Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

This episode is all about grass-like plants and how to grow them! Technically, only species from the family poacea are true grasses – but for the purpose of this episode, we extend the label to anything long and ‘grassy.’ Utilizing these plants in your home aquariums can add some excellent contrast in texture to your aquascapes. From fine-leaved eriocaulon plumes to short and manicured dwarf hairgrass carpets, we cover a variety of grassy plants in this top 5 list.
 
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Species mentioned in this episode:

Hygroryza aristata
Poacea sp. ‘Purple bamboo’
Eriocaulon sp. ‘Feather duster’
Eriocaulon sp. ‘Malayatoor’
Eleocharis acicularis, Dwarf Hairgrass
Vallisaneria gracilis
Vallisaneria nana
Helanthium bolivianum ‘Quadrocostatus’
Helanthium tenellum
Juncus repens
Eleocharis montevidensis, Giant Hairgrass
Sagtittaria subulata, Dwarf sag
Syringodium filiforme, Manatee grass
Blyxa japonica
Cyprus helferi
Utricularia graminifolia
Crinum calimastratum

Marine snails are much more than just a clean up crew! The available species are diverse and complex, with some even living up to 40 years! The Water Colors team discusses all you need to know when keeping marine snails in your home aquariums, including care for these amazing invertebrates, species profiles, and how we can keep them more ethically.
 
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Species mentioned in this episode:

Margarita snails (margarites pupillus)
Bumblebee snails (engina mendicaria)
Crown conch (melongena corona)
Babylon snails (babylonia spirata)
Conchs (Genus strombus)

Fighting conchs (strombus alatus)


Moon snails (Family Naticidae)
Turbo snails (Genus turbo)

Chestnut turbo snails (turbo castanea)
Mexican turbo snails (turbo fluctuosus)


Trochus snails (trochus radiatus)
Astrea snails (lithopoma americanum)
Ninja star astrea snails (lithopoma phobium)
Stomatella (stomatella planulata)
Nerite snails (Family neritidae)
Cerith snails (Family cerithiidae)
Nassarius snails (Family nassariidae)
Lettuce sea slugs (Superorder sacoglossa)

Many of our values here at Water Colors are derived from an understanding that the aquarium industry is inherently harmful to the planet, and in turn, to the fish we love. We tend to harp on these negative impacts in an effort to better understand how we can improve our own practices, and push for changes in the industry we love.
In this episode, however, the Water Colors team focuses more on the positive, sharing their top 3 conservation projects led by some amazing people and passionate organizations! These incredible conservationists are making strides to preserve and protect many of the environments our favorite fish come from, as well as supporting the people that live there. From rainforests to our own backyards, we encourage our listeners to consider donating to these excellent causes if they have the means. Links for all projects mentioned will be listed below.
 
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Conservation Efforts mentioned in this episode:

Sumatran Eco Project: https://www.sumeco.id/help-us/
The George Maier Fund: https://aka.org/!area_WordPress/make-a-donation-to-the-gmf/
Bocas Mariculture: https://www.bocasmariculture.com/
Devil’s Hole Pupfish: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/ash-meadows/get-involved
Korup Rainforest Conservation Society: https://www.korup-conservation.org/
Rising Tide Conservation: https://www.risingtideconservation.org/donate/
PADI Aware Foundation: https://donate.padiaware.org/
Raincoast Research Society: https://raincoastresearch.org/support-our-science/get-involved/
RIPPLE: https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/take-action/landowners-gardeners-pond-owners/ripple
Salmon in the Classroom: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/educators/sic
Project Piaba: https://projectpiaba.org/donate/
Seafood Watch: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/join-give/ways-to-give/give

In this episode, we take a focused look at zebra danios, AKA zebrafish or Danio rerio. Zebra danios are one of the most iconic aquarium fish due to their hardiness, abundance, and high energy. Because of this, aquarists can often view them as beginner fish, but they’re so much more than that. Charles and the Water Colors team discuss the use of zebrafish as model organisms for genetic research, and how they could be the link to some incredible breakthroughs in modern science. We’ll also take a look at some breeding techniques used in laboratory settings, as well as some fascinating behaviors exhibited by one of the most overlooked species in the aquarium hobby.
 
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Let’s talk about snails. Some aquarists are militant about the presence of “pest” snails in their aquariums, but we here at Water Colors embrace them! They play a vital role in aquariums, processing decaying plant matter, uneaten food, and even deceased fish! In this episode, the team discusses some of the common snail species in the hobby; including species profiles, care, and even some solutions for snail problems.
 
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The concept of damsel fish in aquariums goes back to the beginning of marine fishkeeping. They are often used as “throwaway” fish to cycle new tanks due to their cheap cost and hardy nature. Generally speaking, damsels also have a nasty reputation for aggression, despite their smaller size. Because of this, the aquarium community is rather split on the topic, with strong opinions on both sides. Ben and Calder debate where exactly these fish belong in the hobby, coming from different backgrounds and experiences with the fish in the family pomacentridae.
 
 
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Species mentioned in this episode:

Yellowtail damsel, Chrysiptera parasema
Dusky damsel, Stegastes adustus
Jewelled damsel, Microspathodon chrysurus
Domino damsel, Dascyllus trimaculatus
Talbot’s damsel, Chrysiptera talboti
Reticulated damsel, Dascyllus reticulatus
Springer’s damsel, Chrysiptera springeri
Allen’s damsel, Pomacentrus alleni
Three stripe damsel, Dascyllus aruanus
Blue devil damsel, Chrysiptera cyanea
Starck’s damsel, Chrysiptera starcki
Lemon damsel, Pomacentrus moluccensis
Blue velvet damsel, Neoglyphidodon oxyodon