Guides

Beginner

18 articles · All guides

Vacation and Automatic Fish Feeder Guide

Weekend trips rarely need gadgets. Longer holidays do. Here’s how to set an auto feeder — and when fasting or a sitter is safer.

Feeding and Nutrition

Flake vs Pellet Fish Food: Which Should You Use?

Flakes are convenient; pellets often pack more nutrition with less mess. Here’s how to choose — or mix both — for your community tank.

Feeding and Nutrition

Overfeeding Aquarium Fish: Signs and How to Stop

Overfeeding is the quiet killer of beginner tanks. Learn the warning signs, emergency cleanup steps, and portion habits that stick.

Feeding and Nutrition

How Often Should You Feed Aquarium Fish?

Most adult community fish do best on small meals once or twice a day. Here’s how to set a schedule by species, age, and tank bioload without over…

Fish Species

Saltwater Beginner Fish Shortlist

Marine tanks start with hardy forgiving fish — clownfish and gobies teach saltwater basics before tangs and butterflies.

Fish Species

Killifish for Beginners

Killifish range from colorful annual peat spawners to hardy classroom fish — pick non-annual species first.

Fish Species

Choosing Your First Cichlid

Cichlids reward personality and color — pick dwarf or gentle species first, not oscars in a twenty gallon.

General Guides

How to Choose a Good Fish Store

The best fish store sells healthy animals and honest advice — not just colorful tanks and impulse livestock.

General Guides

Betta Tank Setup for Beginners

Bettas are hardy — not indestructible. Build a heated, filtered, planted home instead of a bare bowl, and your fish will show real colour and per…

General Guides

Nano Aquarium Setup for Beginners

Nano tanks are beautiful — and unforgiving. Learn the setup rules that keep tiny aquariums stable instead of swinging into disaster.

Plants

Beginner Planted Tank: Low-Tech Setup Without CO₂

You do not need pressurised CO₂ to grow plants. A low-tech planted tank rewards patience with hardy species, modest light, and steady care.

Equipment & Maintenance

Drip Acclimation: How to Acclimate New Fish and Shrimp

Temperature matching is not enough. Drip acclimation gently equalises GH, pH, and salinity so new livestock arrives without chemical shock.

Water Chemistry

Ammonia Spikes and New Tank Syndrome: Causes and Fixes

Ammonia spikes kill fish quietly and quickly. Learn the warning signs, emergency steps, and how to prevent new tank syndrome for good.

Equipment & Maintenance

How to Set Up a Quarantine Tank for New Fish

A small quarantine tank is the cheapest insurance against ich, parasites, and nasty surprises — here’s how to set one up and use it properly.

General Guides

Aquarium Stocking Guide: How Many Fish Can Your Tank Hold?

Forget the old inch-per-gallon myth. Stock by bioload, adult size, temperament, and filtration so your community stays healthy long-term.

Saltwater

Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)

A hardy, boldly barred anemonefish that adapts to many host anemones — a confident reef classic for FOWLR and reef tanks.

Invertebrates

Ghost Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus)

Transparent freshwater scavengers that are inexpensive, busy, and fascinating — great cleaners in peaceful community tanks when kept safely.

Freshwater

White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys albonubes)

A hardy, colourful schooling minnow that thrives in cooler unheated tanks — perfect for beginners who want movement without tropical complexity.