Beginner aquarium guides
53 guides, in the order a first tank needs them. Each one answers one question and commits to the answer.
Getting Started
Tank size, what a setup costs, and getting it running. 5 guides.
Getting Started10 min
10 Gallon Fish Tank Setup: What to Buy and What It Costs
Getting Started6 min
20 Gallon Fish Tank Setup Cost: Every Item, Priced
Getting Started3 min
How Much Does a Fish Tank Weigh? Every Size, Filled
Getting Started3 min
How to Acclimate Fish to a New Tank (Freshwater)
Getting Started3 min
What Size Aquarium Should a Beginner Get? (Bigger Is Easier)
What you'll find here
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.