Apistogramma bitaeniata is already one of the most beautiful Apistogramma species of all, but the local variant from the Rio Putumayo in Peru goes one better. The males with their huge fins are truly breathtaking. The females look almost underdeveloped in comparison. And yet all this splendor serves only to impress the delicate sex… The […]
The red jewel cichlids (Rubricatochromis, formerly classified as Hemichromis) are without doubt among the most beautiful fish in the world, at least some of them. If they weren’t such excellent parents, who regard every other fish in the aquarium as an enemy of their young and beat them up as a precautionary measure during the […]
The very first Lake Malawi cichlids came from the group of rock-dwelling cichlids, called Mbuna after a local name, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including a fish identified as Pseudotropheus zebra in 1964. Today we know dozens of species from this zebra complex, which are often only distributed very locally, but sometimes also […]
Fish for romantics – does that exist? Occasionally! One of them is certainly the moonshine gourami, Trichogaster microlepis. Its popular name says it all. Although the animal is only silvery-white, its tiny scales give it a very peculiar appearance, as if wrapped in silk. Color always means: communication with conspecifics and bright colors are very […]
The dwarf among the little ones: Apistogrammoides pucallpaensis from the upper Amazon in Colombia and the Rio Ucayali in Peru is one of the smallest cichlid species of all. We obtain our animals from Peru. In the literature, the maximum sizes given are 5 cm for males and 4 cm for females. However, these must […]
Here’s another animal from the “been in the aquarium forever but still beautiful” department! Nannacara anomala, the Golden Dwarf Cichlid from Guyana, has already delighted our grandfathers. We currently have exorbitantly colored animals in stock, which we call “Red”. They come from a breeder who has really put a lot of love and ambition into […]
We regularly have perhaps the most beautiful snakehead fish in stock: Channa pleurophthalma. This species, which is found on the Greater Sunda Islands of Sumatra and Borneo and inhabits lakes and rivers there, grows to around 40 cm in length. In contrast to most other snakeheads, they like to swim a lot in open water. […]
The mouthbrooding freshwater cardinalfish (Glossamia) are particularly rich in species on New Guinea. Of the total of 11-12 currently accepted species, 10-11 occur on New Guinea, 9-10 even only exist there. Only one species is known exclusively from Australia and another occurs on New Guinea and in Australia, namely G. aprion (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/glossamia-aprion-2/) Probably the […]
The Red List of endangered animal and plant species is getting longer and longer. The cause is almost invariably the destruction of the natural habitat. In the case of freshwater fish, species with a small distribution area are always particularly endangered. In addition to factors such as environmental pollution, deforestation and water extraction for agriculture, […]
The cichlids of the genus Teleocichla are very closely related to Crenicichla. They remain relatively small, the T. preta discussed here is one of the largest species with a maximum length of 15 cm. The swim bladder is greatly reduced in Teleocichla. Without active swimming movements, they cannot stay afloat. Ecologically, the Teleocichla could be […]
Although the current classification of the cichlids from Central America, formerly grouped together under Cichlasoma, has been around for a few years now, many genus names have been slow to catch on in the hobby. The main reason for this is, of course, that the large cichlids of Central America are currently only kept and […]
The dragonet gobies (Schismatogobius) are small species of freshwater gobies, that reach between 3 and 5 cm length. They live in small rivulets near the coast but above the tide on sandy bottoms. Here they burry themselves very fast if necessary. The larvae devolop – as far as this known – in the sea. The […]
The question of whether an ornamental fish species is particularly popular can often be answered with “yes” if breeding forms exist. Breeding forms, whose characteristics either do not occur at all in nature or only occur extremely rarely in individual specimens, usually only arise when the natural form is bred on a large scale. The […]
The Indian glass perch (Parambassia lala, often placed in the monotypic genus Pseudambassis) is actually an old acquaintance (first introduction: 1905), but an incredible amount of nonsense has been and still is spread about it. For example, the rumor persists that the species is a brackish water fish. But it is not, it is only […]
In 2016, French aquarists in Colombia discovered a new eartheater, which they named after the place where it was found in the Rio Cauca inlet – a Rio Sinu. However, this Rio Sinu is not identical to the much larger Rio Sinu of the same name in Colombia! For the exact locality see the article […]
Modern labyrinth fish science began in the 1980s. At that time, enthusiastic labyrinth fish enthusiasts joined together to form international associations. The world opened up to travelers and areas in Southeast Asia could be visited that had previously only been known from maps. One of the first Betta species to enter the hobby at that […]
