Aquarium Care Guides
2820 articles- Parasitic Crustaceans of Fish: Anchor Worm and Fish LiceAnchor worm, fish lice and gill copepods are crustaceans, not worms. Because only some stages live on the fish, treatment must be repeated a
- Emergent and Marginal Plants for Paludariums and RipariumsPaludariums and ripariums need plants for the waterline and humid air zone. Learn emersed and marginal plant groups, their requirements, and
- Denitrification and Nitrate Removal in AquariumsNitrification produces nitrate; denitrification and other export routes remove it. Learn anaerobic denitrification, plant and macroalgae upt
- The CO2, pH and KH Relationship in Planted TanksDissolved CO2 forms carbonic acid and lowers pH, while KH buffers it. Learn how the pH drop reveals CO2, how the drop checker works, and the
- Little White Worms (Nematodes) in the AquariumThe tiny white threads on your aquarium glass are usually harmless free-living nematodes that signal overfeeding, not parasites. Learn how t
- Tubifex and Blackworms: Live Food and Tank InhabitantsTubifex and blackworms are nutritious annelid live foods, but wild tubifex carries disease risk. Here is how to use them and what their pres
- Identifying Worms in the Aquarium: A Practical KeyMost worms in a tank are harmless. This guide helps you tell annelids, flatworms and nematodes apart from the few genuinely parasitic worms.
- Beneficial Bacteria and the Biological FilterThe microbes behind the nitrogen cycle turn toxic ammonia into nitrate. Learn which bacteria do the work, where they live, what they need, h
- Marine and Reef Aquarium Water Chemistry: The OverviewSaltwater chemistry adds salinity and the calcium-alkalinity-magnesium 'big three' to the nitrogen series. Learn the target ranges, how they
- Freshwater Aquarium Water Chemistry: The OverviewHow the freshwater parameters fit together: ammonia, nitrite and nitrate; pH governed by KH and CO2; GH versus KH; and why stability matters
- Aquarium Plant Melt: Why It Happens and How to RecoverNew plants that dissolve into mush are usually not dying. Most are simply switching from emersed to submersed growth. Learn why, and what to
- Biofilm in the Aquarium: Friend and FoeBiofilm coats every submerged surface in a tank. Most of it is the helpful backbone of a mature system; only some forms are a nuisance. Here
- White Biofilm on New Driftwood: Harmless and TemporaryThe fuzzy white film on fresh driftwood looks alarming but is a harmless, temporary biofilm. Learn what it is and how to handle it.
- Thread and Filamentous Algae: The Hair Algae ComplexGreen hair and thread algae are a complex of look-alikes: Oedogonium, Rhizoclonium and Spirogyra. Learn to tell them apart, why they share c
- Cladophora Algae: Identification and ControlCladophora is a tough, branching green alga, the same genus behind the Marimo moss ball. Learn to tell it from soft hair algae and how to re
- Algae in Planted Tanks: Causes and Holistic ControlAlgae in a planted tank signal an imbalance of light, CO2 and nutrients, not simply too much fertiliser. Learn the balance principle and a h
- Too Little Light: Low-Light Plant ProblemsInsufficient light makes aquarium plants stretch, drop leaves and lose colour. Learn the symptoms of etiolation, how to tell it from other i
- Too Much Light: High Intensity and Algae in Planted TanksHigh light intensity is a leading driver of algae when CO2 and nutrients cannot keep up. Learn the light balance, symptoms, PAR ranges and h
- Aquarium Photoperiod: How Long to Run Planted-Tank LightsHow long to run aquarium lights and why longer is not better. Learn typical photoperiods, the siesta idea, timers, and how duration differs
- Setting Up a Dwarf Shrimp TankA shrimp tank needs a mature, cycled system rich in biofilm, a gentle sponge filter, the right substrate for your species and absolutely no
- Shrimp Molting and Molting ProblemsShrimp must shed their shell to grow, and a failed molt is often fatal. Learn why they molt, what the white ring of death is, how parameter
- Water Parameters for Keeping Dwarf ShrimpNeocaridina want neutral-to-hard water while Caridina need soft and acidic. Learn the target GH, KH, pH and temperature for each, why stabil
- Pond UV Clarifiers: Clearing Green WaterA UV clarifier clears green water by clumping free-floating algae so the filter can remove them. Learn how it works, sizing, flow rate, lamp
- Controlling String Algae and Green Water in PondsString algae and green water are the two most common pond algae problems. Learn what causes them, how to control each, and why balance beats
- Overwintering a Garden Pond: Winter Care for Koi and GoldfishHow to prepare a koi or goldfish pond for winter: when to stop feeding, keeping a hole in the ice safely, pond depth, debris removal and the
