Aquarium Fish Tanks

Christmas Gifts for Fish Keepers: Single Aquarium Keepers

The best gift for a fishkeeper really depends on what area of the hobby they are into, and how serious they are. Here’s some ideas on good gifts for different situations: Adult Tropical Hobbyist with a Single Tank. One of the most common situations. Snoop around a little to see what equipment they have. Equipment [...]

Christmas Gifts for Fish Keepers: The Incipient Aquarium Hobbyist

So you have a friend or family member who wants a fish tank?  Here are some basic suggestions of possible gifts that they will love. The best gift here is probably a 10 gallon aquarium kit.  These usually come with everything required (though they often lack a heater) and are much better value for money [...]

Fish For Your 5 Gallon Fish Tank

Nano tanks are quite popular, but it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what fish you should put in them.  Many aquarium fish grow too big, especially if you’re thinking of keeping schooling fish.  Then there’s the question of which fish is are compatible with each other. Here are some suggestions for groups of [...]

Pet or Pest? Pond Snails in the Tropical Aquarium

Pond snails are the snails that turn up unintentionally when you buy aquatic plants. They breed prolifically and are often considered a pest. However, these snails have their good points: they are easy to feed, help keep the tank free of uneaten fish food, eat algae, stay small, do well at both tropical and low [...]

Finding the Right Temperature For Your Aquarium Shrimp

It all depends on species… Shrimp tolerate a wide variety of temperatures but temperature tolerances vary between species. Most will tolerate normal tropical aquarium temperatures, but some require higher temperatures and others are quite happy at temperatures lower than most tropical fish will stand. Because shrimp keeping is a young part of the aquarium hobby, [...]

Shrimp, Snails, Crayfish and Other Invertebrates for the Freshwater Aquarium and Goldfish Bowl

While most people thinking of invertebrates for the aquarium are thinking of marine invertebrates, there are a surprising number of freshwater invertebrates that make excellent tank inhabitants.  Many freshwater invertebrates do not require large amounts of space, making them ideal for Nano tanks or even goldfish bowls.  Some eat algae or uneaten fish food, while [...]

Fish for Small Unheated Aquariums and Goldfish Bowls

Certain fishes are often kept in bowls or small plastic aquariums that lack heating and filtration equipment.   The fish most often kept in this way include goldfish, bettas, white cloud mountain minnows, and danios.  Each of these fishes have different pros and cons when it comes to keeping them in this fashion. Goldfish, Carassius [...]

Lighting for Aquarium Plants

Lighting for plant growth is rather a specialized topic. Most plants need quite bright light to grow properly. Because water absorbs light much more quickly than air does, a deep tank needs a lot of lighting if you want to grow plants. Types of Plant Lights The most common aquarium lighting is the normal output, [...]

Fish Tank Filtration

There are three main types of filtration: mechanical, biological and chemical. Mechanical filtration removes particles from the water by forcing the water through a medium with holes. Particles larger than the holes get stuck in the filter and are removed from the tank. Biological filtration uses bacteria to transform ammonia into less toxic substances. Chemical [...]

Conservation status of the Cherry Barb (Puntius titteya)

The Cherry Barb originally comes from Sri Lanka. It is very common in the aquarium trade, as it is hardy, easy to breed, peaceful, small and quite pretty. The vast majority of individuals seen in pet stores are captive bred. In the wild it is threatened by habitat destruction (Ekaratne, 2000). The cherry barb lives [...]