Hardscape Shrimp Tank and Creating Biofilm Surfaces That Feed Your Colony
For the longest time I tried to figure out why my first colony of cherry shrimp wasn’t growing. The water parameters were perfect, the tank was fully cycled, and I…
Aquarium Plant Maintenance Schedule and What Weekly Care Looks Like
Establishing a planted tank is one thing. Maintaining that tank is something else entirely. More often than not the tanks that stay stable long term have a predictable weekly maintenance…
Hardscape Planted Tank and Balancing Stone and Wood With Greenery
Few things make or break a planted aquarium like your hardscape design. Nothing screams “this isn’t a natural habitat” quite like poor planning and haphazard placement of rocks and driftwood.…
How to Glue and Tie Plants to Hardscape Without It Looking Terrible
There’s a certain pride that comes with watching your Anubias attach itself to your chosen driftwood after patiently waiting weeks for it to start doing so. Watching moss slowly soften…
Japanese Planted Aquarium Styles and What Makes Them Different From Everything Else
When searching for aquarium inspiration online, it doesn’t take long to come across photos of aquariums that look effortlessly beautiful. Perfect even spreads of mosses extending into the distance, stones…
How to Remove Dead Leaves From Aquarium Plants Without Making a Mess
It’s easy to look at those brown or yellow leaves decorating your aquarium plants and decide to leave them be for now. After all, there’s no need to stress your…
Dragon Stone Hardscape and the Rock That Changed How People Aquascape
I spent weeks lurking on aquascaping forums trying to figure out what made some hardscapes appear natural and seamless while others looked like rocks dumped in a corner. It wasn’t…
Aquarium Plant Supplements and Whether Extra Additives Are Worth the Money
Walk into any aquarium shop and you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled into a chemistry lab’s marketing department. Bottles upon bottles of every imaginable supplement promising faster growth, healthier…
How to Keep Live Plants in an Aquarium Looking Good Long Term
You spend ages getting your planted tank looking exactly how you want it too. Your carpet plants are spreading into the open areas, your stem plants are growing vibrant red…
Water Changes in a Planted Aquarium and How Often You Actually Need Them
Arguably no topic causes more debate and argument amongst aquarists than water changes in planted aquariums. One website will tell you to change 50% every week, another that you never…
Planted Aquarium Aquascaping and the Difference Between a Fish Tank and an Aquascape
If you walk into your typical fish shop you’re likely to find two completely different types of fish keeping happening. Rows of pragmatic tanks full of fish that are healthy…
Saltwater Aquarium Plants and Whether They Actually Exist or You’re Thinking of Macroalgae
One of the first questions I had when I started getting serious about marine aquariums was “what can I grow”? After years of successfully keeping “okay” freshwater plants, I wanted…
Planted Marine Aquarium and What Growing Plants in Salt Water Really Involves
When people think planted tanks, they automatically assume freshwater tanks with carpeting plants and CO2 dosing. However, there is a whole world of marine planted aquariums that I knew nothing…
Reef Aquarium Plants and the Difference Between True Plants and Coral
I’ll admit that when I started looking into reef tanks, I spent countless hours looking at pictures of gorgeous coral reefs completely enamored. “Coral trees? Brain coral? These things look…
Iwagumi Aquascape and the Minimalist Rock Layout That Looks Simple but Isn’t
If you’ve never seen a good Iwagumi aquascape up close, they can seem deceivingly simple. Some strategically placed rocks, a perfect green carpet, maybe a pair of tiny fish darting…
Mangrove Plants in an Aquarium and Setting Up a Brackish or Marine Refugium
Keep mangroves! That’s right you vegetarians who inhale Marineland® vegetable slickcover™. I know mangroves seem intimidating, reserved for people with saltwater fishrooms and money to burn. I thought so too…
Dutch Aquascape and the Plant Focused Style That Predates Everything
Go into any aquatics store today and you’ll find aquariums arranged as Japanese rock gardens or stacked mountain cliffs of stone. What you won’t find is tanks planted in the…
