How to Get Rid of Hydra in Your Aquarium Have you spotted a miniature tentacle monster in your freshwater aquarium? Not to worry – it’s a fascinating freshwater creature called hydra that is relatively easy to deal with. Keep reading as we talk about what is hydra and a few natural methods of removing them without harming your animals, plants, or beneficial bacteria. What is Hydra? These tiny, freshwater organisms of the genus Hydra are the distant relatives of jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones. Growing up to 0.4 inches (1 cm), th...

When Should I Dose Iron in My Planted Aquarium? Just as people need certain nutrients to function correctly, aquatic plants require a unique mix of fundamental building blocks to live and grow. Macronutrients (like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous) are nutrients that plants consume in large quantities, where as micronutrients (like iron and boron) are nutrients that plants consume in trace amounts. Many all-in-one liquid fertilizers like Easy Green already contain iron (Fe), so when is it necessary to dose additional iron in your plant...

Top 5 Nano Fish for a 5-Gallon Aquarium A 5-gallon fish tank is the ideal size for your office desk or dorm room, but it can be hard to find creatures that are small enough to live in it. Check out our 5 favorite fish that are perfect for inhabiting a nano aquarium. 1. Dwarf Pea Puffer Carinotetraodon travancoricus is an adorable, 1-inch (2.5 cm) long pufferfish with a small yellow body, dark spots, and independently rotating eyes. This carnivorous creature loves to eat frozen foods and will go after your live snails and dwarf shri...

Top 10 Betta Fish Plants for Your Aquarium Looking for a way to take your betta fish tank to the next level? Give live aquarium plants a try. Not only do aquatic plants help purify the water from your fish’s waste, but they also provide a beautiful, natural environment for your betta. In the wild, Betta splendens are commonly found in tropical marshes and rice paddy fields chock-full of thick vegetation. Therefore, aquarium plants serve as excellent enrichment for your betta to explore, obstacles to block line of sight in case he gets...

10 Best Clean-Up Crew Ideas for Freshwater Aquariums Looking for a fish or invertebrate that will clean your aquarium so that you never have to do tank maintenance? Sorry, that mythical creature doesn’t exist. However, many animals do an excellent job of eating leftover food, algae, dying plant leaves, and even pest snails. Keep reading to discover our top 10 favorite clean-up crew members that every freshwater aquarium should have. 1. Rainbow Sharks and Redtail Sharks These freshwater “sharks” might seem like an odd group to start with, but yo...

How to Clear Up a Cloudy Fish Tank Cloudy water can be very frustrating, since it prevents you from fully enjoying your beautiful fish tank. In this article, we explore the many reasons why your aquarium may look hazy and how to clear up the murkiness as quickly as possible. The first thing you need to do is pour some of the tank water into a plastic cup or bucket that is solid white on the inside. This will allow you to examine the color and cloudiness of the water more carefully without interference. 1. Particles in the Wate...

The Fish Keeper’s Guide to pH, GH, and KH pH, GH, and KH are terms commonly used in water chemistry, but there is a lot of confusion about them in the freshwater aquarium hobby. What’s the difference between them, and how do they impact our fish? This practical guide for beginners explains what these parameters mean, when you should test for them, and how to raise or lower their levels if needed. pH (or Power of Hydrogen) pH measures the amount of hydrogen ions in liquids and tells you how acidic or basic is your water. On a scale of...

How to Cure Fungus on Aquarium Fish If your fish has a white- or gray-colored growth on its mouth or body (often with a fluffy texture like cotton), it could have a fungal infection. Fungal outbreaks are often caused by stressful or poor water quality conditions and can rapidly lead to secondary diseases, so it’s important to address the problem immediately. In this article, we cover several options for treating fungus, as well as how to stop it from coming back. When you see any symptoms of illness, the first thing we always r...

Care Guide for Pea Puffers – The Smallest Pufferfish in the World Pea puffers are one of the coolest oddball species you can keep in a smaller-sized aquarium. They’re known for their helicopter-like maneuverability, independently moving eyes, and of course, ability to inflate like a tiny water balloon. In this practical care guide, we answer your most frequently asked questions about these amazing, little creatures. What Is a Pea Puffer? Carinotetraodon travancoricus – also known as the pea puffer, Indian dwarf puffer, Malabar puffer, and pygmy puffer – is ...

Anubias Rot: Symptoms, Causes, and Solutions Anubias rot is an uncommon disease that can affect anubias plants in the aquarium hobby. Unfortunately, there is very little information about how it starts and how to stop its spread. In this article, we explain the symptoms for anubias rot, possible causes, and the best course of action to take if you spot it. Why Is My Anubias Dying? Before we dive into the details of anubias rot, let’s make sure your anubias isn’t suffering from other, more common issues. Firstly, is your anubias plant pr...

How to Get Rid of Blue-Green Algae in Aquariums Do you have a mysterious, blue-green slime taking over your aquarium? Or is there a strange smell coming from your fish tank and you can’t find the source? You might be dealing with an outbreak of blue-green algae. In this article, we discuss the causes of blue-green algae and how to get rid of it once and for all. What is Blue-Green Algae? Blue-green algae (BGA) is not actually an algae but rather a cyanobacteria – a very diverse and resilient group of bacteria that uses photosynthesis like ...

Quick Guide: How to Plant Live Aquarium Plants Congrats on getting your new aquarium plant! Depending on which type of plant you have, there are different guidelines you should follow for introducing your new foliage. This quick guide leads you step-by-step through the recommended ways for adding live plants to your aquarium. Should You Remove Pots from Aquarium Plants? Most plants purchased online or from a local fish store come in a plastic pot stuffed with rock wool. In most cases, you want to remove this little basket and the stuffing...

10 Best Tank Mates for Your Goldfish Goldfish are beautiful, much-beloved creatures in the fish keeping hobby, but sometimes it can be nice to add a little variety to their aquariums. After many years of owning goldfish, we’ve compiled a list of our top tips and recommendations for keeping goldfish tank mates (including a few that you may have never considered before). What Kind of Fish Can You Keep With Goldfish? If you’ve ever seen a cool fish and wondered if it would go well with your goldfish, here are some general guideline...

10 Best Aquarium Fish for Beginners If you’re getting into freshwater aquariums for the first time, it can be intimidating to know which fish to pick. Ideally, you want something hardy, budget-friendly, and colorful with an interesting personality. Check out our list of top 10 beginner fish (in no particular order) that are easy to care for and would make a great addition to your aquarium! 1. Rasboras There are many types of rasboras, but our favorite ones are the harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha) and lambchop rasb...

How to Treat Ich or White Spot Disease on Freshwater Fish Ich is one of the most common diseases that your aquarium fish can encounter. Many different approaches exist for combating this illness, but based on more than a decade of experience running 100 to 200 tanks in a fish store and importing wild-caught species, this is our go-to method for treating ich. What is Ich? Also known as ick or white spot disease, the Ichthyophthirius multifiliis protozoan is an external parasite that attaches to your fish’s fins, body, and gills by forming a tiny whit...

How to Set Up an Easy Planted Tank for African Cichlids It’s a popular belief that African cichlids and live aquariums plants can never go together. But with the right stocking choices, plants can be an excellent means of blocking line of sight and keeping alpha males from getting too aggressive. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to set up an eye-catching planted tank that will do well with fish like mbuna and peacock cichlids. Step #1: Prepare the Aquarium For our setup, we purchased a 75-gallon aquarium that is approximately 4 feet long and...