Reading a species page

Every species in the Fish Species library has its own care page. This guide explains each part of that page and what the values mean. A field only appears when we have data for it, so some pages show more than others.

What's at the top of a species page?

From top to bottom, the header shows:

• Breadcrumb: Species > the fish's name. Tap Species to go back to the directory.
• Group tag: the group the species belongs to, such as Tetras & Characins or Shrimp. See Searching the Fish Species directory for the full list of groups.
• Trade code tags: codes like L046, if the species has any.
• Undescribed tag (amber), if the species hasn't been formally described by science yet (see below).
• Common name as the big heading, with the scientific name in italics under it.
• Also known as: other common names people use for the same animal.
• Formerly: older scientific names that have since changed.
• A variety of [species]: shown when this page is a variety or form of another species, with a link to the parent species.

Below that you may see member photos, a one-line summary of the species, and then the grid of care stats.

What does "Undescribed" mean on a species page?

Undescribed means scientists haven't formally named and described this animal yet. It's usually sold under a trade name or code (common with L-number plecos). Care data for undescribed species is based on what keepers have learned, and the scientific name may be missing or change later.

What does "A variety of" mean?

If a page says A variety of followed by another species, it's a color form, fin form or line-bred variety of that species. Tap the link to see the parent species. Unless the variety's own stats say otherwise, the parent's care needs apply.

A parent species lists its varieties under Varieties & forms near the bottom of its page.

What do Water, Temperature, pH and Hardness mean?

These are the water conditions the species does well in.

• Water: the kind of water it lives in. Freshwater for most species. Brackish means slightly salty water, between fresh and sea water.
• Temperature: the range in degrees Fahrenheit (°F), for example 72 to 78°F.
• pH: the acidity range. Below 7 is acidic (soft, tannin-stained water), 7 is neutral, above 7 is alkaline (hard, mineral-rich water).
• Hardness: general hardness in dGH (degrees of general hardness), meaning how much dissolved calcium and magnesium the water has. Low numbers are soft water, high numbers are hard water.

Stable water inside the range matters more than hitting one exact number. To check your own water against these numbers, use Water Check.

What do Max size and Min tank mean?

• Max size: about how big an adult gets, in inches. Buy for the adult size, not the size in the store.
• Min tank: the smallest tank we recommend for this species, in gallons. For schooling or group fish, this is for a proper group, not a single fish.

If you plan a whole community, the Tank Builder uses these same numbers to warn you when a tank is too small.

What does Temperament mean?

How the species behaves toward other fish. The values you'll see most often:

• Peaceful: gets along with other calm fish. A good fit for community tanks.
• Semi-aggressive: mostly fine, but can be territorial, pushy or nippy, especially when breeding or with fish of similar shape or color. Choose tankmates carefully.
• Aggressive: likely to fight with, chase or eat other fish. Usually needs a species tank or carefully chosen robust tankmates.

What does Social mean, and what's the number in brackets?

Social tells you how the species likes to be kept. A number in brackets, like Schooling (6+), is the minimum group size we recommend.

The values you'll see most often:

• Schooling: lives in a tight group and swims together. Keep at least the number shown. A lone schooling fish is stressed.
• Groups: does best with others of its kind, though not in a tight school.
• Social: likes company of its own kind.
• Pairs: kept as a male and female pair.
• Solitary: best kept alone, or as the only one of its kind in the tank.
• Colony: lives in a colony, common for shrimp and snails.
• Harem: one male with several females.

What does Swim level mean?

Where in the tank the species spends most of its time. Mixing fish that use different levels makes a tank feel fuller without crowding.

• Top: near the surface.
• Mid-top: upper middle of the tank.
• Middle: open water in the middle.
• Mid-bottom: lower middle, near decor and plants.
• Bottom: on or near the substrate.
• All: uses the whole tank.

What does Diet mean?

What the species eats:

• Omnivore: eats both plant and animal foods. A varied diet of flakes or pellets plus frozen or live foods works well.
• Carnivore: mostly animal foods, such as frozen, live or meaty prepared foods. Some carnivores will eat small tankmates.
• Herbivore: mostly plant matter, such as algae wafers and vegetables.

What do Care level and Suitability mean?

These two answer "how hard is this species to keep?" from slightly different angles.

Care level is how much skill and effort it takes:

• Beginner: forgiving and a good choice for a first tank once it has cycled.
• Intermediate: needs a stable, established tank and some experience.
• Advanced: needs specific water, diet or setup, and an experienced keeper.
• Expert: very demanding. For specialists.

