Planted Tank Care and Aquarium Problem Fixes

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 not a beginner or community fish. It needs an experienced keeper, a large tank of at least 75 gallons, sand and rock decor it will 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 a group or housed with slow, long-finned fish like angelfish and bettas. The fix is simple. Keep them in a proper school of at least 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 and live food. In a shrimp or fry tank, they’re a nuisance, because they compete for food and can pick at baby shrimp, eggs and 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: 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 a raised perch where they can hold out their feathery fans to catch floating food. They’re hardy once settled, but they are not algae eaters. 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