Urban Aquariums

19/06/2026

Tank Mate Series: Can These Fish Live Together?

This week’s tank mate spotlight features an interesting mix of personalities and colours:

🔸 Blood Parrot Cichlid
🔸 Albino Geophagus Tapajos
🔸 Striped Silver Dollar

At first glance, they might seem like an unusual combination, but with the right aquarium size and setup, they can make excellent tank mates.

The Blood Parrot brings the personality, the Albino Geophagus adds constant activity as it sifts through the substrate, and the Silver Dollar provides movement throughout the upper and middle levels of the aquarium.

A few things to keep in mind:
✅ Plenty of swimming space
✅ Strong filtration
✅ Stable water quality
✅ A varied diet for all species
✅ Tank mates that can hold their own without being overly aggressive

The result? A vibrant, active community aquarium with something happening in every part of the tank.

What’s your favourite fish in this lineup?

11/06/2026

Your aquarium is talking to you…

The question is, are you listening? 👀🐟

Cloudy water.
Algae taking over.
Fish hiding more than usual.
Filters struggling to keep up.

These aren’t just minor annoyances — they’re often early warning signs that your aquarium ecosystem is out of balance.

The good news? Most aquarium problems don’t happen overnight, and with a little attention they can usually be corrected before they become expensive or heartbreaking.

We’ve put together a guide covering 7 common signs your aquarium may be asking for more attention, and what you can do about them.

Whether you’re a new fish keeper or have been in the hobby for years, it’s worth taking a quick look at your tank and seeing if any of these signs sound familiar.

Read the full article here:
https://urbanaquariums.com.au/blogs/f/7-signs-your-aquarium-is-asking-for-more-attention

What was the first sign that told you something wasn’t right in your aquarium? Let us know below 👇

Most aquarium problems don’t start with a disaster.

28/05/2026

Most aquariums don’t fail because people don’t care.
They fail because no one explains what actually matters.

Overfeeding.
Poor water quality.
Wrong fish combinations.
Cheap equipment.
Skipping maintenance because “the water looks clear”.

It’s usually not one big mistake — it’s a series of small ones that slowly throw the entire ecosystem out of balance.

An aquarium is a living environment, not just a piece of décor.

We put together a new blog breaking down the real reasons why so many tanks struggle within the first year — and what you can do differently from day one.

Whether you’re brand new to fish keeping or already battling algae, cloudy water, stressed fish or unexplained losses, this one is worth the read.

Read here:
https://urbanaquariums.com.au/blogs/f/why-most-aquariums-fail-within-the-first-year

Getting into fish keeping is exciting. Setting up the tank, choosing fish, watching everything come to life — it’s easy to see why so many people fall in love with the hobby.

21/05/2026

Welcome back to our Tank Mates series!

As with all fish keepers… we like to change up our display tanks a little too often 🫣

This setup is currently packed with:
• OB Peacocks
• Black Widow Frontosas
• Six Bar Frontosas
• Maggiano’s
• Albino Red Empress
• Super VC Haps
• Z-Rock Haps
• Rusty Cichlids
• Strawberry Peacocks

A crazy mix of colour, movement and personality all in one tank.

From the deep blues and bold bars of the Frontosas to the absolute colour explosion from the OBs and Strawberry Peacocks, this tank has turned into one of our favourites for now… until we change it again 🫣

That’s the problem with African Cichlids — there’s always “just one more fish” you want to add.

Which fish is your favourite in this setup? 👀

📍Urban Aquariums
🐟 Professionally quarantined fish
💧 Aquarium maintenance • Livestock • Custom setups

13/05/2026

Apache Sulphur Head Peacock paired up with the legendary Super VC-10 Haps… this tank is pure African cichlid energy.

The electric blues, yellows and aggression in personality make this one of those combos you just can’t stop watching 👀

Welcome back to our tank mates series where we showcase some of the incredible species we keep here in store and this setup definitely turns heads.

Fun fact: Once matured Super VC-10s are known for their intense blue colouring and dominant display behaviour, while Apache Sulphur Heads bring insane contrast with their bright yellow blaze and metallic body tones.

Would you run this combo in your display tank? 👇

12/05/2026

Welcome to our new series where we introduce some of the tank mates we have here in store 🐟

First up… a seriously underrated African cichlid lineup 🔥

From the electric reds of the Crimson Tide to the metallic shimmer of Mylochromis epichorialis, this tank is packed with colour, movement, and personality. Add in the bold Malawi Bream and the always reliable Rusty Cichlid and you’ve got nonstop action.

• Mylochromis Epichorialis
• Crimson Tide
• Rusty Cichlid
• Malawi Bream

African cichlids are all about interaction, hierarchy, and energy — and this group brings all of it.

Which one are you taking home? Comment down below👇🏽

16/12/2025

Shout out to our newest followers!

Welcome to the Urban Aquariums Fish Fam 🐠

Excited to have you onboard!

Lou Stella, Alla Huang, Luke Browne, Kayla Jarvis, Nathan Chipchase, Ewan Watkins, Dan Wood

11/12/2025

No promos, no pitch — just us, a rainy morning, vibing to this track that matched the weather way too perfectly, and fish who couldn’t care less about the downpour 😂🌧️🐟

Stay Safe Fish Fam!

11/12/2025

FEATURE FISH: OUR MBUNA OG

Say hello to the Mbuna who has been with us for years — colourful, confident, and absolutely certain that this entire tank belongs to him 👑🐟

Some cool Mbuna facts that make him such a standout:

• Native to the rocky shores of Lake Malawi, one of the most biodiverse lakes in the world
• The word Mbuna literally means “rockfish”, because they live and defend territory among rocks
• Famous for their strong territorial behaviour — especially dominant males like our OG
• Among the most colourful freshwater fish, with patterns that rival marine species
• Primarily herbivores, spending their days grazing on algae and plant matter
• With great care, Mbuna can live 8–10+ years, making this guy one of our long-term legends
• Highly active, social, and full of personality

This boy has claimed his rock, earned his status, and still defends his turf like a tiny underwater king.

Come meet him at Urban Aquariums — but fair warning… he’s VERY territorial. 😤💙

08/12/2025

Brian won’t toot his own horn… but I absolutely will. 🎺🐠

If you’ve ever wondered what makes Urban Aquariums different, don’t take it from us, take it from the people who’ve opened their doors, trusted Brian with their tanks, and walked away blown away.

From 6-hour deep cleans, crystal-clear 6ft showpieces, emergency rescues, perfect African cichlids, and customers who “locked us in monthly”… the reviews speak louder than we ever could.

⭐️ “Impeccable service… sump clean, water change, testing — amazing & affordable.”
⭐️ “Good knowledge, advice and trust. Purchased twice and will be back.”
⭐️ “Tanks have never looked this clean.”
⭐️ “Cichlids are vibrant, healthy and stunning — customer service second to none.”
⭐️ “He is brilliant!!! He certainly knows everything about fish.”
⭐️ “Looks brand new again. Highly recommend.”
⭐️ “Attention to detail is second to none. Locked them in monthly cleans.”

And the list goes on…

Hundreds of customers. Consistent 5-star reviews.

Real photos. Real results.

Brian shows up, puts in the work, respects every home he walks into, and treats every tank like it’s his own and that’s why Urban Aquariums has become the go-to name across Sydeny, The Coast and beyond.

If your tank needs a reset, a glow-up, or a full rescue mission… you already know who to call. 🐟✨

5.0 ⭐ · Aquarium shop