How many times have you seen Java Moss in your local pet store and been fascinated by the texture? It’s one of the most popular plants for freshwater aquariums, and it’s very easy to grow.

Once you learn these simple steps on how to grow Java moss, you’ll be able to enjoy this beautiful plant yourself!

Java moss is a popular freshwater aquarium plant for many reasons. Not only does it have an attractive texture, but Java Moss also has a high tolerance to nitrate and phosphate levels in the water, making it easier to maintain than many other plants.

Love Moss?

11 Common & 7 Rare Moss To Pick From!

Java Moss is also a great plant for beginners to grow because it will simply grow out from its original location and attach itself onto any surface that you place it on, such as rocks or driftwood in your aquarium.

It doesn’t have roots but instead uses a very fine, red-brown thread called a “rhizoid” to attach itself onto surfaces.

If you want Java Moss to stick to an object in your aquarium you should first clean the surface of any algae or other organic matter. Then you should break the Java Moss into several pieces and use some string or fishing line to hold it in place.

It will stick and start growing within about two weeks, so be sure that whichever object you plan to attach Java moss too is in an area where there’s plenty of light for growth as well! Once the Java Moss has stuck, you can then remove the string or line that you used to hold it in place.

There’s 3 things you can to today to make Java Moss grow faster.

Fluvico Team

1. Separate your Java Moss filaments. When your Java Moss grows densely, it will reveice less light and less nutrients as its sharing. Once the moss becomes thick and dense, split it into 2 or 3 parts and replant.
2. Give the Java Moss more light. Although this moss isn’t fussy about light, you will notice it growing faster when it has access to brighter aquarium lights. Alternatively, you can move the moss to a brighter area or let it float for a while until your happy with the new growth then replant.
3. Add a liquid fertiliser. Since the moss doesn’t have roots, it takes all of it’s nutrition from the water. A liquid fertiliser will help with this, although not essential.

Java Moss: A Brief History

The Java Moss was first discovered in 1825 by a botanist named Alexander von Humboldt.

He found the plant while exploring Southeast Asia, and he recognized it as being unique from other mosses because of its much greater size. The name “Java” came from his belief that this new species had been imported to other areas of the world from Java, Indonesia.

Scientifically called ‘Taxiphyllum barbieri’, it belongs to the class Bryopsida, and grows in a single filament or strands. Other plants belonging to the Bryopsida are liverworts, hornworts, and 95% of mosses.

It can grow to be up to two inches tall, does not flower and is most often found submerged under water or on the surface of stones that are wet for more than three months out of the year.

Maintenance

With Java Moss growing so easily once you have the tank parameters correct, it’s important to know how to apply take care of it. In this next section, we’ll cover how Java Moss can be maintained and what you need to do to keep it looking healthy at all times.

• Java Moss can grow well in bright or gloomy tanks but with at least six hours of natural or artificial light each day.
• Your Java Moss should be trimmed every two weeks if you want your mound large and dense, trimming Java Moss every week will produce a short and dense mound, and trimming once a month should result in medium-sized clumps.
• If you are growing your moss outside of the tank on another surface such as driftwood or rock then it is best to keep them trimmed at least monthly.
• Java Moss does not require any special fertilizer, but if you want to fertilize your moss make sure it is a slow-release nutrient of high quality.

Using Java Moss as a nursery for baby fish and shrimp

Java Moss makes a fantastic natural hiding place for young fry & shrimp allowing them to hide from predators.

If you want your moss to act as a defensive nursery against larger fish, then you’ll want to let it grow longer and avoid trimming regularly.

Most common uses in Aquariums

• It can also be draped over driftwood pieces, or it can even line the bottom and sides of an aquarium with Java moss for a natural look.
• Java Moss has been used in aquariums since the 1960’s as a decoration. It can be found on vertical surfaces, and is also popular for spread out across the tank like a carpet.
• You can also use this wonderful moss to hide plant roots that are peeking out from underneath rocks.

Common Problems

Java Moss is one of the easiest plants to grow. However, it can be susceptible to common problems that are easy to identify and resolve. If you notice any of these conditions on your Java moss:

• Browning or yellowing of strands
• Leaves coming off in clumps
• Leaves curling under
• Algae growth or water clarity problems

then there are a few steps you can take to fix the problem.

– If the browning is due to lack of light, move your Java Moss to a brighter area.

– If the yellowing strands are caused by too much nitrogen or iron in the water, use an acidic solution to remove excess nutrients from the aquarium.

– Plant your Java Moss in its original container with fresh soil and wait for the plant to recover.

– If any of these treatments fail, try removing Java Moss from your aquarium and soak it in a bowl of cold water until you see new growth.

After following these steps, monitor your moss regularly for signs that things have returned to normal or if they worsen again. Use our comprehensive Grow Guide as a reference when needed!

Care & Growing Guide

Tank Requirements

While Java Moss is hardy, ensuring proper tank conditions can maximize its growth and health. It thrives in a wide range of temperatures, from 59 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, making it suitable for many types of freshwater aquariums. Additionally, a gentle water flow can promote its growth, helping spread nutrients and prevent stagnant water.

Tank Size

As for tank size, Java Moss isn’t particularly demanding. Although it can grow in small jars or tanks, a minimum of 10 gallons is recommended to allow ample room for growth. Be aware, without regular trimming, it can proliferate, sometimes overtaking other plants.

Water Parameters

Java Moss isn’t picky about water parameters. It can survive in various water hardness levels and a pH range of 5.0 to 8.0. However, a neutral to slightly acidic pH is preferable for optimal growth.

Nutrition

Java Moss is quite autonomous, drawing nutrition directly from the water column. Still, the addition of a liquid fertilizer can enhance its growth, especially if other plants in the tank absorb most of the nutrients.

CO2

While Java Moss doesn’t require added CO2, its growth rate will significantly benefit from it. However, balance is key, as excessive CO2 can be harmful to fish.

Lighting

Java Moss is a low-light plant, tolerating a variety of lighting conditions. Too much light can encourage the growth of algae, which competes with the moss for nutrients.

Substrate

Java Moss doesn’t require substrate as it doesn’t root. Instead, it attaches itself to objects such as rocks or driftwood using tiny rhizoids.

Trimming & Pruning

Due to its fast growth, periodic trimming is recommended to keep Java Moss from overwhelming your tank. These trimmings can be reused in the same tank or elsewhere.

Tips to Make Your Java Moss Grow Faster

To accelerate the growth of Java Moss, provide it with moderate lighting, CO2 injection, and a balanced supply of nutrients. Regular trimming can also stimulate growth.

How to Plant, Aquascape & Propagate a Java Moss

How To: Attach Java Moss To Driftwood or Hardscape

To attach Java Moss to driftwood or hardscape, simply use a fishing line or thread to tie it securely. Over time, the moss will naturally attach itself to the surface using its rhizoids.

