Maidenhead Aquatics

There are a lot of Tanganyikan cichlids in the hobby but aside from a handful of Synodontis catfish, not a lot of the other endemics are represented. One of the most impressive is actually a killifish but could hardly be more different than the little annual species that we normally think of. The Tanganyikan killifish (Lamprichthys tanganicanus) is an active midwater species which spawns in rock crevices, often in the face of strong currents and surge conditions that provide high oxygen levels and plenty of exercise. It will thrive in similar conditions in an aquarium and their need for high oxygen levels is the reason why it’s not more commonly seen – these can be difficult fish to transport. This batch were impossible to walk past at our Ashtead branch. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

It’s been a while since we’ve highlighted a Cory, although they’re model aquarium fishes and found in a huge array of colours and forms. These Blackfin corys (Hoplisoma leucomelas) were looking so wonderfully chunky that they were impossible to resist, with the contrast between the curvy females and the more lightly built males being easy to see. As with all of their kind, these are sociable fish that should be kept as a group in a moderately warm aquarium with a sandy substrate. These were at our Swindon branch. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

It's good to see more obscure killifish making their way into the mainstream and these Picturatus killies (Hypsolebias picturatus) are gorgeous little fish. As one of the annual killifish group, they like to bury their eggs in the substrate and these require a period of moist storage in order to hatch. This is a clever adaptation to life in an environment where water entirely disappears during the dry season, enabling fish to survive in a habitat where there is no standing water at all for a period of the year. With this ‘live fast die young’ approach, annual killies spend much of their adult lives breeding and feeding, so are best given a container with a suitable substrate to dive into and kept in a dedicated tank to ensure success. Under certain conditions, compatible tankmates could be added and there’s no reason why they couldn’t retire to a furnished aquarium if desired, once eggs are secured. These gorgeous little fish were at our St Mellons store.

Clownfishes are feisty and often bite the hand that feeds them in a very literal way. The Gold-striped maroon clown (Amphiprion biaculeatus) is one of the most assertive and grows to a size that makes it compatible with a host of species that would normally snack on less robust clowns. Naturally found associated with Bubble anemones, maroons retain a strong sense of what constitutes an appropriate host and will quickly adopt the right anemone if available. As females are capable of reaching over 15cm, it’s important to make sure that any potential hosts are large enough to cope with this. This handsome ‘battle nemo’ was found at our Polhill store. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/marine/da…

A tank of Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) will always catch the eye and these bright red crustaceans have many qualities that make them perfect for home aquaria, which is good news considering that these bright red forms aren’t found in the wild. Their wild ancestors are much less brightly coloured and these brown ‘throwbacks’ regularly crop up in domestic strains. Hardy and comfortable at room temperature, cherry shrimps are a much better alternative to goldfish for small, filtered aquaria. These were looking good at our Leicester store. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

Moving away from community fishes, the Rainbow snakehead (Channa bleheri) is a very popular oddball predator which combines good looks with small size, especially compared to many of its relatives. According to Heiko, he was travelling along the road when his attention was drawn by people digging in the mud supposedly catching fish. This was the moment he first encountered this pocket-sized snakehead which has now become one of the most widely kept and bred of its family. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

Moving up a little in scale, Heiko’s activities in New Guinea led to a rainbowfish named in his honour – Chilatherina bleheri. Bleher’s rainbowfish is dazzling when the males are displaying to one another and we’re proud to say that we’re working together with a specialist breeder to make a number of geographical forms of this fish available, along with many other rainbows bred from parent stock that’s only a generation or two from the wild. Many of these species are at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, so it’s important to get them secure in the hobby. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

To complete the set, another tetra Moenkhausia heikoi can be found in our more specialist stores and seems to inhabit the rocky areas of the Rio Xingu, with large eyes to help it to see in the low light often encountered amongst the large rocks that are typical of this habitat. This might be the perfect choice to fill the otherwise empty open water in an aquarium for L number plecs.

Ember tetras (Hyphessobrycon amandae) have become very popular choices for nano aquaria and are named in honour of Heiko’s mother, hence the ‘ae’ ending rather than ‘i.’ These tiny tetras really glow when settled into a furnished tank, whether it’s an aquascaped planted aquarium or a biotope set up furnished with leaves and bogwood. ow.ly/oUZq50WRfYG

Rummynose tetras (Petitella bleheri) are probably the most commonly seen of the Bleher legacy fishes and are bred in the thousands. A taxonomic reshuffle moved all of the Rummynose together into the same genus, prior to this two of them were in Hemigrammus. A true shoaling tetra, rummies are model community fish. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

With so much of the world mapped and measured, there aren’t many aquatic explorers left compared to previous centuries and now there’s one fewer. Heiko Bleher passed recently, having lived to the age of 80 – quite an accomplishment for a man who’d often be pictured in remote rainforest terrain wearing just his underwear! Heiko took pride in showcasing his exploration of many important regions rich in obscure ichthyofauna and even if you never heard of him, the chances are you’ve kept a species of fish or aquarium plant that’s named in his honour. Heiko was quite a character and many of us have stories of meeting or interacting with him in his long career in aquatics. Unlike most of the people behind the names of our pets, he did his best to promote them commercially and gave species such as the Tami River rainbowfish (Glossolepis pseudoincisa) the title of ‘Millenium rainbow’ as he thought it would be the most significant introduction to the hobby of the time. More than twenty-five years later, they’re still making an impact. Connected to a network of unsung heroes within the industry, many of the species he championed became mainstream and can be seen in our stores. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to find out what fish are named in Keiko's honour.

