How we research, source & fact-check

The sourced gate: nothing published until it's checked

Every care number on Finfern — minimum tank sizes, temperature ranges, water-parameter targets (pH, GH, KH), feeding schedules — has to be fact-checked against an authoritative source before it goes live. A species page only shows its full care specs once that's done; until then it says the guide is still in progress. We would rather show less than show something we haven't verified. Right now30 of 30 species have passed that gate.

Voice-of-customer — what keepers ask and worry about online — tells us what to write about. It is never our source for what's true. The demand comes from the community; the facts come from the authorities below. You can see that demand analysis in fishkeeping by the numbers — our study of 22,898 real freshwater-hobby records, with its honest method and limitations.

The authorities we check against

Our care numbers and health claims are checked against recognised husbandry and veterinary references, including:

• SeriouslyFish — the reference database for freshwater species profiles, tank sizes, water parameters and natural range.
• FishLab and other established husbandry references — practical, cross-checked care detail.
• The Merck Veterinary Manual — fish disease, water-quality and physiology reference.
• The aquatic-vet literature and welfare bodies (e.g. AAAV / WSAVA guidance) for health, disease and humane-care standards.
• Water-chemistry and nitrogen-cycle fundamentals from established aquarium science — the basis of every "test, don't guess" recommendation.
• Primary scientific literature and natural-history data where available, cited directly.

Every health or husbandry guide ends with a “Sources & further reading” block naming what it was written and fact-checked against, so you can follow the trail yourself.

Our integrity rules

• Triage, never diagnose. We help you tell normal from a red flag and decide when to act — we don't diagnose illness or prescribe treatment, and we send you to an aquatic vet when that's the right call.
• Current husbandry, not folklore. We teach the modern evidence-based standard and correct outdated pet-store advice — kindly, and with the reason why.
• The water comes first. Before any "treatment", we check the water — because most fish-health problems trace to water quality, and a medication that ignores the real cause just buys time. Test, don't guess.
• Post and tool agree. Our articles, tools, and care sheets are built to never contradict each other on the same fact.

Health articles & our review status

Health and safety guides carry an honest close: they're written and fact-checked by The Finfern Team, but not vet-reviewed — so if your fish shows the signs described, you should see an aquatic/exotics vet rather than rely on an article.

We're working toward named veterinary and expert review of our health content. When a qualified aquatic vet has reviewed a specific article, it will carry a “✔ Reviewed by [name]” line at the top — and you'll only ever see that line when it's genuinely true. We will never fake a review or a credential.

We keep it current — and we fix mistakes

Every guide shows when it was published and, where relevant, when it was lastupdated. Fishkeeping keeps evolving, and so do our guides.

If you find an error or something that's fallen out of date, please tell us. We'll check it against our sources and correct it promptly — a good correction makes the guide better, and we're grateful for them.

📧 hello@finfern.com · more about us on theAbout page.

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