Advice & Blog
Articles and answers from our team: 18+ years of keeping freshwater and saltwater tanks, written down.
-
Pinned
Question of the Week: What’s the one piece of equipment new reef keepers skip that they shouldn’t?
Our first Question of the Week: the cheap, boring gear that saves more reef tanks than any light or pump.
Oct 29, 2026
-
Pinned
Top 10 Fish for a Nano Reef Under 50 Gallons
Ten small, hardy, reef-safe fish that thrive in tanks under 50 gallons, sample stocking lists for 20, 30 and 40 gallons, and the popular fish to skip.
Oct 29, 2026
-
How to Cycle a New Saltwater Tank (Without Losing a Single Fish)
What the nitrogen cycle actually is, how to run a fishless cycle step by step, how long it takes, and how to know your tank is ready for its first…
Oct 29, 2026
-
Your First Corals: 8 Hardy Picks for a New Reef Tank
The forgiving soft corals and LPS we recommend for a first reef, where to place them, what to watch out for, and how to add corals safely.
Oct 29, 2026
-
Quarantine: The Habit That Protects Your Whole Tank
Why we quarantine every new fish, a simple quarantine tank you can set up for under $100, how long to keep fish there, and what to watch for.
Oct 29, 2026
-
How Big a Clean-Up Crew Do You Need?
Snails, hermit crabs and shrimp that keep a reef tank clean: which ones do what, how many to start with for your tank size, and the mistakes that…
Oct 29, 2026
-
Diatoms, Algae and the Ugly Phase: Why Your New Tank Looks Worse Before It Looks Better
Brown dust, green film and hair algae in a new saltwater tank are normal.
Oct 29, 2026
-
Moving From Freshwater to Saltwater: What Carries Over and What Doesn’t
Kept freshwater tanks and thinking about saltwater? The skills that transfer, the things that are genuinely different, and how to make the switch…
Oct 29, 2026