Care guides, husbandry deep-dives, and reference content for every species in the Fast Aquatics catalog. Native habitat, tank mates, breeding, common diseases, and expert notes - the kind of detail you'd pay for in a husbandry book, organized by category. Looking to buy instead? Use the top nav for live vendor listings.
Cichlids, tetras, livebearers, catfish, gouramis, killifish, rainbows, bichirs, arowanas, oddballs.
330 species Saltwater fishClownfish, tangs, angels, wrasses, gobies, blennies, anthias, basslets, butterflyfish, mandarins.
38 species SPS coralAcropora, Montipora, Stylophora, Pocillopora, Seriatopora. Small-polyp stony husbandry.
30 species LPS coralTorch, hammer, frogspawn, acanthastrea, lobophyllia, scolymia, chalices, bubble corals.
27 species Soft coralLeathers, mushrooms, zoanthids, palythoa, Xenia, GSP, Kenya tree, anthelia.
17 species AnemonesBubble-tip, Magnifica, Carpets, host species. Lighting, flow, and clownfish pairing.
104 species Marine invertebratesCleaner shrimp, hermit crabs, snails, urchins, starfish, ornamental shrimp, clams.
134 species Aquatic plantsAnubias, Java fern, Cryptocoryne, Bucephalandra, Amazon swords, stems, carpeting plants, mosses.
Recommendations on this page cross-checked against the following authoritative references and our internal vendor + breeder database.
Whatever specific topic brought you here, four fundamentals govern long-term aquarium success: water quality, parameter stability, biological filtration, and species-appropriate husbandry. Skip any one and the others struggle to compensate.
Water quality: ammonia + nitrite at zero, nitrate under 30 ppm freshwater + 10 ppm reef. Test weekly with API or Salifert kits. Use our water parameter checker to score your readings against your tank type.
Parameter stability: stable wrong parameters beat fluctuating ideal parameters. Most fish tolerate a wide pH range if it's stable. Sudden swings of 0.4+ pH or 5+°F kill fish faster than chronic suboptimal values. Use temperature controllers (Inkbird) + automated dosing for consistency.
Biological filtration: the bacterial colony on your filter media + rock + substrate is the engine. Never replace all media at once. Use our filter turnover calculator to size correctly.
Species-appropriate husbandry: research adult size, territoriality, diet, and tankmate compatibility before purchase. Use our tank stocking calculator + compatibility guides.
How long does an aquarium take to set up? 4-6 weeks for full cycling + first stocking. Use our cycle ETA calculator + how long does cycling take.
What's the best aquarium for beginners? 20-gallon long. Big enough for parameter stability, small enough for budget + space. See beginner picks.
How often should I do water changes? 25-30% weekly. See water change frequency Q&A + water change calculator.
Why does my fish keep dying? 5 leading causes: uncycled tank, wrong species pairings, no quarantine, undersized tank, neglected water-change schedule. See full diagnosis.
Saltwater livestock · Freshwater livestock · Coral catalog · Care library · Q&A library (222) · Glossary (127) · Disease database (50) · Calculators (29) · Interactive tools (7) · Husbandry deep-dives · DIY projects · State legality directory