The care guides
Freshwater species we cover
We're building the warmest, most trustworthy freshwater care library there is — from the best beginner fish to the planted-tank favourites, each one fact-checked before we publish it.
30 of 30 fully sourced
We only flip a guide from "coming soon" to published once its numbers are checked against authorities — no guessing.
Bettas & gouramis →
Betta
The jewel-toned solo star of the hobby — and the fish most often sold into a bowl it can't thrive in.
Nano / betta tank✓ Care guide
Honey Gourami
A tiny, peaceful, sunset-coloured gourami — one of the calmest centrepiece fish for a small community.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Dwarf Gourami
A vivid, popular centrepiece gourami — beautiful, but watch for the disease and male-aggression issues.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Pearl Gourami
An elegant, lace-patterned gourami — larger, hardy, and famously graceful in a planted tank.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Livebearers →
Guppy
The rainbow livebearer that breeds like clockwork — cheap, colourful, and endlessly beginner-friendly (you'll soon have fry).
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Endler's Livebearer
The guppy's smaller, flashier cousin — a nano livebearer with electric colour.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Platy
A hardy, cheerful livebearer in every colour — one of the most forgiving community fish.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Molly
A big, personable livebearer — hardy but wants harder water and more space than people expect.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Swordtail
The livebearer with a sword — active, hardy, and a notorious jumper (keep a lid on).
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Tetras & rasboras →
Neon Tetra
The classic shimmering schooling fish — stunning in numbers, but buy a real group, not three.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Cardinal Tetra
The neon's bolder, redder cousin — deeper colour and a bit hardier in a warm, mature tank.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Ember Tetra
A tiny ember-orange nano schooler — perfect for a small planted tank.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Harlequin Rasbora
A hardy, peaceful copper-and-black schooler — one of the best first schooling fish.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Rummynose Tetra
The schooler with a red nose that tells you your water's right — tight-shoaling and elegant.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Catfish & bottom-dwellers →
Corydoras Catfish
The endearing armoured bottom catfish that works in cheerful groups — a community-tank staple.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Bristlenose Pleco
The manageable, algae-grazing pleco that stays a sensible size — unlike the common pleco.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Otocinclus
The tiny, peaceful algae-eating catfish — wonderful, but only for a mature, algae-rich tank.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Kuhli Loach
The little eel-like loach that hides by day and pops out at night — a peaceful, quirky bottom-dweller.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Cichlids →
Angelfish
The tall, graceful centrepiece cichlid — beautiful, but a semi-aggressive predator that outgrows small tanks.
Cichlid setup✓ Care guide
German Blue Ram
A jewel of a dwarf cichlid — stunning colour, but wants warm, clean, mature water.
Cichlid setup✓ Care guide
Apistogramma
The 'apisto' — a characterful dwarf cichlid with big personality in a small package.
Cichlid setup✓ Care guide
Danios & minnows →
Zebra Danio
The bulletproof striped starter schooler — hardy, active, and forgiving of beginner mistakes.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
White Cloud Mountain Minnow
The hardy 'coldwater tetra' — a peaceful subtropical schooler that doesn't need a heater.
Coldwater (goldfish) tank✓ Care guide
Celestial Pearl Danio
The galaxy rasbora — a jaw-droppingly patterned nano fish for a calm planted tank.
Tropical community tank✓ Care guide
Goldfish & coldwater →
Fancy Goldfish
The round, ornamental goldfish — a long-lived, messy coldwater pet that needs far more tank than a bowl.
Coldwater (goldfish) tank✓ Care guide
Common Goldfish
The classic single-tail goldfish — a pond fish at heart that reaches a foot long and lives for decades.
Coldwater (goldfish) tank✓ Care guide
Shrimp & snails →
Cherry Shrimp
The beginner's dwarf shrimp — colourful, a cleanup-crew helper, and prolific in stable water.
Shrimp / invert tank✓ Care guide
Amano Shrimp
The algae-eating workhorse shrimp — bigger and hardier than cherries, and the best natural algae crew.
Shrimp / invert tank✓ Care guide
Nerite Snail
The best algae-eating snail that won't overpopulate your tank — its eggs need brackish water to hatch.
Shrimp / invert tank✓ Care guide
Mystery Snail
The big, friendly, colourful snail that grazes leftovers — peaceful and won't devour your healthy plants.
Shrimp / invert tank✓ Care guide