Aquarium Seasoning is Better Than Aquarium Cycling (and Here’s Why)Whenever someone has a fishkeeping problem and asks for help on social media or online forums, people immediately ask if the fish tank is “cycled.” Yes, it’s important to know about the aquarium nitrogen cycle, but just because a tank can process ammonia waste does not necessarily mean it’s a good environment for housing live fish and plants. For example, just because someone has an official college diploma does not mean that he or she is automatically skilled in that field. There are many, m...
How to Culture Microworms for Fish FryLive foods are extremely useful when breeding fish because their enticing movements encourage the babies to eat and grow at a faster rate. However, some fish (such as betta fish, ram cichlids, and rainbowfish) produce miniscule offspring that are too small to eat traditional fry foods like live baby brine shrimp or crushed flakes. Instead, you can easily start a culture of micro, banana, or walter worms to keep the babies happy and healthy. What Are Microworms? A “micro worm” is a common name...
5 Best Schooling Fish for BeginnersThere’s something so peaceful and awe-inspiring about seeing a large school of fish swimming back and forth in perfect harmony. If you’re looking for a beautiful schooling fish to get started with, check out our top five species that are easy to care for and will look amazing in your aquarium. 1. Cardinal Tetras Paracheirodon axelrodi has to be on our list because of the striking red and blue stripes that run down the sides of their bodies. This 2-inch (5 cm) tetra is a fairly tight schooling...
New Electric Blue Fish at Aquarium Co-Op! 💙⚡️This week the Aquarium Co-Op retail store got in some awesome new fish in our orders! My favorite highlights include some locally bred Electric Blue Rams, Rope Fish, Giant Blue Wood Shrimp, Chili Rasboras, Gold Ring Danios, and an assortment of Male Bettas! In our plant orders this week we got in some amazing looking Ammannia Gracilis, Baby Tears, and Dwarf Hairgrass pots! Looking for another food option to feed your fish? Try giving Freeze Dried Tubifex Worms a try! They are an ea...
Check Out the New Fish and Plants at Aquarium Co-Op!The Aquarium Co-Op retail store in Edmonds, WA got in some of our favorite fish this week! These fish include some community tank favorites like the Costae Tetras, Celestial Pearl Danios, Cherry Shrimp, and Apisto. Macmasteri "Red Neck." as well as a super cute small Albino Senegal Bichir perfect for medium-larger tanks. The plants that came in looking extra great from our orders this week include the very easy-to-care-for Banana Plants and Ludwigia Repens. We were also able to ...
What should I use to treat sick fish if I can’t buy the quarantine med trio?We recommend using aquarium salt – a cheap and widely available “medicine” that is quite effective for broad-spectrum treatment of bacteria, fungus, and external parasites. However, it is not safe for aquatic plants, snails, and certain fish like anchor catfish. For more information, follow the dosage instructions in our aquarium salt article.
Which Easy Plant LED light should I get for a 16" 5-gallon aquarium?The Aquarium Co-Op Easy Plant LED is made with expandable brackets, which allows smaller models to be “sized up” to the next aquarium size. This means that a 12-inch model can be used on a 20-inch-wide aquarium. We will be releasing a 16-inch version in upcoming production runs.
How to Clear Up a Cloudy Fish TankCloudy water can be very frustrating, since it prevents you from fully enjoying your beautiful fish tank. In this article, we explore the many reasons why your aquarium may look hazy and how to clear up the murkiness as quickly as possible. The first thing you need to do is pour some of the tank water into a plastic cup or bucket that is solid white on the inside. This will allow you to examine the color and cloudiness of the water more carefully without interference. 1. Particles in the Wate...
Care Guide for Plecos – The Mighty Armored CatfishAre you looking for a suckerfish to keep your aquarium clean? Many people automatically turn to plecostomus catfish (or plecos), thinking that they’ll magically vacuum up all the fish poop and debris in the tank. Before you make the purchase, let’s talk about this amazing animal, their care requirements, and whether or not plecos are the right pet fish for you. What are Plecos? Plecostomus is the common name given to the Loricariidae family of armored suckermouth catfish that come from Centra...
