Emperor tetras (Nematobrycon palmeri, melanistic morph, scale – this gold form

A lot is said about livebearers such as Guppies and Platies being easy to breed, but in the right set up, tetras can be almost as prolific. Emperor tetras (Nematobrycon palmeri) are particularly free-breeding and statistically this sets the stage for colour forms to appear. A melanistic morph is well established but the other end of the scale – this gold form, is a much more recent development. Care requirements are identical and this is a fish that prefers, but doesn’t insist on, soft water. This batch caught the eye at our Thornbury store.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/characins/emperor-tetra

Goldfish (Carassius auratus). Hardy, colourful, easy to breed and inexpensive; goldfish have all the virtues that make them the classic pond fish

They’re still the hardest working pond fish in the business, but it’s easy to overlook Goldfish (Carassius auratus). Hardy, colourful, easy to breed and inexpensive; goldfish have all the virtues that make them the classic pond fish that we all know and love. Many of the fish that we see would have previously been referred to as comet goldfish, thanks to those long tails which are often a sexual difference in these batches – males tend to be more slender with elongated finnage, whereas females are more curvaceous. You’ll find goldfish in every one of our pond sections.  

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/pond-fish/goldfish-

. One of the most dazzling is the Electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri) which has long been misidentified as ahli.

Malawi cichlids are often considered to be a stepping stone to marine keeping and it’s fair to say that they have some similarities – they’re often brightly coloured and spend lots of their time attacking one another. One of the most dazzling is the Electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri) which has long been misidentified as ahli. That stunning metallic blue has been bred into many of the peacock hybrids that have risen in popularity, but you can’t beat the real thing. This handsome male was one of several at our Dartford branch.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/cichlids/electric-blue-hap

. A captive bred colour form of the Blue gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) these fish show the same tiger stripes

It’s true to say that Gold gouramis have been around forever. A captive bred colour form of the Blue gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus) these fish show the same tiger stripes when in spawning condition and recent warm weather has meant that many of the mature fish I see are wearing this pattern. As one of the more spicy species of gourami, these should be kept in single male, multiple female groups in a well-furnished tank that enables them to get out of sight of one another. These were seen at our Gillingham store.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwater/anabantids/gold-gourami

With a body plan reminiscent of a Bulldog plec, the Slate Plec (Pseudancistrus genisetiger) is a Brazilian native that hails from a habitat where water flow changes dramatically

The gold rush of new L numbers may have slowed down but there’s one Loricariid that has been showing up in stores in the past year and attracting plenty of attention. With a body plan reminiscent of a Bulldog plec, the Slate Plec (Pseudancistrus genisetiger) is a Brazilian native that hails from a habitat where water flow changes dramatically with the seasons. This means that it seems very adaptable in terms of captive conditions, with some fluctuations possibly playing a role in triggering spawning behaviour. Data suggests that keeping them in a similar way to Hypancistrus, warm and highly oxygenated but with a more algae-based diet, is appropriate. Reducing flow and raising temperatures slightly might be the way to duplicate the dry season, followed by increased water movement and cooler temperatures.  This beauty was one of a batch at our Stratford store.