction of a
competent aquarist,
could yield a more
complete cycle than
a fishless one. But
yes, a competent
aquarist would likely
have the sense to
‘transplant’ live media from
another filter to speed things
along. You raise an important
point here – feeding. How much of the
new tank syndrome (NTS) phenomenon
do you think rests on the amount of food
a fishkeeper adds, rather than an incomplete
cycle? New aquarists tend to add more food
than needed, especially in the early days.
SB: I think that the amount of food added
makes a huge difference. Let’s say someone
adds twice the amount of food that is
needed: this won’t produce twice the waste,
it’ll be much more. If the right amount
of food is added the fish will assimilate
it and waste what is not used (hopefully
30% max) whereas uneaten food is 100%
waste so overfeeding can be a huge issue. If
overfeeding is a big concern, it surely makes
a pre-matured tank all the more poignant.
Do you have an opinion on aquarium cycling that you would like to share, or
perhaps a topic you would like to see discussed? If so, you can find us at
www.facebook.com/pfkmag or email editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
NH: Agreed; uneaten food is a menace.
But it’ll be a problem in either a fish-in or
a fishless cycle. Faced with a huge overload
of food, either system is going to crumble
when ammonia levels start to fly. Even
a pre-matured tank can only tolerate a certain
degree of ammonia before the filter bacteria
stalls and everything locks up. I think my
take here is that the elephant in the room
really could be overfeeding through a lack
of experience. Either type of cycle can be
worthless if the fishkeeper adds five times
more food than they need to. I wonder if, as
a hobby, we’ve been so concerned about the
cycling debates that we’ve ignored the wider
issue of feeding competence.
SB: I still think the six-week period, give
or take, of getting used to equipment
and understanding the nitrogen cycle will
start new fishkeepers off in the best way.
I know it’s a hard sell today when people
want, and are accustomed to, instant
results, but people need to be
taught patience as this is a
big part of keeping fish
well. I also think an
overfed tank that has
had some seeding,
no matter how
SHUTTERSTOCK
good, will cope
better than an
overfed tank with
none. In my eyes,
fishless cycling is the
right way and fish-in
cycling is just cutting
corners for the sake
of convenience.
NH: Oh, for sure. For new fishkeepers,
understanding both the nitrogen cycle and
the virtue of patience is essential. I’d advise
caution against the view that ‘this way and
only this way’ is right, however. That’s the
road to dogmatism right there.
Still, on balance, I’d prefer to see fishless
cycles over fish-in cycles any day of the week
– until an even better method of maturation
comes along!
We’re in some agreement here: fishless
cycling is the preferred option for the INSET: Learning
new aquarist, and the jury is still out as to test aquarium
to how well bacterial supplements work. water is an
What has been your experience with essential skill.
either cycling method? Let us know –
our letters page awaits your feedback.
BRACKISH
Moray eels

Freshwater
misnomer
Usually associated with coral reefs,
one species of Moray might surprise
you by turning up in your local
store’s freshwater section.

22 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 They may often
be sold as true
freshwater fish, but
that’s misleading.

FACTFILE .
GOLDSPOT MORAY EEL
6Scientific name: Gymnothorax tile.
6Origin: Costals regions of the Indo-West
Pacific, eastern India to the Philippines
and south to Austrailia.
Habitat: Turbid estuaries, rivermoths and TIM SMITH
other brackish coastal habitats. 300 l+
An ichthyologist and
6Size: 40 to 60 cm.
HRISTO HRISTOV

oddball aquarist,
6Tank size: 120x50x50cm at least.
Tim has been
6Water requirements: 7.5 - 9.0 pH,
involved with fish for
1.010 - 1.015 Specific gravity.
15 years, from retail
6Cost: around £30. to academia.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 23
BRACKISH
Moray eels
I
’VE BEEN fortunate enough
in my time as an aquarist to
have cared for a number of
species of moray eel, from
the smaller invertebrate
predators through to some
monstrous piscivores. Despite
their differences, they all
shared a common theme – they
were all reef-dwelling marine fishes.
When, some years ago, my friend
said he’d found some freshwater
morays for me, he had my attention
and, a week later, I had two new
HRISTO HROSTOV
world in 1822, he didn’t wait more
than a sentence to call this species
“an ugly eel”. An unfortunate
introduction – and quite untrue if
you’re biased like I am. Sure, they’re
not ‘pufferfish cute’, but morays
have a degree of elegance that
you’re unlikely to find elsewhere in
this hobby of ours.
Sombre greens for a background,
flecked with small, yellowish-orange
spots may not live up to the fashion
show that is the marine moray
parade, but as my adventures in
HRISTO HROSTOV
Freshwater confusion
This confusion arising from labelling G. tile
as the ‘Freshwater moray’ has led to the
unfortunate practice of selling this species
as if it were a true freshwater inhabitant.
This, in part, may be due to juvenile fish
being captured in freshwater or near-
freshwater environments.
The other part of the story appears to be
a sales gimmick: it’s a lot easier to sell
a fish that, allegedly, can be mixed and
matched with other tropical freshwater
species, rather than one that is more
particular about its water chemistry.
When kept in less-than-suitable salinities,
however, G. tile give up the idea of eating
Gold marbling until conditions are rectified.
makes this eel
attractive.
peppered with environments, either
smaller speckles
Moray eels are the only
upstream or out to In a moray, you have a
fish to project their
of the same
colour. Given the
pharangeal jaw forward
sea, for breeding
purposes, as may
living, breathing Houdini act
and use it to grab and
expansive range
consume prey
be the case for other as a pet. Every effort must be
of this species, some low-salinity moray eels.
degree of variation can The younger stage of made to prevent escape
be expected. these eels (leptocephalus)
Compared to its marine cousins, were indicated (1953; Pantulu and With regard to keeping ABOVE: A rare
G. tile is dwarfish. While most Jones) to develop within estuaries, Gymnothorax tile in captivity, I would view of a moray
morays exceed a metre in length, and adults were known to travel attempt long-term maintenance in a out and about.
G. tile stretches out to 60cm upstream as far as the tidal limit, marine set-up with adult fish only.
maximum, making it more suited to inferring a close relationship with However, brief exposure to saltier
most ‘regular’ sized home aquaria. the limits of the saline environment. water for younger fishes is not
This size is achieved fairly quickly. It’s known that G. tile is tolerant of without its merits, as it’s common
fully marine water, reflected in the practice for fishkeepers to use
Life cycles explained estuarine environment it originates a higher salinity as an external
At present, the complete life cycle from – which widely fluctuates in parasite treatment in place of the
of G. tile is not fully understood. In salinity depending on the tide – as commonly-used copper-based
particular, it’s uncertain whether this well as collection localities from fully medications, which do not sit too
species migrates out of estuarine marine environments. well with this species.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 25
BRACKISH
Moray eels

The eel manipulates its body into a knot in order to

generate leverage on otherwise slippery foodstuffs. The head
is forced through the knot, with only the food gripped in the
mouth being pulled away from the larger food piece
Accomplished escape artists
Being benthic animals, floor space
should be given more consideration
than other tank measurements.
Ideally, a lone specimen shouldn’t
be kept in anything smaller than a
120x50x50cm tank, with suitably
larger accommodation provided for
multiple animals.
In morays, you have a living,
breathing Houdini act as a pet.
Every effort must be made to
prevent escape: a tight-fitting lid,
glass sliders, secure pipe inlets and
outlets and even a slightly reduced
water level can be the difference
between a wet pet and a very dry
eel on the floor.
G. tile is rarely very active,
spending most of its spare time in a
preferred crevice, cave, root or pipe.
Provide as much cover as possible
to ensure your eels feel comfortable.
For multiple specimens sharing a
tank, this is essential. G. tile won’t
mind sharing a cranny with another
of its kind, but having its own retreat
can help ease tensions that arise.
Secure hard décor well. Exploring
eels can knock over poorly stacked
arrangements. Don’t worry about
your moray disappearing in their
hiding spaces as they will, in true
moray fashion, stick their heads out
into the open, awaiting passing prey.
G. tile have poor eyesight and
prefer a low-light environment.
If lighting is too bright, your
moray may resort to keeping to
a night-time shift; dimmer lighting In the wild moray eels feed
encourages daytime activity and every few days. Less active
morays will happily feed out in the lifestyles allow eels to digest
open in such conditions. large meals. It’s best to
follow this feeding
As with other predatory fishes, an pattern at home
efficient biological filter is a must. too.
A strong flow is not important, but
good circulation within the tank can
be handy in preventing ‘dead’ spots,
particularly if a lot of rockwork
or décor has been used to create A divers view: morays
are often seen with their
TIM SMITH

the plentiful hiding places that this head emerging from a

species prefers. dark hole.

26 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

Beware the bite!
Never hand-feed your moray! Besides not
wanting your moray to associate your fingers
with food (which can lend to making tank
maintenance a toothy nightmare), moray
bites can inflict serious harm.
If the puncture was not bad enough, the
mouth of the moray, as well as the tank it
inhabits, are incredibly bacteria rich.
Infection is not uncommon after a moray
eel bite, so it is best not to tempt fate just
to impress your dinner guests.
Should it be a particularly woeful Monday,
and your eel does latch on, fear not. In most
cases, it will let go once it gets a taste of
boring human hand steak.
As moray aficionado Phil Purser most
hilariously recommends in his book,
Keeping Moray Eels in
Aquariums, a tot of liquor in
the mouth of the attacker
will ensure that the animal
will let go. While I have
never tried this method, nor
could I recommend it, a
similar treatment for the
victim of the bite would
surely calm the nerves.
In short, wash out the bite
site well with warm, soapy
water, dry and treat the area
SHUTTERSTOCK
with an antiseptic.
HRISTO HROSTOV
Feeding captive morays
Most captive morays readily adapt
to a frozen food diet and many will
happily feed on ‘dead’ foods from
the get-go.
If your new pet is hesitant,
dangling a piece of food in front
of its lair, on cotton or with reptile
tongs, and jerking it around as if it
were alive may prompt your eel to
JJPHOTO.DK
strike. Use ‘smelly’ foods like oily
sardine or lancefish and eventually,
the eels will recognise the smell of
food in the water and come to feed
without your puppeteering skills.
This species leans toward a fishy
diet, so should be offered a range:
silversides, lancefish, sardine,
hake, or tilapia are commonly
available from seafood shops and
supermarkets. ‘Softer’ invertebrates
are also devoured with much
gusto, and items like bait squid and
deshelled prawns and shrimp should
be offered on occasion.
Cut food into bite-sized portions.
If anything is too large to consume
in a single bite, your eel might
engage in ‘knotting behaviour’. This
is fascinating to witness, as the eel
manipulates its body into a knot
in order to generate leverage on
otherwise slippery foodstuffs. The
head is forced through the knot, with
only the food gripped in the mouth
being pulled away from the larger
food piece.
The teeth are obvious,
sharp and backwards
facing, ideal for latching
on to prey and fingers.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 27
Morays often
expose their
heads.
Obesity can be a problem in
captive morays, so in the interest
of your pets’ health, as well as
tank water quality, only feed your
eel every other day or three times
a week. Offer just enough food to
notice a slight bulge in the stomach
(right behind the head region).
Other ‘freshwater’ species
G. tile is not alone in its adventures
into less salty waters, as many
species of moray find a home in
estuarine – and even freshwater
– environments. In the aquarium
trade, at least three other species
pop up infrequently, including the
30cm-long Pink-lipped Moray
(Echidna rhodochilus). This one
prefers an invertebrate-based diet,
but can be difficult to convert from
live to frozen foods.
G. polyuranodon is also known as
the ‘freshwater moray’, although
the name in this case holds a bit
more (fresh)water. Known to occur
in a range of salinities, this species
is unique in having adults spending
long periods in freshwater habitats.
Maintain Gymnothorax tile in
water that can truly be called
brackish: the lowest end of the
range I would recommend for it
would be a specific gravity (SG) of
approximately 1.005, near 6.6ppt
(parts per thousand). This may best
suit juveniles and is a comfortable
salinity to aim for if adjusting fish
from a freshwater environment.
For long-term maintenance,
however, an SG between 1.010 and
1.015 (between 13 and 20ppt) best
reflects the brackish origins of this
species. Mild fluctuations between
these values do not appear to bother
Gymnothorax tile and I proudly grew
a duo to a full two feet in adult
length under these conditions.
 COMMON SPECIES
MP & C PIEDNOIR, AQUAPRESS.COM

SUBJECT TO
INJECTION AND DIPPING
O Albino corydoras
O Glass fish, Parambassis sp.
O Parrot cichlids
O Black widow tetra
O Giant gourami

WHAT’S WRONG WITH INJECTED FISH?

Fish can be artificially coloured in a couple of ways – Dipping or Injecting

DIPPING: Fish have their mucous layers stripped, before dunking

ARE THEY LEGAL?
in concentrated dyes stains them with artificially bright colours. It IS illegal to dye a fish through
dipping or injection in the UK, but
`Fish are dyed all over including the gills, causing respiration issues. NOT illegal to import or sell them.
Almost all dyed fish are commercially
`Ink in the body can have serious effects on organ function. produced in the far east, and
`Stripping away mucus leaves fish open to bacteria and parasites. imported directly.

INJECTING: Fish are stabbed with a needle, and dyes injected.

They may have patterns or words tattooed on the body. WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Ask if retailers have joined up to
the Practical Fishkeeping Dyed Fish
`Against fish body sizes, needles are huge. Imagine your arm being Campaign. Started in 1996, the
injected with a pencil for a comparison. campaign asks retailers to pledge not to
`Injection sites are access points for infections. sell any dyed fish.
If you see some on sale, raise your
`Needles are not cleaned or sterilised, risking infection. concerns with store owners. Because
`Chemical embolisms from injection can cause fatalities. dyed fish aren’t always advertised as
`Injecting causes granulomas, tumours and cauliflower like growths. such, staf may genuinely not know they
are stocking them!
`The dyes cause inflammation of skin and muscle tissues. Your voice can help make the diference!
`Injecting requires rough handing which is highly stressful.
TANKCOMMUNITY
The place to share your fish, tanks, letters and photos

Enjoy the show craic!

CHAT
Find the popular fishkeeping
chatroom at facebook.com/
groups/PracticalFishKeeping
Nitrate fixing...
Roger Cutler
Just had a look at
South Stafs Water quality for
my area. Here are just two:
Nitrate 33.6 min - 42.1 max. I
get a regular reading of
40ppm in the tank. PH 6.8
- 7.8 is the same approximate
for tank. Question is, should I
try to remedy the high Nitrate
reading (nitrite 0 in tank)?
Mark Wright
I would personally. Mix
with rainwater (or RO).
Angus Cormac
Thomas
Trelawney-hardy
You could use a nitrate
removing filter media like
Seachem Denitrate or Matrix
(there are many others on the
market) if you don’t want to
lug around RO water. It’s just
another option to keep in
mind.
In the Spring 2018 issue of
PFK, reader Spencer Lucas
requested details of goldfish
shows. and exhibitions.
Beyond the shows suggested
by PFK editor Nathan Hill,
every Federation open show
– and many local clubs –
have a goldfish class, often
divided into common and
fancy varieties. Contact the
Federation of British Aquarist
Societies for more information
at www.fbas.co.uk.
In the north of England are
the two open shows organised
by the Yorkshire Association of
Aquarist Societies – visit www.
yorkshireaquaristsociety.co.uk.
The exclusive goldfish shows
are by the four UK goldfish
societies: Bristol Aquarist
Society (BAS), Northern
Goldfish & Pondkeepers
Goldfish – a bigger scene
than you might think!
Society (NGPS), Association
of Midland Goldfish Keepers
(AMGK) and the North East
Goldfish Society (NEGS).
Each society has an open show
and auction of members’ bred
goldfish, with all four combining
to hold the nationwide National
Fancy Goldfish open show.
The only other goldfish club
is the Goldfish Society of Great
Britain (GSGB), who decided not
to join the nationwide group.
The dates and venues of the
societies’ 2018 shows are:
AMGK Saturday 30 June at West
Orchard Church Hall, Coventry
CV36 6FP.
NEGS Sunday 15 July at Redby
Community Centre, Sunderland,
Tyne & Wear SR6 9QU.
BAS Sunday 2nd September
at Hengrove Community Centre,
Hengrove, Bristol BS14 9NX.
NGPS Saturday 15th
September at St Matthews Hall,
Stretford, Manchester M32 9AJ,
GSGB Saturday 29
September at St Paul’s Church
Hall, Woodford Bridge, Essex
IG8 8BS.
The National Fancy Goldfish
open show is on Saturday 6
October at Wyken Community
Centre, Coventry CV2 5PY.
Goldfish keepers can read all
about the fish on the websites
of the five clubs. The NGPS,
for example, has newsletters
online at www.northerngoldfish
society.com. Better still – why
not come and join us!
Good fishkeeping,
David Ford, via email
● Dates/venues correct when
PFK went to press; check with
societies before setting of.

James Leason
Plants. Plant your tank
heavily, they will suck up the
nitrate. Its all the fertilisers
farmers are starting to put on
the fields washing of in the
rain into the water supply. I
am also south stafs water
(Hopwas supply).

Rebecca
Bentley
Personally I’d go with RO, or
some kind of nitrate filter
which would require filling up
NATHAN HILL

Jerry cans. RO also allows

you to alter your water
hardness and TDS and a lot
of fish which are soft water
will prefer it. Just remember
to remineralise it.
JOIN THE PFK COMMUNITY
Roger Cutler There are four different ways to get in touch with Practical Fishkeeping: Tweet, like us on Facebook, drop us
an email, or simply send a good old-fashioned letter:
Thanks everyone, will
get some more plants and
check out filters.
 editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk facebook.com. Search Practical Fishkeeping
twitter.com/PFKmagazine

Practical Fishkeeping, Media House,
Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA
❯
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 29
 TANKCOMMUNITY
+ my Parrots. This is an aesthetic that I wouldn’t
STAR
letter
JAMIE THORPE
Talking parrots
I was quite stirred reading your debate about
Parrot cichlids in PFK’s Spring 2018 issue.
Before I start with my points, I wish to make it
clear that I’m neither for nor against Parrots
and hybridisation. I also currently own several
parrots and associated hybrids.
I think that the point made about people
voting with their wallets rings true, but we also
have to appreciate that not everyone is going
to suddenly decide not to purchase Parrots
and wipe out the market. So, as aquarists, we
have to accept, even if begrudgingly, that
these fish are here to stay.
Hybridisation and genetic modification (GM)
has been going on for years outside of the
fishkeeping industry. Many people are drawn
to Parrot cichlids due to their ‘quirky
characteristics’, such as their body shape and
colour morph. While some will say this is
unnatural, how many of us are guilty of looking
at pug dogs (with their similar ‘squashed up
faces’) and thinking “those are cute?”
Win FishScience
aquarium food
The writer of our Star Letter will win
a 250ml pot of their choice from this
quality range of Fish Science food,
which uses natural ingredients. Email:
editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
30 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
cichlids, Flowerhorn and Midas cichlids, and
can see the typical colourations of these fish in
be able to achieve in my tank with the ‘real
fish’, they’d simply not be compatible. Does
this mean I no longer hold interest in ‘real
fish’? No it doesn’t – it just means I haven’t got
the means to house them all in separate tanks
because I simply don’t have the room.
I don’t believe that the ‘creation’ of the Blood
parrot represents progress, but its happened.
We are now starting to see Parrots emerge on
the market that are capable of closing their
mouths so, in this sense, ‘tinkering’ must
represent progress. Although I will admit, in
my limited experience, that those capable of
closing their mouths display more aggression
than those who can’t.
Can I just clarify at this point that while I’m
not against hybridisation, I’m categorically
against the other means of modification that
fish are subject to. Dyeing and tattooing can
only be deemed as animal cruelty, and the less
said about the horrors that ‘Heart parrots’ are
subjected to, the better. This truly is
profiteering over welfare and is something that
Jamie’s bright orange should be banned globally.
Parrot hybrid. When we strip it back, the most rewarding
thing about the fishkeeping hobby is looking
after the fish we keep, interacting with them,
providing the best care we can and, all in all,
sitting back and enjoying our beautiful
set-ups.
Given that the Parrot fish is not going
These dogs, just like Parrots, have been bred anywhere anytime soon, then surely we should
to alter their genetics and give those short accept this and give these fish the best
snouts and tiny skulls which cause health possible lives rather than berating them. They
issues for the animal. But these animals have may be ‘man-made’, but this doesn’t mean
been accepted and are fast becoming one of they don’t deserve the same care, – and I’m
the nation’s favourites. Why are Parrot cichlids sure even the so-called ‘hardcore aquarists’
deemed repulsive while their flufy equivalent can’t dispute that.
is revered and adored? Jamie Thorpe, by email
I know this subject was briefly touched upon
in the article as line breeding – line breeding is Nathan replies: Huge thanks, Jamie, for your
essentially inbreeding. Surely inbreeding is comprehensive response to our discussion
worse than hybridisation? I know which of the piece. While I agree with most of the points
two words personally draws the strongest you raised, I’d certainly dispute the very last
emotive reaction for me. one. I know of some aquarists who take an
Answering the point around Parrots diluting extremely hardline approach to hybrids (or
interest in ‘real fish’, do you genuinely think ‘abominations’ as they call them away from
this is the case? I don’t. polite company) and would be happy to see
Prior to keeping Blood parrots and them all gone. While I don’t hold this view
hybridised Parrots I had a South American myself, it is worth remembering that these fish
cichlid set-up. I eventually grew tired of the lip do draw a range of opinions, sometimes
locking and having to quarantine fish over reaching well in to the extremes.
territorial disputes. I only kept Blue acara
at that time and they
aren’t even deemed
particularly aggressive.
Although Parrots are
guilty of the occasional
squabble, these are
minimal and, due to their
‘deformities’, they cause
little damage to one
another and any
aggression is short-
lived. The best way to
describe them would be
like boisterous teens.
To context this, I The Texas cich
currently own Parrot lid
in this parrot
hybrids that have been stands out!
crossbred with Texas
 Error alert!
I wanted to draw to your attention to
what appears to be errors in Practical
Fishkeeping’s Spring 2018 issue in the
article ‘Up The River’.
All of the fish factfiles on page 52 simply
say ‘Common name’ as opposed to
displaying the actual common name of
the fish, as other panels do throughout
the rest of the magazine. What happened
there then?
Ben Turnbull, by email
Nathan replies: Well spotted and thank
you Ben for bringing this unfortunate
oversight to our attention. Thanks to the
other alert readers who noticed it, too.
We think we’re calling it a ‘teething
problem’ at our end – the feature in
question was an early part of our
redesign, which will be even better once
we’ve ironed out the last kinks.
We promise to do better next time, and
it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve been over
every page in this issue many times!
O It’s behind you!
Amano shrimp, (Caridina multidentata)
are one of the most popular freshwater
inverts, especially as they love to eat
algae. These two in Kelly Williams’ tank
seem more interested in wood than the
green stuf, though!
OSmall but perfectly formed
Apistogramma dwarf cichlids are among
the most popular cichlids in the hobby,
and with beauties like this A. trifasciata in
Kris Dearman’s tank it’s easy to see why.
Proud of my Lemons!
I have a 70L tropical community tank which
has been set up since the beginning of
October. It’s my second tank, replacing my
original, too-small 24l tank.
I’ve read PFK since the August 2017 issue
and have enjoyed every issue. Thanks to one
of your writers, George Farmer, I’ve tried my
first aquascape, based on one he did, and this
is now home to Cherry barbs, Lemon tetras,
Otocinclus catfish and a female Bristlenose
catfish named Bernadette.
My Lemon tetras are thriving and have
brightened up in colour so much compared to
when I first got them. I think they’re definitely
underrated, as they liven up really quickly and,
if cared for properly, can rival more popular
species for beauty. Some of my males are now
SHUTTERSTOCK
A slice of yellow
heaven.
showing the black bars on their fins.
I’d really like to see an article on these
stunning fish in PFK as they are now my
favourites and I’d like to see people give them
a chance. Even my brother, who doesn’t like
fish, says they look nicer than the other fish.
Esther Clark (age 12), by email
Nathan replies: We’ll see what we can do for
you, Esther! I’ll send out some feelers to my
many top writers and see if any of them fancy
doing a write-up on this gorgeous species.
I’ll happily go on record as being a huge
Lemon tetra fan, too. There’s just something
about that yellow and black combined that
just makes them a standout fish – especially
in a planted set-up.
O Angels of every colour
Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) are
available in an ever-increasing variety
of colours. This Koi variety Angel was
photographed by Joanne Barber.
❯
TANKCOMMUNITY
FROM
FACEBOOK
Responses to our
question ‘What are the
best fish puns you’ve
come across? I’d love
you to let minnow...’