How to Propagate Java Fern

Java Moss propagation is straightforward. Simply take a healthy piece from an existing clump and place it where you want it to grow. Given appropriate conditions, it will begin to expand.

Tips for Planting Java Moss for Effective Carpet Coverage

For effective carpet coverage, divide your Java Moss into small clumps and attach them to a mesh grid. Position the grid on your tank bottom and over time, the moss will grow through the mesh, creating a lush carpet.

Is Java Moss right for your aquarium?

Java Moss is an excellent choice for both novice and experienced aquarists due to its low maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and hardiness.

It enhances your tank’s biodiversity and offers refuge for aquatic life, significantly contributing to a balanced and vibrant aquarium ecosystem.

However, regular care and attention are needed to keep its growth in check and ensure it complements rather than dominates your aquascape.

Once you add Java Moss to your aquarium, like any mosses it can be very difficult to completely remove with each individual strand capable of multiplying and growing independently.

Hopefully this Java Moss guide has helped you in your decision whether moss is the right choice for your next aquascape.

As always, if you’ve got any questions or want to help out others with advice, leave your comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Charlie!

More Reading

Are you curious about tissue culture plants and what their benefits and drawbacks might be? Let’s talk about the process of how tissue culture plants are produced and whether or not they are the right choice for your next planted aquarium.

What are Tissue Culture Plants?

The term “tissue culture” (sometimes called “in vitro” or “lab-grown”) sounds a little intimidating and scientific, but it is not too complicated once you break it down. In order to create a tissue culture plant, the facility or laboratory does the following:

1. Cut off a tissue sample or part of an existing plant.
2. Add the plant part to a sterile liquid medium containing nutrients, vitamins, and plant growth hormones. (Older methods may use a gel medium.)
3. The plant sample absorbs the nutrients and grows into a clone of the original plant.

Tissue culture process where small plant pieces being placed on nutrient-rich medium

These steps are similar to traditional ways of propagating a plant, such as planting seeds or cutting and replanting stems. However, tissue cultures have a few advantages that are attractive to fishkeepers. For example, growing healthy plants in a sterile environment means they are free from pests and pathogens. If a certain plant has a desirable or attractive trait, producing exact copies or clones of the plants ensures that these features are passed down. The tissue culture process is even used in other similar industries, such to mass-produce house or garden plants or to create whole new plants from plant cells that have been genetically modified (e.g., Monstera deliciosa ‘Thai Constellation’ variety).

When it comes to buying aquarium plants, tissue culture might be a great option for your planted tank. However, you might opt for using traditional potted plants instead if the drawbacks outweigh the benefits for you. 

Mass production of tissue culture plants growing in a small, sterile lab

The Pros and Cons of Tissue Culture and Potted Plants

The benefits of tissue culture aquarium plants:

Tissue culture aquarium plants are guaranteed to be 100% free from algae, snails, and other pests. This is the perfect scenario if you like your aquarium to be free of snails and want to minimize the risk of adding unwanted plants like duckweed. Tissue culture plants are also easy to prepare before adding them to your tank. They usually come in a liquid medium, which you can just rinse off. Lastly, tissue culture cups contain more plants — although in a smaller size — for a similar price as a potted plant.

The downsides of tissue culture aquarium plants:

Although they have a few benefits, tissue culture plants aren’t perfect. They may experience some melting during the acclimation process to your aquarium. Since these plants come from a sterile environment packed with nutrients, they will have to adapt to their new, non-sterile home in your aquarium and this process might cause them to melt back a bit before taking off. Also, they might be too small for the space you are trying to fill. Typically, tissue culture plants come in a cup that fits in the palm of your hand, so you will have to give these plants a lot of time to grow and fill in completely.

Left to right: Potted plant and tissue culture of dwarf sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata)

The benefits of potted aquarium plants:

Potted plants have the advantage of being quite hardy and robust compared to tissue culture. They come with well-established roots that can absorb nutrients and start building new leaves in your aquarium. Therefore, you may experience less melting with potted plants when adding them to your own aquarium. Additionally, potted plants are generally much larger in size. They will fill out your tank immediately and look great right from the start. For this reason, potted plants are a better choice if you don’t want to wait such a long time for your plants to look full and mature.

The downsides of potted aquarium plants:

Potted plants might be carrying snails, snail eggs, algae, duckweed, or other pests. Another drawback is that, depending on the species, you may only get one plant for the price, although it is usually larger than its tissue culture counterpart. Lastly, plants potted in rock wool may be a bit harder to prepare before adding to the aquarium because strong roots make it difficult to remove the rock wool completely.

Crypt parva tissue culture cup

When it comes to selecting your plants, only you can decide which you would rather add to your aquarium. There is no perfect method, and tissue culture isn’t necessarily better than potted plants — they just offer variety on the market.

If you are running an existing low tech setup with low lighting and no CO2, then potted plants may adapt more readily to this environment, especially if they have already been growing submerged under water. In this case, tissue culture plants might have a hard time competing with the already established plants in the tank for light and nutrients.

However, using tissue culture plants makes a lot of sense if you are going to set up a new high tech, fully planted system using CO2 and you want your tank to be clean and sterile. Most tissue culture plants really flourish in new high tech aquariums where they don’t have to compete with other plants for light or nutrients.

Tissue culture aquarium plants in small plastic containers

As a special note, consider opting for tissue culture Bucephalandra species (or buce plants) when possible. Buce in the aquarium trade often comes from a wild source where harvesting plants may harm the local ecosystem and wildlife. This isn’t true for all types being sold, but since it’s hard to distinguish between reputable growers and wild-harvested plants, tissue culture is a great alternative for sustainably purchasing bucephalandra.

To prepare a tissue culture plant to add to your aquarium:

1. Remove the lid or cap, and gently pull the plant clump out of the container.
2. Rinse it under water to remove any liquid or gel media. (When removing gel, use a bucket or bowl to catch it, and toss the gel into the trash instead of rinsing it down the drain.)
3. Break up the plant clump into smaller pieces if desired and plant using tweezers or fingers.

Remember that not all plants should be buried in the substrate, so make sure to read our quick guide on how to plant different types of aquarium plants.

With so many aquarium fish available in the fish store, many species are commonly sold but end up going unnoticed by hobbyists. Sometimes they are looked down upon as “beginner fish” that aren’t as rare or unique enough. Other times, they may have once been all the rage but then fell out of favor for more newly discovered species. Most of these animals are pretty hardy and not hard to find, so take a look at our top 5 underappreciated fish that you should consider trying in your next aquarium.

