Top 5 Popular Catfish to Enjoy in Your Next Community Aquarium Catfish are an amazing type of aquarium fish because of their special, cat-like whiskers and useful clean-up abilities. However, many catfish are known for having bottomless appetites that will swallow anything that can fit inside their big mouths. If you like community fish tanks as much as we do, you may want to avoid ginormous species like the redtail catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) or striped Raphael catfish (Platydoras armatulus). Instead, check out these popular (and much small...

Care Guide for Medaka Rice Fish — Best Cool Water Fish for Beginners Have you ever kept Medaka rice fish? Because of their ability to reproduce very quickly at a young age and tolerance for a wide temperature range, they are commonly used in research areas such as biology, genetics, and toxicology. In 1994, they even became the first vertebrate to successfully mate and lay eggs that hatched while in space. Medaka rice fish have been raised as pet fish in Japan for hundreds of years but recently gained more popularity in the worldwide aquarium trade. Learn how ...

Top 5 Aquarium Fish with Crazy Good Value for Beginners Contrary to popular belief, aquarium fish are not necessarily the cheapest animals at the pet store. By the time you buy the fish tank, heater, filter, and decorations, you may find that you have a limited budget for the actual fish themselves. The last thing you want to do is get a fragile animal that is difficult to care for or won’t last very long. To help you narrow down the huge selection of fish at the pet store, we’ve compiled our top 5 freshwater fish that are not only affordable but ...

Top 5 Underrated Aquarium Fish for Your Next Community Tank With so many aquarium fish available in the fish store, many species are commonly sold but end up going unnoticed by hobbyists. Sometimes they are looked down upon as “beginner fish” that aren’t as rare or unique enough. Other times, they may have once been all the rage but then fell out of favor for more newly discovered species. Most of these animals are pretty hardy and not hard to find, so take a look at our top 5 underappreciated fish that you should consider trying in your next aquarium...

How to Treat Hole-in-the-Head Disease in Aquarium Fish Hole-in-the-head (HITH) disease is known by many names — such as hole-in-head, lateral line disease, and head and lateral line erosion (HLLE). None of these are official disease names, but rather, they are descriptors of a visual symptom. In general, they describe any ailment that causes holes, pits, or lesions around a fish’s head, face, and/or lateral line (i.e., the horizontal line of pores running down the side of a fish’s body that is used to sense pressure and movement in the water). In...

Care Guide for Red and Black Phantom Tetras — Housing, Food, & More When it comes to choosing the perfect schooling fish, there are so many options available at the local fish store. At Aquarium Co-Op, both black and red phantom tetras are very popular because of their striking appearance, energetic yet peaceful personalities, and hardiness. Learn about their easy care requirements when it comes to the aquarium setup, tank mates, preferred foods, and breeding. School of red phantom tetras in a planted tank What are Black and Red Phantom Tetras? While these t...

Top 5 Oddball Fish for a 40-Gallon Aquarium If you’re looking for something rare or unusual, oddball species are a great way to spice up your fish tank. Specifically, the 40-gallon breeder aquarium is very versatile and really opens up the world to medium-sized animals. Learn about 5 fantastical aquatic pets that are sure to make you stop and stare. 1. Humphead Glassfish Parambassis pulcinella The humphead glassfish is a bizarre sight to behold. Imagine a 3- to 4-inch (8–10 cm) schooling fish with big, googly eyes and a translucent nu...

Care Guide for Cardinal Tetras — Gorgeous Cousin of the Neon Tetra Most people have heard of the neon tetra — an extremely popular, little fish that displays a pair of blue and red horizontal stripes. However, many veteran fishkeepers often prefer its more colorful, higher-priced cousin, the cardinal tetra. Imagine watching an entire school of these colorful jewels swimming back and forth in the midst of a forest of lush, green plants. Find out what it takes to keep this gorgeous species and why they’re totally worth saving up for. Female cardinal tetra Wha...