“That’s a moray...”
Geddit?

Catriona Murtagh: Oh, for

cod’s hake.
Gavin Kiely: This isn’t the OElectric
plaice to carp on about this. dream?
Good golly miss molly... If you’re a fan of
everyone floundering about! blue fish then you’ll
Maybe if I mullet over.... love Chris Short’s
Ryan Hunniset: Betta write stunning Electric blue
this down. acara, (Andinoacara
Arraminta Dunkley This pulcher) a boldly
scampi happening. coloured line-bred
Jacques Portal: Fins ain’t form of this popular
wot they used ta beeeeee. mid-sized cichlid.
Steven Burns: Algae’t me
coat.
Jan Fishlady: Notmine,but
myfavourite,“Whenyou’re OSpot the difference...
downbytheseaandaneel The Leopardfish, (Phalloceros
bitesyourkneethat’sa caudimaculatus) is a small, hardy and easy-
moray!” to-breed alternative to the Dalmation molly
Joel Mitchell: Thesejokes that is beginning to appear more regularly
areeely,eelybad. in the hobby. This spotty specimen belongs
to Reece Bloomfield.
Derek Leblanc: Just
flounderingaround.
Joel Mitchell: Whathappens
whenthemarinecleanersget O Twinkle, twinkle...
abittooclose? For those who like larger, chunkier cichlids
Hawrassement. with real character, the Madagascan species
Joel Mitchell: Uaruwe Paratilapia polleni is worth a look. These
doing? inky-dark fish are marked like a starlit sky as
Nicola T. Amanovih: Stop seen in this pair owned by Diane Hayes.
postingfishpunsjustforthe
halibut.
Keith Watson: You’vegotno
solepostingorfe-ullpunslike
thatandcertainlynotanangel
either.It’sasorrytailandfins
willneverbethesame
althoughyoucanbetsome
willhaveawhaleofatime.
Now,don’tbekoiorshellfish
aboutitbecauseIdon’twant
todiscusitanymoray.
Phillip Mackie: Nevertrust
unlicensedpuns,always
checkthey’reofishal!
Tryingtothinkofmorebutit’s
apaininthebass.
Bill Bain: Notbad,coddo
batter...

32 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Me & my
TANK
● Fishkeeper: Sophie Perrett
● Age: 27
● Occupation. Sales assistant
● Where in the world are you?
North-east Scotland
● How long have you been
a fishkeeper? 13 years
Can you describe your tanks?
Planted and natural. I’m not a fan of the
brightly coloured or plastic decor you get in
most stores. My 30l tank has a ’scape I made
from broken slate roof tiles, with dwarf
hairgrass and a Java fern.
My 240l tank is a Walstad-style set-up.
I was extremely nervous about setting it up as
a lot of hobbyists thought I was mad to set up
a system with no mechanical filtration. The
tank has been running since June 2017 and
the only issue I’ve had is that my recent long
work hours mean that the tank lights are
A very naturalistic set-up for
Sophie’s sorority of bettas.
One of Sophie’s
lovely female Bettas
often on for 10 hours or more, causing a bit of
an algae bloom.
Favourite fish?
Bettas! I often hear the same story of the sad
male kept in a community tank with badly
nipped fins, or of someone who bought a
couple of females that are now terrorising
all their other tank mates. I’ve been there
myself: I had a drab male in my community
tank and he never did much, just sat in the
corner looking all droopy and sad. Five years
later I bought another boy and put him in a
tank on his own, and I realised what a
fantastic little fish they are – full of colour
and personality.
Once you’ve fallen for their charm, one
Betta isn’t enough. Unfortunately, males
can’t be kept together, so it’s quite common
for enthusiasts to get MTS – multiple tank
syndrome! It was then that I decided to keep
a tank full of females as I haven’t got the
space for lots of males.
Most challenging fish you’ve kept?
I believe if you stock correctly and look after
the tank, the fish will look after themselves.
My Bettas have had their moments as they’re
naturally inquisitive, so I’ve had to rescue
a few of my males from behind filters.
Their aggression can be problematic,
especially with the females as they quarrel
among themselves, so you have to keep an
eye out for any injuries. Some of mine have
had a few torn fins, but they usually heal fast.
Favourite plants?
Right now I’m all about Javas and Anubias.
They’re pretty easy to find in shops and
aren’t too demanding.
Ottocinclus help
to clean up.
What’s your dream aquarium?
My Betta ‘sorority’ tank has been a dream of
mine for some time. I’ve had cash flow issues
in the past and I’ve had a lot of help from nice
people in the hobby to get me to where I am
today. I can’t thank them enough.
Advice you’d give newcomers?
Research and ask all the questions; it’s better
to take your time and get it right than have a
tank full of sick fish you no longer want.
Most hobbyists are more than happy to
answer questions and give advice where
possible. With various social media
platforms available it’s easier than ever to get
the information, help or support you need.
Any money-saving tips?
Being patient really pays of – often things go
wrong if you try to rush them. Keeping an eye
on local sales pages helps too; there are often
people closing down their tanks and selling
of various things cheaply.
Any time-saving tips?
Get lots of hoses! There’s nothing more
time-consuming or back-breaking than
carrying buckets of water through the house!
What do you wish you’d known
when you started fishkeeping.
Everything! I was only 14 when I started out
in the hobby and didn’t know anyone who
kept fish. The internet wasn’t a thing I used
much and social media didn’t really exist.
Most advice I got was from guys selling the
fish in a local garden centre, and it was
usually bad advice. My early days of fish
keeping were trial and error, and a very
steep learning curve.
SUBSCRIBE

E y 6 mo th f
for ju £
*when you choose the digital option and pay by direct debit

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND BENEFIT FROM:

6Never missing an issue
6Free UK delivery to your door or instant download to your digital device
6Save on shop prices

Subscribe every month and discover how Practical Fishkeeping remains the
definitive one-stop-shop for inspiration, species information, problem-solving
and great-looking aquariums.

To take advantage of this fantastic subscription offer all you have to do is either:

CALL 01858 43 8884 quote DEAA

 YOUR TANK

ALL THIS OW TO KEEP THEM

WITHOUT KILLING

Spring 2018 £4.50

IN LOVE WITH THE FABULOUS FIVE-B
E MARINES WIT TERS & SHIFTERS: Marine cleaners
for your substra

FOR HOW TO
PUT TH
SPARKL
BACK IN
YOUR
TANK

£15.50
Get spawn bl
Cherry
£4 40
December 17 issue 13

Banish winter 8
with our breedin
project ideas
O
tr
w
m
BL S KR
of Showstopping barbs for UOG
"
your community
FIND OUT
PAGE 36ON

101

April 18 Issue 4 £4.50

Issue 3 March 18 £4 50
FASCINATING Going large PLUS Step-by-step
FISH FACTS The reader with How YOU can Build your own
Discover what makes rsatile planted
EASY TO ACHIEVE

3 AQUASCAPES
TO INSPIRE YOU
th
Wonderful
Debate
PARROT
Glorious
Glassfishyou
THINK Why Aussie STOP THOSE THAI FLAVOUR Whiptails CICHLIDS
The species gh
FESTI
Keep t
gloriously laid back
Doughnuts
run rings
around other
CORAL Reader’s
QUARRELS amazing
Top tips for a Mekong
S
STRAIGHT &
Meet the incredible marine pipefish you’ll want to set up a tank for
The ultimate h
peaceful catfis
Is there a place
for hybrid fish? can see throu
Mesonauta cichlids corals peaceful reef basin biotope

OPTION 1 OPTION 2 OPTION 3

PRINT PRINT & DIGITAL DIGITAL

£21 by direct £23.50 by direct £15.50 by direct

debit every 6 debit every 6 debit every 6
months months months

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 6 issues. Prices quoted
apply when you pay by direct debit every 6 months. Alternative payment methods available – see website for details. Direct debit
will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise and you will not receive a renewal reminder. This offer closes on 9 May 2018.
This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximate) 2p to
10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximate) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may
get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm
(Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). UK orders only. Overseas? Please phone +44 1858 438828 for further details. Calls may be monitored or
recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions please visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions

or visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk/PFK
INSPIRATION
Threadfin rainbowfish

Waltzing
THREADFINS Tai Strietman takes inspiration from the swamps
and billabongs of Australia, to create a dazzling
display for a readily available rainbowfish.

TAI
STRIETMAN
Formerly an aquarist
at ZSL London Zoo,
Tai is a freshwater
habitat specialist.
Biotope aquaria
NATHAN HILL

is his passion.

36 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 With beautiful
long fins, the
Threadfin is
eye-catching.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 37
INSPIRATION
Threadfin rainbowfish
T
O SOME, the word
biotope might conjure
up images of tannin-
stained, leaf-litter
ridden tanks of dwarf
cichlids, tetras and
catfish. For others, it’s
flow, rocks, and weird
and wonderful loaches. For many
fishkeepers – especially newcomers –
the idea of a biotope is intimidating,
but with a little knowledge, you can
create an enchanting set-up.
My first attempts at biotope
aquaria – a tank that mimics
a specific aquatic habitat from
a particular region or body of
water – were simple affairs of
oak and beech leaves, tangles of
wood, floating plants and a variety
of Amazonian tetras, Pencilfish
and Corydoras.
At the time, I was proud of my
creations, although they weren’t
particularly accurate, with fish from
different river systems, leaf litter
from European trees and plants
that didn’t grow anywhere near the
Amazon basin. Despite that they
looked beautiful and natural and it
made me want to create more.
Since then I’ve set up many
biotope tanks. Some are my own
concepts – a Guyana stream, a Thai
river, a Brazilian flooded meadow.
Others have been copies of tanks
I’ve seen elsewhere; an all-time
favourite being a tank set up by
38 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
George Farmer replicating a Lake In my quest to share my passion
Inle habitat from Myanmar. for biotope aquaria and suggest a
I copied George’s tank to the set-up that isn’t too big, daunting or
letter in a larger set-up and it was expensive, I started thinking outside
one of the best and easiest to the box. South American biotopes
maintain I’ve ever had. The fish are awesome, but they’ve been done
were all hardwater lovers, liked to death. Then I thought about the
room temperature, ate everything, fish that have become dear to me
behaved themselves and showed over the years, species that really
colours and patterns that burst get me excited, and in my mind’s
through the lush vegetation. eye I saw the beautiful Threadfin
That inspired my love of rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri).
striking Asian rummynose (Sabwa I had the fish, but is it a feasible
resplendens), tiny Emerald dwarf set-up? Could the typical fishkeeper
rasbora (Microrasbora erythromicron) recreate a Northern Australian
and the charismatic Inle loach habitat with a little research and
(Petruichthys brevis). I researched the effort? The answer is yes!
habitat further and added a group of I wished to replicate a billabong
Inle danio (Inclecypris auropurpurea), that had been expanded by the
which filled the upper levels with wet season. Threadfin rainbows
their tiger spots and movement. congregate in large groups under lily
I learned an important lesson pads, but size constraints, and the
while sitting and watching that tank fact that I didn’t want to put them
– biotopes don’t need to be difficult! into a world of shadow, meant some
changes would be needed.
Keep it flexible My vision was for a tangle of
Maybe we can’t always get the right aquatic plants in shallow, clear water
plants, but we can find something through which the fish could dart,
pretty close, and still create a hide or display, showing off their
beautiful tank that looks authentic. best colour and behaviour.
Equally important is an area for the males to
display in, particularly when they size each other
up with wild spirals and shimmies, flaring their fins
in an ‘I’m more flamboyant than you!’ dance
Female
Threadfins lack
the flowing fins
of males.
 Overall the tank
is bright and
refreshing with
lush green hues.

Planting pleasing green shades that turn in-vitro pots, so I could cover a large
There were several plants I wanted reddish under good lighting. area with juvenile plants, giving the
to complement the colours of I also wanted something to impression this was fresh growth in
rainbows, which are found quickly fill out the lower newly flooded habitat.
in northern Australia. Can’t find Darwin River levels, and the answer was I added several stems of Persicaria
The most well-known Ambulia? Try German firm Pogostemon stellatus ‘Broad praetermissa, found in Australasia
is Vallisneria nana, an Aquasabi for a wide range Leaf’ – a larger and sturdier along the banks of waterways and
elegant, narrow-leafed variant of the popular stem ponds. It has dark red tones and
of aquatic plants at
plant. It likes hard water, plant. With green to orange-red leaves like narrow hearts. It benefits
gentle flow and it grows aquasabi.com tones and rapid growth it would from high lighting and CO2 and will
rigorously, although it can be slow provide a soft filler in the lower grow submersed, rising up and out
to take. It’s no fan of liquid carbon levels of the tank. I bought several of the water.
and tends to melt if subjected to it,
but give it some CO2 injection and
you’ll see fast growth.
Another plant I wished to include
was Vallisneria nana ‘Tiger’. It
produces broader leaves than the
true V. nana and looks more like
the classic V. spiralis. Its long leaves
are spattered with brown flecks,
streaks of red, and the tips can turn
mauve-red.
Both species of Vallisneria add
height to the tank and break up the
open areas, making the fish feel Threadfins come
secure and giving a natural feel. in a range of
I was keen to include Darwin River bronze, orange,
red and olive-
Ambulia (Limnophila brownii) in my
green colours.
tank, too. It has soft textures, and

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 39
INSPIRATION
Threadfin rainbowfish

I wanted to include lilies but there green tangles to shaded leaf litter
are no Australian species available, shrouded in lily pads. Different
so my initial plan was to add African species exploit these stages. Small
Nymphaea rubra and prune them fish spawn early and the fry hide
to keep them low, creating the in the verdant stem plants. As they
illusion that they were just starting mature, they rise with the expanding
their ascent to the surface. In the lilies towards the surface where
end I used Brazilian Nymphaea they can hide under the pads from
gardneriana as their soft orange predators and pick off insects and
colours would complement the their larvae. Some species use the
tones of the tank. They also shade of the lily pads to
stay low-growing and ambush juveniles of
form a carpet. smaller fish.
In the wild, I’ve When the dry
seen how this season returns,
changes the There are slight variations pending the lilies die back
habitat. An area where Threadfins come from. Fish and their leaves
is flooded and an from Cadell River carry a and stems are
explosion of stem lyre-shaped tail and have absorbed back into
plants and grasses longer and darker fins the mud, feeding
quickly fills the than other types. the buried rhizomes
shallow, sunlit waters, and roots, which wait
rich in nutrients from the for the next year’s rains.
newly flooded terrain. The shallow This boom and bust cycle is found
waters in the margins, are densely throughout the tropics, including in
filled with aquatic and sub-aquatic Northern Australia. Creeks, where
plants, provide fish with protection lagoons and billabongs have shrunk
from larger predatory fish or birds. or dried up, appear again, bursting
Slower-growing lilies emerge and with life. Amphibians and fish move
their rhizomes, dormant in baked in to take advantage of new food
mud during the dry season, put up sources, spawning sites and cover
shoots. Eventually, the leaves reach for fry or tadpoles.
the surface and begin to block out
light, resulting in a die-back of the Dancing displays
stem plants, which sink back into Threadfins do best in species tanks,
the substrate and provide nutrients living only with their own kind.
for the lilies. They can also do well with other
By the end of the wet season, small rainbowfish, but they need
the habitat has gone from dense a calm tank with low flow, plenty

40 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 of vegetation and plenty of places
to hide.
Males can be insistent when
displaying, and it’s important to
provide the females with cover they
can escape to for respite from the
males’ amorous intentions.
Equally important is an area for
the males to display in, particularly
when they size each other up with
LEFT: This wild spirals and shimmies, flaring
Australian their fins in an ‘I’m more flamboyant
billabong than you!’ dance.
biotope tank To prevent females from being
was pretty easy hounded, a ratio of two to three
to set up.
females to every male works best.
BELOW: Male You’ll want at least four males – it’s
Threadfins when they’re displaying to each
display by flaring other that their beauty is best
their impressive revealed, and what makes them so
fins. fascinating to watch.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 41
There will be dominant males who
are older and larger, too, with bigger
fins – if you keep only a couple of
males, one will likely end up sulking
in a corner.
A group of males ensures
there’s usually a constant battle
for dominance. It’s not unusual to
watch two have a ‘dance-off’ before
stopping to rest, at which point a
third, impudent, male will rush into
the vacant display arena, flashing his
smaller fins in an attempt to dazzle
the indifferent females.
Despite all the energy involved in
displaying, Threadfins are peaceful.
You rarely see a ragged one and,
provided they are kept in sufficient
numbers with the recommended
ratios, they don’t become exhausted
from displaying or being chased.
INSPIRATION
Threadfin rainbowfish
Perfect tankmates
I wanted biotope-correct
companions for my Threadfins,
and another Australasian gem is
available – the delightful Spotted
blue-eye, Pseudomugil gertrudae.
Like Threadfins, they’re found in
Australia from Northern Queensland
up into the Northern Territories and
Arnhem Land, and then across the
Arafura Sea into Papua on both the
Indonesia and New Guinean sides
of the island.
Spotted blue-eyes inhabit slow-
moving creeks, pools, billabongs and
flooded habitats, thriving among
dense vegetation. They’ve been
recorded in deeply tannin-stained
waters with low pH, especially in
habitats clogged with leaf litter.
I added two males and three
females in with my five male and
11 female Threadfins. The Blue-eye
males display beautifully, but less
frequently and relentlessly than the
Threadfins and are more inclined
to give the females a break. They
occupy the upper levels of the
tank and contrast nicely with the
Threadfins, who prefer the middle
region of the aquarium. Their soft
yellow colour blends nicely with the
warm oranges, reds and greens of
the display.
Both fish do best in tanks set up
to cater to their needs, and without
boisterous tank mates. Although
energetic, neither species will
compete well with fast and hefty
tetras or bigger Rainbows, and barbs
42 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
will find it hard to resist the long fins
and end up nibbling them. If you
have to add Threadfins and Blue-
eyes to a community, other small
rainbowfish or smaller tetra
species and rasboras make good
companions.
The plants, with a little research
and online shopping, can be easily
sourced and both species of fish are
regularly available and inexpensive.
If you want to try a biotope that’s
a little different from the South
American, Asian and African
displays often seen, maybe the
shallow margin of an Australian
billabong, with its rich plant life and
engaging inhabitants, is for you?
ABOVE: Those THANKS
trails can invite The fish were kindly donated
fin-nipping.
by Maidenhead Aquatics
BELOW: Scotsdales. A video of the tank
Neocaridina can be viewed at https://
shrimp scavenge to
help maintainance.
youtu.be/RhGBnJM4k4w
Tank specifications
I kept the temperature in my tank at
a comfortable 24°C (both species can
handle a fairly broad temperature range)
using a Hydor inline heater, and the tank
was maintained at a pH of 6.5 – although
Blue-eyes will be happy as low as 4.5.
The addition of leaf litter and other
botanicals provided texture interest at
lower levels and helped keep the tank soft
and slightly tannin-stained, as would be
typical in your average billabong. Hardness
was maintained between 18-215 ppm.
The tank is only 100l, (90x45x30cm)
and I used a large external filter, capable
of delivering 2500 lph but with the flow
turned right down. A weekly 50% water
change can be easily carried out on such
a small tank.
CO2 injection at two bubbles per second,
daily dosing of TNC fertiliser and using
aquatic plant soil substrate keeps the
plants in good condition. The light unit,
on for eight hours a day, uses four 36W T5
bulbs – two standard daylight and two
‘plant’ bulbs, providing a warm glow that
picks out reds and oranges well.
 3P]L ÄZO MVVK
We offer a variety of live fish food. Each pack has the product name printed on the front and
on the back you will find the EAN barcode for fast, efficient in-store handling.

Everything is packed in the Netherlands to ensure fresh, top quality products the whole year
round.

We can offer the following live products:

Enriched Brine shrimp, Copepods, Daphnia, Glassworm, Mysis, Nauplii, Bloodworm large,
Bloodworm small, River shrimps and Tubifex.

Most of these items are available in BULK too.

HX\H[PJWSHU[Z KY` MVVK -YVaLUÄZOMVVK LHZ`SPML WYVK\J[Z

175+ different species of plants. 45 different foods for goldfish, Award winning 100 gram Distributor of Easy-Life
Available potted and bunched. tropicals and marines and blisters in 35 different flavours. products. Famous for EasyCarbo
Also a range of mosses, plants turtles. Available in 100ml, 500 and 1000 gram packaging and ProFito and more plant
on bogwood and on coconut! 250ml and 1000ml pots. also available and in stock! fertilisers and water treatments.

3P]L ÄZO MVVK • -YVaLU ÄZO MVVK • +Y` MVVK • 9LW[PSL MVVK
(X\H[PJ WSHU[Z • 7VUK WSHU[Z • ,HZ`3PML WYVK\J[Z
Con
t
to f act us
0031 412 - 639 618
0031 412 - 623 052
sales@aquadip.com you ind
www.aquadip.com sto r loca
ck i
st! l
® The best quality from Holland!
Weekly deliveries to the UK for more than 17 years.
FANCY GOLDFISH
Ryukins
dy in
aquaria, the Ryukin is a goldfish to covet.
PHOTOS: NATHAN HILL
A
LL FANCY goldfish
started off in
China, although
the Ryukin is so
called because the
variety was traded
with the Japanese
and entered via the
Ryukyus – a chain of islands south
of the main island of Japan.
Reference is made to Ryukin in
Japanese publications dating back
to 1825, and by 1908
Shinnosuke Matsubara,
director of the Imperial
Fisheries Institute in Tokyo,
referenced it as one of the
four most popular Japanese
goldfish varieties, along
with the Wakin, Ranchu,
and Oranda.
These days, few if any
Japanese Ryukin come
to the UK; most of
Japanese-style those you see in fish
Ryukins have a shops are of Chinese
distinct shape. origin, with Thailand being an
up-and-coming supply source too.
Size
Ryukin can attain a body length of
20cm and a body height of about
the same. Combine this with a belly
girth of 7-10cm on an adult fish,
and an adult Ryukin could weigh
JEREMY GAY a kilogram or more. Some could
Jeremy Gay is grow even larger, and that’s without
a former PFK editor, fins, so life in small aquariums will
award-winning stunt them.
retailer and now I now believe, although this is
product developer
anecdotal, that to obtain maximum
for Evolution Aqua.
body depth, Ryukin should be
44 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
ing ta
kept in deep water. Last year I saw
some single-tail Ryukin (called With a belly
Tamasaba) of 5cm body-size placed
into a heated, 4+ft-deep Koi pond
girth of 7-10cm
containing large Koi.
They were added in March, fed six
on an adult fish, an
times per day on koi pellets, and by adult Ryukin could
September they were netted out of
the pond with a body size of 20cm. weigh a kilogram
That’s in just six months.
It was notable how the body
or more
depth altered dramatically
too. Going in the pond, the
fish had poor body shape
for Ryukin – little to no
hump backs between
the head and dorsal fin,
and slender bodies. By
September they had
steeply arched backs
with prominent
humps and this
I put down to
the depth of
the water.
Aquarium or pond?
Based on that account, are Ryukin
pond fish? If I were to attempt to
house adult fish indoors I would use
an aquarium of at least 120 x 60 x
60cm, preferably taller. But a pond
suits Ryukin in so many ways
– purpose-built, solids-handling
filtration, as much room as they
would ever require and ease of
large-scale water changes by simply
flushing filters to waste.
A heated pond would be paradise
for Ryukin. I’ve kept them outside
for seven years now in a pond, but
I can’t afford to heat it and over that
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 45
FANCY GOLDFISH
Ryukins

Red short-tail ryukin

This thick-set fish has a flat,
almost squared tail, and intensely
red markings.

