Leaf Litter & More: How to Naturally Lower Aquarium pH

Adding natural materials like leaf litter is an effective way to lower aquarium pH. Discover the best choices for your fish tank.

A Guide to Using CO₂ in Your Aquarium

Whether you keep a freshwater or saltwater fish tank, using CO₂ in your aquarium is critical to maintaining healthy plants or corals. Learn more!

The Skeptical Fishkeeper: Aeration and Oxygenation

A few weeks ago, I noticed that the airstone in my 20-gallon tank was starting to fizzle.

The Skeptical Fishkeeper: Quarantine

The idea for this month’s column came to me last summer at a small-town fair, as I watched my 7-year-old nephew make a beeline for the “Win a Goldfish!” booth.

The Salt Creep: Key Considerations for the Aspiring Reefkeeper

Key considerations to keep in mind for successful reefkeeping.

The Salt Creep: A Marine Aquarium Maintenance Checklist

“I understand saltwater aquariums are a lot of hard work.

The Skeptical Fishkeeper: Algae Detective

Aesthetics aside, there are good reasons not to let algae run rampant in a tank or pond.

The Skeptical Fishkeeper: Compatibility

When I left off at the end of last month’s column, I’d just purchased my dream tank: a 125 gallon that, theoretically at least, was large enough to house the assorted occupants of my various smaller tropical freshwater tanks.

Livebearers Unlimited: Fancy Livebearers 101

No other aquarium fish have captured the hearts and minds of hobbyists and scientists alike more than our beloved livebearers.

Aquariums

Glass is less expensive, and it is available in a variety of shapes and sizes, but it can’t be contoured to some of the shapes that can be done with acrylic tanks.

Aquarium Setup Guide

With the seemingly infinite number of combinations of fish, plants, and invertebrates that can be put together in an aquarium, it might be difficult to determine which ones will work best.

Aquascaping

While some aquarists maintain aquaria with minimal or no decoration, these are often breeding tanks or tanks for growing out fry.

Filtration

Filtration technologies use a variety of designs, many of which combine more than one type of filtration—mechanical, chemical, and biological.

Fish Selection & Stocking Guide

In a perfect world, stocking an aquarium with fish would be as easy as picking out the prettiest or most interesting specimens, taking them home, and plopping them in a tank full of water.

Fish Selection & Stocking Guide

In a perfect world, stocking an aquarium with fish would be as easy as picking out the prettiest or most interesting specimens, taking them home, and plopping them in a tank full of water.

Foods & Feeding

In the wild, fish often have very specific diets.

Maintenance

Algae scrapers, not surprisingly, are used to raze algae off tank walls.

Salt Mix

Modern salt mixes are the product of years of research, and they provide the same results as natural seawater—or better.

Temperature Control

How to Manage Your Tank Temperature

Most experts today recommend 80°F as the optimum temperature for corals, although older sources unadvisedly recommended lower temperatures.

Water & Air Pumps

Pumps, including powerheads, serve two major functions: creating currents and aerating, and moving water through various peripherals like sumps, filters, skimmers, etc.

Water Treatment

Types of Water Treatments

RO stands for reverse osmosis, and it refers to a technology that uses water pressure to push water through a membrane, leaving behind dissolved substances.