Set Up

Discover how to choose the right aquarium substrate for your goals—whether planted tanks, community tanks, shrimp, or cichlids. This practical guide covers types, depth, prep, and maintenance to keep water healthy and fish thriving.

Practical, beginner-friendly guide to freshwater aquarium lighting: choose the right fixture, set spectrum and brightness, plan the photoperiod, and balance CO2 and nutrients for a healthy, vibrant tank.

Does adding fish to your aquarium raise disease risk? Learn where pathogens come from, why quarantine matters, and how careful acclimation and stocking can keep your tank healthy.

Discover how the Ocean Free Hydra filter uses Hydro-Pure oxidation to detoxify ammonia and organics, blending mechanical filtration with in‑chamber treatment. A beginner‑friendly guide to setup, maintenance, and myths.

Learn how UV sterilizers keep aquarium water clearer, reduce free-floating parasites, and ease maintenance. This guide covers what UV does and doesn’t do, sizing, installation, safety, and real-world setup tips for freshwater, planted, and reef tanks.

Learn how to safely use garden rocks and wood in freshwater aquariums: when it’s OK, how to test and clean, and which materials to trust and avoid.

Learn what cyanobacteria blooms are, how to recognize them, and a practical, step-by-step plan to safely remove them and prevent future outbreaks in freshwater and saltwater aquariums.

Green water in your aquarium? Learn its causes and follow practical fixes—from emergency steps to long-term prevention and a 7-day plan—to restore crystal clarity safely.

Learn how RO water gives aquariums a clean starting point. This beginner guide covers what RO is, how RO/DI works, remineralization, when to use it, and tips for freshwater, shrimp, brackish, and reef tanks.

Discover how protein skimmers remove dissolved organics from saltwater tanks, how they work, and how to choose, install, tune, and maintain them for clearer water.