Welcome

FIRST AND foremost, an apology. Last month I

All hail the ‘drape fin’ tetra!

New tetras are joining the hobby thick and fast. Elliott Ball takes a look at a charmer with a stunning dorsal fin.

The sinkhole cichlids

Michel Keijman recounts his experiences with an attractive and unusual cichlid that comes from a hole in the ground.

THE COOLER SIDE OF SOUTH AMERICA

Not all tetras like to bask in blazing heat, and not all catfish like to sweat it in the tropics. Tai Strietman sets up a tank with familiar faces and less familiar thermostat settings.

A Synodontis DEEP DIVE

While not as popular as plecos or Corydoras, the Synodontis of Africa are enthralling fish with their own evolutionary party tricks. Neale Monks explains.

Meet the ‘pocket’ knifefish

SPECIES SHOWCASE Brachyhypopomus

The wolf’s cousin

Maybe it’s one of God’s own drunken prototypes, or maybe it’s just one of the funkiest evolutionary turn-ups from South America. Either way, it’s awesome.

A VISUAL GUIDE TO PANGIO

Small, wriggly and shy, the tiny loaches of Pangio still have an almost cult-like following. Here are some you will and some you probably won’t see in stores.

TOP SHOPS OF 2022!

The Readers’ Poll returned for 2022, and now we can proudly reveal the stores that you voted as the top shops for the year.

Is water from the hot tap safe?

Please could you tell me whether it’s safe to use hot water from the tap for water changes on my freshwater aquarium? Or should I be bringing it up to temperature using boiling water from a kettle?

Are some Endlers hardier than others?

I’d like to set up a 60 litre tank for some Endlers. There seems to be a huge range of varieties these days. Am I best sticking to the original type in terms of ease of keeping, or are the variations also as hardy?

How can I get involved in conservation?

Are there any freshwater conservation efforts that I can play a part in at home?

Is this courtship behaviour?

I have a 1.2m community tank which contains five polka-dot loaches. They are all adults, although one is much bigger than the others. I often see them chasing each other around the tank as a group, mainly up and down the glass. It doesn't look like they are being aggressive, and I’m wondering if it’s some kind of breeding behaviour, and if so whether it might be worth moving them into another tank. Have these fish been bred before? Any advice would be welcome.

What’s causing this algae?

I have a problem with a horrible algae-like growth all over the plants and gravel in my tank. I was advised to treat for phosphate, and at the same time I installed a new FluvalSmart light, which is very fancy and high tech. But could this be causing a problem? The fish are fine, but what is this growth and how do I treat it?

Can I avoid jumping fish?

I have a tank which is 1.8m long and 60cm deep. I’ve found that due to the depth, the only way to grow plants well is to remove the covers. Over the last three months I’ve lost three fish — two juvenile rainbows and a black neon tetra — but yesterday I lost my gorgeous red-tailed black shark which jumped overnight. Is there a happy medium at all here please? Are fish more likely to jump at night and if so, would just putting the covers on at night once the lights go off help at all? What causes them to jump in the first place? I’ve tried dropping the water level a bit, and I’ve also tried floating plants, but then the light doesn’t get down to the plants at the bottom and I’m back to square one. Are there any fish, apart from plecs, which are less inclined to jump?

Is this strange creature a snail or a slug?

I’ve seen an amazing looking marine gastropod on an online shop in the UK. It’s sold as a Quasimodo snail, although it doesn’t seem to have a shell, and looks a lot like a walking sponge. Please can you tell me something about it and can I add one to a reef tank?

Is it uncommon for these fish to spawn?

I have a 120 litre tank which contains two adult hillstream loach They share the tank with two yoyo loaches, corys, cardinals and a fighter. I feed tablets and flake, with occasional frozen bloodworm The hillstream loaches have been breeding regularly over the last couple of years, and I now have about 18-20 in the tank. Usually around three appear at a time, and I’m up to the fifth or sixth batch of babies. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this: is it rare or fairly common with these fish?

Can I mix these cichlids?

Can I keep Apistogramma cichlids in a tank with angelfish or am I asking for trouble if they breed? It’s a decent sized tank at just over 1.5m in length with a lot of wood, Anubias and Java fern. I'd prefer apistos, but I’m happy to consider another dwarf cichlid if it might work better.

What’s this growth on my goldfish’s hood?

Do you have any advice on this strange growth that has appeared on the head of my goldfish? The fish is around 14 years old, and this growth has appeared in the last year. To me it looks like it is made of the same material as the hood of the fish, but seems to be originating from the nostril, or near to it. The colour of the hood has started to become paler in recent months and I am worried that this has something to do with the growth. The fish is still able to eat, but does the growth look like it should be removed? Or is it something that happens with older fish?

What fish can I keep with my puffer?

I have a dog-face puffer, which is about 12cm in body length at present. He’s been in a 90cm tank since I got him when he was a lot smaller, but I’ve bought a bigger tank now, which is 1.8m in length. I’d like to add a companion or two, so what do you think would work best?

Why are my fish behaving so strangely?

I have a 70 litre Juwel tank, with a mix of guppies, tetras, corys, Yoyo loaches and orange barbs. Recently I’ve noticed they gather on top of the filter/heater compartment. In addition to the filter, I also have an air stone. Are they seeking out calmer water or is it a water quality issue? I do weekly water changes, using Tetra Safe Start.

KICKSTARTING A FILTER

It’s one of the oldest conversations in fishkeeping, but it’s nice to know that as time goes by, the options are improving. Tom Ackrill looks at starting up a biological filter.

ALGAE CONTROL

AN AQUASCAPER’S GUIDE

GEAR USED & ABUSED

CO2ART PRO-SE SERIES AQUARIUMUM CO2 DUAL STAGE REGULATOR WITH INTEGRATED SOLENOID (PLUS ACCESSORIES)ES)

NEXT MONTH

In the December ißue

PRACTICAL Fishkeeping

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MANUFACTURERS POLL 2022

We’re offering you the chance to have your say on which products are the best in the aquarium hobby

GEAR FIRST LOOK

TANKMATEZ BUBBLE TRAP