Care guides

Until it is cycled, which usually takes four to six weeks. A cycled tank reads zero ammonia and zero nitrite while showing some nitrate. Test it rather than guessing, because time alone does not cycle a tank.

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature. Ammonia and nitrite should always read zero in an established tank. Nitrate climbing between water changes is normal and is what water changes are for.

For most community tanks, 25 to 30 percent weekly. Heavily stocked tanks need more, lightly stocked planted tanks can need less. Match the temperature and treat for chlorine before it goes in.

Float the sealed bag in the tank for 15 to 20 minutes to match temperature, then add small amounts of tank water to the bag over another 20 to 30 minutes. Net the fish into the tank and discard the bag water rather than pouring it in.

We quarantine everything before it goes on the board, so the risk is low. If you keep an established display tank you value, a separate quarantine tank is still the safest practice for any new arrival from any source.

Cloudy white water in a new tank is usually a bacterial bloom and will clear on its own. Green water is an algae bloom driven by light and nutrients. Test your parameters before treating anything, because most cloudiness resolves without chemicals.

What the fish finish in about two minutes, once or twice a day. Uneaten food is the most common cause of water quality problems in home tanks. It is far easier to underfeed than to fix the consequences of overfeeding.

Not always. Size, temperament and water preferences all matter, and so does the tank footprint. Send us your tank details and current stock through the contact form and we will tell you what will work.