Frequently Asked Questions
Are small tanks really easier for beginners?
No — that’s the beginner-store lie, and it kills more fish than any disease. Small volumes swing fast: temperature, ammonia, pH, everything moves quicker in twenty liters than in two hundred. Small tanks are cheaper and fit on desks, which is why they’re sold as starters; chemically they’re the advanced class. If you’re starting, go as large as your space allows and run the routines that tame the swings.
How long does cycling take, and can I skip it?
Three to six weeks in my logs, sometimes longer — and no, you can’t skip it. The cycle is the bacterial infrastructure that keeps ammonia from poisoning your animals; bottled bacteria can shorten it somewhat, but only your test kit can tell you when it’s done (a full ammonia dose converted overnight, zero ammonia, zero nitrite). Fish added to an uncycled tank are the ones paying for the impatience.
What test kit do I actually need?
A liquid kit covering ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, plus KH and GH — and the habit of writing results down. A ~$15 liquid kit outperforms $150 of gadgets bought in panic later. My TDS pen earns its place too, but as a drift detector, not a replacement for the liquid tests.
Why are my shrimp dying after molting?
Failed or bad molts usually point at mineral parameters — GH and the stability of TDS — rather than disease. Neocaridina want stable, moderately mineralized water; swings hurt them more than any single wrong number. Check GH, check how fast your top-offs and water changes move TDS, and change one variable at a time. And to be clear on this site’s line: persistent unexplained deaths are a case for a qualified aquatic specialist, not a forum diagnosis.
Do I need CO2 for a planted tank?
Not for the right plants. My low-tech ~20L has run for years on epiphytes, stems, and patience — no gas. CO2 buys you carpets, faster growth, and the high-light aquascape look, at the cost of a pressurized system, a light to match, and a fertilization routine. Decide which tank you’re keeping before you buy which equipment.
How do I get rid of algae?
Diagnose by cause, not by product. Algae is the tank telling you light, nutrients, and CO2 are out of balance — most often too much photoperiod for what the plants can use. Shorten the light hours first, check stocking and feeding, and give changes two weeks before the next adjustment. The bottle aisle treats symptoms; the balance fixes tanks.
Can I keep a betta in a bowl?
No. A bowl has no cycle, no heater, no stability — it’s a slow failure with a fish inside. A betta deserves the same thing everything else in this hobby deserves: cycled, heated, stable water in a real tank. Small water done right is the whole point of this site; bowls aren’t small water done right, they’re neglect with good marketing.