Chaetomorpha in a Saltwater Aquarium and the Macroalgae That Doubles as Filtration
Living in San Jose means your apartments aren’t always big. After setting up my reef in just four square feet of living space, I learned to appreciate every piece of…
Nature Aquarium Style and What Takashi Amano Actually Meant by It
Walk into any halfway decent aquatics shop and you’ll find tanks labeled as “Nature Style” or “Amano Style” that have no business wearing that name. To complete ignoramuses, they will…
Caulerpa in a Saltwater Tank and Why Some Countries Have Banned It
Many people who have spent time on saltwater aquarium forums or watching YouTube videos about marine tank setups are probably familiar with Caulerpa. Often touted as one of the best…
Planted Aquarium Ideas for Every Budget From Beginner to Competition Level
Don’t worry. I know that feeling too. Eighteen months ago I walked into that aquatics shop clueless about what was about to happen. Spending £340 on a tank you decide…
Simple Planted Aquarium Ideas for People Who Don’t Want a Full Aquascape
Simple Planted Aquarium Ideas for Those That Don’t Want a Full Aquascape I know what you’re thinking. “aquascaping” dominated by impossibly balanced stacks of driftwood, carpet plants trimmed to perfection…
Reef Tank Hardscape and Building a Foundation for Coral and Macroalgae
Building your reef tank hardscape correctly is what decides if your corals will flourish or suffer for the coming years. Do it wrong and you’ll be battling algae outbreaks for…
Marine Refugium Plants and How a Separate Growing Chamber Cleans Your Water
Marine Refugium Plants: How a Separate Growing Chamber Cleans Your Water The first time I actually watched my refugium working I was astounded by how effective it was. This thing…
How to Plan an Aquascape Layout Before You Spend Any Money
Planning Your Layout Before Spending Any Money If you ask me what makes the difference between an aquascape making somebody thousands of pounds happy and thousands of pounds poorer, the…
Red Macroalgae in a Saltwater Display Tank and the Species That Actually Look Good
While many reef keepers associate macroalgae with refugiums, not display tanks. Growing it out of sight in its own chamber and utilizing it to pull nutrients without competing with their…
Planted Aquarium Styles Compared and Finding the One That Suits Your Tank
There’s nothing quite like trying out a style of aquascaping before you’ve even looked at what styles are available. It’s kind of like deciding you want to program in Go,…
Aquarium Planting Ideas and Layouts That Use the Rule of Thirds Properly
Aquarium Planting Ideas and Layouts That Use Rule Of Thirds Properly It took me ages to build the same tank over and over again trying dozens of plant placements, hardscape…
Saltwater vs Freshwater Planted Aquariums and Why the Approaches Are Completely Different
Saltwater vs Freshwater Planted Aquariums (and why the approaches are completely different) I stopped dead the first time I walked past a proper reef tank display. Here were corals swaying…
The Complete Guide to Hardscaping an Aquarium
Everything You Need to Know About Hardscaping TL;DR Quick Start Three Rules: 1) Add your largest stones/wood to your tank bottom before substrate. 2) Position focal points at roughly 1/3…
The Complete Guide to Cleaning and Maintaining Aquarium Plants
# The Complete Guide to Cleaning and Maintaining Aquarium Plants > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > **Three foundational steps:** First, establish a proper trimming routine using clean, sharp scissors to…
The Complete Guide to Dealing With Algae on Aquarium Plants
# The Complete Guide to Dealing With Algae on Aquarium Plants > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > 1. **Prevention first**: Start new planted tanks with 4-6 hours of light daily,…
The Complete Guide to Aquarium Plants and Fish That Work Together
# The Complete Guide to Aquarium Plants and Fish That Work Together > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > Get your tank fundamentals right first: establish proper filtration, cycle for 4-6…
The Complete Guide to Planting Specific Aquarium Plants the Right Way
# The Complete Guide to Planting Specific Aquarium Plants the Right Way > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > 1. **Remove all rockwool from store-bought plants** and trim damaged roots before…
The Complete Guide to Keeping Terrestrial Plants in Your Aquarium