Japanese red & white ryukin

This variety has a deeper bodyshape and slightly
longer tail than Chinese types.

The most expensive fish
I’ve ever seen were huge, and
on sale in the UK for £3,500.
Yes £3,500!
time I’ve lost probably half my fish,
always in the long, cold seasons.
Being able to bring them inside and
not let them get too cold would
definitely help them.
Feeding
Baby Ryukin should be fed on
newly hatched, live Artemia, moving
on to powdered dry food, and
either frozen or live Daphnia and
bloodworm.
Once at a few cm body size,
combine frozen and live foods with
a staple of small, sinking pellets
aimed specifically at goldfish
varieties to encourage growth and
colour. Sinking pellets will help to
minimise the likelihood of your
fish turning upside down with the
dreaded swim bladder problems
that plague Ryukin and other fancy
goldfish varieties.
They should be fed several times
a day. If you can’t be around to
do this, invest in an automatic
feeder. Masses of food will mean
masses of fish poo, and goldfish
are messy anyway so you’ll need
effective mechanical and biological
filtration, aeration provided by an
air pump and an airstone for both
fish and filter bacteria to use, and
lots of regular water changes with
dechlorinated water.
Those who keep large fancy
goldfish indoors will come to
recognise the pong the aquarium
sometimes has. Remove as much
solid waste as possible during
maintenance, run carbon in the
filter to help remove odour and use
the smell as an indicator that the
water needs changing, or you’ve
been overfeeding. Froth on the
surface also means a water change
– bubbles should pop on the surface,
not hang around in a slime.
Varieties
The Ryukin is line-bred from of the
original goldfish Carassius auratus.
Characteristics are a humped back,
tall body profile and large belly.
The tail should be twin-lobed and
paired with twin anal fins, although
lower quality, single anal-finned
fish are commonly avilable. Ryukin
body shape is pretty standard. A
good pedigree has the steep back
from head to dorsal fin, although
tail length and shape can vary
enormously.
Japanese fish are known for their
long, flowing tails, but Chinese
Ryukin increasingly have short tails.
Long tails increase surface area and
liability to infection, while short
tails cause head-standing, poor
swimming and susceptibility to the
fish floating upside down. I prefer
a fish with a medium-length tail,
which also aids balance. Shapes vary
from butterfly-shaped tails, through
fantails, broadtails, ribbon tails and
veiltails.
The original fish were metallic
orange, though red and white were
favoured by the Japanese. Calico,
or nacreous, fish came much later
by crossing with other nacreous
varieties.
Find a decent fancy goldfish
supplier and you’ll get to choose
from red, white, red and white,

46 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Calico ryukin
Calico markings were late arrivals
to the Ryukin strain of goldfish.

Sakura (a matt red and white), tri- Breeding will need either live plants, woollen
colour, calico, bronze, blue, red and Breeding Ryukin is relatively spawning mops or spawning mats or
black, and everything in between. straightforward. All goldfish are non- brushes. Having males outnumber
Tri-colours (three coloured fish, pair-forming egg scatterers, so you the female by two to one can aid
normally with a mixture of red just need a mature female, who has spawning, as a male each side of the
white and black) command some become rounder in the belly as the female will help to force her into the
of the highest prices and, as with eggs inside develop, and a sexually plants.
any pedigree breed, unusual or mature male. For best results the water should
particularly striking fish are the Males are typically more slender be warm, shallow, clean and still,
most sought after. The most than females and develop apart from some gentle aeration
expensive fish I’ve ever visible white spots on their
seen were huge, and gill covers, along with
on sale in the UK ridges on the leading
for £3,500. Yes
£3,500! A really
Spots on gills and pectoral
fins are known as breeding
edge of their
pectoral fins
We Recommend...
nice, freshly
imported fish
tubercles which help grip the
that can be seen
and felt for by
Tank mates
may be upwards of female when males running a wet finger
Ryukin will mix with their own kind or other fancy
push the eggs varieties like Fantails, Oranda, Telescope-eyes and
£500, but thankfully and thumb along them.
Ranchu. Being big, strong fish, they wouldn’t
the vast majority of small, out. Ryukin spawning is
even be muscled out at feeding time if mixed
common or garden Ryukin triggered by an increase in
with single-tail varieties like Shubunkin, Common
cost upwards of just £5. daylight, temperature (20ºC goldfish and Comets. Weather loach could be
All fish are shipped around the being ideal) and food. added to tanks containing large fish if you want
world in polystyrene boxes, so Fish will often spawn early in the some non goldfish, although adult Ryukin will eat
the bigger the fish, the fewer you morning on a sunny day. The male Danios and White Cloud Mountain minnows, and
can fit in, so the higher their price chases the female and nudges her any of the temperate shrimp varieties.
becomes to cover that fraction of belly, which becomes soft to the For an absolutely glorious visual display, it’s best
the air freight bill. The smart money touch. In nature, a female C. auratus to keep to goldfish only – or even Ryukin only
is to buy small fish and grow them, is driven into plants where the eggs – with a contemporary hardscape arrangement
or pay for two good fish and breed are released; the male releases milt and five same-size, same-colour Ryukin.
them. at the same time. In captivity you

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 47
FANCY GOLDFISH
Ryukins

from an air-stone. Remove the

parent fish or the egg-laden mops,
and rear separately, starting them
off on newly hatched brine shrimp.

Culling
The subject of culling fish is taboo,
but it needs to be discussed if you
are breeding Ryukin. The process
of culling is to thin out batches of
fry, keeping only the best for further
raising.
The Ryukin you bought will
themselves have been the survivors
of several culls since just a few days
after hatching. But only do what you
are comfortable with; if you want to
raise every single baby fish, you can.
Culling occurs because Ryukin
look a certain way, and goldfish
genetics want to revert the fish to
wild type. This means that not all
Ryukin fry will grow up to look
like Ryukin. Some will have single,
not double tails, others will have
pronounced deformities such as
bent spines, but the main reason for
culling is sheer numbers.
A single mature Ryukin may
Calico nacreous short-tail ryukin
produce hundreds, if not thousands, At adult size, this fish displays the extreme body depth ryukins can possess.
of eggs in a single spawn. As Note the shorter tail, characteristic of Chinese types of ryukin.
hatched fry they will need increasing
amounts of food up to eight times
over a 24-hour period, as well as
extra space and clean, filtered water Chocolate and gold ryukin
as they grow.
Continued on p50 A long-tailed variant in the Japanese style.

FACTFILE
RYUKIN
6Scientific name: Carassius auratus.
(Ca-ra-see-us or-rah-tuss).
6Size: 20cm.
6Origin: Originally bred in China, but
many modern fish in England now also
come from Thailand.
6Tank size: 120x60x60cm
6Water requirements: 7.0-8.5 pH,
10-18°H.
6Temperature: Tolerate 5-28°C but
ideally kept between 18-22°C
6Temperament: Peaceful.
6Feeding: Sinking goldfish pellets, fresh
vegetables, live and frozen foods.
6Availability and cost: Very common,
anything from £5 to £3,500.

400 l+

48 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Chocolate broadtail ryukin
A recently developed strain with a wide tail
and rich colour.

Red & black ryukin

A more common variety seen on sale, with neither a
short Chinese-style nor long Japanese-style tail.

Red & white broadtail ryukin

Note the matt white of the body on this fish, as
opposed to more common glossy types.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 49
FANCY GOLDFISH
Ryukins
Most enthusiasts simply cannot
afford to buy the amount of
brineshrimp eggs necessary for
thousands of fry, nor do they
want to get up every four hours
throughout the night to feed them.
By cutting numbers down to
hundreds, then tens, it means there’s
more room for the fry to grow, and
more brineshrimp nauplii per fish
when it’s added to the tank, so the
food lasts longer, and sustains the
fry for longer between feeds.
I have bred goldfish many times,
and always tried not to cull any,
but the result is stunted fry that
become months (and ultimately
years) behind on the size they
should be for their age.
Problem solving
The biggest problem you are likely
to encounter with Ryukin is floaty
fish, which I put down to that
Ryukins are best mixed
with other fancy goldfish,
especially other Ryukins.
50 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Find a decent fancy goldfish supplier and you’ll
get to choose from red, white, red and white,
Sakura, tri-colour, calico, bronze, blue, red and
black, and everything in between
short, fat body and deformed swim and are susceptible to lots of
bladder. Choose ‘balanced’ fish with parasites you can’t see, like flukes.
a medium-sized tail and a not-too- I routinely treat for these and have
squashed body shape. lost fish to flukes when I haven’t
Often ‘swim bladder’ is not medicated for them. Ideally, find
a disease at all and I find only a friend with a microscope who
limited success by administering knows how to take a skin scrape,
salt or a specific swim bladder and what to look for.
disease treatment. Diet WANT TO BUY? In terms of water quality,
can often be the problem, All the fish here were seen at large fish plus frequent
floating foods and too high Star Fisheries, Sutton. feeding equals ammonia,
a protein levels can lead to For details and prices, contact and if ammonia isn’t at zero
swim bladder problems.
Star on 0208 9150455,
at all times these fish will get
Bred for looks, not ill. Blood in the fins of white
hardiness, Ryukin don’t like or visit the website at fish is a common indicator
prolonged UK winters outside starfisheries.co.uk that something isn’t right.
 ADVICE
Answers
Got a fishkeeping question? PFK’s crack team of aquatics experts
are on hand to answer whatever you need to know...
questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
Win
The Question of the
Month gets a Tetra
goodie box!

THE EXPERTS
Porcupine
TROPICAL puffers make
DR PETER
perfect personal
BURGESS pets.
Is answering all your
disease questions and
looks at a lumpy goldfish on page 55.

BOB
MEHEN
Is answering all your
community questions
and explains fish bagging on page 57.

GEORGE
FARMER
Is answering all your
planting questions and
explains background plants on page 55.
What’s the best set-up
STEVE
BAKER for this spiky oddball?
Is answering all your
Please could you tell me what size of tank it’s best to keep them as one individual per
goldfish questions and
I need to keep a Porcupine puffer. I am tank, but you might want to consider robust
looks at a goldfish tub on page 57.
thinking of keeping it as the sole fish – just as tankmates if space permits – groupers, larger
a pet. Any tips on what to feed to keep its teeth tangs and triggers are good choices. Because
JEREMY short would be welcome. porcupinefish are messy, greedy feeders you’ll
RYAN, BY EMAIL need to ensure brisk water movement, efficient
GAY mechanical and biological filtration and
Is answering all your DAVE SAYS: The ‘classic’ porcupinefish, aggressive skimming (possibly
cichlid questions and the Longspined porcupine puffer, incorporating ozone).
discusses Kribensis on page 56. Diodon holocanthus, is brilliant While porcupinefish are hardy,
– it’ll rapidly achieve pet status they’re susceptible to eye
NEALE and has tons of personality. infections if water quality
These fish grow rapidly to Correct species ID is takes a dip, so it’s
MONKS quite a size, topping out important to really go to
Is answering all your at around 30cm in essential with porcupine puffers, town on filtration.
freshwater questions length. They’re chunky, as some types grow to be As far as keeping your
and looks at leaf litter on page 54. too, and have an amazing whoppers unsuitable fish’s teeth in check, this is
appetite, so the bioloading on best achieved by offering foods
the tank can be considerable.
for home such as mussels and cockles still
DAVID tanks.
D. holocanthus needs around in the shell. This will help to wear the
WOLFENDEN 500l/110 gal as a minimum and puffer’s fused teeth down (they have a
Is answering all your ideally you’re looking at twice that. They’re single upper and a single lower tooth which
ALAMY

marine fish questions, active swimmers, so provide plenty of open make up a ‘beak’) and should prevent the need
and explains how to pet a pufferfish. space. They are aggressive to conspecifics, so for dental surgery.
❯
EXPERT AQUARIUM CARE WITH OUR DIGITAL Every question we receive gets a reply from our
experts. Include as much information as you
WATER TEST APP, DOWNLOAD HERE: can about your set-up. Photos are useful, too. 51
ADVICE Answers
TROPICAL
How can I stop my Platies pestering my Angels?
I’ve got a selection of fish in my
200l/44 gal tank who have been
absolutely fine together, including three
Angelfish that I’ve had for four years.
Four weeks ago I added 10 Platies to
the tank and they seemed to get along
with the Angels at first, but then they
started to attack all three – pecking at
them and chasing them constantly.
One of the Angelfish has now died and
the Platies are continuing to peck the
other two.
Can you offer any advice as to why
this is happening and how I can stop
the Platies’ aggressive behaviour? When
I purchased them, I was told they would
be fine with my Angelfish.
JULIE, BY EMAIL
NEALE SAYS: It’s debatable whether
Angelfish produce the same nutritious
mucus on their flanks as Discus, the
idea being that Discus have to do so
because there is otherwise so little
plankton in their environment that their
offspring run the risk of starving to
death without such supplemental
nutrition. Angelfish, generally coming
from more productive waters, probably
don’t need this particular adaptation,
whatever their other similarities. But,
even so, Angels do seem to be
vulnerable to attacks by other fish
pecking at their sides, presumably
nibbling away at the mucus on
their flanks.
TETRA PRIZE
Julie wins a box of Tetra goodies:
100ml TetraMin and TetraPro Colour foods,
Holiday Food, Pleco Algae Wafers,
FunTips Tablets, 100ml SafeStart,
EasyBalance and AquaSafe water treatments
and Tetra Test 6 in 1.
NEIL HEPWORTH
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
52 FOR HEALTHY FISH
The usual situation is where the
Angelfish develops bloody sores or
missing scales on their flanks.
Sometimes, aggression between the
Angels gets things started, with them
pecking at one another and opening up
a sore that becomes an easier target
than otherwise intact skin. It can also
be the case that small suckermouth
catfish – most commonly, Otocinclus –
latch onto the Angels and scrape away
at them, just as if they were feeding
on algae.
Either way, the sores become worse
over time, and the weaker the
Angelfish, the more vulnerable it is to
opportunistic attacks by tankmates
keen to make a meal out of their skin,
blood or mucus.
I’ve not seen Platies do this, but
I have seen Mollies ‘having a go’ at
Angelfish in this way, so it’s possible
that this is the situation here.
As to whether this behaviour by the
Platies can be reduced or stopped, one
explanation for why Platies might be
doing this, and indeed other
herbivorous fish such as Mollies and
Otocinclus, is simple hunger. Such fish
evolved to feed more or less constantly
on algae and soft plant material, and
without a source of high-fibre food to
make them feel full, they’re driven to
find alternative sources of nutrition.
Throw a few slices of courgette or
squashed cooked peas in your tank to
Throw a few slices of
courgette or squashed cooked
peas in your tank
Send your questions to: Fishkeeping Answers,
Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough,
PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
Question of
the Month
Otocinclus
eat high-fibre
food almost
constantly.
SHUTTERSTOCK
see if your Platies will feed on these
instead of your Angels. Algae pellets of
the sort used to feed plecs are good
too, but being more protein-rich they’re
going to put a heavier strain on your
filter so be careful with those. Fresh or
cooked greens contain little to no
protein, so even in large amounts they
won’t do much to affect water
quality, which is helpful.
Otherwise, Platies are
normally good fish in
community tanks, so
what you report is a bit
unusual. Sometimes
they can be aggressive
towards one another, but
they usually ignore dissimilar
species. Nonetheless, if
augmenting their diet doesn’t
dissuade your Platies from taking
potshots at your Angels, I fear you
will have to rehome them.
Platies eat more
veg than most
people think.
ALAMY
 Angelfish do TROPICAL
get issues with
fish pecking or
latching onto
their sides.
What’s caused the ammonia
crisis that’s killing our catfish?
We have a 105l/23 gal tank which is which convert toxic ammonia produced
running just great. We also have a small by the fish to the relatively harmless
28l/6 gal tank which is mainly for nitrate. Keeping a small tank for
poorly fish, but recently our Bristlenoseemergencies in the manner you do is a
catfish bred so I moved 60 babies into good idea, but the filter will not be
it. The next day I found 10 dead and a mature unless you regularly add small
further eight dead the day after that. quantities of ammonia to the tank when
Our problem is ammonia – it was 6, it’s empty of fish to keep the bacteria
but is now running at 3. We have put fed. Suddenly adding a large population
an Aqua-Detox in the filter and I also of fish means that the filter just can’t
put 20g of tonic salt in to see if that cope and the dangerously elevated
would help get rid of the ammonia. ammonia levels and fish deaths you are
All the other parameters are low, but experiencing are the inevitable result.
they have been since the tank was set Adding the Aqua-Detox will help to
up around three months ago. How can remove some of the ammonia, but will
I solve this problem? not solve the problem of the
CHRIS KERRY, BY EMAIL immature filter.
My advice would be to carry
BOB SAYS: It sounds as if out immediate daily 50%
your small tank is not water changes with
‘cycled’, the process dechlorinated water to
whereby you allow keep on top of the
the filter to
If you have a mature filter ammonia
become colonised working well in your main tank, problem, while
with the vital use media from it to seed the filter starts
beneficial bacteria to catch up.
a smaller tank with
vital bacteria.

MP&C PIEDNOIR AQUAPRESS

Bristlenose
catfish need well
aerated water
with a current
to thrive.
❯

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK &

53
PINTEREST: TETRA UK
ADVICE Answers

TROPICAL

Safe leaves
GABOR HORVATH

help provide a
natural habitat
for tank fish.

Is locally collected decor safe to use in my aquarium?

I am confused as to whether it is safe in batches so you can remove and going to collect your own leaves, do so
to use leaves collected from a local replace those in the aquarium as in a fairly remote location away from
wood in a tropical set-up. What necessary. However, there are some airborne pollution.
treatment, if any, do they need to things to consider before getting too I’ve used oak and beech leaves in
undergo before beeing introduced to carried away and filling your shed my aquarium and my fish were fine.
a tank? with foraged foliar treasure. However, these ‘home-grown’ leaves
JOHN SEATON, BY EMAIL Store-bought Indian almond leaves didn’t seem to last as long as shop-
(Catappa) will have been cleaned and bought Indian almond, turning into
NEALE SAYS: It’s fine to use fallen dried, whereas the ones you collect mulch within a few weeks – though the
leaves in your aquarium, providing yourself will be in varying states large Panaque catfish vigorously
they don’t contain toxic of decomposition. They’re also foraging about in there may well have
chemicals. You will want likely covered with all sorts had something to do with that!
leaves that are relatively of creepy-crawlies that’ll
robust and sturdy, as need to be removed
these will take longer by brushing them
to decay. While
most varieties will
To store collected fallen
leaves, press them in newspaper
off in your
garden, allowing
We recommend...
eventually rot, to absorb moisture and these bugs and Native species Oak (bottom left), Beech (below
choose those that’ll spiders to find left) and Hornbeam (bottom right) leaves are
protect them from
take some weeks before new homes. favourites among hobbyists, being known to be
they decompose. Avoid damage. Furthermore, the safe. Catappa leaves (below right) from aquatic
anything fresh – no green store-bought leaves will be
shops are clean and safe to use immediately.
leaves – and nothing resinous, known to be free from
insecticides and herbicides.
SHUTTERSTOCK

such as pine, or potentially

JACQUES PORTAL

poisonous, like evergreens, and ivy.
People do collect bin bags filled with
dried oak and beech leaves for use in
aquaria, storing them in a cool and dry
place to prevent further decomposition
before the leaves are put in tanks.
Some people prefer to air-dry their
leaves in a warm greenhouse or even in
the oven at a low heat.
If you are able to collect and store
While it’s unlikely that trees in a true
woodland will have been sprayed,
leaves collected from gardens or local
parks may well have done.
I can speak from personal experience
that herbicides can be acutely toxic to
aquarium fish, which will exhibit signs
of poisoning – such as respiratory
distress – within minutes.
Pollution from busy roads or factories
ALAMY

a large quantity of leaves, bag them up probably isn’t much better, so if you’re
SHUTTERSTOCK

EVERYTHING YOU NEED Send your questions to: Fishkeeping Answers,

Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough,
54 FOR HEALTHY FISH PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
 COLDWATER
What’s wrong with my goldfish?
I wonder if you can diagnose the
problem with this goldfish? At first it
had the appearance of carp pox and
I expected it to go in due course but
it has persisted for about 18 months.
Recently there have been some
reddened eruptions. The fish feeds
well and does not exhibit any
symptoms of stress.
ALEX LEVACK, BY EMAIL
DR PETER BURGESS SAYS:
From your photos, and due to the
slow development of this condition,
I’m pretty sure your goldfish has
some sort of benign tumour disease.
Skin tumours, such as fibromas, are
not uncommon in goldfish, though
most cases that I have seen were
limited to just one or a few lumpy
masses, whereas your poor fish has
many lumps!
Goldfish (and other types of fish)
can also develop pigment cell
tumours. These include melanomas
(black tumours associated with the
black pigment cells of the skin) and
erythrophoromas (red pigment cell
tumours). You mention the lumps
appear reddish, so an erythrophoroma
could possibly be the cause.
Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible
to identify the type or seriousness of
a tumour based on visual
appearances: instead it would be
PLANTS
Which plants would be best
for the background in my tank?
I have a 140l community tank with
Harlequins, Cardinal tetras and danios,
plus four Corydoras. I have some
Anubias, moss, Java fern and crypts in
there but I would like to add some easy
plants that will grow quite tall for the
back. Something with a bushy
appearance would be ideal.
I have three T8 tubes and I don’t use
CO2. What would you recommend?
ANNE WILLIS, BY EMAIL
GEORGE SAYS: The easiest and fastest
growing species of bushy stem plant
necessary to remove a piece of
tumour and subject it to special
laboratory tests and microscopy
(which would be expensive and
won’t lead to a cure).
Tumours can arise spontaneously,
and do not indicate poor nutrition,
bad husbandry or any other fault on
the part of the fishkeeper. These
tumours are not infectious so will
not spread to other fish sharing
the aquarium.
Some of these skin tumours are not
that would suit your tank include
Hygrophila polysperma (Indian
swampweed, Picture 1) and Limnophila
sessilflora (Ambulia, Picture 4). These
two plants look different to one other so
research them to decide which you like
best – or you could add them both.
Other good choices for your set-up
would include Rotala rotundifolia (dwarf
rotala, Picture 3) and Ludwigia palustris
(Hampshire purslane, Picture 2).
Your aquarium sounds fine for all of
these suggested plants as they all have
low demands for lighting and CO2.
Tumors can be removed but they
can’t be treated.
The only defence is offering high
quality, vitamin rich foods to
support the fishes immune
system.
particularly harmful, unless they The
inhibit vital areas, such as the gills, lumps
mouth or vent. Some tumours, on Alex’s
however, are lethal. None of them are goldfish
curable, though, so chemical or other haven’t
remedies simply won’t work. bothered
While your fish remains otherwise it so far.
healthy, swims normally and has
a good appetite then do nothing. If it
starts to fail, though, you will have to
consider euthanasia.
Fingers crossed that your fish will
remain okay for many more months!
1 2
3 4
EXPERT AQUARIUM CARE WITH OUR DIGITAL 55
WATER TEST APP, DOWNLOAD HERE:
ADVICE Answers

MARINE

Which fish would best suit my FOWLR set-up?

