Practical Fishkeeping March 2026

THE MARCH ISSUE is here, and the year seems to be flying by at an incredible rate. This month we have a strong focus on two opposite sides of the hobby. We start with some blackwater features. First up, new contributor, Phil, explores an unexpected blackwater habitat in a Rio Negro tributary. Next, Tai creates a blackwater biotope based on the Rio Guaporé for some familiar tetras. Then we pivot to the crystal-clear waters of coral reefs. Chris takes a dive in the Caribbean, exploring the creatures on the reefs around Saint Lucia, before Jeremy continues his beginner’s guide to reef aquariums, this time focusing on some additional equipment you’ll need for success. Jeremy also takes a look at how to deal with the plagues of pests that reef tanks…

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 - THOMAS HARGREAVES Back to the hobby…

WHEN YOU THINK of the Rio Negro, the image that springs to mind is almost universal among fishkeepers: slow-moving blackwater streams, tea-stained depths, limited visibility, sandy shores with leafy sediment and a labyrinth of tangled roots and fallen branches. That’s exactly what I expected when I set off on my Amazon fish-watching adventure – a trip I’d dreamed about for many years. But what I discovered at the Rio Cuieiras waterfalls, a tributary of the Rio Negro, was something entirely different. Our expedition started in Manaus, the bustling heart of the Amazon. From there, we travelled up the Rio Negro in our comfortable hotel boat, which looked very much like a paddle steamer. We anchored for a few days near the São Sebastião community along the Cuieiras River. I’d never…

I THINK IT’S interesting how in our hobby, appreciation ebbs and flows, surges and quiets and goes through cycles. I am referring to how we view species of plants and fishes and how this changes over time, impacting their popularity. Think of it this way, if you have been in the hobby for a while and you walk into a fish store, you might glance briefly at the neon tetras (Paracheirodon innesi), offer a passing glance to some kribs (Pelvicachromis pulcher), or roll your eyes at yet another tank filled with tiger barbs (Puntigrus tetrazona). These fish have long been in the trade, are staples of community tanks (sometimes with terrible results) and are ubiquitous. However, can you image how totally amazing they would have appeared to fishkeepers when they…

1 The tank is cleaned and prepped. Then the light background panel – with a green to yellow gradient foil – and the LED light are installed. 2 Next, the substrate is added and smoothed out. The soil is at its deepest in the centre of the display with a maximum depth of 12cm (4.7"). 3 The three pieces of wood are added to the aquarium and placed to create an interesting, but natural, structure. 4 Here, the Echinodorus are planted by hand and their roots and rhizomes pushed down firmly into the deepest part of the substrate. 5 A 50/50 mixture of dechlorinated tap water and rainwater is slowly added to the tank. The water is maintained at 20°C (68°F). 6 Next, the Aquario pipework is installed and the…

THE CARIBBEAN HAS long been regarded as a diver’s paradise, and for good reason. A sprawling patchwork of islands, spread over a million square miles, they encompass almost every type of underwater habitat imaginable – from wrecks and reefs, pinnacles and walls through to coral and sponge gardens. For an underwater enthusiast, it’s simply a case of choosing where, rather than whether, to go. When faced with this seemingly impossible choice of destinations and looking for inspiration, my marine aquarist head kicked in. Having recently upgraded my tanks and now having more space to utilise, I’d always been keen on housing a jawfish, so what better way to determine how to maintain them than to observe them out in the wild. Hailing from the family Opistognathidae, these substrate-burrowers caught my…