Suitability is how widely it suits home aquariums:

• Common: widely kept and easy to find.
• Intermediate: fine for keepers with some experience.
• Advanced or Expert: specialist fish that need a dedicated setup.
• Kept but not recommended: people do keep it, but most home tanks can't meet its needs (for example it grows huge, is extremely demanding or doesn't do well in captivity). Think carefully before buying one.

Species rated Advanced, Expert or Kept but not recommended also carry that tag on their card in the directory.

What do Lifespan, Breeding and Origin mean?

• Lifespan: how long the species usually lives with good care, for example "5-8 years".
• Origin: where it comes from in the wild.
• Breeding: how the species reproduces:
  • Egg-scatterer: scatters eggs over plants or the substrate and gives no care. Parents often eat the eggs.
  • Egg-depositor: places eggs on a chosen surface, like a leaf, rock or glass.
  • Egg-layer: lays eggs (general term).
  • Substrate spawner: lays eggs on a cleaned surface such as a flat rock, often guarded by the parents.
  • Cave spawner: lays eggs inside a cave, pipe or crevice, usually guarded.
  • Mouthbrooder: a parent carries the eggs and young in its mouth.
  • Bubble-nester: the male builds a nest of bubbles at the surface and guards the eggs.
  • Livebearer: gives birth to free-swimming young instead of laying eggs.

If members have shared breeding reports for the species, you'll see a How to breed [species] box further down. See Breeding guides.

What are the care notes and care questions?

Under the stats you may see:

• Tanks with this fish: members' public tanks that include this species, with the tank name, size, owner and likes. Tap one to see the tank. Scroll sideways to see more.
• Care notes: a short paragraph about keeping the species.
• How to breed [species]: a link to member breeding reports, when there are any, with how many reports exist.
• [Species] care questions: common questions answered straight from the species' own data. Depending on what we have, these cover what size tank it needs (or how big it gets), water temperature and pH, whether it's aggressive, what it eats, how long it lives, whether it's good for beginners, how it breeds and where it comes from. They say the same thing as the stats, in plain sentences.

How do member photos work on a species page?

Photos on species pages are taken by members of their own fish, and each one was checked by our team before it went live. A species can show up to 5 member photos.

• The main photo sits near the top. If there's more than one, tap a thumbnail underneath to bring it up.
• Tap the main photo to open it full size in a new tab.
• Under the photo you'll see Photo by and the member's name (linked to their profile) and their caption, if they wrote one.

To add your own, see Submitting species photos.

Where are the breeding videos?

If members have shared breeding videos, you'll see [Species] breeding videos below the stats. Each card shows what it shows (Courtship, Spawning, Eggs or Fry), its length and Filmed by with the member's name. Tap a card to open the video's own page. A species can show up to 3 videos.

To share your own, see Breeding videos.

What's in the "Keep [species]? Share yours" section?

This section invites you to add a photo or a breeding video of your own fish. It shows a Submit a photo and a Submit a video button, or Sign in to submit if you're signed out. When all photo or video spots are filled, it says so instead. The details are in Submitting species photos and Breeding videos.

What is the "for sale" section on a species page?

[Species] for sale shows up to 4 active classified ads whose titles mention the species, from anywhere on the site. Tap an ad to open it, or Browse all to see all freshwater livestock ads.

If nothing is listed, you'll see a note with Sell yours (post a free ad) and Find a shop (the fish store directory). See Browsing classifieds and Posting a classified ad.

What else is at the bottom of a species page?

• Guides about [species]: forum threads that mention the species.
• Varieties & forms: color and fin forms of this species, if any.
• More in [group]: up to 10 other species from the same group.
• Back to all species: returns to the directory.

Why is a field missing on a species page?

We only show a stat when we have real data for it. If a box like Lifespan or Hardness isn't there, we don't have a reliable value yet. The care questions follow the same rule, so a species with less data has fewer questions.

Common problems

The temperature is only in Fahrenheit. Species pages show temperature in °F only. To convert, subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9 (for example 77°F is 25°C).

The page shows a different fish than the link I clicked. Old or renamed species links send you to the closest match. If it's the wrong fish, search the Fish Species directory for the one you wanted.

A value looks wrong. Email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the species name, the field and what you think it should be (a source helps).

I just had a photo or video approved but can't see it. Refresh the page. If it still isn't there after a few minutes, email support@undergroundaquarium.com.

The "for sale" ads aren't near me. That section searches ads from anywhere on the site. To find ads near you, use the classifieds and set your area. See Finding listings near you.