Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

Latest Episodes:

116. Top 5 Characins May 19, 2023

Show notes

Characins are a vast and diverse family of fish that are hugely popular in the aquarium hobby. With well over 1000 species, how could you ever pick a favorite? In this episode, the Water Colors team does just that, narrowing the list down to our top 5 species of characins. Some are classics, and some are rare and unique. What are your favorites?

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Species mentioned in this episode:

Ember tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)
Lapis tetra (Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia)
Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
Crystal tetra (Protocheirodon pi)
Emperor tetra (Nematabrycon palmeri)
Jellybean tetra (agadesia roloffi)
Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus)
Blue tetra (Knodus broki)
Beckford’s pencilfish (Nannostromus beckfordi)
Espei pencilfish (Nannostromus espei)
Purple pencilfish (Nannostromus rubrocaudatus)
Lampeye congo tetra (Phenacogrammus aurantiacus)
Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques)
Marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata)
Bucktooth tetra (Exodon paradoxus)
Wimple piranha (Cataprion mento)
Redbellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis)
Tucano tetra (Tucanoichthys tucano)
Green fire tetra (Hyphessobrycon flammeus)
Ruby tetra (Axelrodia riesei)
Blueberry tetra (Hyphessobrycon wadai)

115. Top 5 Episodes (Livestream) May 05, 2023

Show notes

What are your favorite Water Colors Aquarium Gallery episodes? It’s like choosing a favorite child! Tune in to hear Ben, Amy, and Charles’ top 5 favorite podcast episodes ever recorded. Some make the list due to their significance, while some are in the running simply because we had a good time recording.

This episode was livestreamed on YouTube! To watch the session, you can find the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/live/T7u3EqCt1I4?feature=share

Chime in with your favorite episodes on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Episodes mentioned:

12: Intro to Killifish
17. Trade Secrets: How Water Colors Quarantines EVERY Saltwater Fish
24. Invasive Species with Dr. Alisha Davidson
25. Our Five Dream Saltwater Fish
50. Adventures in Acclimation: From Coral to Coral Beauty
56. Interview: Will Ogburn and Laura Roy, University of Dayton Fish Lab
61: Five Killer Beginner Mistakes
62. Saltwater Changes
67. Lacey Act Amendments
79. Schooling Reef Fish
80. Designer Clownfishes
82. Conservation in Aquariums: Is It Enough?
88. Biotopes: Examples of Replicating Wild Habitats
89. The Breeding Projects We’re Most Proud Of
90. Blackwater Aquariums: Turning a Fringe Habitat into a Mainstream Hobby
92. Aquariums for Kids: Fostering an Enduring Love for the Hobby
99. Licorice Gouramis: Little Gems of the Rainforest
104. Questions Submitted by Podcast Listeners
108. Worst Aquarium Advice We’ve Seen Online
111: Wild-Type Clownfishes and Where to Find Them
112: Dirt-Spawning Killifishes

114. Mouth Brooding Bettas Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

This episode is all about the adaptive mouth brooding bettas! The Water Colors team discusses the various betta species that exhibit this fascinating strategy, and how you can keep and enjoy them at home. What species are your favorite? You can share your stories on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group!

Addendums:

-The International Betta Congress has a comprehensive list of all of the species mentioned in this episode. You can find the list sorted by complex here: https://www.ibcbettas.org/about-betta-splendens/smp/species-by-complex/

Fishes mentioned in this episode:

Betta macrostoma
Betta brownorum
Betta rutalins
Betta coccina
Betta akarensis
Betta siamorientalis
Betta albimarginata
Betta channoides
Betta anabatoides
Betta dimidiata
Betta krataios
Betta pugnax
Betta edithae
Betta foerschi
Betta dennisyongi
Betta strohi
Betta mandor
Betta hendra
Betta picta
Betta taeniata
Betta simplex
Betta prima
Betta falx
Betta pallida
Betta enisae
Betta pulchra
Betta breviobesus
Betta lehi
Betta raja
Betta cracens
Betta stigmosa
Betta ferox
Betta apollon
Betta kuehnei
Betta waseri
Betta tomi
Betta hipposideros
Betta spilotogena
Betta chloropharynx
Betta renata
Betta pi
Betta pardalotos
Betta unimaculata
Betta macrostoma
Betta patoti
Betta ocellata
Betta gladiator
Betta pallifina
Betta compuncta
Betta ideii

113. Top 5 Fish Under $6 Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

In many episodes of the podcast, the Water Colors team likes to talk about rare, and often expensive, fish. In this episode: Ben, Amy, and Charles talk about some really cool, cheap fishes.

