Michael Probert

How much and how often to feed community fish, bettas and bottom feeders — the honest pellet counts, the two-minute rule, fasting days, and why overfeeding (not underfeeding) is the biggest beginner mistake.

A step-by-step, honest walkthrough of changing aquarium water properly — how much, how often, gravel vacuuming technique, temperature matching, and the dechlorinator step that protects your fish and your cycle.

Fin rot’s causes and treatment decisions are usually about water quality, not a bottle. What it actually looks like, what to watch for, and when to bring in a vet or your retailer’s fish-health desk. No dosing or treatment instructions.

Ich’s life cycle explains why outbreaks seem to linger — what the spots actually look like, what to watch for, and when to bring in a vet or your retailer’s fish-health desk. No dosing or treatment instructions.

The “1 inch of fish per gallon” rule is a myth that ignores bioload, adult size, filtration and swimming room. Here’s the framework that actually works, with worked stocking examples at 5, 10 and 20 gallons — and why “stock less, test more” beats any fixed number.

Which freshwater fish genuinely forgive beginner mistakes (White Cloud Mountain minnows, cherry barbs, harlequin rasboras, ember tetras, guppies, platies, zebra danios, cory catfish, bristlenose plecos, betta), three honest starter combinations, and the popular “beginner” fish — common pleco, goldfish, tiger barb, kuhli loach, neon tetra in an uncycled tank — that are more of a gamble than advertised.

Which fish and invertebrates are genuinely suited to a 5-gallon tank (dwarf pea puffer, scarlet badis, rosy loach, green neon tetra, white cloud mountain minnow, cherry shrimp), three honest single-focus builds, and the fish commonly sold for this size that outgrow it.

Which fish are genuinely fine in a 10-gallon tank at full adult size, three honest stocking combinations, and the fish (goldfish, common plecos, iridescent sharks) commonly sold for this size that actually outgrow it.

The honest comparison: cost of ownership, weekly time, what happens if you miss a week, and CO2 safety — so you know which planted-tank approach actually fits your life.

A step-by-step, honest walkthrough of aquascaping a planted tank — hardscape, substrate, planting order, filling without wrecking your layout, and the melt phase and diatom bloom most guides skip.