Table of contents for September 2025 in Practical Fishkeeping

THIS MONTH WE have plenty of wonderful topics to explore. Many years ago, I had a fling with the shrimps from Sulawesi and this month Gabor details his most recent exploits with these colourful crustaceans. This feature has definitely inspired me to try and squeeze in another small tank for them in the future. Biotope wise, Daniel takes a trip to Bolivia to explore their flowing waters while Tai creates an achievable biotope for two rasboras from Thailand. Also in this issue, you will learn about the animals that create the sounds of the seas, what aquarium favourites are considered as invasive in some areas and the various variants of the true kribensis. Tai features for a second time too, but this time he is exploring keeping UK native species…

1 The base substrate from the Fluval Aquascaper Mega set is added to the Scaper Qube aquarium. 2 The largest of the black basalt stones are added to the rear of the scape to give height. 3 The smaller stones from the kit are added towards the front of the aquarium. 4 More substrate is added to support the hardscape and to create a slope from front to back. 5 Once the hardscape layout is finalised, fine black river sand is added on top of the base substrate. 6 A white decorative sand is added centrally, to form a ‘river’ between the rocks. 7 Detailing stones are added around the larger basalt rocks. Some of these stones are scattered over the white sand ‘river’ to give a more natural aesthetic.…

Email: questions@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk WIN! Our Question of the Month letter will receive a Tetra goodie bundle worth up to £100* THE EXPERTS DR PETER BURGESS Peter is our disease expert. Send questions his way if you have pathogen problems. BOB MEHEN Bob is a master of fishkeeping general knowledge and community tanks. JEREMY GAY Jeremy is more than adept when it comes to cichlids, goldfish and marine species. GEORGE FARMER George is a world renowned aquascaper, photographer and author. MAX PEDLEY Max is like a living, breathing search engine. Cichlids are his speciality. NEALE MONKS Neale is the man for your technical queries. He loves brackish fish, too. TAI STRIETMAN Freshwater biologist Tai has studied habitats all around the world and is our biotope expert. MARINE What is this leggy creature?…

EVERY YEAR, WE, at PFK, host the highly anticipated Readers’ Poll as a way to give you, the aquarium-shopping public, a clear voice on who you think has excelled in the last 12 months, or perhaps a store that has been consistently great for many years. For the shops, receiving an award in any, or several, of the multiple categories is a huge achievement that should be celebrated. More importantly, perhaps, is that it is a great way to show your appreciation for the staff for their help in keeping the hobby going, providing advice and helping us all enjoy keeping fish. When a customer has an issue with their tank, they feel that pain too, and this is your way to thank them. Without them where would this hobby…

Fancy being featured in the next issue of Practical Fishkeeping Magazine? Showcase your work and share your photographs with the Fishkeeping community – if you have a tank you’re proud of, we want to see it. For a chance to be included, simply send us your tank photos with a little bit of information about you and your tank. This month’s Tank of the Month will receive an Aquadip care package!* Submit yours to us via email at editorial@practicalfishkeeping.co.uk or visit our website here: practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/gallery. WIN AN AQUADIP CARE PACKAGE AQUADIP Liquid Filter Medium - 500 ml AQUADIP Plant Food+ - 500 ml AQUADIP Liquid Carbon - 500 ml AQUADIP H2O Maker - 500 ml Plus AQUADIP Aquascaping Towel TANK OF THE MONTH - BARRIE LOGUE I have been keeping…

I’M CURRENTLY READING a wonderful book called Local, by British explorer Alastair Humphreys. After years of trekking across deserts, mountains and jungles he decides to buy a map of his local area ‘somewhere in England’ and explore each grid square, week by week. He finds beauty and joy in the small spaces of nature close to home; wonder in the plants and animals he encounters and a deep appreciation of the way seasons change our native landscape. Recently, exploring a small village outside my hometown of Cambridge, I was thrilled to spot a brown trout (Salmo trutta) lazily swaying in a shallow stream. The fish must have spied me peering down from the footbridge, and fled in an explosion of energy, zooming upstream, leaving me excited and happy, gazing after…

Without you, and your all-important votes, there would not be a Readers’ Poll! So, by way of a thank you, we automatically put your details into a prize draw. This year, Pettex Aquatics – a trusted name with a fresh look – are delighted to support Practical Fishkeeping’s Readers’ Poll by offering five lucky winners the chance to win a 10kg bag of Pettex Aquatics General Purpose Mixed Sticks, worth £40 (RRP)* each! This is a comprehensive pond feed, with a highly digestible and balanced formula ensuring that your wet pets have the healthy diet they need. It provides a balanced range of proteins, fibre, vitamins and trace elements which will satisfy all your fish’s nutritional requirements, together with spirulina for colour enhancement. These sticks have a prolonged floating period…

I HAVE ALWAYS loved unusual aquatic creatures. It isn’t surprising then that I was among the early adopters who embraced shrimp-keeping, a special branch of the aquarium hobby. I started off with the humble cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi), beginning with low grade reds and yellows (not many other colours were available back then). After a few years of learning the basics of shrimphusbandry (it differs in many ways from traditional fishkeeping) I ventured into the world of the crystal shrimps (Caridina cantonensis) and kept several varieties with some success. With over 15 years’ experience in keeping these small crustaceans I expected no issues when I purchased my first shrimp species from Sulawesi. I was totally wrong and failed with my initial attempt. If you would like to avoid my mistakes…

1 The tank is cleaned and prepped to remove any dust or water marks that may spoil the view. 2 Several pieces of branchy wood, glued onto to hakkai stone are placed to create structure and hiding spaces. 3 Additional stones are added to create a barrier behind which aquarium soil can be placed. 4 Brown aquarium soil is added to a depth of several inches behind the stones. 5 Light sand is added for the foreground, which will help brighten the scene, which contains little colour. 6 The Eleocharis montevidensis is planted in stands along the back of the tank. 7 Several small rhizomes of the Nymphaea pygmaea “Alba” are placed at intervals at the back of the tank. 8 The tank is filled with a 50/50 mix of…

RETAILER OF THE YEAR Big or small, chain or standalone, all we want is for you to tell us the single best store you know of. ONLINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR This doesn’t have to be ‘only’ an online store, but any store with a website you can buy from. INDEPENDENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR Specifically, we’re asking you about your favourite store that isn’t part of a larger chain. We like to let the little (and often not so little) guys shine. MARINE FISH RETAILER OF THE YEAR Who would be your go to for saltwater fish (not corals) in the UK? CORAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR Who would be your go to for saltwater corals (not fish) in the UK? ODDBALL RETAILER OF THE YEAR Everything freshwater and…