Care Guides

How to cycle a new aquarium (and why your fish ...

Short answer: cycling a tank means growing colonies of beneficial bacteria that turn toxic fish waste into something far less harmful, before any fish live in the water. Fish constantly...

Your First Aquarium: a beginner's guide for Alb...

Short answer: for your first aquarium, buy a tank around 20 US gallons if space and budget allow, set it up with a filter, a heater, a thermometer, a dechlorinator...

A beginner's guide to marine and reef tanks

A beginner's guide to marine and reef aquariums: what saltwater keeping really involves, the core gear and salt mix, and how to start without losing fish.

Goldfish care: why they need more room than you...

Why goldfish need far more room than a bowl: real tank sizes, the filtration a messy coldwater fish demands, and how to keep goldfish healthy long term.

Aquascaping with driftwood and rock

How to aquascape with driftwood and rock: choosing safe hardscape, dealing with tannins and floating wood, and how rock affects Alberta's hard water.

Aquarium salt: when to use it and when not to

When aquarium salt helps and when it harms: how to use it as a short-term tonic, safe dosing habits, and the fish and plants that cannot tolerate it.