Practical Fishkeeping July 2025

THE JULY ISSUE is here and if you have a pond, it is time to start planning for periods of warm weather. Glen takes a look at what can happen during those hot spells, and how you can prevent issues occurring. Meanwhile, if you like your fish to have whiskers, you’ll be a fan of this issue. Gabor introduces two more catfishes that lurk in his tanks, this time from the family Auchenipteridae. Daniel then takes a look at two recently described Hypancistrus before Paul details his successful methods for breeding this genus. Plus, Neale explores the art, or science, of community aquariums, and Tai takes a trip to America to see some species that thrive in colder waters. Marine wise, Marijke is back to examine the suitability of damselfish…

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 - MARK PIDDLESDEN…

TO FOLLOW ON from my article in the previous issue, this time I will continue with two dwarf catfishes from the Auchenipteridae family. Although these two species are closely related there are still important differences worth knowing about if you plan to keep them in aquaria. But who are they exactly? The family Auchenipteridae - or to use their collective nametag: driftwood catfishes - currently contains 127 species with at least a dozen more currently undescribed species circulating in the aquarium trade. Some of the driftwood cats are giants, like Ageneiosus inermis that can grow over 50cm (20”) long, but most of them are within a more (aquarium) manageable 5-10cm (2-4”) size range. In nature you can find them along all major South American basins, so basically there is a…

AT THE BEGINNING of February, some of the hobby’s favourite L-Numbers were finally given a scientific name, and it couldn’t have been chosen any better. The German Ingo Seidel, donor of one of the species’ epithets, has done so much for the aquarium hobby in general, and for plecos in particular, that any attempt to list them would be beyond the attempt itself. Hypancistrus seideli In honour of Ingo Seidel, all the ‘worm-line Hypancistrus’ have now been correctly scientifically named Hypancistrus seideli by Sousa et al (2025). Ingo Seidel made a name for himself, particularly in the IG BSSW e.V. (International Society for Barbs, Tetras, Loaches and Catfish), as editor of the association’s magazine and as head of the catfish section there, as well as author of numerous articles in…

HYPANCISTRUS ARE POPULAR amongst aquarists because of their small size, relative ease of care and their striking patterns. Most fish of this genus are characterized by a dark base colour and light dots or a light base colour with black lines. While many have been scientifically described -including Hypancistrus zebra, H. debilittera and the two newly described species we just learnt about on the previous page - in the hobby we often just use their specific L-Numbers. The genus name ‘Hypancistrus’ translates to ‘less than Ancistrus’, which is a reference to the fishes of this genus having less teeth than many of the other suckermouth catfish. This difference gives us some indication on what these fishes may eat in the wild, and it is this that I will begin my…

SUMMER IS ARGUABLY the best time of year for pond keepers. The plants are looking beautiful and thriving, the fish are at their most active, and the warmer weather and lighter evenings allow us to spend more time in our gardens enjoying it all. Despite these positives, there are situations that we, as pond keepers, need to be aware of to ensure our ponds and fish remain healthy throughout the summer. Summer Prep Prevention is better than a cure, and this saying rings true for preparing our ponds for the warmer weather. There are one or two tasks I would suggest that it is important to complete before summer arrives. Firstly, give your filter a clean to make sure it is performing at its best and replace any mechanical media…