Anacharis

Anacharis: Source Of Food For Goldfish, Cichlids, And Apple Snails

Living aquatic plants not only look beautiful in your display tank, but they provide several essential functions. Plants use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, helping to oxygenate the tank water for your fish. Also, plants use the nitrates in the water as fertilizer, helping to keep the aquarium environment healthier for your fishes. Lush … Read more

how to stop overthinking aquarium design

How To Stop Overthinking Your Aquarium Design, According to Experts

When it comes to aquarium design, it’s easy for things to get over-complicated. Elaborate planting and fancy layouts might look impressive, but they also take considerable time, effort, and money to establish and maintain. Thankfully, a beautiful and effective aquarium design doesn’t have to be complicated. With a strong vision for what you want to … Read more

Simple Habits for a Thriving Fish Tank

10 Simple Habits of People Who Have a Thriving Fish Tank

When it comes to good fish keeping, certain habits and routines make excellent fish keepers stand head and shoulders above the rest. While maintenance tasks may sometimes feel like a chore, the glowing health of your fish and plants will reward you many times over. By following each of the 10 steps listed below, you’ll … Read more

Pencilfish

Pencilfish: Care Tips and Insights for This Enchanting Fish

What if I told you that there’s a family of beautiful community fish, closely related to tetras, but rarely kept, even by advanced fish keepers? Introducing the pencilfish – a fish tribe that’s largely overlooked, yet brimming with potential for freshwater community tanks. In this guide, we’ll explore the most commonly kept species, and learn … Read more

Betta Imbellis

Betta Imbellis: In-depth Care Guide and Habitat Insights

Recent years have seen wild betta fish species becoming more popular. One of the most popular types is Betta imbellis. Because of their relatively relaxed temperament and docile character, Betta imbellis has earned the common name the ‘Peaceful Betta’. Peaceful bettas can be kept in a wider variety of tank setups than other bettas, including … Read more

Black Phantom Tetra

Black Phantom Tetra: Unveiling a Captivating Tank Addition

Tetras are the bread and butter of tropical community tanks. But if there’s one species in the family that’s under-represented, it could well be the black phantom tetra. With an elegant, oval shape, peaceful character, and entertaining, active behavior, black phantoms deserve to be kept far more often than they are. Let’s take a closer … Read more

Festivum Cichlid

Festivum Cichlid Care: A Comprehensive Guide for Aquarists

Have you ever heard of the festivum cichlid? Also known as ‘flag cichlids’, festivums were once more popular than they are today. Although less colorful and flashy than some other cichlids, these sociable fish are more peaceful than many of their feisty relatives and can be kept in groups in large community tanks. Some of … Read more

Cockatoo Cichlids

Cockatoo Cichlids: Intriguing and Colorful Swimmers

Named after the colorful pet bird with frilly feathers, cockatoo dwarf cichlids match their feathered namesakes with their exotic colors and impressive crested fins. But while they may be alluring, cockatoo cichlids are not the ideal beginner’s fish, and won’t fit in any old community aquarium. Their complex requirements and aggressive streak mean that this … Read more

Rainbow Cichlid

Rainbow Cichlid: Our Care Guide for These Colorful Fish

Cichlids are some of the most beautiful, intelligent, and exotic freshwater fish in the world, but it can be frustrating how many species are also highly aggressive fish. Not so with the rainbow cichlid. These colorful dwarf cichlids are so peaceful they can be kept in a community tank with other medium-sized species. Let’s take … Read more

Severum Cichlid

Our Care Guide for the Severum Cichlid (Tank Mates + More)

Severum cichlids are among my favorite species of tropical fish. Big and beautiful, with bags of personality, these glorious fish are also relatively peaceful for a large cichlid. But severums also demand exceptionally high water quality, high water temperatures, and soft, acidic water to thrive. Feeding them plenty of vegetable matter is also key for … Read more

Keyhole Cichlids

Full Care Guide for Keyhole Cichlids

The humble keyhole cichlid may be less glamorous than some of its dazzling relatives, but this aquarium relic was once more popular than today, and deservedly so! Keyhole cichlids are one of the most peaceful cichlids that you could hope to find. They also remain relatively small, so can be kept with medium-sized community tank … Read more

Japanese rice fish

Japanese Rice Fish: Complete Care Guide (Tank Size + More)

The Japanese rice fish, or ‘medaka ricefish,’ has been attracting considerable attention over the last few years. Although these tiny fish have been available in the aquarium trade for decades, they’ve suddenly become one of the most trendy species in fish keeping. Thankfully, the Japanese ricefish is up to the challenge of being kept by … Read more

pearl gourami

Pearl Gourami: Maintenance, Diet, Habits, and Habitats

Elegant and beautiful, pearl gouramis could be seen as a pearl in the crown of the gourami family. But while their good looks make them popular, are pearl gouramis the ideal fish for a community tank? In this care guide, I’d like to dispel the myth that pearl gouramis are model community fish. Although some … Read more

Archerfish

Archerfish: The Masterful Precision Predators of the Waters

From my childhood trip to The Sea Life London Aquarium, one fish captured my imagination more than all the rest. That fish’s name is the archerfish, and it has evolved a hunting strategy unlike any other. I watched spellbound as they pursed their lips to the water’s surface and spat jets of water into the … Read more

Neon and Ember Tetras

Neon and Ember Tetras: Co-Existence, Care, Feeding + More

Neon and ember tetra are some of the most popular small schooling fish for community aquariums, but can they live together? The answer is yes! Neon tetra and ember tetra make great tank mates for one another, and both of these fish are a great choice for beginners. Let’s take a deeper dive into comparing … Read more