Aquarium Care, Tropical Fish Care, at TheSmileyFish.com

Planted Aquarium Care 101: Part 3

In this Planted Aquarium Care article, I discuss substrate options that will promote healthy plant growth. Substrate is the material – usually sand or gravel – at the bottom of your aquarium. I’ll cover the structure and function of plant roots in order to explain why choosing the right substrate material is essential for success with planted aquariums.

Planted Aquarium Care 101: Part 2

As discussed in the last Planted Aquarium Care article, you’ll need a quality lighting fixture for your plants to thrive.

Of course, not everyone is willing to make that extra small investment in a powerful lighting fixture. Also, shaded parts of your aquarium (usually at the bottom) tend to receive less light, even if a powerful T5 fluorescent fixture is present. For these two reasons I’ll introduce a few popular aquarium plant options, and categorize them according to the amount of light they require. I’ll discuss low, medium, and high light plants, and the lighting fixture options available for each of these three categories.

The Red Eye Tetra: A Hardy Silver School of Fish for Your Aquarium

If you’re looking for a fish that’s both hardy, and looks good in a sizable school, the Red Eye Tetra will make an excellent addition to your aquarium.

This species is one of the hardiest Tetras, and will tolerate a relatively wide range of water conditions. Their peaceful temperament and medium size (as far as Tetras go) make them a great community aquarium fish.

Planted Aquarium Care 101: Part 1

In this first article in the Planted Aquarium Care 101 series, I briefly introduce the things to consider when setting up an aquarium that primarily caters to the needs of plants. Fortunately, the basic needs of tropical fish and plants overlap. That said, you will need to incorporate a few extra elements to your aquarium to promote lush plant growth.

The body of this article, therefore, is devoted to the first additional element I cover: lighting. Proper lighting is essential for healthy plant growth, and I'll discuss available options on the market, including the drawbacks and benefits of each.

The Cory Catfish: A Very Peaceful Little ‘Vacuum Cleaner’ for Your Aquarium

Cory Catfish are a bottom dwelling species that originate from South America. They are very peaceful fish that grow to only 2.5 inches (6.25 cm) to 3.5 inches (8.75 cm) in length, making them great additions to community aquariums.

A few species are available for the aquarium trade, and all require a similar set of aquarium conditions to thrive. They do best in schools, and keeping a number of these bottom feeders in your aquarium will greatly benefit the cleanliness and health of your tank.

What’s A Community Aquarium?

Community Aquariums are fish tanks that house a variety of fish species, often from various regions of the world. That being the case, you have to be careful so as not to house incompatible species in your fish tank.

In other words, you have to consider water quality, aggression, and fish size issues in order to create a promote harmony among the fish we plan to keep.

Aquarium Care Video: Now Available For All!

Fellow Tropical Fish Lovers: One of the aquarium care videos (usually available for members only), is up and running at the Kick-Ass Aquarium Information Page. It’s now available for all! Just scroll down through the information page to view this aquarium care *video*. The video explains how biological filtration works, and how to “jump-start” the [...]

The Humble Guppy? A Fancy Fish For Your Aquarium

“Guppies” may bring to mind dullness, but recent breeds of these once mundane fish exhibit brilliant coloration and a multitude of patterns. In fact, their new commonly used name, “fancy guppy” reflects the beauty of newly bred varieties.

What’s more, these fish are very easy to care for and are an excellent choice for beginners. Anyone diving into the aquarium hobby for the first time should consider this fish.

Aquarium Care FAQ: Is My Platy Male Or Female?

It's easy to tell the sex of livebearer fish (including platys, mollys, guppies, and swordailts). Provided in this article is a diagram of the morphological difference between male and female platys. Again, this diagram applies to the other livebearing fish mentioned above.

I'll also cover how you can take advantage of the male/female ratio to prmote harmony among the fish you keep.

Aquarium Care 101: Part 5

In addition to properly cycling your aquarium (covered in Aquarium Care 101: Part 4), you should also consider some safe methods for physically adding fish to your tank.

So, in this Aquarium Care article, I'll cover "acclimation" - the process by which you let newly bought fish slowly and safely adjust to your aquarium temperature and water chemistry (including pH and hardness). By acclimate fish to the physical parameters of their new environment, you'll greatly reduce the chances of disease.