In the order you need them
Straight answers on tanks, cycling, and what fish you can actually keep — written for people setting up their very first aquarium.
These guides follow the order you actually need them in: choosing a tank and working out what it really costs, the equipment that matters (filter, heater, light, substrate) and what you can skip, the nitrogen cycle and how to run a fishless cycle properly, then stocking — beginner-friendly fish, easy live plants — and the maintenance routine that keeps it all stable.
Every guide is written by a named human author who keeps tanks, gives you the numbers to test against rather than vague advice, and gets updated when better information turns up. Read more about our editorial standards.
How many fish in a 10 gallon tank? Six to eight small schooling fish, or one betta plus a clean-up crew — and why inch-per-gallon keeps killing tanks.
Six to eight small schooling fish, or one betta plus a clean-up crew. The inch-per-gallon rule is wrong — it ignores adult size, waste output and swimming space, and it is why beginner 10-gallon tanks crash.
Pothos in an aquarium is safe for fish and a strong nitrate exporter — roots in the water, leaves in the air. The real risk is the pesticide on the plant.
Yes — pothos in an aquarium is safe, and one of the best nitrate exporters for a beginner tank. Roots in the water, leaves in the air. Submerging the leaves kills the plant, and an unquarantined shop plant can kill shrimp.
