Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

Latest Episodes:

275. Top Five Brown Fish Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

You walk into your local fish store (LFS) and may have thought to yourself, “That’s a boring brown fish. Why would anyone want that?” Well, the Water Colors team is here to tell you why. For what these fish may lack in bright colors, they make up for in cool behaviors and personalities. Ben, Amy and Calder talk about five of their favorite brown fish and what makes these fish so cool and unique.

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Sources mentioned in this episode:

Seriously Fish – https://seriouslyfish.com/ Inaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/ Fish Base – https://www.fishbase.se/search.php Species mentioned in this episode: Pseudosphromenus dayi – Brown Spike-tailed Paradise Fish Betta edithae – Edith’s Betta Sphaerichthys selatanesis – Crossband Chocolate Gourami Garra rufa – Doctor fish, Pedicure fish, or Red Garra Rhinotocinclus isabelae – Bumblebee Otocinclus Loricariichthys brunneus – Whiptail Catfish Crenuchus spilurus – Sailfin Tetra Micropoecilia picta – Swamp Guppy Nanobagrus fuscus Uaru amphiacanthoides – Triangle Cichlid Homaloptera – Lizard or Gecko Loaches Rhinogobius brunneus – Amur Goby Macrognathus terminates Microsynodontis batesii – African Bumblebee Catfish Betta brownorum – Brown’s Betta

274. Top Five Saltwater Gobies Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

A little nervous to start keeping a salt water tank? Don’t have a lot of room in your tank but have the itch to get something new? Are you a sucker for a cute, goofy face? We think the addition of a saltwater goby may be for you. Join the Water Colors team in the discussion of their top five favorite saltwater gobies. With such cool colors, behaviors, and size, what’s not to love about these guys?

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Sources mentioned in this episode:

Seriously Fish – https://seriouslyfish.com/ Species mentioned in this episode: Discordipinna griessingeri – Griessingeri Goby or Flaming Prawn Goby Tigrigobius multifasciatus – Greenbanded Goby Elacatinus lobeli – Caribbean Neon Goby Elacatinus oceanops – Neon Goby Elacatinus figaro – Barber Goby or Yellow Line Goby Stonogobiops nematodes – Black-ray Goby or all the other common names listed by Ben around 27 minutes Cryptocentrus cinctus – Yellow Watchman Goby Alpheus bellulus – Tiger Pistol Shrimp Alpheus randalli – Candy Stripe or Randall’s Pistol Shrimp Amblyeleotris aurora – Aurora Goby or Pinkbar Goby Ptereleotris zebra – Zebra Barred Dartfish Elacatinus puncticulatus – Redhead Goby Trimma cana – Candy Cane Pygmy Goby Trimma striatum – Red-lined Pygmy Goby Amblyeleotris wheeleri – Gorgeous Prawn or Wheeler’s Shrimp Goby Priolepis nocturna – Cave Goby, Black Barred Convict Goby, Circus Goby Stonogobiops yasha – Orange-striped Shrimp Goby Lythrypnus dalli – Catalina or Blue-banded Goby

273. Top 5 Holy Grail Fish (What’s Changed Since Episode 59?) Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Can you believe it’s been five years since we last talked about our top five holy grail fish in episode 59? Ben, Amy, and Calder decided to revisit the topic and see how they have grown, what’s changed, and what’s still the same. With holy grail fish, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that’s what makes it so fun! Whether it’s a cool new guppy strain you saw online or building a thousand gallon shark system, there is no wrong way to fall in love with a fish. Let’s us know some of your holy grail fish, past and present. We would love to hear from you and share your enthusiasm.

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Sources mentioned in this episode:

American Killifish Association – https://aka.org/ American Livebearer Association – https://livebearers.org/ International Betta Congress – https://www.ibcbettas.org/ American Cichlid Association – https://www.cichlid.org/ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation – https://myfwc.com/

Species mentioned in this episode:

Rhinogobius zhoui

Diapteron cyanostictum

Betta macrostoma

Betta mulyadii

Nothobranchius symoensi

Neoheterandria elegans

Alcolapia latilabris

Xiphophorus

Wallacii regani

Poecilia velifera

Hoplisoma longipinne

Anableps anableps

Corella arnoldi

Pteronotropis welaka

Parasphrenemos linkeyi

272. Top 5 Favorite Mid-sized Cichlids Jun 27, 2026

Show notes

Looking for a cichlid to add to your 55-75 gallon aquarium? Ben, Amy and Calder talk about five of their “favorite” medium-sized cichlids, but honestly how do you only pick five. Many of the cichlids chosen tonight are not only beautiful, but display interesting paretal behaviors and hold special places in our hearts being recoginzed by the CARES Fish Preservation Program. We would love to hear some of your favorites we didn’t mention tonight and experiences you’ve had in your aquariums. Let’s make cichlids more popular in the hobby again!

