Aquarium Care Guides
2820 articles- Breeding Tiger BarbHow to breed Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona): sexing, conditioning, an egg-trap spawning tank, and rearing fry that follow scattered, adhes
- Breeding Cherry BarbHow to breed Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya): sexing, conditioning, a dimly lit egg-trap spawning tank, scattered eggs and infusoria-based fry
- Breeding Zebra DanioHow to breed Danio rerio: sexing, the cool-water spawning trigger, egg-scattering over a protective mesh, and raising the fry on microscopic
- Breeding Bronze CorydorasHow to breed Corydoras aeneus: sexing, the cool-water change spawning trigger, the T-position embrace, egg deposition on glass and raising t
- Breeding German Blue RamHow to breed Mikrogeophagus ramirezi: pair formation, sexing, flat-stone spawning, biparental brood care, hatching and rearing the fry.
- Breeding DiscusHow to breed Symphysodon: pair formation, vertical-surface spawning, biparental care, the unique 'discus milk' skin secretion that feeds the
- Breeding AngelfishHow to breed Pterophyllum scalare: forming a pair from a group, sexing, vertical-surface spawning, biparental care, hatching and raising the
- Breeding SwordtailHow to breed Xiphophorus hellerii: livebearer biology, the male's sword and gonopodium, sexing, brood production, recommended sex ratio and
- Breeding MollyHow to breed Poecilia sphenops: livebearer biology, gonopodium and sexing, month-long gestation, large broods and protecting newborn fry.
- Breeding PlatyHow to breed Xiphophorus maculatus: livebearer biology, gonopodium and sexing, brood size, fry size, hybridisation with swordtails and prote
- Breeding GuppyHow to breed Poecilia reticulata: livebearer biology, gonopodium and sexing, gestation, brood size, sperm storage, and protecting newborn fr
- Breeding BettaHow to breed Betta splendens: sexing, bubble-nest building by the male, the nuptial embrace, egg collection, male brood care and raising lab
- Breeding Cardinal TetraHow to breed Paracheirodon axelrodi: sexing, very soft acidic blackwater, dim light, fine-leaved spawning medium, and care of the light-sens
- Breeding Neon TetraHow to breed Paracheirodon innesi: sexing, soft acidic water, dim light, fine-leaved spawning medium, and infusoria-based first foods for th
- Reading Fish Food LabelsHow to interpret a fish food label: crude protein, fat, fibre, ash and moisture in the guaranteed analysis, plus the ingredient list and wha
- Crisp Fish FoodsCrisps are a dense dry fish food related to flakes, baked into thin pieces that float and then sink, suited to surface and mid-water feeders
- Tablet and Disc FoodsTablet and disc foods are compressed dry feeds that sink or stick to glass, used for targeted feeding of bottom dwellers, grazers and shy fi
- Spirulina Fish FoodsSpirulina is dried Arthrospira microalgae used in aquarium feeds as a high-protein, pigment-rich vegetable ingredient for herbivores.
- Color-Enhancing Fish FoodsColor-enhancing foods supply carotenoid pigments such as astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, which fish cannot make themselves and must obtain fr
- Vegetable-Based Fish FoodsHerbivorous fish such as plecos, mbuna and silver dollars need plant matter and fiber, supplied through blanched vegetables, algae and spiru
- Gel Fish FoodGel food is a powder mixed with hot water that sets into a solid that holds its form underwater, suiting grazers and slow eaters without clo
- Frozen Fish FoodsFrozen foods preserve aquatic invertebrates such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis and daphnia, offering a varied, pathogen-reduced alterna
- Freeze-Dried Fish FoodsFreeze-dried foods are dried invertebrates such as bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp that store at room temperature and avoid live-food
- Algae and Sinking WafersWafers are slow-dissolving sinking discs made for bottom feeders and grazers, in herbivore (algae) and protein-rich versions.
- Pellet Fish FoodPellets are firm, compact dry fish foods available in floating and sinking forms and in many sizes to match the fish and tank level.
