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Aquarium Keeping
Aquarium Keeping
The further from centre, the more strongly this hobby leans that way. Your quiz answers are scored against exactly these fifteen.
- RestfulPhysical
- IndoorsOutdoors
- SolitarySocial
- PracticalCreative
- InstinctiveTechnical
- Hands-offHands-on
- RelaxedCompetitive
- CautiousDaring
- Quick winsPatient
- PrivatePerformer
- MinimalistCollector
- Just do itStudious
- Low-kitGear-heavy
- AnalogDigital
- ObjectsLiving things
Keeping a freshwater or marine tank, looking after the fish, plants and the water chemistry that keeps them alive.
TonightTime to first win
About an hourA session
Mostly indoorsWhere
Step 1: Get a starter kit and a water test kit.
Is it you?
What you need
6 thingsThe honest floor, taking the cheapest option in each$184
How we make money: if you buy through one of these we take a small cut, and the price is the same either way. The cheapest option that works is always listed first.
The path
16 questsASetting up2 things to sort, in any order$141
BThen the quests
- Pick a tank and set it up level and rinsed
- Install the filter and heater
- Add substrate, water, and a dechlorinator
More on Aquarium Keeping
Everything else we have written about it. Free to read, no account needed.
Guides1
What to buy4
Best Aquarium Filter for Beginners 2026: Sponge vs HOB vs CanisterA filter is the lungs of an aquarium: it keeps the water clear and, more importantly, houses the bacteria that keep your fish alive. The first decision is the type, and it's driven by your tank size: a sponge filter for small tanks, a hang-on-back for most beginner tanks, or a canister for big and planted ones. Here are three picks across that divide.Best Aquarium Heater (2026): The One Component That Fails DangerouslyEvery other piece of aquarium equipment fails by stopping. A heater can fail by staying on, and a stuck-on heater will cook a tank of fish in a day. That is why the interesting question is not which heater warms water — they all do — but which one fails safely and lets you check that it is telling the truth.Best Aquarium Water Test Kit (2026): The 5-in-1 Strips Do Not Test AmmoniaThe thing that kills fish in a new tank is invisible, has no smell, and is not on the strip most beginners buy. Ammonia is what a cycling tank produces first and what does the damage, and the popular 5-in-1 strips test five things that are not it. Knowing that before you buy is most of the value of this page.Best Beginner Aquarium Starter Kit 2026: 3 Picks ReviewedThe starter kit is the foundation of your first tank: the tank, hood, light, filter, and heater all in one box. Picking the right one is the difference between a stable tank you enjoy and a stressful project you abandon by month three.
From the blog
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