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At a time when aquascaping is often driven by aesthetics alone, voices like Dhiraj Shetty's are helping the hobby pause, reflect, and mature. The Weekend Aquarist caught up with Dhiraj Shetty, founder of Mangalore Aquatics and co-founder of the Indian Biotope Championship (IBC), to discuss entrepreneurship, the importance of biotope aquariums, and how celebrating Indian ecosystems can redefine the future of fishkeeping in the country. By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquar

By Rahul G. Kumar Estimated read time: 8–9 minutes In addition to a number of vividly coloured dwarf caridean shrimp, India is also home to a number of large growing, long armed, and often beautifully coloured river prawns of the genus Macrobrachium. The name Macrobrachium means "big arm," and members of the genus invariably bear a prominent pair of pincers, which are often enlarged in males. Found in the wild in a variety of habitats from hill-streams to brackish water lagoo

New fish species are discovered frequently in the wild, often in habitats under increasing threats. In Into the Wild: New Fish Discoveries, Balaji Vijayakrishnan takes us into the field, sharing firsthand accounts of newly described species, their habitats, and why these discoveries matter for conservation, and the aquarium community alike. By V. Balaji Estimated read time: 8–9 minutes A Slippery Comeback: Rediscovery of Moringua hodgarti from Arunachal Pradesh Authors: Nilan

Andrew Huang's journey from childhood aquariums to following Amano's Legacy By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes Andrew Huang is a psychiatrist finishing his final year of residency in New Jersey. He is also, by his own account, someone people frequently mistake for Bruce Lee — a comparison he shrugs off, with a nod to the one lesson he thinks actually transfers from the dojo to the fish room: consistency. “In his practice he was disci

Abhisek Mishra has no proper camera, no boat, and no formal training in ichthyology. What he has is an Android phone, a two-foot hand net, and a habit of wading into Odisha's rivers until something new swims by — a habit that has already put two fish species on the scientific record, and one of them, already, on the list of the threatened. By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–9 minutes Abhisek Mishra's introduction to the hobby didn't begin with

A 1951 shrimp record. Seven decades of doubt. And a photograph that reopened a case science had all but closed. This is the story of how Atyopsis spinipes was found again. By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes The Bamboo Shrimp is familiar to aquarists around the world. With its fan-like feeding appendages, peaceful temperament, and fascinating filter-feeding behaviour, it has long been a favourite among shrimp keepers. Yet for decades, few realised that In

Somewhere in the rocky hill streams of the Eastern Ghats, water drops over granite in a quiet cascade, pools beneath the shade of forest cover, and moves on toward the plains below. It looks, at first, like any other forest stream. Beneath the surface, it is holding onto something far older than the landscape around it. By Karthickeyen K.S. Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes The Eastern Ghats run for more than 1,750 kilometres along India's eastern flank, cutting through Odisha

The African Water Fern — Elegance in the Aquascape By Dr. Nataraj R, PhD Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes Among the many aquatic ferns cultivated for freshwater aquariums, Bolbitis heudelotii occupies a unique position — thanks to its graceful appearance, slow growth, and remarkable adaptability. Commonly known as the African Water Fern or Congo Fern, it has become one of the most admired plants in nature-style aquascaping. Unlike most rooted aquatic plants, this fern doesn't

The story behind India’s newest Nature Aquarium Gallery. By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes When we first heard aquascaper and entrepreneur Amartya Ghosh describe his vision for TiCi Nature Lab, it sounded ambitious: a place where aquariums, terrariums, rainforests, vertical gardens, aquatic plants, and ecosystem education would come together under one roof. A recent visit by The Weekend Aquarist confirmed that this vision is rapidly

New Fish Discoveries By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes By his own admission, Balaji Vijayakrishnan has a completely unreasonable obsession with catfishes. While other people marvel at coral reefs, obsess over charismatic megafauna, or drool over colourful fish, he finds himself emotionally invested in barbels and spines — convinced, only half-jokingly, that catfish have more personality than anything else swimming. This month, true to that obsession, h

