Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

Latest Episodes:

97. Revisiting the Topic: Fish You Won’t See at Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Dec 10, 2022

Show notes

The Water Colors team revisits the topic of our first podcast episode: What fish species will you never see at Water Colors and why? The three of us have had two years to grow as hobbyists (and professionals) and many of our respective perspectives have shifted in that time.

Corrections: -In this episode, we state that tiger shovelnose catfish (Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum) can attain lengths of 12ft/3.6m long, but we could only find reliable sources for individuals up to 5ft/1.5m.

Addendums: – Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) are the largest species of gar.

Animals Mentioned in this Episode: – Iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) – Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) – Common pleco (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) – Panda cory catfish (Corydoras panda) – “That one pleco you want” (Family: Loricariidae) – Redtail catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) – Tiger shovelnose catfish (Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum) – Goonch catfish (Bagarius yarrelli) – Rift Lake cichlids (Family: Cichlidae) – Dojo loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) – Kissing gourami (Helostoma temminckii) – Giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy) – Tigerfish (Hydrocynus spp.) – Clown loach (Chromobotia macracanthus) – Koi (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) – Commercially-bred guppies (Poecilia reticulata) – Wild-caught pea pufferfish (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) – Anything “painted” – Anything “Tattooed” – Anything “balloon” (Ex. “balloon molly”) – Clown knife (Chitala ornata) – Colombian high-fin bullshark (Ariopsis seemanni) – Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) – Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) – Gar (Family: Lepisosteidae) – Chinese algae-eater (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri)

96. Aquarium Burnout and How to Avoid It Dec 03, 2022

Show notes

Just like any hobby, it’s common to experience burnout as an aquarist. Sometimes you find yourself in over your head, or maybe you had a disaster that set you back. In this episode, the team discusses what causes the feeling of burnout, and what you can do to avoid it. You can share your stories on aquarium burnout on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Listeners Facebook group.

95. Questions Asked by Water Colors Staff Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Ben, Amy, and Charles answer questions submitted by the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery staff! The questions submitted range wildly, from serious and introspective, to middle school “would-you-rathers.”

94. Store Business: Saltwater Fishes To Always Keep In Stock Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team discuss and debate what species of saltwater fishes our store should always have in stock and why.

Addendum – Portions of the audio file for this episode were corrupted. The content of this discussion were deemed interesting enough that our editor, Nick, did what he could to salvage the episode.

Species Discussed in this Episode – Stars and Stripes Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus) – Webbed Burrfish (Chilomycterus antillarum) – Yellow coris wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus) – Firefish (Nemateleotris magnifica) – Majestic angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus) – Emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) – Flame angelfish (Centropyge loricula) – Coral beauty angelfish (Centropyge bispinosa) – Scopas tang (Zebrasoma scopas) – Longnose hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) – Yellowtail Damsel (Chrysiptera parasema) – Allen’s damsel (Pomacentrus alleni) – Chocolate tang (Acanthurus pyroferus) – Atlantic pygmy angelfish (Centropyge argi) – Orchid dottyback (Pseudochromis fridmani) – Yellow watchman goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) – Antenna goby (Stonogobiops nematodes) – Yasha goby (Stonogobiops yasha) – Carpenter Flasher wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenteri) – Saddleback clownfish (Amphiprion polymnus) – Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) – Percula clownfish (Amphiprion percula) – Maroon clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus) – Blue throat triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento)

93. Geophagus: The Goldilocks for Some Fishkeepers Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses why Eartheaters, the fishes in the Subtribe Geophagina, are perfect aquarium inhabitants for many fishkeepers. If you have stories (or pictures) to share of your Geophagus, you can post them to the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Listeners Facebook group.

Addendums – The information used in this episode to define the Tribe Geophagini is outdated. Newer data has expanded the Tribe to include multiple Subtribes and almost a dozen more genera than discussed in this episode. Most of the discussion in this podcast is limited to the Subtribe: Geophagina. – Acarichthys and Guianacara are included in the Subtribe Acarichthyina, which is included in the Tribe Geophagini.

Clades Mentioned in this Episode – Family: Cichlidae – Angelfishes (Pterophyllum spp.) – Kribs (Pelvicachromis spp.) – Peacock cichlids (Aulonocara spp.) – Apistogramma spp. – Tribe: Geophagini – Geophagus spp. – Ram cichlids (Mikrogeophagus spp.) – Subfamily: Geophaginae – Biotodoma spp. – Gymnogeophagus spp. – Satanoperca spp. – Apistogrammoides spp. – Taeniacara spp. – Guianacara spp. – Acarichthys heckelii

92. Aquariums for Kids: Fostering an Enduring Love for the Hobby Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

What comes to mind when you think of aquariums for kids? Rainbow gravel, castles, and dragons? In this episode, we discuss some alternate ideas for children’s aquariums, and how we can set our little ones up to learn more about nature and foster a real love for the aquarium hobby.

