Water Care8 min
Best Automatic Fish Feeders (2026) for Vacations and Daily Feeding
Fish Mate's F14 holds 14 separate portions, so it cannot dump a week of food at once. Here are EHEIM's, a rechargeable LCD feeder and a budget timer for daily use.
All guides: page 2
32 guides in total.
Popular topicsBeginners 16Saltwater 8Freshwater 6Reef Tanks 6Small Tanks 6Canister Filters 5Temperature 5Water Quality 5Ammonia 4Aquarium Kits 4Betta 4Hang-On-Back Filters 4
32 guides· Page 2 of 2
Guides
Heating & Cooling7 min
Best Betta Fish Heaters for 2.5 to 10 Gallon Tanks (2026)
Tetra's 50 W HT holds a 5 to 10 gallon betta tank at 78°F with no dial to get wrong. Here are the adjustable, nano and shatterproof alternatives, sized to your tank.
Tanks & Stands8 min
Best Betta Fish Tanks (2026): 5 Gallon Kits and What to Add
Marineland's Portrait 5 is the betta tank we would buy: 5 gallons, a hidden filter, a glass canopy and a hinged LED. Here are the alternatives and the heater each one still needs.
Filtration & Air9 min
Best Canister Filters for Aquariums (2026)
Fluval's 307 is the canister most mid-size tanks should start with. Here is how it compares with the 207, the FX4, EHEIM's Classic 250 and OASE's heated BioMaster.
Tanks & Stands8 min
Best Fish Tank Stands (2026), Matched to Filled Tank Weights
A stand has to carry the filled weight, not the gallons on the box. Here are stands for 10 to 75 gallon tanks, each rated load set against Aqueon's filled weights.
Filtration & Air8 min
Best Hang-On-Back Aquarium Filters (2026)
Fluval's AC30 (the new AquaClear) is the hang-on-back filter we would put on a 20 gallon tank. Here is how it stacks up against Seachem's Tidal, Marineland's Penguin, Tetra and Aqueon.
Lighting7 min
Best Planted Tank Lights (2026): LEDs That Actually Grow Plants
Fluval's Plant 3.0 is the planted tank light we would buy, mainly because Fluval publishes how much light reaches each depth. Here are Chihiros, Finnex and a budget option.
Reef & Saltwater8 min
Best Protein Skimmers for Reef and Saltwater Tanks (2026)
Reef Octopus's Classic 110-INT is the skimmer we would put in a sump on a 40 to 75 gallon reef. Here are the nano options for all-in-one tanks and a DC skimmer for big systems.
Lighting8 min
Best Reef Tank Lights for Corals (2026): Nano to 75 Gallons
Kessil's A160WE Tuna Blue is the reef light we would put over a 20 to 40 gallon reef. Here is how it compares with Red Sea's ReefLED G2, NICREW's HyperReef and a budget panel.
Filtration & Air7 min
Best Sponge Filters for Aquariums: Fry, Shrimp, Bettas and Big Tanks
Hikari's Bacto-Surge is the sponge filter we would start with. Here is how to size one, which air pump runs it, and when a double sponge or a tiny nano sponge is the better buy.
Heating & Cooling5 min
Betta Fish Water Temperature: The Right Range and How to Hold It
Keep a betta between 76 and 81°F, ideally around 78. Here is where that number comes from, why small tanks swing, and how to hold the range in winter and summer.
Filtration & Air6 min
Canister vs Hang-On-Back Filter: Which Does Your Tank Need?
Under 30 gallons, a hang-on-back filter wins on price and ease. Over 40, a canister wins on media and quiet. Here is the side-by-side, using Fluval's AC30 and 307 as the examples.
Water Care6 min
How to Cycle a Fish Tank: Fishless and Fish-In, Step by Step
Cycling grows the bacteria that turn fish waste into nitrate. Here is the fishless method, the fish-in method, what to test every other day, and the reading that says the tank is ready.
Water Care6 min
RO Water for Aquariums: When You Need It and Which Unit to Buy
Reef tanks and soft-water fish need RO/DI water; most community tanks do fine on conditioned tap water. Here is what RO removes, what it wastes, and the units we would buy.