Shows / Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
Ben, owner of Water Colors Aquarium Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI is joined by his store managers Amy and Charles to discuss the aquarium hobby.
Episodes
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
289. SPS Corals with Ali
This week, the Water Color’s team invites Ali to pick up the microphone and give us her take and experiences with SPS corals. What makes a coral a SPS or…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
288. Water Color’s Next Step – Breeder Lab Update
Amy, Ben and Maddy have breeder lab updates this week. We have learned a lot and are learning more everyday. It’s been really interesting to listen back…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
287. Aquatic Insects (Bugs)
This week on the Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast, we got a little weird and had a lot of fun. Since Ben wasn’t here, we got to talk about what we…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
286. Blennies
Amy, Ben, and Calder talk about blennies and, boy, was there a lot to say and how they could have gone on for hours. With 6 families, approximately 130 genera…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
285. Blackwater Plants (Low Light and Low PH)
Blackwater is a term thrown around in the aquarium hobby and has many different meanings. Blackwater can mean heavily stained, tannic water, or it can mean…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
284. Freshwater Gobies
Amy, Ben and Calder are here this week to talk about freshwater gobies. This group of fish is so diverse, unique and goofy. There is definetly a species of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
283. Amy, Ben and Calder Ask Each Other Questions
*** We apologize for some of the electrical pops and noises, we are working out the bugs but unfortunately we record our episodes a few weeks in advance and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
282. Filtration and Tank Cycling: Beginner Edition
Amy, Ben and Calder bring us back to the basics this week. Filtration is an essential part of keeping a healthy aquarium and is a topic that often gets over…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
281. Betta Splendens Complex with Charles
Charles leads the Watercolors team on an exploration of the Betta splendens complex. With new scientific data being published, the topic of which bettas belong…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
280. Water Colors Staff Ask Questions
This week, the entire Water Colors Aquarium Gallery staff had the chance to ask Amy, Ben and Calder questions. From goofy and light-hearted to serious and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
279. Aquarium Plants: Aquatic Aroids
This week the Water Colors team talks about all things aeroid. Many of us are familiar with aeroids as popular house plants (Monstera, Philodendron, Alocasia…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
278. Ideas for Improving Club Breeder Programs
Amy, Ben and Calder invite Craig Forist to table to dicuss the recent decline in aquarium club activity, specifically around breeder programs. With many…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
277. All About Ricefish
Calder leads the Water Colors team on a deep dive into Ricefish. Ricefish have been in the aquarium hobby for a very long time and often are overlooked as…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
276. Barriers to Entry: Beginner Pages, Forums, Videos and More
This week’s episode isn’t like the usual topics we explore. This week, the Water Colors team calls you action to help us make the world of fish…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
275. Top Five Brown Fish
You walk into your local fish store (LFS) and may have thought to yourself, “That’s a boring brown fish. Why would anyone want that?” Well…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
274. Top Five Saltwater Gobies
A little nervous to start keeping a salt water tank? Don’t have a lot of room in your tank but have the itch to get something new? Are you a sucker for a…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
273. Top 5 Holy Grail Fish (What’s Changed Since Episode 59?)
Can you believe it’s been five years since we last talked about our top five holy grail fish in episode 59? Ben, Amy, and Calder decided to revisit the…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
272. Top 5 Favorite Mid-sized Cichlids
Looking for a cichlid to add to your 55-75 gallon aquarium? Ben, Amy and Calder talk about five of their “favorite” medium-sized cichlids, but…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
271. Interview with Alex Rose
You may have seen our familiar faces in the recent release of the AMAZONAS Big Beauties magazine. This is because we had the privilege to interview Alex Rose…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
270. Lost Episode – Top 5 Green Fish
Happy late or early St. Patty’s Day! This week’s episode was temporarily lost but is now found. Enjoy Ben, Amy and Calder talk about their top 5…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
269. Water Color’s Next Step – Breeder Lab Brainstorm
This week’s podcast is a little different than most… This week, we invite you to sit down and brainstorm some ideas for our breeder lab remodel…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