How to Use a Gravel Vacuum to Clean AquariumsEver wonder if there’s an easy way to clean all the fish waste and uneaten food that’s fallen in between the aquarium’s gravel or substrate? The good news is that there’s no need to dump out and wash everything in the sink. Instead, you can vacuum up the detritus with a simple aquarium siphon – no batteries required! Step 1: Get the Materials You just need two items: an aquarium siphon (also known as a gravel vacuum, gravel cleaner, or siphon kit) and a bucket to hold the dirty water. If you ...
Air Stones: The Secret Weapon Every Aquarium NeedsHaving enough oxygen in your aquarium is one of those things people often take for granted, but it’s so vital to your fish’s health. How can you make sure your fish is getting enough air? Typically, the most obvious signs of oxygen deprivation in fish include lots of resting at the bottom of the tank, a lack of appetite, and rapidly moving gills. In a worst-case scenario, your fish may start gasping for air at the surface of the water, which means it’s definitely time to take action! The firs...
Care Guide for Cory Catfish – The Perfect Community Bottom DwellerLooking for a peaceful beginner fish with tons of personality? Look no further! The cory catfish, or Corydoras catfish, is one of the most popular community fish because they’re so happy-go-lucky, easy to breed, and helpful as a clean-up crew. In this care guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this adorable bottom dweller. What are Corydoras? This genus of South American catfish includes more than 160 species, with several hundred more that are waiting to be class...
How to Hatch Baby Brine Shrimp for Fish FryWhen it comes to raising baby fish, baby brine shrimp are one of the best live foods that money can buy. This nutrient-dense food maximizes the survival rate of fry and significantly speeds up their growth. Plus, you can even feed them to adults to condition them for breeding. Keep reading to learn how to easily hatch your own batch of baby brine shrimp at home. What Are Brine Shrimp? Have you ever heard of pet “sea monkeys”? They are actually tiny, saltwater crustaceans that belong to the Ar...
Top 5 Underrated Aquarium Fish for Your Next Community TankWith so many aquarium fish available in the fish store, many species are commonly sold but end up going unnoticed by hobbyists. Sometimes they are looked down upon as “beginner fish” that aren’t as rare or unique enough. Other times, they may have once been all the rage but then fell out of favor for more newly discovered species. Most of these animals are pretty hardy and not hard to find, so take a look at our top 5 underappreciated fish that you should consider trying in your next aquarium...
Aquarium Seasoning is Better Than Aquarium Cycling (and Here’s Why)
Whenever someone has a fishkeeping problem and asks for help on social media or online forums, people immediately ask if the fish tank is “cycled.” Yes, it’s important to know about the aquarium nitrogen cycle, but just because a tank can process ammonia waste does not necessarily mean it’s a good environment for housing live fish and plants. For example, just because someone has an official college diploma does not mean that he or she is automatically skilled in that field. There are many, m...
How to Culture Microworms for Fish Fry
Live foods are extremely useful when breeding fish because their enticing movements encourage the babies to eat and grow at a faster rate. However, some fish (such as betta fish, ram cichlids, and rainbowfish) produce miniscule offspring that are too small to eat traditional fry foods like live baby brine shrimp or crushed flakes. Instead, you can easily start a culture of micro, banana, or walter worms to keep the babies happy and healthy. What Are Microworms? A “micro worm” is a common name...
5 Best Schooling Fish for Beginners
There’s something so peaceful and awe-inspiring about seeing a large school of fish swimming back and forth in perfect harmony. If you’re looking for a beautiful schooling fish to get started with, check out our top five species that are easy to care for and will look amazing in your aquarium. 1. Cardinal Tetras Paracheirodon axelrodi has to be on our list because of the striking red and blue stripes that run down the sides of their bodies. This 2-inch (5 cm) tetra is a fairly tight schooling...
New Electric Blue Fish at Aquarium Co-Op! 💙⚡️
This week the Aquarium Co-Op retail store got in some awesome new fish in our orders! My favorite highlights include some locally bred Electric Blue Rams, Rope Fish, Giant Blue Wood Shrimp, Chili Rasboras, Gold Ring Danios, and an assortment of Male Bettas! In our plant orders this week we got in some amazing looking Ammannia Gracilis, Baby Tears, and Dwarf Hairgrass pots! Looking for another food option to feed your fish? Try giving Freeze Dried Tubifex Worms a try! They are an ea...
