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Beautiful planted freshwater aquarium

Freshwater fish care guides and gear that actually works.

Species profiles, honest gear reviews, and no-nonsense advice for every tank size.

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Species Guides

Everything you need to know before bringing a new fish home.

Betta Fish
Easy

Betta Fish

Betta splendens

5+ gal76-82°F
Neon Tetra
Beginner

Neon Tetra

Paracheirodon innesi

10+ gal70-81°FSchool of 10+
Guppy
Beginner

Guppy

Poecilia reticulata

10+ gal72-82°FSchool of 6+
Cherry Shrimp
Easy

Cherry Shrimp

Neocaridina davidi

5+ gal65-80°FSchool of 10+
Angelfish
Moderate

Angelfish

Pterophyllum scalare

30+ gal76-84°F
Dwarf Gourami
Moderate

Dwarf Gourami

Trichogaster lalius

10+ gal72-82°F
Zebra Danio
Beginner

Zebra Danio

Danio rerio

10+ gal64-78°FSchool of 6+
Kuhli Loach
Easy

Kuhli Loach

Pangio kuhlii

15+ gal73-86°FSchool of 6+
Cherry Barb
Beginner

Cherry Barb

Puntius titteya

15+ gal73-81°FSchool of 6+
See all 105 species guides

Why TankMinded

Species Deep Dives

Detailed care guides with real parameters, feeding schedules, and tankmate compatibility. No generic fluff.

Honest Gear Picks

Gear matched to specific species and tank sizes. Every recommendation includes pros, cons, and who it is for.

Thorough Research

Every guide cross-references multiple sources, hobbyist forums, and manufacturer specs. We note where the hobby disagrees.

Latest Guides

How-to guides and practical advice for every stage of fishkeeping.

Your First Fish Tank: Complete Setup Guide for Beginners

Everything you need to set up your first fish tank without killing anything. Tank size, equipment, water prep, cycling, and adding your first fish.

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How to Cycle a Fish Tank (Skip This and Your Fish Die)

Your tank needs 4-6 weeks before fish go in. Here is exactly how to cycle it, what to test for, and the mistakes that kill fish in week one.

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How to Do Water Changes (The Right Way)

Learn how to do aquarium water changes correctly. Covers frequency, equipment, step-by-step process, and common mistakes that harm your fish.

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Why Is My Fish Tank Cloudy? (And How to Fix It)

Cloudy aquarium water? Learn the exact cause based on the color and when to fix it vs. wait it out. Covers bacterial blooms, algae, and tannins.

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How to Acclimate New Fish (Stop Killing Fish on Day One)

Learn how to acclimate new fish properly with the float method, drip method, and more. Prevent pH shock and temperature shock on day one.

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How Many Fish Can I Put in My Tank?

Find out how many fish your tank can actually hold. Real stocking examples for 5-55 gallon tanks with specific species combos and the math that matters.

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Planted Tank Setup: A No-Nonsense Guide for Beginners

Set up a planted tank that actually grows. Substrate, lighting, easy starter plants, and the fertilization mistakes that turn your tank into an algae farm.

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How to Get Rid of Algae in Your Fish Tank

Identify and eliminate every type of aquarium algae. Covers green spot, hair algae, BBA, diatoms, and blue-green algae with specific fixes for each.

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What Fish Can Live With Bettas? (Complete Tankmate Guide)

Find out which fish, snails, and shrimp can safely live with bettas. Covers safe tankmates, risky picks, fish to avoid, and tank size requirements.

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Fish Diseases: Identify What Is Wrong and Fix It Fast

White spots, ragged fins, bloated belly, floating sideways? Identify what is wrong with your fish and treat it before it spreads to the whole tank.

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Live Aquarium Plants: What to Grow and How Not to Kill Them

Which aquarium plants survive in a beginner tank, which need CO2, and how to stop killing java fern. From someone who has melted a lot of stems.

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How to Feed Your Fish (Without Killing Them With Kindness)

How much to feed, how often, and what food actually works for each fish type. Plus the overfeeding mistakes that kill more fish than disease.

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Aquarium Water Quality: Fix Problems Before Your Fish Get Sick

Ammonia spiking? pH crashing? Fish gasping at the surface? How to diagnose and fix water quality problems before you lose fish.

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Why Is My Fish Aggressive? Fixing Predation, Stress, and Territorial Behavior

Fish acting aggressive? Learn why (predation, stress, or territorial behavior) and how to fix it. Actionable advice for Betta owners and community tanks.

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How to Start a Fish Tank on a Tight Budget: A Realistic Guide for Beginners

You do not need $500 to start a fish tank. Here is what to buy, what to skip, and how to set up a solid aquarium for under $150.

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Betta Fish Tank Size Guide: Minimum, Ideal, and What to Avoid

What betta tank size do you actually need? 5-gallon minimum, 10+ ideal. Learn why bowls fail and how to pick the right setup for your betta.

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How to Treat Ich in a Fish Tank (Step-by-Step)

Complete guide to treating ich in freshwater aquariums. Learn heat treatment, medications, lifecycle timing, and prevention methods to save your fish.

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Aquarium Lighting Guide: How to Choose and Use Tank Lights

How to pick the right aquarium light without overspending. LED vs fluorescent, how many hours to run it, and why too much light turns your tank green.

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Best Beginner Fish for Your First Aquarium (2026)

The fish that actually survive in a beginner tank and the ones pet stores sell you that will not. Honest picks with exact tank sizes and care difficulty.

