After keeping guppies twice, an honest verdict — the harassment, the snail they killed, and why I keep them species-only.
Aquarium Guides & Articles
Step-by-step guides for every stage of your fishkeeping journey — from choosing your first tank to treating disease and building planted aquascapes.
All guides
No guides match your search. Try a different keyword or category.
Tiny, shimmering and adorable — but mean in their own way. What really happened with my Japan Blue trio and cherry shrimp.
Master the nitrogen cycle and prepare your tank before adding any fish.
Every size from 5 to 125 gallons — who each suits, what fish work, and what they weigh.
The most predictable, avoidable mistakes new aquarists make — and how to sidestep every one.
HOB, canister, sponge, internal — what each filter type does and which one your tank actually needs.
pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, GH, KH — what each one means and how to fix problems fast.
How often, how much, and exactly how to do water changes without stressing your fish.
Top nano fish, bettas, shrimp, and four complete stocking combinations for small tanks.
Choose compatible species, layer fish by water column, and build a harmonious community aquarium.
The hardiest, most forgiving freshwater fish for new aquarists — plus the species to avoid.
The best schooling fish for community tanks — tetras, rasboras, and danios with group-size requirements.
The best focal-point fish for freshwater tanks — from pearl gouramis to discus, across all experience levels.
Everything about keeping bettas healthy — tank size, water parameters, feeding, tankmates, and health.
Cherry shrimp, amano, caridina — care requirements, breeding tips, and tank setup for shrimp keepers.
Water requirements, feeding, tankmates — and the honest cost of keeping the most demanding freshwater fish.
Build a thriving planted aquarium without CO₂ or expensive equipment using the Walstad method.
Choose the right light for fish-only, planted, or reef tanks — spectrum, intensity, and schedules explained.
Beginner-proof plants that grow without CO₂ — including the four we grow in every low-tech tank.
A low-maintenance planted bowl ecosystem on Walstad principles — built from a real working bowl.
The truth about peace lily vases — why the standard setup harms bettas and how to do it properly.
Recreate a West African river — driftwood, botanicals, and the fish that genuinely belong together.
Setup, cleaning, air-pump sizing — and why sponge filters run every breeding tank in our fishroom.
Media types, cleaning schedules, flow rate, and the expensive mistakes that shorten filter life.
A full canister filter from a 5-litre bucket — parts list, step-by-step build, and leak-proofing.
Step-by-step technique, cleaning frequency, sand substrates — and why you should never deep-vacuum a soil tank.
Identify ich, fin rot, velvet, and more — with symptoms, causes, and step-by-step treatment.
Caves, conditioning, egg care and fry raising — from our working breeding project toward an albino longfin line.
No CO₂, no dosing — soil, plants and a self-sustaining ecosystem, from real setup experience.
The freshwater fish that thrive unheated — perfect for low-energy systems and variable room temperatures, year-round.