> **TL;DR: Start Here** > > Getting terrestrial plants to work in your aquarium comes down to understanding what survives partial submersion and what doesn’t. Start with pothos cuttings rooted…
The Complete Guide to Growing and Caring for Aquarium Plants
# The Complete Guide to Growing and Caring for Aquarium Plants ## TL;DR: Start Here > **The Essential Three Steps for Plant Success:** > 1. **Get the basics right first**:…
The Complete Guide to Setting Up a Planted Aquarium From Scratch
# The Complete Guide to Setting Up a Planted Aquarium From Scratch > **TL;DR: Start Here** > > Set up your planted aquarium in three foundational steps: First, establish proper…
The 10 Best Aquarium Plant Fertilisers and Why Getting This Wrong Kills Everything
The Definitive Ranking: Best Aquarium Plant Fertilisers That Actually Work Ok so we finally got around to doing it. Four whole meetings, three arguments about liquid carbon, Bobby nearly quitting…
The Complete Guide to Saltwater and Marine Aquarium Plants
Saltwater Aquarium Plants: The Honest Beginner’s Guide (& What Works) TL;DR: Click Here Plant keeps turning brown in saltwater? Want marine aquarium plants that actually work? Add Chaetomorpha to your…
The Complete Guide to Aquascaping Styles and Planted Aquarium Design
I approach most hobbies through the back door. Spend significant time learning everything I can about it from people who are already passionate, dive head first, fail miserably, and start…
How I Stopped Following Rules and Started Making Aquascapes That Actually Mean Something
What’s funny is I used to think of Aquascaping like underwater gardening with super specific pH needs. I had this little book full of all the plant species I was…
My £3,000 Mistake That Made Me a Quarantine Convert (And Why Every Fish Gets the Full Treatment Now)
So you’ve decided to bring home some new finned friends? That’s great! But wait, have you set up a quarantine tank yet? If you’re scratching your head wondering what I’m talking about, let me break it down for you.
A quarantine tank, often overlooked by many aquarists, is a vital part of introducing new fish to your existing aquarium community. It’s like a separate room for your new fish to chill
Why I Started Using Weird Stuff in My Fish Tanks (And What Actually Worked)
As a former corporate sales professional for fifteen years, I’ve spent years following playbooks that other people wrote. After discovering aquascaping as a hobby, I quickly became skilled at replicating…
Why My Fish Hated My “Perfect” Aquascape (And What I Learned About Actually Designing for Them)
So I thought I was super cool and clever with my first real shot at aquascaping. I’d seen (probably) 50 YouTube videos; I’d spent a fortune at the pet store;…
How I Set Up My First Planted Tank (And What I Wish Someone Had Told Me)
I’m looking at a large 55-gallon tank sitting in my garage that my friend was about to throw away and I said, “What could go wrong?” Yeah, famous last words.…
12 Aquatic Mosses That Changed How I Think About Underwater Landscapes (Plus My Biggest Moss Disasters)
To make myself sound less like a total geek, I need to confess that I have over 300 photos of moss on my phone. This isn’t aquarium moss; this is…
Why My 20-Gallon Tank Keeps Me Coming Back – Hard-Won Lessons from Five Years of Aquascaping
You know what’s funny? After setting up tanks from 5-gallon cubes for desktops, to 75 gallons that nearly cracked my floor, I always find myself coming back to a 20…
Five Aquascaping Styles I’ve Actually Used in My Classroom (And Why Three of Them Nearly Broke Me)
I’ve always gotten excited about teaching projects and then realised I had committed too much of myself. That’s basically been my relationship with classroom aquascaping. I began with one…
Why I’m Obsessed with 5-Gallon Tanks (And You Should Be Too)
You know what’s funny? Most people assume the larger the tank, the simpler the task; however, I’ve found that my five-gallon setups (a 5-gallon-betta-tank-aquascape-creating-a-perfect-micro-habitat-for-your-betta-2/”>5-gallon-masterpiece-creating-an-award-winning-nano-planted-aquascape/”>5-gallon-betta-tank-aquascape-creating-a-perfect-micro-habitat-for-your-betta-2/”>5-gallon-masterpiece-creating-an-award-winning-nano-planted-aquascape/”>5-gallon) have taught me more about aquascaping…