Charlie Morton 
Angelfish are intelligent and intriguing fish with complex behavior and courtship rituals. If you’ve seen your angelfish locking lips together, the chances are that it’s a male and female showing that they’re preparing to spawn together. But since locking lips can also be practiced by two males fighting one another for dominance, you need to … Read 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
If you’ve discovered some black spots on your live plants, you may be concerned that there’s a problem to be addressed. In many cases, you’d be right. Black patches growing on aquarium plants is often due to ‘black beard algae’, a problematic type of algae that can overwhelm your aquarium if not dealt with urgently. … Read more
Kuhli loaches are one of my favorite fish. Mysterious, nocturnal, and eel-like, these beautiful creatures make a fascinating addition to most community tank setups. Some fishkeepers, however, are concerned about keeping kuhli loaches with shrimp. After all, other loach species are notorious for eating invertebrates, and there have been rumors on the internet about kuhlis … Read more
Rainbow fish are beautiful and energetic tropical fish that are often kept in community tanks with other community fish. But some fish keepers have reported problems with aggression in rainbow fish, especially from males that can get territorial at breeding time. Here we’re going to look at which species of rainbow fish are more prone … Read more
If you’ve noticed your mystery snail’s shell becoming thinner, more pale, cracked, deformed, or damaged, it may be suffering from snail shell erosion or ‘shell rot’. This can be due to several factors, but acidic water is often one of the root causes. Here I’ll run you through some of the main causes of shell … Read more
Goldfish are normally one of the greediest of all pet fish, so it’ll always be concerning if they completely refuse to eat. A lack of appetite in your goldfish is a classic tell-tale sign of a serious problem in your tank environment or your goldfish’s health that’ll need correcting as soon as possible. In many … Read more
Goldfish are notoriously messy fish, and this often leads to algae problems in their fish tank. Since plecos are such excellent algae eaters, you may be wondering, ‘Can I keep a pleco in my goldfish tank?’. Well, the answer is yes, but with some conditions to be fulfilled. Only certain types of pleco are suitable … Read more
Whether you term angelfish ‘social fish’ or ‘schooling fish‘, it’s clear that they tend to enjoy the company of one another and should ideally be kept in pairs or groups. In no circumstances should an angelfish be kept completely isolated, though some aquarists have successfully kept a single specimen alongside other fish in a community … Read more
Cichlids are some of the most intelligent and interactive of all aquarium fish, so it’d be unusual to keep them alone. But since they’re such a vast family, there are nuances between the species that can inform us whether to keep a cichlid in a pair with its own kind, in a community tank, or … Read more
If you’ve ever watched Finding Nemo, you probably imagine clownfish as very sociable, affectionate creatures. How Marlin pined for Nemo when he thought he’d lost him! But what about in real life? Well, it turns out that clownfish aren’t so fond of clowning around with each other in many cases. While they can be kept … Read more
When I was a young boy, one of my first encounters with pet fish was with my neighbors who kept two goldfish. I can vividly remember the day when they told me, remorsefully, that one of the goldfish had died, and a week later, the remaining one had died of ‘loneliness’. Dying of loneliness. How … Read more
I’d be happy to take a bet that you clicked on this page for one of two reasons. Either: A) You’ve got a problem with snails overrunning your fish tank and are looking for fish that will eat them for you. Or, B) You have some precious pet snails that are doing a fantastic job … Read more
If you’re treating your fish for ich, you might be wondering: Can I feed my fish while I’m treating them? The answer is yes, you can, although your fish may simply just not want to eat at that time, and you shouldn’t force them. They may also appreciate different kinds of food at this time … Read more
It can be difficult to find tough enough tank mates for your betta tank. Some bettas are just so darn aggressive, they’ll pick fights with anything you put in their tank. But surely aquarium snails should be a safe bet? Sadly not. While many people have kept betta fish and snails together for years without … Read more