Corrections: – In this episode, we mentioned there being 5 species in the genus Sundadanio. There are currently 8 described species in the genus. – In this episode, we mentioned that Sundadanio rasboras are native to Borneo. They are also native to Sumatra.

Fishes Mentioned in This Episode: – Dwarf anchor catfish (Erethistes jerdoni) – Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) – Dwarf emerald danios (Celestichthys erythromicron) – Celestial pearl danio (Celestichthys margaritatus) – Neon blue rasbora (Sundadanio goblinus) – Neon red rasbora (Sundadanio rubellus) – Neon green rasbora (Sundadanio axelrodi) – Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) – Blue chameleon badis (Badis badis) – Scarlet badis (Dario dario) – Black tiger badis (Dario tigris) – Flame badis (Dario hysginon) – Dwarf green barb (Pethia phutunio) – Rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) – Brown tailed pencilfish (Nannostomus eques) – Green striped pencilfish (Nannostomus marilynae) – Beckford’s pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi) – Sparkling gourami (Trichopsis pumila) – Giant sparkling gourami (Trichopsis schalleri) – Croaking gourami (Trichopsis vittata) – Coral red pencilfish (Nannostomus mortenthaleri) – Purple pencilfish (Nannostomus rubrocaudatus) – “Really Red” pencilfish (Nannostomus sp. “Really Red”) – Zipper kuhli loach (Pangio cuneovirgata) – Kuhli loach (Pangio oblonga) – Black kuhli loach (Pangio oblonga) – Bumblebee goby (Brachygobius nunus) – Betta imbellis – Apistogramma spp. – Blue paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) – Blind cave tetra (Astyanax mexicanus) – Buenos Aires tetra (Hyphessobrycon anisitsi) – Dwarf red rasbora (Microrasbora rubescens) – Salt and pepper cory (Corydoras habrosus) – Pygmy cory (Corydoras pygmaeus) – Black skirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) – Glowlight danio (Celestichthys choprae) – Giant danio (Devario aequipinnatus) – Black molly (Poecilia sphenops) – Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) – Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) – Rummynose tetra (Hemigrammus bleheri) – Blue platy (Xiphophorus variatus) – Parrot cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus × Vieja melanurus) – Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) – Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) – Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) – Albino cory (Corydoras aeneus) – Green neon tetra (Paracheirodon simulans) – Clown killifish (Epiplatys annulatus) – Daisy’s ricefish (Oryzias woworae) – Mekong ricefish (Oryzias mekongensis) – Songkhram ricefish (Oryzias songkhramensis) – Phoenix rasbora (Boraras merah) – Chili rasbora (Boraras brigittae) – Exclamation point rasbora (Boraras urophthalmoides) – Dwarf hatchetfish (Carnegiella myersi) – Platinum hatchetfish (Thoracocharax stellatus) – Silver hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) – Marble hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) – Archerfish (Toxotes spp.) – Micropoecilia picta – Poecilia parae – Pearl danio (Danio albolineatus) – Firemouth meeki (Thorichthys meeki)

112. Dirt-Spawning Killifishes Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

Killifishes have a reputation for being difficult or requiring incredibly specific husbandry requirements, but these myths ignore the fact that there are over 1200 species to choose from. In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team hopes to dispel many myths pertaining to killifishes by discussing the diversity of killifishes that are specifically dirt-spawning. You can share your stories of killifish keeping on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group!