268. Interview with Andrej Spec: Rare Plants, Fish Rooms, and More!
The Water Colors team gathers around the table with special guest, Andrej Spec, to talk about aquarium plants. Andrej shares his aquarium journey and how he…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
267. Live at 2026 KilliKarnival
Thank you to everyone who listened to our live talk! Ben, Amy, Calder and Maddy had an awesome time and are looking forward to next year. In this talk, we…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
266. Top 5 Mexican Species
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the Water Colors team talks about Mexico and some of their favorite species endemic to the North American continent. With such…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
265. 2026 KilliKarnival Recap
Amy, Ben and Calder come together after a fantastic time at KilliKarnival 2026. They had a blast at the live talk and so much fun meeting fellow listeners and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
264. Killifish Month Wrap-Up
As Killifish Month comes to a close, the team wraps up loose ends and reiterates some important points. The topics include; what it takes to survive as a male…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
263. “Switch Hitter” Spawning Killifish
In this episode, the Water Colors Team gather around the table to talk about “switch hitting” killifish. In other words, killifish that can mop…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
262. South American Annual Killifish
The team dives into much more than just South American Killifish this episode. They discuss the Lacey Act and the native fish of Brazil, sustainable collection…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
261. Top 5 African Killifish (excluding Nothobranchius)
This episode is all about African killifish excluding the Nothobranchius genus. The Water Colors team tackles their favorite, unique, and rare killifish that…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
260. Top 5 Loaches
This episode is all about loaches! The Water Colors team sits down to discuss their top 5 species, detailing their care, behavior, native habitats, and more…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
259. Top 5 Micro Cyprinids
Cyprinidae is the largest family of freshwater fish, which makes it quite challenging to narrow down a top 5 list! In this episode, the Water Colors hosts…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
258. Listener Questions February 2026
We’re back with one of our favorite episode formats – answering listener submitted questions! These episodes are livestreamed at the time of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
257. Blackwater Botanicals
Leaves, cones, seedpods and more! In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses botanicals, and how to use them in your aquariums. There are loads of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
256. Betta Coccina Complex
Continuing Blackwater Month, we’re back to discuss the Betta coccina complex! This complex contains arguably some of the greatest wild betta species…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
255. Top 5 Fish Improved by Blackwater
Continuing the blackwater aquarium theme, the hosts discuss their top 5 fish picks that look incredible in stained water. To learn all about blackwater…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
254. Intro to Blackwater Aquariums
There’s a new trend taking the hobby by storm – blackwater tanks! These aquariums often have a stained appearance, with water resembling tea. They…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
253. The Myth of the No Maintenance Aquarium
For as long as aquariums have existed, there have been hobbyists looking for ways to avoid maintenance. From misleading products to “experts”…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
252. Developments in the Marine Hobby
In this episode, we welcome back Charles to discuss changes and trends in the marine aquarium hobby. Comparing livestock lists through the years, the hosts…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
251. Guppy Strains
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses guppy strains and the history associated with some of the famous strains we all know and love. Guppies are one…
Water Colors Aquarium Gallery250. 2025 Year in Review
As we move into the new year, we celebrate our 250th episode by reminiscing on 2025. We had some monumental accomplishments this past year, including many…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
249. Fish Rooms with Mike Monje & Craig Forist
In this exciting episode, we have two celebrity guests in the studio to discuss their personal fish room builds! Mike Monje and Craig Forist share details…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
248. Top 5 Non Reef Safe Fish
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 favorite fish that are not safe to keep with coral. The average reef aquarium in 2026 has a…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
247. Top 5 Anabantoids Excluding Bettas
We all love bettas, but what other anabantoids need some time in the spotlight? In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 species from the…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
246. Aquarium History: Fish Tanks Through The Ages
In this episode, the Water Colors team takes a trip back in time. The early aquarium hobby has some fascinating origins, some good and some not so good. Much…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
245. Top 5 African Plants
In this episode, the Water Colors Team discusses their top 5 aquarium plants found in Africa! When in comes to plant diversity, Africa is hard to beat! Some of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
244. Saltwater Fish List Roulette: The Bad List
In this episode, the Water Colors team is once again quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using the worst commercial wholesale fish list we can find and a random…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
243. Ornamental Marine Algae with Dr. Jordyn Stoll
Once again, we are joined by our good friend and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! In this episode, we narrow down our focus and discuss ornamental marine algae…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
242. Shop Talk: Display Tanks at Water Colors
In this new episode format, the Water Colors team sits down to discuss the current display aquariums within our store in Grand Rapids, Michigan! The display…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
241. Understanding Corallimorpharia
In this episode, the Water Colors Team sits down to discuss corallimorphs, or the cnidarians within the order corallimorpharia. This includes fun species from…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
240. Halloween Special: Aquarium Horror Stories
For this Halloween episode, we asked our listeners, friends, and fellow hobbyists to share their spookiest aquarium horror stories. We received some shocking…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
239. Intro to Marine Algae with Dr. Jordyn Stoll
Once again, we are joined by our good friend and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! In this episode, we attempt to tackle the complicated world of marine algae…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
238. Interview with Craig Forist
In this episode, we welcome a good friend of the store in for an interview! Craig Forist is an accomplished aquarist with an impressive background in the…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
237. 55 Gallon Aquarium Concepts
The 55 gal aquarium is a notoriously disliked tank, with many hobbyists avoiding it like the plague. At 48″ long, 13″ wide, and 20″ tall, it…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
236. Listener Questions September 2025
We’re back with one of our favorite episode formats – answering listener submitted questions! These episodes are livestreamed at the time of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
235. Bragworthy Plants
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their top 5 most bragworthy aquarium plants! Some of these species are challenging to find or grow, and having…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
233. In Case of Emergency: Aquarium Disasters
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses what to do when you encounter an aquarium emergency. From leaks to power outages, food dumps to broken pumps…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
234. Freshwater Fish List Roulette: The Bad List
In this episode, the Water Colors team is once again quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using the worst commercial wholesale fish list we can find and a random…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
232. Desktop Aquariums Concepts
In this listener-suggested episode, the Water Colors team comes up with a few of their favorite concepts for nano tanks that can live on your desk! We are…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
231. Freshwater Algae with Dr. Jordyn Stoll
In this episode, we are joined once again by freshwater ecologist and algae expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll! Jordyn studies algae in natural environments, and with her…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
230. An Ode to Killifish
After wrapping up our official Killifish month, the Water Colors team concludes by sharing their top 5 killifish of all time! March 2025 was full of non-stop…