1. Common Goldfish

Carassius auratus

While fancy goldfish like ranchus and orandas often get a lot of attention, the common goldfish is often the first pet fish that people have ever kept because they’re frequently given away as carnival prizes or sold cheaply as feeder fish. While fancy goldfish have an egg-shaped body with a flowy, double tail, the common goldfish has a torpedo-shaped body with a single tail and therefore can swim much faster. They come in many colors including orange, red, white, black, yellow, olive-brown, and more. Because of their inexpensive cost, most beginner fishkeepers don’t realize that common goldfish can grow up to 12 inches long and live between 10–40 years. However, they are extremely robust and can absolutely be a fun monster fish to keep in the right setup.

Depending on the adult size of the fish, common goldfish may eventually need to be kept in a large tank of 4 feet or longer. As a cool water fish that enjoys temperatures from 50–78°F (10–26°C) and beyond, they can also live in an outdoor pond. They are not picky about pH levels from 6–8 and soft to hard GH, but they will eat most of your aquarium plants if given the chance. We like to use them as “vacuum cleaners” to get rid of excess duckweed, but for their normal diet, feed them goldfish pellets, Repashy gel food, and plenty of blanched and canned vegetables to help prevent bloating. They will peacefully live with other cool water tank mates that aren’t small enough to be eaten, so check out the bigger species on this list.

2. White Cloud Mountain Minnow

Tanichthys albonubes

If the common goldfish is too massive for your tastes but you like the idea of keeping an unheated aquarium, why not try the white cloud minnow? At only 1.5 inches (4 cm) long, they are one of our bestsellers at the Aquarium Co-op fish store because of their hardiness and ease of breeding for an egg-scattering species. The regular type has a gray-brown body, white horizontal stripe, and red fins, but they also come in 24k gold and long fin varieties. As a schooling fish originally from China and Vietnam, they can live in pH of 6.5–8.5, 65–77°F (18–25°C), and soft to hard water. You’ll want to get a group of at least six minnows for a 10-gallon tank or larger if you want to add more tank mates. They go well with almost any similar-sized, peaceful fish that likes cooler water, such as celestial pearl danios, clown killifish, and variatus platies. Because of their tiny mouths, aim for smaller foods like crushed flakes, nano pellets, frozen daphnia, and Easy Fry and Small Fish Food. For more information on how to breed them, see our full care guide.

3. Paradise Fish

Macropodus opercularis

The paradise fish or paradise gourami is one of the first ornamental fish ever kept in an fish tank and is known for its beautiful blue and red-orange tiger striping and lyre-shaped tail. While it used to be abundant in the aquarium trade, now it’s a little harder to find since fishkeepers gradually moved toward the latest and greatest. At 2.5–3 inches (6–8 cm) in size, think of this Asian labyrinth fish as an undemanding centerpiece alternative to a betta fish or dwarf gourami that would do fine in an unheated fish tank of 20 gallons or more. They can live in an exceptionally wide range of water parameters, including pH levels of 6–8, 60–80°F (16–27°C), and soft to hard GH. They are semi-aggressive like bettas and dwarf gouramis, so keep them with fast-swimming or unflappable tank mates like barbs, loaches, and peaceful catfish that aren’t big enough to eat them. They aren’t difficult to feed and will happily consume all the typical betta fish foods — such as frozen bloodworms, betta pellets, and freeze-dried brine shrimp.

4. Bolivian Ram Cichlid

Mikrogeophagus altispinosus

Everyone loves the colorful German blue ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) and its many color morphs, but don’t forget about the Bolivian ram, its hardy cousin that is much easier to care for. They have a very similar shape as the German blue ram with a yellowy body, red-rimmed fins, and a black stripe running vertically through its eye. Plus, the males have elongated streamers on the tips of their fins and tail. Their natural habitat in the Amazon River basin ranges from 72–80°F (22–27°C), pH between 6–7.5, and soft to moderate hardness. This bottom dweller enjoys digging through the substrate, so use sand or small-sized gravel to see this natural behavior. They don’t tend to uproot plants, so you should have no problems keeping them in a planted aquarium.

A single or pair of rams can live in a 20-gallon fish tank, but go for a larger size if you plan on adding tank mates. While they are fairly peaceful, ram cichlids can get a little territorial during mating season, so provide lots of hiding spots and aquarium plants to block line of sight. If you find your rams are a bit shy, pick some dither fish — like outgoing tetras, corydoras, or livebearers — to help them feel more comfortable. Feed them plenty of foods like sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms, and live white worms, and if you have a pair, you may soon see some eggs laid on a flat stone or in a small pit. The adults show excellent parental care by guarding their young until they are old enough to feed on their own, so definitely give them a shot.

5. Kribensis

Pelvicachromis pulcher

This amazing 3- to 4-inch (7.5–10 cm) cichlid has some of the most beautiful rainbow colors found in the freshwater aquarium hobby. Imagine a fish with a yellow face, reddish-pink belly, black horizontal band, and black eye spots on the dorsal fin and tail. Plus, the fins display many more colors like orange, blue, and sometimes even lavender. While they are a type of African cichlid, they come from slow-moving, plant-filled waters in Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon and do not have the extremely high pH requirements of African Rift Lake cichlids. You can keep them in pH between 6–8, 75–82°F (24–28°C), and soft to hard water.

As another bottom dweller that likes to dig, give them a 20-gallon long or larger tank with sand or small gravel and hardier plants like anubias and java fern. While they can become territorial when breeding, they do get along with other similar-sized, community fish such as tetras, barbs, catfish, and loaches. Like Apistogramma and ram cichlids, they show parental care over their offspring and reproduce quite readily as long as you provide apisto caves and coconut huts for spawning. Give them a nice, varied diet of pellets, flakes, brine shrimp, and even some blanched or canned vegetables to keep them happy and healthy.

All of these underrated fish have a special place in our hearts because they have brought us many years of enjoyment in our home aquariums and ponds, so we hope you consider giving them a try the next time you go fish shopping. While we do not ship live fish, you can check out our list of preferred online retailers that will deliver fish and invertebrates to your front door.

Cory catfish are one of our favorite bottom dwellers because of their easy-going personalities, constant scavenging, and silly antics. With more than 150 Corydoras species to choose from, the salt and pepper cory is one of our best-selling fish at Aquarium Co-Op. Find out why these nano bottom dwellers are so popular and how to provide them with a comfortable environment to thrive in.

Salt and pepper cory in a planted tank

What are Habrosus Corydoras?

Corydoras habrosus is the largest of the three species of “dwarf corydoras,” with the round-bellied females reaching 1.5 inches (3.5 cm) and males being slightly smaller and slimmer. Unlike the other two dwarf corydoras that hover in the middle of the tank, habrosus corys prefer to swim near the bottom, using their little barbels or whiskers to search for food. They are very active yet peaceful critters that exhibit many of the unique personality quirks of their larger corydoras cousins. Expect to see them randomly dart up to the surface for a gulp of air or unexpectedly “wink” at you while resting on the ground.