The 1990s were a decade in which many new dwarf cichlid species were discovered and scientifically described. This was made possible by the combination of good travel opportunities and tolerant export policies, the emerging Internet and the resulting considerably simplified global communication. Apistogramma noberti, a species from Peru that was scientifically described in 1991, was […]
The genus Heros is in urgent need of scientific revision. The current five generally recognized species only represent a small part of the populations now known. It is often almost impossible to choose a reliable species name, which is why in many cases it is now simply omitted. They are called Heros sp. and an […]
We do not know exactly when and where the zebra scalar was bred. In his monograph on angelfish, completed in 1977 but not printed until 1979, Paepke states that he was unable to find any sources. At this time, there were already several breeding lines of the zebra scalar, whose characteristic breed feature is the […]
The Convict cichlid Amatitlania (formerly Cichlasoma) nigrofasciata is no longer a novelty: it has been kept and bred in aquaria since 1939. The first aquarium specimens of this fish, which is widely distributed in Central America, came from Lakes Atitlan and Amatitlan in Guatemala. The genus to which the greenfin cichlid currently belongs was named […]
We mistakenly received a Central American cichlid species from South East Asia under the name “Cichlasoma cyanoguttata”. After the 5-6 cm long fish had swum in a little, we went about identifying them and came to the conclusion that they were probably a Vieja species, most likely V. zonata. In such cases, however, it is […]
White animals exert a special attraction on many people. In myths and fairy tales, it is often white individuals of a wild animal species that have magical properties. This explains why white rabbits, white pigeons, white mice etc. also have a special status among pets, and ornamental fish are no exception. The loss of color […]
Exactly 10 years ago, a new star appeared in the ornamental fish sky. A beautiful sky-blue (to stay in the picture) cichlid conquered the world. It was first offered to us in February 2014 under the name “Nannacara Neon Blue” from Singapore. However, it was clear from the outset that it was not a representative […]
What are the reasons for choosing this or that fish for your home aquarium? In the beginning, it’s probably basically the colors. Over time, you develop a feeling for the wealth of shapes in the realm of fish, then swimming behavior and body shape are added to the selection criteria. And finally, you delve deeper […]
Oscars (Astronotus) are naturally very variable in color. In addition to wild-colored animals, cultivated forms have also enjoyed great popularity for decades. Why is the Oscar called Oscar? To be honest, we don’t really know. But it is certain that the name originated in the USA. In 1936, an article by E. W. Clarke on […]
The freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum) is one of the most popular ornamental fish of all. The species name Pterophyllum scalare is usually chosen for the cultivated forms, although this does not describe the situation correctly from a scientific point of view. The cultivated forms, which were mainly created in the 1940s to 1960s, are partly based […]
In 1981, the first report appeared on a Geophagus species imported as by-catch, which the author, Rainer Stawikowski, initially referred to as the “Yellow Cheek-Stripe Eartheater“. The relatively slender species is very much out of the usual range of Geophagus, both physically and in terms of brood care behavior. Nevertheless, it took until 1992 for […]
Like so many cichlids, angelfish also develop different-looking forms within their large distribution area. Whether these forms are classified as independent species, as subspecies or as color variants is ultimately a matter of taste and a philosophical issue. There are also individual differences within each population; in the case of the angelfish of the Rio […]
We have again received a nice number of beautiful domestic offspring of this extraordinarily beautiful black paradise fish (Macropodus spechti “Royal Blue”). For the history of this variant see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/25-perchlike-fishes/macropodus-spechti-royal-blue-2/ In the meantime, the fish have been further developed in terms of breeding and are preferably bred with animals that – very similar to Belontia […]
Small wild-caught fish Discus cichlids, like all cichlids, only develop their full coloration when they are largely mature (i.e. approx. 15 cm long in the case of discus). This is generally known and one of the reasons for the popularity of Asian color breeds, as they already show their full color at lengths of 7-9 […]
Small wild-caught fish Discus cichlids, like all cichlids, only develop their full coloration when they are largely mature (i.e. approx. 15 cm long in the case of discus). This is generally known and one of the reasons for the popularity of Asian color breeds, as they already show their full color at lengths of 7-9 […]