Addendums: – The 2023 American Killifish Association (AKA) and American Livebearer Association conventions will be held jointly in Kalamazoo, Michigan from May 19-May 21. These conventions are being co-hosted by the South West Michigan Aquarium Society and the Michiana Aquarium Society. The Water Colors team is planning on attending these conventions. More information can be found on the AKA and ALA websites. – There is a wealth of resources pertaining to the research and laboratory husbandry of Nothobranchius furzeri as a model organism can be found on the Nothobranchius furzeri Information Network (NFIN) website. – The killifishes from the Pachypanchax genus are endemic to Madagascar. – We listed off “all” the Cynolebias killifish species, but our list seemed to lack some of the more recently described species. So, we’ll include that list here: Cynolebias altus, Cynolebias obscurus, Cynolebias ochraceus, Cynolebias oticus, Cynolebias paraguassuensis, Cynolebias parietalis, Cynolebias parnaibensis, Cynolebias rectiventer, and Cynolebias roseus – Don’t worry, we’ll likely do South American Annuals (SAA) killifishes and a Mop-spawning killifishes episodes in the future.

Fishes Mentioned in This Episode: – Dwarf adorned goby (Eviota sigillata) – Nothobranchius furzeri – Nothobranchius rachovii – Nothobranchius foerschi – Nothobranchius korthausae – Nothobranchius patrizii – Nothobranchius guentheri – Callopanchax spp. – Austrolebias spp. – Pterolebias spp. – Gnatholebias spp. – Moema spp. – Rachovia spp. – Simpsonichthys spp. – Austrolebias nigripinnis – Nematolebias whitei – Cynolebias albipunctatus – Cynolebias attenuatus – Cynolebias gibbus – Cynolebias gilbertoi – Cynolebias griseus – Cynolebias itapicuruensis – Cynolebias leptocephalus – Cynolebias microphthalmus – Cynolebias perforatus – Cynolebias porosus – Cynolebias vazabarrisensis – Betta albimarginata – Simpsonichthys constanciae – Nothobranchius kadleci – Nothobranchius neumanni – Nothobranchius robustus – Nothobranchius eggersi – Nothobranchius flammicomantis – Nothobranchius fuscotaeniatus – Nothobranchius rubripinnis – Nothobranchius attenboroughi – Aphyosemion spp. – Pygmy sunfish (Elassoma okefenokee)

111. Wild-Type Clownfishes and Where to Find Them Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team is looking outside the “designer” clownfish box and exploring the natural biodiversity in clownfishes (Amphiprion spp.). Each species has a unique phylogenetic history, ecology, and behavioral repertoire. Or, said another way, this natural biodiversity means that there is a clownfish species that is perfect for almost every marine aquarium in the world. If you have wild-type clownfish in your home aquarium, please share your photos on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group!

Correction/Addendum: – ORA was originally selling a Amphiprion melanopus clade clownfish from Fiji as Amphiprion rubrocinctus. In 2008, this population was described as Amphiprion barberi. ORA managed to confirm this identification with DNA testing. This story is a great example of why collection locations matter so much. In this case, the name changed, but it was still the “red clownfish from Fiji”. Having a known collection location allowed professional breeders to correctly reidentify the fish they were selling.

