Overview of Freshwater Dwarf Shrimp – Popular Species, Tank Requirements, Feeding, and More By Chris Lukhaup (The Shrimp King) Dwarf shrimps have experienced a real boom in aquaristics in recent years. While around 5 to 6 years ago only 2 to 3 species were on offer in the ornamental fish trade in the USA, the range of species in the tanks of breeders, importers and wholesalers has now become almost overwhelming. Vibrantly coloured bred forms in starkly contrasting colours from Europe and Asia as well as invariably new wild catches from all parts of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are re...

How to Pick the Best Substrate for a Planted Aquarium Welcome back to Part 3 of our Getting Started with Aquarium Plants series. In today’s article, we dive deeper into the topic of planted tank substrates. Substrate is the ground covering or “soil” at the bottom of the aquarium that many live plants need in order to grow roots and absorb nutrients. Interestingly, some aquarium plants (e.g., rhizome plants, floating plants, and most stem plants) prefer to absorb nutrients directly from the water, whereas others (e.g., sword plants, vallisneria, ...

Care Guide for Fancy Goldfish – Housing, Feeding, and More Fancy goldfish (Carassius auratus) are beautiful, selectively bred freshwater fish from the carp family that come in many colors, shapes, and other traits. Unlike common goldfish with their single tails and streamlined physiques, fancy goldfish have flowy double tails and slow-moving, egg-shaped bodies that require special considerations. This care sheet answers some of the most frequently asked questions we get about these beloved water piggies. What Size Tank Do Fancy Goldfish Need? Appropr...

How to Upgrade an Aquarium Filter (and Save Money!) Have you ever bought a new hang-on-back filter from the pet store and noticed that the instructions say you have to change out the filter cartridge at least once a month? Most beginner fish keepers don’t realize that you can replace those disposable cartridges with reusable filter media that can last for the lifetime of the filter. In this article, we teach you how to optimize your aquarium filter in four simple steps, using only a pair of scissors. Step 1: Get a Prefilter Sponge Beneficial b...

10+ Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Fish Keeper It’s that time of year again! With Thanksgiving’s meal reduced to leftovers and festive decorations popping up around the neighborhood, most of us start thinking about what to get our friends and family for the holidays. If your loved one is obsessed with aquariums but you know nothing about fish, here’s our official holiday gift guide to help you become the best Santa ever! Tank Upgrades Most fish keepers are always jonesing to upgrade their tanks, whether in size, quantity, or stocking sele...

Care Guide for Betta Fish – The Best Beginner Pet Fish Betta fish (also known as Betta splendens or the Siamese fighting fish) are a long-time favorite pet for both beginner and veteran fish keepers because of their colorful finnage and spirited personalities. If you’re brand new to the aquarium hobby, this care guide is for you! Find out the key essentials you need to know to successfully keep your first betta fish. Is It OK to Keep Betta Fish in a Bowl? If you haven’t bought a small bowl yet, we highly recommend that you get a larger aquarium t...

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...

The 5 Best Betta Fish Foods You Need to Try Not all betta fish are created equal. Some are born with bottomless stomachs like a miniature shark, and others are picky eaters who turn their noses up to everything you offer. If you have the latter type, this refusal to eat can be quite stressful. Fortunately, there are many high quality, high protein foods you can try feeding them to whet their appetites. #1 Frozen Bloodworms Given that betta fish eat small insects, crustaceans, and other meaty foods in the wild, frozen bloodworms (the br...

How to Pick the Best Planted Aquarium Light One of the most common questions we get asked is “What light should I get for my planted aquarium?” The short answer is that it depends. To help you get started on your planted tank journey, let’s talk about three different lighting parameters and what they mean for beginner hobbyists. #1 Color Spectrum If you’ve ever looked at the lighting in a cozy coffee shop versus a sterile hospital, you know that “white” lights all vary in color temperature, which is measured in units of Kelvin (K). A s...

Care Guide for Kuhli Loaches – The Coolest Oddball Fish for Beginners Kuhli loaches will either fascinate or freak you out because they look like a wriggly mass of miniature snakes hiding in your aquarium. In this care guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this popular oddball fish. What Are Kuhli Loaches? Kuhli loaches are a hardy, beginner-friendly fish, known for their unique eel-like bodies, beady black eyes, and bristly barbels or whiskers around their mouths. Multiple species are labeled as kuhli loaches, but Pangio kuhlii is ...

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...

Aquarium Salt: When and How to Use It Properly Should aquarium salt be used in freshwater tanks? Some people recommend dosing it all the time to provide fish with essential electrolytes, while others say it’s mostly used for treating diseases. After years of testing with hundreds of fish, we’ve witnessed the true power of salt. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is one of the best, all-encompassing “medications” on the market that’s effective against bacteria, fungus, and external parasites. We love it because it’s cheap, readily available in all cou...

How to Get Started with Aquarium Plants Aquarium plants are an amazing addition to nearly any fish tank. Not only are they beautiful and natural-looking, but they also help greatly with biological filtration and create a comfortable environment for your fish. However, many people are afraid to try them because growing plants underwater is such unfamiliar territory. Not to worry – here are our top four tried-and-true tips for getting started with your first aquarium plants! Tip #1: Use a Good Fertilizer Easy Green all-in-one fertil...

Care Guide for Cory Catfish – The Perfect Community Bottom Dweller Looking for a peaceful beginner fish with tons of personality? Look no further! The cory catfish, or Corydoras catfish, is one of the most popular community fish because they’re so happy-go-lucky, easy to breed, and helpful as a clean-up crew. In this care guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this adorable bottom dweller. What are Corydoras? This genus of South American catfish includes more than 160 species, with several hundred more that are waiting to be class...

Sponge Filters: The Easiest Fish Tank Filter Ever Sponge filters are one of the most popular filters used in fish stores, fish rooms, and breeding tanks because they’re so reliable and easy to use. But beginners often have many questions on how they work, how to set one up, and how to keep them clean. Check out our step-by-step instructions to help you get started with your first sponge filter. Sponge filter setup diagram What is a Sponge Filter? This most basic of all filters requires at least three components: a sponge filter (which sits ...