Small wild-caught fish Discus cichlids, like all cichlids, only develop their full coloration when they are largely mature (i.e. approx. 15 cm long in the case of discus). This is generally known and one of the reasons for the popularity of Asian color breeds, as they already show their full color at lengths of 7-9 […]
The question of which scientific species names should be given to the various discus cichlids is a controversial one. There is agreement that all Symphysodon populations are relatively closely related to each other and that preserved specimens cannot be identified with certainty without color and location; the only exception is the Heckel discus (Symphysodon discus), […]
The species characteristics of this dwarf cichlid from Peru are: distinct underbelly stripes, an orange “axillary spot” (the attachment point of the pectoral fin is intensely orange in color), a more or less distinct orange zone on the belly and a tail fin that is tipped at the top and bottom in old, fully developed […]
Small freshwater gobies have recently attracted the attention of more and more scientists and, as a result, new species are constantly being discovered and old, almost forgotten species rediscovered. The genus Mugilogobius currently comprises around 30 species. It is not possible to be more precise because individual species are placed in different genera by different […]
Sometimes supposedly small details are decisive, for example when it comes to species differences. There are two species of snakehead (Channa) that occur geographically close to each other in Burma (Rakhine State): Channa pulchra and Channa ornatipinnis. Both look quite similar and grow to a similar size (20-25 cm), but they differ considerably in their […]
The orange chromide, Pseudetroplus maculatus, is a well-known aquarium fish and has not disappeared from the tanks of enthusiasts since it was first introduced. Recent studies indicate that the three species of cichlids from India (Pseudetroplus and Etroplus) are not so closely related to the cichlids (Cichlidae), but rather to the damselfishes (Pomacentridae). However, this […]
The Keyhole cichlid (Cleithracara maronii, formerly Aequidens maronii) is a well-known aquarium fish that has only rarely been imported to Europe as a wild catch since its first import in 1936. The demand is covered by captive breeding. Although the species has no striking colors – the very varied pattern consists of brown, grey, beige […]
This freshwater goby, which attains a maximum length of 4-5 cm, is one of the most attractive discoveries of ornamental fish of the last years. However, in the beginning the fish were extremely expensive. Currently we can offer them for a comparably moderate price. Rhinogobius zhoui originates from China. In the natural habitat – brooks […]
Formerly this species of glass perch was the most common found in the trade. It has a very wide distribution through Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. However, Parambassis siamensis was most often mis-identified and traded under the name “Chanda wolffii”. P. siamensis is very similar to the Indian species P. ranga. Both are distinguished by […]
If aquaristics were exclusively about colors, there would hardly be any need for species other than Rubricatochromis. The “Neon” is probably a breeding form created by crossing and selection, in which the blue iridescent spots, which most red jewel cichlids have, are combined to form larger areas. In terms of body shape, Hemichromis sp. Neon […]
The drums (Sciaenidae), to which Boesemania microlepis belongs, are mainly known from the sea. Only a few of the approximately 300 species live permanently or occasionally in freshwater. These fish are known as “drums” because they make a very audible sound. Larger schools of these fish have already triggered submarine alarms because they cast a […]
The brook gobies (Rhinogobius) are as adult fishes pure freshwater inhabitants, which are found at most once in the brackish water of the lower reaches of running waters; but even this is the exception, not the rule. With 140 described species, 72 of which are generally considered valid, there is still a wide open field […]
The small mouthbrooders of the genus Pseudocrenilabrus have been kept and bred in the aquarium since the beginning of modern aquaristics – in the 1880s. The species P. multicolor was once so popular that it was simply called “the mouthbrooder“, although it was already known at the time that there were hundreds of species of […]
Within the true mudskippers – these are the species that actively leave the water and search for food on land, etc. – there are two genera: Periophthalmus (19 species) and Periophthalmodon (3 species). They do not differ externally, only in the structure of their teeth. We have now received Periophthalmodon septemradiatus from India, a beautiful […]
Just a few decades ago, the Peacock Basses from South America (genus: Cichla) were considered almost unsustainable for aquaria, but nowadays they are bred regularly and in large numbers. The latest craze is Cichla kelberi “Spider”, a breeding form whose origin is not yet known. The photos show our current stock, 16-18 cm long specimens, […]
The spotted gourami is one of the most important ornamental fish of all and is one of the top 100 worldwide. The species is extremely widespread in Southeast Asia. Despite its relatively small size (usually 8-10, rarely up to 15 cm), this gourami is used as a food fish and can survive for a long […]