Mahen Adaranthe is a mechanical engineer by profession — but it's nature, not engineering, that has truly shaped who he is. He grew up in the Malenadu region of Karnataka, a landscape of dense forests, flowing streams, and remarkable biodiversity, and that early immersion left a lasting mark on him. By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 4–5 minutes His aquarium journey began the way many great obsessions do: with a childhood gift. His father handed him his first aquari

By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes Deep below Asia's surface flows a world few hobbyists ever imagine. Once considered biological curiosities, subterranean fishes are now being discovered at an accelerating pace, with new species turning up in caves and underground habitats across India, China, and Indonesia. For anyone fascinated by oddballs, these fish represent the ultimate specialists — animals shaped entirely by darkness. Barbodes klapanunggalensis

Balaji is a corporate professional, and an independent researcher working on the taxonomy and systematics of native Indian fish, with a special interest in catfish. By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 5–6 minutes Few freshwater fishes inspire as much awe as those of the genus Bagarius. Known variously as goonch, devil catfish, or giant catfish, these riverine giants occupy a unique place in ichthyology — and as it turns out, science has only recently begun to unders

A Graceful Floating Sedge of Freshwater Ecosystems By Dr. Nataraj J, PhD — Still Water Aquatics, Plants Division Estimated read time: 5–6 minutes In quiet backwaters and slow tropical rivers, where light filters gently through moving water, long green threads drift and sway like living silk. These delicate strands belong to Eleocharis fluctuans, a distinctive aquatic sedge whose beauty lies not in bold colours or dramatic leaves, but in motion itself. Unlike the familiar carp

A Conversation with Steve Lockett, Mahseer Trust (UK) By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–8 minutes Mahseer are often celebrated as India's ultimate sport fish — but that label barely scratches the surface. Drawing on over five decades of freshwater conservation work, Steve Lockett dismantles common myths around mahseer conservation, explains why stocking often does more harm than good, and argues that saving mahseer is inseparable from saving India's rivers themse

Dr. Nithyanandan Manickam on two decades of marine science, competitive aquascaping, and translating ecology into art. By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–8 minutes Dr. Nithyanandan Manickam is an Associate Research Scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, with over two decades of expertise in marine ecology and biodiversity. Holding a PhD from Bangor University, his work spans benthic ecosystems, habitat restoration, and the study of marine life

A Quiet, Natural Stem Plant with Subtle Charm By Dr. Nataraj J, PhD — Still Water Aquatics, Plants Division Estimated read time: 8–9 minutes In the evolving world of aquascaping, plants with fine texture and delicate structure are increasingly valued for their ability to create depth, scale, and natural aesthetics. Among such species, Hedyotis salzmannii has gained recognition as a subtle yet highly effective plant for midground and background compositions. Though not as wide

How the Eastern and Western Ghats Are Different and Similar to Each Other By Karthickeyen K.S. Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes India narrows into a triangle as it runs south into the Indian Ocean, and along its two edges run two mountain ranges: the Western Ghats facing the Arabian Sea, and the Eastern Ghats facing the Bay of Bengal. Both sit on the same ancient basement rock, a leftover of the supercontinent Gondwana. But that shared origin is where the resemblance mostly e

When Amar Salvi invited them to contribute a hobbyist spotlight for this month's issue, Ankit and Rashmi's first reaction was disbelief. They are, by their own description, two modest weekend aquarists running a couple of simple, low-tech nano setups — nothing that screams “feature story.” The reaction quickly gave way to a different concern: how would they even find the time to write the piece? By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes As amateur hobbyists, th

A tale of new balitora. By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes Balitora is a genus of small, flattened freshwater fish belonging to the family Balitoridae, commonly known as hillstream loaches or stone loaches. These fish are built for life in the fast lane — their bodies are dorsoventrally compressed, essentially squashed flat from top to bottom, and their pectoral and pelvic fins are enlarged and spread horizontally, functioning almost like suction pads t