Dwarf Spotted Rasbora

Boraras maculatus
This is one of the smallest (only 3 cm) Rasboras and for that a great candidate for a Nano aquarium. They are a shoaling specie and should be kept in groups of 10 or more. Dwarf Rasbora originate from South East Asia. The temperature should be kept in between 24-26'C. pH is acidic 6-6.5. They prefer small live foods, but also accepts crashed flake food and small high quality granule foods. It is wise keeping them with other small companions since bigger fish will devour them. It is perfectly safe keeping them together with dwarf shrimps. I keep Boraras maculata with Red Cherry and Crystal Red shrimps and they never ever showed any interest in baby shrimps.
Photos by Dusko Bojic.

African lake cichlidae

Not one of my favorite fish because of their aggressive behaviour, have to say, but do like to see a nicely designed full of stones, African rift lake tank.
With these cichlids it is very important not to mix species that originate from different lakes. Not only do Lake Malawi & Lake Tanganyika fish have incompatible behaviour they also require different water condition, stocking levels and tank layout.

Lake Malawi cichlids need rock-work that reaches nearly to the surface with a lot of caves as hiding places and areas for them to defend. Make sure to silicon stones to each other otherwise the fish might undermine it and the structure might collapse and ruin your lovely carpet. This fish loves to dig so planting is almost impossible, almost. Some aquarists did it and it looks beautiful, but to achieve that combination cichlids + plants you have to do a serious research.

Plants are not essential, algae are. They feast on them, so it is a good idea to encourage algal growth.

Lake Tanganyika cichlids require more swimming space and will benefit from an area of open substrate in the centre of the aquarium with rock piles at either end plus a few strong plants like Vallisneria spp. and Cryptocoryne spp.
Important thing for the shell dwelling Neolamprologus brevis is to scatter a few shells on the substrate as a home and a spawning site.

Both types of cichlids require very clean, highly oxygenated water with temperature of 24-26 'C. Lake Malawi pH is 7.5-8 and Lake Tanganyika pH is 8-8.5

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Neolamprologus brichardi ( Fairy cichlid) is a well-known cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, which is easy to breed and so a good beginner fish for Tanganyika set-ups.
Neolamprologus brichardi is a typical cave-breeder, so it needs many stones and caves. They create very big groups in the Lake, where the non-parents (the individuals not breeding at the moment) defend the territory of this big group. This is probably because a death of them is not so important as a death of a breeding-parent. If there appears any danger, the whole group will hide, and if often happens, that fries aren't in the cave of their parents but in a cave of another small family - but this doesn't matter for them.
This group-breeding behaviour you can see in your tanks too: After the parents have spawned, the fry are protected by them. When they spawn again, the juveniles are still welcome, they also take part in the care of the new fry. So the old juveniles are protected till they're about 3-4 cm. Then they will either join the group or swim away. If they have joined the group, they will create pairs later and spawn too. But in your tank you should remove the juveniles 3-4 weeks after the parents have spawned three times, because if the tank becomes overcrowded, the parents recognize this and won't lay so many eggs when they spawn the next time. This is a protection of nature. One pair of Neolamprologus brichardi can easily create so many juveniles, that after a time the whole tank is overcrowded by the species Neolamprologus brichardi. They start spawning at a size of 3-4 cm, then only a few eggs, but when they're bigger, they'll lay up to 200 eggs In nature the parents often only become 2-3 years old, because there is too little food, but in tanks they can become older.
Note; parental parents will defend a territory about 45 square cm, and are quite capable of killing tank mates unwilling or unable to respect these limits.
Males grow up to 9 cm and females are little smaller.

Photos by Dusko Bojic

Cherry Barb

Puntius titteya
These fish can be territorial towards their own kind, so it is wise to keep them in pairs rather than as a group predominated by one sex. Provide good filtration and thickets of plants, allowing each pair a separate retreat. Males are far more intensely coloured than females. In breeding condition the males turn a dark cherry red while female are a duller red-brown. Today, virtually all trade specimens are farm-produced.
They eat small live and frozen such as bloodworm and mosquito larvae. Green foods preferred.
Cherry barbs grow up to 5 cm. Water temp. should be around 25'C with pH 7.

Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Kribensis

Pelvicachromis pulcher.
Kribensis is a fine beginners fish, but let the tank mature before introducing it.
In addition to caves and plants to provide cover, an area for open swimming should be available. Characteristic of other cichlids, Kribensis are fast swimmers who can change direction in an instant and stop on a dime. They are territorial and if cramped may become aggressive, so take care to avoid overstocking the tank with bottom dwellers. keep as a pair.
Substrate is also an important factor in creating a comfortable habitat for P. pulcher. They favor fine darker gravel, which they will quickly rearrange to suit their tastes. The tank itself should be well planted with real or artificial plants. Because they like to burrow they may uproot plants, however they are generally not destructive to the vegetation.
Feeding P. pulcher is easy. They are omnivorous and will accept flake or pellet foods, frozen brine shrimp, freshly hatched brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and even vegetables such as zucchini. To maintain them in good health, feed them a variety of foods. Keep in mind that by nature they are bottom dwellers, so be sure to provide some foods that will sink, such as sinking pellets. When conditioning fish prior to breeding, provide plenty of live foods.
They grow up to 10 cm, females are a bit smaller. pH should be around 6,5 temper. around 25'C. Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Blood Parrot Cichlid

Cichlasoma citrinellum
This fish is a cross breed between two central american cichlids. This fish was created by accident. Some aquarists think that this fish should not have been created at all because it has deformed spine, swim bladder and can't close its mouth.
Humans were not so nice to this fish at all. Trying to make good money some people actually dyed Parrots to make them "more attractive". Please DO NOT SUPPORT THIS CRUELTY BY BUYING THEM !!!

Photo by Dusko Bojic

Discus

Symphysodon spp.
To keep Discus water condition is crucial. Nervous fish, they also need peaceful companions. It is perfectly safe keeping them with Angels. Most of the Amazon Charachins make a good tank companions. A tall planted tank with soft, acidic, warm, well filtered water is ideal. Buy proven pairs or a group of young fish and allow them to pair themselves.
It is not easy to sex Discus. The fry must be kept with the parents cause the fry feeds by glancing on the adults body slime. Both parents take care.
Water temperature should be around 29'C, acidic pH 6. They grow up to 15 cm.
Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Angel

Pterophyllum scalare
This fish is a beautiful feature edition to any freshwater tank where tank mates are not fast moving or fin nipping. They are perfect to be kept in an Amazon habitat setup with lots of plants, open space to swim, drift-wood and acidic water conditions. They grow up to 15 cm. The tank depth size has to be 50 cm as this fish is flat, deep-bodied. Angels feel better if kept in groups of 3 or more. They take most foods like live and frozen, as well as young plant shots. Take care not to over feed !!!
There are many Angelfish varieties : Silver, Black Lace, Black, Half Black, Veil-tail, Marble, Golden, Blushing, Pearl and many more.
The water temp. should be around 27'C with 6,5 pH.
Broad-leaf plants such as Amazon Sword Plants are Angels favorites for laying their eggs on.
A medium sized Angel will make a meal out of you neons, so beware!
To see Angelfish video click here.
More info about Angelfish here.

Photo and video by Dusko Bojic

Ram Cichlid

Male;
Female;

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
The Blue Ram Cichlid, also known as the Blue Ram, Dwarf Ram, or Butterfly Cichlid is considered by many to be the most beautiful cichlid. Its bright, dense coloration and small size make them an excellent choice for beginner and experienced aquarists.

They are overall a peaceful fish and will not bother other fish. Blue Rams might occasionally get into quarrels with each other, but they will never actually physically harm each other. Smaller fish may be eaten however, so be careful. Blue Rams should be kept in medium sized tanks, with plenty of rocks, drift-wood and plants. They should have a few hiding places into which they can retreat from quarrels. Blue Rams will not bother live plants.