The rarest of all checkerboard cichlids in the aquarium is Dicrossus warzeli, which was known as Dicrossus or Crenicara sp. Tapajós before its scientific description. In 1992 the very characteristically marked dwarf cichlid was discovered in an unnamed tributary (Igarapé) of the great Rio Tapajós in Brazil by the traveling aquarist Frank Warzel and brought […]
The Pygmy Sunfish, Elassoma evergladei, is a classic dwarf fish and has been maintained and bred for many generations of aquarists. The species is best housed in a small species aquarium that does not require heating. The cute fish, growing only 2-3 cm, are completely peaceful, however the males defend an individual area against conspecifics. […]
Only rarely we can offer the dragon fish, Gobioides broussonnetii, which actually is a species of goby. Now we received once again from Colombia this strange bottom dweller. The maximum length of the species is said to be about 40 cm. They are absolutely peaceful plankton eaters, which should be offered fine sandy substrate in […]
Solid red paradise fishes (Macropodus opercularis) have been known since the 1990s. However, they could not really establish themselves in the market, because the animals, which were also traded under the fancy name “Macropodus rex”, turned out to be very susceptible to diseases. Apparently the problem has been solved and we have now received really […]
The Rainbow Snakehead (Channa bleheri) is without doubt one of the most beautiful and colorful snakeheads and with usually 12-15 cm total length (sometimes a bit more) it stays quite small. It originates from the north of India and belongs to the few Channa species without ventral fins. Since 2007 a very similar, also colorful […]
Long before the Apistogramma species became popular, another dwarf cichlid from Brazil captured the hearts of aquarists: Laetacara curviceps, the Flag acara. At that time it was still called Aequidens curviceps. For some time it has unfortunately become quiet around him. Now we have once again received beautiful offspring of this small, peaceful and beautiful […]
Once again we received the rare red-finned giant gourami (Osphronemus laticlavius). Like the common giant gourami this species grows around 60 cm long. The home of the fish is on Borneo, where it probably occurs naturally only in Sabah, i.e. in the very north of the island in the Malayan part. Since about 1985 this […]
The yellow color variety of the species P. pulcher comes from southwestern Nigeria, where it is collected west of the Niger Delta in the Ethiop River area. The additional color designations yellow, red and green refer to the gill covers in P. pulcher, they all get red bellies. In all Pelvicachromis, females are considerably more […]
New fish, new questions. This is how we could characterize our import of the grunter Hephaestus habbemai. These beautiful fish come to us from Indonesia and originate from the island of New Guinea. Originally (1910) they were described from the south of the island, from the Lorentz River. The species is a pure freshwater inhabitant; […]
The hump of the male of G. balzanii is comparable to the feather tail of a peacock: it is simply the expression of manhood! The Paraguay Eartheater originates from the southern parts of South America and is imported now and then from Paraguay as wild collected stock, but the species is also bred on a […]
Among lovers of large, predatory fish, the species of the genus Datnioides (formerly: Coius) enjoy great popularity. They are calm, expressive fish that, after a sometimes somewhat tough acclimation period in which they are shy and skittish, become very attached to the keeper and provide decades of enjoyment. All Datnioides species grow to 30-40 cm […]
The neon gobies of the genus Stiphodon are all beautiful fish. None of the 37 currently known species grows longer than 5-7 cm, usually they remain much smaller. Although adult Stiphodon live exclusively in pure freshwater, the larvae can only develop in the sea. Therefore, neon gobies live in streams near the coast. They spawn […]
We have received this dwarf glass perch from Indonesia, which was named in honour of Alex Ploeg, who was in the passenger plane shot over the Ukraine on 17 July 2014. Gymnochanda ploegi is known so far only from West Kalimantan, the part of Borneo belonging to Indonesia. It is a pure freshwater species that […]
The dwarf spezies among the pike cichlids have recently been separated as an independent genus Wallaciia (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/the-crenicichla-have-been-reclassified/). They include W. compressiceps, which occurs only in the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers in Brazil. It is one of the smallest, the prettiest and the most aggressive pike cichlid species. Although it only grows to a maximum […]
From Peru a beautiful dwarf cichlid regularly comes to us, which is called “Apistogramma juruensis” on the exporter´s lists. The animals are very similar to A. cacatuoides and to A. juruensis, but can usually be easily distinguished from both by one coloration feature: a black chin spot, which was decisive for the common trade name […]
It does not always have to be bright colors that make a fish interesting. Rather, it appeals to nature lovers to study the life history of the animals they keep and this often leaves a deeper impression in the long run than the colorful appearance. By cichlid standards Heroina isonyterina is a gray mouse. However, […]