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Best Fish for a 5 Gallon Tank (And What Will Die in One)

The best fish for a 5 gallon tank, including bettas, shrimp, and nano species. Honest stocking advice with what actually works in small tanks.

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Best Fish for a 10 Gallon Tank (With Stocking Combos)

The best fish for a 10 gallon tank with real stocking suggestions. Bettas, tetras, rasboras, corydoras, and community combos that actually work.

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Best Fish for a 20 Gallon Tank (Complete Community Builds)

The best fish for a 20 gallon tank with complete stocking ideas. Community setups, species tanks, and exact numbers for tetras, gouramis, corydoras, and more.

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How to Set Up a Quarantine Tank (And Why You Actually Need One)

A quarantine tank stops disease before it spreads. Here's how to set one up cheaply, how long to quarantine new fish, and what to watch for.

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Best Fish for a 29 Gallon Tank (Stocking Plans That Actually Work)

The best fish for a 29 gallon tank with complete stocking ideas. The 29 is the ideal angelfish tank and handles larger schools, pearl gouramis, and full community builds.

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Best Fish for a 30 Gallon Tank (Planted Tanks, Breeders, and Community Builds)

Best fish for a 30 gallon tank with complete stocking plans. The 30 gallon breeder's wide footprint suits planted tanks, dwarf cichlid breeding, and community setups with bottom-dwelling focus.

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Best Fish for a 40 Gallon Tank (40 Breeder Stocking Guide)

Best fish for a 40 gallon tank with complete stocking plans. The 40 breeder's wide footprint opens up cichlids, rainbowfish, and planted community builds that smaller tanks can't match.

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Best Fish for a 55 Gallon Tank (Species, Stocking Plans, and What to Avoid)

The best fish for a 55 gallon tank with complete stocking plans. The 55 handles cichlids, rainbowfish, and large community builds. Full guide to what actually works.

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Best Fish for a 75 Gallon Tank (The Tank Where Everything Is Possible)

Best fish for a 75 gallon tank with stocking plans for discus, cichlids, large community builds, and more. At 48x18 inches, the 75 opens up fish that smaller tanks genuinely cannot hold.

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HOB Filter vs Canister Filter: Which One Is Right for Your Tank?

HOB filter or canister filter? The honest breakdown of what each type does well, what it costs you in maintenance and money, and which tanks actually need a canister.

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Sand vs Gravel: Which Substrate Is Right for Your Aquarium?

Sand or gravel for your aquarium? The honest breakdown: which fish need sand, which setups work better with gravel, and when substrate type actually matters for water quality.

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How to Lower Nitrates in Your Aquarium

High nitrates stressing your fish? Here is what actually works: water changes, live plants, reducing feeding, and adjusting filtration. Real numbers and honest troubleshooting.

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Aquarium pH: How to Test, Raise, and Lower It

pH out of range? Here is what actually moves the needle, what products work, and why stability matters more than hitting a specific number. Covers both raising and lowering pH.

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Aquarium Water Hardness: GH, KH, and Why They Matter

GH and KH are not the same thing and they do not behave the same way. Here is what each one measures, why it matters for your fish, and how to adjust both without destabilizing your tank.

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How to Lower Ammonia in Your Aquarium

Ammonia spiking in your tank? Here is what to do right now, why it happened, and how to stop it from coming back. Real steps, no filler.

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How to Treat Fin Rot in Aquarium Fish

Fin rot is almost always caused by poor water quality, not bad luck. Here is how to identify it, fix the water first, and medicate when actually needed.

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Shrimp Tank Setup: A Beginner's Guide to Cherry Shrimp

Cherry shrimp are low-maintenance, fascinating to watch, and will breed readily in a stable tank. Here is exactly how to set one up and keep it running.

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Guppy Care Guide: Setup, Feeding, and Breeding

Guppies are among the easiest fish to keep and the most reliably bred. Here is everything on tank setup, water parameters, feeding, and managing the inevitable population explosion.

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Betta Fish Care Guide: Tank Setup, Feeding, and Health

Bettas need more than a bowl. Here is what they actually require: tank size, filtration, water parameters, feeding, and how to keep them healthy long term.

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Goldfish Care Guide: Tank Size, Filtration, and Common Mistakes

Goldfish are not low-maintenance fish. They produce enormous waste and need much more space than the bowls they are sold with. Here is what they actually require.

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How to Treat Velvet Disease in Aquarium Fish

Velvet is harder to spot than ich and progresses faster. Here is how to identify it, why darkening the tank matters, and how to treat it before it kills your fish.

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CO2 for Planted Tanks: Do You Need It and How to Add It

Not every planted tank needs CO2, but it makes a significant difference for demanding plants and dense layouts. Here is how CO2 works, the three main ways to add it, and whether your setup actually needs it.

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Best Food for Freshwater Fish

What to actually feed freshwater fish: flakes vs pellets, bottom feeder wafers, frozen food, and which specific products are worth buying. No filler.

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Best Betta Fish Food: What Actually Works

Bettas are carnivores that need high-protein food, not cheap flakes. Here's what to feed them, how much, and which products are worth buying.

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Best Goldfish Food: Why Sinking Pellets Beat Flakes

Floating flakes cause swim bladder problems in goldfish. Sinking pellets and gel food are the right choices. Here's what to feed and what to avoid.

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