Practical Fishkeeping April 2025

THERE IS AN amazing array of topics in this month's edition, starting with some incredibly colourful jewel cichlids that Gabor found lurking in his local store and just had to buy! If you have been looking for some biotope inspiration, we look at two habitats that may inspire. Rodrigo takes a trip to Thailand to find the origin of Betta splendens, while Tai drives to the Araguaia River basin in search of a beautiful little fish in a densely planted stream. If you want to add just a little salt to your aquarium, mudskippers may well be the characterful fish for you. These fish are adapted to areas where many other fish would perish, but they do have specific care requirements as Tim explains. But for those who like proper…

Fancy being featured in the next issue of Practical Fishkeeping Magazine? Showcase your work and share your photographs with the Fishkeeping community – if you have a tank you're proud of, we want to see it. For a chance to be included, simply send us your tank photos with a little bit of information about you and your tank. This month's Tank of the Month will receive an Aquadip care package!* Submit yours to us via email at editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk or visit our website here: practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/gallery. WIN AN AQUADIP CARE PACKAGE 💧 AQUADIP Liquid Filter Medium - 500 ml 💧 AQUADIP Plant Food+ - 500 ml 💧 AQUADIP Liquid Carbon - 500 ml 💧 AQUADIP H2O Maker - 500 ml 💧 Plus AQUADIP Aquascaping Towel TANK OF THE MONTH – JONATHAN…

I HAVE LOST COUNT of how many times I have proudly shown my newly acquired rare/special/unusual fish to my wife just to be brought back to Earth by her complete lack of excitement. She often criticises the dull colours (despite me pointing out the yellow dots on the fin) or the invisible nature (meaning they are too small to see unless your face is pressed up against the tank) of the subjects of my admiration. The fish that are the focus of this article, however, were a completely different animal. My wife took only a few seconds to come up with the verdict that these fish were alright. Her reasoning was that you don't need a magnifying glass to be able to see them and they have gorgeous colours. I…

THE FIRST TIME I visited Thailand I was immediately struck by the sheer biodiversity in every body of water. I went there on holiday, but as an aquarist it was impossible to resist looking into every pond, stream, and flooded field I came across. At the time, I had not done any research on Thailand's native fish species or their habitats, nor did I have any underwater filming equipment with me. It quickly became clear that I had to return, this time properly prepared. After months of research, I decided that my first target would be the beautiful bettas, one of the most iconic aquarium species and certainly the most popular fish in Thailand. However, it turns out that the bettas we see in the stores labelled as Betta splendens,…

MALAWI CICHLIDS HAVE always fascinated me. Their intelligence, social complexity, and bold personalities make them some of the most rewarding fish to keep. Over the past six years, I've watched my Chindongo saulosi develop unique behaviours, establish territories, and even breed, all within a carefully balanced planted aquarium setup. My journey into keeping Malawi cichlids began in early 2019 when I visited Kev's Rifts to pick up 10 juvenile C. salousi for my newly aquascaped OASE HighLine 175. Initially, I opted for a rock-only setup, focusing on a more traditional mbuna-style aquascape. However, my love for planted tanks soon led me to experiment with incorporating hardy plants. I introduced Anubias, propagated from my 400-litre planted tank, carefully positioning them within rock crevices to prevent uprooting. By 2021, the fish had…

WIN! Our Question of the Month letter will receive a Tetra goodie bundle worth up to £100* THE EXPERTS DR PETER BURGESS Peter is our disease expert. Send questions his way if you have pathogen problems. BOB MEHEN Bob is a master of fishkeeping general knowledge and community tanks. JEREMY GAY Jeremy is more than adept when it comes to cichlids, goldfish and marine species. GEORGE FARMER George is a world renowned aquascaper, photographer and author. MAX PEDLEY Max is like a living, breathing search engine. Cichlids are his speciality. NEALE MONKS Neale is the man for your technical queries. He loves brackish fish, too. TAI STRIETMAN Freshwater biologist Tai has studied habitats all around the world and is our biotope expert. MARINE Is this wrasse reef-safe? I've seen a…