Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

This week’s podcast is a little different than most… This week, we invite you to sit down and brainstorm some ideas for our breeder lab remodel with Ben, Amy, and Maddy. Our tenative plan is to work with wild type bettas and livebearers, killifish, and bristlenose plecos with a majority of the tanks used to grow out some of our favorite plants. We are so excited to get this project up and running but it’s so difficult to pick a select few species to work with. What do you want to see in our lab? What uncommon fish would you like to see more readily avalible in the hobby? Let us know using the resources below. We love and appreciate your ideas and feedback.



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:

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

Species mentioned in this episode:

Betta dennisyongi

Aphyosemion riggenbachi
Fundulopanchax gardeneri
Nothobranchius guentheri ‘zanzibar’
Epiplatys annulatus
Nothobranchius korthausae ‘Mafia Island’
Nothobranchius flammicomantis
Moema helleri
Aphyosemion ogoense
Kryptolebias marmoratus
Rivulus sp. “Colombia”
Anablepsoides hartii
Aphyosemion citrineipinnis
Aphyosemion splendopleure (and ‘Tiko green’)
Aphyosemion bitaeniatum
Aphyosemion bivittatum
Aphyosemion australe gold
Paraphanius mento
Aphanius farsicus
Epiplatys dageti
Epiplatys monroviae
Utricularia – Bladderwort
Microctenopoma ansorgii
Betta enisae
Betta pallifina
Betta patoti
Betta macrostoma
Betta mahachaiensis
Betta pallifina
Betta miniopinna
Betta chini
Betta hendra
Betta imbellis
Betta smaragdina ‘guitar’
Betta cocina
Betta channoides
Xiphophorus helleri guentheri
Xiphophorus pygmaeus
Xiphophorus nigrensis
Xiphophorus birchmanni
Ataeniobius toweri
Poecila velifera
Limia tridens
Limia tridens
Heterandria formosa
Xenophallus umbratilis
Plant species coming soon…

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