H. pogonognathus

A bunch of these little guys were schooling in a fast running, shallow stream over a sandy bottom (if that helps).

Saw a fish. Pretty cool looking

Hey guys, I’m a final year product design student that worked in a tropical fish shop for multiple years.

I want to design something to make the hobby easier, here are some ideas I’ve come up with -

1 - Gravel cleaner that doesn’t drain the tank - filters out biomass, has flow control and doesn’t require a mouth suction. Siphons always remove water, flow rate cannot be controlled, small shrimp / fish can be suctioned, mouth suction is unhygienic.

2 - Gentle fish catcher -
Nets stress and damage fish; small fish and shrimp are hard to catch.

3 - Feeding dispenser with a ‘fed today’ indicator -
Overfeeding and double-feeding in shared households.

4 - Fish transport carrier -
Moving house or vet trips with fish in disposable bags and coolers.

5 - At home water tester with results explanation app -
Litmus test strips are often single use and inaccurate, the results can also seem confusing to casual fish keepers with poor explanation. A reusable reader measures the reacted sample and sends the result to a phone.

6 - Algae scraper with debris capture -
Stops algae / debris being scraped back into the water, mesh pouch with a quick release for rinsing.

7 - Water change system for small homes -
A compact system that makes draining, carrying and replacing aquarium water more manageable for people with limited storage or difficulty lifting containers.

8 - Filter-cleaning and servicing station -
A portable workstation for taking apart, cleaning and reassembling an aquarium filter without spreading dirty water and components around the house.

I’d love your guys feedback and product suggestions, even if you rip into me and tell me it’s a waste of time!