Of the cichlids endemic to Madagascar, Ptychochromis oligacanthus is also quite well known aquaristically by name. However, the understanding of what is meant by this species has changed thoroughly only a few years ago (2006). Previously it was believed that the species was widespread and divided into four different colored races. Today these races are […]
The Dwarf Badis, also called Scarlet, has transformed itself from the highly paid sensation of the year 2000 to the always available classic in aquaristics. It originates from northern India (North Bengal), where it inhabits clear, moderately flowing waters with sandy bottoms and rich underwater plant growth at the foot of the Himalayas. In terms […]
Labyrinth fishes are among the most important ornamental fishes in the world. Their often bright colors and varied behavior make their care very rewarding. Most species also remain small, only very rarely exceeding the 10 centimeter mark. The exception are the giant gouramis (Osphronemus), of which there are four accepted species. They are not only […]
From Vietnam we received this very nice bumble bee goby. The identification of bumble bee gobies is still in many cases a very tricky matter and often succeeds only with many question marks. Brachygobius sabanus was originally described from Borneo (Sabah), but our animals originate from Vietnam. However, the figure attached to the first description […]
Once again we can announce a first import, but unfortunately a completely unspectacular one. Lentipes argenteus, a neon goby from West Sumatra, is – as they say – a dream in gray. We are quite sure that this will be our only import, because such fish are only interesting for specialists. For all of you […]
With 93 accepted species, the pike cichlids (Crenicichla) are the most species-rich genus of cichlids anywhere. Closely related to Crenicichla are the Teleocichla cichlids. The relationship is so close that the independence of Teleocichla has been doubted several times. In a recent study in which 74 species of the complex could be considered (65 Crenicichla […]
Who remembers art class in school? Among the first things you learn are color temperatures, right? According to this, red, yellow and orange are warm colors, while blue, green and purple are cool colors. In Lake Malawi’s rock cichlids, the mbuna, the territory-owning males usually shine in cool colors (usually blue), and the females exhibit […]
In the Rio Atabapo in Venezuela, from which Uaru fernandezyepezi originates, it is already some weeks closed season, i.e. no fish may be caught there. The beautiful Uaru fernandezyepezi, which we can offer at the moment, are therefore the last specimens of the current season. There was a time when people hardly dared to import […]
Solid blue-green angelfish are apparently the dream of many angelfish breeders. The body base color blue, a mutation, has been known in angelfish since World War 2, but it was very difficult to establish it in large-scale breeding. It was not until the end of the 1990s that this was achieved. Since then, a wide […]
Cichlids form new species comparatively quickly when placed in geographic isolation. For them, the speciation process often takes only a few decades or centuries, whereas other groups often need millennia. Lake Bermin in Cameroon is a comparatively tiny crater lake with a surface area of only 0.6-0.7 km2. The lake is located in a former […]
The wonderful West African cichlids have been somewhat forgotten in recent decades. In the 1970s and 1980s, on the other hand, they experienced a real boom and a great many new species were discovered at that time because ornamental fish collectors were only too happy to fulfill the aquarists’ desire for previously unseen cichlids. Many […]
Lake Malawi in the heart of Africa is home to an enormous variety of cichlids. Often it is difficult to decide whether in individual cases they are different species or local variants. Extremely popular in aquaristics are the rock cichlids (Mbuna). But also among the non-Mbuna, which in their habitat are not so dependent on […]
Bostrychus zonatus is a sleeper goby and becomes about 15 cm long. They are predatory fish, which should therefore only be kept together with species that have at least half the body length of the gobies, larger is safer. The beautiful animal is widespread in fresh and brackish water in New Guinea and northern Australia. […]
Sleeper gobies the genus Butis (there are 6 recognized species) belong to the most original members of their kind. They swim around in the aquarium in every imaginable posture, especially often with the belly up, but also upside down or with the snout up. Thereby they imitate a floating piece of wood and are not […]
This extremely rarely imported species originates from Burma. The charming fish attains a length of only 2-3 cm. The species is a close relative of the mouthbrooding chocolate gouramis, but P. ocellatus is a bubblenest builder although the eggs look like the eggs of mouthbrooders. In the habitats of P. ocellatus appear heavy day-night changes […]