What is the difference between the habrosus, hastatus, and pygmy cory? All three of these dwarf corydoras are similar in size and coloration. However, they have clear differences in their patterns that you can easily identify:

• C. habrosus (salt and pepper cory): silvery-tan body with an uneven, horizontal black stripe, a striped tail, and darker splotches on the head and back
• C. hastatus (tail spot cory): silvery body with a big, black spot at the base of the tail that is flanked by small, white dots
• C. pygmaeus (pygmy cory): silvery body with a thin, horizontal black stripe

Left to right: C. habrosus, C. hastatus, and C. pygmaeus

The common name “salt and pepper cory catfish” refers to the dappled markings on C. habrosus, but don’t confuse it for the “peppered cory catfish” or C. paleatus, which also has a mottled pattern but grows up to 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) long.

How to Set Up an Aquarium for Salt and Pepper Corydoras

The habrosus cory can be found in the flooded forests and slow-moving streams of Columbia and Venezuela that are chock full of underwater foliage and tree roots. Hundreds of them can be found congregating around the dense cover while sifting through the substrate. Therefore, we recommend using a filter with gentle flow with lots of live aquarium plants and driftwood to simulate their natural habitat. Because they are accustomed to the changing parameters introduced by the rainy seasons, you can keep them in pH of 6–8, 70–78°F (20–26°C), and soft to moderately hard water. A 10-gallon aquarium is a good starting point, depending on the size of the school and number of tank mates.

How many habrosus corys should be kept together? As a smaller schooling fish, they would feel most comfortable in a larger group of at least 8–12 other habrosus corys. The greater the numbers, the more you will see their delightful personalities shine.

What fish can live with habrosus corydoras? They are very mild-mannered and get along with virtually any peaceful community fish that isn’t big enough to eat them. Common tank mates include chili rasboras, celestial pearl danios, clown killifish, green neon tetras, snails, and other small catfish. They can live with adult dwarf shrimp but may opportunistically consume any baby shrimp or fish fry that cross their paths.

Salt and pepper cory on sand substrate

What Do Habrosus Cory Catfish Eat?

While they are excellent “vacuum cleaners” that will suck up any tasty morsels they find, cory catfish cannot live on leftovers alone and must be fed a variety of sinking fish foods to stay healthy. Also, they are not the fastest eaters and like to take their time foraging, so be careful about pairing them with fast swimmers that will gobble up every crumb before it ever hits the floor. We like to feed them a mixture of nano pellets, sinking wafers, frozen daphnia, baby brine shrimp, and live micro worms. Repashy gel food is one of their favorites since it stays solid in the water for up to 24 hours, allowing them to graze all day long to fill their little stomachs.

Habrosus corys love to eat meaty foods and generally do not go after algae or vegetables.

How to Breed Salt and Pepper Cory Catfish

Breeding habrosus corydoras at home is so fun. Like most corydoras, you can condition them for spawning by increasing the amount of food you feed them. Some breeders recommend having more males than females and doing frequent, large water changes with cooler, soft water to imitate the rainy season. When the female is plump and full of eggs, the males will start chasing her everywhere until she is ready to mate. The sticky, fertilized eggs are typically deposited on aquarium walls, plant leaves, or even a DIY spawning mop sunken to the ground.

The adults like to eat their own eggs, so either remove all the fish from the breeding tank or remove the eggs. The eggs can be gently rolled off with your finger, or you can remove the entire spawning mop if there are eggs in there. Corydoras eggs are prone to growing fuzzy fungus, so to increase the hatch rate, consider placing them in a catch cup with an air stone and adding a few drops of methylene blue or alder cones as an antifungal treatment. Once the fry have hatched, change the water to remove the methylene blue, and feed the newborns tiny sinking foods like vinegar eels, powered fry food, and raw Repashy powder. Keep the water quality high with frequent water changes, and as soon as they are big enough, start feeding live baby brine shrimp to significantly boost their growth.

Alder cones and other botanicals add brown tannins to the water and have very mild antifungal properties.

We hope you will give this petite catfish a chance the next time you’re setting up a nano (or larger) aquarium. While we do not ship live fish, you can check out our list of preferred online vendors to see the latest livestock they have available. Plus, we have many more corydoras species to suggest, so read our article on the 10 Best Cory Catfish You Have to Try.

Contrary to popular belief, aquarium fish are not necessarily the cheapest animals at the pet store. By the time you buy the fish tank, heater, filter, and decorations, you may find that you have a limited budget for the actual fish themselves. The last thing you want to do is get a fragile animal that is difficult to care for or won’t last very long. To help you narrow down the huge selection of fish at the pet store, we’ve compiled our top 5 freshwater fish that are not only affordable but also hardy and safe for community tanks. Plus, most of these species either live for a long time or are easy to reproduce so that you don’t constantly have to buy new fish.

1. Sunset Variatus Platy

Xiphophorus variatus

Our founder Cory saw these colorful fish at the pet store, took them home, and had so much fun breeding them. Even to this day, he keeps them in his fish room and constantly recommends them to new and veteran fishkeepers equally. The variatus platy is a very robust species of platy fish that originally comes from Mexico’s plant-filled waterways and now has spread to surrounding countries, as well as Asia. The sunset variety grows to about 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) long with a yellow body that gradually blends into a red-orange tail. This ombre coloration looks jaw-dropping in a planted tank full of greenery.

Spend your money on one male and two to three females for a 15- to 20-gallon aquarium or larger, and they will easily breed to fill the whole tank with bursts of color and energy. Platies, like most livebearers, do prefer harder water, so aim for pH levels of 7–8 and 10° (180 ppm) GH or greater. They also enjoy cooler temperatures, so no heater is needed if your room temperature remains between 65–78°F (18–26°C). They are always ready to eat and will even pick at algae in your tank, so feed them an omnivorous diet with both protein and fibrous ingredients, such as community fish flakes, mineral-rich pellets, and freeze-dried brine shrimp. For more details, see our full platy care guide.

2. Black Neon Tetra

Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi

Many beginners are familiar with the neon tetra (Paracheirodon innesi), but we often like to recommend the black neon tetra instead because of their resilience to many fish diseases, confident and active personality, and relatively long lifespan for a tetra. This 1- to 1.5-inch (2.5–3.8 cm) schooling fish has a pearly white stripe paired with a bold black band running down its body and bright red “eyeshadow” above its eye, which looks amazing when swimming across a green background of live aquarium plants.

