FastAquatics

Beginner setup + first tanks

Buyer guideBest Saltwater Fish for BeginnersThe 7 most forgiving species for a first reef tank. Captive-bred ocellaris, royal gramma, firefish goby, banggai cardinal, yellow tang, six-line wrasse, pajama cardinal. Buyer guideBest Fish for a 10 Gallon TankWhat actually fits in 10 gallons. Bettas, gouramis, chili rasboras, dwarf puffers, cherry shrimp - real adult sizes + bioload-respecting stocking. Buyer guideBest Fish for a 20 Gallon TankCommunity combos for 20 long + 20 tall. Plus the smallest realistic saltwater nano build. Buyer guideBest Fish for a 55 Gallon TankMost popular tank size in NA. Community combos, cichlid setups, FOWLR saltwater builds. Buyer guideBest Fish for a 75 Gallon TankDiscus tank, pleco show tank, mid-size cichlids, mixed reef stocking. Buyer guideFreshwater vs Saltwater TankCost, maintenance, livestock comparison. Which to start with as a first-tank hobbyist. Buyer guideHow Much Does a Reef Tank Cost?Real 2026 setup + monthly running costs by tank size (nano / mid / large). Setup guideLive Rock vs Dry RockTrade-offs + the hybrid approach. Pest hitchhikers, cycle time, cost. Buyer guideBest Saltwater Cleanup CrewSnail + hermit + shrimp stocking ratios. Trochus, Cerith, Nassarius, skunk cleaner. Setup guideNano Reef Tank SetupFull 10-30 gallon AIO reef build path. Tank options, lighting, live rock, cycling, stocking order. Buyer guideBest Beginner Reef CoralsThe corals that survive first-reef mistakes. Hardiest LPS, soft coral, and one entry SPS species. Buyer guideBest Corals for Low LightSoft corals + LPS that thrive at 50-150 PAR. Mushrooms, GSP, Kenya Tree, Hammer/Frogspawn/Torch, zoanthids. Setup guideHow to Set Up a Freshwater Shrimp TankSubstrate, water chemistry, cycle, and stocking density for a self-sustaining Caridina or Neocaridina colony. Setup guideHow to Cycle a New AquariumFishless cycle protocol. 4-6 weeks traditional, 2-3 with bottled bacteria. The single most important step. Setup guideHow to Aquascape a Reef TankModern minimalist reef aquascaping for depth, swimming space, and coral mounting. Setup guideHow to Set Up a Planted AquariumLow-tech + high-tech planted tank build. Substrate, plants, lighting, CO2, dosing.

Care + technique + disease

Care guideHow to Acclimate FishFloat + drip + transfer + observation. The 4-step protocol that drops post-arrival mortality near zero. DiseaseHow to Treat IchSaltwater (copper, TTM, fallow) + freshwater (Ich-X, heat + salt) protocols. Treated correctly, ich is curable. Care guideAquarium Water ParametersReef + freshwater target ranges + the test kits that actually give accurate readings. Care guideQuarantine Protocol for New Fish4-6 week QT prevents 95% of disease outbreaks. Setup + treatment + marine vs freshwater differences. TechniqueHow to Frag CoralSPS, LPS, soft coral fragging by type. Tools, technique, mounting, healing time. BreedingHow to Breed Cherry Shrimp6-step breeding protocol. Parameters, food, generations, selective color intensification. Buyer guideBest Fish FoodPellet, frozen, live food guide. NLS, Hikari, Omega One, PE Mysis, Reef Nutrition - what they're for. Setup guideHow to Cycle a Tank Without FishPure ammonia + bottled bacteria protocol. 14-21 days from new tank to fish-ready. TroubleshootingHow to Lower NitratesDiagnose source, water changes, chemical export, long-term refugium + planted fixes. TroubleshootingHow to Prevent Aquarium AlgaeDiagnose by algae type (diatom, hair, cyano, dino). Prevention + cleanup protocols. Care guideFish Tank Mate Compatibility4-factor compatibility framework. Classic incompatible pairings + reliable communities.