Fishes Mentioned in this Episode: – Percula clownfish (Amphiprion percula) – Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) – White-stripe maroon clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus) – Gold-stripe maroon clownfish (Amphiprion epigrammata) – Cinnamon clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus) – Tomato clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus) – Wide-Band clownfish (Amphiprion latezonatus) – Barrier Reef clownfish (Amphiprion akindynos) – Mcculloch’s clownfish (Amphiprion mccullochi) – Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) – Saddleback clownfish (Amphiprion polymnus) – Sebae clownfish (Amphiprion sebae) – Three-banded clownfish (Amphiprion tricinctus) – Allard’s clownfish (Amphiprion allardi) – Japanese Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii japonicus) – Black Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii milii) – Solomon Islands Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii papuensis) – Red Sea clownfish (Amphiprion bicinctus) – Chagos clownfish (Amphiprion chagosensis) – Mauritian clownfish (Amphiprion chrysogaster) – “Whitetail” Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion chrysopterus) – Seychelles clownfish (Amphiprion fuscocaudatus) – Madagascar clownfish (Amphiprion latifasciatus) – Oman clownfish (Amphiprion omanensis) – Black-footed clownfish (Amphiprion nigripes) – Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) – “Blackfin” Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Blackfin”) – White-bonnet clownfish (Amphiprion chrysopterus x A. sanderacinos “leucokranos”) – Orange skunk clownfish (Amphiprion sandaracinos) – Mariana Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Mariana” – Vanuatu Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Vanuatu”) – Polynesian Blue-stripe clownfish (Amphiprion cf. chrysopterus “Polynesia”) – Barber’s clownfish (Amphiprion barberi) – Fire clownfish (Amphiprion ephippium) – Ruby/Cinnamon clownfish (Amphiprion rubrocinctus) – Pacific skunk clownfish (Amphiprion pacificus) – Yellow skunk clownfish (Amphiprion akallopisos) – Pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion) – Thielle’s clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris x A. sanderacinos “thiellei) – “Fiji Sunkist” pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion cf. perideraion “Fiji”) – African skunk clownfish (Amphiprion cf. akallopisos “Africa”)

110. April Fools! Our Top 4 Stupidest Fish of All Time featuring Johnathon Butkus Apr 01, 2023

Show notes

Just when you thought we weren’t going to release an episode this week, we pull a fast one. In this episode of the podcast, Johnathon Butkus from Oase joins the Water Colors Team in sharing our stories of the stupidest fish we’ve ever met. Some of them are just so stupid we don’t understand why they even exist and some of them are so stupid that we can’t help but love them.

Fishes Mentioned in This Episode: – Polar blue cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus x Paraneetroplus synspilus x Amatitlania nigrofasciata) – Banana convict cichlid (Archocentrus nanoluteus) – Blood parrot cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus x Paraneetroplus synspilus ) – Red Devil cichlid (Amphilophus labiatus) – Goldfish (Carassius auratus) – Captive-Bred clownfish (Amphiprion spp.) – Black skirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) – Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) – Black neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) – Hatchetfish (Family: Gasteropelecidae) – Zebra danio (Brachydanio rerio) – White Cloud Mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) – Moose-faced loach (Canthophrys gongota) – Horse-faced loach (Acantopsis dialuzona) – Killifishes (Egg-laying fish in Cyprinodontiformes) – Betta unimaculata – Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) – Red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) – Violet-lined piranha (Serrasalmus geryi) – Domestic-strain Betta (Betta splendens) – Green clown goby (Gobiodon atrangulatus) – “Wookie” our Ward’s wobbegong shark (Orectolobus wardi) – “Most” Malawi cichlid/Mbuna cichlid (Pseudotropheus spp.) – Rainbowfishes (Family: Melanotaeniidae) – Yellow lab cichlid (Labidochromis caeruleus) – Frontosa (Cyphotilapia frontosa) – Mudskipper (Subfamily: Oxudercinae) – Flowerhorn (Cichlasoma hybrid) – Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) – Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.) – Blue hippo tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)

Announcement: Upcoming Live Stream! Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

You asked for it! We’ll be dipping our toes in the water with our first YouTube livestream on Tuesday, April 4 at 7:15 EST (Link below). The topic of discussion will be Top 5 Favorite Episodes of the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast. Depending on the response we get, livestreams like this might become regularly scheduled. So, please share the news and keep those hands wet!

109. Aquarium Fish Nutrition: The Science of What to Feed Your Fishes Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

People often worry about whether they’re feeding their cats and dogs the right food. In your quest to find the right food for your furry pets, you’ll find all sorts of helpful advice. On the other hand, if you’ve ever tried to figure out the best food to feed your fish, you might have come away frustrated from the lack of beneficial advice out there. In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team discusses a framework to consider when you’re trying to find the right food for the fish you have in your home. You can share your personal journey to discover your favorite fish food on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group page.