I recently set up my first marine tank
— a FOWLR system. It holds around
400l/88 gal after the addition of the
rock, has a protein skimmer and lots of
water movement. I am currently
keeping a Flame angel and a Valentini
puffer and I will be adding either a Kole
or Purple tang in due course.
I am putting in new fish at the rate of
one a month and would like to include
a butterflyfish and a larger Angel in this
mix. Any tips on the best choices here?
THOMAS KIRBY, BY EMAIL
DAVE SAYS: A FOWLR set-up is ideal
for the types of fish you are choosing,
as it enables you to keep varieties that
you wouldn’t otherwise be able to keep
in a reef due to their habit of eating
corals and other invertebrates.
For butterflies, the Red Sea-endemic
Addis butterflyfish (Chaetodon
semilarvatus) is a superb, if expensive,
choice for a FOWLR as it’s very hardy
and doesn’t fall into the obligate
corallivore (feed only on coral) category
of many of its relatives. It’s a stunning
fish but does get quite large, reaching
20cm in length. You’re probably safe
length, could be a more affordable
choice – and you could certainly try to Addis butterflys
establish a pair in this size of tank. need excellent
Klein’s are very hardy, too, and adapt water quality.
well to captive diets.
Whichever species you decide on,
avoid any which rely either entirely or
partially on a diet of coral polyps.
The larger angels from the genera
Pomacanthus and Holacanthus need
hundreds of litres of water as adults,
and even the medium-sized
Apolemichthys and Chaetodontoplus
species will be quite cramped in 400l,
which could create problems.
Perhaps consider a Swallowtail angel,
Genicanthus spp. A male-female pair of
Ornate angelfish (Genicanthus bellus)
could be an option. They are attractive
fish which grow to around 15cm in
length and feed from the water column.
They’re definitely not as commonly seen A Swallowtail
as they deserve to be, and are butterfy female.
something a bit different to the norm.
Establishing a pair is easy as they are
obviously sexually dimorphic; males
have a yellow stripe running down the
grey body, whereas females have black
and blue stripes. If given a mature tank

keeping a single specimen in 400l, but
a pair would need more room.
Klein’s butterflyfish, C. kleinii, an
Indo-Pacific species reaching 15cm in
SHUTTERSTOCK
and plenty of open swimming space,
while still having access to rocky
outcrops to make them feel secure,
these should do well.

Kribensis
female.
Why are these fish so shy?
I have two pairs of Kribs in a 60 x
30 x 30cm tank, with flowerpots,
bogwood, rocks and some Anubias.
The pH is 7.6, temperature 24.5°C.
I bought them because I have been
told they were easy to keep and
SHUTTERSTOCK
that she is being very industrious,
digging, cleaning and nesting. She
will be looking for areas to spawn on
as well as areas close by to move
the fry to once they’ve hatched.
Are your Kribs young fish? There

breed but they just seem to hide all
the time. What am I doing wrong?
They’ve been in the tank for six
weeks and I feed frozen and sinking
foods and do a weekly 20% water
Kribensis male. change. Water quality is good with
no signs of any ammonia or nitrite.
ADAM WRIGHT, BY EMAIL
JEREMY SAYS: Kribs are essentially
rock and cave dwelling and will
spend a lot of time in and around
places where they can hide.
SHUTTERSTOCK
are many reports of immature males
not knowing what to do, resulting in
frustrated females. Are they
siblings? If so try some new blood,
preferably a large, unrelated male.
And maybe remove one of the pairs.
I wouldn’t have two cichlid pairs in
a tank of that size as it may be
causing underlying stress by way of
the males/females being able to
swap partners on demand. Try just
one pair and see if that works better.
Don’t be tempted to lift the

Of my pair, the female spends hideouts your Kribs are in and

most of her time under wood, rocks inspect. I found eggs last time I did
or a coconut shell cave. This is this: they didn’t hatch and now my
normal, and close observations are Kribs haven’t spawned since.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED Send your questions to: Fishkeeping Answers,

Practical Fishkeeping Magazine, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough,
56 FOR HEALTHY FISH PE2 6EA. Email us at questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk
 MARINE
How should I acclimatise new fish?
I am confused about whether I need to
acclimatise new fish and for how long. One
local retailer told me I should float the fish bag
and mix the water before I add them to my
tank. Another told me I didn’t have to because
I only live a couple of miles away.
What’s the best way to acclimatise new fish
to my aquarium please? And how long should
I leave the lights off on the tank for? Should
I feed my fish if I have added new stock?
PATRICK REID, ESSEX.
BOB SAYS: When moving fish from one place
to another, acclimatise them before adding
them to their new home (see the steps below).
The retailer who told you not to bother may be
1 2
Switch off tank lights and cut off the knot at the
top of the fish bag. Roll the top of the bag to
make a collar, enabling it to float in the tank.
COLDWATER
Will this
right that your water conditions may be very
similar because you live locally, but this is not
a given – water supply can vary considerably tub be big
over a small area depending where it comes
from. At the same time your tank may contain
decor that affects the water chemistry to levels
enough for
removed from the source tapwater.
Another factor to take into account is that
goldies?
a group of fish crammed together in a bag with Could I keep a couple of
only a small amount of water, even for a short goldfish outdoors in a small
time, will be producing ammonia which can 90l/20 gal garden tub if
mean the water chemistry has changed from I add a filter?
that in the large volumes of the shop’s tanks, KEV MURPHY, BY EMAIL
as can the temperature.
Healthy new fish will generally be interested STEVE SAYS: You might
in food after a couple of hours. get away with keeping
a couple of very young
goldfish outside in a tub of
this kind for a few months
in late spring or early
summer. In late autumn
and winter, however, due to
the small volume of water it
contains, the temperature
will drop drastically low and
this will harm or even kill
the fish.
To be honest, 90l isn’t big
enough really, given that
Float the bag containing the fish in the aquarium goldfish can easily grow to
for 10 minutes so the water temperature in the 25cm or more. Goldies are
bag meets the temperature of your tank. messy fish, too, and an
undersized canister filter is

3 4 unlikely to cope for long.

In fact, once you start to
assess the longer term
needs of these fish, the
extra expense of a larger
residence – such as a
proper pond – presents
itself as a much more
sensible option.
Bear in mind, too, that in
a small tub such as this, a
couple of even very young
JACQUES PORTAL

Add a small amount of tank water to the bag Carefully net the fish from the bag and throw the
goldfish will struggle to find
every 10 minutes for around 30 minutes to an tainted remaining water away. Leave the light off
adequate cover from the
hour so they can slowly adjust to new conditions. for around an hour after they have been released. unwanted attentions of a
passing predator, such as a
heron or a cat.
A far better alternative
TROPICAL would be to heavily plant
the tub with suitable, small
Will my heaters provide enough heat? pond plants and introduce
some Sticklebacks,
My new tank is 96 x 26 x 30in with dual 40mm per 100W of power, so your two heaters maximum although you’ll still face the
outflows to a 60 x 20 x 20in sump. I have two loading is well below your tank’s size. Avoid having problem of excess cold
Schego 600W titanium heaters. Is this sufficient? heaters working flat-out all the time as this weather during winter and
DR JAMES KERR, BY EMAIL increases failure risk. It’s better to have three or would need to bring them
four smaller heaters, so that if one of the heaters inside or move them to
NEALE SAYS: Your tank has a capacity of 1550l, fails in the ‘on’ position, a small heater can’t a larger receptacle.
including the sump. The maximum loading of overheat your aquarium, whereas a bigger heater
standard heaters are usually rated to about 100l might. I’d want to add a third heater to the mix.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK &

57
PINTEREST: TETRA UK
ADVICE Know-how

WHICH
POND
SUIT
YOU
PFK helps you choose and
create a great-looking water
feature to be proud of.
WORDS: STEVE BAKER

NATURE
POND
DIFFICULTY RATING:
EASY
ALAMY
ALAMY

58 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 T
HE OPTIONS for
a pond are almost
endless, depending
on the space you
have and the budget
you can run to. It can
be a dug-in liner with
planting around it to
hide and soften the edges, brick
built and raised from the ground
within a patio or simply one
created by recycling an old bath.
The following pages give outlines
of three different styles of pond,
but boundaries can be merged by
mixing them up a bit – for
example, it’s common to see
a garden pond with an area or
connected pool for a nature pond.
GARDEN
POND
SHUTTERSTOCK
DIFFICULTY RATING:
MEDIUM
You’ll also often see larger
garden ponds housing colourful
Koi alongside goldfish and Golden
orfe. Or you can use a connected
‘vegetable filter’ on a Koi pond,
which is basically a nature pond
with fast-growing plants (to
remove nutrients from the water).
You can have a lot of fun fusing
types and styles, mixing in
steams, waterfalls and bog
gardens, too.
Creating a pond, given the
amount of space and effort
involved, is not something you’re
going to do often, so although
equipment can be changed it’s
best to take time to think a pond
through before you start digging.
KOI
SHUTTERSTOCK
POND
DIFFICULTY RATING:
HARD
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 59
ADVICE Know-how

N e Pond
Nature ponds spark up some
great childhood memories for me.
I remember going pond-dipping
at primary school and catching
the coolest underwater creature
ever – the water scorpion, which
earned me a lot of kudos from
my classmates. That day sealed
my love of everything aquatic,
and many children have similarly
been amazed, captivated and
educated just by a dip of a net
and emptying the content into
a margarine tub.
Naturally, wetlands are some of
the most biologically diverse
habitats in the world, so even
adding just a small nature pond
will encourage lots of extra life PLANTS
ALAMY

into your garden or back yard. Plants are going to be the

main display and there are
so many options of heights,
styles, leaf and flower colour
to choose from. With no fish
waste in the water, add pond
plant food supplements to
get good, strong growth.

There are three types of newts

native to the UK. Smooth newts are
your most likely pond inhabitant,
but we also have the Palmate
newt and the rarer Great
Crested newt.
SHUTTERSTOCK

DECOR
Logs and rocks positioned around the pond will give amphibians ideal
dark and damp homes when they aren’t in the water.

60 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 POND LINER
A preformed moulded
plastic liner is a
pretty good option for
smaller ponds. These
are reasonably cheap,
strong, easy to transport
and straightforward to
put in the ground.

WILDLIFE
Dig the pond in to
allow good access for
amphibians. Raised
ponds or overhanging
patio slabs will make

SHUTTERSTOCK
life harder for frogs and
newts or maybe even
deter them altogether.

HARDWARE
Pumps and filters aren’t
in nature ponds but som
want them for water
clarity or a little
movement. An all-in-
one unit (filter/pump
/UV) slightly raised off
the bottom should fare w

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 61
ADVICE Know-how

Garden Pond
A garden pond is a wonderful
place to enjoy in the right
weather – springtime family
barbecues, summer night
get-togethers with friends or a
peaceful afternoon of gardening.
While bright fish swim around
SHUTTERSTOCK

majestically, insects and birds will

be drawn to the water, adding
a vibrancy of life to the garden.

FISH WELFARE
Use heron deterrents to protect your
fish. From experience, I have found
a perimeter tripwire or floating plastic
grids to be effective without being
too visually distracting.
SHUTTERSTOCK

Use a pond hoover 2-4 times

a year to help keep your pond
fresh and tidy; it also limits
a build-up of nutrient
and algae
growth.

62 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Get the right balance of deep water,
marginal and waterside plants and the
pond can look stunning, as well as
inviting lots of wildlife to the garden

LINERS
Generally flexible liners (with
an underlay) are the order of
the day here as they allow
any shape and size of design
and are easily transported.
The downside is that the
more complicated the
design, the more unsightly
folds you’ll end up with. Plus
they are quite easily pierced.

HARDWARE
Pond filters and pumps are required
when it comes to keeping a fish pond
clean and healthy. These also allow
features such as a waterfall, stream
or fountain to be incorporated, run by
the same pump.
Pressurised filt
well on most reg
garden ponds as
are compact, ca
placed and hidd
easily and some
useful quick-cle
facilities. Most
also have an
ultraviolet light
built in to help
prevent water-
borne algae grow

PLANTS
Planting in and around
a garden pond makes a large
difference to the overall
effect. Get the right balance
of deep water, marginal and
waterside plants and the
pond can look stunning, as
well as attracting lots of
wildlife to the garden.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 63
ADVICE Know-how

FILTRATION

Koi Pond Filtration needs to be on a large scale,

traditionally 10% of the volume, but
modern filtration is more compact,
such as fine mesh drum filters
compared to older filters using sponge.
Efficient automated systems are
costly, but older-style manual cleaning
systems still give good results and are
comparatively inexpensive.
A Koi pond is, well, a different
kettle of fish from a nature pond
or the average garden pond.
This is about catering for the
fish rather than creating an
environment-enhancing feature.
Carp (Koi or not) are potentially
very large fish that produce more
waste than other pond fish, so
they need an accordingly large
size of pond to cater for their
growth. Plus, there is more DRAINAGE
demand on associated equipment Bottom drains allow good
water flow to the filter,
to keep things healthy and clean. drawing directly from the
Planning is key to a well-built bottom of the pond which,
Koi pond. Pipework can be ideally, is angled to make
a headache, with complicated sediment roll down to the
filters, bottom drains, surface drain to keep the base clean.
skimmers and multiple return
pipes. If you’ve not familiar with
these, ask those with experience.
Getting it right in the first place
SHUTTERSTOCK

first time will save you lots of

hassle and money in the long run.

FISH WELFARE
If the pond is straight edged
down to a depth of a metre
your fish should be safe from
heron attacks. If you have
a shallow area you’ll need to
add protection against fish
being carried off or stabbed
by hungry herons.

64 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 PUMP
Good aeration is essential for
these large fish, particularly
during warm months, and
through low air pressure.
Either a large air disc or Koi ponds first became
multiple small air-stones very popular in Japan in the
used with a strong air
pump would be ideal. 1920s. There, Koi represent
wisdom, knowledge,
spirituality, loyalty and
longevity.

PLANTS
It’s tricky to keep plants in
place when it comes to Koi,
because these powerful
fish love to root around in
the baskets and dislodge
them. Unless you have a
defence system thought up,
avoid putting plants in the
main pond – placing them in
header pools and vegetable
filter troughs instead.

SKIMMER
Surface skimmers draw oily proteins,
leaves and any foam into the filtration
system, keeping the surface clean.
SHUTTERSTOCK

STRUCTURE
The best built Koi ponds are made with concrete blocks
(with foundations), a concrete base (over hardcore) then
a fibreglass render to all the surfaces. This way any shape
with a neat finish is achievable and you have a very strong
and durable pond that can be patched if needed. The downside
is the cost, but you are on to a winner if you can fibreglass
it yourself. Flexible liners can still be used, with flanges to
allow watertight pipework outlets.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 65
 Do something
incredible in 2018
‘Liberating’

‘Conidence-inspiring’

‘Completely changed my
life for the better’

‘The best thing I have

ever done’

Register now for the fun, free,

lexible challenge that changes
lives one step at a time
www.walk1000miles.co.uk
 WWW.PERFECTAQUATICS.CO.UK

YhZ/hD^YhZ/hD^YhZ/hD^
^KDd,/E'&KZsZzKE

LEDDY 40 LEDDY 60 LEDDY 75 HEXA SET 20 & 60

SPHERE 37 & 45 LEDDY SETS
SPHERE sets consist of a classic spherical tank and a durable cover. SETS INCLUDE: aquarium tank with a rectangular front;
The cover is itted with an eicient overlow ilter equipped with two a state-of-the-art lid with patented SMART OPEN
iltering baskets. The cover also has an automatic heater and modern opening system which eliminates the need for hinges or
LEDDY TUBE SUNNY light module which provides strong lighting while TVQQPSUT
t
BEWBODFE
X
-FEEZ




X
-FEEZ



using little energy. It is also possible to replace it with a LEDDY TUBE Leddy Tube lighting module built into the lid
PLANT module, especially well suited for aquarium plant life. t
NBJOUFOBODF
GSFF
BVUPNBUJD
IFBUFS
t
JOUFSOBM
öMUFS
SPHERE sets are recommended especially for growing water plants as
well as raising shrimp, crayish, snails and other invertebrate aquarium Black White
species. They are an easy to maintain decorative piece suitable for any Leddy 40 - 1911590 Leddy 40 - 1911586
living or oice space. Leddy 60 - 1911593 Leddy 60 - 1911580
Leddy 75 - 1911596 Leddy 75 - 1911584
Sphere 37 - 1913054 Sphere 45 - 1913056 Black Leddy 40 (coldwater) - 1911591
HEXA SET tanks are made of durable glass panels that
are bonded with black silicone. The top of the tank is
protected with a black lid with inbuilt energy-eicient LED
lighting and a low-through ilter based on the reliable
Circulator pump. The ilter, which is integrated into the lid,
does not require additional space.
Includes:
Hexagonal glass tank, bottom frame, lid,
Hexa Set 20 = 3w LED Leddy IP68 lighting,
Hexa Set 60 = LED 6w,
COMFORT ZONE automatic heater,
low-through biological ilter built-in & two ilter baskets.
Hexa Set 20 - 191310 Hexa Set 60 - 191318

To shop online for click & collect into your nearest Aquael stockist or for
ŚŽŵĞ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ŐŽ ƚŽ ǁǁǁĂůŇƚĚĐŽƵŬďƌĂŶĚĂƋƵĂĞů
MARINE
Tank-busters

The BIG
alternatives
Want a whopper but
you’ve no room? Don’t
despair! For every tropical
tank-buster there’s an
alternative beauty more
suited to home aquariums.

TRISTAN
LOUGHER
Tristan is an aquatic
author who has
worked on various
SHUTTERSTOCK

research projects.
His day job is at
Cheshire Aquatics.

68 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Lions are lovely, but
do you really have the
space for one?

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 69
MARINE
Tank-busters
F
OR SOME aquarists,
there’s no substitute for
one or more large fish
in the tank. These guys
tend to know their fish
and stock them in
suitably large aquaria.
For others, it’s the
appearance of the juvenile fish that
tempts an impulse buy. Some fish
may have a particular feature we
find fascinating, like the swimming
style of the Sweetlips.
We’re lucky to have such an
incredible diversity of species to
choose from, but if we don’t think
our purchases through, we’ll
encounter serious issues as they
grow and mature. Fortunately, there
are alternatives in smaller-sized fish
that are just as attractive and
fascinating as their larger brethren.
Avoiding tank-busters
The easiest way to avoid a potential
leviathan in your tank is to research
all of your intended purchases.
Maximum fish sizes are widely
available and this, coupled with the
knowledge that most marines aren’t
limited by the size of their aquarium,
should mean that large fish aren’t
taken home in ignorance. Speak to
your retailers – they’re a mine of
fishkeeping information.
There are, however, spontaneous
purchases that take everyone by
surprise. Thousands of species
70 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
make their way into our hobby –
some are rare, while others aren’t
usually seen because dealers know
they’re a monster fish in the making.
So if an unfamiliar species turns up
at your local stockist, find out why
you haven’t seen it before, rather
than asking how much it costs.
Tank-buster owners think they’ll
be able to move on their enormous
fish once it has outgrown the
aquarium. But where to? Few
private aquarists can accommodate
them and public aquaria and zoos
have limits on the numbers (and
types) they can house, too.
In the right context – a super-sized
aquarium, or in their natural
environment – tank-busters are
fascinating to observe. It’s not their
fault they end up in aquaria that are
entirely unsuitable for them. THE BIG ONE
The tank-busters shown here
come with a haphazard bunch of
alternatives. That’s the great thing
about this pastime – even though SPECIES & ALTERNATIVES
aquaria have a finite holding
capacity for livestock, if you can’t Map pufferfish
have one species there are always
6Scientific name: Arothron mappa
plenty of other options. Your 6Size potential: 65cm
alternative fish can be as close as 6Where found: Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Australia
possible to the original, or quite 6Cost: £45-100+
different but just as appealing in
other ways. Juvenile Map puffers measuring only a couple of
We have such a wide choice of fish centimetres appear regularly in the trade. Although
to choose from in this hobby that it they’re not cheap for their size, they’re attractive
makes the acquisition of tank- enough to induce a spontaneous purchase now and
busting species almost unforgivable. then. Their size potential can best be described as
prodigious and they’re really not suitable for any but
the largest aquaria – well over 1000l as a minimum.
ALTERNATIVE
Public aquariums are the
best places to house, and
ALAMY
view, tank-busters.
 Lunare wrasse are
quarrelsome as
well as big!

SHUTTERSTOCK
THE BIG ONE

Lunare wrae
SHUTTERSTOCK

Mappa pufferfish
are only suitable for 6Scientific name: Thalassoma lunare
1000l+ aquariums. 6Size potential: 30-45cm
6Where found: Widespread Indo-Pacific and Red Sea to Hawaii
6Cost: £39-75
Black-spoed pufferfish
Lunare wrasse are beautiful, hardy and inexpensive, so
6Scientific name: Arothron nigropunctatus it’s no surprise that they find their way into many marine
6Size potential: 25-30cm aquaria. In a large aquarium with aggressive tankmates,
6Where found: Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Western Pacific
they can work well. However, these fish become increasingly
6Cost: £30-200+
pugnacious as they mature – and that’s just the females!
Males are particularly obnoxious towards docile or even
The Black-spotted pufferfish has a number of
semi-aggressive tankmates and demand a large aquarium of
alternative common names, some of which are
1000l or more.
dependant on colouration and patterning. The
Quite a few popular wrasse species are potential tank-
genus Arothron is commonly referred to as Dogface
busters, although not all will complete the transition from
pufferfish for obvious reasons. Provided that they’re
juvenile to female to male, and so won’t reach the maximum
feeding well, they present few problems and prove
size recorded for the species. But beware, even females can
hardy in the long term. With a 30cm adult potential
outgrow all but the largest aquaria.
they are hardly tiny fish, but they are the smallest
species in the genus Arothron and are the best
alternatives for puffer enthusiasts enticed by the look ALTERNATIVE
of the Dogfaces and their kin. Stocked with a few
other robust tankmates, they can thrive in aquaria as
small as 450l, provided good filtration is assured as
they can be messy feeders with huge appetites. Prices
Tail-spot wrae
with yellow specimens 6Scientific name: Halichoeres melanurus
the highest prices. 6Size potential: 12cm
6Where found: Japan to Great Barrier Reef
ALAMY

Black-spotted pufferfish
are the best alternatives
for puffer enthusiasts.
SHUTTERSTOCK
6Cost: £29-49
These are beautiful, rainbow-
coloured fish. A member of the genus
Halichoeres they are small to medium-sized wrasse.
H.melanurus is less than half the size of the Lunare wrasse,
with substantially less aggression. It can dominate smaller
fish, but usually integrates well with tangs and other semi-
boisterous species. There are subtle differences between
individuals from different parts of the Western Pacific, but
it’s thought the best Australian Tail-spot wrasse come from
Australia as they typically feed well and are, arguably, the

most attractive colour morph.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 71
MARINE
Tank-busters

THE BIG ONE

THE BIG ONE

Spanish hogfish
6Scientific name: Bodianus rufus
6Size potential: 30-40 cm
6Where found: Tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic
from Florida through the Caribbean to Brazil
6Cost: £39-75
Large,
venomous Young Spanish hogfish always appeal to aquarists,
and able to but B. rufus is not one of the stunning species

SHUTTERSTOCK
eat 25cm of smaller hogfish that are readily available in
Lionfish fish! the trade, such as the Red-striped hogfish (B.
sepiacaudus) or Candy hogfish (B. bimaculatus)
6Scientific name: Pterois volitans that achieve around 12cm maximum and can even
6Size potential: 38cm do well in reef aquaria. This is one of the big hogs
6Where found: Tropical (and sub-tropical) Indo-Pacific. Introduced into the Atlantic through
that can reach 40cm for a mature male. Females
regrettable releases by aquarists
are smaller and many captive individuals will not
6Cost: £25-75
undergo the transition from female to male, but
this is still a substantially-sized and potentially
An iconic species that sometimes has individuals available as small
short-tempered fish.
as 2-3cm, which prove incredibly hard to resist once seen. Specimens
can weigh in at several pounds – a huge fish to accommodate in the
average home marine aquarium and one capable of swallowing fish up
to two-thirds its own length.