Fishes Mentioned in this Episode: – Zebra danio (Brachydanio rerio) – Black ruby barb (Pethia nigrofasciata) – Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) – “Fancy” Betta (Betta splendens) – Dirt-spawning Killifishes (Nothobranchius spp.) – Kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher) – Kuhli loach (Pangio semicincta) – Glass catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus) – Marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) – Cory catfishes (Corydoras spp.) – Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) – Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.) – Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) – Goldfish (Carassius auratus) – Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) – Pea puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) – Sumatran red-eye puffer (Carinotetraodon irrubesco) – South American puffer (Colomesus asellus) – White Cloud Mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) – Cherry barb (Puntius titteya)

91. Dedicating a Fish Room for a Specialty Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we’re not talking about people who have fish rooms. We’re talking about the special kind of people that that take a fish room a step beyond that and have a specialized fish rooms, configured towards a specific goal. This is a level of dedication that few hobbyists achieve. Whether that purpose is breeding, aquascaping, or simply just a love for setting up new tanks, we can very much relate and are here to enable you! Let us know what your dream fish room looks like on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook Group page.

Fishes Mentioned in this Episode: – Killifishes (Family: Nothobranchiidae) – Betta spp – Apistogramma spp. – Pea puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) – Betta pugnax – Betta brownorum – Betta miniaopinia – Betta hendra – Scarlet badis (Dario dario) – Clownfishes (Amphiprion spp.) – Corydoras spp. – Congo tetras (Phenacogrammus spp.) – Serpae tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques) – Black neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) – Rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) – Cherry barb (Puntius titteya) – White Cloud mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) – Zebra danio (Brachydanio rerio) – Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) – Celestial pearl danio (Celestichthys margaritatus) – “Fancy” Betta (Betta splendens) – Freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) – Bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus spp.) – “Fancy” guppy (Poecilia reticulata) – Endler’s livebearer (Poecilia wingei) – Pseudotropheus sp. “acei” – Neolamprologus multifasciatus – Yellow lab (Labidochromis caeruleus) – Damasoni cichlid (Pseudotropheus demasoni)

90. Blackwater Aquariums: Turning a Fringe Habitat into a Mainstream Hobby Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

What exactly is a blackwater aquarium? In this episode of the podcast, the Water Colors team do their best to demystify what exactly makes an aquarium “blackwater” and how to do it at home.

Corrections: – Betta brownorum is not named for its color. It is named after Barbara and Allan Brown, who first collected the species.

Fishes Mentioned in this Episode: – Apistogramma spp. – Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) – Licorice gourami (Parosphromenus spp.) – Tucano tetra (Tucanoichthys tucano) – Betta rutilans – Betta coccina – Chili rasbora (Boraras brigittae) – Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi) – Rummynose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus) – Betta macrostoma – Discus (Symphysodon spp.) – Betta brownorum – Nanochromis splendens – Nanochromis transvestitus – Noble gourami (Ctenops nobilis) – Chocolate gourami (Sphaerichthys spp.) – Pelvicachromis kribensis “Lobe” – Pelvicachromis kribensis “Moliwe”

Literature Cited: Li, Y., Fang, F., Wei, J. et al. Humic Acid Fertilizer Improved Soil Properties and Soil Microbial Diversity of Continuous Cropping Peanut: A Three-Year Experiment. Scientific Reports Volume 9: 12014 (2019).

Kraus, T.E.C., Dahlgren, R.A. & Zasoski, R.J. Tannins in nutrient dynamics of forest ecosystems – a review. Plant and Soil Volume 256, 41–66 (2003).

Peng, K, G. Wang, Y. Wang, B. Chen, Y. Sun, W. Mo, G. Li, Y. Huang. Condensed tannins enhanced antioxidant capacity and hypoxic stress survivability but not growth performance and fatty acid profile of juvenile Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus). Animal Feed Science and Technology Volume 269: 11467 (2020).

89. The Breeding Projects We’re Most Proud Of Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

The Water Colors team discusses their favorite aquarium breeding projects, including some monumental successes and even some failures. Some species are ridiculously simple to breed, while others take some serious planning and strategy. We’d love to hear about your breeding stories in the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook Group!