The “Giant Apistogramma” caused a flurry of excitement when it was discovered in 2009 during an expedition to the Serra do Cachimbo (Pará, Brazil). The discoverers, J. L. O. Birindelli and M. Sabaj Perez, reported on this great fish in various journals, initially under the name A. sp. “Gigas”. Then in 2014, Varella and Sabaj […]
Unfortunately imports from the Congo are only rarely possible. But now it was once again so far and among other species we have received nice wild catches of the Banded ctenopoma (Microctenopoma fasciolatum, formerly Ctenopoma f.). The currently imported form – the exact locality is unknown to us – differs quite clearly in color from […]
From the Hong Kong area comes this beautiful, but also delicate goby. The maximum length of the species is about 10 cm. The basic temperature requirements are well known from the White Clouds (Tanichthys albonubes), which occurs in the same region: 16-22°C for normal care, somewhat higher for breeding, short-term up to 28°C are tolerated. […]
The kissing gourami (Helostoma temmickii) in its pink breeding form is one of the best known labyrinth fish. It is not actually bred as an ornamental fish, but as a food fish. The species grows up to 30 cm long under suitable (fattening) conditions and is considered delicate. In the nutrient-rich, turbid breeding ponds, the […]
Crenicichla zebrina is one of the still extremely high-priced fishes, because the finding areas are located far away and it is very costly to transport live fishes healthy and lively from there to the export stations. The wonderful coloration makes the animals nevertheless desirable.
Unfortunately it is hard to tell the sexes of C. zebrina apart and furthermore randomly mated animals rarely get along. Juveniles, on the other hand, are inconspicuous in coloration and still expensive, but quite peaceful among themselves. A troop of young animals is the best chance to get to a breeding pair.
At the moment we can offer once again adult animals (for pictures see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/first_import_crenicichla_zebrina_arrived_en/ and https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/crenicichla_zebrina_en-2/ and also youngsters (actual photos in this post and https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/crenicichla_zebrina_en/).
For our customers: the animals have code 674051 (5-8 cm) and 674058 (24-28 cm) on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
There is no doubt about it: the Red Jewel Cichlids, formerly called Hemichromis bimaculatus, are among the most popular aquarium fishes. For several generations of mankind they have been swimming in the aquariums of the world and find again and again new, enthusiastic followers – however also aquarists who swear an oath: never again Red […]
The large cichlids of South and Central America have a firm place in aquaristics. However, aquarists have a mental problem with the no less magnificent large cichlids of Africa. When the name “tilapia” is mentioned in a fish discussion, everyone immediately thinks of gray underwater lawnmowers with carp format. There is a grain of truth […]
The Real or Heckel Discus (Symphysodon discus) is always somewhat behind its close relatives, the Blue and Green Discus, in popularity. This is certainly only because it breeds less willingly. There is no doubt about its special beauty. The Heckel Discus “Blue Moon” is found only in a rather remote region of the Alto Nhamunda […]
The two-banded dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma diplotaenia, is one of the dream fish of many Apistogramma lovers. The species originates from the Rio Negro drainage in Brazil. Unfortunately, this fish is also one of the most demanding species of the genus and even minor carelessness – e.g. a missed water change and the resulting increase in […]
The “golden cichlid” is one of the first cichlid species that became known for aquaristics. It originates from Mexico. Already in 1911 the first imports took place. However, the species never really caught on in general, in contrast to its cousin T. meeki, which was first imported more than 20 years later and is still […]
One of the rarest animals in the world is this Madagascar cichlid, which was only scientifically described in 2006 and already in 2013 it was feared to be extinct. It existed in only one river on Madagascar, the Mangarahara, after which the perch is also called Mangarahara cichlid. A dam project and excessive water extraction […]
After many years we received again this beautiful pastel colored dwarf cichlid from Guinea. Only in 2009 the species, which belongs to a group of species popularly also called king cichlids, was scientifically determined, before it was known in the hobby as “Pevicachromis sp. aff. roloffi Blue Fin”. The females of this species show – […]
The brook gobies (Rhinogobius) are as adult fishes pure freshwater inhabitants, which are found at most once in the brackish water of the lower reaches of running waters; but even this is the exception, not the rule. With 140 described species, 72 of which are generally considered valid, there is still a wide open field here for aquarists with an urge to explore. All species can be maintained well in the aquarium. When breeding, there are those Rhinogobius that have tiny larvae that grow in the sea and those that have large larvae that grow in freshwater. All species are cave spawners, the male guards the clutch until the larvae hatch. Brood care ends when the larvae swim free.