Equipment buying guides

EquipmentBest Protein Skimmers (by tank size)Nano, mid, large. Tunze 9001, Reef Octopus, Bubble Magus, Nyos Quantum, Vertex Omega. EquipmentHow to Choose Aquarium LightingLighting by tank type. Reef LEDs, planted-tank LEDs, freshwater community. PAR + spectrum. EquipmentHow to Choose an Aquarium FilterSponge, HOB, canister, sump, skimmer comparisons by tank size + livestock type.

Hardiness + difficulty rankings

RankingHardiest Saltwater FishTop 10 hardy species for new reef tanks. Captive-bred ocellaris, banggai cardinal, royal gramma, six-line wrasse. RankingHardiest Corals10 most beginner-proof corals. Mushrooms, zoas, GSP, xenia, leathers, Euphyllia, Stylophora, Pocillopora. RankingEasiest Freshwater Fish10 most forgiving species. Guppy, platy, white cloud, danio, bristlenose, cherry barb. RankingHardest Fish to Keep10 species beginners should avoid. Moorish idol, Achilles tang, mandarin goby, wild-caught banggai. RankingMost Aggressive Saltwater FishTriggers, lionfish, damsels, maroon clown, large angels - what NOT to add to a community reef. RankingBest Fish for 100 Gallon ReefComfortable mid-size reef stocking - 1 yellow + 1 kole + clowns + community. RankingBest Tang for Reef Tank (by tank size)Yellow + Kole at 75g, Tomini at 100g, Hippo at 125g, Naso + Sailfin at 180g. SetupBest Low-Maintenance AquariumUnder 30 min/week. Heavily-planted FW + soft-coral nano reef setups.

Cultivar collector roundups

CollectorBest Acropora CultivarsWalt Disney Tenuis, Pink Lemonade, Reef Raft Krak, JF Bird of Paradise, Cherry Bomb, WWC Bowerbird, Tubbs Stellata, Hawkins Echinata. CollectorBest Zoa MorphsSunny D, Krakatoa, Utter Chaos, Fruit Loops, Eagle Eye, Watermelon, Rasta, Fire and Ice. CollectorBest Clownfish Designer StrainsWyoming White, Snowflake, Picasso, Black Ice, Frostbite, Mocha Vinci, Davinci. CollectorBest Shrimp LinesCaridina (CRS, CBS, Taiwan Bee, Mishling) + Neocaridina (Cherry, Blue Dream, Yellow, Green Jade) lineages. CollectorBest Discus StrainsWild-type Heckel + Royal Blue + Brown. Solid color (Red Melon, Blue Diamond, White Diamond). Patterned (Snakeskin, Pigeon Blood, Leopard). CollectorBest Pleco L-NumbersL046 Zebra, L066 King Tiger, L134 Leopard Frog, L260 Queen Arabesque, L340 Mega Clown, L264 Sultan, L600 Squiggle.

Named-cultivar deep buy guides

CultivarWalt Disney Tenuis Buy Guide$200-400/polyp Acropora tenuis. Identification, frag-chain provenance, care. CultivarPink Lemonade Acropora Buy GuideFoundational LE Acropora millepora. Tyree LE origin. $80-200/frag. CultivarWyoming White Clownfish Buy GuidePure white captive-bred ocellaris. $250-600/fish. Recessive breeding. CultivarRainbow BTA Anemone Buy GuideMulti-band Entacmaea quadricolor. $150-400/specimen. Aquaculture-only. CultivarL046 Zebra Pleco Buy GuideCITES-restricted Hypancistrus zebra. F2+ captive-bred. $300-800.

Sources and references

Recommendations on this page cross-checked against the following authoritative references and our internal vendor + breeder database.

Have a photo of Guides?
Approved photos go live in 24 hours, with credit (or anonymous - your call).