Quick answer Dwarf sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata) is a hardy, grass-like aquarium plant that spreads by runners and grows well without CO2. It tolerates a wide range of conditions, roughly 20 to 28°C (68 to 82°F) and pH 5.0 to 8.0, and grows in sand or gravel provided it gets nutrients Read more
Quick answer The best low light aquarium plants are Anubias, Java fern, Bucephalandra, Java moss, Cryptocoryne, Amazon sword, Vallisneria, hornwort, Anacharis, water wisteria, guppy grass and floating plants like frogbit. None of them need CO2 injection. They grow more slowly than high tech plants, which is the trade off, and Read more
Quick answer: The Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata, sold for years as Caridina japonica) is one of the best algae-grazing shrimp you can add to a freshwater tank. It’s hardy, peaceful and bigger than most aquarium shrimp, around 1 to 2 inches, and it spends all day picking soft algae, biofilm Read more
Quick answer: The best aquarium fish for beginners are small, hardy species that handle normal tap water and a few early mistakes: zebra danios, platies, male guppies, corydoras catfish, harlequin rasboras, ember tetras, cherry barbs, white cloud minnows, a betta on its own, and honey gouramis. The thing most people Read more
Quick answer: Most aquarium snail eggs fall into three looks. A clear jelly blob stuck underwater on glass or a leaf is from a pest snail like a bladder, pond or ramshorn snail, and it hatches in one to three weeks. Tiny hard white dots like sesame seeds are nerite Read more
Quick answer: White fuzz on aquarium plants or new driftwood is almost always a harmless biofilm or water mold. Bacteria and fungi feed on sugars leaching out of fresh wood and on decaying bits of plant, and it looks like soft white cotton or slimy cobwebs. It won’t hurt your Read more
Quick answer: Detritus worms are tiny, thin, white to tan segmented worms that live in your substrate and eat leftover food and waste. They’re harmless to fish, shrimp, snails, plants and people, and a small number in the gravel is a normal sign of a living tank. You only notice Read more
Quick answer Most keepers who have dealt with Anubias rot report that it spreads from one plant to another, often losing several Anubias in a row over a few weeks. The cause has never been firmly identified, so nobody can say for certain what is spreading or how. The practical Read more
Quick answer Aquarium plant deficiency symptoms are read by looking at which leaves are damaged and what the damage looks like. Problems on old leaves usually mean a mobile nutrient is running short: yellowing old leaves can point to nitrogen deficiency, small pinholes can point to potassium, and dark or Read more
Quick answer To make DIY root tabs for aquarium plants, fill empty gel capsules with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer, poke a few small holes in the capsule with a needle, then press the capsule under water so it fills and sinks. Push each tab deep into the substrate near the Read more