Aquarium Keeping
Building and maintaining an aquatic ecosystem — part biology, part chemistry, part living art.
At a Glance
Category
Cost to Start
Difficulty
Time Commitment
Space Needed
Physical Intensity
Solo or Social
Overview
Aquarium keeping is managing a small aquatic ecosystem: filtration, the nitrogen cycle, water chemistry, and the health of fish and plants. Freshwater planted tanks and saltwater reef tanks are quite different pursuits.
The nitrogen cycle is the concept everything depends on, and skipping it is the reason most beginner tanks fail.
Getting Started
Learn the nitrogen cycle before buying any fish. This single concept prevents most beginner losses.
Cycle the tank fully — usually four to six weeks — before adding livestock.
Buy a bigger tank than you think you need. Larger volumes are far more stable and forgiving.
Get a liquid test kit and test regularly. Test strips are not accurate enough to rely on.
