Where should you start?

Three reading paths, depending on where you are in the hobby. Pick the one that sounds like you. If none of them do, the full catalog is below.

just starting

I just bought a tank.
What do I do first?

Five pieces in order, written for someone who has water in a glass box and no idea what's supposed to live in it.

5 articles · ~33 min

shrimp colony

I want a thriving
shrimp colony.

Pick a species, get them home alive, and figure out why your colony is or isn't growing. The pieces we wish we'd had three years ago.

4 articles · ~24 min

diagnose

Something's wrong.
How do I diagnose it?

If your tank is cloudy, stuck cycling, or full of nitrates the water-change schedule isn't fixing, these are where to start.

4 articles · ~31 min

— Or browseThe full catalog

9 articles

Blue Neocaridina davidi shrimp — common color morph shipped to home aquariums

Shrimp · 6 min

How to acclimate new shrimp: the drip method, without overcomplicating it

You spent $40 on shrimp. They arrived alive. The next two hours decide how many are still alive next week.

Red cherry shrimp on aquarium substrate

Shrimp · 7 min

Cherry shrimp breeding: why your colony isn't growing

A healthy Neocaridina colony grows like a slow-motion explosion. When yours just sits there, it's almost always one of five fixable things.

Crystal red shrimp

Shrimp · 5 min

Neocaridina vs Caridina — picking your first shrimp species

Neocaridina forgive almost everything. Caridina forgive almost nothing. Here's how to pick the right one for your tap water and your patience.

Marimo moss balls

Shrimp · 6 min

Marimo moss balls: why every shrimp tank needs one

A clump of slow-spinning algae is a more useful tankmate than most fish. Biofilm grazing surface, gentle infusoria nursery, and the only "plant" that survives most beginners.

Bucephalandra leaves with bluish iridescent sheen

Plants · 7 min

Bucephalandra: the beginner's guide to keeping "buce" alive

I killed my first three. Drowned them in CO2, baked them under a too-strong light, and — the fatal mistake — buried the rhizome.

Java moss

Plants · 5 min

Java moss vs Christmas moss — which is actually better?

Christmas moss looks better. Java moss survives more. The honest tradeoff for shrimp tanks, hardscape attachment, and slow-grow vs no-grow setups.

Chili rasbora in breeding coloration

Best nano fish for a 10 gallon planted tank in 2026

There are roughly fifteen species commonly recommended. Most are fine. A few really shouldn't be in a tank this size.

Aquarium nitrogen cycle diagram

The nitrogen cycle, properly explained

The most important thing to understand about a freshwater tank — and the topic where most beginner guides repeat textbook claims that have been wrong since 1998.

Planted 40 gallon tank

Experiment · 8 min

How I finally cracked nitrate control — 6 months in my 40 gallon

High nitrates were killing plants and stressing rasboras for months. I tried everything wrong before I tried the right things — including $200 of nitrate-removing media that didn't work.