The Pond Life Aquatics Weekly Stock Update: October 25th, 2025
Welcome back to another weekly stock update from Pond Life Aquatics and Tropical Fish London!
This week we're doing something a little different - instead of focusing on just one or two continents, we're bringing you highlights from across the entire fish room! From South America to Africa, we've got some truly spectacular arrivals including stunning L-number plecos, rare rainbowfish, and beautiful blackwater tetras.
Whether you're looking to start a new biotope setup or add something special to your existing community, we've got you covered.
Let's dive in!
South American Stock Highlights
L201 Inspector Snowball Pleco (Hypancistrus inspector)
For L-cat lovers, this week brings something truly special: the L201 Inspector Snowball Pleco. These absolutely stunning plecos originate from the Orinoco River in Venezuela and are a real collector's piece.
Care Requirements:
- Tank Size: 200 liters (55 gallons) minimum
- Temperature: 26-30°C (79-86°F)
- Diet: Carnivorous/omnivorous - NOT an algae eater
- Price: £45 each
- Special Notes: One of the more active L-number species
Here's what makes Inspector Plecos so interesting: unlike most pleco species, they are carnivorous rather than algae eaters. This means you need to adjust your feeding regime specifically for them. Think about supplementing their diet with plenty of bloodworm, quality carnivore pellets, and protein-rich foods. If you're keeping them in a community tank (which is absolutely viable), they'll happily hoover up flake, pellets, and any other protein-rich foods that sink to the bottom.
Don't count on Inspectors as part of your algae-eating clean-up crew. Instead, think of them as a food clean-up crew - they'll help mop up those occasional overfeeds in your community tank.
These guys are one of the truly large pleco species and need significant space to thrive. The name "Inspector" comes from their reputation for being slightly more active than your average L-cat pleco. Males are particularly interesting during breeding season, when they'll hide out in caves taking care of the eggs.
Biotope Setup Idea: If you're considering a Venezuelan biotope for Inspector Plecos, think about moderate to strong flow, hardy plants like Cryptocoryne, Anubias, and Java Fern that can tolerate the current, plus some larger Amazon Swords. An open-top rimless tank would really showcase these stunning fish.
Special Feature: Aquael Ultrascape 90
Speaking of stunning setups, we have an absolutely incredible deal on an Aquael Ultrascape 90 - a 243-liter rimless aquascaping aquarium that's perfect for larger species like the Inspector Pleco.
What's Included:
- 243L rimless tank
- Cabinet
- Hardscape
- Price: £799 (incredible value!)
What You'll Need to Add:
- Filtration system
- Quality lighting
This is genuinely such an insane deal that I wish I had the space to take it home myself! It would be absolutely ideal for a Venezuelan biotope or a large rainbowfish display tank. The rimless design creates a stunning open-top look that really showcases your aquascape.
North American Stock Highlights
Rainbow Shiner (Notropis chrosomus)
Moving into our Asian section (where we house our North American temperate species), we have Rainbow Shiners that have really colored up beautifully and are looking absolutely stunning right now.
Care Requirements:
- Tank Size: 150-200 liters (40-55 gallons) for proper shoals
- Temperature: 18-24°C (64-75°F) - temperate species
- Group Size: Large shoals for best display
- Special Notes: Need high flow, stream-like conditions
I know some sources say you can keep Rainbow Shiners in 70 liters plus, but personally I'd be looking at 150-200 liters to really keep these guys in a sufficient group. They're absolutely stunning shoaling minnow species that are honestly a bit of a hidden gem in the aquarium trade.
The males develop gorgeous blues and pinks through their bodies, while females are slightly duller but equally beautiful with almost iridescent bronze-ish bodies. It's easy to see why people fall in love with Rainbow Shiners.
Stream Biotope Setup: If you're going to keep them, think about creating a stream biotope with:
- Strong water flow
- Lots of rounded, smooth stones
- Plants that can handle cooler temperatures: Java Fern, Anubias, Vallisneria
- Compatible tankmates: Hillstream Loach, fathead minnows, White Cloud Mountain Minnows, zebra danios
Rainbow Shiners are perfect for temperate tanks, and if you have that larger space available, pairing them with Hillstream Loaches would create an absolutely spectacular display. They're just so underrated in the aquarium trade, and I think more people should consider them for their temperate setups.