Clearfin lionfish
6Scientific name: Pterois radiata
6Size potential: 20cm
6Where found: Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Western Pacific
6Cost: £39-75
The Twin
Arguably prettier than P. volitans, the clearfin lionfish is often known Spot Wrasse,
as the Radiata lion. It’s significantly smaller than P. volitans, but be great in the
careful when selecting one as some don’t ship well. Check whether aquarium
once settled.
ALAMY

a specimen is feeding before purchase – this will reveal a well-settled

fish. Feed on frozen diets, preferably. Mysis is a good choice for
smaller individuals, but larger specimens may need live foods to tempt
them. River shrimp are increasingly available and few healthy lionfish
can resist them for long.

ALTERNATIVE

More suited to Angelfish are large,

aquaria, dwarf belligerent and need
lionfish are huge
ALAMY
ALAMY

huge tanks.
characters.

72 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

ALTERNATIVE
Twin spot wrae
6Scientific name: Oxycheilinus bimaculatus
6Size potential: 12-15cm
Where found: Widespread in the Tropical Indo-Pacific.
6
6Cost: £29-49
Rather than choose one of the smaller
species of Bodianus as an alternative,
I’ve picked one of the lesser-known
wrasse that can make an excellent
addition to more sedate fish-only
care. The twin spot wrasse has variable
colours and patterns, but most of those
imported for the hobby tend to be very
attractive. With a modest size potential
and initially shy disposition, they can
prove as interesting to watch as they
are beautiful. Ensure specimens are
feeding well before purchase, and
don’t necessarily expect to see a lot of
them when they’re first introduced to
the aquarium, as they tend to hug the
rockwork and observe what’s going on
both inside and out. Once settled and
The Spanish
into a feeding routine, they are more on
hogfish can
display than not, and make a fabulous reach 40cm.
addition to your tank.

ALAMY
systems, and even reef aquaria with

Semicircle angelfish THE BIG ONE

Blue-striped doyback ALTERNATIVE
6Scientific name: Pomacanthus semicirculatus 6Scientific name: Pseudochromis springeri
6Size potential: 35cm 6Size potential: 6-7cm Large character and
6Where found: Indian Ocean, Maldives, Western Pacific 6Where found: Red Sea large presence in a
6Cost: £25-45 6Cost: £27-40 small package.

s last pair of fish because

This alternative to the juvenile Angelfish
a particular blend of
couldn’t really be more different in terms
rresistible to aquarists. It’s
of size potential and aquarium behaviour,
and blue that we see so
but they share a predominantly black body with
but rarely elsewhere.
blue markings. Small, coral safe, often available as
Angelfish make superb
tank-raised specimens and with enough personality to
aquarists stock them
give a pufferfish a run for its money, they are fascinating
or their belligerence
fish to observe and care for. They even have a beautiful
gelfish is one of
swimming style. I’ve heard aquarists comment that
e at a relatively low price
juvenile Angelfish would be perfect if they didn’t grow
a juvenile, but it has a particularly
or change colour as they age, but this little chap won’t
ize potential and a love-it-or-hate-it adult
do either of those things!
uration.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 73
MARINE
Tank-busters

An adult
sweetlips
is pretty
bland. THE BIG ONE

Clown swtlips
6Scientific name: Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides
6Size potential: 45-60cm
6Where found: Indian Ocean, Maldives, Western Pacific
6Cost: £25-45

The stunning juvenile pattern, body shape and

behaviour of this species entice many unsuspecting
aquarists into acquiring Clown sweetlips for their
aquarium. It seldom ends well. They can be kept,
growing rapidly, for many months and then they stop
feeding. Or they might refuse to accept anything
except live food from the moment they’re placed into
their new home. This, and the fact that the adult
fish are, by aquarium standards, huge and markedly
different in appearance from the juveniles, should
mean the vast majority of marine aquarists are not
tempted by them, but sadly this isn’t always the case.
It is thought the juvenile, being anything but cryptic
in colouration, could mimic a toxic flatworm in the
same way that another tank-buster, the Redface
batfish (Platax pinnatus) does, both in its appearance
ALAMY

Termed ‘grunts’, sweetlips make and unconventional swimming technique.

a grunting noise by grinding
ALTERNATIVE their pharyngeal teeth, and
this sound is amplified by They can be kept,
their swim bladder.
Marn clownfish growing rapidly, for
6Scientific name: Premnas biaculeatus many months and then
6Size potential: 5-17cm
6Where found: Indo-West Pacific they stop feeding
6Cost: £30-75

It took some time to come up with an alternative to

the Clown sweetlips and I had to dissect every aspect Similar
of its appeal before I found one. The sweetlips’ markings,
appearance as a juvenile is almost unique and similar
finnage, far
species that bear resemblance to it are either other
fewer issues.
grunts or other potential tank-busters. However,
some of the appeal of the juvenile sweetlips is their
swimming style: an up-and-down movement with slow
and flowing movements of the fins – like Clownfish.
With its large, rounded, paddle-like pectoral fins,
the Maroon clownfish (Spine-cheeked anemonefish)
has a similar shape to sweetlips, with a more modest
size potential. If the natural white or gold-banded
individuals don’t do it for you in the colour and
pattern department, then perhaps one of the captive-
bred colour morphs might. The Lightning morph is
particularly attractive, and the incredible new Peace-
keeper is not entirely dissimilar to the pattern of the
sweetlips – although it will cost you a small fortune.
Maroon clowns can be bought when only a few
centimetres long, and will usually move into their
natural host anemone species, the bubble-tip
(Entacmaea quadricolor), when the two animals are
introduced to each other. They can be territorial, but
in comparison with the potential issues surrounding
ALAMY

the sweetlips, the Maroon is a walk in the park.

74 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
ADVERTISING FEATURE

Fishkee
made easy
Take your home set-up to a new level with Tetra

F
OR FISHKEEPING
beginners looking to
enter the aquatic world
with a larger aquarium
or for those wanting to
expand their aquatic
set-up, Tetra’s new 80L
Starter Line aquarium
could be the perfect solution.
Providing great value for money, the
80L Starter Line aquarium comprises
a high-quality aquarium with easy
installation and low-maintenance
features for an impressive talking
point in your home.

Easy set-up & maintenance

Providing you with everything you
need for an easy set-up, the 80L
Starter Line aquarium comes with
TetraMin fish food, Tetra AquaSafe
water conditioner and premium
Tetra equipment, including a filter
and lighting. For those looking to
build a community aquarium with
tropical fish, the 80L Starter Line
aquarium also has a 75W heater
– helping you to further expand
your fishkeeping experience.
The 80L Starter Line aquarium
benefits from simple filtration via
Tetra’s powerful EasyCrystal Filter,
which is easy to use and helps to
maintain healthy water quality, while
an integrated,
modern LED
light effectively
illuminates the
aquarium and promotes healthy plant
growth. Thanks to the Tetra Aquatics
App, which helps to maintain positive
water quality through a water test
feature, you can also now set up filter
change reminders to make the
process even easier than before.
Something to suit all
The Tetra Starter Line range now
includes 30L, 54L and 80L aquariums
to suit all levels of fishkeepers. The
80L aquarium is available with an
RRP of £99.99* from a range of
independent pet stores.
* Pricing is purely
indicative and at
the sole discretion
of the retailer
What’s in the box…
Kick-start your fishkeeping experience with
the 80L Starter Line aquarium.
6 A sturdy 6mm-thick glass aquarium with
80L volume
6 Robust cover with a practical feed
and an energy-efficient 10
6 Effective Tetra EasyC
replacement cartridge
6 Reliable 75W heater -
6 TetraMin complete diet
6 Tetra AquaSafe water con
ensure water is safe for fis

WWW.PRACTICALFISHK
 STEP-BY-STEP
Water poppies

The Poppy Field

Steve Baker takes an open-topped tank and turns it
into a planted treasure for Pencils and killifish.
WORDS: STEVE BAKER
NEIL HEPWORTH

76 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Alternative
planting for a
stunning effect.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 77
STEP-BY-STEP
Water poppies

U
S FISHKEEPERS are
an odd lot. When
trees dispose of their
shrivelled old leaves
most people see it as
natural at best, some
It’s thought to cover a total
170,500 square kilometres, which
is equivalent to Belgium, Holland,
Portugal and Switzerland combined!
Wetlands are one of the most
biologically diverse habitats on earth
Not so in this case. Even in a tank
like an EA Aquascaper with a lot
of visual depth, I could plant the
Hydrocleys from front to back and
still see the rear glass. The fish
feel secure because there is cover

SHUTTERSTOCK
think it looks messy,
and I guess most
don’t think anything at all.
To most people a flooded field
is a complication, especially if
the land is normally used for
agriculture. For me, (and
I know I’m not alone)
I just want to grab
both, put them
in a glass box
and stare at
them for hours.
Like many of
my set-up ideas, the
inspiration for this tank
comes directly from nature. In
this case a friend and fellow PFK
contributor, Tai Strietman, came
back from one of his many trips to
Brazil armed with piles of photo and
video footage to get me all worked
up. Many of the images and videos
inspire me but the odd one or two
really get under my skin.
Floodplains
The South American Pantanal is
a vast area of the Amazon flood
basin. Much of it is open grassland
used for cattle ranching during the
dry season, but come the rains the
Pantanal is transformed into the
world’s largest tropical wetland area,
extending into Bolivia and Paraguay.
and the Pantanal is the largest one, everywhere above and below and I
thought to be home to around 4,700 can always see them – unless they
different animal species – 400 of are taking a moment to rummage
which are our favorites, fish. through the leaf litter layer.
The grass plains decay I felt the tank would lack variety of
underwater, providing texture with just one plant species,
food for many small but I knew I could offset that with
invertebrates. Leaf good use of botanicals. Leaf litter
litter is washed looks great, but a few seedpods
down from makes it look even better.
higher ground
and seasonal
varieties of Wetlands are one of the
aquatic plants
suddenly bloom with
most biologically diverse
lush, new growth. One habitats on earth and the
such plant is a dwarf lily-style
plant (not a true lily), Hydrocleys Pantanal is the largest one,
nymphoides, commonly known as
the water poppy.
home to around 4,700
I stumbled across this plant in
my previous job when ordering
different animal species
‘something different’ for plant – 400 of which are fish
sales, and as soon as it turned up
I recognised it from a photo and
I knew what I wanted to do with it.
One thing that bugs me about
layout in planted tanks is that we
are almost forced to go with taller
plants toward the back and shorter
plants to the front. This looks
somewhat contrived, but if we do it
more naturally and less ‘placed’ then
taller, bushy plants will hide the rest
of what’s in the tank.

A lucky find,
these killis aren’t
seen very often.

The leaves are

very buoyant
NATHAN HILL

NATHAN HILL

to get to the
surface quickly.

78 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 How to set up your poppy field tank

Our stock tank for step-by-step features
1 is the EA Aquascaper 600. At 60 x 50 x
35cms it holds just over 100 litres. The filter is
plumbed in place straight away with an inline
external heater in situ. No CO2 is needed as the
leaves will take it from the atmosphere.
I chose a nutrient-rich substrate because
2 it offers natural colour and a food source
for the Hydrocleys. Beware when using this type
of substrate as it can initially release ammonia
and often absorbs carbonate hardness. So, levels
need monitoring before adding fish.
Because I will be planting the entire tank,
3 the substrate is evenly levelled all over.
Because of the slightly unusual dimensions of
the tank, the recommended amount of substrate
for a 100l tank only just gave me enough depth
to plant into.

Rolled soil substrates are very light so the
4 first bit of water needs to be added
carefully to avoid too much clouding. Here I use
a plastic fish bag to baffle and disperse the flow,
NATHAN HILL
With the soil being light, only just being Pre-boiled and soaked overnight, the
5 deep enough, and the plants being rather 6 botanicals were added as the final step.
floaty (these leaves have a spongy, buoyant I tried not to place or position them too much to
underside to sit on the surface), planting was a keep a natural feel, but some were tweaked to

but a carrier bag or a plate on the bottom of the delicate job. Pushing one out of place started a get a nice angle. Now it’s time to sit back and
tank will do the same thing equally as well. chain reaction, uprooting one after the other. watch the plants grow surprisingly quickly.

Botanicals NATHAN HILL

We were fortunate enough to have several ty

seedpods kicking around from a previous fe
botanicals (plus some leaves I had collected
I looked the seedpods up on tanninaquatics.
each pod originated and set about preparing
ones I had at my disposal.
Although Tannin Aquatics obtain their pro
known to be free of pollution, impurities and
never be too careful and extra preperation is
Boiling botanicals is always advised, helping
impurities and encouraging them to sink. A
soak is also recommended – and this is even
activated carbon is added to the pot.
I was plesantly surprised that a brief boilin
soaking for roughly 20 hours resulted in all t
sinking – I thought they’d be more stubborn
Always go slowly: add a limited quantity of your botanicals to
your aquarium at first, to gauge their impact on your animals.
STEP-BY-STEP
Water poppies

Just a little more time... Why I chose these fish

Though I really like this tank, at I had an idea of some Pantanal
the time of the final photo shoot inhabitants from the off but plans
there are two things I’m a little bit changed. Pencilfish are a favourite
disappointed about. Firstly, the of mine and editor Nathan, and
original image of inspiration I had some well-settled Dwarf
showed both the pencils in an existing
Hydrocleys and Water set-up. They suit a
plantain, a common biotope so they were
marginal pond The ultra-fast growth of transferred once
plant. I really the Hydrocleys demanded lots the tank was
would have matured. While
of fertiliser, plus added
liked just one or out on a shop
two of these plants
nitrogen and tour I was won over
breaking the surface, phosphorus. by two beautiful little
but it was too early in South American species,
the year to get hold of some which are perfectly suited to
(Water plantain is often sold the conditions offered, and both
in pond sections and my tank was made me give a small jump of joy or
created at the tail end of winter) two when I saw them. I left yellowing

Secondly, I would have loved to
have seen some of the Hydrocleys’
flowers. The common moniker of
water poppy is derived from the
delicate flower which, while looking
nothing like a true lily, otherwise
looks very similar to a poppy flower. but rarer family members are better,
I’m sure that given a little longer
some flowers would develop and
look beautiful.
Dwarf pencils are
curious, lovely little
community fish.
NEIL HEPWORTH
NEIL HEPWORTH
Hypsolebias magnificus deserves to leaves in place
be called the ‘Magnificent Killifish’ for a natural,
in my eyes. They are delicate, but wild look.
stunning and both the male and
female are confident characters.
Common Otocinclus are great, too, Both of these beautiful
in my opinion, as seeing the tiny fish made me give a small
Parotocinclus clinging to thin stems is
simply adorable.
jump of joy or two
FACTFILE
DWARF PENCILFISH
6Scientific name: Nannostomus marginatus
6Pronunciation: Nan-oss-toe-muss mar-gin-ay-tus
6Size: 2.5cm
6Origin: Brazil, Columbia (east), Guyana, Peru (east), Suriname
and Venezuela (east)
6Habitat: Slow-moving tributaries, streams,
swamps and river basins
6Tank size: 45 x 30 x 30cm
6Water requirements: 4.0-7.0 pH, 3-12°H 40 l+
6Temperature: 22-28°C
6Temperament: Peaceful
6Feeding: Flakes, micro granules, frozen and

live food
6Availability and cost: Common, around £3

FACTFILE Hanging just

NO COMMON NAME above the leaf
6Scientific name: Hypsolebias magnificus litter the killies
6Pronunciation: Hip-so-lee-bee-us mag-niff-ick-us fit in well.
6Size: 5cm
6Origin: São Francisco River basin, Brazil
6Habitat: Temporary, residual pools
6Tank size: 30 x 30 x 30cm
6Water requirements: 6.0-7.0 pH, 5-12°H 25 l+
6Temperature: 22-26°C
6Temperament: Peaceful
6Feeding: Small frozen and live foods
NEIL HEPWORTH

6Availability and cost: A rare find, around

£25 per pair

80 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 After a couple of days you’ll Timeline of
need to carefully cut away
old growth and leaves as plant growth
new growth and leaves
burst forth.
DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

FACTFILE
TIGER OTO
6Scientific name: Parotocinclus sp. (3)
6Pronunciation: Parr-oh-toe-sink-luss
6Size: Unknown, likely around 2.5cm
6Origin: Only known to be collected from Peru
6Habitat: Unknown DAY 7
6Tank size: 45 x 30 x 30cm
6Water requirements: Unknown
6Temperature: Unknown 40 l+
6Temperament: Peaceful
This fish is 6Feeding: Aufwuchs, green paste foods.
STEVE BAKER

about 13mm Difficult to feed in captivity

6Availability and cost: Rare, around
NEIL HEPWORTH

long, and a
master of £20 each.
camouflage!

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 81
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Lemon cichlids

WHEN LIFE
GIVES
LEM
Hailing from a world of grey,
a carefully chosen pair of mello
yellows make a striking additio
to your aquarium.
PHOTOS: AD KONINGS

AD KONINGS
Ad Konings is an
ichthyologist and
author known for
his comprehensive A Lemon, or
research on African Leleupi cichlid,
Rift lakes cichlids. as we usually
see them.

82 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

T
HE LEMON cichlid,
Neolamprologus leleupi,
is the quintessential
Tanganyika cichlid,
and has been cared
for in aquaria for over
half a century. It’s the
brightest-coloured
of a handful of ‘standard’ cichlids
– some others being Tropheus
duboisi, Neolamprologus pulcher and
Julidochromis transcriptus – which
anyone with an interest in these
cichlids has kept at least once.
As is often the case with popular
cichlid species, N. leleupi is less
common in the wild. There, it occurs
in several colour variants, of which
yellow is the least seen. You might
read that most N. leleupi in the lake
are yellow, but that’s not so; most
are grey and unwanted by the
ornamental fish trade, so they are
rarely exported.
Another falsehood on the internet
is that the pure yellow N. leleupi seen
in the hobby are descendants of
a line-bred strain derived from the
wild form which, allegedly, has a
black snout. Few people have seen
N. leleupi in its natural habitat, but
those who have can tell you that the
‘pure’ yellow form is in the lake and
does not need to be line-bred.
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 83
Polychromatism
The yellow N. leleupi is just one
morph of a polychromatic species
that has a much wider distribution in
the lake than just the known yellow
morph populations.
Interestingly, I have so far failed to
find a non-yellow morph at any of
the localities known for yellow morph
N. leleupi, although I have usually
encountered two morphs, a brown-
black and a beige-coloured (but not
yellow), at all localities between those
for the pure yellow variants.
The dark/light non-yellow morph
is less conspicuous than its yellow
counterpart, but it does not seem to
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Lemon cichlids
occur where yellow individuals are
found. This doesn’t mean that the
black/beige morph isn’t present in
these populations, it may simply be
an indication of its low abundance.
The fact that a dusky, as well as a
light, morph (sometimes with yellow
blotches) is found within a single
population is remarkable, but not
unique, among cichlids. In Lake
Tanganyika, polychromatism occurs
in other species as well. Two species
close to N. leleupi – N. mustax and N.
pectoralis – are present in yellow, as
well as in brown-grey morphs.
In Lake Malawi, a cichlid species
with similar behaviour, Labidochromis
caeruleus, also manifests in several
colour variants, but here the yellow,
white and black-and-white barred
SHUTTERSTOCK
84 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
forms are geographical variants, and
no population is known where more
than a single morph is found.
The well-known, orange-blotch
(OB) morphs found in several other
Malawi cichlids represent a type of
polychromatism, but are likely caused
by different genes/circumstances
than those found in N. leleupi.
In my opinion, N. leleupi is quite
a variable species with a rather broad
distribution in Lake Tanganyika, but
it’s not found in the southern part of
the lake as is sometimes claimed.
It was probably present in the
paleo-lakes when the water level was
lower than at present. As water levels
rose, the main population became
split up but remained on the west and
east-central coasts of Africa.
The Lemon cichlid is usually found
in the recesses of the rocky habitat. It
feeds on invertebrates, mainly shrimp
and other crustaceans found in the
aufwuchs on the rocks
In the wild
The Lemon cichlid is usually found
in the recesses of rocky habitat. It
feeds on invertebrates, mainly shrimp
and other crustaceans found in the
aufwuchs (surface growths) on the
rocks, or in the cracks between them.
A foraging individual, and always
solitary, Lemon cichlid cover
a relatively large area of terrain while
searching for food, mouth close
to substrate ready to snap up any
shrimp or other invertebrate startled
by its approach.
Food isn’t abundantly available, so
this may explain N. leleupi’s solitary
behaviour and pugnacious attitude
BELOW:
towards conspecifics in the aquarium, Tanganyika is
with only ripe females being tolerated a lake of epic
in a male’s domain. proportions.
ABOVE: Non- Eggs are deposited in a female’s sexes can be differentiated, a pair out the yellow – and sometimes
yellow Lemons cave, so in a lake a wandering male should be selected and the remaining orange – colour, N. leleupi needs to
are rare in the may find a ripe female in her cave individuals removed. It’s difficult to have Cyclops, Mysis or other food
hobby. and spawn with her. introduce an adult pair into a tank containing carotene (but not Daphnia
I have not yet seen breeding pairs together. The best way is to first as they cannot digest them well).
in the lake, but it’s possible that the let the female adjust to the new In addition to carotene-rich
male stays with the female until the environment before placing the male food, keep N. leleupi in a tank with
young are big enough to face the with her some days later. moderate, uniform lighting and a
outside world on their own. Water requirements are as those light-coloured substrate, gravel or
for all Tanganyika cichlids – between sand. Decor-wise, the tank should
25-27°C and alkaline with a pH contain lots of caves to protect the
In the aquarium above 7.5. Water conditions and food female from harassment. Breeding
N. leleupi can readily be kept in type influence the intensity of the follows if tanks prove suitable and
a Tanganyika community yellow colour of the fish, and a suitable spawning site is present.
aquarium. Only one pair it may turn a dirty yellow In a community aquarium, Lemon
should be housed or brown shade when cichlids form a pair during the
in the same tank, the environmental breeding period and usually choose
and avoid keeping conditions are a dark site among the rocks, but
N. cylindricus or Some cichlids are hard to sex, but suboptimal. in a breeding tank, a flowerpot or
N. mustax together venting will help. View the fish’s The black ceramic cave normally gives the
with N. leleupi, underside. In front of the anal fin snout sometimes best results. The pair bond, however,
as they look and females have one large and seen in aquarium rarely lasts longer than two weeks.
behave similarly. one small hole. Males have specimens is often Aggression during the breeding
N. leleupi is harmless two small holes. caused by some period is mostly directed against
towards other species sort of stress, perhaps fry-eating intruders and conspecifics;
but can be pugnacious brought on by incorrect other non-lookalike species are
towards its own. Be sure you have water parameters or food. ignored. Leave eggs or fry in place
a male and a female – the female is Wild Lemon cichlids feed on for as long as possible, as the male
smaller than the male, but venting invertebrates found on substrate. In may become aggressive after they’ve
them will determine the sexes. aquariums, flake food and pellets been removed. If you do want to
If juveniles are introduced into are accepted but live or frozen take out the eggs or fry to grow
the aquarium a small group can be crustaceans, mosquito larvae, or them on separately, the male should
housed together, but as soon as the plankton are recommended. To bring temporarily be removed too.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 85
SPECIES SHOWCASE
Lemon cichlids

