Topic
16 guides.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