Fishes Mentioned in this Episode: – White-Spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) – Dwarf Neon rainbowfish (Melanotaenia praecox) – Betta mahachaiensis – Corydoras spp. – Pueblo platy (Xiphophorus evelynae) – Redhead eartheater (Geophagus steindachneri) – Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) – Least killifish (Heterandria formosa) – Redfin panchex (Epiplatys dageti) – Goldbreast goodeid (Ilyodon furcidens) – Butterfly goodeid (Ameca splendens) – Buffalo-Head cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius) – Frontosa cichlid (Cyphotilapia frontosa) – True krib (Pelvicachromis kribensis “Moliwe”) – Common krib (Pelvicachromis pulcher) – Apistogramma spp. – Ram cichlids (Mikrogeophagus spp.) – Betta unimaculata “Sangatta” – Sardine cichlids (Cyprichromis spp.) – Onyx clownfish (Amphiprion percula) – Neon dottyback (Pseudochromis aldabraensis) – Blue paradisefish (Macropodus opercularis) – White Cloud Mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes) – Cherry barb (Puntius titteya) – Tiger Teddy (Neoheterandria elegans) – Celestial Pearl danio (Celestichthys margaritatus) – Lemon tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) – Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) – Pelvicachromis sacrimontis – Betta ocellata – Mountain swordtail (Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl) – Japan Blue Lyretail guppy (Poecilia reticulata) – Lake Inle danio (Devario auropurpureus) – Pearl danio (Brachydanio albolineata) – Pindu cichlid (Stomatepia pindu) – Betta stiktos – Neon gobies (Elacatinus spp.) – Platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) – Barbs (Puntius spp.) – Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri) – Diamond tetra (Moenkhausia pittieri) – Colombian tetra (Hyphessobrycon columbianus) – Mangrove killifish (Kryptolebias marmoratus)

88. Biotopes: Examples of Replicating Wild Habitats Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, the Water Colors team discuss a few biotope ideas! A biotope is an aquarium made to closely replicate a natural habitat, down to the plants and type of drift wood. It’s a fun concept to completely geek out over! Tell us about your dream biotope in the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Group.

Corrections: – Lakes that have no outflow are referred to as “Endorheic lakes”. Calling them a “terminal lake” would also be accurate. “Euhalitrophic” is not a term used in limnology. – The Rio Guaporé forms part of the border between Bolivia and Brazil, so it is not found in Peru. The name is Portuguese.

Species Mentioned in this Episode: – Cryptocoryne parva – Gold-ring danio (Brachydanio tinwini) – Choprae danio (Celestichthys choprae) – Tiger badis (Badis kyar) – Scarlet badis (Dario dario) – Black tiger badis (Dario sp. “Myanmar”) – Bucephalandra spp. – Cryptocoryne spp. – Java fern (Leptochilus pteropus) – Pelvicachromis kribensis “Moliwe” – Aphyosemion australe – Crinum calamistratum – Anubias barberti – Anubias hastifolia – Anubias barteri “coffeefolia” – Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) – Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) – Celestial Pearl danio (Celestichthys margaritatus) – Fire-line danio (“Inlecypris” maetaengensis) – Lake Inle danio (Devario auropurpureus) – Rotala rotundifolia – Hydrocotyle spp. – Najas grass (Najas guadalupensis) – Ambulia (Limnophila spp.) – Lake Inle loach (Petruichthys brevis) – Walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) – Asian rummynose (Sawbwa resplendens) – Eriocaulon cinereum – Eriocaulon sp. “Vietnam” – Limnophila aromatica – Ottelia mesenterium – Ruffle sword (Echinodorus martii) – Nymphoides hydrophylla “Taiwan” – Caridina lanceolata – Caridina dennerli – Rabbit snails (Tylomelania spp.) – Sailfin silversides (Subfamily: Telmatherininae) – Celebes rainbowfish (Marosatherina ladigesi) – Celebes halfbeak (Nomorhamphus liemi) – Corydoras sterbai – Black Neon tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) – Apistogramma trifasciata – Checkerboard cichlid (Dicrossus spp.) – Clown killifish (Epiplatys annulatus) – Eleocharis parvula – Jellybean tetra (Ladigesia roloffi) – African fern (Bolbitis heudelotii) – Cyperus helferi – Nymphaea lotus – Fissidens spp. – Nanochromis nudiceps – Nanochromis transvestitus – Nanochromis splendens – Blue Diamond Congo tetra (Alestopetersius smykalai) – Orange Flash Congo tetra (Alestopetersius cf. nigropterus) – Red Congo tetra (Alestopetersius brichardi) – Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus) – Lamp-Eye Congo tetra (Phenacogrammus aurantiacus) – Red Tiger lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri) – Pearl danio (Brachydanio albolineata) – Betta imbellis “Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia” – Kuhli loach (Pangio semicincta) – Cryptocoryne cordata – Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) – Betta mahachaiensis – Betta splendens – Bumblebee goby (Brachygobius xanthozonus) – Dwarf Sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata) – Betta albimarginata – Betta unimaculata – Betta ocellata – Reticulated hillstream loach (Sewellia lineolata) – Snakehead (Channa spp.) – Betta channoides – Buffalo-Head cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius) – Pindu cichlid (Stomatepia pindu – Soda cichlid (Alcolapia alcalica) – Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) – Altum angelfish (Pterophyllum altum) – Discus (Symphysodon spp.)

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