Top 10 Fish That Are Perfect for Planted Aquariums One of the reasons why we love live aquarium plants is because their natural beauty just seems to magically enhance the appearance of your fish and invertebrates. Plus, some of the animals start to exhibit unique behaviors that you wouldn’t normally see unless they’re surrounded by a jungle of leaves, stems, and roots. If you enjoy aquatic plants as much as we do, try pairing them with our top 10 favorite plant-friendly fish and see which ones you love the best. 1. Elephant Nose Fish Gnathon...

Top 7 Oddball Fish for a 30-Gallon Aquarium If you’ve already kept all of the most popular fish in the aquarium hobby, you may be looking for some oddball species to try. They tend to be unusual in appearance, have special care requirements, or may be harder to source. Because of their rarity, your friends and family are bound to ask what kind of strange creature they just spotted lurking in your aquarium. In previous articles, we covered our favorite choices for nano tanks, so let’s talk about the top 7 medium-sized oddballs for 29- o...

Top 10 Aquarium Fish That Love Hard Water Did you know that certain aquarium fish may not do well in your home because they prefer water parameters that are very different from your tap water? For example, if the pH and GH (or general hardness) coming out of your faucet are very high, then discus, crystal shrimp, and other creatures from soft water environments may be more difficult to keep. That being said, do not despair if your water hardness is off the charts and considered to be “liquid rock.” Many species thrive in hard water e...

Care Guide for Rummy-Nose Tetras — Aquatic Canary in the Coal Mine The rummy-nose tetra is a long-time favorite in the hobby because of its unique colors and tight schooling behavior, which is why it ranks in the top 20 fish sold at our retail fish store. This outgoing fish gets its common name comes from the reddish flush on its face, and there’s nothing like seeing a large group of gorgeous redheads darting back and forth amidst an emerald forest of live aquarium plants. Learn more about this dazzling tetra and how to best bring out its crimson colors. Wha...

Colony Breeding: The Easiest Way to Breed Livebearers for Profit Breeding livebearers like guppies, mollies, and platies is not difficult, and many hobbyists joke that all you need to do is add water. But what if you want to produce large numbers of fish to sell for profit at your local fish store or aquarium society? In addition, what if you are limited by budget or space and cannot afford to set up tons of tanks or giant ponds like the commercial farms? Keep reading to see how we’ve produced hundreds of livebearers in a single fish tank with minimal effo...

Top 5 Easy Fish Breeding Ideas for Your Next 20-Gallon Aquarium When our founder Cory first got into fishkeeping, funds were tight, so he started breeding fish to help with his hobby expenses. After many years of experience keeping fish rooms and tanks of all sizes, he still loves breeding fish at home in the versatile 20-gallon aquarium (both the high and long versions). Learn about his top 5 favorite fish and invertebrates that are easy to spawn and raise up in a colony setting. 1. Mouth-Brooding Bettas Betta albimarginata Most people know about Betta ...

Care Guide for Chili Rasboras — Spicy Red Nano Fish for Planted Tanks If you are thinking of setting up a nano tank with live aquarium plants, then you have to try chili rasboras or mosquito rasboras. Unlike most red aquarium fish that tend to have a warmer, red-orange hue, these tiny rasboras display a deep, cool-toned red with distinct black markings. However, they often get passed over because the juveniles sold at pet stores are miniscule and look washed-out. Find out what it takes to raise these stunning nano fish so they reach their full adult coloration ...

How to Balance Aquarium Lighting to Grow Healthy Plants (and Avoid Algae) A brand-new planted tank always looks so beautiful and pristine, but if the tank is unbalanced, those same plants may become sickly-looking and overrun with algae within a couple of months. Plants and algae both use the same resources— such as light, nutrients, and carbon dioxide — so the goal is to balance these resources so that the plants grow stronger and outcompete the algae. For instance, too much or too little light can cause algae growth, so we need to fine-tune it for optimal plant g...