For the first time we could import Rhinogobius shennongensis from China. It originates from the Yangriwan, upper Hanjiang River, Mount Shennnong, Hubei Province. The maximum length is about 5-6 cm, males are larger than females. The sexes are most easily distinguished by the shape of the head. According to their origin, the fish are kept not too warm (18-24°C), in clear, oxygen-rich water with a good current. They are bottom fish, the males form territories. Rhinogobius shennongensis is somewhat quarrelsome; therefore possible tank mates should not be too squeamish. All common ornamental fish food is eaten, although some specimens do not like dry food. Frozen food is always accepted.
For our customers: the fish have code 453480 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
We have the great ambition to open up new species for aquaristics again and again. Therefore it is not excluded that we also import species whose scientifically exact determination is not successful, because simply not enough scientific research has been done about the animals so far. The extremely species-rich genus Rhinogobius is a good example […]
From Peru we received wonderful, large angels (Pterophyllum). They have a yellowish to reddish back and many brown-red spots on the flanks. This exceptionally beautiful wild form has been called Pterophyllum leopoldi for decades due to a misidentification in aquarium circles. The “true” P. leopoldi originates from Brazil and is the fish always referred to in the hobby as P. dumerilii, while the “true” P. dumerilii from Brazil is considered synonymous with P. scalare. Other names, equally incorrect, that circulate for Peru scalars are “Peru Altum” or “Pterophyllum peruensis”.
In fact, the “Red Spots Peru” is a scientifically undescribed species. This has nothing to do with the red spots: this species also exists without red spots. Rather it is the black, comma-shaped spot, which extends as extension of the 2nd body bandage into the dorsal fin, which is characteristic for the species (in the order: eye bandage – 1st body bandage – 2nd body bandage – tail root bandage, thus four dark vertical bands, of which the tail root bandage is often only indistinctly visible).
Regardless of the name, the red-spotted angelfish from Peru are magnificent animals, which unfortunately can be imported only very rarely and in small numbers.
For our customers: the animals have code 699307 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesale. Only available in limited numbers!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
The 1980s and 1990s were the high times of traveling aquarists who wanted to shed light on Central American cichlids. And this succeeded more than satisfactorily! One of these amateur researchers in the best sense of the word was Hans-Günther Breidohr (1938-2017). In his honor Uwe Werner and Rainer Stawikowski named a cichlid Paratheraps breidohri, […]
Central American cichlids often require large aquariums. Not so much because of their swimming needs, but because they form territories and are often unbearably aggressive in aquariums that are too small. In large aquariums, on the other hand, this is hardly a problem. But there are also dwarf cichlids among the Central Americans, which – […]
It is a well known fact that the Betta splendens kept in the aquarium hobby as ornamental fish do not represent the species as it appears in the wild, but a domesticated fish. Initially this sport has been bred for combats, similar like sports of cocks and dogs. Only in the 1920ies, when supplying ornamental […]
The species status of Betta strohi is controversial. It is a form from the species complex around Betta foerschi (see https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fish-archives/betta-foerschi-bred/). Some authors consider B. strohi to be a synonym of B. foerschi, others a valid species. “Technically” the two differ by a rather inconspicuous feature, namely the eye line. In Betta strohi the line […]
The Scat is one of the fish species known to science almost from the beginning of scientific naming. Scatophagus argus was already described in 1766. This first description refers to a red scat. The name “rubifrons” for red scats that is always bandied about in the hobby is a purely fanciful name with no scientific […]
The cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) are a species-rich (ca. 370 species), mainly marine group of mostly small-bodied, mouth-breeding perch-like fish. Very well known species are the Kauderni or Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) or the Pyjama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera), several other species belong to the standard assortment of marine aquaristics. Only very few species have made it into […]
New catch areas bring immediately new species! That these are also wonderfully colored animals, as in the case of the bright red Nannostomus or the Apistogramma sp. Amaya (also called A. sp. Cenepa II) presented here, is surprising. Because Peru is really well collected! But let’s not be surprised, but enjoy the beautiful new imports! […]
