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
229. Top 5 Non-Armored Catfish
In this episode, the Water Colors Team discusses their top 5 non-armored catfish species! This excludes a lot of fan-favorite cats, such as corydoras and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
228. Freshwater Fish List Roulette: The Good List
In this new episode format, the Water Colors team is quizzed on their fish knowledge! Using our favorite commercial wholesale fish list and a random number…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
227. Fancy Livebearers & Maintaining Strains
For our final episode of Livebearer Month, we welcome back Charles, who joins us to discuss fancy livebearers! It would be an injustice to talk about…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
226. Interview With Pat Hartman
The Water Colors team is honored to have Pat Hartman join us for an interview in this week’s episode! Our Livebearer Month would not be complete without…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
225. Wild-Type Livebearers
Continuing Livebearer Month, the Water Colors team is back to discuss wild-type live bearing fishes! This includes the family poeciliidae, and the tricky…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
224. Goodeids
Continuing Livebearer month, the Water Colors team is discussing goodeids! They belong to the order cyprinodontiformes, the suborder cyprinodontoidei, and the…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
223. Xiphophorus
To start off our official livebearer month, we’re discussing the genus xiphophorus! This group of fish is near and dear to us, and many other aquarists…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
222. Listener Questions June 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
221. Understanding Hexacorallia
In this episode, the Water Colors team breaks down the class hexacorallia, and the 5 orders within it. This class is distinct in that the species within it are…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
220. Understanding Octocorallia
In this episode, the Water Colors Team discusses soft corals, specifically, those in the class octocorallia. We attempt to breakdown the taxonomy, care, and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
219. Useful Aquarium Junk
This episode is all about the random stuff we use in our aquariums! From DIY lids to PVC hides, we discuss a number of odds and ends that can be extremely…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
218. More Aquarium Stories From Around the Internet
In this episode, the Water Colors team reacts blindly to stories from around the internet compiled by the editor. This includes forum posts, news stories, and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
217. Lake Victoria: Exploring Cichlids, Hippos, And More
In this episode, the water colors team welcomes not one, but TWO special guests to join in on the fun! We’re happy to be joined again by aquatic…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
216. Bad Ass Fish and How To Keep Them
We often see hobbyists who are fixated on “bad ass” fish. Sometimes they’re looking for big, aggressive cichlids, other times they may be…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
215. Selective Breeding
Maintenance breeding, conservation breeding, inbreeding, and outbreeding – what does it all mean? Charles returns to the podcast to discuss selective…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
214. Top 5 Soft Corals
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses their favorite soft corals. We have loosely categorized soft corals using the hobby’s distinctions, but…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
213. Interview with Algae Expert Dr. Jordyn Stoll
In this interview, the Water Colors Team chats with special guest Dr. Jordyn Stoll, an accomplished aquatic ecologist with an expertise in algae!…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
212. Betta Troubleshooting: What’s Wrong with my Betta?
Here at Water Colors, one of the most common topics we get asked about is “what’s wrong with my betta?” Bettas are one of the most commonly…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
211. Top 5 Tanganyikan Cichlids
Lake Tanganyika is home to an astounding diversity of fish, nearly 350 endemic species! This makes narrowing down a top 5 list extremely challenging! In this…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
210. Aquascaping Styles
In this research-heavy episode, the Water Colors team discusses various aquascaping styles and how they differ. The history of aquascaping goes back nearly 100…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
209. Interview with Dave Hemmerlein
To wrap up our official Killifish Month, the Water Colors team welcomes Dave Hemmerlein as a special guest! Dave is a lifelong hobbyist, killifish expert, and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
208. Dirt-Spawning Killifish
To continue Killifish Month, the Water Colors team is back to discuss dirt-spawning killis! These varieties of killifish spawn in or over substrate. Hobbyists…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
207. Mop-Spawning Killifish
To continue Killifish month, the Water Colors team is back to discuss mop-spawning killifish! This distinction is given to killifish species that breed in…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
206. Killifish Biotopes
To kick off killifish month, the Water Colors team is discussing biotope examples based around some of our favorite killifish! These examples focus on the…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
205. Mantis Shrimp
In this highly requested episode, the Water Colors team discusses mantis shrimp from the order stomatopoda. These organisms are some of the most fascinating…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
204. Trout Unlimited: Conservation in the Classroom
In this special episode, the Water Colors team is joined by representatives from Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited chapter (SWMTU). With the expertise of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
203. Invasive Crayfish with Dr. Brian Roth
In this episode, the Water Colors team is joined by invasive crayfish expert Dr. Brian Roth. Brian is a fish ecologist and faculty member at Michigan State…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
202. Rheophytes, Epiphytes and More
In this episode, the Water Colors team discusses plants that grow on structures, such as hardscape elements, as opposed to those that root directly in…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
201. Listener Questions January 2025 (Part 2)
For our 200th episode of the WCAG podcast, we are celebrating with a Listener Questions special! (This is part 2, please listen to the previous episode to…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
200. Listener Questions January 2025 (Part 1)
For our 200th episode of the WCAG podcast, we are celebrating with a Listener Questions special! In this format, the Water Colors team blindly answers…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
199. Freshwater Chemistry
We often encounter hobbyists who are furiously trying to adjust their pH, GH, or dKH based on something they read online. In this episode, we hope to dispel…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
198. SPS Corals
The term “SPS” Corals, or small polyp stony corals, is a hobbyist distinction used to help differentiate care requirements of coral species in the…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
197. Reacting to Aquarium Stories from Around the Internet (Part 2)
In this new episode format, the Water Colors team is blindly reacting to aquarium stories told by the editor. The topics range from shocking horror stories, to…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
196. Top 5 Fish Behaviors
From color changing, to art making, and even singing, we are constantly surprised by the amazing behaviors of fish – both in nature and in our aquariums…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
195. Sharks in Aquariums
One of the most common inquiries in this industry is “how do I keep a shark?” This episode is about exactly that! There are a variety of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
194. History of Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
In this bonus episode, Amy and Ben discuss the origin of Water Colors. The path that brought us to where we are today took a lot of twists and turns! From…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
193. Pike Cichlids: Nature’s Toothy Torpedoes
Pike cichlids are a great example of true predatory fish that can be kept in home aquariums. They range in size from 2-20″ approximately, and are widely…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
192. Saltwater Pufferfish
It’s hard not to love pufferfish. They have many great qualities that can make them an excellent candidate for a truly interactive pet fish. They also…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