Lobelias are a common sight in hanging baskets and flower beds but there are species and varieties which have broader uses. For late season colour, hardy lobelias are hard to beat and also popular with pollinators. This White cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica ‘Alba’) is a moisture-loving plant that can be placed in the shallows with its feet in the water or planted in a bog garden that’s always reliably moist. You’ll find them together with blue and red flowered cultivars in our pond sections right now, although they’re often the first plants to sell in late season clearance sales.

Thanks to many bad experiences with the rougher members of the family and a price tag that often puts them in the wrong hands, Damselfishes are often the group that everybody loves to hate - apart from Clownfish which are damsels with a different paint job and better PR. Aggression levels vary amongst species and it’s true to say that all of the members of the yellow-tailed blue group are amongst some of the more reasonable. The Emperor damsel (Chrysiptera arnazae) is the smallest and least aggressive of the group and it’s also monogamous, with pairs forming in a similar way to clowns but with the dominant fish becoming male. Selecting two fish of different sizes and allowing each to hold a territory will keep them busy and should ensure a pair. Like the popular Springer’s damsel (Ch. springeri) these little fish eat flatworms as well as adding vibrant colour and interesting behaviour. This batch was seen recently at Leeds South. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/marine/da…

Freshwater gobies are uncommon in the hobby and tend to come in two main flavours – small riverine species and larger, lurking predators. The Purple-spotted gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa) is a chunky mid-sized predator with plenty of character and a mouth large enough to swallow small fish, tankmates should be sturdy such as large Rainbowfish or barbs. With a distribution that ranges outside the tropics, these fish may benefit from a seasonal drop in temperature for long term health and to trigger spawning. These were seen at our Ascot store. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

Orandas are familiar fancy goldfish known for their exaggerated wen or head growth and we’ve seen some strains that are very well endowed in this respect. These lines, known as Jellyhead or Bubblehead orandas are certainly remarkable and as well as the usual requirement for spacious and well-maintained aquaria, you’d be wise to make sure that any décor is free of edges that could be harmful to these often-clumsy swimmers. These were turning heads at our Cardiff branch. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

It’s probably thanks to being largely imported as mature fish that Pelvicachromis sacrimontis is known as the Giant krib as they don’t grow any larger than more familiar species. Darker than their domesticated pulcher relatives, sacrimontis are found in a few colour forms which are mostly indistinguishable in the females – much like their relatives kribensis and taeniatus. Males can be red, green or yellow and all forms show the same green cheek marking. This batch were looking good at our Melksham store. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

The gold rush of new L numbers may have slowed down but there’s one Loricariid that has been showing up in stores in the past year and attracting plenty of attention. With a body plan reminiscent of a Bulldog plec, the Slate Plec (Pseudancistrus genisetiger) is a Brazilian native that hails from a habitat where water flow changes dramatically with the seasons. This means that it seems very adaptable in terms of captive conditions, with some fluctuations possibly playing a role in triggering spawning behaviour. Data suggests that keeping them in a similar way to Hypancistrus, warm and highly oxygenated but with a more algae-based diet, is appropriate. Reducing flow and raising temperatures slightly might be the way to duplicate the dry season, followed by increased water movement and cooler temperatures. This beauty was one of a batch at our Stratford store. fishkeeper.co.uk/databank

Blanket weed, also known as string algae, silk weed or filamentous algae, is a type of fast-growing green algae that forms long, hair-like strands. It often floats just below the surface or attaches to rocks, plants, pumps, and pond liners — creating unsightly, tangled masses that can quickly take over your pond if left unmanaged. fishkeeper.co.uk/stories/what-i…

Malawi cichlids are often considered to be a stepping stone to marine keeping and it’s fair to say that they have some similarities – they’re often brightly coloured and spend lots of their time attacking one another. One of the most dazzling is the Electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri) which has long been misidentified as ahli. That stunning metallic blue has been bred into many of the peacock hybrids that have risen in popularity, but you can’t beat the real thing. This handsome male was one of several at our Dartford branch. fishkeeper.co.uk/fish/freshwate…

@elizabe54414444 Good morning, please email us directly at customerservice@maidenheadaquatics.co.uk, and our customer service team will be able to help you with your enquiry.

@the_fishkeeper Hi, please could you send me a DM. It’s regarding a refund on an aquarium that was purchased online for a click and collect. Many thanks, Liz