Dear Swimmers

30/04/2026

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23/04/2026

Silverado Double Sword Endler available here at Dear Swimmers

17/04/2026

17/04/2026

Apistogramma cacatuoides doesn’t follow the typical “both parents raise the fry” pattern people expect from cichlids.
The female handles the eggs and fry directly, guarding, moving, and managing them, while the male focuses on defending the surrounding territory instead of active care. That division catches a lot of people off guard.

17/04/2026

Clown killifish (Epiplatys annulatus) stay tiny, but they’re strict surface feeders that often ignore food once it sinks and slowly lose condition in busy tanks. Most are captive bred now, and males will quietly spar under floating plants where they feel secure.

Availability: Common (widely bred by hobbyists and farms)
Beginner suitability: 6/10 (easy if setup matches their behavior)
Care difficulty: 5/10 (feeding style and calm tank matter)
Behavior intensity: 5/10 (subtle displaying, surface activity)
Visual potential: 9/10 (patterns and colors pop in low light with cover)
Common mistake factor: 9/10 (no surface cover and wrong feeding approach)
Water preference: soft, slightly acidic, calm

Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 5.5 – 7.0
GH: 1 – 6 dGH
TDS: ~40 – 120 ppm
Temperature: 23 – 26°C

17/04/2026

Electric blue balloon ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi “balloon/EB”) look eye catching, but they’re one of the least forgiving ram variants and crash fast if water isn’t warm and stable. Most are heavily line bred, and the balloon body plus electric blue genetics make them weaker than standard rams.

Availability: Common (mass bred variants widely sold)
Beginner suitability: 3/10 (very sensitive compared to normal rams)
Care difficulty: 8/10 (temperature and stability are critical)
Behavior intensity: 6/10 (mildly territorial, especially in pairs)
Visual potential: 9/10 (intense blue but depends on health and line)
Common mistake factor: 10/10 (keeping too cool or in unstable tanks)
Water preference: soft, slightly acidic, very stable, warm

Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 5.5 – 7.0
GH: 1 – 6 dGH
TDS: ~50 – 120 ppm
Temperature: 27 – 31°C

17/04/2026

Sterbai corydoras (Corydoras sterbai) handle higher temperatures than most cories, but they still need fine substrate or their barbels wear down over time. Most are captive bred, and in proper groups they stay active and constantly sift instead of hiding.

Availability: Common (widely captive bred)
Beginner suitability: 8/10 (hardy if kept in groups)
Care difficulty: 4/10 (easy with clean water and substrate)
Behavior intensity: 6/10 (active bottom schooling)
Visual potential: 8/10 (pattern stands out more in groups)
Common mistake factor: 8/10 (keeping on rough gravel or too few)
Water preference: soft to moderately hard, slightly acidic to neutral

Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
GH: 3 – 12 dGH
TDS: ~80 – 200 ppm
Temperature: 24 – 28°C

15/04/2026

✨️Updated Stock April 16✨️