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 long 72 by 18 by 28 inches to a tall 48 by 24 by 30, and the footprint matters more than the label. Second, 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 maintenance. To set one up, fill a jar with equal parts raw apple cider vinegar and dechlorinated water, add a few apple slices and a 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 can quietly starve, so it needs small live or frozen foods. It is shy and easily out-competed, so it does best in a species-only tank 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 lid, it is a slow, near-sighted predator that will eat any fish or shrimp small enough to swallow, and it grows to around 15 inches Read more
Quick answer: The bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis), also called the wood shrimp or fan shrimp, is a large, peaceful, fascinating freshwater shrimp that feeds in a completely different way from every other shrimp. Instead of scavenging the bottom, it perches in the current and filters tiny food particles from the water with fan-like hands. That single fact drives everything. Bamboo shrimp are not algae eaters or cleanup crew, and the number one reason they die 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. Two things catch people out, though. Pandas like cooler water than most tropical fish, around the low 70s F, and they need fine sand rather Read more
Quick answer: Vampire crabs (Geosesarma) are small, stunning semi-terrestrial crabs, usually deep purple with cream spots and pale, glowing eyes, and they make fascinating pets. The single most important thing to know before you buy one: they are not aquarium fish and must not be kept in a water-filled tank. They are land animals that need a mostly-land paludarium, roughly 80 percent land to 20 percent shallow water, along with high humidity, a tight lid, Read more
Quick answer: The galaxy rasbora (Danio margaritatus), better known as the celestial pearl danio or CPD, is one of the most beautiful nano fish in the hobby. It has a dark blue-green body scattered with pearly “galaxy” spots and bright red-orange fins, it stays under an inch long, and it is peaceful and hardy once settled. Two things surprise new keepers. Despite the name, it is not a rasbora at all, it is a danio, Read more
Quick answer: The pygmy corydoras (Corydoras pygmaeus) is the tiniest, most charming cory catfish you can keep. At about an inch long it is peaceful, active, and perfect for nano tanks, and unlike most cories it spends a lot of its time hovering in midwater like a little underwater hummingbird instead of just sitting on the bottom. Keep a group of at least 8 to 10, give them fine sand rather than sharp gravel, which Read more
Quick answer: The honey gourami (Trichogaster chuna) is one of the best beginner centerpiece fish you can buy. It is small, peaceful, hardy, and a soft golden color, a single one is happy in a 10 gallon, it eats almost anything, and it gets along with most calm community fish. The one thing to sort out before you buy is the name game. Honey gouramis are constantly confused with dwarf gouramis and with thick-lipped gouramis Read more