191. Goldfish: Are They Worth the Risks?
In this controversial episode, the Water Colors team is joined by invasive species specialist Dr. Alisha Davidson to discuss the very real consequences of…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
190. Listener Questions November 2024 (Part 2)
This is part 2 of our listener questions release, see the previous episode for the first half! These episodes are livestreamed at the time of recording on our…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
189. Listener Questions October 2024 (Part 1)
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
188. Freshwater Pufferfish
Everyone loves pufferfish! They are well known for their boisterous behaviors, curious personalities, and silly googly eyes. They come in a wide range of sizes…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
187. Centropyge and Allies
This episode covers the genus centropyge, as well as some new taxonomic breakthroughs that have rewritten how we classify marine angelfish. Many of the species…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
186. The Best People to Meet at Aquarium Clubs
This episode was recorded with a live audience, including members of the South West Michigan Aquarium Society (SWMAS)! The Water Colors Team is joined by some…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
185. Top 5 Aquarist Milestones
In this episode, the Water Colors team focuses on some fun, measurable achievements that aquarists can feel proud of. Whether you’re an experienced…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
184. Reacting to Aquarium Stories from Around the Internet
In this brand new episode format, the Water Colors team is blindly reacting to aquarium stories told by the editor. The topics range from shocking aquarium…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
183. Cephalopods
This episode is a deep dive into cephalopods and how they may (or may not) fit into aquariums. Charles and the Water Colors Team discuss a variety of species…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
182. Rainbowfishes and Friends
In this episode, the Water Colors team shares their favorite species of rainbowfish. Best known for the dazzling colors they exhibit, there is most certainly a…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
181. RIPPLE Invasive Species Discussion with Paige Filice
In this episode, we discuss invasive species education and outreach with Paige Filice of RIPPLE. This campaign aims to work with aquarium retailers to ensure…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
180. Understanding Regulations
Let’s face it – the aquarium industry causes a lot of harm. From invasive species to over harvesting, the need for regulation in this industry is…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
179. Charles’ Surprise Topic: Live Foods
In this new episode format, the Water Colors team each comes to the table with their own mystery topic. The topic is randomly selected live, and the discussion…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
178. Ben’s Surprise Topic: Fish We Need to Figure Out
In this new episode format, the Water Colors team each comes to the table with their own mystery topic. The topic is randomly selected live, and the discussion…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
177. Amy’s Surprise Topic: Cichlid Compatibility
In this new episode format, the Water Colors team each comes to the table with their own mystery topic. The topic is randomly selected live, and the discussion…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
176. Brine Shrimp
Brine shrimp are one of the most ubiquitous fish foods in the history of fish keeping. These extremophiles cover the globe thanks to wind and birds, which can…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
175. New Discoveries
The past several decades have brought some monumental advances to the aquarium hobby. From marine breeding breakthroughs to taxonomic discoveries, we have a…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
174. Top 5 Mimics
The art of mimicry is a fascinating topic. Some animal use this skill to trick their prey, while others can use it to trick would-be predators. This episode is…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
173. Aquarium Events
Conventions, clubs, carnivals, and more! This episode is all about our favorite community events in the aquarium world. Aquarium clubs truly are the backbone…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
172. Top 5 Poeciliid Livebearing Fish
Some of the most recognizable aquarium fish belong to the family poeciliidae, including the well-loved guppies, endlers, platys, and more. The term…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
171. Fish Anatomy
In this episode, the Water Colors team joins Charles as we tackle the huge topic that is fish anatomy! Specifically, we are looking at the biology and…
- Water Colors Aquarium Gallery
170. Nano Plants (Note: audio technical difficulties)
Aquacaping is all about scale and perspective. Using the incorrect plants in nano tanks can often ruin the sense of scale. In this episode, the Water Colors…