A standard 20 gallon fish tank comes in two main shapes: the 20 long, which measures 30 x 12 x 12 inches (76 x 30 x 30 cm), and the 20 high, which measures 24 x 12 x 16 inches (61 x 30 x 41 cm). Both hold about 20 US gallons (75.7 liters) and weigh roughly 200 to 225 pounds once filled with water, gravel and decor. For most fish, the 20 long is Read more
Quick answer: Good fish tank decorations do two jobs at once. They make the tank look great, and they give your fish hiding spots, territory, and a sense of security that keeps them calm and healthy. The one rule that matters most is safety: only use decorations that are aquarium safe. Skip anything metal, painted, dyed, or made for another purpose, test rocks before adding them, and rinse or soak new pieces first. Get the Read more
Quick answer: The best algae eater fish for most freshwater tanks are the otocinclus, the bristlenose pleco, and the true Siamese algae eater. For small tanks, shrimp and snails like Amano shrimp and nerite snails often do the job better than any fish. No algae eater keeps a tank clean on its own, though. Each one eats only certain kinds of algae, none of them fixes the cause, and two popular “cleaner” fish, the Chinese Read more
Quick answer: A nerite snail that hasn’t moved for a day or two is almost always fine. Nerites graze mostly at night and can sit in one spot for several days, and new snails often stay still for up to a week while they settle in. Check four things before you worry: is it still gripping the surface, is the trapdoor shut, is it upright, and does it smell? A snail that’s stuck on tight Read more
Quick answer The best plants for a closed terrarium are humidity lovers: fittonia, mosses, ferns, peperomia, baby tears and small tropical foliage plants. The best plants for an open terrarium are the opposite: succulents, cacti, air plants and anything that wants dry air and good airflow. Getting this the wrong way round is the single most common reason terrariums fail, and it is the mistake terrarium kits sold in shops actively encourage by pairing succulents Read more
If your Pink Princess is pushing out plain green leaves and the pink seems to be disappearing, here is the short honest answer: it is almost always a light problem, and it is fixable going forward. But there is one hard truth most articles skip, so let me give it to you straight before we fix anything. A leaf that has already turned green will not turn pink again. The color on each leaf is Read more
Quick answer: Moneywort (Bacopa monnieri) is one of the easiest stem plants you can grow. It has upright stems lined with small, bright green rounded leaves, it does not need CO2, and it grows in almost any tank with basic lighting. It sits best in the middle or background and reaches about 12 inches tall, sometimes more. The one thing most listings leave out: moneywort is usually grown above water before it is sold, so Read more
Quick answer Java moss is one of the easiest aquarium plants there is. It grows in low light, needs no CO2 and no substrate, tolerates roughly 15 to 30°C (59 to 86°F) and a wide pH range, and attaches itself to wood and rock with rhizoids rather than roots. You tie or glue it in place and leave it. The one thing nobody warns you about is trimming. Left alone, it grows into a thick Read more
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 from root tabs or an enriched substrate. The one thing most listings do not tell you: its height depends on light. Under strong light it 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 in return they tolerate basic lighting, imperfect maintenance and beginner mistakes. The most common reason these plants still die is not lighting, it is being Read more