Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

The Water Colors team gathers around the table with special guest, Andrej Spec, to talk about aquarium plants. Andrej shares his aquarium journey and how he quickly went from hobbyist to passionate collector. He talks about his successes, some of his methods to that success, and so much more. Thank you so much for your kindness and inspiration, Andrej and we look forward to seeing you again.



Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord



Sources mentioned in this episode:

Andrej Spec

Missouri Aquarium Society – https://missouriaquariumsociety.com/

Christel Kasselmann – https://www.instagram.com/christel.kasselmann/

Aquatic Gardeners Association – https://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/

Dennis Wong – www.2hraquarist.com

Plants from Test Tubes: An Introduction to Micropropagation by Lydiane Kyte (with co-authors like John Kleyn, Holly Scoggins, and Mark Bridgen in later editions)



Species mentioned in this episode:

Crinum asiaticum – Crinum “Centorum”

Cuphea anagalloidea

Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata – Ludwigia “Tornado”

Rotala ramosior ‘Florida’

Rotala ramosior ‘Sunset’

Lobelia cardinalis – Cardinal Plant

Lobelia kalmii – Kalm’s Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica – Blue Cardinal Plant

Lobelia x Speciosa

Oomycetes

Xylaria

Vallisneria spiralis var. denserrulata – Lake Tanganyika Vallisneria

Cryptocoryne wendtii (‘Mi Oya’ and green)

Barclaya motleyi

Barclaya wellyi

Nymphae – Water Lily

Nymphaea sp. Peru Puerto Maldonado

Nymphaea aff. dimorpha (minuta)

Cryptocoryne keei

Cryptocoryne nurii

Cryptocoryne striolata

Cryptocoryne spiralis

Fenestratarum

Bucephalandra ultramafica

Bucephalandra kishii

Cryptocoryne striolata – “Red Tiger” Crypt

Osteogaster hephaestus – Fireball Cory

Corydoras sp. CW113

Lagenandra ovata – “Mayan Sword”

Pseudogastromyzon fasciatus “Zhejiang”

Pseudogastromyzon lepidogaster

Thank you to everyone who listened to our live talk! Ben, Amy, Calder and Maddy had an awesome time and are looking forward to next year. In this talk, we cover how / where to get killifish, their relavence in the hobby, and how we can do our part to make these great fish more popular amoungst hobbyists.



Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord



Sources mentioned in this episode:

American Killifish Association – https://aka.org/

British Killifish Association – https://killis.org.uk/

Species mentioned in this episode:

Fundulopanchax gardneri (gold and P82)

Nothobranchius rachovii

Aphyosemion australe

Paracheirodon simulans – Green Neon Tetra

Trigonostigma espei – Lambchop Rasbora

Trigonostigma heteromorpha – Harley Quinn Rasbora

Epiplatys annulatus

Ladigesia roloffi – Jelly Bean Tetra

Nothobranchius patrizii

Anablepsoides

Diapteron

Aphyosemion striatum

Nothobranchius guentheri ‘zanzibar’

Aphyosemion splendopleure

Chromaphyosemion bivittatum

Fundulopanchax sjoestedti

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the Water Colors team talks about Mexico and some of their favorite species endemic to the North American continent. With such an interesting evolutionary history, it is no suprise that Mexico is home to many beautiful, unique fish and plants. Whether you are a cichlid or swordtail lover, Mexico has a fish for everyone.



Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord



Sources mentioned in this episode:

Missouri Aquarium Society (MASI) – https://missouriaquariumsociety.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22863986520&gbraid=0AAAABArITQG8EzReaXm3iOuAaL_zcLsyW&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4Y3lkIeolAMVMlN_AB19xgtwEAAYASAAEgLwk_D_BwE

Andrej Spec

Bluegrass Bash – https://bluegrassfishkeepers.com/bluegrass-bash

Species mentioned in this episode:

Xiphophorus pygmaeus

Xiphophorus alvarezi

Xiphophorus montezumae

Herichthys labridens

Vieja

Xiphophorus couchianus

Xiphophorus evelynae

Herichthys cyanoguttatus

Herichthys carpintis

Ataeniobius toweri

Xiphophorus milleri

Xiphophorus birchmanni

Hydrocotyle verticillata

Poecilia velifera

Cyprinodon longidorsalis

Thorichthys helleri

Astyanax mexicanus

Potamogeton illinoensis

Mayaheros urophthalmus

Amy, Ben and Calder come together after a fantastic time at KilliKarnival 2026. They had a blast at the live talk and so much fun meeting fellow listeners and fish enthusiasts alike. This week’s episode breaks down their time in South Bend, Indiana. They talk about the amazing fish they saw, what it’s like to help judge competitions, things they still see in the hobby that make them sad, and our upcoming projects, both personal and store-related. Special thanks to all of the people who made this weekend happen and we hope to see you there next year!



Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord



Sources mentioned in this episode:

KilliKarnival – https://mas.fish/society-events/killifish-karnival/

David Hemmerlein

Species mentioned in this episode:

Aphyosemion australe

Aphyosemion bivittatum

Aphyosemion splendopleure (Tiko Green)

Aphyosemion striatum

Aphyosemion bitaeniatum

Aphyosemion pyrophore

Aphyosemion joergenscheeli

Aphyosemion coeleste

Aphyosemion citrineipinnis

Aphyosemion elberti

Aphyosemion dargei

Nothobranchius rachovii

Nothobranchius rubripinnis

Nothobranchius polli

Nothobranchius korthausae

Fundulopanchax gardeneri rayfield

Fundulopanchax gardeneri masangi

Epiplatys annulatus

Scriptaphyosemion banforense

Scriptaphyosemion guignardi

Chromaphyosemion riggenbachi

Lamprichthys tanganicanus

Lucania goodei

Aphanius dispar

Aphanius fasciatus

Paraphanius mento

Mesonauta festivus

Mesonauta egregius

Heros severus

Phractocephalus hemioliopterus

Chitala ornata

Rivulus mejial (Colombia)

Cupanichthys cubensis

Cupanichthys pengelleyi

Amatolebias patriciae

As Killifish Month comes to a close, the team wraps up loose ends and reiterates some important points. The topics include; what it takes to survive as a male, male vs. female hatching ratios, seperating breeding pairs, the various methods of raising healthy fry, raising live foods, and unofficial ways to catergorize killifish. If you are a true fan and have a strong stomach, stick around for the bonus content at the end of this episode. See you at KilliKarnival 2026!



Looking for more content? Become a YouTube member for exclusive access to behind the scenes livestreams! https://www.youtube.com/@watercolorsaquariumgallery

Enjoying the show? Support the gallery by shopping aquarium plants, merch, equipment, and more! https://watercolorsaquariumgallery.com/

Join the discussion on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast Listeners Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/788428861825086/

Join our growing community on Discord! https://go.watercolors.shop/discord



Sources mentioned in this episode:

KilliKarnival – https://mas.fish/society-events/killifish-karnival/

Species mentioned in this episode:

Fundulopanchax gardneri

Nothobranchius guentheri

Xiphophorus hellerii

Scriptaphyosemion etzeli

Scriptaphyosemion guignardi

Aphyosemion elberti

Aphyosemion citrineipinnis

Diapteron