Water Colors Aquarium Gallery

In this exciting episode, we have two celebrity guests in the studio to discuss their personal fish room builds! Mike Monje and Craig Forist share details about their own fish rooms at home, as well as some secrets to help you build your own dream workspace. The hosts and guests share some great accomplishments, tank disasters, and tips and tricks for creating the most efficient and effective fish...

In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 favorite fish that are not safe to keep with coral. The average reef aquarium in 2026 has a variety of mixed corals. Many of the most interesting fish in the aquarium trade are unsafe to keep with corals. This means there’s a whole world of fun and unique species that get overlooked, simply because they’re not compatible with...

We all love bettas, but what other anabantoids need some time in the spotlight? In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 species from the suborder anabantoidei . This includes many beloved fish such as gouramis, paradisefish, badis, and even channa! Discussions include native habitats, captive care, breeding reports, and more! What’re your favorite anabantoids ?   Lo...

In this episode, the Water Colors team takes a trip back in time. The early aquarium hobby has some fascinating origins, some good and some not so good. Much of what we know about aquariums has changed through the years, but one thing remains constant – people are enamored with fish. In this discussion, we’ll go through some of the earliest fish species to be imported and kept in the U...

In this episode, the Water Colors Team discusses their top 5 aquarium plants found in Africa! When in comes to plant diversity, Africa is hard to beat! Some of our absolute favorites come from this region. This discussion revolves around our favorite species, their native ranges, care, and more! If you’re interested in designing a biotope to this region, this episode is a great place to star...

In this episode, the Water Colors team is once again quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using the worst commercial wholesale fish list we can find and a random number generator, we roll a random species from the list and test each host to see if they know the species based only on the common name alone. Each turn, they can score points by correctly naming the genus and species. This game is made eve...

Once again, we are joined by our good friend and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! In this episode, we narrow down our focus and discuss ornamental marine algae, sometimes referred to as macroalgae. Aquascapes utilizing ornamental algae often resemble planted aquariums, and share some similarities, yet the species used in macroalgae tanks span across multiple kingdoms and can vary vastly in care. We&...

In this new episode format, the Water Colors team sits down to discuss the current display aquariums within our store in Grand Rapids, Michigan! The display tanks in our gallery serve as examples to inspire others. The staff will take turns designing and maintaining the various show tanks across the store. In this discussion, we’ll go in-depth on all the setups, including the dimensions, equ...

In this episode, the Water Colors Team sits down to discuss corallimorphs, or the cnidarians within the order corallimorpharia. This includes fun species from the genera discosoma, rhodactus, ricordea , and more! We discuss some of the available varieties in the aquarium trade and their care, as well as some other unique species that aquarists don’t typically see! Which corallimorphs are you...

For this Halloween episode, we asked our listeners, friends, and fellow hobbyists to share their spookiest aquarium horror stories. We received some shocking tales about aquarium-related injuries, losses, and more. We hope by sharing these experiences, we can all learn from the tragedies and discuss how to prevent future disasters. What’s your scariest aquarium story?   Join the discuss...

Once again, we are joined by our good friend and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! In this episode, we attempt to tackle the complicated world of marine algae, but quickly find that this topic warrants multiple episodes. The tricky nature of discussing saltwater algae sends our hosts off on dozens of tangents, to no surprise. From ornamental macroalgae to pesky nuisance algae, join us as we learn jus...

In this episode, we welcome a good friend of the store in for an interview! Craig Forist is an accomplished aquarist with an impressive background in the aquarium hobby. He is the president of two aquarium clubs, an active BAP competitor, and most recently – the proud owner of a trio of epaulette sharks. We sit down with Craig and hear all about his aquarium experiences, from early inspirati...

The 55 gal aquarium is a notoriously disliked tank, with many hobbyists avoiding it like the plague. At 48″ long, 13″ wide, and 20″ tall, it can be a very limiting tank to work with! Despite it’s reputation, it’s still a frequently sold model. In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 3 concepts surrounding the dreaded 55gal tank. We have some very un...

We’re back with one of our favorite episode formats – answering listener submitted questions! These episodes are livestreamed at the time of recording on our YouTube channel – consider joining our YouTube membership for access to weekly livestreamed episodes! There is never a shortage of great questions and topics to kickstart some interesting conversations on these recording ses...

In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 most bragworthy aquarium plants! Some of these species are challenging to find or grow, and having a healthy specimen can show other aquarists that you’re a hardcore hobbyist. Other examples on this list are simply impressive to see, whether you’re an aquarium geek or not! From giant swords to flowering crypts, we love an opp...

In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses what to do when you encounter an aquarium emergency. From leaks to power outages, food dumps to broken pumps – what can you do when disaster strikes? We’ll talk about the common issues, how to troubleshoot, and how to prepare. What are the worst aquarium disasters you’ve experienced? You can send your stories into info@watercolorsa...

In this episode, the Water Colors team is once again quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using the worst commercial wholesale fish list we can find and a random number generator, we roll a random species from the list and test each host to see if they know the species based only on the scientific name alone. Each turn, they can score a point by successfully proving they know the species. They can als...

In this listener-suggested episode, the Water Colors team comes up with a few of their favorite concepts for nano tanks that can live on your desk! We are accepting votes on which of these concepts we will be setting up in the shop! Whether you work from home, or have a corporate desk job, there’s room for a mini project tank in your work space. We’ll discuss ideas that range from simp...

In this episode, we are joined once again by freshwater ecologist and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! Jordyn studies algae in natural environments, and with her expertise, we hope to discuss some of the common algae varieties we encounter in our aquariums. The big question is – how do we treat it? Algae issues typically stem from nutrient imbalances, both in our aquariums and in nature. Ident...

After wrapping up our official Killifish month, the Water Colors team concludes by sharing their top 5 killifish of all time! March 2025 was full of non-stop killi action, including episodes on dirt-spawners (208), mop-spawners (207), and killifish biotopes (206). What better way to round it off than a classic top 5 list? For more in-depth discussion on killis, refer back to these previous episode...

In this episode, the Water Colors Team discusses their top 5 non-armored catfish species! This excludes a lot of fan-favorite cats, such as corydoras and plecos, and forces the hosts to study up on some unusual species! It’s impossible to generalize catfishes, as they comprise nearly 10% of all known fish species. We’ll share some of our favorites, ranging from tiny, dwarf acts –...

In this new episode format, the Water Colors team is quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using our favorite commercial wholesale fish list and a random number generator, we roll a random species from the list and test each host to see if they know the species based only on the scientific name alone. Each turn, they can score a point by successfully proving they know the species. They can also earn a...

For our final episode of Livebearer Month, we welcome back Charles, who joins us to discuss fancy livebearers! It would be an injustice to talk about livebearing fish without taking a dive into the genetics behind the strains we know and love. Selective breeding is a process that has allowed aquarists to develop fish with specific traits, including those with dramatic, long fins and vibrant color...

The Water Colors team is honored to have Pat Hartman join us for an interview in this week’s episode! Our Livebearer Month would not be complete without the contribution of Pat, who is one of the most accomplished aquarists we’ve had the pleasure to sit down with. Pat Hartman has been keeping fish for about 50 years. Although not a founding member, he has been a member of the Southwest...

Continuing Livebearer Month, the Water Colors team is back to discuss wild-type live bearing fishes! This includes the family poeciliidae, and the tricky taxonomy that comes with it. Some species within poeciliidae  are common staples in the aquarium hobby, while many of them are virtually unknown to hobbyists. Aquarists that specialize in livebearing fish have more than a few rare species to drea...