Care Guide for Ember Tetras — Orange Jewels of the Nano Aquarium A staple of the freshwater nano aquarium world is the ember tetra. Just imagine a school of tiny, flame-colored fish darting back and forth amongst a lush forest of green aquarium plants. Plus, its peaceful nature and hardiness makes it an attractive choice for both beginners and veterans in the fishkeeping hobby. If you’ve never tried keeping ember tetras before, then keep reading to find out why they’re such a top-selling species at our fish store. What are Ember Tetras? Hyphessobrycon aman...

Top 5 Freshwater Sharks for Aquariums (and How Big They Really Get) You may have gone to the pet store and seen some freshwater fish labeled as “sharks.” These species are not true sharks but rather are members of the Cyprinidae family of carp and minnows. They just happen to look like sharks because of their slender, torpedo-shaped bodies and pointy fins. Beginners often buy freshwater sharks because of their attractive shape and hardiness, but they can grow much bigger than expected and have large tank requirements in adulthood. So, before you take home tha...

Top 5 Oddball Fish for a 20-Gallon Aquarium Looking for a fish that is bizarre in appearance, has unique behaviors, or is rarer in availability? In the aquarium hobby, we have a whole category dedicated to these “oddball fish.” Some species are quite hardy and easy to keep, while others have specialized care requirements to accommodate their unusual physiology. Learn about 5 of the coolest oddballs that you can keep in a 20-gallon aquarium. 1. Marbled Hachetfish Carnegiella strigata This 1.25-inch (3 cm) species is one of the smallest...

Care Guide for Boesemani Rainbowfish — Tank Setup, Breeding, and More One of the most striking and recognizable rainbowfish is the Boesemani rainbow. This schooling fish is prized for its unique-looking, bicolored body and is the perfect statement piece for a medium-sized community aquarium. Find out what it takes to keep this stunning species happy, healthy, and showing off the best colors possible. What are Boesemani Rainbowfish? Melanotaenia boesemani has the classic rainbowfish profile with its pointed snout, deep-bodied profile, and large, distinct scales....

Top 10 Energetic Barbs to Amp Up Your Next Freshwater Aquarium Barbs have the infamous reputation for being fun, fast, but a bit feisty and prone to fin nipping. This schooling fish is part of the Cyprinidae family of carps and minnows, and they get their common name from the barbels or “whiskers” on their faces. Many of them can live in a community aquarium, as long as you get enough members in their group and pick the right tank mates to match their boisterous personalities. Find out which barbs on our top 10 list are naughty versus nice. 1. Cherry Bar...

Top 10 Midwater Schooling Fish for Your Next Aquarium When planning out what kind of fish to add to an aquarium, we like to pick species that live in different layers of the water column. Instead of having animals that cluster in the same area, the entire tank is filled with interesting activity. Since we’ve already talked about our favorite top-dwelling fish and bottom dwellers, let’s show off the most colorful and lively options that swim in the middle of the aquarium. 1. Green Neon Tetra Paracheirodon simulans The green neon tetra is the sm...

Care Guide for Bucephalandra — A Colorful Alternative to Anubias When it comes to beginner-friendly aquarium plants, most people think of anubias or java fern. But if you’re looking for something a little more unique, try bucephalandra. This lovely plant has unusual, iridescent leaves, does well in low lighting, and is perfect for nano aquariums. However, they tend to cost more than anubias and are very slow growing compared to other aquatic plants. Keep reading to learn all about the beautiful bucephalandra. What is Bucephalandra? Bucephalandra (or “buce”...

Top 5 Colorful Killifish That Every Fish Keeper Should Try Killifish are one of the most colorful fish in the freshwater aquarium hobby, but with such an amazing array of hues and patterns, why aren’t they as popular as livebearers or African cichlids? Many veteran fishkeepers will tell you that they are top-dwelling fish that love to jump out of the water, so you must have a close-fitting lid and cover even the smallest hole to prevent their escape. Also, annual killifish can be harder to keep because they only live for a few months after you hatch ...

