Search Species
Search for fish species by common or scientific name, or use filters to browse by water type, size, temperament, and difficulty.
Found 148 species
Reticulated hillstream loach
Sewellia lineolata
This is the little "stingray-shaped" loach that parks itself on rocks and glass like it's magnetized, then cruises around in the current like a tiny river skate. Give it cool, super-oxygenated, fast-moving water and lots of smooth stones with biofilm, and it'll spend all day grazing and doing hilarious little dominance shuffles with its own kind.
Rosy Tetra
Hyphessobrycon bentosi
Rosy tetras are those little coppery-pink characins that look kinda "glowy" when the light hits them right, and the males can get nice extended fins when they're settled in. Keep a small group and you'll see them do their little pecking-order sparring and flashing-nothing scary, just classic tetra drama that looks awesome in a planted tank.
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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.
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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.
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.
Sailfin Pleco
Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps
The Sailfin Pleco is a large armored catfish from South America, recognizable by its tall, sail-like dorsal fin and the leopard-like pattern on its dark body. It is a hardy algae grazer when young but quickly becomes a very large, heavy-bodied fish that produces significant waste and requires substantial filtration and space.
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.
Salvini cichlid
Trichromis salvini
A flashy Central American cichlid with a bright yellow body, bold black bars, and blue spangles, salvini look like little hot rods. They are territorial predators that form pairs and put on intense parental-guarding displays. Best kept solo or with equally tough neighbors in a roomy tank.
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.
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.