Blue Rams can be semi-difficult to care for. They are sensitive to chemicals, temperatures and pH levels. Water temperatures should be kept between 22 and 26'C, pH 6.5. They also need highly oxygenated water, so regular water changes are needed. Due to their chemical sensitivity, good filtered water should be used. Blue Rams like the usual fish foods, including live foods. bloodworms, glass worms, brine shrimp and tubifex worms, frozen or alive, are great. Freeze dried and flake foods can be given on occasion. They grow up to 5 cm and will live for 3 years.

Bolivian Ram

Mikrogeophagus altispinosus
The Bolivian Ram is a delightful dwarf Cichlid originating from Bolivia and Brazil. Wild caught specimens seem to be rare and most found in the hobby are captive bred. The Bolivian Ram can be quite variable in it's colouration and body markings, some having predominantly grey bodies whereas others show orange, yellow and pink hues. This Ram grows larger ( 10 cm ) than it's Venezuelan relative the Blue Ram but exhibits the same placid nature making it ideal for a community tank.
The Bolivian Ram is not particularly difficult to care for, as long as stable water chemistry is maintained and Nitrates kept below 25 ppm. They are happy in quite a large pH range and do not require the very soft acidic water often recommended for Blue Rams, a GH of 4 - 12 degrees is fine for these fish. The Bolivian Ram would ideally be kept in a mixed sex pair, if possible you should buy several young Rams and allow them to pair off naturally, once you have a pair you should return the others. The Bolivian is quite a gentle Cichlid and it is not recommended to be kept in a more aggressive Cichlid community. It can be kept with another pair(s) of small non-aggressive Cichlids such as Blue Rams in a tank of 100 L or larger. An ideal aquarium would be well planted and have a number of caves or similar hiding places for the fish to retreat. Dither fish such as smaller Tetras and Rasboras help to alleviate any shyness. These fish are not fussy eaters and will accept flake, sinking tablets and small cichild pellets. Frozen and live bloodworm, black mosquito larvae and brine shrimp are all relished.

Photo from www.israquarium.co.il

Tiger Barb

Puntius tetrazona
The only drawback to these fish is their tendency to nip the fins of their tank mates, especially angels. Single specimens tend to be aggressive and should not be kept. Tiger Barbs should be kept in a shoal of at least six fish. The tank should be sparsely planted with plenty of open space for swimming with a sandy bottom for digging. Feeding is not a problem as they will accept all types of food including flake and frozen, don't overfeed as they are ravenous eaters and will eat all you give them. They prefer a temperature around 27'C and a pH of 6 to 7.5 with soft to hard water. They are best kept with fast moving fish.
Tiger Barb grows up to 8 cm.
There are many different variations of the Tiger Barb, from Albino to the Green.
Photo by Dusko Bojic

Red-Lined Torpedo Barb (Denisonii Barb)

Puntius denisonii
In the wild this fish inhabits fast flowing freshwater streams in India. It is a shoaling fish and should be kept in groups of 4 and up. They do grow up to 15cm and need large tank, 400 L with lots of open swimming space. They relish bloodworm. Water should be around pH 7.5 and with a gentle current and highly clean and oxygenated with temperature around 25'C.
Puntius denisonii is a very beautiful fish and ideally should be kept in a species, fully planted, tank where their color can stand out against calming green plants. They don't show aggression and it is known that they thrive well with many species like various Tetras, Kribensis, Otos, Rainbows and SAE.

Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Zebra Danio

Danio rerio
Among the most hardy and active of aquarium fish, the Zebra danio is easily recognized by its distinctive horizontal stripes. The slim compressed silver-gold body sports blue-purple horizontal stripes running from gill to tail.
Their small size, no more than 6 cm, and peaceful nature, make them well suited to a community aquarium. Both sexes have two pairs of barbels and the same stripes, but females are usually larger and more full-bodied than the males.
They should be provided with plenty of lighting and an open swimming space, together with some vegetation.
Zebra danios are omnivorous, accepting almost any foods. Although undemanding in diet, they particularly enjoy small live or frozen inverts, and fresh vegetable matter.
Zebras are primarily surface dwelling fish that favor moving waters. Technically they are considered cold-water fish. However, they will adapt to a wide range of water conditions. Temperature should be kept between 18-24'C. The pH 6,5-7.

