Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

This week’s episode isn’t like the usual topics we explore. This week, the Water Colors team calls you action to help us make the world of fish keeping a more hospitable place for new aquarists. Beginner Facebook pages, Reddit forums, YouTube influencers, and social media in general have spread misinformation through this hobby like wildfire and often meet beginners with unkind, unhelpful responses. They have only deepen the barriers to entry. Let’s change that by responding with respect and kindness, citing your sources, and encouraging people through their mistakes with helpful suggestions, shared experience and love for this hobby.

If you are really cool, follow us and join us in the conversations using any of the platforms listed below.



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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.



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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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

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?



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:

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

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.



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:

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

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!



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/

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

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



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