Erkut Akyildiz

Erkut Akyildiz YouTuber, Photographer & Nature Filmmaker
Founder & Creator of Tropictank (YouTube Channel)
Based in📍Toronto • Canada

One of those layouts where the balance between hardscape and plant mass feels just right. Neither side is overpowering t...
05/14/2026

One of those layouts where the balance between hardscape and plant mass feels just right. Neither side is overpowering the other, which is probably why the entire aquarium looks so natural and easy on the eyes. Photographed by me at Liquid Nature, Vienna, Austria.

Black Neon Tetra probably appears less often in aquariums simply because Neon and Cardinal Tetras dominate the hobby vis...
05/14/2026

Black Neon Tetra probably appears less often in aquariums simply because Neon and Cardinal Tetras dominate the hobby visually and commercially. The species itself is actually considered quite hardy and adaptable, so the reason is usually not sensitivity, but the fact that many people see it as “less colorful” during quick store comparisons. Ironically, once a large settled group moves through a planted tank, a lot of hobbyists realize this fish looks far better in real life than it ever does in a sales tank.

Seven spot archerfish (Toxotes chatareus) are the heavyweights of the genus, but far too many people try to keep them in...
05/14/2026

Seven spot archerfish (Toxotes chatareus) are the heavyweights of the genus, but far too many people try to keep them in pure freshwater long term where they eventually waste away. They are strictly wild caught imports that need brackish transitions to thrive, and unlike the smaller species, these guys get big enough to make a snack out of your average sized mollies.
Availability: Uncommon; almost exclusively wild caught and often mislabeled as Banded Archers.
Beginner suitability: 3/10 (requires large tanks and specific brackish water management).
Care difficulty: 7/10 (highly sensitive to nitrate buildup and requires live/floating prey).
Behavior intensity: 6/10 (intelligent hunters; will display intra species aggression in small tanks).
Visual potential: 7/10 (imposing size and prehistoric look, best in large paludariums).
Common mistake factor: 9/10 (keeping them in freshwater or underestimating their 12 inch potential).
Water preference: Brackish (SG 1.005 – 1.012), alkaline, and warm.
Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 7.5 – 8.5
GH: 12 – 25 dGH
TDS: ~400 – 1000+ ppm (salinity dependent)
Temperature: 25 – 30°C

Ctenolucius turns from a nervous silver juvenile into a serious ambush predator once settled, and they hit tankmates sid...
05/14/2026

Ctenolucius turns from a nervous silver juvenile into a serious ambush predator once settled, and they hit tankmates sideways with shocking speed when feeding starts. People underestimate how easily they damage themselves too, because startled fish launch hard into lids and glass if the tank is too exposed or brightly lit.

Availability: Uncommon to seasonal, mostly wild caught imports
Beginner suitability: 3/10 (size, feeding behavior, and tank setup matter a lot)
Care difficulty: 6/10 (physically hardy, but stress and injury risks are real)
Behavior intensity: 8/10 (predatory, reactive feeding behavior)
Visual potential: 7/10 (best posture and silver patterning show in dimmer, spacious tanks)
Common mistake factor: 9/10 (mixing with fish small enough to swallow)
Water preference: soft to neutral, warm and stable

Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
GH: 2 – 12 dGH
TDS: ~60 – 220 ppm
Temperature: 24 – 29°C

Silver flying fox spends most of its time patrolling surfaces nonstop, but mature fish often get way more territorial th...
05/14/2026

Silver flying fox spends most of its time patrolling surfaces nonstop, but mature fish often get way more territorial than people expect once they lock down feeding areas. The common mistake is mixing them with similar shaped bottom fish or buying them strictly for algae control, because older specimens usually become picky eaters and chase rivals hard.

