After a hot summer, the Japanese koi at our Guildford store are looking fat and happy. These are important weeks for pond fish and it’s all about going into the winter months in good shape – soon it’ll be time to switch to a winter diet.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/pond-fish/koi

This Chilli red Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) at our Farnham store is the product of years of selective breeding to enhance the red pigment in the albino strain. These eye-catching fish were well grown and stocky, past the baby stage and already looking like sturdy juveniles. Like all Oscars, they were taking a great interest in the goings on outside their tank and were showing the character we’ve come to expect from these popular jumbo pet cichlids.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/cichlids/oscar

This handsome Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus) at Scotsdales was hard to ignore. A very well settled fish, it was ready to go out and scour the rockwork in a nice spacious reef tank in between meals of flake, grazers and frozen food.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/marine/tangs/convict-tang-

Although known mainly for their marines, our Reefkeeper Moss End store has a great range of tropicals too, including these very striking Tiger platies (Xiphophorus) that are perfect for community set ups. A combination of traits, including Mickey Mouse (check out the tail pattern) make these a great way to add a bit of colour and life to the right aquarium.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/livebearers/platy-

Dwarf cichlids are always an interesting addition to a community of small fishes and are as full of character as their larger relatives. These two male Inca apistos (Apistogramma baenschi) were disputing the hierarchy at our Cirencester store. The right-hand male proved too intimidating for his rival to challenge after this display of fin extensions.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/cichlids/inca-apisto

The rise of fancy goldfish continues apace, and many are discovering the charms of these big, messy but charismatic fish. These short-finned calico Telescopes at our Ascot branch were holding their own amongst the many more exotic fishes found at this store. Like all ‘fancies’ these are fish for large aquaria with efficient filtration and excellent water quality.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/coldwater-aquarium-fish/telescope

At home in hard, alkaline water, this Dwarf petricola catfish (Synodontis lucipinnis) is suitable for either a community of fishes too large to swallow, or an aquarium housing Rift Lake cichlids. Those pectoral fin spines allow them to hold their ground against most threats - just as well, as a group of these little cats will be pretty fearless once settled in. This was one of a batch at our Huntingdon store.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/catfish/dwarf-petricola-catfish

This photo reveals why Thorichthys aureus is known as the Blue flash cichlid, and at a glance you can tell it’s related to Firemouths and Ellioti cichlids. Like them, this fish can be kept as a group of several pairs alongside robust livebearers, barbs etc. This group were looking good at our Coventry store.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/help-and-advice/freshwater/cichlids/central-american-cichlids/aureus