As a native of Brazil’s Paraguay River basin, they come from more acidic waters, but we’ve found they do just fine in pH levels between 5–8, soft to moderately hard water, and 72–80°F (22–27°C). A group of six can live in a 10-gallon aquarium, but go for 20 gallons or more to increase the size of the school or add tank mates. This deep-bodied tetra goes well with small- to medium-sized community fish, such as hatchetfish, dwarf cichlids, and even angelfish. They tend to hang out in the upper half of the water column, so offer floating or slowly sinking foods such as krill flakes, nano pellets, freeze-dried tubifex worms, and daphnia. Read our article on black neon tetra for more information.

3. Kuhli Loach

Pangio kuhlii

If you want an awesome oddball fish that only costs a few dollars but lives practically forever (i.e., 10 years or more), you have to try the kuhli loach. They look like a 3- to 4-inch (8–10 cm) miniature eel with a yellow-tan body marked by dark brown bands on their back. The little barbels or whiskers around their mouths are excellent for foraging and picking up the smallest crumbs in the aquarium. As a predominantly meat-eating bottom dweller, they love sinking foods like wafers, frozen bloodworms, Repashy gel food, and live worms.

Kuhli loaches are mostly nocturnal, so if you find that other fish are eating all the food before it ever reaches the ground, try feeding them at night when the aquarium lights are off. We have found they do great in a group of 3–6 (or more) of their own kind in a 20-gallon fish tank or bigger. Because they’re so peaceful and stay out of everyone’s way, they pair well with almost any other community tank mates — like tetras, corydoras, livebearers, and even betta fish. They are found in freshwater streams all over Asia and can thrive in a wide range of pH between 5.5–7.5, soft to moderately hard GH, and 74–80°F (23–27°C). Learn more about this fascinating creature in our kuhli loach care guide.

4. Albino Corydoras

Corydoras aeneus (albino version)

Corydoras aeneus is known as the “bronze cory,” but the albino version is much more popular because of its striking, pinkish-white coloration, iridescent cheeks, and rows of bony, armored plates. Unlike some Corydoras species, the albino cory is extremely personable and not afraid of swimming out in the open. Get a school of at least 4–6 of them for a 20-gallon aquarium, and you’ll see them constantly sniffing the ground with their prominent barbels and cleaning the floor of excess food. They also have many other interesting behaviors, such as randomly darting up to the water’s surface to grab a gulp of air or “winking” at you when they are resting on the substrate.

This 2.5- to 2.75-inch (6-7 cm) South American catfish comes from Colombia and Trinidad and can live in pH from 6–8, soft to hard GH, and temperatures between 72–82°F (22–28°C). You can keep them with similar-sized, peaceful tank mates, such as rasboras, otocinclus catfish, and most of the other species on this list. As bottom dwellers, their favorite fish foods include sinking wafers, Repashy gel food, frozen bloodworms, tubifex worms, and other meaty dishes. Feed them well, and they will reward you by spawning eggs all over the tank, paving the way for the next generation of little, pink catfish.

5. Cherry Barb

Puntius titteya — female (above) and male (below)

Most people shy away from barbs because of their boisterous attitudes, but the 2-inch (5 cm) cherry barb is as tame as a tetra. This gorgeous schooling fish from Sri Lanka has some clear sexual dimorphism, so you can easily distinguish between the males and females. The boys have that bright, cherry red body with black-rimmed scales and a somewhat dotted black horizontal line, whereas the girls are tannish with a more solid black line. You can also find albino and long fin (or veiltail) versions at the fish store. Their lovely crimson colors look stunning in a forest of green aquatic plants, which is why they’re so popular with planted tank hobbyists.

A group of six can be kept in a 10-gallon aquarium, but we suggest getting a mix of 1–2 females for every male so that the boys will display their best breeding colors. They tend to swim in the lower half of the water column but are not picky eaters and will swim anywhere to reach their food. Look for products that contain naturally red ingredients (e.g., krill flakes, baby brine shrimp, and Easy Fry and Small Fish Food) to enhance their scarlet hues. Because of seasonal monsoons, they thrive in a broad range of water parameters, including 72–80°F (22–27°C), pH of 6–8, and soft to hard water. To learn more about suitable roommates and how to breed them, see our cherry barb article.

While we do not ship live fish, we have prepared a curated list of online fish retailers that we trust because of their high-quality livestock, premier packaging, and excellent customer service. Check out their latest stock and use our affiliate code aquariumcoop to get an automatic 5% discount.

If you add a new aquarium plant to your tank, it may look great for a couple weeks, but then it starts losing some leaves or just looks like it’s dying back in general. Don’t give up! It is common for aquarium plants to change and adapt when they experience a disruption in growing conditions. Learn about 7 reasons why this may happen and what you can do to give your plants the best chance to grow to their fullest potential.

1. You just got a brand-new plant from the store or online and added it to your aquarium.

Many plant farms actually grow aquarium plants out of water or emersed. This is for a few reasons — the plants grow faster out of water, tend to ship better, and can be kept free of algae. However, when you buy an emersed-grown plant and put it in your aquarium, the plant must then transition into a submersed-grown (or fully underwater) plant. The emersed-grown leaves are used to taking light and CO₂ from the air, so once the plant is kept submerged underwater, it has to adapt and grow new leaves that are capable of taking in CO₂ and nutrients from the water. When this happens, the emersed-grown leaves die off completely and the plant may appear to be “melting.”

Over time, the plant will regrow but may look a bit different than before as it takes on its underwater form. All the thick, broad, emersed leaves melt away, and smaller, thinner, submersed leaves will replace them. As long as it has healthy roots and is not moved once planted, you should see little shoots popping up within a few weeks. Also, it doesn’t hurt to remove leaves that are clearly melting. Simply cut off the dying leaf at the base of the stem or near the substrate. Rotting leaves can sometimes cause nitrogen spikes or algae growth, so it’s common to remove them unless your clean-up crew members consume the dead leaf first.

Trimming browning leaves on a Java fern plant

2. A plant that has already been growing in an aquarium experiences a change in water parameters.

It is normal for plants to melt or experience browning of leaves when they undergo an environmental change, such as moving from one aquarium to another or from your local fish store’s tank to your home tank. Altering the water parameters drastically in the same tank can also cause a similar effect. You may experience melting if you suddenly increase or decrease your fertilizer dosing, add CO₂ gas, interrupt your normal water change schedule, or make lighting changes. Even temperature changes like rising heat in the summer can alter the regularity of the aquarium ecosystem. Cryptocoryne plants (or “crypts”) are particularly susceptible to both the first and second types of melting, which is why hobbyists refer to as crypt melt.

The remedy in this situation is to simply give the plant time to adapt and regrow by giving it stable water conditions and plenty of nutrients. You can either prune the leaves one by one as they melt or trim them down all at once so the plant can focus on new growth. Keep the aquarium environment as stable as possible, and wait several weeks for the plant to come back.

When a Java fern leaf is growing a new baby plant, the mother leaf will eventually die off.

