Tank care & troubleshooting
Beginner-safe sourced fixes for the most-searched aquarium problems. Identify the cause first; reach for chemicals last.
Cloudy aquarium water — causes and fixes
Why your water is cloudy and what to do about it. Bacterial bloom, suspended substrate, green water, tannins. Most cloudy water is cosmetic; this guide explains which kind is which.
Algae control without chemicals
Identify the algae type first; the fix that works depends on it. Diatoms, green water, hair algae, BBA, cyanobacteria — each one has a non-chemical fix that addresses the actual cause (light, nutrients, or lack of competing plants).
Start here, then pick the tool
- Water looks cloudy: identify the cloudy-water type first; most kinds are cosmetic and resolve on their own.
- Algae taking over: identify the algae type first — the fix depends on whether it's diatoms, hair algae, BBA, or cyanobacteria.
- Nitrate creeping up: high-nitrate calculator for the change-percent math, or the water-change calculator for the routine cadence to keep it from drifting.
More troubleshooting articles ship as the site grows. Stuck cycles, fish-disease primers — building one at a time, sourced.