Author name: Nic Hsu

Essential guide for new discus keepers: how to prep, maintain warm, stable water, and quarantine to prevent problems. Practical, step-by-step fixes cover feeding, diseases, and routine care to keep discus healthy and thriving.

Learn to build a serene blackwater aquarium with tea-stained water, soft lighting, and natural fish behavior. This step-by-step guide covers gear, botanicals, water parameters, cycling, stocking, and maintenance for stable, repeatable results.

Master light spectrum to boost fish color with repeatable LED profiles for freshwater and marine tanks. Learn which wavelengths matter and how to tune safely without algae or stress.

Discover a beginner-friendly, step-by-step guide to breeding cherry shrimp at home. Learn how to cycle a simple 10-gallon setup, maintain stable water, encourage biofilm and shrimplet survival, and build a thriving, self-sustaining colony.

Learn why pH swings occur in planted tanks and how CO2, KH, and organics drive daily shifts. Get practical guidance to measure, predict, and stabilize pH for safe fish and thriving plants.

Quarantine new aquarium plants with a simple, low-cost plan to protect shrimp, prevent pests, and keep your display clean. Learn dips, timing, and setup for healthy growth.

Compare sponge and hang-on-back filters for freshwater tanks—functions, performance, noise, safety, and cost. Includes practical use cases and guidance on when to use one or both.

Dropsy in aquarium fish: a quick guide to what it is, early signs, and a beginner-friendly plan to isolate, treat, and prevent recurrence with practical care steps.

Substrate matters for African cichlids: explore sands that buffer pH, boost health, and bring out color. A practical guide for Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria tanks.

Discover why angelfish hide and simple, beginner-friendly fixes: water quality, tank layout, lighting, temperature, tankmates, and feeding to keep them visible.