Care Guide for Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish — Housing, Food, and Breeding The neon dwarf rainbowfish is a beautiful, almond-shaped fish with an iridescent blue sheen that flashes under the light. This hardy species is quite active and has a mild disposition that pairs well with many peaceful and semi-aggressive tank mates. Learn how to care for this beginner-friendly rainbowfish. What are Neon Dwarf Rainbowfish? Melanotaenia praecox is a 3-inch (8 cm) rainbowfish found in streams and tributaries of the New Guinea rainforest. The males have a shiny blue body with re...

Care Guide for Black Neon Tetras — Our Fav Underrated Schooling Fish One of the unsung heroes of the freshwater aquarium hobby is the humble black neon tetra. It often gets overlooked and outshone by its more popular cousins, the regular neon tetra and cardinal tetra. Yet they are one of our favorite fish to work with at the Aquarium Co-Op retail store. Because of their strong constitution and robust health, we often recommend them to anyone looking to start a new tank. Their nano size makes them accessible to people with smaller aquariums, while their cheap p...

How to Make a DIY Fry Trap for Breeding Aquarium Fish In our previous article How to Raise Baby Fish Fry in Your Aquarium, we mentioned several techniques that help prevent the adult fish from predating on their offspring. Many fish farms and breeders have significantly increased their fry survival rate by making DIY fry traps — simple enclosures with holes that are small enough for the young to swim through but not big enough to let the parents pass. You can put all the adults or a pregnant livebearer inside the trap so that the eggs and fry es...

How to Set Up an Aquarium CO2 System the Easy Way When it comes to planted tanks, we always encourage beginners to start with easy, slow-growing plants that only need low lighting and an all-in-one fertilizer. However, certain plants are a little more difficult to grow underwater and may require high lighting and extra carbon dioxide (CO2) beyond what is naturally provided in the air. When it comes to injecting CO2 gas into water, aquarists have tried all kinds of techniques, types of equipment, schedules, and dosage amounts to put together ...

How (and How Often) to Test Aquarium Water for Healthy Fish and Plants Regular water testing is vital for keeping tabs on the health of your aquarium fish and plants, but most beginners in the fishkeeping hobby are not aware of the importance of this practice. If the aquarium is “dirty-looking,” then people may clean the tank and do a water change. In reality, aquarium water contains invisible waste chemicals from the fish’s poop and other compounds that can be dangerous at high enough levels. Test kits are the only way to accurately measure if your water is cle...

10 Easy Plants for African Cichlid Aquariums When you think of the stereotypical aquarium for African cichlids, it usually has a somewhat barren appearance consisting of sand, rockwork, and maybe fake decorations. The reason for the lack of live plants is because (1) many omnivorous and herbivorous cichlids like mbunas love to eat vegetation and (2) a lot of them enjoy digging to create spawning sites, which inadvertently uproots plants. At Aquarium Co-Op, we’re all about aquarium plants because of their natural beauty and ability to ab...

Care Guide for Pencilfish – Surface-Dwelling Schooling Fish The pencilfish is such an interesting surface dweller that everyone should keep at least once. These hardy and active fish come with pointy snouts and slender, pencil-like bodies, as described by their common name. Plus, they exhibit unique behaviors that differ from your typical schooling fish. If you’re interested in getting an unusual nano fish for your next community tank, learn about the wonderful world of pencilfish. What are Pencilfish? These distant relatives of the tetra family are f...

5 Best Fish Tank Ideas for a 55-Gallon Aquarium 55-gallon fish tanks are one of our favorite sizes because the 48" length x 13" width x 21" height (122 x 33 x 53 cm) dimensions give you a lot of options to play with. Everyone has different preferences for the types of aquariums they like to keep, so to help inspire you, we have put together our top 5 freshwater setups that you should try. 1. The Planted Livebearer Tank Fancy mollies Livebearers are fish that bear live young instead of eggs, and they are often prominently featu...