Guides
Fishkeeping guides
Honest, up-to-date, plainly-written guides — the water knowledge nobody told you, and the depth behind the quick answers. Fact-checked, never folklore.
Betta vs Guppy: which is the better first fish?
Betta or guppy for a first tank? An honest, fact-checked comparison of tank size, water, temperament, breeding and lifespan to help you pick.
Building a peaceful community tank (going deeper)
Advanced stocking: build a freshwater community that gets along — the three tankmate types, matching water, size and temperament, and the mistakes.
Can a betta live in a bowl? The honest answer
No — a betta needs a heated, filtered, cycled tank, not a bowl. The kind, fact-checked truth behind the 'it breathes air, so it's fine' myth.
Cherry Shrimp vs Amano Shrimp: which should you get?
Cherry or amano shrimp? An honest comparison — colour, size and algae-eating — and the big one: cherries breed in freshwater, amanos can't.
Common fishkeeping myths that can hurt your fish
The most repeated aquarium myths — salt cures everything, cleaner fish, algae means failure, big tanks are hard — corrected kindly, with sources.
Is an angelfish right for you? The complete guide
The honest owner's journey for angelfish: the cichlid reality, what to have ready, the first weeks, and life over the years. Numbers in the care guide.
Is a betta right for you? The complete guide
The honest owner's journey for a betta: who it suits, what to have ready, the first weeks, and life over the years. The care guide has the numbers.
Is a goldfish right for you? The complete guide
The honest owner's journey for a goldfish: the real commitment, what to have ready, the first weeks, and a decade together. Numbers in the care guide.
Are guppies right for you? The complete guide
The honest owner's journey for guppies: who they suit, what to have ready, the first weeks, and the fry that follow. The care guide has the numbers.
Do goldfish grow to the size of their tank?
No — a small tank doesn't keep a goldfish small, it stunts it. The honest, fact-checked truth about goldfish size, bowls and lifespan.
Goldfish vs Betta: which should you actually get?
Goldfish or betta? An honest comparison of the two most mis-sold beginner fish — coldwater vs tropical, tank size, bioload and lifespan.
High-tech planted tanks & aquascaping (going deeper)
Ready to go beyond hardy plants? The honest advanced guide to high-tech planted tanks and aquascaping: CO2, light, ferts and the algae trade-off.
Neon Tetra vs Cardinal Tetra: what's the difference?
Neon or cardinal tetra? The honest difference — colour, size, temperature and hardiness — plus what both need: soft water and a group of six.
Responsible fish breeding (going deeper)
Thinking of breeding your fish? The ethics-first advanced guide: homing the fry, the truth about selective breeding, and how to breed well.
Shrimp colour grades & genetics (going deeper)
Advanced dwarf shrimp: what colour grades mean, why you can't mix colours, Neocaridina vs Caridina, and the honest ethics of culling.
Aquarium algae, kindly explained: why you have it and how to actually beat it
Algae isn't failure — it's a balance every tank fights. How to read the common types, what causes them, and the honest fix: light, plants and patience.
Aquarium filters explained: what they actually do, which type to pick, and the mistake that kills your bacteria
A filter's most important job is invisible. What the three filtration types do, how sponge/HOB/canister compare, and the mistake that kills your bacteria.
Aquarium heaters and temperature: what tropical fish actually need (and why 'room temperature' isn't it)
Most aquarium fish are tropical and need stable warmth, not room temperature. Why a thermostatic heater matters, how to size one, and which fish skip it.
Aquarium water changes: how much, how often, and why a filter isn't enough
The single most valuable habit in fishkeeping. Why water changes matter even with a great filter, how much and how often, and how to do one safely.
pH, GH and KH explained — and why chasing a 'perfect' pH is a beginner trap
The freeing takeaway: don't chase pH — match your fish to your tap water and keep it stable. What pH, GH and KH are, and when they matter.
Breeding fish and raising fry: from 'help, my guppy had babies' to doing it on purpose
Most people meet fish breeding by accident. How to tell the two breeder types apart, what to do when fry appear, raise them, and the welfare reality.
Why is my aquarium water cloudy? (and why big water changes usually make it worse)
Cloudy water looks alarming but rarely is an emergency. How to read the colour — grey dust, milky bloom, or green algae — what each means, and the fix.
How big a tank does my fish need? (and why the bowl — and the 'inch per gallon' rule — are both wrong)
The number-one beginner question, answered honestly. Why bowls fail, why the 'inch per gallon' rule is obsolete, and what really decides tank size.
How much (and how often) to feed aquarium fish — and why overfeeding is the quiet killer
Overfeeding is the most common beginner mistake, and it harms fish two ways. The simple rule for how much and how often, and why 'still hungry' is a trap.
Is this normal? A calm guide to strange fish behaviour (and the red flags that aren't)
Your fish is doing something odd and you're worried. How to tell normal behaviour — hiding, resting, gulping air, fading — from genuine warning signs.
The nitrogen cycle: the one thing nobody told you before you bought fish
A dying fish is almost always a water problem. The nitrogen cycle in plain English: what it is, why an un-cycled tank kills, and how to cycle it kindly.
Live plants for beginners: you don't need CO2, fancy lights, or a green thumb
Live plants make a tank healthier and more stable — no CO2 or pricey lights needed. The low-tech path: easy hardy plants, the right light, less algae.
How to set up your first aquarium: the honest beginner's path (in the right order)
A calm, step-by-step path to your first freshwater tank, in the order that works: right size, filter and heater, cycle BEFORE the fish, then stock slowly.
My fish looks sick or is dying — what to do first (test the water, don't reach for medication)
When a fish looks ill, the honest first step is a water test, not medicine. How to triage calmly, read common signs, quarantine, and when to see a vet.