Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 159 species
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Rummy-nose tetra
Petitella rhodostoma (syn. Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
This is the classic rummy-nose tetra - silver body, a solid red "face," and that crisp black-and-white tail that flashes when the whole group turns at once. The red nose is a legit mood ring for water quality and stress, so when they are happy and stable, they look incredible in a tight school.
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Rummy-nose tetra
Petitella rhodostoma (Ahl, 1924) (formerly Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
This is the classic rummy-nose tetra-the one with the bright red "nose" and the crisp black-and-white tail that flashes when the whole group turns together. They're tight-schoolers, so a bigger group in a longer tank is where you really get that synchronized, hypnotic swimming. The red face also doubles as a little "health meter" since it tends to fade when they're stressed or water quality slips.
Rusty cichlid
Iodotropheus sprengerae
This is the classic "rusty" mbuna from Lake Malawi - females and juveniles stay that warm rusty-brown, and grown males often pick up a really nice lavender-purple sheen. Compared to a lot of mbuna, they are pretty chill, but they still do the cichlid thing with little territories and lots of attitude around rocks. They are maternal mouthbrooders too, so watching a holding female is always fun.
Salt and pepper cory (Habrosus cory)
Corydoras habrosus
This is the tiny "salt and pepper" cory that scoots around the bottom like a little wind-up toy, constantly sifting and picking through the sand. Keep them in a real group and they get way bolder-lots of quick little dashes, little pauses, and then back to foraging. They're also one of those fish that really rewards a soft sandy bottom and calm tankmates.
San Marcos redtail splitfin
Xenotoca doadrioi
This is a little Mexican goodeid livebearer where the males do that awesome "blue body + orange/red tail" thing when they color up. They're super active, always grazing and pecking at surfaces, and they really appreciate cooler, clean, well-oxygenated water compared to your typical tropical livebearers.
Serpae Tetra
Megalamphodus eques
Serpaes are those fiery little red tetras with the black "comma" behind the gill-super eye-catching in a planted tank. They're active and a bit spicy, so they do best in a real group where they'll squabble with each other instead of nipping slower tankmates. When they're settled in, you get this constant cruising-and-chasing vibe that makes the tank feel really alive.
Sharpnose wrasse
Wetmorella nigropinnata
This is one of those tiny, sneaky reef wrasses that lives in the rockwork - you'll see it poking its little sharp snout into cracks hunting micro-prey. Super peaceful and shy, but once it settles in, its yellow bars and twitchy 'possum wrasse' vibes are seriously addictive to watch.
Sheepshead swordtail
Xiphophorus birchmanni
A wild swordtail from eastern Mexico that loves fast, splashy streams and shows off bold vertical bars and a big, yellow-speckled dorsal. Males barely carry a sword at all, which always surprises folks, but they make up for it with tons of personality when kept in a roomy, well-oxygenated tank.
Short-sword platyfish
Xiphophorus continens
This is a tiny northern swordtail from the Rio Ojo Frio in Mexico where the water runs cool and clear. Males carry only a stub of a sword and can be feisty with each other, which is wild to watch in such a small livebearer. Give it clean, oxygen-rich water and it rewards you with lively behavior and frequent fry.
Silver Tip Tetra
Hasemania nana
These little guys are like tiny sparks in the tank-silvery bodies with those warm orange "copper" fins that really pop when they're happy and colored up. Keep them in a proper group and you'll see them cruise around together, doing that classic tetra "we're all going this way now" thing, and the males will sometimes flash at each other without it turning into real drama.
Sixline Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
The Sixline Wrasse is that nonstop little reef torpedo that weaves through rockwork all day hunting tiny critters. It's awesome for picking at pests like small worms/flatworms, but once it settles in it can get pretty territorial-especially in smaller tanks or with similar-shaped fish.
Skunk loach
Yasuhikotakia morleti
This is the little loach with the bold black "skunk stripe" down its back, and it acts just as sassy as it looks. Give it a group and a pile of caves and it turns into a busy, clicking, bottom-patrolling gremlin that will happily hunt snails. It stays fairly small, but it can get nippy if you try to keep just one or you pair it with slow, long-finned fish.