Aquarium Guides for Sarasota Fishkeepers
Cycling, stocking, water chemistry, disease treatment, coral care. The same advice we give in-store, written down for reference.
Tropical Community Fish
Hand-picked community-tank fish, tetras, rasboras, danios, peaceful corydoras and plecos, all quarantined two weeks before they hit the sales floor.
Best Beginner Freshwater Fish for Sarasota Families
Eight first-tank-friendly species for a Sarasota family aquarium, what works, what to skip, and the 20-gallon kit to start with.
Common Freshwater Fish Diseases — Ich, Fin Rot, Velvet
Visual ID, root causes, and the meds we'd reach for. Ich, fin rot, velvet, dropsy. Free in-store water testing in Sarasota.
Tropical Community Fish vs Cichlids — Which Is Right for You
Behavior, water chemistry, equipment, and time commitment compared. Choosing between peaceful community and a cichlid biotope.
Cycling Your First Freshwater Tank
Fishless vs fish-in cycling, the 4-6 week timeline, daily testing, and how to know when your first fish can go in.
How to Choose Compatible Community Fish
Aggression, water-parameter overlap, size, and tank-region rules, the 5 compatibility checks we run before selling community fish.
The Nitrogen Cycle Explained for Beginners
Ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, the bacteria that drive it, and why every troubleshooting talk in our shop starts here.
Cichlids
African Mbuna, Tanganyikan, and peaceful South American cichlids, biotope-appropriate stock with the substrate, rockwork, and buffering products to match.
Setting Up an African Cichlid Tank — Water Chemistry & Aquascape
Tank size, hard alkaline water chemistry, crushed coral substrate, rockwork strategy, and stocking. The full African Mbuna setup playbook.
African vs South American Cichlids
Two completely different cichlid worlds. Water chemistry, behavior, decor and cost compared.
Best Beginner Cichlids — Peaceful Options
If you want cichlid personality without Mbuna aggression, these six species belong on your shortlist.
Bettas
Halfmoon, plakat, crowntail and koi bettas in a rotating selection of colors, plus heated, filtered tanks 5 gallons or larger to actually house them in.
Tank Mates That Work With Bettas
Six species that genuinely work in a 10+ gallon planted betta tank, and the species to never, ever pair with a male betta.
Common Betta Diseases — Fin Rot, Ich, Dropsy
ID, root cause, and treatment for the four diseases most likely to affect your betta. Plus the prevention rules that beat all of them.
Minimum Tank Size for a Healthy Betta
Why 1-gallon bowls fail, why 5 gallons is the floor, and what the betta actually needs in that 5 gallons.
Goldfish & Pond Fish
Fancy goldfish for indoor tanks and seasonal pond-grade goldfish and koi for Sarasota outdoor ponds, honest sizing advice included.
Saltwater Fish
Clownfish, tangs, wrasses, gobies, blennies, marine invertebrates, observed in our quarantine system for 2 weeks before they're released for sale.
Acclimating Saltwater Fish — The Drip Method
Step-by-step drip acclimation for marine fish. Why it matters, the gear, and the 60 to 90 minute timeline.
Beginner Saltwater Fish — What Works in Your First Tank
Six hardy saltwater species for a first FOWLR or reef tank, plus the species to absolutely skip until year two.
Common Saltwater Fish Diseases — Ich, Velvet, Flukes
Visual ID, treatment with copper or hyposalinity, and the prevention rules that save reef tanks.
Cycling a Saltwater Aquarium
Live rock, dry rock, bottled bacteria. The 4 to 8 week timeline, what to test, and when you're ready for fish.
FOWLR vs Reef Tank — Which Setup Is Right for You
Cost, equipment, livestock, and maintenance compared. Why most reefers start FOWLR and graduate.
Freshwater vs Saltwater — Which Is Right for Your Sarasota Home
Cost, time, complexity, and visual payoff compared. Honest answer: for most people, start freshwater.
The Gulf Coast Quarantine Protocol — Why We Wait 2 Weeks
Our prophylactic 2-week QT process for every fish. The meds, the parameters, the daily observation routine, and why it matters for reef tank survival.
Saltwater Fish Compatibility — What NOT to Mix
Tangs, angels, damsels, wrasses, gobies. Six aggression rules that decide whether your saltwater stocking plan will work.
Corals
The biggest coral selection between Tampa and Fort Myers, soft, LPS and SPS frags, all dipped, lit on AI/Kessil, and grown out in our display reefs.
Acclimating New Corals — The Dip and Drip Method
Why every new coral gets dipped before it touches your tank, plus the drip acclimation that protects against parameter shock.
Best Beginner Soft Corals for New Reef Tanks
Eight forgiving soft corals to start your reef. Zoanthids, mushrooms, leathers, and the easy LPS that follows.
Common Coral Pests and Diseases — RTN, STN, Flatworms
Acro red bugs, monti-eating nudibranchs, flatworms, and the tissue-necrosis events that wipe out colonies. Identification and treatment.
Coral Lighting Requirements — PAR, Kessil, AI, Current USA
PAR targets by coral type, fixture options, and how to actually light your reef without overspending or underbuilding.
How Much Does a Reef Tank Cost in Florida?
Real first-year totals for nano, small, medium and large reef tanks. Equipment, livestock, and ongoing costs broken out.
Required Water Parameters for Healthy SPS
The seven parameters every SPS reefer tracks, target ranges, and what swings actually do to Acropora and Montipora.
SPS vs LPS vs Soft Corals — Which to Start With
Difficulty, lighting, parameters, and visual style compared across the three coral families.
Aquariums & Equipment
Tanks, filters, lights, heaters and pumps from brands we run on our own systems, Fluval, Eheim, AquaClear, AI, Kessil, Current USA, Fritz, Seachem.
Choosing the Right Aquarium Filter for Your Tank Size
GPH targets, HOB vs canister, and the brands we'd run on freshwater and saltwater builds.
Heater Wattage by Tank Size
The 5 watts per gallon rule, plus the brand picks and Florida-specific notes.
Aquarium Lighting Basics — Freshwater vs Reef
Watts per gallon is dead. Here's how to think about modern aquarium lighting for fish, plants, and corals.
Have a Question Not Covered Here?
Walk into the store with your question (and a water sample if relevant). Free, in-store, no purchase required.