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Sources mentioned in this episode:

New England Cichlid Association – https://www.necichlids.org/

Species mentioned in this episode:

Andinoacara pulcher – Blue Acara

Benitochromis nigrodorsalis

Aequidens diadema – Royal Acara

Iranocichla persa

Ptyochromis sp. “Hippo point salmon”

Neolamprologus tretocephalus – Five-Bar Cichlid

Thorichthys meeki – Firemouth Cichlid

Amatitliana kanna – Panama Convict Cichlid

Amatitlania nanoluteus – Yellow Convict Cichlid

Pterophyllum leopoldi – Leopold’s Angelfish

Stomatepia pindu – Pindu Cichlid

Aequidens metae – Yellow Acara

Paragobiocichla irvinei – Blue-Lipped Buffalo Head

Coptodon kottae – Yellow Tilapia

Wallaciia regani – Regani Dwarf Pike Cichlid

271. Interview with Alex Rose Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

You may have seen our familiar faces in the recent release of the AMAZONAS Big Beauties magazine. This is because we had the privilege to interview Alex Rose, executive editor of AMAZONAS magazine and associate editor of Coral and Ocean Geographic magazine. It was truly a pleasure to have her here and we look forward to working with her again. She dives in, literally, to her work and what it takes to have your work published in a magazine. She talks about her diving experiences, AI and how it can be used in the proper setting, and current / up and coming projects. Thank you for your patient wait, here is the amazing Alex Rose.

***We did experience some technical issues while recording, please skip to the 5:00 minute mark to hear Alex clearly.***

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Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord

Sources mentioned in this episode:

AMAZONAS Magazine – https://www.amazonasmagazine.com/ Coral Magazine – https://www.coralmagazine.com/ Ocean Geographic Magazine – https://www.ogsociety.org/ Blue Ring – https://www.bluering.blue Mission Blue – https://missionblue.org/the-mission/ Fins Up Creative / Sea America / Protected Waters – www.youtube.com/@DownUnderJenn Got a cool story you want mentioned in AMAZONAS magazine? Email editors@aquaticmediapress.com Species mentioned in this episode: Amphiprion percula Dichotomyctere nigroviridis Aphyosemion striatum Nothobranchius furzeri Liopropoma carmabi Zu cristatus Carcharhinus falciformis Oxymonacanthus longirostris

270. Lost Episode – Top 5 Green Fish Jun 06, 2026

Show notes

Happy late or early St. Patty’s Day! This week’s episode was temporarily lost but is now found. Enjoy Ben, Amy and Calder talk about their top 5 favorite green fish, some of which may surprise you.

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Sources mentioned in this episode:

Andrej Spec

Species mentioned in this episode:

Oparius pulchellus

Gastromyzon lepidogaster

Betta smaragdina

Ammocryptocharax elegens

Barbodes semifasciolatus

Balistapus undulatus

Pethia conchonius

Rudarius ercodes

Krenoketrodon travancoricus

L200 – Green Phantom Pleco

Distichodus teugelsi

Chromis virdis

Brochis splendens

Neolebias ansorgii

Wild discus

269. Water Color’s Next Step – Breeder Lab Brainstorm May 29, 2026

Show notes

This week’s podcast is a little different than most… This week, we invite you to sit down and brainstorm some ideas for our breeder lab remodel with Ben, Amy, and Maddy. Our tenative plan is to work with wild type bettas and livebearers, killifish, and bristlenose plecos with a majority of the tanks used to grow out some of our favorite plants. We are so excited to get this project up and running but it’s so difficult to pick a select few species to work with. What do you want to see in our lab? What uncommon fish would you like to see more readily avalible in the hobby? Let us know using the resources below. We love and appreciate your ideas and feedback.

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Sources mentioned in this episode:

Aquatic Gardeners Association – https://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/ Andrej Spec

Species mentioned in this episode:

Betta dennisyongi Aphyosemion riggenbachi Fundulopanchax gardeneri Nothobranchius guentheri ‘zanzibar’ Epiplatys annulatus Nothobranchius korthausae ‘Mafia Island’ Nothobranchius flammicomantis Moema helleri Aphyosemion ogoense Kryptolebias marmoratus Rivulus sp. “Colombia” Anablepsoides hartii Aphyosemion citrineipinnis Aphyosemion splendopleure (and ‘Tiko green’) Aphyosemion bitaeniatum Aphyosemion bivittatum Aphyosemion australe gold Paraphanius mento Aphanius farsicus Epiplatys dageti Epiplatys monroviae Utricularia – Bladderwort Microctenopoma ansorgii Betta enisae Betta pallifina Betta patoti Betta macrostoma Betta mahachaiensis Betta pallifina Betta miniopinna Betta chini Betta hendra Betta imbellis Betta smaragdina ‘guitar’ Betta cocina Betta channoides Xiphophorus helleri guentheri Xiphophorus pygmaeus Xiphophorus nigrensis Xiphophorus birchmanni Ataeniobius toweri Poecila velifera Limia tridens Limia tridens Heterandria formosa Xenophallus umbratilis Plant species coming soon…

