Freshwater
Freshwater fish, cichlids, koi, and aquatic plants
What freshwater species does Animal Graphics cover?
The freshwater catalog covers the community and specialist trade: tetras, barbs, danios, rasboras, livebearers, gouramis, catfish, plecos, loaches, and the cichlids, including Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika groups, plus koi and goldfish for the pond side and a deep aquatic-plant list. A freshwater compatibility guide helps customers mix species safely.
Community fish, cichlids, and the compatibility question
Freshwater is where most aquarists start, and the catalog reflects the breadth of the community tank: algae eaters, angelfish, barbs, catfish, danios, discus, eels, goldfish, gouramis, guppies, killifish, koi, loaches and botias, mollies, plecostomus, rainbowfish, rasboras, sharks, snails, swordtails, tetras, and variatus, among others. Each is named with common and scientific names so a shopper can identify what is in the tank and what they are taking home.
Cichlids get real depth because they sell that way. The African Rift Lake groups, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika, have their own identification titles, since their color, behavior, and water needs set them apart from community fish and from each other. The freshwater compatibility guide ties it together by answering the question that prevents most beginner mistakes: which species can share a tank without trouble.
Koi, goldfish, and the pond side
Koi and goldfish bridge the aquarium and the water garden, and they carry their own identification title. For a retailer with a pond season, a koi plate above the holding vats turns a row of similar-looking fish into named varieties a customer can choose between, which supports a higher-value sale than an unlabeled tank of mixed koi ever will.
Goldfish varieties, from the common single-tails to the fancy orandas and ryukins, reward the same treatment. Naming the variety is what lets a shopper understand why two goldfish at different prices are not the same fish, which is the difference between a confused customer and a confident purchase.
Aquatic plants
The aquatic-plant list is deep, running from the common stem and rosette plants through the swords, anubias, cryptocorynes, and bulbs that a planted-tank customer asks for by name. A plant identification reference matters because plants are easy to mislabel and a planted-tank hobbyist is precise about what they want. Naming the plant correctly protects the sale and the store's credibility with a knowledgeable buyer.
What to look for
Choosing the right materials
- Full community range. Tetras, barbs, livebearers, catfish, gouramis, loaches, and the rest, all named.
- Cichlids by Rift Lake. Malawi and Tanganyika get distinct titles for their color, behavior, and water needs.
- Compatibility guide included. Answers which species can share a tank, preventing common beginner mistakes.
- Koi and goldfish for the pond. Named varieties support a higher-value sale than a tank of look-alike fish.
- Deep plant list. Swords, anubias, crypts, and bulbs named correctly for precise planted-tank buyers.
From the catalog
Freshwater materials
Each slot below is reserved for a catalog item we produce. Availability, sizes, and pricing are confirmed by request; we are filling these in as the catalog comes online.
The single most useful freshwater title for most stores.
For stores with a serious African cichlid section.
Hang above pond holding vats in season.
Standardize ID and pricing across the freshwater wall.
Questions