Addendum: – Ash content in food is a metric of how much “stuff” is left after a sample of the food has been heated to a high temperature. Most of the ash content is comprised of minerals and organics. This is a metric used on both human food and fish food.

Literature Referenced: – Lall, S. P. and S. J. Kaushik. 2021. Nutrition and metabolism of minerals of fish. Animals (Basal): Sep 11(9): 2711.

Fishes Mentioned in this Episode: – Tangs (Family: Acanthuridae) – Foxface (Siganus vulpinus) – Orchid dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) – Clownfishes (Amphiprion spp.) – Betta (Betta spp.) – Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) – Tetras (Family: Characidae) – Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) – Cichlids (Family: Cichlidae) – Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) – Goldfish (Carassius auratus) – Lionfsh (Pterois spp.) – Pike cichlid (Crenicara spp.) – Pelvicachromis kribensis “Moliwe” – Japan Blue Lyretail Guppy (Poecilia reticulata “Japan Blue Lyretail”) – Discus (Symphysodon spp.) – Tropheus spp. – Soda cichlid (Alcolapia alcalica)

108. Worst Aquarium Advice We’ve Seen Online Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team shares their thoughts on the worst aquarium advice they could find on the internet. You can share the worst advice you’ve ever seen online on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group.

Addendums: – In this episode, we guesstimated that there are approximately 240 species of damselfishes. The family Pomacentridae is currently comprised of 31 genera and over 380 species. – In this episode, we failed to mentioned that Green chromis (Chromis viridis) is technically a species of damselfish, as it is a member of the Pomacentridae family, despite the fact that it would have been relevant to the discussion.

Corrections: – In this episode, we brought up the pixie hawkfish (Plectranthias inermis) and discussed how it is not a member of the hawkfish family, Cirrhitidae, but is in fact a member of the damselfish family. It is actually more closely related to anthias, being a member of the Anthiinae subfamily. We also failed to mention that there is an actual hawkfish species that is also called the “pixie hawkfish”. Which would be Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus. The fact that two different fish from two entirely different familes could carry the same common name is a great example of why we don’t like common names.

Species Mentioned in this Episode: – Oscar cichlid (Astronotus ocellatus) – Goldfish (Carassius auratus) – Mbuna cichlids (“Rockfish” within the Tribe: Haplochromine) – Maroon clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus) – Damselfish (Family: Pomacentridae) – Green chromis (Chromis viridis) – Cardinalfish (Family: Apogonidae) – Bicolor blenny (Ecsenius bicolor) – Clown gobies (Gobiodon spp.) – Yellow watchman goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) – Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) – Hawkfish (Family: Cirrhitidae) – Arc-eye Hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus) – Pixie “hawkfish” (Plectranthias inermis) – Falco hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco) – Flame hawkfish (Neocirrhites armatus) – Diamond sleeper goby (Valenciennea puellaris) – Sixline wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) – Royal gramma (Gramma loreto) – Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) – Coral beauty angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa) – Blue-faced angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon) – Engineer goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia) – Tangs (Family: Acanthuridae) – Bird wrasse (Gomphosus varius) – Ctenochaetus tangs (Ctenochaetus spp.) – Chocolate tang (Acanthurus pyroferus) – Tomini tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis) – Kole tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) – Bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis) – Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus spp.) – Common pleco (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) – Oto catfish (Otocinclus spp.) – Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata) – Rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) – Tridacna clams (Tridacna spp.) – Bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium spp.) – Gouramis (Family: Osphronemidae) – Honey gourami (Trichogaster chuna) – Betta (Betta spp.) – Three-spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) – Dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius) – Pearl gourami (Trichopodus leerii) – Pelvicachromis kribensis “Moliwe” – Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) – Discus (Symphysodon spp.) – Sparkling gourami (Trichopsis pumila) – Panda barb (Haludaria fasciata) – Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) – Danios (Subfamily: Danionin) – Tetras (Order: Characiformes) – Swordtails (Xiphophorus spp.) – Catfish (Order: Siluriformes)

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