A healthy fish starts with a prepared home
Plan for arrival. Care for a lifetime.
Good fishkeeping is less about chasing a perfect number and more about providing enough space, stable water, appropriate food, compatible tankmates, and close observation over the fish’s entire life.
Before the box arrives
Make arrival day the easiest day.
The aquarium—not the shipping bag—should be ready to support the fish. Read the individual listing and our shipping instructions before the scheduled delivery.
Cycle and test
Have a fully functioning biofilter. Confirm ammonia and nitrite are undetectable and that temperature and pH are stable before the fish arrives.
Prepare quarantine
Use a separate cycled aquarium with its own net, siphon, heater, cover, and filter. A minimum 30-day quarantine is a widely recommended starting point.
Match the listing
Confirm adult tank size, temperature range, water chemistry, diet, aggression, and whether the fish is exact-fish or group-selected.
Clear your schedule
Bring the package inside immediately, inspect it before opening, keep lights low, and follow the included acclimation directions rather than improvising.
The foundation
Stable, clean water beats constant adjustment.
Keep a written baseline for the aquarium. Test more often after adding fish, changing filtration, treating illness, or whenever behavior changes.
Water-change habits
- Base frequency and volume on test results, stocking, feeding, and filter capacity.
- Condition replacement water and bring it close to the aquarium temperature.
- Siphon trapped waste without stripping every surface clean at once.
- Never use soap or household cleaners on aquarium equipment.
Protect the biofilter
- Do not replace all biological media at the same time.
- Rinse reusable media gently in removed aquarium water when practical.
- Expect closer monitoring after medication, a power outage, deep cleaning, or filter disruption.
- Adding water for evaporation does not replace a water change.
A repeatable rhythm
Small observations prevent large problems.
Every day
Observe before feeding
- Count fish and check swimming, breathing, posture, color, fins, eyes, and appetite.
- Confirm the heater, filter, and aeration are operating.
- Look for aggression, hiding, injuries, or a fish being excluded from food.
Every week
Test, clean, and record
- Test the parameters appropriate to your aquarium and compare with its normal baseline.
- Perform the needed partial water change and remove debris.
- Clean viewing panes and inspect intakes, lids, cords, and seals.
Every month
Inspect the system
- Service mechanical filtration without destroying biological media.
- Check flow, air delivery, heater accuracy, and backup equipment.
- Review growth, body condition, stocking pressure, and whether the aquarium still fits the adult fish.
Nutrition without excess
Feed the species—not the marketing label.
Use a quality staple formulated for the fish’s feeding strategy, then add appropriate variety. Uneaten food becomes a water-quality problem.
Helpful habits
- Offer portions the fish can consume without food accumulating in the aquarium.
- Make sure shy, bottom-dwelling, and lower-ranking fish actually receive food.
- Store dry food sealed, cool, and dry; replace stale food.
- Adjust quantity as fish grow and as temperature, activity, or breeding condition changes.
Avoid shortcuts
- Do not assume algae alone will feed a Bushynose Pleco.
- Avoid mammal meat and unquarantined feeder fish for cichlids.
- Do not add extra food because a fish begs at the glass.
- Do not medicate food or water “just in case” without a diagnosis and a safe plan.
Know what normal looks like
Respond to changes early.
Loss of appetite, hiding, flashing, clamped or damaged fins, unusual spots or mucus, swelling, weight loss, rapid breathing, surface gasping, or abnormal swimming deserve prompt attention.
Species-specific priorities
Four fish, four different long-term plans.
These highlights supplement—not replace—the complete guide and the details on each individual listing.
Solo centerpiece cichlid
Super Red Dragon Flowerhorn
- Plan on at least 75 gallons for one adult; 90+ gallons gives large males better turning room and water stability.
- House alone unless you are an experienced keeper with a very large divided setup and immediate separation plan.
- Use powerful filtration, a secure lid, protected equipment, and simple décor without sharp edges.
- Feed a quality cichlid staple in controlled portions; monitor weight and waste production.
- Watch for escalating aggression, rubbing injuries, appetite changes, and declining water quality.
Community-friendly bottom dweller
Super Red Bushynose Pleco
- Provide at least 20 gallons for one adult; choose 30+ gallons when sharing a community aquarium.
- Offer caves, shaded resting areas, grazing surfaces, good oxygenation, and enough bottom territory.
- Use sinking vegetable-forward foods plus appropriate variety; algae and leftovers are not a complete diet.
- Feed after lights dim if tankmates take the pleco’s food, and remove uneaten vegetables before they spoil.
- Monitor belly condition and feces; adult males may defend preferred caves.
South American sand-sifting cichlid
Threadfin Acara
- A 75-gallon aquarium is a practical adult starting point; larger is needed for pairs, groups, or communities.
- Provide fine sand, open swimming room, wood or visual cover, and protected areas away from constant traffic.
- Choose similarly sized, non-aggressive tankmates; avoid fin-nippers and fish small enough to be swallowed.
- Offer varied quality foods that reach the lower water column without accumulating in the substrate.
- Expect digging and increased territorial behavior as fish mature or breed.
Large predatory Malawi cichlid
Giraffe Cichlid
- Plan around a mature fish: 125 gallons or larger is the responsible starting point for long-term adult housing.
- Maintain stable, hard alkaline water with strong filtration, high oxygenation, open sand, and securely placed rockwork.
- Keep only with robust, similarly sized Malawi fish selected for compatible behavior; small fish may be treated as prey.
- Feed a quality Malawi/hap cichlid diet in controlled portions; avoid mammal meat and risky feeder fish.
- Have a separation plan—adult males can become intensely territorial, especially during breeding.
Plan before you need it
Power outages, vacations, and equipment failures happen.
Keep a battery air pump, spare heater appropriate to the aquarium, water conditioner, test supplies, clean buckets, and a written feeding/emergency plan. A trained caretaker should know where shutoffs are and who to contact—but should not improvise medication or overfeed.
Care information and limitations
Individual fish, breeding lines, aquariums, and local water differ. Listing-specific guidance takes priority, and serious health concerns require a qualified aquatic veterinarian. Our general husbandry approach is informed by the Merck Veterinary Manual’s aquarium-fish guidance, routine fish health guidance, and University of Florida responsible aquarium ownership guidance.