3. The plant is planted the wrong way in the aquarium.

Each aquarium plant has slightly different needs in terms of planting, so understanding your plant’s individual needs is key. Planting a plant incorrectly can cause it to suffer and cost valuable time and money to replace if it doesn’t make it.

If your plant is a bulb plant such as a lily, lotus, or crinum, it’s best to simply place the bulb on top of or partially buried in the substrate. The roots will naturally grow downward if planted this way, but if buried completely, the bulb will likely suffer as it needs to be exposed to grow properly. Rhizome plants such as Java fern, Anubias, and Bucephalandra need to have their rhizome (i.e., the horizontal “trunk” or thick stem from which roots and leaves grow out of) exposed and not buried in substrate. It is easiest to attach these plants to decor such as wood or rock, but if you want it growing in substrate, only cover the roots and leave the rhizome exposed as much as possible.

Stem plants such as bacopa, pearl weed, and Pogostemon stellatus do like to be buried deeply into the substrate. Rosette plants such as Amazon swords and cryptocoryne plants need to have their roots buried in substrate while the crown (or base of the leaves) is above ground. All these differences may seem small but can actually have a big impact on how your plant grows and looks in the long term. Read our quick guide to planting aquarium plants to make sure they get planted the right way in your fish tank.

4. Plants do not have enough access to nutrients or light in the aquarium.

Another reason why plants may shed leaves or appear to be melting back may be because they don’t have all the necessary elements to grow. For example, too little light or nutrients can cause leaves to yellow and die off. This is the plant’s way of consuming its older leaves to continue surviving in less-than-optimal conditions. If you notice your plant is struggling to grow, pale in color, or losing leaves one after another, consider regularly dosing with Easy Green all-in-one liquid fertilizer to give the plant plenty of nutrients to grow new leaves. It comes with a pump or drop cap so you can easily add the right amount of fertilizer to your planted tank. If you have rooted plant such as crypts, swords or bulb plants, using a nutrient-rich aqua soil or a substrate supplement like Easy Root Tabs can be a great option to provide even more nutrients for heavy root-feeding plants.

Additionally, even if your plants are receiving adequate nutrients, they may be lacking proper light for their growth needs, which would cause your plant to shed leaves or melt back. For example, this can happen to smaller plants that are overshadowed by other larger plants in a big tank. Giving the larger, bushy plants a trim can allow more light to reach all the plants in the tank. If your aquarium is a little dark, consider a light designed for plant growth. It is a great option to boost plant growth and reduce melting if they are not currently receiving enough light from a standard aquarium hood light. Adequate lighting and nutrients are crucial for growing robust, healthy plants.

If you ordered your plants online and they were shipped to you, it is possible that they experienced damage during the shipping process that can cause the plant to melt after you put it in your aquarium. It might not be apparent at first, but if the plant accidentally froze in its package, it may lose all its leaves or die off completely once placed underwater. If this happens and you purchased your plant from Aquarium Co-Op, send an email to our Customer Service team and we’ll be happy to take care of you.

6. A bulb plant may not grow if it is a dud.

A percentage of dry bulb plants, like dwarf aquarium lilies, sometimes are not viable and the bulb will never grow into a plant. If it has been many weeks since adding a new bulb to your tank and you still don’t see any signs of growth, it is likely that the bulb is a dud and you should reach out to the seller for a replacement. To mitigate this risk, Aquarium Co-Op offers potted bulb plants that are already sprouted with leaves and roots, ready to plant in your aquarium.

7. Anubias rot can affect the rhizome in Anubias plants.

Lastly, a rare disease called Anubias rot can affect Anubias plants where the rhizome of the plant becomes mushy and breaks down. This pathogen is difficult to control and may end up consuming the entire plant over time. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to save the plant except to cut off the affected parts and see if the rest of the plant recovers. This condition can happen at the farm, in our care, during transit, or during planting. With no specific cause or source to blame, we offer a refund or a reship of Anubias when this happens. Contact our Customer Support so they can help you troubleshoot the issue.

The best way to set your aquarium plants up for success is to provide them all the necessary elements they need to grow. Fertilizers designed for plant growth are an easy way to make sure your plants have the nutrient building blocks they need to adapt to your aquarium and thrive — especially in times where your plant may be experiencing a melting phase. For a complete list and more information on different types of plant fertilizers and how to use them, check out this article. 

If you have a freshwater aquarium that is infested with bladder snails, ramshorn snails, or Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS), it may seem impossible to get rid of them. It’s hard to root out every single egg or baby snail hiding amongst the plants and substrate, and chemical pesticides can often have a negative impact on the other living creatures in your fish tank. Luckily, there is a little helper you can employ that will happily sniff out any pest snails — the amazing assassin snail. Learn how to care for this industrious critter and even breed them for profit in your own home.

What are Assassin Snails?

Anentome helena or Clea helena is a beautiful freshwater snail with a pointy, spiral shell that reaches up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. The shell has a ribbed texture and is easily recognized by the alternating dark brown and yellow stripes that look like a bumblebee pattern. You may see it crawling around with a prominently extended siphon tube, which is used to suck in water for passing it across the gills and detecting food. Like the Malaysian trumpet snail, the assassin snail likes to bury itself in sand or gravel substrate, and it will extend its siphon out of the ground, allowing it to easily breathe in fresh water and smell the surrounding area. As soon as it gets a whiff of food in the vicinity, it will pop out of the ground to go hunting.

The assassin snail usually crawls around with its siphon extended to help detect food.

How to Set Up an Aquarium for Assassin Snails

This Southeast Asian snail is found in Thailand, Malaysia, and the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Because of its small size, one snail can easily live in 2 gallons of water or more at temperatures of 70–80°F (21–27°C). Like most snails, it prefers alkaline pH from 7.2–8.0 and moderate to hard GH. If you notice the snail is developing holes and pits in its shell, you may have soft water and need to add crushed coral and mineral supplements to ensure healthy shell growth.

What animals can live with assassin snails? Given its common name, you should remove all snails that you do not wish to get eaten. When kept in groups, assassin snails have the ability to take down larger snails, such as mystery, nerite, and Sulawesi rabbit snails. However, they do not tend to attack their own kind and are safe to keep with peaceful fish, aquarium plants, dwarf shrimp, and other non-snail invertebrates. To avoid having the hunter become the hunted, avoid putting them with snail-eating animals, such as pufferfish and certain types of loaches.

A rummynose tetra, Apistogramma cichlid, and assassin snail are all attracted to the sinking wafer.

What Do Assassin Snails Eat?

