
Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata)
Hardy striped Central American cichlids that breed readily — fantastic for learning biparental care, intense when defending fry.
Read more →This Guides hub on Fishy Friends gathers practical aquarium guides guidance for keepers who want clear answers before they change water, livestock, or gear.
Use these articles to match species to tank size, plan filtration and feeding, and troubleshoot water chemistry without guessing. Each guide is written for home aquariums and links to related reading when you need more depth on aquarium guides.
Start with the basics — stable parameters, quarantine habits, and a feeding schedule that matches the livestock — then browse the profiles and how-tos below. When you are ready to branch out, jump into neighbouring topics so your aquarium guides plan stays consistent across the whole tank.
Whether you are stocking a first community tank or refining an established scape, bookmark this page and return as questions come up. Healthy aquariums are built from small, repeatable routines more than one-time upgrades, and aquarium guides success follows the same pattern.
Explore next: Fishy Friends home, freshwater fish, saltwater fish, live plants.
Fishy Friends publishes species care sheets, plant and invertebrate notes, aquascaping ideas, and water-care explainers so aquarium guides advice stays easy to find. Read one guide thoroughly, apply it slowly, and use the linked hubs above when you want a second angle on the same problem.
Before you buy livestock or rethink filtration, skim two or three aquarium guides articles here and write down target numbers for temperature, hardness, and feeding. That short checklist prevents the most common resets and keeps your aquarium closer to the calm, healthy display you are aiming for.
Come back after water changes or new additions: compare what you see in the tank with the aquarium guides checklists below, then follow one recommended next step instead of changing everything at once. Steady improvements compound, and Fishy Friends is built to support that pace.

Hardy striped Central American cichlids that breed readily — fantastic for learning biparental care, intense when defending fry.
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One of Lake Malawi’s most popular mbuna — brilliant yellow bodies, manageable aggression for African cichlids, and nonstop rock-hopping energy.
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A majestic Tanganyikan cichlid with a nuchal hump and bold bars — calm for a large African cichlid, but needs big water and patient growth.
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A shy blackwater gourami with chocolate flanks and pale bars — rewarding in soft, warm, heavily planted tanks managed by experienced keepers.
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An classic labyrinth fish with jewel-toned bars — hardier and cooler-tolerant than bettas, but males can be territorial with their own kind.
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A compact, tiger-striped wood-eating pleco — caves, soft driftwood, and biofilm matter more than chasing algae wafers alone.
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Often sold as a harmless algae eater — adults grow large, territorial, and may graze fish mucus. Know the real husbandry before you buy.
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A small, patterned social loach that shoals in midwater — playful, curious, and far more community-friendly than large Botia species.
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Bold black-and-white patterned loaches with quirky personalities — best kept in groups with caves, soft sand, and a mixed meaty diet.
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Tiny ‘salt-and-pepper’ corys that school in midwater as often as on the sand — perfect busy cleaners for nano and shrimp community tanks.
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A leopard-spotted Corydoras often sold near julii corys — social sand sifters that need groups, soft substrate, and clean oxygenated water.
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Classic community tetras with glowing shoulder and caudal spots — hardy, peaceful, and perfect for planted mid-size aquariums.
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Small copper-bronze tetras with white-tipped fins — lively but peaceful shoalers that suit planted community and nano aquariums.
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Silver-bodied tetras with bright blood-red fins — hardy, energetic schooling fish that prefer longer tanks and cooler room temps.
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An elegant schooling tetra with smoky flanks and tall black dorsal sails on males — calm mid-water movement for planted aquariums.
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A compact Brazilian tetra with fiery red rear flanks — peaceful, hardy, and ideal for colour in smaller planted community tanks.
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A soft-water blackwater gem with a teal-green neon stripe — smaller and more demanding than classic neons, stunning in dense plant thickets.
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A sleek schooling tetra with a bold diagonal black stripe — peaceful, active mid-water swimmers for planted community aquariums.
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A small, industrious reef hermit that grazes film algae and scraps — best kept with spare shells and not overcrowded on delicate sandbeds.
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The classic clownfish host anemone for home reefs — bold colour morphs, sticky tentacles, and a wandering streak until it finds the right rock.
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The iconic branching SPS coral of reefkeepers — demanding on stability, flow, and light, spectacular when alkalinity and nutrients stay dialed in.
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An LPS favourite with T-shaped tips that sway in current — dramatic motion coral that needs space from neighbours and steady calcium.
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Colourful colonial polyps that carpet rock in every shade — beginner-friendly soft corals with important handling caveats for Palythoa toxins.
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A feathery green stem plant that fills backgrounds fast under strong light — classic volume for planted community tanks.
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