Ask any petshop which fish are “easy”, and the honest answer is: easy in which water? A fish that thrives in soft, slightly acidic water will struggle for years in hard, alkaline tap water, and its owner will call it “difficult”. Put that same fish in water that resembles its natural home, and it can become one of the easiest in the hobby.

So before you choose your fish, find out what comes out of your tap. It is a small step that saves a lot of frustration.

That lesson comes from my years behind the counter at Skogslyckans Zoologiska in Uddevalla (1989–1995), and it is one of many I am gathering in my book, Biotope – an utopia? Not at all! (Swedish original: Biotop en utopi? Inte alls!). The manuscript is still in draft, with illustrations and photos being finalised, and more news on when it will be available is still to come.

InternetZoo™ is built around the same idea: knowing exactly which species you are buying. Like Airbnb or Uber for the ornamental fish and plant trade, it connects aquarists, petshops and farmers directly, with species compared by Latin name so you can match fish to your conditions.

Browse the InternetZoo marketplace or join as a seller today.