Asian Stock Highlights
Platinum White Male Bettas & Koi Plakat Females (Betta splendens)
This week we received some absolutely stunning Betta splendens - both the highly popular platinum white male bettas and a fresh restock of gorgeous koi plakat females.
Female Betta Care Requirements:
- Tank Size: 20 liters (5 gallons) minimum for individuals; 60+ liters for sororities
- Temperature: 24-27°C (75-81°F)
- Sorority Size: 5+ females (more is better for diffusing aggression)
- Special Notes: Less aggressive than males but still territorial
I think female bettas have gotten so good in terms of their colorations in the past few years - they can genuinely rival their male counterparts in terms of beauty. Because they're not weighed down with huge tails, they're that little bit more active and typically less aggressive than males in community aquariums.
Betta Sorority Setup: If you want to keep a betta sorority, here's what you need to know:
- Keep them in groups of 5+ (ideally more) to diffuse aggression
- Minimum 60 liters, but 100 liters is ideal
- Heavy planting is essential - think about their natural habitat: slow-moving, densely vegetated areas in Southeast Asia
- Lots of plants break up sight lines so they're not constantly flaring at each other
- Although female bettas are less aggressive than males, they can still spar and fight
Tank Mate Suggestion: We currently have our female bettas housed with Galaxy Rasbora (native to Burma), and it's working beautifully. You get that huge pop of color from multiple female bettas alongside those gorgeous iridescent galaxy bodies. It's a stunning combination that's well worth considering if you're planning a betta sorority.
Other suitable tankmates include Harlequin Rasbora, pygmy corydoras, and other peaceful nano species. Some keepers have even successfully kept female bettas with male bettas in larger, heavily planted tanks, though this requires careful monitoring.
Australian Stock Highlights
Red Sepik Rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus)
For the first time in ages, we've got new Australian stock in, and I'm genuinely excited about these: Red Sepik Rainbowfish!
Care Requirements:
- Tank Size: 200 liters (55 gallons) minimum
- Temperature: 24-28°C (75-82°F)
- pH: 7.5-8.5
- Group Size: 8-10 for best display
- Special Notes: Need open swimming space with background planting
Native to the Sepik River basin in Papua New Guinea, Red Sepiks are a larger rainbow species that are absolutely breathtaking when mature. The ones we have in are definitely still juveniles - they're already 6-7 centimeters long, and these guys can reach 15 centimeters (usually settling around 10-12cm for mature adults).
Right now they have a silvery, almost olivey coloration with a red tint to the tail. But as they mature, they go pure bright fiery red - which is why they're known as one of the most colorful species you can keep in freshwater aquariums.
Aquascaping for Red Sepiks: When setting up for these active swimmers, think about:
- Large, open aquascapes
- Lots of background planting with Vallisneria, Java Fern, Anubias, moss
- Maybe some dwarf Sagittaria along the base
- Open swimming space in the middle - these guys are constantly showing off to each other
- Strong lighting to really bring out those beautiful reds
Care & Feeding: Red Sepiks are hardy as hell and not particularly difficult to keep. They do well in semi-aggressive community tanks with other large species like Congo Tetras, larger corydoras, other L-cats, and other rainbows (Boesemani Rainbows would pair perfectly).
Feed them with quality omnivorous pellets like TetraPro Color or Prima - anything with red coloration-boosting effects is ideal. Mix in some mysis shrimp and bloodworm to fatten them up and help them mature quicker, and you'll end up with these absolutely startlingly red fish.
I genuinely hope you get to see how stunning these guys get when they're bigger. They're one of those rainbow species that are just breathtaking when fully mature.
African Stock Highlights
Yellow Lab Cichlids (Labidochromis caeruleus)
We have Yellow Lab Cichlids currently in our quarantine space (nothing wrong with them - they're just a bit smaller than some of the other Malawi cichlids in our display tank, so we're fattening them up before moving them over).
Care Requirements:
- Tank Size: 200+ liters (55+ gallons)
- Temperature: 24-28°C (75-82°F)
- pH: 7.8-8.6 (hard, alkaline water)
- Diet: Herbivorous - use Malawi-specific pellets
- Special Notes: The least aggressive Malawi species (but still cichlid-aggressive!)
I wanted to highlight Yellow Labs in particular because we've had a lot of people asking about how to get into keeping Malawi cichlids. Yellow Labs are the beginner's Malawi cichlid - they're the least aggressive Malawi you're going to keep.