As mentioned before, these carnivores love to eat snails of all kinds, and given the opportunity, they will also eat deceased animals, fish eggs, and newborn fry (or wrigglers) that are not freely swimming yet.  When you run out of pest snails, you can feed them any kind of high-protein fish food, such as frozen bloodworms, fish flakes, pellets, sinking wafers, and Repashy gel food. To help them grow strong shells that are free of cracks and other imperfections, don’t forget to offer mineral-enriched foods, like Easy Shrimp and Snail Shells and Hikari Fancy Guppy pellets.

How to Breed Assassin Snails

Unlike many pest snail species, assassin snails are not hermaphrodites and cannot reproduce by themselves. They are difficult to sex, so the easiest way is to get a group of six or more to increase your chances of having at least one male and one female for breeding purposes. If you feed them plenty of food, they will naturally begin to reproduce, although at a much slower rate compared to most  pest snails. The female will lay a translucent, square-shaped egg capsule with pointy corners that contains a single yellow egg inside. These egg capsules are laid one by one and will stick to various surfaces like rocks, driftwood, or even the substrate. Eventually, if you get a good number of assassin snails, you can sell them to your local fish store or aquarium club. The nice thing about assassin snails is that you can also breed them in the same tank as other species, like guppies and cherry shrimp.

A pair of assassin snail eggs hidden in a crack

While we do not ship live animals, we have a list of preferred online vendors that sell high-quality fish, shrimp, and snails and offer fast shipping right to your front door. To learn more about the wonderful world of aquarium snails, read about the top 7 helpful snails for your next freshwater aquarium.

Small fish tanks between 5–20 gallons are some of the most popular sizes in the freshwater aquarium hobby because of their reduced footprint and cheaper cost. Even with the size limitation, there are countless possibilities when it comes to choosing the species, layout, and purpose of the fish tank. To help get your creative juices flowing, here are 5 stocking ideas that might be perfect for your next nano fish tank.

1. Nano Aquascape

Simple aquascape with center island of plants surrounded by rocks

If you’ve never tried your hand at aquascaping or making a beautifully designed planted tank, a small aquarium can be the perfect size to get started with. The idea is to use a combination of hardscape, live plants, and animals to create a memorizing underwater garden. If you have no idea what to make, you can look online for examples of aquascapes to emulate, sketch out a design, and then write a list of materials you’ll need. Lay out the rock and/or driftwood inside your empty tank to build up the “bones” of the scape. Many aquascapers recommend using all the same type of wood and rock for a more cohesive look.

The next step is to plant the foliage. In general, we like to put the small plants in the front and the tall plants in the back so that all of the vegetation can be easily seen. Finally, it’s time to pick the fish. Since the plants and hardscape are the main focus of the aquarium, let’s choose nano species that won’t visually overwhelm the aquascape. Celestial pearl danios are a popular choice for aquascapes because of their red-orange fins and golden pearls on their bodies that make them look like miniature brook trout. Another schooling fish to consider is the tiny chili rasbora, whose spicy red colors will complement the greenery of the plants. The lower layers of the aquarium can be occupied by nano bottom dwellers like rosy loaches or habrosus corydoras. Then to help keep the aquascape clean of algae, use a group of amano shrimp, otocinclus catfish, or nerite snails. Any combination of these peaceful species will bring a lot of interesting activity to your planted aquarium.

2. Centerpiece Tank

Honey gourami as the centerpiece with a school of harlequin rasboras

Unlike the nano aquascape, the focal point of this type of aquarium is one single fish. We want this centerpiece creature to be visually striking and slightly bigger that the rest of the rest of the tank mates. Some hobbyists will even choose to keep a single “wet pet” with no other inhabitants in the fish tank. Of course, since the tank only holds 5–20 gallons of water, look for a species that reaches a maximum of 3 inches (8 cm) in length. Also, the decorations and live plants should not be overly crowded, or else the main attraction may be hard to see and not have enough room to swim around.

Many beginners start with a betta fish as their first centerpiece fish because of their hardiness and wide range of colors. Given its semi-aggressive nature, you can keep it alone in a 5-gallon or larger aquarium that contains a gentle sponge filter and heater to warm the water. If the betta fish is more relaxed and able to handle tank mates, it would be best to increase the tank size to at least 20 gallons, add taller plants to block line of sight, and find some peaceful schooling fish that will keep out of the betta’s way. For more details, see our betta care guide.

Smaller gouramis are also an excellent choice as centerpiece fish for nano aquariums. Their blimp-like bodies, bold personalities, and beautiful colors all help them stand out from the crowd. The dwarf gourami is semi-aggressive like the betta fish, but we’ve found that female powder blue dwarf gouramis are calmer and can be kept in a 20-gallon community setup. Honey gouramis and sparkling gouramis are also fairly chill and will get along well with smaller schooling fish like tetras, danios, and cory catfish.

3. Shrimp Tank

A “Skittles” tank with Neocaridina shrimp of many colors

One type of animal that isn’t safe with betta fish or gouramis are dwarf shrimp. In fact, most fish treat adult and baby shrimp as delicious snacks. Therefore, the safest course of action is to use a 10- or 20-gallon tank as a species-only setup for breeding shrimp. If you aren’t interested in breeding, then here are some tank mates that would be safe with adult shrimp. People fall in love with them because of their constant movement, the way they swarm around food, and of course their gorgeous colors.

If you are new to keeping shrimp, start with Neocaridina shrimp (or cherry shrimp). They are easier to care for than Caridina shrimp (e.g., Taiwan bee and crystal shrimp) because they can handle a wider range of water parameters, but they do prefer slightly higher pH and GH so they get enough minerals to produce healthy exoskeletons. They can even live in a fish tank kept at room temperature without an aquarium heater. To give them the best chance for success, prepare a mature, seasoned aquarium of 10–20 gallons that has lots of microfauna and algae for them to graze on. Newly set-up tanks are usually quite sterile and don’t have the ability to sustain life yet, so you want to have healthy, growing plants, mulm on the substrate, and even signs of algae before you add any shrimp. For more information on these adorable, little critters, read the full article.

4. Shell Dweller Tank

Neolamprologus multifasciatus shell dweller

If you’ve never played with African cichlids before, you’re in for a treat. Both Neolamprologus multifasciatus and N. similis are small enough to live in a 20-gallon long, species-only tank. These shell dwellers are incredibly entertaining to watch because of their unique breeding behaviors. Fill the aquarium with at least 2 inches of aragonite sand, and add some tall rocks to block line of sight and minimize bickering among the males. You’ll also need to provide at least 3–4 extra-large escargot shells per adult fish. The dwarf cichlids use the snail shells to hide from predators, spawn, and raise their fry. As busy, little builders, they love to dig in the sand and move their shells around to the “best” location, so be prepared to see some major construction in the tank. Feed them plenty of crushed flakes, nano pellets, baby brine shrimp, and frozen bloodworms, and soon you will start to see a cloud of tiny fry lingering around the openings of the snail shells. Learn more about the amazing shell dweller in this care guide.