Photo from http://aquantv.com

Harlequin Rasbora

Rasbora heteromorpha
Harlequins prefer an environment with areas of dense vegetation, an open area for swimming, a dark substrate, and subdued lighting. Water temperature should be around 26'C. Water acidic, pH around 6.5
They are most comfortable in a shoal, and should be kept in groups of at least 5 or more. Harlequins make excellent community fish, and will not nip any other species. Do not keep them with aggressive fish or large fish.
They will readily accept flake, dried, frozen, and live foods. A varied diet will ensure that digestive problems, or susceptibility to disease does not occur.
They grow up to 4,5cm and can live up to 6 years.

Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Red-Tailed Black Shark

Epalzeorhynchos bicolor
Red-tailed Shark can be kept easily in the home aquarium for many years. Their water temperature should be kept between 22 and 26'C. The water hardness should be soft pH 6.5. They also benefit from frequent water changes. A larger aquarium is best to house these fish as if you are going to keep more than one as pecking order will be established, with one fish controlling the whole group. You will be able to identify the leader by its intense coloration. Hiding places must be provided. The tank should not be lit to bright as the fish are shy. Decorations should include driftwood and live plants. Diet should be balanced with a good flake food, occasional live food and supplemented with some vegetable matter. All in all Epalzeorhynchos Bicolor is a fine and colorful addition to any aquarium. Specimens that are in poor health or not kept in the proper conditions will appear pale and washed out.
It is a beautiful active fish but can be a nightmare, aggressive towards its own kind and others.
They grow up to 12 cm.

Photo by Dusko Bojic

Silver Bala Shark

Balanteocheilus melanopterus.
Constantly on the move, this active shoaling fish requires a large aquarium ( 500 L ), planted, with plenty of open space to swim in. Provide good filtration and a gentle current. Cause they can jump make sure the tank is covered well. Floating plants help to deter jumping. They can get White Spot if the water temperature is too low. Temp. should be between 22-28'C with pH 7.
They grow large, up to 37 cm. Balas diet is live, frozen, flake food and vegetable matter.
They are fairly peaceful.

Photo by Dusko Bojic.

Fancy Goldfish

Carassius auratus
Goldfish are natural born pigs. They are messy. And they eat a lot. Thus creating the biggest obstacle for many goldfish keepers - the water quality. Like most fish, goldfish prefer to live in clean water. They can tolerate a wide range of pH, but prefer neutral to slightly basic water. They do not do well in any aquarium with ammonia or nitrite present. Since they can easily produce huge quantities of wastes, and ammonia, they should be kept in well-filtered aquariums. That's right-filtered aquariums. Problem is most people try them in a very small bowl first. Setting up a goldfish in a 4 liter bowl is a recipe for disaster. As I mentioned, they eat a lot. They also produce a lot of waste. So in this small container, they will accumulate very high concentrations of the chemicals most toxic to them. You could do daily water changes, but this can be stressful to the fish. So it's best to house the goldfish in a filtered aquarium.
Since goldfish are so messy, and will grow rather large- it's best to house only one small fish per ten gallons. As they get larger, each fish could easily take up thirty gallons each! This and the fact they tend to root around the gravel and disrupt plants and rock work, and the fact they like cooler temperatures, makes them less than ideal for the community aquarium. In general, goldfish are peaceful fish and will get along well with a variety of other species, but they have different needs than most other fish and most likely will never thrive in the community aquarium.
Too many aquarists have killed their goldfish with kindness trying to appease that bottomless appetite. Unfortunately, it is quite possible for that fish to eat itself to death. To literally tear its intestines, or create a backlog of digestion leading to death. So the simple solution is to monitor feeding. Feed them one or two pellets per day.
Goldfish come in many shapes and sizes. They live over 20 years, so think carefully will you be able to keep this big fish for that long.
Photo by Dusko Bojic