- Moving an Established Aquarium: Step-by-StepRelocating a stocked tank succeeds or fails on one thing: keeping the biofilter bacteria alive. Here is how to move a tank with minimal loss
- Clamped Fins in Fish: Causes and FixesFins held tight against the body are a general distress sign, not a disease in themselves. Learn the likely causes and how to work through t
- Fish Flashing and Scratching: Causes and FixesA fish darting to rub against rocks or substrate usually means parasites or irritating water. Learn to tell them apart and respond correctly
- Seaweed and Kelp Farming: Marine Macroalgae AquacultureSeaweed farming grows marine macroalgae with no feed or fertiliser input. Learn the species, seeded-line methods, uses from food to hydrocol
- Mussel and Oyster Farming: Bivalve AquacultureMussels and oysters are filter-feeding bivalves farmed without any feed input. Learn culture methods, seed supply, grow-out, depuration and
- Sturgeon Farming: Caviar, Meat and ConservationSturgeon aquaculture supplies the world's caviar and meat as wild stocks collapse. Learn the systems, slow growth to caviar, broodstock meth
- Controlling Turf and Hair Algae in a Reef TankGreen turf and hair algae are the classic reef nuisance: fueled by excess nutrients and light. Learn the causes, why the new-tank ugly phase
- Controlling Bryopsis Algae in a Reef TankBryopsis is a tenacious feathery green macroalga most grazers refuse to eat. Learn how it spreads, the elevated-magnesium method, when fluco
- Controlling Dinoflagellates in a Reef TankDinoflagellates bloom when nutrients bottom out. Learn to identify the brown snotty mats, why raising nitrate and phosphate is the counter-i
- Sudden Fish Death: Causes and PreventionWhen a healthy-looking fish dies suddenly, the cause is usually the water, not a disease. Learn the common culprits and how to prevent them.
- Why a Fish Stops Eating: Causes and What to DoA fish refusing food can mean stress, bad water, the wrong diet, or illness. Work through the causes in order to find and fix the real one.
- Why Fish Gasp at the Surface: Causes and FixesFish gulping at the surface usually means low oxygen or toxic water. Learn to tell the causes apart, act fast, and fix the root problem.
- Dither Fish: Coaxing Shy Fish Out of HidingDither fish are active, peaceful schoolers whose calm presence signals safety and coaxes shy species out of hiding. Learn how to choose and
- Aquarium Handling Safety: Health and Electrical PrecautionsAquarium work carries small but real risks: fish-handler's disease from cuts, other zoonoses, and electrical hazards near water. Learn sensi
- Surface Film on Aquarium Water: Causes and FixesThe oily or dusty film on still aquarium water is dissolved organics and biofilm. Learn what causes it, why it hurts gas exchange, and how t
- Growing Carpeting (Foreground) Plants in a Planted TankA practical guide to growing a low foreground carpet: light and CO2 needs, the best species by difficulty, planting technique, spread via ru
- The Dry Start Method (DSM) for Carpets and Planted TanksThe dry start method grows carpeting plants emersed in moist substrate under high humidity before flooding the tank. Learn the steps, suited
- Staghorn Algae: How to Identify and Control ItStaghorn algae forms tough grey-green branching strands on leaf edges and equipment. Learn to identify it, why it appears, and how to contro
- Quarantining Marine Fish: Copper, Hyposalinity and TransferMarine ich and velvet are far deadlier than freshwater parasites. Learn observation quarantine, copper in a fish-only tank, hyposalinity and
- Reef Supplements and Trace Elements: A Cautious GuideBeyond calcium, alkalinity and magnesium lie dozens of trace elements corals use in tiny amounts. Learn what they do, what water changes rep
- Reef Nutrient Management: Balancing Nitrate and PhosphateHow to keep nitrate and phosphate in a reef tank low but not zero, why both excess and starvation harm corals, and the export methods that h
- Culturing Daphnia (Water Fleas) as Live FoodHow to culture Daphnia, a nutritious live food and natural roughage for juvenile and adult fish, covering container, feeding, aeration, harv
- Culturing Microworms for FryHow to culture microworms (Panagrellus redivivus), a small nematode that bridges infusoria and baby brine shrimp as a live food for growing
- Culturing Infusoria for First FoodsHow aquarists culture infusoria — tiny freshwater micro-organisms — as a first food for very small fry too small for brine shrimp, with a si
- Green Dust Algae (GDA) Control in the Planted AquariumGreen dust algae is a powdery green film on glass, common in new tanks. It regrows fast after wiping because of a free-swimming spore stage,