Care Guide for Zebra and Leopard Danios – Energetic Little Speedsters Besides betta fish and guppies, one of the most popular beginner fish in the freshwater aquarium hobby is the zebra danio. They’re known for their eye-popping stripes, cheap cost, and adaptability to a wide range of water parameters. Plus, they are commonly used in science experiments (e.g., genetics, environmental studies, and medical research) because of their relative ease of breeding. Find out why this speedy schooling fish is so fun to keep and how to care for them in your home aquarium....

5 Amazing Wild Betta Species that You Should Try Breeding Everyone has heard of Betta splendens, the colorful, flowy-finned betta fish you see in pet stores. But did you know there are several other species in the Betta genus that can be kept in home aquariums? As with B. splendens, most of them come from the vegetation-filled swamps and marshes of tropical countries in Southeast Asia. Because of the low oxygen levels in stagnant waters, these anabantoids have a special labyrinth organ that allows them to swim up to the water surface to gulp air. Th...

Top 10 Rasboras for Your Next Community Aquarium Looking for the perfect schooling fish? Most people tend to think of tetras and danios, but don’t forget about the breathtaking world of rasboras. They look similar with their torpedo-shaped bodies and peaceful personalities, but most species are found in Southeast Asia and come in a wide array of unique colors and patterns. The common name “rasbora” actually refers to several genera of fish, including Rasbora, Boraras, Trigonostigma, Microdevario, and many more. Let’s talk about 10 different...

Top 5 Aquarium Fish That Love Soft Water Most beginners in the fishkeeping hobby are not aware that not all fish can live in their tap water. Some species are quite sensitive and will only thrive if the pH and GH (or general hardness) of the aquarium match their native habitats. Try measuring the pH and GH levels in your tap water using a multi-test strip. If you have a GH number that is 4 degrees (75 ppm) or lower, then your water contains fewer minerals (e.g., calcium and magnesium) than normal. Rather than fight your naturally so...

Care Guide for American Flagfish — Algae Eater for Unheated Aquariums The American flagfish (or Florida flagfish) is one of the few native fish from the United States that is available in the aquarium trade. Because of their beautiful colors and algae-eating appetite, many fishkeepers keep them as clean-up crew members for their unheated aquariums and outdoor ponds. In fact, we personally use them in our plant-holding tanks at the Aquarium Co-Op fish store and warehouse to keep the leaves free of algae. Learn how to care for, feed, and breed this lively species...

Top 10 Pufferfish You Can Keep in Freshwater and Brackish Aquariums Out of all the oddball fish, we’ve always had a fascination with puffer fish because of their highly intelligent nature, helicopter-like maneuverability, and large, inquisitive eyes. Plus, they have unique defense mechanisms, such as inflating like a living water balloon and carrying the tetrodotoxin poison that discourages would-be predators. (Note to self: do not try to eat a pet puffer.) Most pufferfish are semi-aggressive to aggressive carnivores with ever-growing teeth like a beaver, so ...

Care Guide for Siamese Algae Eaters (SAE) — Housing, Food, and More If you visit our retail store or warehouse, you’ll notice that many of our plant tanks employ the services of the Siamese algae eater (SAE). This hungry animal is always looking for food, which makes it one of the best algae eaters and cleaner fish in the fishkeeping hobby. However, its 6-inch (15 cm) adult size means the SAE more suitable for medium to large aquariums. Learn what it takes to care for this very energetic and effective algae eater. What are Siamese Algae Eaters (SAE)? Crossoch...

Top 10 Livebearer Fish to Try Breeding in Your Next Aquarium Breeding fish is one of our favorite parts of the aquarium hobby because of the immense satisfaction you get from caring for your pets and seeing them produce the next generation of offspring. Most fish lay eggs, which have a much higher likelihood of getting eaten since the eggs have no natural defenses. In contrast, livebearers (or species that give birth to live young) have a reputation for being easier to breed because the newborns are capable of swimming away and hiding from would-be pre...