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Saltwater Species
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Red Neon Goby, Blackbelly Goby (Eviota nigriventris)
Difficulty: Easy
Agression: Low
Max Size: 2-3 cm
Coloration: Black, Red
Feeding: Small invertebrates, will take flake foods.
Distribution: Western pacific, from southern Asia to eastern Australia.
A small and active reef dwelling fish. Due to its small size and reef-hugging habits it has a tendency to be presumed dead for up to weeks, even months at a time only to suddenly re-appear. Can be kept in groups provided they are all introduced at the same time and is also compatible with other fishes provided they are not larger and aggressive. Suitable for most sizes of aquarium.
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Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa)
Difficulty: Moderate
Agression: Medium
Max Size: 70-80 cm
Coloration: White, Off-white, with a yellow and black spotted pattern.
Feeding: Various crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs.
Distribution: Indo-Pacific, Eastern Africa and the Red Sea
Known as one of the less aggressive morays and is actually considered to be rather shy. It is one of the few species of moray that can actually be housed in a community tank. When it comes to selecting tank mates, avoid small fishes as the snowflake moray while having a main diet of crustaceans is also an opportunist predator. Snowflake morays require a tank size of at least 75 gallons and need a lot of dark hiding places. Make sure that all your tank decor is stable and can't wiggle. As with all morays, they require vigorous protein skimming to maintain good water quality.
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Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus)
Difficulty: Easy
Agression: Low
Max Size: 40-60 cm
Coloration: Black, Brown, Mottled
Feeding: Omnivorous, feeding off algae as well as being a scavenger
Distribution: South America
One of the most popular catfish in the aquarium trade worldwide, the Common Pleco is a large gentle giant that moves with grace and beauty. It is a very hardy species with bony plates covering most of its body making it an ideal tankmate for other larger species like Oscars, provided there are logs or other form of decor it can seek shelter under. One common misconception about the Common Pleco is that it just eats algae. It needs to be fed on a regular basis and will pretty much eat any kind of fish food from algae flakes specially formulated for bottom feeders or even on occasion regular floating pellets. Caution is advised when housing two Pleco's together with eachother as they tend to get fiercely territorial when they get older.
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Marbled Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)
Difficulty: Easy
Agression: Medium
Max Size: 15 cm
Coloration: Blue, Turquoise
Feeding: Omnivorous
Distribution: Southern Asia
Also known as the Blue Gourami, or the Three Spot Gourami. A peaceful species that coexists well with other non-aggressive fishes. They have been known to kill smaller and long finned fishes, however I have personally never observed this behavior among mine. Gourami males in particular tend to become very territorial against one another, however when housed in a community tank they tend to become more timid. The Gourami is a very unusual fish that belongs to the family of labyrinth fishes, which possess a lung-like labyrinth organ that allows them to take in oxygen directly from the air. In the wild they feed for the most part on small invertebrates and insects, while in captivity they will readily take tubifex, blood worms, algae-based foods as well as regular flake foods.
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