- Flake Fish FoodFlake food is a dry, surface-floating fish food made from a cooked, dried ingredient slurry, suited to top and mid-water feeders.
- Asian Peat Swamp Biotope Style GuideThis biotope recreates a Southeast Asian peat swamp with very acidic, tannin-stained blackwater, leaf litter and dense roots under dim light
- Convex / Mountain Composition Style GuideThe convex or mound composition builds a single central peak that slopes down to open sides, a monumental island layout regarded as the hard
- Concave / U-Shape Composition Style GuideThe concave or U-shape composition places hardscape and plants on both sides with an open low centre, drawing the eye into the depth of the
- Triangle Composition Style GuideThe triangular composition slopes hardscape and plants from high on one side down to an open low corner, a classic way to build depth and as
- Brackish Mangrove Biotope Style GuideA brackish mangrove biotope recreates a coastal estuary with mangrove trees, brackish water and salt-tolerant fauna such as archerfish over
- Saltwater Reef Lagoon Style GuideA reef lagoon recreates the calm, sheltered water behind a reef, with low flow, mostly soft corals and peaceful small fish over a sand bed.
- FOWLR Marine Tank Style GuideFOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) is a marine setup that keeps fish over live rock for filtration but no corals, allowing species not compati
- Saltwater Mixed Reef Style GuideA mixed reef combines soft corals, large-polyp and small-polyp stony corals on live rock, requiring stable parameters, strong flow and inten
- Wabi-Kusa Aquascaping Style GuideWabi-kusa is a minimalist Japanese style centred on a plant-and-substrate ball that carries emersed aquatic plants, partly submerged in an o
- Riparium Aquascaping Style GuideA riparium imitates a riparian area - the bank of a watercourse - with rooted marginal plants whose foliage grows above the water surface.
- Aquascaping Tool Sets: A GuideWhat the core aquascaping tools are - tweezers, scissors, and substrate spatulas - and how their straight and curved designs are used.
- 3D Aquarium Backgrounds: A GuideHow textured three-dimensional backgrounds create the illusion of depth, hide equipment, and add porous surface area inside an aquarium.
- Aquarium Stands: A GuideWhy a filled aquarium needs a purpose-built stand, how much water weighs, and what makes a support strong, level, and stable.
- Auto Top-Off (ATO) Systems: A GuideHow auto top-off systems replace evaporated freshwater to keep salinity and water level stable in marine and reef aquariums.
- Egg Tumbler: A Practical GuideAn egg tumbler is an air-driven tube that gently circulates water around fish or shrimp eggs, mimicking parental fanning to oxygenate them a
- Feeding Ring: A Practical GuideA feeding ring is a floating ring that confines floating food to one area so it does not drift into filter intakes or decor, helping fish fi
- Hose-Based Water Changer: A Practical GuideA hose-based water changer connects to a tap to drain old water and refill the tank directly from the faucet, removing the need for buckets
- Magnetic Glass Cleaner: A Practical GuideA magnetic glass cleaner is a two-piece magnet that wipes algae from the inside of an aquarium while the user holds the outer half, keeping
- Aquarium Power Strip: A Practical GuideAn aquarium power strip distributes power to multiple devices safely, ideally with surge protection, individually switched outlets, drip loo
- Standalone Temperature Controller: A Practical GuideA standalone temperature controller is a plug-in thermostat that switches a heater or chiller outlet based on a probe, acting as a fail-safe
- Aquarium Controller: A Practical GuideAn aquarium controller monitors parameters such as temperature, pH, and salinity and automatically switches outlets, pumps, and dosing to ke
- Automatic Water Changer: A Practical GuideAn automatic water changer is a plumbed system that drains old water and adds prepared fresh water on a schedule, removing the manual chore
- Breeder Box: A Practical GuideA breeder box is a small in-tank or hang-on enclosure that isolates fry, pregnant livebearers, or recovering fish while keeping them in the
- Quarantine Tank: A Practical GuideA quarantine tank is a separate aquarium for isolating, observing, and treating new or ailing fish before adding them to a display tank.