Lake distribution Island have a darker (yellow) body has a rather wide distribution that
The first yellow N. leleupi was colour and yellow fins, but all- ranges between Luhanga in the
collected in the north-western part yellow individuals are found at these north and M’toto in the central part
of the lake at Luhanga in the localities as well. of the lake. North of Lukuga River
Democratic Republic of the N. leleupi also occurs further – the lake’s only outlet at Kalemie –
Congo (DRC) and described south along the Mahale there are only two localities known
by Max Poll in 1956; two
Bloodworm and other foods Mountains range and the where N. leleupi is yellow – Luhanga
years later individuals from
from acidic sources should be mountain range between and Kilima. All the other localities
this area were exported for avoided as they can cause a Isonga and Kekese, but the in between have a grey/brown-
the aquarium trade. condition called ‘bloat’ variant that occurs in these coloured form.
It is sometimes claimed that in African locations doesn’t seem to include South of the Lukuga River, the
the yellow N. leleupi is collected cichlids. yellow-coloured individuals; the shoreline is mostly sandy until you
at Bemba (Pemba), but the form at local morphs are either a dark grey- get to Moba, but at the few patches
this locality is dark grey and yellow brown or a light silvery-beige colour. of rocky habitat, at Cape Tembwe,
morphs have never been found there. Along the western shore on Lake Kitumba and M’toto, I’ve only seen
In the mid-1970s Misha Fainzilber Tanganyika in the DRC, N. leleupi yellow morphs of N. leleupi.
exported a yellow N. leleupi from the
Tanzanian east coast of the lake. Differences in
This form was later described as habitat stops
a subspecies, Lamprologus leleupi variants from
longior, by Wolfgang Staeck from spreading.
specimens collected at Cape Kabogo.
The rocky habitats between
Halembe and Maswa along the
Tanzanian shore of the lake are
inhabited by a yellow morph of
N. leleupi, although in small numbers.
Further south, at Katumbi and Bulu
Point, and at Karilani Island, the
yellow morph appears to be more
common and it’s from mostly these
localities that N. leleupi is collected
for the aquarium trade.
Possibly depending on their mood
and/or condition, some fish at
Halembe, Bulu Point, and Karilani

The purest
yellow Lemons
are a visual
treat.

86 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
REGIONAL VARIANTS
Neolamprologus 1
leleupi
The rocky habitats between
Halembe and Maswa along the
Tanzanian shore of the lake are
inhabited by a yellow morph of
2 N. leleupi

4 7
8

9
10
11
6

FACTFILE
LEMON CICHLID
6Scientific name: Neolamprologus leleupi
6Pronunciation: Nee-oh-lam-pro-low-gus lee-loo-pie
6Size: 10cm
6Origin: DRC and Tanzania.
6Habitat: Rocky crevices at 15m depth or more.
1. Luhanga, DRC
6Tank size: 90x30x30cm minimum.
6Water requirements: 7.5-9.0 pH, 12-25°H. 2. Cape Karamba, DRC
6Temperature: 25-27°C 3. Kilima, DRC
6Temperament: Territorial, aggressive to 4. Milima Island, DRC
conspecifics. 80 l+ 5. Cape Tembwe, DRC
6Feeding: Slow-sinking cichlid pellets, live 6. M’toto, DRC
and frozen diets. Offer Cyclops and Mysis to
There are currently 46 known
7. Halembe, Tanzania species of Neolamprologus,
enhance colours. Avoid Daphnia.
8. Bulu Point, Tanzania and only one – N. devosi
6Availability and cost: Common, starting
around £8 depending on size. 9. Lyamembe, Tanzania – occurs outside of
10. Kalugunga, Tanzania
Lake Tanganyika.
11. Kekese, Tanzania

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 87
READER TANK
Interview / Ollie Kane

OLLIE’S
AMAZING
REEF Simply stunning. Imagine an
aquarium so breathtaking you
build your house around it…
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGE FARMER

MEET THE AQUASCAPER

Name: Ollie Kane
Age: 45
Occupation: Krispy Kreme manufacturing
services manager
Time in hobby: 22 years
Favourite fish: Difficult to choose as I love so many, but if I had to
choose it would be Vampire tang for personality and tameness
First fish bred: None
Fish you’d most like to keep: Parrot fish for their beauty
– and they keep the rocks very clean
Favourite coral: Pink Goniopora

88 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 If variety be the
spice of life this is
one hot tank!

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 89
READER TANK
Interview / Ollie Kane

A
QUARIUMS RARELY
leave me speechless
but I was lost for
words when I first
laid eyes on Ollie
Kane’s magnificent
reef. At just 12
months old it’s still
relatively immature for a large reef
aquarium, but the growth and health
of the livestock was mind-blowing.
Ollie actually designed and
built his home around the tank,
which is viewable from three
sides with an adjacent fish
room that houses all
his equipment.
I’ve never
before seen
such a clean
tank with
flawless attention to
detail. Once I got over
how brilliant the whole
design was, I got up close
to the livestock. With a large
fish stocking you’re never short
of attention-grabbing colour and
movement at all levels. It was hard
to pick the best side to view the
aquascape from.
Ollie had used open spaces very
effectively, using the 180 x 120cm
footprint very wisely. I interviewed
Ollie to get a better insight into the
whole system.
How did you get into
reefkeeping?
I’ve always been fascinated with the
diversity of corals and fish. After
keeping coldwater and tropical fish
for six years, the next level was
reefkeeping – and I was addicted.
The reason for this tank was
being able to have a bespoke tank
build from Aquarium Connections
and to use the Triton reefkeeping
system. Triton simplifies the process,
requiring fewer water changes. Using
Triton keeps the levels balanced
and the ICP testing helps you
fine-tune your tank to support the
requirements of your corals.
Your tank and equipment are
immaculate, and among the
most pristine I’ve ever
seen. Do you consider
this cleanliness to
be an essential
contribution
to the overall
success of
your system?
The key to the
tank cleanliness is a
meticulous cleaning and
maintenance schedule. Every
week I siphon detritus from my
sump and fish room tank.
The other contributor to water
clarity is the equipment I have – two Most people aim for their
Fluval FX6 external filters and a tank to compliment the room
but Ollie built the room to
D-D E200 PowerRoll filter. I also use compliment the tank design.
bacteria to help keep the water clarity
Ollie’s Naso Tang
is one of seven
surgeonfish in the
main tank.

Can you tell us about your

background in the hobby?
I started keeping marines 15 years
ago. My first tank was about 180l
with just soft corals, and throughout
the years my tanks slowly started to
increase in size.
Like any hobbyist, we all have had
our ups and downs over the years
with trial and error, with tank designs,
equipment, which products to use,
and learning how to keep fish and
coral requirements.

INSET ABOVE: A pufferfish

investigates!

90 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 The house was built around
the tank more or less!

– Vibrant every two weeks and lighting combination by using the I’ve always wanted a good fish
Prodibio BioDigest every 15 days. dimmable ATI units. load. I wanted some fish that have
I was able to push the fish load and a purpose and some just to look
water quality by building my own bio You have a wide range of fish. pretty. All the fish seem to get on fine.
ball reactors. I built three reactors, Do you find they all get on well Yellow tangs are the only fish that
which have MarinePure 1.5" Spheres: together and do any of them go a little crazy just before the lights
each reactor holds a total of 9l of have special requirements? turn off.
media. This allows for the fish load
and the ability to feed lots of food.
At just 12 month
How old is the tank and did you old this tank looks
much more mature.
have any issues after start-up?
The tank is a year old. I only had
some algae problems and some
cyno [cyanobacteria], but this was
eradicated by using Vibrant.

You’re using T5 lighting. Any

particular reason why you don’t
use LED or halide?
I really wanted LED, but it was going
to be costly so I opted for T5. I have
two ATI dimmable units over the
tank and an eight-tube combination
for both ATI light units, with three
Aquablue special, two Blue plus,
one Coral plus, one Purple plus and
one Actinic. I’m very happy with the

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 91
READER TANK
Interview / Ollie Kane
Are you completely happy with
the aquascape or are you always
looking for improvement?
I’m really happy with the aquascape.
A lesson learnt from the past was to
make sure I provided lots of open
spaces for fish to swim in and places
to hide, and I tried to create a good
flow throughout the tank, without
any dead spots.
I’ve positioned my aquascape to
support the different types of fish
and placement of corals. I wanted
to ensure I had places for corals that
needed high flow with high lighting,
BELOW:
high flow with lower lighting levels,
Saddle valentini
puffers pack big low flow with high lighting, or low
character into a flow with lower lighting levels and
small package. I believe I’ve achieved this.
92 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
You are running the Triton
system without an algae bed.
Can you explain the different
between this and the more
traditional Triton method? Are
there any advantages?
I’m not sure there are any advantages
in which of these Triton methods you
use. They both produce great-looking
tanks, so it’s a personal preference.
My main reason for running this
Triton reefkeeping system was
that instead of having a sump with
algae, I could have extra space for
cultivating corals.
The overall design of the tank is
amazing. Who built it and what
design input did you have?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have
had the opportunity to build my
house from the ground up. The tank
was always going to be the main
focal point, and able to be viewed
from the lounge, snug and hallway.
The house was more or less built
around the tank!
I always had a concept in mind, and
took my design to Vincent Thomas
at Aquarium Connections, who used
CAD to visualize it. The great thing
about going direct to a company that
specialises in bespoke tank builds
is the level of detail and knowledge
they have.
After a few meetings with Vincent,
he knew exactly what I wanted. It
was as if he could read my mind.
MORE INFO
For more ideas or to get
your own bespoke tank
designed like Ollie visit
www.aquarium-
connections.co.uk
 OLLIE’S TANK SPEC
6Aquarium size: Length 1800mm; width
1200mm; height 850mm. Water volume:
2,000l for main aquarium. Sump and fish
seawater, no added salt used
6Heating/cooling: 3 heaters in the sump;
cooling is by a Teco 6000l chiller
What’s in the tank ?
room: 1000l 6Rock type: Purchased large pieces of FISH 61 Yellowtail wrasse
6Lighting: Two dimmable ATI light units dried rock ANGELS 61 Dartfish
with Aquablue, Blue plus, Purple plus, 6Substrate type: Used live sand 61 Goldflake 1 Sleeper blue dot
6
Coral plus and Actinic tubes. 10am-10pm 6WATER PARAMETERS 3 Copper bands – 1 in
6 goby
6Circulation: Two TMC 12,000l pumps from Specific Gravity: 1.025 - 1.027 the main tank, 1 in 1 Pink spotted
6
the sump to the main tank; one TMC Temperature: 24.5 – 26.0°C watchman goby
the sump and 1 in the
12,000lph pump to the fish room tank; two pH: 8.1 – 8.4 1 Diamond watchman
6
15,000lph Jecod powerheads Alkalinity: 8°KH
fish room system
61 Misbar angel goby
6Sump size: Length: 1600mm; width: Ammonia: (NH3) Undetectable
1100mm; height: 400mm Nitrite: (NO2) Undetectable 61 Flame angel IN THE TANK: 76 fish
6Protein skimmer: ATB Deluxe Nitrate: Nitrogen (NO3) < 15 ppm 61 Multibar angel IN TOTAL: 80 fish
6Additives: Elements added as needed in Phosphate: (PO4) < 0.2 ppm
accordance with the Triton method. Calcium: 430 – 450 ppm SURGEONFISH INVERTS
6Water changes and salt used: Natural Magnesium: 1250 - 1350 ppm 66 Yellow tangs – 4 in 64 Sand-sifting starfish
main tank, 1 in the 66 Cleaner shrimp
sump and 1 in the 62 Pincushion sea
The sump is
kitted out for fish room system urchins
growing coral 61 Chevron tang 612 Hermit crabs
frags. 61 Vampire tang
61 Naso lituratus CORAL LIST
SOFT
ANTHIAS 6Green Sinularia
612 Wreck fish 6Green toadstool
65 Tuka diamond mushrooms
heads 6A selection of
66 Square anthias different mushrooms
66 Bleeding hearts 6Pulse coral
61 Fathead sunburst
68 Resplendent LPS CORALS
61 Japanese spotted 6Many different types
of Goniopora and
OTHER Alveopora
61 Parrot 6Duncan’s coral
64 Confit gobies 6Echinophyllia
61 Skeletor moray eel
61 Wolf cardinalfish SPS CORALS
Aquarium Connections made my What’s the biggest lesson this 61 Pair of clowns 6Different types of
dream tank a reality. tank has taught you? 61 Marine betta Montipora, branching
Through experience, and trial and 61 Longnose hawkfish and plating
Can you explain your sump and error over the years, I finally have a 61 Arc-eye hawkfish 6Bali green slimer
filter room in more detail? tank I’m extremely happy with. It’s 61 Starry blenny 6Acropora millepora
Due to my previous experience in a pleasure to maintain and runs like 61 Splendid dottyback 6Acropora
keeping marine tanks, my aim was a Swiss clock. 61 Orchid dottyback microphthalma
to simplify the maintenance and how 61 Saddle valentini 6Stylophora
the system operated and I was able puffer 6Pocillopora
to achieve exactly this by using the 61 Flame cardinalfish
Triton method. 61 Cleaner wrasse ANEMONES
I always wanted a fish room in the 61 Melanurus fairy 6Rock flower
wrasse 6Mini Maxi
house, connected directly to the main
61 China wrasse 6Ritteri
tank, to hold accessible equipment
that would make the tank much
One of a dozen
easier to maintain. Wreck fish.
My fish room has a system for
cultivating corals and accumulating
livestock, plus a sink, freezer,
drainage in the floor, and a place to A dedicated fish
hide and gather my thoughts. room, enough
Really, I guess I have a man shed in to make most
the house! aquarists envious.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 93
MARINE
Exotic worms

MARINE
WRIGGLERS
Does the idea of having worms in your aquarium fill
you with dread? We take a look at the good, the bad
and the ugly and how to manage them in your tank.

DAVID
WOLFENDEN
Dave is a former
aquatics lecturer
and is curator of
the Blue Planet
aquarium in
ALAMY

Chester.

94 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 Feather dusters
make a tempting
meal for many fish
and invertebrates

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 95
MARINE
Exotic worms

T
HERE’S ACTUALLY
a huge variety of
animals referred to as
‘worms’ from diverse
groups including
attractive filter feeders,
highly beneficial
scavengers and
frankly terrifying predators. Here’s
a rundown of some of the most
commonly-encountered ones…

Feather dusters
THE and fanworms
GOOD
They might not look like
it, but feather dusters and fanworms
are annelids, making them relatives
of earthworms. They are often
extremely attractive animals, with
some sporting stunning coloration.
There are two main groups of
interest – sabellids and serpulids
– each with slightly differing Sabellids’
morphologies. feathery gills
make the most
SHUTTERSTOCK

Sabellids stunning ‘living

Sabellids extend a pair of gill plumes sculptures’ in
a tank.
(radioles) known as the ‘crown’ from
a soft, flexible tube which the worm
constructs from a mixture of sand, They are often extremely attractive animals,
detritus and mucus. The gill plumes
are used in suspension feeding, with
with some sporting stunning coloration
tiny organic particles being trapped,
sorted and either rejected or passed Serpulids the worms highly sought after by
to the gut thanks to specialised Serpulids secrete a rigid tube of aquarists. Unlike soft tube-dwelling Fanworms
come in a
structures known as cilia. calcium carbonate, and prefer hard sabellids, serpulids have evolved an
myriad of vivid
Sabellids may arrive as hitch- substrates such as rock or rubble operculum, a specialised structure hues, as well as
hikers on live rock, although pieces and even the skeleton used to plug the tube’s entrance muted shades
it’s also possible to buy of living corals. It’s quite when the worm withdraws inside. of brown.
them individually – common to see Porites Being suspension feeders, both
members of the and other stony sabellids and serpulids require fine
genera Sabellastarte corals festooned particulate foods and suitable water
and Bispira are Siphoning flatworms out of the with multiple movement to really thrive.
commonly aquarium can help numbers in serpulids, notably Modern systems utilising
offered. While check, and biological control horned Christmas aggressive skimming may not
they can (using arrow crabs or small tree worms provide enough organic matter to
reproduce sexually, wrasse species) is also (Spirobranchus sustain the worms, so additional
the chances of giganteus). The feeding of liquid invertebrate foods
worth investigating.
larvae surviving in an worm may use acid may be necessary.
aquarium are slim. secretions to aid it getting Sabellids benefit from moderate
However, under the right a foothold into the coral’s laminar flow, whereas serpulids are
conditions, sabellids can reproduce skeleton, and then the tube is more tolerant of random, chaotic
in the aquarium asexually. They do constructed. The host coral grows water movement.
this by breaking off the rear part of its tissu
the body; this grows a new crown The g
ALAMY

and becomes a clone of the parent. used fo

When introducing sabellids, keep respira
them submerged at all times. If they morph
SHUTTERSTOCK

are lifted out of the water, air can are oft

become trapped in their tube which colour
Lights-out is the best time
can cause problems. making to spot peanut worms.

96 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
 for nutrient cycling in the aquarium
and pose no threat to other
inhabitants, so if you happen to find
one don’t be alarmed.
Weird Depending on their lifestyle,
they may be found burrowing in
but True the substrate, occasionally making
Sabellid feather a guest appearance or they may
dusters be burrowed into live rock.
occasionally shed
their gills, Spaghetti worms
apparently These polychaete worms (also
leaving only the Colourful known as terebellids) can be
tube behind. This Christmas found either in sandy substrates or

SHUTTERSTOCK
may be a sign of tree worms crevices within live rock. The worm
stress due to lack cluster on uses bristles on its body to hold
of feeding but it a rock.
itself within its hidey-hole, and the
could be a body is almost never seen.
perfectly normal Peanut worms The introvert is the worm’s To feed, the worm sends extremely
occurrence. Peanut worms, also known as business end, and here there may be long tentacles out, spreading them
Although there sipunculids, are common on the tentacles, bristles and hooks which across the rocks and sand in search
may be no visible reef, and can make their way into assist with feeding. Sipunculids vary of food. In some species, the
sign of the the aquarium via live rock. They in terms of their feeding habits – tentacles may be a metre in length!
animal, it’s best are named thanks to their vague some are suspension feeders, others When food is located, it’s bundled
to wait and see if
similarity in appearance to a shelled mop up detritus deposits. with mucus and carried along the
the worm grows
nut when curled up. Size can vary, too, from just a few tentacle towards the worm’s mouth
a new pair of gill
Unsegmented, sipunculids are millimetres long to just under a by cilia – almost like a conveyor belt.
plumes rather
unique enough to be assigned their metre in length, but most commonly Despite their creepy looks,
than hastily
disposing of own phylum: they have a blunt encountered peanut worms are spaghetti worms shouldn’t be
the tube. posterior end, and a pointed anterior around a few centimetres long. a cause for alarm in moderate
section known as the introvert. Peanut worms are very beneficial numbers and are, in fact, excellent

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 97
MARINE
Exotic worms
detritivores. In deep sand beds they
can be numerous and most folks are
happy to accommodate them here
for their role in nutrient processing.
Flatworms
THE Platyhelminths are simple
BAD
animals which are usually
introduced on live rock or corals.
Many are harmless but, if given the
chance, can overrun a tank.
Some are actively predatory or
parasitic, causing damage to corals.
For example, the red flatworm
(Convolutriloba retrogemma)
can reach plague proportions,
smothering corals and depriving
them of light and food.
98 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Many species are
harmless but, if given an
opportunity, they can
overrun a tank
In large numbers,
spaghetti worms
are unsightly in
ALAMY
the aquarium.
Another species of concern,
specifically to SPS coral keepers,
is the Acropora-eating flatworm
(AEFW, Amakusaplana acroporae).
This flatworm feeds on the tissue of
Acropora corals, and it can be a real
pest, causing large-scale mortalities
in severe cases.
The best approach here is
prevention. Screening live rock
and corals for flatworms, plus
quarantining and dipping new
arrivals, can really help but isn’t
guaranteed to prevent introduction.
If flatworms start to become
a problem, remove the most badly Sixline wrasse
affected corals to isolation for help to keep
SHUTTERSTOCK
dipping. Manually blasting them aquariums clear
of flatworms and
bristleworms.
PEST
Pest control methods
As bristleworms tend to become a problem
in tanks with excessive uneaten food and
pockets of accumulated organics, an
important part of their control involves
limiting their food supply – as well as
trapping and removing them.
Reviewing feeding –and cutting down
if necessary – and increasing substrate
maintenance should be considered.
Additionally, it could pay to examine
flow pattern in the tank and make any
necessary adjustments if dead spots
appear to provide regions for mulm to
Use tweezers or wear settle, as these regions comprise an all-
gloves to remove you-can-eat buffet for bristleworms.
bobbit worms from
your tank.
ALAMY
 Bristleworms
THE There are many species
UGLY
of bristleworm, ranging
from tiny harmless detritivores
just a few centimetres in length to
whopping predators reaching well
over 30cm (12in) long.
These polychaetes get a bad rap
in general but many species are
actually beneficial in small numbers,
acting as useful scavengers and
playing a positive role in nutrient
cycling in your tank.
However, bigger species can pose
a threat to corals and fish and,
in large numbers, even the more
benign bristleworms can reach
unmanageable proportions and
become a nuisance by smothering
the tank’s inhabitants, so some
control may be necessary.
Bristleworms are invariably
introduced through live rock.
They can hide away in the many
various nooks and crannies in rock,
A colourful so it’s a tall order to minutely screen