Availability: Common to moderately common, usually wild caught or farm raised depending on region
Beginner suitability: 6/10 (hardy, but compatibility gets overlooked)
Care difficulty: 4/10 (fairly adaptable with good oxygenation)
Behavior intensity: 7/10 (territorial as adults, especially in smaller tanks)
Visual potential: 6/10 (looks best in active river style setups with clean flow)
Common mistake factor: 8/10 (confusing them with true Siamese algae eaters)
Water preference: neutral to slightly acidic, well oxygenated

Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
GH: 3 – 15 dGH
TDS: ~70 – 250 ppm
Temperature: 24 – 28°C

Rainbowfish have a very different presence compared to most common community fish once a healthy group matures together ...
05/13/2026

Rainbowfish have a very different presence compared to most common community fish once a healthy group matures together in the same aquarium. The constant movement, flashing colors, and interactions inside the group change throughout the day in a way photos rarely capture properly. Some fish look impressive in a single frame, rainbowfish usually stand out much more once you watch them live for a while.

The “easy community fish” label has done more damage to pearl gourami than any disease.Most tanks running hard tap water...
05/13/2026

The “easy community fish” label has done more damage to pearl gourami than any disease.
Most tanks running hard tap water keep this fish alive but that’s not the same thing as keeping it well soft, acidic, tannin rich conditions change the animal entirely, including behavior most hobbyists have never seen. The fish survives neglect so reliably that nobody questions the setup. That’s the problem with a species that refuses to die visibly.
There’s a version of pearl gourami almost nobody in the hobby has actually kept.

The way the dark tones of the moss match with this soft candy like yellow color looks incredibly satisfying together. I ...
05/13/2026

The way the dark tones of the moss match with this soft candy like yellow color looks incredibly satisfying together. I honestly think it’s hard for anyone to dislike the combination of Neo Caridina shrimp and Weeping Moss in an aquarium. Some color combinations in aquariums just work immediately without trying too hard.

Zebra Otocinclus (Otocinclus cocama) is still a difficult species to find in aquarium stores lately, but like its close ...
05/13/2026

Zebra Otocinclus (Otocinclus cocama) is still a difficult species to find in aquarium stores lately, but like its close relatives it remains one of the fish that fully earns its place in an aquarium maintenance crew. When it comes to soft algae on glass, leaves, and hardscape, this species spends most of the day constantly working surfaces with surprising precision for such a small fish. Some algae eaters get added for “utility,” this is one of the few that people also end up watching closely.

Jelly bean tetras (Ladigesia roloffi) are incredible West African nanos, but they’re notorious jumpers that will find ev...
05/13/2026

Jelly bean tetras (Ladigesia roloffi) are incredible West African nanos, but they’re notorious jumpers that will find even the smallest gap in your lid. They really need that stable, acidic "blackwater" vibe to show off those orange tipped fins and the glowing lateral line that gives them their name.
Availability: Uncommon; mostly wild caught imports from Sierra Leone or Liberia.
Beginner suitability: 4/10 (highly sensitive to parameter swings and nitrate).
Care difficulty: 7/10 (requires specialized feeding and pristine water).
Behavior intensity: 5/10 (active but peaceful shoaler).
Visual potential: 8/10 (stunning under dim lighting with tannins).
Common mistake factor: 9/10 (keeping them in high flow or open top tanks).
Water preference: Very soft, acidic, and stable.
Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 5.5 – 6.8
GH: 1 – 6 dGH
TDS: ~40 – 120 ppm
Temperature: 22 – 26°C

Devario aequipinnatus looks like a simple silver schooling fish until a real group settles into a long tank with current...
05/13/2026

Devario aequipinnatus looks like a simple silver schooling fish until a real group settles into a long tank with current, then the constant pacing and sparring starts to make sense. They’re sold small all the time, but mature fish get surprisingly thick bodied and easily overwhelm slower community species during feeding.

Availability: Common, though often mixed with similar giant danio species in trade
Beginner suitability: 7/10 – hardy and adaptable, but needs more space than most people expect
Care difficulty: 4/10 – stable clean water and swimming room do most of the work
Behavior intensity: 7/10 – nonstop movement and hierarchy behavior in groups
Visual potential: 7/10 – metallic blue and gold flashes show best under strong flow and open space
Common mistake factor: 8/10 – people treat them like small danios and crowd them into short tanks
Water preference: clean, oxygen rich, neutral to slightly alkaline

Typical parameters (not strict rules):
pH: 6.5 – 7.8
GH: 4 – 15 dGH
TDS: ~80 – 250 ppm
Temperature: 22 – 27°C

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