Now, that's not saying much considering Malawis are absolutely murderous in general. They're a very aggressive group of fish, and when you keep display tanks like ours, the aim of the game is diffused aggression.
Two Approaches to Keeping Yellow Labs:
-
All-Male Display (Diffused Aggression Method):
- Stock heavily with all males - more than you'd reasonably think would go in a 200-300 liter tank
- This diffuses aggression and stops males from absolutely killing each other
- You get really poppy bright yellow colors throughout
- 5+ males in 200 liters or more
-
Breeding Setup:
- Keep males to females in a 1:4 ratio (one male to four females)
- This prevents males from mauling females during breeding
- Females are mouthbrooders - if you see a female with a bulged mouth, she's carrying eggs
Aquascaping & Diet:
- Lots of rocks and hiding spaces
- They will absolutely destroy plants - if you want to try, use Anubias or Java Fern securely attached to rock
- Herbivorous diet is crucial - use Malawi-specific pellets with lots of vegetable content to avoid Malawi bloat
Lake Malawis are just a completely different side of the trade. They're so interesting, and you can see why people are so tempted to keep them. I will do a full setup video at some point once we expand our rooms out.
Blue-Eyed Congo Tetras (Phenacogrammus interruptus)
Our final highlight this week: these absolutely stunning Blue-Eyed Congo Tetras from the Congo River.
Care Requirements:
- Tank Size: 150 liters (40 gallons) minimum
- Temperature: 23-28°C (73-82°F)
- Group Size: True shoaling species - 6+ minimum
- Special Notes: Prefer blackwater conditions with heavy planting
These guys are almost the complete opposite in requirements to Lake Malawis. They have stunning golden bodies with amazing blue eyes, and they're absolutely beautiful.
Blackwater Biotope Setup: Think about creating a heavily planted blackwater aquarium with:
- Lots of Cryptocoryne
- Plenty of bogwood
- Leaf litter for that beautiful tea-stained water
- Dim to moderate lighting
I was talking to a couple of customers in the shop earlier about how much I love these guys. Just imagine a beautifully planted blackwater setup where you see these stunning blue eyes pointing out at you from the shadows. I don't think it can get much better than that.
Blue-Eyed Congos are that little bit rarer - you don't see them all that often - and I just can't take my eyes off them. I would absolutely adore keeping these guys alongside regular Congo Tetras or even angelfish at some point if I had a big enough aquarium for them. They're an absolute gem.
What's Coming Up at Pond Life Aquatics?
We're absolutely thrilled to be getting rarer species like these in stock, and we really hope that in the next year or so as we expand and build more fish rooms, we'll be able to keep more display tanks. Honestly, a display tank of African tetras is definitely on the cards - I don't think you can beat something as spectacular as those Blue-Eyed Congos.
Upcoming Content:
📹 Dirted Aquarium Series: I'm currently working on a dirted aquarium series where I'll be showing the development over the course of about a year. One video per month showing you the progression and the beautiful little shrimp I'm hoping to breed inside of it. Keep an eye out for that!
🎁 Holiday Aquarium Gift Series: I'm doing a three-part series over the next few weeks talking about giving aquariums as gifts over the holiday season. Even if you're not interested in giving gifts, there will be tips and tricks on keeping your aquariums in the best possible way throughout those videos.
🏆 Practical Fish Keeping Readers Poll: The announcements for the Practical Fish Keeping Readers Poll will be out in next month's issue, so fingers crossed!
Final Thoughts
This week's highlights really showcase the diversity we're bringing into the shop. From carnivorous L-number plecos to temperate North American shiners, vibrant rainbowfish, and stunning blackwater tetras - there's truly something for every type of aquarist.
We're loving being able to source these rarer, more interesting species, and we hope you're as excited about them as we are.
Thank you for reading and for all the support from both our regular customers and new visitors. We love chatting with you about your setups, learning from your experiences, and sharing our passion for this incredible hobby.
See you in store!
Harris Bard
Pond Life Aquatics & Tropical Fish London
1 Finchley Nurseries, London NW7 1AS
www.pondlifeaquatics.co.uk
Prefer to Watch?
For a full tour of this week's highlights and more detailed information about these species, check out our video update on YouTube. We show you the fish up close and go into even more depth about care requirements and tank setups!