5. Breeding Pair Setup

A pair of Apistogramma dwarf cichlids swimming together

While both cherry shrimp and shell dwellers are relatively easy to breed, some hobbyists want to try a slightly harder challenge. The Apistogramma genus includes almost 100 species of South American dwarf cichlids that come in all sorts of jaw-dropping colors and patterns. A pair of “apistos” can be bred in a 15- to 20-gallon aquarium if you create the right environment. We suggest starting with A. cacatuoides or A. agassizii since they are readily available and beginner friendly.

Make sure you have at least one male and one female. When apistos are young, they may be hard to sex, so your best bet is to buy a group of them, let them naturally pair off, and then rehome the rest. If the apistos are older, you can tell the males by their larger size, longer fins, and brighter hues. Since they are cave spawners, set up the breeding tank with at least 1 inch of substrate and an apisto cave in each of the back corners. Adding some java moss and other plants in the front will help the pair to feel more comfortable. Keep the water quality high and the meal portions big, and soon you may see the parents guarding the eggs and escorting the babies to the best feeding spots. For more information, see our apistogramma care guide.

There are many, many more options when it comes to nano fish, so don’t forget to check out our list of preferred online retailers to see what they have in stock and how soon they can deliver them. For more inspiration, read about our top 10 stunning nano fish for your next small aquarium.

Have you ever kept Medaka rice fish? Because of their ability to reproduce very quickly at a young age and tolerance for a wide temperature range, they are commonly used in research areas such as biology, genetics, and toxicology. In 1994, they even became the first vertebrate to successfully mate and lay eggs that hatched while in space. Medaka rice fish have been raised as pet fish in Japan for hundreds of years but recently gained more popularity in the worldwide aquarium trade. Learn how to care for this amazing fish in your home or outdoor mini pond.

Platinum white Medaka

What are Medaka Rice Fish?

Oryzias latipes is commonly known as the Medaka or Japanese ricefish. Their genus comes from the Greek word for “rice” because they are frequently found in rice paddies. This torpedo-shaped fish grows up to 1.5 inches (4 cm) and often has a blue or silvery eye. There are hundreds of different colors and varieties that have been line bred over the years, such as gold, pearl galaxy, Yokihi orange, Orochi black, blue, Tancho red cap, Miyuki blue, and platinum white. Usually, they sell for a few dollars per fish, but for very rare and desirable strains, a clutch of eggs may cost over $100.

They are incredibly hardy, peaceful, and energetic, which makes them one of the most beginner-friendly fish to get for your first aquarium or outdoor pond. Hobbyists report that ricefish are quite friendly and will come up to the front of the tank to beg for food. In the wild, they live for only 1–2 years, but their lifespan can reach up to 5 years in captivity.

Medaka living in outdoor mini pond

How to Set Up an Aquarium for Rice Fish

Japanese rice fish can be found all over Asia in areas such as Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam. As per their name, they prefer rice paddy fields, marshes, and other slow-moving waterways. Surprisingly, they can also live in both freshwater and strongly brackish waters and will often travel between streams and the ocean for non-breeding purposes. They have a huge tolerance for temperatures between 60–75°F (16–24°C), pH levels of 6.5–8.5, and moderately soft to very hard GH. While they can live in even hotter (and colder) temperatures, we prefer keeping them in unheated fish tanks and outdoor ponds since warmer water can increase their metabolism and shorten their longevity.

Medaka can live in a 10-gallon fish tank (or mini pond) with a sponge filter for slower current. They may jump out of the water, so consider using an aquarium lid or lots of floating plants to cover the surface and help keep the water clean. If you find that the males are excessively chasing each other, try adding more plants to block line of sight, increasing the number of females, or removing some males.

Medaka rice fish living in planted community tank

What fish can live with medakas? Keep them in a school of six or more in a species-only breeding tank or a community setup. They get along with all kinds of similar-sized, peaceful tank mates that also enjoy cooler temperatures — like white cloud mountain minnows, hillstream loaches, shiners, amano shrimp, and snails. They can also live with adult Neocaridina cherry shrimp, but the Medaka may eat baby shrimp and the adult shrimp may eat rice fish eggs.

What Do Japanese Rice Fish Eat?

Rice fish tend to prefer eating tiny foods that float on the surface of the water, which is perfect when you want to view them in your outdoor pond. They are not picky eaters, but remember to feed them a varied diet of many different fish foods so that they will not suffer from any nutrient deficiencies. Medaka love to consume crushed flakes, freeze-dried tubifex worms, Easy Fry and Small Fish Food, and any live mosquito larvae that naturally hatch in the pond.

Miyuki blue ricefish eating from the surface

How to Breed Medaka Rice Fish

To breed Japanese ricefish, you need at least one male and one female. Females are generally bigger and plumper with a shorter anal fin that is triangle-shaped (e.g., wider near the abdomen and narrower near the tail). Males, on the other hand, have a slender body with a wider anal fin shaped like a parallelogram. If the Medakas are too young or you aren’t able to sex them, get a group of six or more to increase your chances of getting both genders.

Rice fish are very easy to breed, as long as you feed them plenty of food and the temperature isn’t too cold. If you want to colony breed them so that the fry grow up in the same tank as the adults, set up a species-only, 10-gallon tank or pond with slow flow and lots of floating plants with long roots (e.g., dwarf water lettuce and water hyacinth). If you want to increase your yield, consider making a DIY ricefish spawning mop that can be easily removed from the breeding tank.

DIY spawning mop for rice fish

You can tell that the fish are in breeding mode if the males are chasing each other and the females are carrying a cluster of sticky eggs in front of their anal fin. They can lay eggs on a daily basis and will deposit them on plants, spawning mops, and even sponge filters. To avoid predation, these eggs can be moved to a separate container either by taking out the entire spawning mop or picking them up individually by hand. Medakas produce fairly large, 1.5 mm eggs that are clear in color and will gradually darken as the fry develops. (If you find any solid white eggs, they are no longer viable and should be removed to prevent fungal growth from spreading to the rest of the brood.)

At 77°F (or 25°C), the eggs can start hatching in a little under a week but will take longer if the temperature is cooler. Once the newborns are free swimming, feed them newly hatched baby brine shrimp, powdered fry food, vinegar eels, and paramecium. To make sure the babies can reach their food, you can keep them in a small container for a while, as long as you do frequent water changes. Eventually, they should graduate to a bigger rearing tank with lots of plants, mulm, and microfauna to snack on. Within 3–4 months, they should be large enough to sell for profit at your local fish store or aquarium society.

Female Medaka holding eggs

We hope you’ll try your hand at keeping and breeding this wonderfully enjoyable species. While we do not ship live fish at Aquarium Co-Op, you can check out the latest stock of Medaka rice fish sold by our preferred online retailers.