How to Treat Camallanus Red Worms in Aquarium Fish Fish diseases can be notoriously hard to diagnose, but one of the more easily recognizable illnesses is an internal parasite called the camallanus red worm. There are multiple species of nematodes or roundworms that are part of the Camallanus genus that can infect aquarium fish. They feed by attaching to the intestinal walls and can often co-exist with their host for a long time. However, added stress factors like bad water quality or tank aggression may weaken the immune system, allowing the...

Top 10 Amazing Rainbowfish for Your Next Freshwater Aquarium Rainbowfish and blue-eyes are a unique group of colorful, community fish that can be found primarily in the freshwater habitats of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Australia. These energetic schooling fish usually hang out in the top half of the fish tank, so make sure to keep a tight aquarium lid to prevent them from jumping out. While males are more vibrant than females, we recommend keeping more females than males to ensure that the boys show off their brightest colors. Having both sexes a...

Care Guide for Cherry Shrimp — Tank Setup, Food, and Breeding The aquarium hobby is crazy about Neocaridina cherry shrimp and for good reason too. Not only are they excellent clean-up crew members that eat algae and leftover fish food, but they come in almost every color of the rainbow and are tiny enough to fit in a 2-gallon nano tank. Compared to other types of ornamental shrimp, they are pretty beginner-friendly and can handle a wide range of water parameters. Finally, these adorable critters are very easy to breed and can be sold at local fish store...

Top 5 Tiny Foods to Feed Baby Fish for Healthy Growth Breeding fish is such a fun and rewarding part of the aquarium hobby, but while it can be easy to get fish to spawn, raising their tiny babies is where the real challenge begins. High losses often occur in the newborn phase because of water quality issues, predation, or simply not feeding enough of the right foods. In this article, let’s talk about 5 miniscule foods that you can feed even the smallest fry to help them grow quickly and get past the first few weeks of their lives. 1. Baby Brine...

Care Guide for Dwarf Gouramis — Feisty Relative of Betta Fish Looking for an eye-catching fish that isn’t a betta fish? The dwarf gourami is a very popular alternative because of its vibrant colors, bold personality, and hardiness. Despite the beginner-friendly reputation, it isn’t always the most peaceful community fish, so before you get one, let’s talk about its care requirements when it comes to housing, potential tank mates, food, and breeding. What are Dwarf Gouramis? Trichogaster lalius is a gourami with the classic oblong silhouette and two whis...

Care Guide for Oscar Fish – The South American “Water Dog” Oscar cichlids are one of the most popular fish sold at pet stores because of their beautiful colors and unique personality. These “water puppies” are intelligent enough to recognize you as their owner, will come up to the front of the tank to greet you, and can be trained to eat out of your hand. Also, they can get moody and sulk at the bottom of the aquarium because you altered their environment by doing a water change or moving the decorations. However, many people don’t realize they grow ...

Care Guide for Ember Tetras — Orange Jewels of the Nano Aquarium A staple of the freshwater nano aquarium world is the ember tetra. Just imagine a school of tiny, flame-colored fish darting back and forth amongst a lush forest of green aquarium plants. Plus, its peaceful nature and hardiness makes it an attractive choice for both beginners and veterans in the fishkeeping hobby. If you’ve never tried keeping ember tetras before, then keep reading to find out why they’re such a top-selling species at our fish store. What are Ember Tetras? Hyphessobrycon aman...

Top 5 Freshwater Sharks for Aquariums (and How Big They Really Get) You may have gone to the pet store and seen some freshwater fish labeled as “sharks.” These species are not true sharks but rather are members of the Cyprinidae family of carp and minnows. They just happen to look like sharks because of their slender, torpedo-shaped bodies and pointy fins. Beginners often buy freshwater sharks because of their attractive shape and hardiness, but they can grow much bigger than expected and have large tank requirements in adulthood. So, before you take home tha...