https://aquariumgearreview.com Buying guides for home aquarium equipment: canister, hang-on-back and sponge filters, heaters and chillers, planted and reef lights, tanks and stands, test kits and water conditioners, protein skimmers, wavemakers and auto top-off systems, compared on the makers' specs, manuals and dosing labels. en-us Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/api-freshwater-master-test-kit-review The API Freshwater Master Test Kit is still the kit to beat for freshwater tanks. Here is what each of its five tests measures, how to run them correctly, and its limits. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Water Care https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/api-freshwater-master-test-kit-review https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/aquarium-filter-media-guide Sponge first, then biomedia, then floss or carbon if you want them. Here is what each kind of filter media does, the order it goes in, and what to rinse versus replace. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/aquarium-filter-media-guide https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/aquarium-heater-size-calculator Enter your tank's volume and how warm the room is. The calculator gives a wattage from sera's watts-per-liter guide and the EHEIM heater size rated for that volume. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Heating & Cooling https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/aquarium-heater-size-calculator https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/aquarium-volume-and-weight-calculator Enter a tank's dimensions or pick a standard Aqueon size. The calculator gives the water volume, the water's weight, and the filled weight to check against your stand. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tanks & Stands https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/aquarium-volume-and-weight-calculator https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-10-gallon-fish-tank Aqueon's 10 gallon starter kit is the one we would buy because it includes a preset heater and thermometer. Here is the budget Tetra kit, a bare tank, and a stand that fits. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tanks & Stands https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-10-gallon-fish-tank https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-20-gallon-fish-tank Tetra's 20 gallon kit includes a heater and thermometer with the tank and filter. Here is how it compares with Aqueon's and GloFish's kits, a bare Aqueon tank and a rimless option. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tanks & Stands https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-20-gallon-fish-tank https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-air-pump Tetra's Whisper is the air pump most tanks need. Here are the quiet, adjustable, nano and battery-backup alternatives, and how to size one to your tank and sponge filter. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-air-pump https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-auto-top-off An ATO replaces evaporated water automatically so salinity stays steady. XP Aqua's Duetto 2 has two optical sensors and two layers of overfill protection. Here are four more. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Reef & Saltwater https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-auto-top-off https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-chiller Active Aqua's 1/10 HP chiller is the one we would buy for a 20 to 40 gallon tank that runs hot. Here is when a fan is enough, how chillers are sized, and what axolotls need. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Heating & Cooling https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-chiller https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-filter Which filter type fits your tank, and the one we would buy at each size: a sponge for bettas and shrimp, Fluval's AC30 up to 30 gallons, the 307 canister for 40 to 70, and the FX4 above that. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-filter https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-gravel-vacuum For tanks of 20 gallons and up, the Python No Spill Clean and Fill ends bucket carrying. For smaller tanks, Aqueon's bulb siphon is all you need. Here are both and an electric option. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Water Care https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-gravel-vacuum https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-heater Fluval's E200 is the heater we would put in a 40 to 55 gallon tank. Here is how it compares with EHEIM's thermocontrol e, a titanium heater with a controller, Inkbird's safety controller and a preset budget pick. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Heating & Cooling https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-heater https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-light Fluval's AquaSky 2.0 is the freshwater light we would buy for a 30 to 55 gallon tank. Here is how it compares with NICREW's ClassicLED Plus, hygger's 24/7 and Current's Satellite. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lighting https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-light https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-starter-kit Aqueon's 10 gallon kit is the starter kit we would buy because it includes a heater and thermometer. Here is what every kit leaves out, and the best 5 and 20 gallon kits. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tanks & Stands https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-starter-kit https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-uv-sterilizer Coralife's Turbo-Twist 3X is the UV sterilizer most tanks under 125 gallons should start with. Here is what UV does, what it does not, and which type fits your filter. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-uv-sterilizer https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-water-conditioner Seachem Prime is the water conditioner we would buy: 5 mL treats 50 gallons, it handles chloramine, and Seachem states exactly what its ammonia binding does and does not do. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Water Care https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-water-conditioner https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-test-kit API's Freshwater Master Test Kit is the one we would buy: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and two pH ranges, over 800 tests. Here is when strips are enough and what reef tanks need. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Water Care https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-test-kit https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-wavemaker A reef needs roughly 20 to 40 times its volume in flow every hour. Here is the controllable DC wavemaker we would buy, simple circulation pumps, and a crossflow option. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Reef & Saltwater https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-aquarium-wavemaker https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-automatic-fish-feeder 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Water Care https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-automatic-fish-feeder https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-betta-heater 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Heating & Cooling https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-betta-heater https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-betta-tank 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tanks & Stands https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-betta-tank https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-canister-filter 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-canister-filter https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-fish-tank-stand 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Tanks & Stands https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-fish-tank-stand https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-hang-on-back-filter 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-hang-on-back-filter https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-planted-tank-light 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lighting https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-planted-tank-light https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-protein-skimmer 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Reef & Saltwater https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-protein-skimmer https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-reef-tank-light 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lighting https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-reef-tank-light https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-sponge-filter 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/best-sponge-filter https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/betta-fish-water-temperature 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Heating & Cooling https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/betta-fish-water-temperature https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/canister-vs-hang-on-back-filter 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. Fri, 13 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Filtration & Air https://aquariumgearreview.com/articles/canister-vs-hang-on-back-filter