SHUTTERSTOCK
cluster of all the rock with a view to excluding
fanworms living
them from the aquarium.
among sponges.
In a nutshell, you’ll pretty much

with a turkey baster can help to ambushed, injected with a venom

dislodge the flatworms. and consumed. They’re horrifying, Get nailed by a real
A number of wrasse species are
ideal for picking off flatworms (they
but true bobbit worms are rare in
aquariums since they live in soft
whopper and you’re in
can be given a helping hand through substrates and are rarely collected
manual blasting of the worms to accidentally.
a world of hurt!
dislodge them). However, other eunicid worms
The Sixline wrasse with similarly predatory
(Pseudocheilinus hexataenia lifestyles are occasionally
– Indo-Pacific, to encountered as hitch-
10cm in length), the hikers. Having PEST
Canary wrasse Predatory eunicids are said that, not all
(Halichoeres eunicids are
difficult to trap so manual
chrysus predatory and
– western central
removal is pretty much the there are smaller
Pacific, to 10cm) only solution. Take species which
and Melanurus wrasse care not to get appear to be strictly
(H. melanurus – western bitten! scavengers – these may
Pacific, also to 10cm) are be quite common in live rock
all excellent at picking off and are beneficial.
and eating flatworms as well Usually, the only signs of
as bristleworms. a predatory eunicid are missing
fish and/or damaged corals. The
Bobbit worms worms may have extremely cryptic
The bobbit worm (Eunice behaviour, although it may be
aphroditois) is nightmare fuel! This possible to see the five antennae
predatory polychaete grows to emerging from the substrate or Bristleworms’
nearly 3m (10ft) in length, burrowing from within live rock. Removal of bristles cause
a lot of pain if
into sand and silty muck substrates predatory eunicids is tricky, and they lodge in
with only its sensory tentacles usually at least a partial strip-down your skin.
ALAMY

exposed. Unsuspecting prey are of the tank is required.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 99
MARINE
Exotic worms
have to accept that if you’re keeping
a reef you’re going to encounter
bristleworms at some point.
A moderate number of the more
benign species is actually of benefit
as they’re efficient at finding and
processing waste. Where food is
abundant, however, they can reach
plague proportions, so some form of
control may be necessary – and if
larger predatory species are lurking
in the tank, you’ll most definitely
want to deal with those.
The bristles or setae of the worms
are extremely thin and brittle –
touch one with bare hands and the
setae break off in the skin, causing
irritation, pain and inflammation.
Get nailed by a whopper and you’re
in a world of hurt – even small
Arrow crabs will
eat bristleworms
– but anything
else they can
catch is fair
game as well.
100 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
ones can pack a punch – so
avoid directly handling
bristleworms. Wear gloves
when removing them or
working in areas of the tank
where they may be lurking.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Canary wrasse
help to keep
bristleworms
under control.
Bristleworms tend to come out at Removing bristleworms
night, so you can check for their This is best achieved
presence when the lights are out, by using baited traps.
gauge how abundant they are Commercially available traps
and monitor their impact are one option, but most folks
on the tank. opt for a DIY approach.
Here’s how:
6 A simple method involves
baiting a sheer (not fishnet) nylon
stocking and simply placing it in
the aquarium. The worms will be
attracted to the bait, but their setae
becoming snagged in the stocking’s
material. Remove the stocking
(being careful not to touch the
worms) and that’s all there is to it.
6 A plastic bottle with the neck cut
off and inverted can form a funnel
shape into which the worms can
enter but not leave. Bait the bottle
with food and leave it out overnight.
6 Alternatively, drill holes into
a bottle, and insert wide drinking
straws into the holes. As before, bait
the bottle and deploy. The idea here
is that the worms move through the
straws to reach the bait and can’t
crawl out.
For either of the former two
methods, make it easy for the
worms to enter the bottle by
arranging rocks or sand to form
ramps which they can crawl up.
Natural predators
For biological control, arrow crabs
(Stenorhynchus seticornis) are often
suggested – although these are
fairly indiscriminate in their tastes
so may consume other beneficial
invertebrates. Smaller wrasse, such
as those from the genus Halichoeres,
are a less risky option.
Limiting food supplies in tanks
with excessive uneaten food also
ALAMY
helps to control bristleworms.
PFKNewGear
The latest fishkeeping products, tried and tested.
FIRST SIGHT
ZISS Gl-1 EZ Fish & Shrimp Separating Box
The new GL-1
breeder box
works a treat.
I’ve tried countless types of
breeding traps during my fish-
keeping career – from floating
double-bottoms and hanging
nets to external hang-on
breeder boxes and V-bottom
traps – but the problem with
many of those is the size.
A tiny plastic cage is not
the calming environment an
expecting livebearer mum
deserves, especially fo
my Panda guppie
So I was intrigu
and keen to try, th
EZ GL-1 Fish & S
Separating Box a
AQUA Telford sh
It’s aimed at liv
and the first thin
struck me was th
whole kit feels so
with quality plas
used, and the des
contemporary, w
of practical featu
For a start, the fl
mounting system
which comes wit
both a hanger an
a suction holder,
you an opportun
to use it in almost every tank.
A further useful feature is the
removable fine bottom mesh,
which allows you to use the box
either as a standalone breeding
trap, where the newborns
remain within the box, or as a
breeding unit, where the babies
can swim out to the tank below
and only the female stays.
The GL-1 has its own brilliant
aeration and water circulation
system (you need to connect it
to an air pump, though), which
sucks water through the centre
column from the tank below
and then spreads it over the box.
The water then leaves through
the mesh bottom.
This water flow creates
suction at the four funnel-
shaped traps, quickly moving
WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 101
the newborns down to safety.
The same flow helps you to get
food to the fry in the holding
chamber, which is extremely
useful when you have multiple
pregnant females in the box and
you must feed the firstborns.
If you want to access the
juveniles in the holding
chamber, you have two choices:
the first option is to open down
the bottom of the breeding
box and let the youngsters to
swim out; the second is to lift
the funnel trap unit. The issue
is that disconnecting and then
reattaching the airline, which
runs through the middle, is
more complicated than I first
anticipated. However, this is the
only negative I could find with
the box.
After removing the trap,
you can use the ZISS GL-1
separation box as a nursery, an
isolation chamber or even as a
makeshift photo-box.
Reviewed by Gabor Hovarth
The whole
kit feels solid,
with plenty of
practical
features
4.5/
t 5
my experiences,
ended this
ece of kit to
my friends and it
serve them well
o come. It’s worth
ny.
f use: 4.5/5
es: 5/5
for money: 5/5
l score: 4.5/5
Around £25
nfo:
ture.com
PFKNewGear
NorthFin Premium Fish Food
NorthFin has been on my radar for a while. I first came across it at
a cichlid group event two years ago and started feeding its products
to my Tanganyikan cichlids. When it comes to picking out a food
there’s only two things I care about – ingredients and smell.
Look at the back of the packet and the ingredients must be listed in
largest percentage first (legally), so if you’re feeding an algae eater
you want an algae or vegetable meal listed first; if you’re feeding
a predator, look for fish meal as the primary ingredient.
The quality of ingredients in NorthFin foods is a cut above the
average food on a shelf and include organic kelp, whole Antarctic
krill meal, whole sardine meal, montmorillonite clay (commonly
fed by high-end Koi keepers), garlic, vitamins and minerals.
Open the bag and these foods emit a pretty powerful aroma.
They’re not particularly appetising to my palate, it has to be said,
but they smell intense as opposed to the ‘sawdusty’ smell many
cheaper foods have.

1 CICHLID FORMULA
O Sizes available: 1mm, 2mm, 3mm 1 4
OPack sizes: 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2.5kg
OMain ingredients: Antarctic krill meal,
omega-3 DHA herring meal, sardine meal,
wheat flour, organic kelp, spirulina, garlic,
astaxanthin, montmorillonite clay.
OProtein: 40% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%

2 KELP WAFERS FORMULA

OSizes available: 14mm wafer
OPack sizes: 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2.5kg
OMain ingredients: Organic kelp, whole
Antarctic krill meal, high omega-3 DHA
herring meal, whole sardine meal, wheat
flour, spirulina, garlic, astaxanthin,
montmorillonite clay, vitamin/mineral mix.
OProtein: 33% Fat: 4% Fibre: 5% £8.99 – £84.99 £16.99 – £84.99
Moisture: 9% Ash: 12%

3 MARINE FORMULA PELLET

OSizes available: 1mm and 2mm 2 5
OPack sizes: 20g, 100g, 250g
OMain ingredients: Organic kelp, whole
Antarctic krill meal, high omega-3 herring
meal, whole sardine meal, wheat flour,
spirulina, garlic, astaxanthin,
montmorillonite clay, vitamin/mineral mix.
OProtein: 36% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 12%

4 TROPICAL STICKS FORMULA

OSizes available: 3mm x 20mm
OPack sizes: 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2.5kg
OMain ingredients: Omega-3 DHA herring
meal, Antarctic krill meal, whole sardine
meal, wheat flour, organic kelp, spirulina,
garlic, astaxanthin, montmorillonite clay.
£8.99 – £84.99 £4.99 – £8.99
OProtein: 43% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%

5 BETTA BITS FORMULA

OSizes available: 1mm 3 6
OPack sizes: 20g, 100g
OMain ingredients: Antarctic krill meal,
omega-3 DHA herring meal, sardine meal,
wheat flour, organic kelp, spirulina, garlic,
astaxanthin, montmorillonite clay.
OProtein: 45% Fat: 7% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%

6 FRY STARTER POWDER

OSizes available: 250 microns
OPack size: 50g
OOne ingredient: Whole Antarctic krill.
It’s a slow-sinking powder with 48% protein
to help fry develop quick and strong.
OProtein: 48% Fat: 14% Fibre: 2%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9% £3.99 – £13.99 £8.99

102 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

 The real proof of the pudding is what comes out the other end of were strong but I
the fish after eating this food, and their health and vitality. Within definitely know if
a week of swapping to a mix of NorthFin Cichlid formula, Veggie was a result of the
formula and Krill Gold formula (from an average food, not a cheap or the fish maturi
food) the waste production of the fish was hugely decreased. This is – I guess a bit of b
because high-quality ingredients are digested and assimilated far My Amazon puffe
more eiciently and less is dumped out the far end to fill your filters. Tropical Sticks to
Over time the fish became stronger looking – broader, and colours Reviewed by St

7 COMMUNITY FORMULA
7 10 OSizes available: 0.5mm and 1mm
OPack sizes: 20g, 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg
OMain ingredients: Antarctic krill meal,
omega-3 DHA herring meal, sardine meal,
wheat flour, organic kelp, spirulina, garlic,
astaxanthin, montmorillonite clay.
OProtein: 40% Fat: 7% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%

8 AROWANA FORMULA
OSizes available: 3mm x 20mm
OPack sizes: 250g, 500g, 1kg
OMain ingredients: Antarctic krill meal,
omega-3 DHA herring meal, whole sardine
meal, wheat flour, organic kelp, spirulina,
garlic, astaxanthin, montmorillonite clay.
O Protein: 44% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
£4.99 – £40.99 £4.99 – £58.99 Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%

9 JUMBO FISH FORMULA

O Sizes available: 4mm, 6mm
8 11 O Pack sizes: 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2.5kg
OMain ingredients: Antarctic krill meal,
omega-3 DHA herring meal, whole sardine
meal, wheat flour, organic kelp, spirulina,
garlic, astaxanthin, Montmorillonite clay.
OProtein: 44% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%

10 KRILL GOLD FORMULA

£16.99 – £39.99
9 12
OSizes available: 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 6mm
OPack sizes: 20g, 80g, 250g, 500g, 1kg
OMain ingredients: 85% Antarctic krill
meal, wheat flour, organic kelp meal,
spirulina, garlic, astaxanthin, vitamin and
mineral mix.
O Protein: 42% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 9%
£8.99 – £84.99
11 VEGGIE FORMULA
O Sizes available: 1mm, 2mm, 3mm
O Pack sizes: 100g, 250g, 500g, 1kg, 2.5kg
O Main ingredients: organic kelp,
Antarctic krill meal, omega-3 herring meal,
sardine meal, wheat flour, spirulina, garlic,
astaxanthin, montmorillonite clay.
OProtein: 36% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
Moisture: 9% Ash: 12%

12 GOLDFISH FORMULA
OSizes available: 2mm and 3mm
OPack sizes: 100g, 250g
OMain ingredients: organic kelp, whole
Antarctic krill meal, high omega-3 DHA
herring meal, whole sardine meal, wheat
flour, spirulina, garlic, astaxanthin,
montmorillonite clay, vitamin/mineral mix.
O Protein: 36% Fat: 5% Fibre: 5%
£16.99 – £84.99 £6.99 – £13.99 Moisture: 9% Ash: 10%

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 103
PFKNe
SICCE Syncra
Changing water is probably one of the mo
loathed chores of fishkeeping, especially
you have a large tank – like discus keeper
with a massive weekly water change – or
like me, 50 medium-sized aquariums wit
total volume of near 3000 litres.
Instead of continuing to use buckets,
I needed a pretty strong pump. Cue the
new generation SICCE Syncra SDC 7.0,
which is designed for medium to large
professional aquariums.
This remote-controlled and powerful
pump features an extremely efficient DC
low voltage unit, along with Wi-Fi
connectivity, which allows you to control
– “from any part of the world” according
Sicce – via your smartphone. I, however,
no Wi-Fi in my fish-house, so I got a pow
line Wi-Fi extender. .5/
Once the network was set up, installing 5
the app was straightforward and within five SICCE smart DC pumps isn t the fish-house
minutes the pump was up and running. owners, like me, unless they keep marines Verdict
Flow rate can easily be manipulated using with a sump or other fish with a central SICCE’s Syncra SDC 7.0 pump fulfilled
the dial on the app, so I can set it to the filtration system, it’s a fabulous circulation its promises and will definitely make the
required level, even when I’m at the other pump with lots of useful features – lives of many aquarists much easier.
end of my shed. The pump itself is so strong including a feeding setting or pause mode. Having tried and tested it, I can highly
that despite using it only at 3%-8% power The speed control allows you to run it at recommend it.
for ‘normal’ water replacement, I still had to the optimum flow rate needed for your fish, O Ease of use: 5/5
add a DIY flow distributor to the end of while saving you energy, therefore running O Features: 5/5
the pipe. costs. There are five pre-set programmes to O Value for money: 4.5/5
Just for fun I tested the maximum 100% imitate waves, currents and lagoonal ripple, O Overall score: 4.5/5
flow (7000lph) and the pump refilled a 100l or you can create your own pumping pattern O Price: £339.90
tank at 150cm height in less than a minute, instead. O More info: www.sicce.com
so it’s plenty powerful. Reviewed by Gabor Hovarth

PRODUCT NEWS

eaReefPro 600S Cube Aquarium The Aquascaper glass pipework sets

from Evolution Aqua
Evolution Aqua has released a brand-new eaReefPro 600mm cube
aquarium and cabinet.
The new eaReefPro 600S Cube comes with ultra-clear, low-iron
glass, neat black silicone seals, a pre-fitted foam base mat, black
vinyl wrap background and a black central weir with removable
weir comb.
Within the cabinet is a four chamber ProSump, with twin height
adjustable bales, dedicated refugium and macro algae chamber,
and large reservoir for top-up water.
The eaReefPro 600S Cube is available with any one of 16
hand-built cabinet finishes, each one
silicone sealed to prevent water
ingress, and with both push-open and
soft close door. A home delivery
service is also available via Evolution
Aqua dealers.
The latest additions to Evolution Aqua’s The Aquascaper range are two
new filter pipework sets, available for either 16mm or 12mm diameter
tubing. These glass inlets and outlets provide almost invisible viewing,
while still carrying out the vital job of filtration.
Key to the inlet is the inbuilt floating surface skimmer which self-
adjusts to water level height and removes the surface film. This provides
better aesthetics and improves gaseous exchange at the surface while
also removing floating organics.
At the bottom end of the inlet is a unique adjuster, allowing the
direction of flow either through the surface skimmer or bottom
scavenging strainer to be controlled. Water can be sent all through the
bottom of the inlet solely through the surface skimmer, or a
combination of both for top and bottom scavenging of the aquarium.
ORRP £49.95 (12mm) and £59.95 (16mm)
OMore info: evolutionaqua.com

FEATURES
O Open top, rimless, braceless design
O 10mm ultra-clear glass on all sides
O Pre-fitted, discrete foam base mat
O Neat black silicone throughout
O Black background as standard
O RRP £849.95
O More info: evolutionaqua.com

104 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

TOP of the
SHOPS!
Northern
Ireland
THE ROLL OF HONOUR
Retailer of the Year
Lincs Aquatics, Alford, Lincs.
Runner up: Charterhouse Republic
Aquatics, London
of Ireland
Online Retailer of the
Year
AllPond Solutions
Runner up: Charterhouse Aquatics
Small Retailer of the Year
Octopus 8 Aquatics, Brough, East Yorkshire
Runner up: Aqua Design Aquatics,
Skegness
TOP SPECIALISTS
Marine Retailer of the Year
Lincs Aquatics
Runner up: Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin
Cichlid Retailer of the Year
Wharf Aquatics, Pinxton, Notts.
Runner up: Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin
Catfish retailer of the Year
Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin
Runner up: Wharf Aquatics, Pinxton, Notts.
Discus Retailer of the Year
DL Discus, Co. Durham
Runner up: Devotedly Discus, East Sussex
Plant retailer of the Year
Emperor Tropicals, Plymouth, Devon
Runner up: Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin
Pond retailer of the Year
Lincs Aquatics, Alford, Lincs.
Runner up: Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin
Oddball Retailer of the Year
Wharf Aquatics, Pinxton, Notts.
Runner up: Tank Terror Aquatics,
Cornwall
Top shops
Scotland
North
East
TOP 40
North (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
West Abacus Aquatics, Kent
Yorkshire &
Humberside Aqua Design Aquatics, Skegness
Aquahome, Leyland, Lancs.
East Aqualife, Leyland, Lancs.
Midlands Aquatic Finatic, North Yorkshire
East Bow Aquatics, Devon
Wales West
Midlands Carrick Aquatics, Co Monaghan
Charterhouse Aquatics, London
London Clearly Aquatics, Co. Down
Crowder’s Aquatics, Hampshire
South South Cuddra Aquatics, St. Austell, Cornwall
West East
Discovery Aquatics, Dundee
DL Discus, Co. Durham
Emperor Tropicals, Plymouth, Devon
Shrimp Retailer of the Year Ferrybridge Aquatics, Wakefield
Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin FishCove Aquatics, Wimborne, Dorset
Runner up: Wharf Aquatics, Pinxton, Notts. Fishkeeper Braehead
Fishkeeper Coatbridge
Fishkeeper Inverness
REGIONAL H2O Habitat, Surrey
South east Innovation Aquatics, Southampton
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Windsor Lanchester Aquatics, Co. Durham
Runner up: Crowder’s Aquatics, Hampshire Lincs Aquatics, Alford, Lincs
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Mere Park
South west Maidenhead Aquatics @ Shirley
Emperor Tropicals, Devon Maidenhead Aquatics @ Wenvoe
Runner up: The Aquatic Store, Bristol Maidenhead Aquatics @ Windsor
New Concept Aquatics, Bonnybridge
Wales Octopus 8, Brough, East Yorkshire
Maidenhead Aquatics @ Wenvoe Pier Aquatics, Wigan, Lancs
Runner up: Maidenhead Aquatics @ Real Reefs, Gloucs.
Cardif Riverside Aquaria, West Lothian
Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin
London Sweet Knowle Aquatics, Warks.
Charterhouse Aquatics, London Tank Terror Aquatics, Cornwall
Runner up: Wholesale Tropicals, London The Aquatic Store, Bristol
The Waterzoo, Peterborough
East Midlands TriMar, Cornwall
Lincs Aquatics, Alford, Lincs. Wharf Aquatics, Pinxton, Notts.
Runner up: Wharf Aquatics, Pinxton, Notts. Wholesale Tropicals, London
North east
DL Discus, Co. Durham North West
Runner up: Lanchester Aquatics, Co. Aquahome Aquatic Centre, Lancs.
Durham Runner up: Pier Aquatics, Wigan
Scotland East
Discovery Aquatics, Dundee The Waterzoo, Peterborough
Runner up: Fishkeeper Inverness Runner up: Amwell Aquatics, Soham
Republic of Ireland Yorks and Humber
Seahorse Aquariums, Dublin Octopus 8, Brough, East Yorkshire
Runner up: Carrick Aquatics, Co. Runner up: Ferrybridge Aquatics,
Monaghan Wakefield
Northern Ireland West Midlands
Clearly Aquatics, Co. Down Maidenhead Aquatics @ Mere Park
Runner up: Exotic Aquatics, Belfast Runner up: Maidenhead Aquatics @
Shirley
PFKShoptour
This month takes us to shops in Hertfordshire and Leicester.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE BAKER AND NATHAN HILL
Maidenhead Aquatics St Albans
Address: North Orbital Road,
St Albans, Hertfordshire
AL2 1DL.
Telephone: 01727 825815
Website: www.fishkeeper.
co.uk/store/st-albans
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-
6pm, Sun 10am-4pm
What is it?
Opened in 2005, this is one of
Maidenhead Aquatics’ flagship
stores. It’s the largest of the
Maidenheads and uses the
space to ofer lots of choice
– aquariums, water features,
livestock and gravel is here
in abundance. There are 328
tropical tanks plus 42 small
Betta tanks, 76 marine tanks,
8 coldwater tanks, 48 square
feet of plant-holding tanks and
96 square feet of coral tanks.
Plus there’s a good-sized pond
fish system and 3 large koi
sales vats.
High points
Straight of a main road, this
store is easy to get to, with a
good-sized car park. Walking
through the front door you
see the size immediately –
a vast, open-plan shop with
a sectioned-of fish house, café
and a children’s play area.
The selection of tanks is large
with all shapes and sizes of oak
tanks and cabinets in-store,
Basic to high-end nanos,
through to large Evolution
Aqua tanks, D+D Reef Pros
and everything in between.
The dry goods selection is full
of options with four types of
external filters ofered, 18 types
of rock and lots of consumable
and spare parts hanging up to
give you just a taste.
It was snowing on our visit
and the pond area wasn’t in
season, but we peeked outside
and were impressed. There’s
a great selection of rocks,
drilled and undrilled from 8in
river cobbles to 4ft-high slate
monoliths. There’s also a good
selection of Japanese stone
ornaments, like lanterns and
dragons, and in season there’ll
be plenty of pond plants, too.
STAR RATING: Excellent 11111
106 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING
Leicester
St Albans
The best of high points goes
to the tropical freshwater fish
selection. We could easily fill a fish
house with some of our favourite
and most-wanted fish here.
With so many tanks, all the
normal, more basic, species are
in situ, plus a large selection of
rift lake cichlids and rarer, wild,
interesting and odd fish.
Low points
We found that the indoor
coldwater fish selection wasn’t
overly inspiring, the large
aquarium plant sales area was
rather average and there wasn’t
a great selection of healthy plants. This is just half of
Though we enjoyed not seeing the fish house.
common tank-busters or balloon
fish, some of the rare species did
raise concern – like a large, lone
Serrasalmus geryi. Aequidens metae - one
Overall, we’re nitpicking for low of many varieties of
points since everything else about cichlids on offer.
the place was “big and exciting”.
Verdict
Well worth a trip in our view.
If you’re looking for your first
aquarium set-up there’s so much
choice here that you’re bound to
find the ideal items.
If you’re a seasoned freshwater
hobbyist there’s going to be
something to get your heart
racing and if you’re a marine
keeper they have all you need plus
an 8,000l marine display tank to
drool over.
Star rating
Tropical fish 11111
Discus 11111
Cichlids 11111
Catfish 11111
Oddballs 11111
Indoor plants 11111
Pond plants OS
Koi 11111
Pond fish OS
Fancies 11111
Indoor coldwater 11111
Marine fish 11111
Marine inverts 11111
Indoor dry 11111
Pond dry 11111
Freshwater inverts 11111 Koi vats lead down
Labelling 11111 to the coffee shop.
Good 11111 Average 11111 Below average 11111 Poor 11111 Out of season OS Not stocked NS
Look to the softwater
system for unusual
plecs.

