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
Peridot tetra
Jupiaba acanthogaster
A small South American characin that flashes a subtle green-gold sheen, which is where the peridot name comes from. In the wild it often forages in groups and will opportunistically follow larger bottom-disturbing fishes to pick off exposed morsels.
Persian loach
Oxynoemacheilus persa
This is a little bottom-hugging stone loach from Iran that spends its time cruising the substrate and poking around for food. It does best when you set the tank up like a cool, clean stream - lots of oxygen, flow, smooth rocks, and hiding spots - and you will see way more natural behavior.
Peruvian tetra
Hyphessobrycon peruvianus
A tiny tetra from the upper Amazon, this fish shows a clean white lateral stripe over a dark lower body with a subtle blue sheen. Keep it in a good-sized shoal and you will see tight midwater schooling and quick color flashes when the group turns.
Pfeffer's cichlid
Jabarichromis pfefferi
A shrimp-hunting Tanganyikan cichlid with a sleek, long-jawed look and bold, territorial personality. It is a maternal mouthbrooder and really comes alive in hard, alkaline water with rockwork and open sand. Best for keepers who enjoy watching stealthy hunting behavior rather than flashy colors.
Poso halfbeak
Nomorhamphus celebensis
This is a cool little Sulawesi halfbeak that spends most of its time cruising the surface and picking food right off the top. They do best in a small group with lots of surface cover (floating plants are perfect), and they really reward you if you keep the water clean and stable. Also worth knowing: a lot of info online mixes up their exact habitat, and that can lead people to keep them too warm.
Purzl's killifish
Fundulopanchax puerzli
A small West African killifish from rainforest creeks in western Cameroon, males wear striking blue-red speckling and a lyre-like tail. It does best in soft, slightly acidic water and really shows personality when conditioned on live foods. Keep a tight lid - they are enthusiastic jumpers.
Pygmy corydoras
Corydoras pygmaeus
Pygmy cories are tiny little armored catfish that do this super-cool thing most cories don't: they'll cruise around in the midwater in a loose school instead of just shuffling along the bottom. Give them a soft sandy substrate, lots of plants to weave through, and a proper group, and they turn into nonstop little busybodies.
Ram cichlid (German blue ram / butterfly cichlid)
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Rams are tiny little cichlids with big-time attitude (in the cutest way) and insane sparkle-those blues, yellows, and that black face bar really pop when they're happy. They're also one of the warmer-water dwarf cichlids, and they'll show off pair behavior and even spawn on flat stones if you keep the tank clean and calm.
Red-lipped Wallaceochromis
Wallaceochromis rubrolabiatus
A small West African dwarf cichlid from the Kolente-Bandi system in Guinea, males sport striking red lips and both parents guard their brood in caves. It behaves like a krib relative but can get pushy when breeding, so give a pair room and cover. Wild populations are localized, and in aquaria it does best in soft, slightly acidic water. ([fishbase.org](https://www.fishbase.org/Summary/wallaceochromis-rubrolabiatus))
Red Neon Blue-eye
Pseudomugil luminatus
This little blue-eye is basically a tiny fireworks show-males flash electric blue eyes and red/orange fins and spend half the day showing off to each other. Keep them in a nice-sized group and you'll see constant "dancing" and fin-flaring in the open water, especially over dark substrate and plants.
Redspotted snakehead
Channa andrao
Channa andrao is one of those "how is this real?" dwarf snakeheads-tiny, super colorful, and way more personable than you'd expect from a predator. It's a mouthbrooder, hangs near the surface a lot (air-breather), and it's happiest in a plant-choked, hidey-hole setup with a tight-fitting lid because, yep, it can jump.
Regani dwarf pike cichlid
Wallaciia regani
A tiny, pike-shaped cichlid from the Amazon, W. regani hangs around leaf litter and roots and tops out near 3 inches. Females show a neat eyespot in the dorsal, and pairs spawn in caves with devoted guarding. It is mellow for a pike cichlid but anything bite-size is food.