Magazine

In 2020, schools across the country participated in an incredible Fishkeeping programme, and their enthusiasm and dedication truly shone. Every school brought its best efforts to teaching students the joy and responsibility of fishkeeping, resulting in a rewarding experience for all involved.

The programme tasked schools with weekly challenges, ranging from setting up aquariums and safely introducing fish to the tank to testing water

Testing aquarium or pond water is both a critical and essential step in maintaining a healthy, thriving aquatic environment. It allows hobbyists to monitor and maintain the water parameters necessary for the well-being of all fish, plants, and other inhabitants within. Check out our handy guide that explains why the health of your aquarium or pond water means everything to the health and wellbeing of your fish.

Our exclusive Fishkeeper app is the perfect tool to help you record and monitor your pond or aquarium water health. This short article shows you step-by-step how to set up your profile on the app and where you can start recording and tracking the water parameters that are important to your set-up.

As aquarium hobbyists advance, understanding water quality and testing for nitrogenous wastes like Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate becomes crucial for the health of aquatic pets. While many fish species can adapt to varying water conditions, inappropriate chemistry can cause issues, especially for more delicate species. 

With an almost tartan colour pattern that blends with the finely branching corals on which it often perches, the Long-nosed hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) is a popular choice for reef aquaria. Completely harmless to corals (although highly likely to perch on them) they will enjoy eating any small crustaceans or fishes and are bound to end up on the floor if placed in an aquarium without a lid. 

A familiar ally in the fight against algae in our aquaria, the Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata) has a complex lifecycle that has meant captive breeding took a while to crack. Now that this hurdle has been overcome, colour strains are starting to appear, such as these orange Amanos that look even more red-toned after a meal of bloodworm. These were looking good at our Rokers store.

Check out our last delivery times before Christmas and stores and online operating hours and Customer Service availability over the festive period.

It may be getting colder outside but that suits Orfe (Leucisus idus) whether they’re Golden or Blue. They love the higher oxygen levels that go hand in hand with cooler water and are easier to transport as well. 

Having been bred into a large number of colour and finnage forms, the aquarium lines of Bristlenose catfish (Ancistrus sp.) are perfect algae eating community residents for all but the smallest aquaria.

As the weather cools and focus shifts indoors, the ‘trop season’ is upon us. Since the last one there’s been some changes to the names of things with Corydoras catfish and now it seems tetras being reclassified. Predictably, it takes suppliers a while to catch up with these name changes and many people will be pleased to hear that common names are pretty much unaffected.

Traditionally there’s a number of species that are bred and sold to us with the wrong names and have been for years, many

Yellow tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens) have joined the roster of rare and expensive marines in the last few years and it’s great to see a chunky and fin-perfect specimen like this one at Scotsdale. Their availability might have changed dramatically, but caring for this fish hasn’t – especially since captive bred specimens now dominate the trade.

Fish in the flesh – some thoughts on why we feel it’s best to buy your new pets in a bricks and mortar store.

I won’t lie to you; I buy things online like pretty much everyone else. There’s massive convenience in being able to search for obscure or specialist items that you’d have to trudge around shops to find. It’s also handy being able to shop when stores are closed, or if you don’t have the time for an away mission. Some things are dependable, identical and low risk when bought

In a departure from the usual format, here’s a fish which is currently arriving in our stores for all the wrong reasons. The Marbled clarias (Clarias batrachus) is a domestic strain of a fish that is also known as the Walking catfish. With an adult size of around 45cm, this tough and rather belligerent food fish is being sold as tiny, adorable youngsters by a number of irresponsible retailers – most of which are unable to house them when customers attempt to return them

Once a familiar sight in pet shops everywhere, the tiny hatchling green turtles that found their way into people’s homes over the last few decades have now given rise to a significant feral population of adults that outgrew their owners’ facilities and were released to their fate in the wild. Although banned from importation into the EU thanks to their invasive tendencies in warmer climates, many Red-eared and Yellow-bellied sliders (Trachemys scripta spp.) can be found in UK waters up and

Pond plants can go from mundane to spectacular and these Japanese Iris (Iris ensata ‘Cheesecake’) were definitely eye catching. One of the Dinner plate series, this is Cheesecake, although I’m led to believe they taste like normal iris. As with most pond plants, this is a hardy perennial that requires sunshine and wet feet to thrive. Flowering will be enhanced by the use of fertiliser balls or regular repotting to ensure optimal nutrition. These beauties were seen at our

Sarasa comets (Carassius auratus) are always eye-catching, with reds that put all but the most highly bred Koi to shame. Whether mixed with contrasting varieties such as Shubunkin or Canary goldfish, or brightening the pond with their crimson and white, it’s hard to find a better pond fish for the average garden pond. You’ll find them in all of our pond sections at the moment.

We are thrilled to announce that our School of the Year 2024 winner is Collydean Primary School.

Fishkeeper Fry 2024 has now come to a close and it has been exciting to have been able to deliver this year's programme. Our participating schools this year have produced some amazing work with the support and encouragement of their dedicated teachers and we are thrilled to see how the students of the schools have engaged in the tasks and activities throughout, some even coming up with some personal activities, linking it to the programme.

The pond season is well underway now and our stores are filling with gorgeous pond plants and a wealth of hardy goldfish. Meanwhile, the fancy goldfish are providing a pet that the weather can’t spoil with a range of body forms that are unknown in nature. Some of these forms are rather extreme, such as these Dragon-eyed pearlscales (Carassius auratus) seen recently at Ascot. Although peaceful, fishes such as these are best kept alongside other similar breeds

They might not be as generous as the easter bunny, but rabbitfish are very giving when it comes to algae control. This One-spot fox face (Siganus unimaculatus) at Reefkeeper Rugby makes a great alternative to the more active tangs but will reach a size that necessitates a spacious aquarium. Every time I write about these fishes I wonder why the old common name of Badger fish isn’t more widely used, but then the native name of Spinefoot (thanks to their stinging