3 Types of Planted Aquariums to Inspire Your Next Tank Build Did you know that a planted aquarium can be more than just adding aquatic plants into a fish tank? There are even a handful of different layout styles and techniques that can make one planted aquarium really stand out from another. Each style has a uniqueness that might add that extra pop to your aquarium you’ve been looking for. Let’s take a look at three different types of easy-to-build aquascapes to help inspire your next planted tank. Iwagumi Style Aquarium The first style that we will co...

Top 12 Tank Mates to Keep With Cherry Shrimp Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are exceptionally popular in the freshwater aquarium hobby because of their dazzling array of colors, but unfortunately, their petite size makes them irresistibly delicious to other fish. If your goal is to breed as many shrimp as possible, your best course of action is to keep a species-only tank with no other types of animals living in it. However, if you primarily want to keep adult cherry shrimp as pets with a few surviving offspring, then keep reading t...

Care Guide for Blood Parrot Cichlids – The Hybrid with a Tiny Mouth Blood parrot cichlids are super cool, derpy fish that we have previously kept in an 800-gallon aquarium. Why choose them over any number of animals that could live there? They possess an interesting mix of features — larger size, bright color, and yet a smaller mouth that makes them less likely to damage or eat other fish. As long as you have the tank space and the right kind of food, they are pretty easy to keep. What are Blood Parrot Cichlids? This is not the saltwater parrotfish, but rathe...

Care Guide for Celestial Pearl Danios – Miniature Trout for Planted Tanks The celestial pearl danio (CPD) is a delightful nano fish often sought by aquascapers because they look like miniature brook trout swimming amid a forest of plants and driftwood. Their beauty and elegance seem to automatically elevate any tank they live in. However, they sometimes get the reputation for being shy fish that are easy to stress. Find out how to care for these enchanting creatures and make them feel right at home. What are Celestial Pearl Danios? Danio margaritatus goes by many c...

How to Set Up (and Maintain) a Brackish Aquarium If you have been keeping freshwater aquariums for a while, you may feel like you’ve already tried everything in the hobby, such as nano tanks, aquascaping, African cichlids, and ponds. Consider setting up your first brackish fish tank that will allow you to try an entirely new category of animals. Many aquarists get a little nervous about making brackish water, but in our opinion, it is quite easy for anyone who has kept freshwater tanks before. Learn what it takes to create and maintain your...

Top 10 Tetras for Your Next Community Aquarium Tetras (also known as characids or characins from the Characidae family) are a staple of the freshwater aquarium hobby because many of them are colorful, peaceful schooling fish that go well in community tanks. South American tetras are more popular because of their small size and relatively inexpensive price, but they often prefer softer water and lower pH environments. African tetras, on the other hand, tend to be larger and more accepting of a wide range of water parameters, so they can be...

Everything You Need for a New Aquarium (from 5 to 75 Gallons) One of the most common questions we get at the Aquarium Co-Op retail store is, “What do I need to set up my new fish tank?” The answer is a bit complicated because the exact type of aquarium light, heater, or other accessory that we would recommend can vary greatly depending on the size of the aquarium and other requirements. To help simplify things, we have itemized the most common things we use when setting up a new fish tank, ranging from 5.5 to 75 gallons in volume. Before You Begin… As a...

Water Dechlorinator: How It Works and How Much to Use in Aquariums Many fishkeepers are unclear about water conditioners for aquariums — how they work, potential risks from overdosing, and the differences amongst the many brands of dechlorinators. Based on the available research and our years of experience using them, let’s talk about the truth behind water conditioners and answer your frequently asked questions. Do Fish Really Need Water Conditioner? Maybe. If your drinking water comes from a municipal water supply or other public water system, then most li...

5 Best Fish Tank Ideas for a 29-Gallon Aquarium Most people start with smaller aquariums to keep nano fish like guppies and bettas. But have you ever thought of moving up to the next weight class? 29- and 30-gallon (110–114 liters) aquariums are some of the first sizes that allow you to start getting medium-sized species. They also give you the extra space to design more elaborate aquascapes or biotopes. Learn about our top 5 fish stocking ideas that fit in this popular category of tanks. 1. The South American Aquarium The Amazon rainfores...

Top 5 Midground Plants to Balance Your Planted Aquarium When creating a planted tank, the type of plants you choose and where they are placed can make a big difference in the overall appearance of the aquarium, especially once the plants have grown in. The most balanced-looking tanks tend to have taller plants in the back of the tank and shorter plants up front. But the dramatic height difference between the two isn’t always visually appealing. This is why aquascapers use midground plants or medium-sized plants to create a visual transition from t...

Care Guide for Mollies – Feeding, Breeding, and Tank Mates One of the most popular aquarium fish found at pet stores are mollies because of their wide selection of colors, energetic behavior, and ease of breeding. If you are looking for a livebearer (or fish that bears live young) that is bigger than a platy but smaller than a swordtail, then mollies strike a happy medium. While molly fish are fairly easy to care for, beginners sometimes struggle with them, so find out the secret to caring for mollies and successfully breeding them in your home. What...

Top 5 Dwarf Shrimp for Your Next Freshwater Aquarium Dwarf shrimp in aquariums have been rapidly increasing in popularity since the early 2000’s because of their beautiful colors, unique behaviors, and usefulness as cleanup crew. In a tank full of fish, adding a cool invertebrate with long antennae and multiple legs can bring a new and interesting facet to the hobby. Learn about five of the most common shrimp that you can find at your local fish store and see which one is right for you. 1. Ghost Shrimp Many beginners get started with shrimp ...

Care Guide for Nerite Snails – Favorite Nano Algae Eater Nerite snails are beloved for their ability to eat algae in fish tanks without breeding out of control. We currently care for approximately 1000 of them in our retail store, warehouse, and personal aquariums. Find out how to keep these peaceful critters happy and thriving in your own home. What are Nerite Snails? Nerite snails come from the Neritidae family, which derives its name from a Greek sea god called Nerites. Many of them are found in coastal areas around Africa and the Indo-Pacific r...

How to Ship Aquarium Fish in the Mail In a previous article, we talked about how to breed and sell aquarium fish to help offset the costs of your aquarium hobby. Selling to a local fish store is much easier because you can safely transport the animals yourself, but if you do not have any stores nearby, selling fish via online classified ads or auction websites like AquaBid is an alternative to consider. While Aquarium Co-Op no longer sells fish online, we have plenty of past experiences and best practices when it comes to shippin...

How to Use an Egg Tumbler to Hatch Aquarium Fish Eggs Have you ever tried raising baby fish (called fry)? For many African cichlid and catfish species, using an egg tumbler to raise eggs into fry can give you a better success rate. The purpose of an egg tumbler is to help water circulate over and around the fish eggs. The gentle movement created by an egg tumbler will help provide an oxygen-rich environment for the eggs and also help prevent fungus from developing on the eggs. The Ziss Egg Tumbler is a very easy-to-use device that was designed t...

Staff Picks: 10 Perfect Gifts for the Aquarium Co-Op Enthusiast If you’re searching for the perfect gift for the fish hobbyist in your life, look no further than this handy gift-buying guide from Aquarium Co-Op. To ring in the holiday season, we asked some of our friends and employees about their favorite Co-Op merch and essentials, and this is what we learned: Aquarium Co-Op Hoodie Jimmy's pick Whether it’s a run to the grocery store or to the backyard to check on his ricefish breeding ponds, Jimmy is probably wearing his Aquarium Co-Op hoodie. It’s...