Guides
How to set up a tank, cycle it, read the tests, feed without wrecking the water, and keep algae from taking the glass. Start with the beginner setup if you are buying glass this week.
- Aquarium setup for beginners
- Cycling a fish tank
- Aquarium water parameters
- Fish diseases and symptoms
- Feeding guides
- Algae control
- Maintenance schedules
- Freshwater vs saltwater
Fundamentals
- Freshwater vs saltwater aquariums8 min read
Freshwater vs saltwater: cost, equipment, livestock, and why FishBaseHQ stays on the freshwater side of the glass.
- Aquarium water parameters11 min read
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, GH, and KH in a freshwater tank — what to test, what numbers to want, and when to panic.
- You are feeding too much8 min read
How much to feed freshwater fish, how often, and how leftover food shows up as cloudy water, algae, and nitrate spikes.
- How often should you change aquarium water?10 min read
How often to change aquarium water, how many gallons to pull, and how to dose conditioner on the new water only.
- Algae is a surplus, not a species war14 min read
Identify green water, hair algae, BBA, cyanobacteria, and diatoms, then cut the surplus that feeds them.
- The nitrogen cycle11 min read
Why a new tank needs weeks before fish: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, a fishless cycle timeline, and what “cycled” actually means.
Troubleshooting
- Why Is My New Aquarium Smelly?8 min read
Diagnose aquarium odors from anaerobic substrate, dead livestock, filters, and overfeeding — and what to do before you panic-clean the media.
- Fish gasping at the surface10 min read
What to do when fish hang at the surface: raise agitation, test ammonia and nitrite, match a water change, and when it is chlorine.
- Cloudy aquarium water10 min read
Fix bacterial bloom, green water, and particulate cloudiness without crashing the filter or adding fish to eat the cloud.
Health
- Quarantine tank10 min read
How to set up a simple freshwater quarantine tank, how long to hold new fish, and what to watch for before they touch the display.
- Ich (white spot)12 min read
Identify ich on freshwater fish, why outbreaks start after shipping, and how to treat with heat and medication without killing shrimp.
Tank Setup
- Beginner Freshwater Setup14 min read
A first community aquarium: which tank size, what filter and heater, how to cycle, and a stocking list that will not collapse in month two.
- Aquarium maintenance schedule9 min read
A practical freshwater maintenance schedule: daily checks, weekly water changes, monthly filter work, and what not to clean all at once.
Livestock
- Feeding aquarium fish8 min read
How much to feed freshwater fish, how often, what to buy, and why leftover flakes are an ammonia problem — not a kindness.
- How to Keep Freshwater Shrimp11 min read
Neocaridina and Caridina: temperature, GH, copper, feeding, molting, and how they breed in a home tank.
- How to acclimate new fish9 min read
Float method vs drip acclimation for freshwater fish and shrimp — when to use each, and why bag water stays out of the tank.
- Choosing Compatible Tankmates9 min read
Temperament, water parameters, and adult size — what actually matters when mixing species, with a yes/no table for common store mixes.