Quick answer: The kissing gourami (Helostoma temminckii) is a large, hardy, distinctive fish famous for the lip-locking behavior that gives it its name. Here is the first thing to know: that kissing is not affection. It is a display of dominance and aggression, usually between males squaring off over territory. Read more
Quick answer: The green terror cichlid (Andinoacara rivulatus) is a stunning, big-personality South American cichlid, iridescent green and blue with orange-edged fins and a domed forehead on mature males. It is also, as the name warns, aggressive and territorial, and it grows to 8 to 12 inches, so it is Read more
Quick answer: The black skirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) is a hardy, active, easy schooling fish and a classic beginner community tetra, with a tall silver-and-black body and flowing fins. It is mostly peaceful, but it comes with one honest catch: black skirts nip fins, especially when kept in too small Read more
Quick answer: Scuds are tiny freshwater amphipods, little comma-shaped crustaceans that look like miniature shrimp and dart around your substrate and plants. Here is the honest verdict: in most tanks they are a good thing, not a pest. They are a free cleanup crew that eats detritus and waste, and Read more
Quick answer: Vinegar eels (Turbatrix aceti) are tiny, harmless nematodes that make one of the best and lowest-effort first foods for baby fish. They are smaller than microworms, they swim in the water column for days without fouling the tank, and a single culture runs for months with almost no Read more
Quick answer: The scarlet badis (Dario dario) is a jewel of a nano fish, a tiny, fiery red-and-blue micropredator and one of the smallest fish in the hobby. It makes a stunning centerpiece for a small planted tank, but it comes with real catches. It usually refuses dry food and Read more
Quick answer: The rope fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus), also called the reedfish, is a peaceful, prehistoric-looking freshwater fish that swims like a snake and is genuinely easy to care for. But it comes with three big catches most buyers miss. It is a world-class escape artist that needs a completely sealed Read more
Quick answer: The bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis), also called the wood shrimp or fan shrimp, is a large, peaceful, fascinating freshwater shrimp that feeds in a completely different way from every other shrimp. Instead of scavenging the bottom, it perches in the current and filters tiny food particles from the Read more
Quick answer: The panda cory (Corydoras panda) is one of the most popular and adorable bottom-dwelling catfish, named for the black, panda-like patches over its eyes, on its dorsal fin, and at the base of its tail. It is small, peaceful, and social, and easy to keep in a group. Read more
Quick answer: Vampire crabs (Geosesarma) are small, stunning semi-terrestrial crabs, usually deep purple with cream spots and pale, glowing eyes, and they make fascinating pets. The single most important thing to know before you buy one: they are not aquarium fish and must not be kept in a water-filled tank. Read more