Check Out the New Fish and Plants at Aquarium Co-Op!
The Aquarium Co-Op retail store in Edmonds, WA got in some of our favorite fish this week! These fish include some community tank favorites like the Costae Tetras, Celestial Pearl Danios, Cherry Shrimp, and Apisto. Macmasteri "Red Neck." as well as a super cute small Albino Senegal Bichir perfect for medium-larger tanks. The plants that came in looking extra great from our orders this week include the very easy-to-care-for Banana Plants and Ludwigia Repens. We were also able to ...
How to Clear Up a Cloudy Fish Tank
Cloudy water can be very frustrating, since it prevents you from fully enjoying your beautiful fish tank. In this article, we explore the many reasons why your aquarium may look hazy and how to clear up the murkiness as quickly as possible. The first thing you need to do is pour some of the tank water into a plastic cup or bucket that is solid white on the inside. This will allow you to examine the color and cloudiness of the water more carefully without interference. 1. Particles in the Wate...
Care Guide for Plecos – The Mighty Armored Catfish
Are you looking for a suckerfish to keep your aquarium clean? Many people automatically turn to plecostomus catfish (or plecos), thinking that they’ll magically vacuum up all the fish poop and debris in the tank. Before you make the purchase, let’s talk about this amazing animal, their care requirements, and whether or not plecos are the right pet fish for you. What are Plecos? Plecostomus is the common name given to the Loricariidae family of armored suckermouth catfish that come from Centra...
How to Use a Gravel Vacuum to Clean Aquariums
Ever wonder if there’s an easy way to clean all the fish waste and uneaten food that’s fallen in between the aquarium’s gravel or substrate? The good news is that there’s no need to dump out and wash everything in the sink. Instead, you can vacuum up the detritus with a simple aquarium siphon – no batteries required! Step 1: Get the Materials You just need two items: an aquarium siphon (also known as a gravel vacuum, gravel cleaner, or siphon kit) and a bucket to hold the dirty water. If you ...
Air Stones: The Secret Weapon Every Aquarium Needs
Having enough oxygen in your aquarium is one of those things people often take for granted, but it’s so vital to your fish’s health. How can you make sure your fish is getting enough air? Typically, the most obvious signs of oxygen deprivation in fish include lots of resting at the bottom of the tank, a lack of appetite, and rapidly moving gills. In a worst-case scenario, your fish may start gasping for air at the surface of the water, which means it’s definitely time to take action! The firs...
Care Guide for Cory Catfish – The Perfect Community Bottom Dweller
Looking for a peaceful beginner fish with tons of personality? Look no further! The cory catfish, or Corydoras catfish, is one of the most popular community fish because they’re so happy-go-lucky, easy to breed, and helpful as a clean-up crew. In this care guide, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this adorable bottom dweller. What are Corydoras? This genus of South American catfish includes more than 160 species, with several hundred more that are waiting to be class...
How to Hatch Baby Brine Shrimp for Fish Fry
When it comes to raising baby fish, baby brine shrimp are one of the best live foods that money can buy. This nutrient-dense food maximizes the survival rate of fry and significantly speeds up their growth. Plus, you can even feed them to adults to condition them for breeding. Keep reading to learn how to easily hatch your own batch of baby brine shrimp at home. What Are Brine Shrimp? Have you ever heard of pet “sea monkeys”? They are actually tiny, saltwater crustaceans that belong to the Ar...
Top 5 Underrated Aquarium Fish for Your Next Community Tank
With so many aquarium fish available in the fish store, many species are commonly sold but end up going unnoticed by hobbyists. Sometimes they are looked down upon as “beginner fish” that aren’t as rare or unique enough. Other times, they may have once been all the rage but then fell out of favor for more newly discovered species. Most of these animals are pretty hardy and not hard to find, so take a look at our top 5 underappreciated fish that you should consider trying in your next aquarium...
