Quick answer: The green terror cichlid (Andinoacara rivulatus) is a stunning, big-personality South American cichlid, iridescent green and blue with orange-edged fins and a domed forehead on mature males. It is also, as the name warns, aggressive and territorial, and it grows to 8 to 12 inches, so it is Read more
Quick answer: Cycling a fish tank means growing the beneficial bacteria that turn toxic fish waste into something harmless, and you do it before adding any fish. The best and kindest way is a fishless cycle: set up the tank, add a source of ammonia (bottled ammonia or a pinch Read more
Quick answer: The black skirt tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) is a hardy, active, easy schooling fish and a classic beginner community tetra, with a tall silver-and-black body and flowing fins. It is mostly peaceful, but it comes with one honest catch: black skirts nip fins, especially when kept in too small Read more
Quick answer: Scuds are small freshwater amphipods, usually 2 to 10 mm long, that look like tiny curled shrimp and swim fast on their sides. They’re harmless to adult fish, people and healthy plants, and most fish love eating them. In a community tank, scuds are a free cleanup crew Read more
Quick answer: A 150 gallon fish tank is a proper show aquarium, big enough for large fish, huge schools, or a stunning planted display, and stable enough to be forgiving once it is running. Two things people underestimate. First, “150 gallon” is not one shape. Common ones range from a Read more
Quick answer: Vinegar eels (Turbatrix aceti) are tiny, harmless nematodes that make one of the best and lowest-effort first foods for baby fish. They are smaller than microworms, they swim in the water column for days without fouling the tank, and a single culture runs for months with almost no Read more
Quick answer: The scarlet badis (Dario dario) is a jewel of a nano fish, a tiny, fiery red-and-blue micropredator and one of the smallest fish in the hobby. It makes a stunning centerpiece for a small planted tank, but it comes with real catches. It usually refuses dry food and Read more
Quick answer: The rope fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus), also called the reedfish, is a peaceful, prehistoric-looking freshwater fish that swims like a snake and is genuinely easy to care for. But it comes with three big catches most buyers miss. It is a world-class escape artist that needs a completely sealed Read more
Quick answer: Bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis), also called wood shrimp or fan shrimp, are peaceful freshwater filter feeders that grow to about 3 inches (7.5 cm) and live around 2 years. They need a mature tank of at least 20 gallons at 72 to 82 F, strong water flow and Read more
Quick answer: The panda cory (Corydoras panda) is one of the most popular and adorable bottom-dwelling catfish, named for the black, panda-like patches over its eyes, on its dorsal fin, and at the base of its tail. It is small, peaceful, and social, and easy to keep in a group. Read more