268. Interview with Andrej Spec: Rare Plants, Fish Rooms, and More! May 22, 2026

Show notes

The Water Colors team gathers around the table with special guest, Andrej Spec, to talk about aquarium plants. Andrej shares his aquarium journey and how he quickly went from hobbyist to passionate collector. He talks about his successes, some of his methods to that success, and so much more. Thank you so much for your kindness and inspiration, Andrej and we look forward to seeing you again.

Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

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Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord

Sources mentioned in this episode:

Andrej Spec

Missouri Aquarium Society – https://missouriaquariumsociety.com/

Christel Kasselmann – https://www.instagram.com/christel.kasselmann/

Aquatic Gardeners Association – https://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/

Dennis Wong – www.2hraquarist.com

Plants from Test Tubes: An Introduction to Micropropagation by Lydiane Kyte (with co-authors like John Kleyn, Holly Scoggins, and Mark Bridgen in later editions)

Species mentioned in this episode:

Crinum asiaticum – Crinum “Centorum”

Cuphea anagalloidea

Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata – Ludwigia “Tornado”

Rotala ramosior ‘Florida’

Rotala ramosior ‘Sunset’

Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal Plant

Lobelia kalmii – Kalm’s Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica – Blue Cardinal Plant

Lobelia x Speciosa

Oomycetes

Xylaria

Vallisneria spiralis var. denserrulata – Lake Tanganyika Vallisneria

Cryptocoryne wendtii (‘Mi Oya’ and green)

Barclaya motleyi

Barclaya wellyi

Nymphae – Water Lily

Nymphaea sp. Peru Puerto Maldonado

Nymphaea aff. dimorpha (minuta)

Cryptocoryne keei

Cryptocoryne nurii

Cryptocoryne striolata

Cryptocoryne spiralis

Fenestratarum

Bucephalandra ultramafica

Bucephalandra kishii

Cryptocoryne striolata – “Red Tiger” Crypt

Osteogaster hephaestus – Fireball Cory

Corydoras sp. CW113

Lagenandra ovata – “Mayan Sword”

Pseudogastromyzon fasciatus “Zhejiang”

Pseudogastromyzon lepidogaster

267. Live at 2026 KilliKarnival May 15, 2026

Show notes

Thank you to everyone who listened to our live talk! Ben, Amy, Calder and Maddy had an awesome time and are looking forward to next year. In this talk, we cover how / where to get killifish, their relavence in the hobby, and how we can do our part to make these great fish more popular amoungst hobbyists.

Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/

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Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord

Sources mentioned in this episode:

American Killifish Association – https://aka.org/

British Killifish Association – https://killis.org.uk/

Species mentioned in this episode:

Fundulopanchax gardneri (gold and P82)

Nothobranchius rachovii

Aphyosemion australe

Paracheirodon simulans – Green Neon Tetra

Trigonostigma espei – Lambchop Rasbora

Trigonostigma heteromorpha – Harley Quinn Rasbora

Epiplatys annulatus

Ladigesia roloffi – Jelly Bean Tetra

Nothobranchius patrizii

Anablepsoides

Diapteron

Aphyosemion striatum

Nothobranchius guentheri ‘zanzibar’

Aphyosemion splendopleure

Chromaphyosemion bivittatum

Fundulopanchax sjoestedti

266. Top 5 Mexican Species May 08, 2026

Show notes

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the Water Colors team talks about Mexico and some of their favorite species endemic to the North American continent. With such an interesting evolutionary history, it is no suprise that Mexico is home to many beautiful, unique fish and plants. Whether you are a cichlid or swordtail lover, Mexico has a fish for everyone.

Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

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Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord

Sources mentioned in this episode:

Missouri Aquarium Society (MASI) – https://missouriaquariumsociety.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22863986520&gbraid=0AAAABArITQG8EzReaXm3iOuAaL_zcLsyW&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4Y3lkIeolAMVMlN_AB19xgtwEAAYASAAEgLwk_D_BwE

Andrej Spec

Bluegrass Bash – https://bluegrassfishkeepers.com/bluegrass-bash

Species mentioned in this episode:

Xiphophorus pygmaeus

Xiphophorus alvarezi

Xiphophorus montezumae

Herichthys labridens

Vieja

Xiphophorus couchianus

Xiphophorus evelynae

Herichthys cyanoguttatus

Herichthys carpintis