The Pond Life Aquatics Weekly Stock Update: September 5th

Welcome back to another weekly stock update from Pond Life Aquatics and Tropical Fish London! 

This week, we've had some truly fantastic new arrivals across the store, and I'm excited to share some of the standout species with you. From stunning South American beauties to some truly unique Asian imports, there's something for everyone, whether you're a seasoned aquarist or just starting out. 

Let's dive in!

South American Stock Highlights

We've restocked the South American section with some of our absolute favorites, including tetras, corydoras, and catfish.  But the real stars of the show this week are two very special new additions:

Dumbo Santa Guppies: We haven't had guppies this stunning in a long time, and I'm super excited about these guys. These Dumbo Santa Guppy males have beautiful iridescent white bodies that bleed into a deep blue, finished with a vibrant orange tail. While often seen as a beginner's fish, guppies can sometimes suffer from health issues due to how they've been bred. To help them thrive, you should try to replicate their natural environment from the slow-moving rivers of South America. A beautifully planted aquarium of 40 liters or more will make them incredibly happy. 

Golden Cardinal Tetras: This was one of those happy accidents that occasionally happens when ordering new fish. While we expected regular cardinal tetras—a staple in the aquarium trade—we received a beautiful color morph: the Golden Cardinal Tetra. They have a brilliant golden sheen and an almost albino-ish shade that adds a unique pop of color to any community aquarium. They will still shoal with your regular cardinals, so they are a great way to add a bit of difference to your tank. 

New Arrivals from Asia

Our Asian section has been busy, and we're thrilled to introduce some new fish that are sure to be best-sellers. 

Longfin Cherry Barbs: We've brought in a beautiful group of Longfin Cherry Barbs. I think these are an absolutely beautiful species and I'm on the verge of doing a species spotlight video on them in the future.  They are a great addition to a planted aquarium.

Red Cap Orandas: We got an absolutely blinding order of Red Cap Orandas this week, and they are stunning. These fancy goldfish are absolutely huge for their type and have come in looking healthy and happy. We know a lot of people come in looking for high-grade orandas, and these guys will settle in beautifully in a tank of 120 liters or more. I'm also planning to do a species spotlight on fancy goldfish soon to explore the fascinating breeding practices behind them. 

Female Bettas: We sold a lot of male bettas this week, and we're now highlighting our new female bettas. While they have a reputation for being less aggressive than males, it's important to understand how to keep them. I've been doing a lot of research on keeping them in a "sorority". We recommend a minimum of five females in a heavily planted 70-liter tank, adding 10 liters for every additional fish. This is because of a concept called diffused aggression, which prevents any single fish from being singled out and attacked.

 

Neon Green Rasbora: Finally, we have a stunning order of Neon Green Rasbora (Microdevario kubotai). These are a truly communal species and look absolutely amazing in large groups. While they are naturally found in soft water from Myanmar, tank-bred specimens like ours can adapt to a range of parameters, from soft, mineralized water to harder, more alkaline water. A planted 40-liter aquarium is a great starting point for a group of six of these fish. 

What's Coming Up at Pond Life Aquatics?

As always, we've got more exciting things in the works. We're hoping to get some very interesting angels and more African species in the near future. I'll also be doing a mini-series on hatching African killifish eggs soon. 

And don't forget to keep an eye out for our upcoming giveaway! We'll be giving away a beginner's book on nature aquariums and doing a "back-to-school" competition for a free tank for our London-area customers. Thank you for reading and for all the new people who have visited the store recently.  I love chatting with you and learning from you. This is the best hobby in the world, and it only gets better!

Feel free to let us know in the comments what you'd like to see a species spotlight on next. 

Prefer to Watch?For a full tour of this week's stock and a more in-depth look at our new arrivals, you can watch the video version of this update below.

https://youtu.be/bMc1bV74-9M?si=ULl3HqpIqB9YHk-W