Most community
classics are
available.

A display tank set up

by George Famer..

A blue-spotted Jawfish
is always going to get
attention.

What stood out

OPorthole rasbora £9.95
OBurmese ‘Inlecypris’ rasbora £9.95
OChampsochromis caeruleus £35.00
OCallochromis macrops £28.95
OTetraodon schoutedeni £475.00
OChanna sp. meghalaya £135.00
OSimpsonichtys nielseni £25 pair
OLF albino Cherry barb £9.95
OGiant otocinclus £14.95
OGeophagus megasema £24.95
OBartlett’s Anthias £49.00
OBlue-spotted jawfish £165.00
OMoorish idol £82.00

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 107
PFKShoptour

Dreamreef
Address: 1b Keyham Close,
Humberstone, Leicester LE5 1FW
Telephone: 0116 210 8112
Website: www.dreamreef.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon closed, Tue,
Wed, Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri 12noon-5pm,
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-3pm
What is it?
Dreamreef is a well-established marine
specialist shop that focuses on selling
corals, reef-suitable fish and all the
equipment and paraphernalia associated
with them.
The shop has been here for 10 years,
following a few successful years selling
corals from home and breeding both
freshwater and marine fish as a living.
Dry goods are available from Dreamreef
online, but not livestock.
to deliver them. Labelling is basic, just a
name and a price, but the owner, John, is no
more than a few metres away from you to ask
about specifics on all aspects of care.
Verdict
If your thing is your reef tank, or if you want
to start one up, then you’ll do well by visiting
Dreamreef. Equally, if you want supplies
for any style of marine tank it wouldn’t be
a wasted visit since knowledge and product
info seems to come free and easy here.
Frags are
always
popular.

High points
The experience and knowledge here is
plain to see, but what’s also obvious is that
Dreamreef keeps up with modern products
and trends. On the shop floor the livestock
takes precedence with some 62 square feet
of coral trays, 26 (mostly largish) fish sales
A striking Purple
tanks and live rock tanks.
scolopsis stood out.
Look up above the livestock and behind
the counter and you see hordes of products
– equipment, foods, additives, testing
equipment and accessories.
Livestock is sourced from direct imports,
British wholesales and local breeders,
with an estimated 40% of the corals being
cultured – which will slowly increase as the
industry allows – and the clown fish ofered
are bred by the owner.
Over the years the shop has built up
a good customer base and, when new
shipments arrive, customers are notified
of items that will appeal to them, so stock
goes quickly. That said, we visited on a day
before a delivery and there was plenty of
quality stock to choose from.

Low points
Like many small specialist shops, it’s not
that easy to find fault with Dreamreef. It’s Star rating There’s plenty of
easy to pick on size, though, and here we Tropical fish NS knowledge and
lack the tanks themselves being stocked. Discus NS experience to be
Tanks are supplied by Dreamreef – you Cichlids NS shared.
just need to wait a short while for suppliers Catfish NS
Oddballs NS
Indoor plants NS
Pond plants NS
What stood out Koi NS
● Purple scolopsis £35.00 Pond fish NS
● Exquisite Wrasse £35.00 Fancies NS
● Swallowtail angel £120 pair Indoor coldwater NS
● Breeding clowns £80 pair Marine fish 11111
● Golden Nugget clowns £250.00 Marine inverts 11111
● Common clowns (3-4cm) £25.00 Indoor dry 11111
● Orange jasmine polyps £65.00 Pond dry NS
● Fungia £40.00 Freshwater inverts NS
● Acan frags £25.00-30.00 Labelling 11111

STAR RATING: Excellent 11111 Good 11111 Average 11111 Below average 11111 Poor 11111 Out of season OS Not stocked NS

108 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

 One of a pair of A good choice of
Swallowtail angelfish Acropora were
on sale. available.

Soft corals including With roughly 62sqft of

zoanthids are well coral trays there is a
catered for. good selection.

It may be small but it’s

full of goodies.

WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 109
 NEXT CONTACT US
Practical Fishkeeping,

MONTH
Bauer Media, Media House,
May Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA
Email: editorial@bauermedia.co.uk

9th If you or someone you know are aged between 16

and 24 and are interested in work experience
2018 opportunities at Practical Fishkeeping
go to www.gothinkbig.co.uk
EDITORIAL
Phone 01733 468000

In the June iue Group Editor Ben Hawkins

Associate Editor Nathan Hill
Staff Writer Steve Baker
Art Editor Katie Wilkinson
Editorial Assistant Nicki Manning
ADVERTISING

High-speed cichlids! Phone 01733 468000

Email james.belding@bauermedia.co.uk
Group Commercial Director Iain Grundy
Key Accounts Stephen Tanner
Display Advertising Executive Sue Hunter

River dwellers from around the world. MARKETING

Phone 01733 468329
Brand Manager Lynne Fairburn
Direct Marketing Julie Spires
Head of Newstrade Marketing Leon Benoiton

Plus Deputy Newstrade Marketing Manager

6A guide to the fabulous marine Squirrelfish
6Succeed with the Golden dwarf barb
6Recreate the Pantanal wetlands at home
6A first for Mudskipper breeding
YOUR QUESTIONS
ANSWERED
NEW SERIES
Samantha Tomblin
PRODUCTION
Phone 01733 468000
Print Production Manager Richard Woolley
Advertising Production Nicholas Greenwood
Printing Wyndeham Heron
Distribution Frontline
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES
To ensure that you don’t miss an issue and for the
Advice best subscription offers visit
www.greatmagazines.co.uk
For subscription or back issue queries please contact
CDS Global on Bauer@subscription.co.uk
Phone from the UK on 01858 438884.
Phone from overseas on +44 (0)1858 438884
BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA
BY OUR Managing Director Nicola Bates
Editorial Director June Smith-Sheppard
EXPERTS Head of Digital Charlie Calton-Watson
Group Direct Marketing Director Chris Gadsby
Finance Director Lisa Hayden
Group Finance Director Sarah Vickery
Group Managing Director Rob Munro-Hall
CEO Paul Keenan
Practical Fishkeeping magazine is published 13 times a year by
Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, which is a company registered in
England and Wales with company number 01176085, registered
address Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood,
Peterborough, PE2 6EA. No part of the magazine may be
reproduced in any form in whole or in part, without the prior
permission of Bauer. All material published remains the copyright
of Bauer, and we reserve the right to copy or edit any material
submitted to the magazine without further consent. The
submission of material (manuscripts or images etc.) to Bauer
Media whether unsolicited or requested, is taken as permission
to publish that material in the magazine, on the associated
website, any apps or social media pages affiliated to the
magazine, and any editions of the magazine published by our
licensees elsewhere in the world. By submitting any material to
us you are confirming that the material is your own original work
or that you have permission from the copyright owner to use the
material and to authorise Bauer to use it as described in this
paragraph. You also promise that you have permission from
anyone featured or referred to in the submitted material to it
being used by Bauer. If Bauer receives a claim from a copyright
owner or a person featured in any material you have sent us, we
will inform that person that you have granted us permission to
use the relevant material and you will be responsible for paying
any amounts due to the copyright owner or featured person and/
or for reimbursing Bauer for any losses it has suffered as a result.
We accept no responsibility for unsolicited material which is lost
or damaged in the post and we do not promise that we will be
able to return any material to you. Finally, whilst we try to ensure
accuracy of your material when we publish it, we cannot promise
to do so. We do not accept any responsibility for any loss or
damage, however caused, resulting from use of the material as

ON THE ROAD described in this paragraph.

COMPLAINTS: Bauer Consumer Media Limited is a member of

the Independent Press Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk)

We seek out the best
shops and events on our
and endeavours to respond to and resolve your concerns quickly.
Our Editorial Complaints Policy (including full details of how to
contact us about editorial complaints and IPSO’s contact details)
can be found at www.bauermediacomplaints.co.uk. Our e mail
address for editorial complaints covered by the Editorial

fishy adventure. Complaints Policy is complaints@bauermedia.co.uk.

FREE 16 PAGE FEEDING GUIDE! WWW.PRACTICALFISHKEEPING.CO.UK 110

 OLO R
YCom rformance
CHN ELLE

at
G
Car insurance as individual as you are

hall see it

7
th 63
d pe

e
4
e an

boo
Say yes to...

llenc
ROP
INTER

exce
cheaper car insurance
and yes to our ZOO

d in
Cheapest Price Guarantee*
2018

ualle
Nuremberg

Uneq
Compare car insurance quotes Germany
today and see if you can get May 8 th-11th
covered for less

g
col
ar m
Aq
Tech

mustard.co.uk or call
0330 022 7406
H gh

Ŗ$_bvo@;ubv|o0;-|ou1_;-r;v|omѴbm;1-uķ-moulo|ou0bh;bmvu-m1;to|; $_;]-u-m|;;omѴ
-rrѴb;v|o-mm-ѴroѴb1b;v-m7|o|_;0-vb1roѴb1rub1;omѴ $_bvo@;u;
1Ѵ7;v|;Ѵ;r_om;to|-Ŋ
ঞomv-m7omѴ-rrѴb;v|or;ul-m;m|u;vb7;m|vbm|_;&ķ;
1Ѵ7bm]|_;_-mm;ѴvѴ-m7v );u;v;u;
|_;ub]_||ou;t;v|ruoo=o=ķ-m7-Ѵb7-|;ķ-Ѵ|;um-|;to|;v-v;ѴѴ-vruoo=o=|_;bm=oul-ঞomo
ruob7;7|oo0|-bm|_;to|;vŐ; ] 1oro=7ubbm]Ѵb1;m1;ouঞѴb|0bѴѴő0;=ou;ou]-u-m|;;bv_omŊ TUNZE UK
®

ou;7 lv|-u7 1o hbv-|u-7bm]m-l;o=-;uomvl;u;7b-blb|;7_o-u;-m-rrobm|;7 254a Portland Road

u;ru;v;m|-ঞ;o=(-v|(bvb0bѴb|blb|;7_o-u;-|_oubv;7-m7u;]Ѵ-|;70|_; bm-m1b-Ѵom71|
|_oub|m7;uCulu;=;u;m1;ml0;uƔѵѵƖƕƒ
BN3 5QU Hove East Sussex
Phone: +44-1273-700460
www.tunze.com
 BRISTOL HERTFORDSHIRE

From plants to Your Complete Fish Shop for:

Cichlids, Stingrays Coldwater / Koi / Marine
14
to Snakeheads Tropical / Pond Fish
Inverts & much more...
The Aquatic Store
Really does have it all!
www.theaquaticstore.co.uk 01179 639120
28 North Street Bedminster Bristol BS3 1HW

CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Hillier Garden Centre

Hemel Hempstead
Tropical
CLASSIFIED To advertise here please call the sales team on 01733 366410

HP1 3BA
Marine Tel: 01442 244072
info@deepblueaquatic.co.uk
Cold Water www.deepblueaquatic.co.uk
Open 7 days a week 01954 214530
www.nuttyaboutpets.co.uk sales@nuttyaboutpets.co.uk
175 St Neots, Hardwick, Cambridge, CB23 7QJ LONDON

COUNTY DURHAM LANCASHIRE The Fish Bowl Ltd

Retailer of
133 Dawes Road,
Fish Alive the year
North East AQUATICS London. SW6 7EA
The only true aquatic Superstore, with over 250 stock tanks
specializing in community, rare and unusual cold water, tropical
CENTRE Tel: 020 7385 6005
and marine fish inverts and corals. Largest range of aquariums,
dry goods, frozen and live foods and Tropical plants. Over 250 tanks stocked www.thefishbowlltd.com
Opening hours weekdays 10.00 - 18.00, Saturdays 10.00 - 17.00, Sundays 10.00 - 16.00, Closed on Wednesdays with Top Quality Fish and a email: thefishbowlltd@tiscali.co.uk
Units 10 & 11, Dragonville Retail Park, Durham DH1 2YB
Phone and fax: 0191 3843590 Huge dry goods section!

Tel: 01772 623497

www.aquahome.co.uk
OFFICIAL JUWEL STOCKISTS PLUS SPARES
Aquatic and Pet Shop.
Within Avant Gardens, (Opposite Leyland Golf
Club) Wigan Road, Leyland, PR25 5XW
Open 5 days a week 10am to 6pm. Closed all day Thursday and Sunday

KENT LINCOLNSHIRE

ABACUS AQUATICS QUAT LINCOLNSHIRE

SA I Hanger1 • Strubby Airfield
01507 451000
LINC

Woodthorpe • Nr Alford • LN13 0DD

CS

Voted one of the Best shops in

EAST YORKSHIRE
the UK for the last 6 years Hedon Road • Burstwick
Now open on Sundays East Yorks • HU12 9HA 01482 898800
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
For more details about the Great North Rd
Doncaster • DN10 6AB 01302 711639
shop and our opening hours
To all our customers – thank you for your support with the PFK Awards
please visit our website LARGE SELECTION OF HUGE SELECTION OF Come & feed our friendly fish
• Aquariums • Koi & Ornamental • Discounted Pond Liners
www.abacus-aquatics.co.uk • Fibreglass ponds Pond Fish • Lighting
• Working Water • Marine Fish & Invertebrates • Food
168 Halfway Street, Sidcup, Kent, DA15 8DJ Features • Tropical & Fancy Cold • Ro-Water
• Waterfall Display Water Fish • Tropical & MarineMix
020 8302 8000 / enquiries@abacusaquatics.co.uk • Pumps • Pond & Tropical Plants • Treatments All fish are packed to travel anywhere in the UK

lincsaquatics-lincolnshire lincsaquatics-eastyorkshire lincsaquatics-southyorkshire

LONDON
www.lincsaquatics.co.uk

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Huge range of Readers’poll

RS ONLY livestock in more
RETA IL SHOPPE 2017
than 600 tanks! ODDBALL
RETAILER
OF THE YEAR

r all your
G TIMES TROPICAL - MARINE - POND & COLDWATER - REPTILES
Thank you fo 1967! AY: CLOSED
e Readers’poll
support sinc
● TUES, WED & Six-time winner of top UK aquatic retailer
FRI 10.30-6.00 2017
, London, E2
● SAT 10.00-6.00
● SUN 10.00-2.0
www.wharfaquatics.co.uk CICHLID
RETAILER
OF THE YEAR

l Green Road 0 77292444 0

220 Bethna 56 Fax: 02 ww.wholesaletropicalsaq Tel: 01773 861255 Marine direct: 01773 811044 Reptile direct: 01773 811499
Tel: 020 7739
53 uat ics.co.uk Open 7 Days - 65-67 Wharf Road, Pinxton, Notts. NG16 6LH (near M1 J28)
SCOTLAND INTERNET

House of Pisces ~ Scotland’s largest aquatic superstore by far

With over 1000 aquariums full of tropical, marine and cold water fish
Huge range of aquariums, aquarium furniture and equipment at discount prices
Unit B/G, 207 Strathmartine Road, Dundee, Scotland, DD3 8PH
01382 832000 www.tropicalfish-scotland.com

WHOLESALERS
Please mention
AQUASCAPE FISH IMPORTS
Tropical & Coldwater Live Fish Wholesalers
Unusuals inc Rays, Turtles, Crabs, Shrimps, Lobsters
DAILY NATIONWIDE DELIVERIES
CALL NOW FOR FREE monthly TRADE lists
8QLTXH ¿VK ODEHOOLQJ V\VWHP
Tel: 0121 331 1212 Fax: 0121 331 1414 when responding
ZZZDTXDVFDSHFRXN ZZZ¿VKODEHOVFRXN
sales@aquascape.co.uk to adverts

ACCESSORIES & PARTS

NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTORS
GOLD
LABEL NOW 290ml
AVAI
IN CL LABLE
EAR Barlows Aquatic Trading
AQUARIUM MANUFACTURERS..supplying direct to the public at trade prices
 HiVcYVgY h^oZh [gdb hidX`
ON
NOW E-SHOT
AVAI
BVYZidbZVhjgZ
IN CL LABLE
OSeals Under Water O No Need To Drain Ponds EAR
;^aigVi^dcheZX^Va^hih###hjbeh!l^Zgh!XdbWh! e^eZ! ejbeh ZiX####
OBonds To Most Surfaces O Plastic, Glass, Stone & Wood C:L##EaZXdÆdliVc`h!WgZZY^c\XjWZh di]Zg h^oZh A^`Zjh
O Seals Splits & Cracks O Non Toxic ;gZZXdchjaiVi^dcVcYYZh^\c dc
FAC EBO
Aqua Pond Paint :- Pipe Repair Tape :- Pond Liner Patch :- OK
Bonds to Damp Instant Pipe & Butyl Liner Pieces
Ring: 01254 388815
Surfaces Joint Repair For Use With Gold www.barlows-aquarium-supplies.com
Without Primer Label

To advertise here please call the sales team on 01733 366410

e mail: barlowsaquatics@aol.com
ZZZKXWWRQDTXDWLFSURGXFWVFRXN
or call in and see us at:
IRU 3RQGV  6SDV  3RROV  0DULQH  &RQVWUXFWLRQ Brisol Works, Mount St., Accrington, Lancs BB50PJ
7HO   )D[  

INTERNET

P L A N T E D AQ UA R I U M S P E C I A L I S TS

www.aquariumgardens.co.uk
01480 450572 info@aquariumgardens.co.uk
T IME T O S T EP OF F
www. .co.uk
EVERYTHING FOR THE AQUARIUM,
PONDS AND REPTILES, TOP BRANDS T H AT T RE A DMIL L
T:01254 208245 AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES.
With so many demands from work, home and family,
there never seem to be enough hours in the day for you.
HUGE SELECTION OF GOODS, Why not press pause once in a while, curl up with your
FROM ALL MAJOR BRANDS favourite magazine and put a little oasis of ‘you’ in your day.

LOYALTY POINTS SCHEME

FINANCE AVAILABLE ON ALL
5 STAR RATED SERVICE ORDERS OVER £300.
AND AFTER SALES

FRIENDLY AND
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

1000’S OF PRODUCTS IN STOCK

FOR IMMEDIATE DESPATCH
FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY ON
ORDERS OVER £50!
fb.com/completeaquaticsuk
@completeaquatic
pinterest.com/aquaticsuk

FOR SALE MISCELLANOUS

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Fluke-Solve
TM

Aquarium, reptile and pet shop

business for sale in Manchester area. The simple solution for skin
([FHOOHQWSURƓWVURRPWRH[SDQG flukes, gill flukes & tapeworms
owners relocating. Easy and effective To find out more about Press Pause, visit;
Contact Fish Treatment Ltd.
www.fish-treatment.co.uk
pauseyourday.co.uk
www.blacksbrokers.com
0161 763 5000 New 50g Sachet
OPINION

Nathan Hill
is Practical

NATHAN HILL
Fishkeeping
magazine’s
associate editor,
How about we all take a step back, biotope fancier,
aquascape
reassess who we are and what we dabbler and
do and maybe get off other people’s part-time amateur
cases? Wouldn’t that be a lovely skateboarder.
hobby to be a part of?

It’s nice to be nice...

W
HY ON earth do we
always have to jump
down each other’s
throats? I know it’s
not exclusive to
fishkeeping because
I see it everywhere,
but it seems that the
last decade has been an especially toxic
environment to the newcomer.
He who dares...
There was a time that if you wanted to
provoke a hostile response, you had to
say or do something particularly stupid
or offensive. But in 2018, everyone gets
‘triggered’ by the most innocuous actions.
Point in case. I saw a wonderfully novel
tank layout on social media. It wasn’t to
my taste, but, hey, it was funky, quirky
and a bit different.
Within seconds, the community had
turned on it and the owner, like some
black-and-white horror movie where the
Don’t like
it? Keep it
townsfolk gather to tear apart the local
castle and kill everyone inside. Remarks
ranged from pragmatic (fish may get stuck...
there may be toxins), through needlessly
critical to outright hostile. There’s nothing
to keep people in the hobby quite like
telling them that they should give up
immediately and are terrible fishkeepers.
He who casts the first stone...
Given that social media has a certain
‘openness’ about it, and given that I wanted
to know more about the mindsets of people
commenting in such a hostile manner,
I went profile hopping. Of special interest,
it turned out, were the photo albums. Many
folks still have their earliest photos wide
open to public viewing and among these
I found... novelty tanks! Worse still, those
who shouted the aforesaid tank down the
loudest displayed, among their decade-
old photos, tanks of a similarly ‘artificial’
calibre, seemingly without a hint of irony.
Was this a forgotten aspect of their past?
NATHAN HILL
Fishkeeping is a hobby. It’s what you make
of it. As long as the livestock that you keep
is happy and healthy, then I have no truck
with you.
My face-to-face debates with Steve Baker
(this issue and last issue) have given me a
new perspective on my views. I used to be
more convinced of myself. But there has
been value in playing devil’s advocate, as
I have done this month in trying to defend
fishless cycling. The more I considered my
contrived position, the more I realised that
my old views were stubborn and dogmatic.
Previously, I’d considered my position on
fishless cycling to be infallible.
I think many modern aquarists make
a similar error. They have often learnt,
through trial and error (and maybe through
dead and diseased fish) what works and
what doesn’t. Or, at the least, they know
what did and didn’t work for them, at that
time, in their particular circumstance. But
that doesn’t mean something that they
failed with won’t work for other people in
different circumstances.
Fishkeeping has, for a while now, become
something of a closed paradigm. People
treat this hobby as though it’s a scientific
subject of its own. They impose on others
what is ‘right’ as though any other way of
doing things is borderline criminal.
I repeat: fishkeeping really is a hobby.
We’re in this because we love fish and fish
tanks, and how we express our take on
the hobby is entirely individual. Some of
us want authenticity, while others want
something more lighthearted while still
providing a healthy environment.
There is no set right or wrong way to

to yourself. keep an ornamental fish beyond alive and

thriving. We’d all do well to remember that.

114 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING

 NOW
AVAILABL
E
WHITE

The All-New FLEX nano aquarium series provides contemporary styling with
its distinctive curved front. The tank is also equipped with powerful 3-stage
filtration and an infrared remote control that allows you to select between
several colours and special effects.

WITH

FLEXPAD
AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES
41cm / 16”
REMOTE CONTROL 35cm / 14”

57 L
33cm 39cm
13” 15”

33cm 39cm
13” 15”

LEARN MORE AT
www.fluvalaquatics.com
 Time for a
Spring clean...
AQUAPOND CARE
Our exclusive range of pond
treatments to get your pond off to a
fantastic start this season, beat the
algae bloom and keep your water
clear and healthy as things warm up.

AQUAGARDEN
ESSENTIALS
POND VAC

removing the debris fro

winter and enjoy a clean BLANKETWEED TREATMENT
start to the pond season. Don’t let blanketweed get the upper hand
Our exclusive pond vac on your pond this spring. Take control early
is only £99.99, a massive with are AquaPond Care Blanketweed
saving of £100 off RRP. treatment, available in store and online now.

We have over 160 stores throughout the UK, staffed by

Õ`Ài`Ãv«>ÃÃ>Ìi>`Üi`}i>LiwÃii«iÀð
Find a store near you today or visit ƂUJMGGRGTEQWM